A quick summary of all the top good news stories from last week.
Who isn't fed up with politicians - including presidents and prime ministers - lying and deliberately spreading falsehoods? So, it's heartening to hear that one nation is examining whether this can be stopped. The Welsh government (known as the Senedd) is considering a law to bar politicians from office if they lie. If passed, the world-first law would mean anyone "found guilty of deliberate lying" would be disqualified from being a member of, or standing for, the Senedd. One observer commented: "If lying can be prohibited in a whole range of other professions, why is it not possible to prohibit it in politics? Of course it is." The arguments continue.
Meanwhile in other news...
Health & Wellbeing
Parkinson's Relief: Americans will soon have access to an infusion device that provides round-the-clock effective relief of Parkinson's disease. The US FDA has approved the sale of the treatment, which harnesses innovative technology to make managing the condition easier and more impactful, will be available towards the end of 2025. It will be sold under the name Onapgo.
Emotional Wellbeing: Few would disagree that the covid pandemic and the lockdowns changed the world, but the emotional rebound in England has been rather remarkable. A new study has made a surprising, and hopeful, finding about humans’ ability to bounce back: Older adults in England are happier and more fulfilled today than they were before 2020.
Saving Millions of Lives: Just over 12 months ago Gavi officially launched its malaria vaccination programme in Africa. In that time over 9.8 million doses have been delivered to 17 endemic countries, protecting an estimated five million children. Gavi is hoping to protect an additional 13 million children by the end of this year, expanding coverage to eight new countries.
Conservation & Wildlife
Dolphins in NYC: In a remarkable sighting, a marine researcher and conservationist have just spotted two common dolphins swimming in New York's East River, between Manhattan and Mill Rock. It's the latest evidence that clean-up efforts in New York’s once-notoriously polluted waterways are paying off.
Scottish Highlands Wolves: Researchers in the UK has come up with a surprising way to help tackle the climate crisis - reintroducing wolves to Scotland. Without these predators, red deer in Scotland have flourished to such an extent that their population is now around 400,000 animals. This is a problem because they tend to eat young tree saplings, preventing tree growth. And the world needs trees.
US Whale Protection: In good news for North Atlantic Right whales, commercial fishermen who had hoped for a loosening of fishing regulations during Trump’s administration are disappointed because a federal appeals court has reinstated rules meant to protect a dwindling whale species from getting entangled in fishing gear.
Wetland Cities: Around the globe, efforts to conserve urban wetlands have been recognised after 31 metropolises were accredited as ‘wetland cities’.
American Prairies: Thanks to years of steady efforts to revive buffalo populations, grassland ecosystems in the U.S. are now reaping rewards as this keystone species helps restore the ecosystem and everything it supports from the animals to the plants to the people. Since 2020, the Tanka Fund has facilitated the return of thousands of buffalo to Indigenous communities. The animals’ return to their native habitat has helped revive some American prairie lands and return them to their "natural state.”
Not Just Colourful: Male birds-of-paradise have a lot of tools in their arsenal for attracting potential mates: bright feathers, elaborate dances and, according to new research, the ability to glow - thanks to biofluorescence.
Clean Energy
More Progress: France has upped the ante in the quest for fusion power by maintaining a plasma reaction for over 22 minutes - a new record. This moves us closer to the promise of unlimited, clean energy for humanity until the end of time.
US Energy Milestone: America has reached an unprecedented clean energy tipping point, with carbon-free sources providing 95 percent of all new power capacity in 2024. The nation added 48.2GW of clean energy - enough to power 36 million homes - a 47 percent jump from the previous year, reports DistilledEarth. Traditionally fossil fuel-dependent states like Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana are now leading the solar surge.
New Solar Capacity: Our World in Data has released a highly gratifying graph showing that in 2004, it took about a year for the world to add one gigawatt of solar power capacity. A decade later, the same amount was added every single day on average. One gigawatt of solar is enough to power around 200,000 homes in the U.S.
Global South Races Ahead: The Global South is deploying renewables twice as fast as the Global North, thanks to record levels of investment and decreasing costs of clean power. Last year, deployment of clean energy sources in the Global South outpaced fossil fuel-based electricity generation seven-fold, a huge shift from a decade ago when it was even, reports RMI.
Sun-Ways: It has been confirmed that a pioneering removable photovoltaic system designed to harness solar energy from railway tracks will undergo testing in Switzerland next spring, marking a significant advancement in renewable energy infrastructure. Swiss start-up Sun-Ways has secured approval for a three-year pilot project, introducing a novel approach to expanding solar power generation by laying solar panels between the tracks of existing railway networks.
Surprisingly... Trump greenlights $1.4 billion for sustainable aviation fuel. That's good news because SAF is seen as a key ingredient for helping to decarbonise the aviation business.
Subway Power Stations: Barcelona is leading the way in sustainable urban transportation with its innovative approach to powering its subway system. By using regenerative braking technology, the city’s metro network is now generating electricity to support station amenities below ground and electric vehicle (EV) chargers above ground, offering a model for cities globally.
Greener Shipping: The world's largest wind-powered ship launched in Turkey. The Neoliner Origin is 450 feet long and utilizes 3,000 square meters of sails to haul up to 5,300 tons of freight. It also boasts a massive reduction in emissions relative to comparable fuel-powered ships. By utilizing wind power and slightly reducing the ship's speed, Neoline says "We can cut fuel consumption and therefore emissions by a factor of five compared with a conventional ship."
Making Polluters Pay: Could globally coordinated levies be implemented to raise funds for critical climate action by taxing the ultra-rich, the fossil fuel industry, and other polluters? That's what the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force, set up after COP28, is endeavouring to achieve.
Peak Truck? New data suggests that America’s love affair with hulking trucks may be coming to an end. That would be good news for people and planet.
And Finally...
Viva España: "A decade after the country was written off as a basket case," said The Times, Spain is enjoying "a new age of prosperity". It's now the world's best performing rich economy. Here's how they did it...
Today's Articles
People's Choice: The winners of the Astronomy Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Awards have just been announced.
New Golden Age: "We are not an automotive company." Ferrari's wild success as a luxury fashion brand.
Eager Beavers: Eight uninvited beavers, with no official drawings, save the Czech government $1.2 million.