Jul 7

Good News Worth Celebrating

Concise global round up of last week's most important good news.

Medicine and Public Health

Saving Lives: Gavi has outlined its plan to save eight million lives between 2026 and 2030. The Vaccine Alliance says it will protect 500 million children during the next five years, reflecting an ambition to vaccinate the next billion children in half the time it took to reach the first billion between 2000 and 2020.

Bionic Breakthrough: A bionic device developed at MIT allows people to control a leg prosthetic with their minds, according to a new study. The device can yield a more natural gait and reduce phantom limb pain, among other benefits. The study has the potential to change the standard of care for hundreds of thousands of Americans who live with the loss of a leg.

Water From Thin Air: DARPA-funded project is more than twice as effective as other water harvesting systems. Low-cost device could be an important contribution to helping meet the growing global demand for potable water.

Epilepsy Device: A 12 year old boy with severe epilepsy has become the first patient in the world to trial a new device fitted in their skull to control seizures. The neurostimulator, which sends electrical signals deep into his brain, has reduced Oran Knowlson’s daytime seizures by 80 percent. His mother, Justine, told the BBC he was happier and had a “much better quality of life”.

Powerful Percentage: In a remarkable success story, under-five mortality in Southern Asia has declined by 72 percent between 1990 and 2022, according to a new report from UNICEF, WHO, and the UN.

Alzheimer's Drug: The Food and Drug Administration has greenlighted a new drug for adult patients with early or mild Alzheimer's. The drug from Eli Lilly - called donanemab and marketed under the brand name Kisunla - slowed cognitive decline in clinical trial patients by 35 percent compared to a placebo.

Child Marriage Ban: In a landmark decision, Sierra Leone’s parliament just passed a historic bill criminalising child marriage, a major victory for campaigners in a region that has the highest prevalence of the practice in the world. The new bill includes a hefty fine or jail terms of up to 15 years for perpetrators.

Wildlife and Conservation

Anti-Poaching Strategy: Radioactive rhino horns are being trialled. It's called The Rhisotope Project and could help save these remarkable creatures.

The World’s First: Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of the Congo has become the first site in the world to be given the status of Key Biodiversity Area, due to its high ecological integrity. Covering 4,000 km2 (1,545 sq. miles) of lowland rainforest, the park has never been logged, contains no roads, and boasts wildlife that has had little to no contact with humans.

Conservation Victory: There's been another big Indigenous conservation victory in Canada after the Inuvialuit signed a new agreement to safeguard almost 850,000 hectares (3,282 sq. miles) of the Yukon’s northeast coast.

Climate and Clean Energy

Viva España: Spain generated almost 60 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources in the first half of 2024, helped by new solar capacity and more output from hydropower plants - up from 51 percent of the total a year earlier, says Reuters. Spain aims to generate an impressive four-fifths of its electricity from renewables by 2030.

Germany on Track: By far the biggest European energy user, Germany wants to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 65 percent by 2030. It’s an ambitious target, but a new federal analysis suggests the target is now within reach under current climate policies, says Clean Energy Wire.

EU Renewables: Wind and solar power increases combined with a sharp drop in fossil fuels pushed renewables into the lead in Europe last year. Renewable energy was the leading source of electricity in the EU in 2023, according to preliminary data from Eurostat, accounting for 44.7 percent of all electricity production - a 12.4 percent increase from 2022. Electricity from fossil fuels overall fell by 19.7 percent in comparison, contributing 32.5 percent of the EU’s power.

Motoring and Technology

"Monster" Car Addiction: It is time for the US to “get back in love” with smaller cars, according to the chief executive of Ford. "It’s super important for our society and for EV adoption,” Chris Farley said. Larger vehicles, using internal combustion engines, have traditionally driven US carmakers’ profits, especially at Ford.

Little Batteries: TDK's new batteries are 100 times better for our devices, heralding an era when our devices could last weeks without recharging.

Big Batteries: New British EV battery fully charges in 6 minutes using existing charging infrastructure.

And Finally...

If it Bleeds, it Leads: US homicide rates in 2024 are on track to fall to their lowest level since the Beatles did their first tour of America. According to multiple data sources, there's a lower chance of being murdered today than in almost any time in the last 60 years. Violent crime consistently ranks as one of the country's main concerns, so everyone - from both the left and the right - has reason to celebrate.