Synopsis of last week's important good news from around the world.
New Bifacial Solar Tech: Wouldn't it be great if solar panels could generate 30 percent more power than today's traditional panels and cost significantly less? In fact, about 70 percent less. Well, it's just happened.
Inhaler Price Cap: Over 40 million Americans rely on inhalers to breathe but, shockingly, they cost up to $645 in the US - but just $49 in the UK. However, thanks to Senator Tammy Baldwin, the good news is that US companies have been shamed into changing their prices, pushing them into making commitments to cap costs for their inhalers at $35.
Finally! Currently, female crash test dummies don’t participate in the test at all or, if they do, they are based on outdated 1970s presumptions. No wonder a recent study published in Frontiers in Public Health stated that car safety research and innovations are in urgent need of being updated. The good news, however, is that the NHTSA has been jolted into action and has begun updating female crash test dummies to more accurately represent the passengers (and drivers!) on the roads today.
Ontario Languages: Lawmakers in Ontario will now be able to address the province’s legislature using Indigenous languages, in a “momentous change” that belatedly recognizes the “first languages” of the region. Following a vote las week, “Indigenous language spoken in Canada” can now be used when addressing the speaker or chamber.
Rights of Nature Progress
Peru: The Marañón River, which flows from Peru’s Andes mountains into the Amazon river, has “intrinsic” value and possesses the rights to exist, flow, and be free from pollution, among other rights, a Peruvian trial court has just ruled.
Aruba: The Caribbean island of Aruba has drafted a constitutional amendment that would make it the second country in the world (after Ecuador) to recognize that nature has inherent rights. The amendment also affirms that people are entitled to a “clean, healthy and sustainable environment.”
Looks Promising: A hydrogen fuel-cell passenger train developed by Swiss rail vehicle maker Stadler Rail has achieved a new Guinness World Record, traveling for almost two days around the clock for a distance of 1,741.7 miles on one tank of hydrogen - during a freezing local winter!
Loving Pre-Loved: In good news for the planet and for a great many wallets, new data shows that 2023 was a record year for secondhand clothes sales globally, amid concern about fast fashion’s impact on the environment. The pre-loved market grew a remarkable 15 times faster than the broader retail market in 2023.
Good Deed: After finding out their building's overnight security guard, James Mogaji, last saw his family 11 years ago, students living in Raymond Hall at Providence College raised $3,000 in a week and surprised a tearful Mogaji with the money to enable him to fly home to Nigeria.
Hair Loss Treatment: A component of the aromatic spice cinnamon caused hair follicles to sprout in the lab, with researchers now set on developing a novel treatment to reverse hair loss through the use of natural compounds. Hair restoration treatments are limited to either surgical (hair transplant) or non-surgical (drugs) methods. So, finding this novel hair loss treatment is exciting scientists at Yokohama National University in Japan.
Blow to Putin: Indian oil refineries have stopped accepting Russian crude oil delivered by tankers operated by Sovcomflot - Russia’s largest commercial shipping company that has been sanctioned by the U.S. - Bloomberg reports. That's good news as it will surely deal a blow to Moscow’s economy as India is one of the largest importers of its fossil fuels since the start of the Ukraine war.
EU Acts on AI: Regulators have passed the world’s first sweeping artificial intelligence regulations, seeking to "protect fundamental rights, democracy, the rule of law and environmental sustainability from high-risk AI, while boosting innovation and establishing Europe as a leader in the field."
Amazing Detail: Astronomers have captured a dazzling new image of the black hole at the centre of the Milky Way. The first image of the black hole taken in polarized light shows the supermassive structure’s magnetic fields and hints that it could be hiding an enormous jet. This finding also suggests that strong magnetic fields may be a common feature of all black holes.
Auto Emissions: America's EPA is imposing the strictest limits on greenhouse gas emissions from light-duty vehicles in U.S. history. It’s the Biden-Harris administration’s latest climate move, and will further solidify and accelerate the EV transition.
German Energy: The share of renewable energy sources in Europe's largest economy - Germany - grew to just over half (52%) in 2023 thanks to the steady expansion of solar and wind power installations in electricity production and an increase in the uptake of renewable heating systems, says the Federal Environment Agency.
Good News For Somalia: Somalia has had 99 percent of its debt cancelled - a breakthrough for the country as it tries to recover from an ongoing three-decade conflict. Rich creditor nations cancelled more than $2 billion of debt. Somalia’s finance minister said the debt relief would “allow our government to create fiscal space for basic public services.”
Climate Accountability: In a remarkable turn of events, legal experts have floated a proposal to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for the devastating impacts of climate change - suggesting that these companies could face homicide charges. The proposal, spearheaded by the consumer advocacy non-profit Public Citizen, has been gaining momentum among legal scholars and public officials. “We’ve been really excited to see the curiosity, interest, and support these ideas have garnered from members of the legal community, including from both former and current federal, state and local prosecutors,” Aaron Regunberg, senior policy counsel with Public Citizen’s climate program, told The Guardian.
Comments