Synopsis of last week's most important good news highlights.
Remarkable Recovery: Humpback whales have been spotted along Australia’s eastern coast in record numbers, in a sign that the species is thriving after decades of conservation work. More than 4,700 whales were counted by scientists and members of the public on one day in June, more than ever before. And up from just 200 in the 1960s.
Landmark Montana Climate Ruling: Sixteen young activists in Montana have won a court case that agrees that they have an "inalienable" right to “a clean and healthful environment.” For the youth climate movement, and until now the legally undefeated fossil fuel industry in America, it was a seismic shock...
Handful of Nuts: Eating a handful of nuts every day is associated with a 17 percent lower risk of depression, according to a new study published in the journal Clinical Nutrition. Data gathered from the UK Biobank, an online database of medical and lifestyle records of around 500,000 Britons, suggests middle-aged and older adults who consumed a daily 30g serving of nuts - including walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, and pistachios - were less likely to report taking antidepressants or getting diagnosed with depression.
New Tumour Destroying Drug: A new cancer drug has been found to “annihilate” solid tumours in the lab, researchers in the US have announced...
New Marine Ecosystem Discovered: Marine researchers have found a new ecosystem supported by hydrothermal vents deep under the sea. Once again demonstrating we still have much to learn about life on our planet. Dive in...
Catastrophe Averted: Remember that stranded oil tanker in hostile, rebel-held waters off Yemen? In fact, it was scarcely by mainstream media, so you may have missed it. Anyway, thanks to an heroic UN led initiative, over a million barrels of oil have now been removed, averting disaster. Almost all the oil is now aboard a replacement tanker, preventing a 'monumental environmental and humanitarian catastrophe.'
FDA Approval: The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a medication called zuranolone, making it the first-ever pill to treat postpartum depression. Clinical trials showed that zuranolone improved symptoms like anxiety, difficulty sleeping and social withdrawal as early as three days after taking the first pill.
UK Breaks Record: Data has just been released that over the weekend of 15/16 July, renewable energy sources provided 67 percent of the country's electricity supply, with wind power providing the lion's share, reports Energy Live News. No coal power was required.
Universal Healthcare: Maharashtra has become the first state in India to roll out universal healthcare, covering $6,900 in expenses for all residents, reports Hindustan Times. The government is also spending $362 million on upgrading hospitals and ensuring that every district in the state has a 50-bed critical care unit. In case the scale of this isn't clear - Maharashtra is home to 120 million people, more than the Philippines or Japan.
Florida Conservation: Florida has allocated almost $1 billion for conservation in its most recent budget. The landmark funding will help protect the remaining acreage needed to conserve a vital stretch of land from the Everglades to Pensacola, reports News Press. It's been described as a "colossal win for conservation".
Highway Superchargers: The EU has approved a groundbreaking new law aimed at saturating highways with rapid EV chargers by the end of 2025. This regulation is a significant stride towards enhancing electric vehicle travel throughout Europe while also curbing harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
Progress in Mexico: When was the last time you heard any news out of Mexico that wasn't about migrants, drugs or crime? How about this: between 2020 and 2022 the number of people living in poverty in Mexico declined by 8.9 million and average household incomes increased by 11 percent, thanks to a new national minimum wage and the provision of social programs.
EU Air Pollution: Air pollution in Europe continues to fall, according to a new report from the European Environment Agency. Between 2005 to 2021, particulate emissions fell by 27 percent, and emissions of sulphur dioxide fell by 80 percent, even as GDP increased by almost 50 percent. Thirteen of the bloc's member states have now met their respective 2020-2029 targets.
Progress in Brazil: The recent slowing of deforestation is part of a broader wave of progress in Brazil, reports The Economist. Lula’s administration is close to finalising a major tax reform, FDI and agricultural productivity are rising, grain exports are filling the gap created by Russia's food terrorism, renewable energy investment is increasing, and solar is rapidly growing.
Healthy Lives Campaign: Egypt used to have the highest rate of hepatitis C in the world. In 2018, the government decided to implement a massive and unprecedented campaign to screen and treat every citizen, crystallising into something called the 100 Million Healthy Lives Campaign. Today, both the World Bank and the WHO say Egypt has eliminated hepatitis C from its entire population, reports Forbes.
Lastly, bad news for Vladimir Putin is potentially good news for Ukraine and its supporters, as the Russian currency passed the rate of 101 to the dollar, making the currency “one of the world’s worst performers this year”, The Economist said, falling slower only than “perennially troublesome peers” including the Argentine peso, Venezuelan bolivar and Turkish lira. It raises significant questions about Putin's ability to continue to wage war.
Today's Articles
World's Largest Asteroid Crater: Evidence suggests that Australia could be concealing a massive, subterranean secret. Dig in...
Hot Air Balloon Dining: Acclaimed Dutch chef serves diners with a three-course gourmet meal while floating in the skies above Holland. Hop aboard...
From the Archives: Secret population of polar bears discovered surviving in an improbable habitat. Remarkable...
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