Quick summary of the top good news stories from last week.
In a week when Kemi Badenoch became the first black woman to lead a major European political party as she was named leader of the UK's Conservative Party, the Biden administration has been generously cancelling debts.
First, it has forgiven another $4.5 billion in student debt for more than 60,000 borrowers - bringing the number of students benefitting from the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program to over one million - and then, in “excellent news for Somalia’s ongoing recovery effort," it agreed to cancel $1.1 billion of outstanding loans, a sum representing about a quarter of the country’s remaining debt. Meanwhile, there's lots more positive news...
Medicine & Public Health
TB Discovery: A compound called sanguinarine, found in the North American wildflower bloodroot, has been genetically modified to combat multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Two derivatives showed more than 90 percent effectiveness against eight TB strains, including drug-resistant ones. These findings are significant, as tuberculosis is the No. 2 infectious killer after Covid-19, says WHO.
Unanimous Decision: Eighth grade girl’s air cleaning project gets state approval and $11.5 million in funding.
Eliminating Insulin: New research from Amsterdam University Medical Center introduces a promising new treatment approach for type 2 diabetes that has the potential to greatly reduce or even eliminate the need for insulin therapy.
Norovirus Vaccine: The world’s first trial for an mRNA vaccine against norovirus - the bug marked by intense vomiting and other gastrointestinal symptoms - has begun across multiple countries. The jab could bring huge health and economic benefits as virus often spreads rapidly and can be serious.
Free School Meals: Kenya commits to universal school meals coverage by 2030, supported by the UN and The Rockefeller Foundation. Kenya will expand its region-leading School Meals Programme from 1.9 million learners in 2023 to over 10 million by 2030. The government has also committed to a 'planet-friendly' approach to school feeding.
Environment & Nature
Good News About Plants: A new study, published in the journal Nature, found that plants worldwide are absorbing about 31 percent more carbon dioxide than the standard estimate, which was established in the 1980s and is currently used in Earth system models to forecast climate trends. The new estimate comes from a better analysis of a particular process that happens during photosynthesis.
Earthshot 2024: Prince William's environmental prize of $1.2 million was awarded to each of five different winners across five categories. “These visionary innovators from Africa and beyond are not just solving the environmental challenges facing their communities - they are lighting the path for a sustainable future for us all.” Here's a quick summary about each winner.
Indigenous Authority: Indigenous peoples in Colombia have been granted the authority to protect, manage, and conserve biodiversity within their territories according to their knowledge. These powers will be exercised according to their self-government structures.
Ecoacoustics: In a new approach to environmental monitoring, scientists are turning to the sounds of nature - specifically, soil - to gain insights into the health of ecosystems.
Space & Technology
Starlink Mini: game-changer for easy portable connectivity. The $599 Starlink Mini combines the terminal and Wi-Fi router into a single dish that’s so efficient, it can be powered by a portable battery. Anywhere.
Wooden Satellite Launched: The world’s first wooden satellite has been launched into space as part of study on using timber to help reduce the creation of space junk. It uses the same wood (magnolia - or “Hoonoki” in Japanese) that was historically used to craft samurai sword sheaths.
Hyperloop Dreams: A Hyperloop test facility in Switzerland has completed the longest-ever vacuum capsule journey. So, good progress.
Climate & Renewables
Stunning Drop: The EU's emissions dropped 8.3 percent in 2023 - the largest annual decrease in decades - and it looks like they will plummet again in 2024, thanks to coal- and gas-fired power declining faster than predicted, says new flagship report. “We are on track to meet our 2030 targets to reduce emissions by at least 55 percent if this momentum is maintained."
Unlikely Triumph: Australia has installed rooftop solar panels on a scale that surpasses all expectations. More than a third of all households in the country now generate their own electricity from the sun. Home-based solar energy accounts for 11.6 percent of electricity production in Australia's main power grid.
Plastic Deception: Los Angeles County has filed a lawsuit against PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, arguing that they misled the public on recyclability and the impact of plastic pollution.
China's Emissions: Carbon emissions in China have flatlined over the last six months amid a blistering renewables rollout, according to new analysis. It's the latest indicator that emissions in the world’s largest emitter may have already peaked. Independent climate organizations have estimated a decline of 24 to 30 percent by 2035 based on current trends and targets.
German Coal Use: In the first nine months of 2024, the consumption of coal in Germany's power plants to generate electricity fell by a whopping 39 percent compared to the same period the previous year.
Archaeology
Archaeologists in Venezuela have found rock art designs dating back thousands of years which they believe "represents a new culture previously unknown." While it's unkcertain exactly how old the rock art is, similar rock art in Brazil has been dated to around 4,000 years ago. However, the team thinks that the examples in Venezuela may be older.
And Finally...
A Russian court has fined Google two undecillion roubles for restricting Russian state media channels on YouTube, reports BBC News. In dollar terms that means the tech giant has been told to pay $20 followed by 31 zeroes. That's far greater than the world’s total GDP, which is estimated by the International Monetary Fund to be $110 trillion.
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Today's Articles
Places of Learning: Oxford University is older than the Aztec empire; and more facts about universities to challenge your historical perspective.
Dorothy's Slippers: Bidding has started for Judy Garland’s famous ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz.
King of Planets: NASA’s Juno spacecraft has captured some spectacular views of Jupiter's stormy atmosphere, processed by citizen scientists.
The Sunshine Vitamin: A handful of informative articles extolling the benefits of Vitamin D - many of which may surprise you.
Brainteasers: A mix of riddles, logic problems, and word games, but they all have one thing in common: they'll take brainpower to solve.