The Good News Report
Apr. 5th, 2025 10:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkat1. The Hands Off Protests - had an estimated turn out of anywhere between 10-20 million. It is estimated the 5 Million people turned out on the West Coast and Big Cities alone, and we already know the East Coast was even bigger - since the biggest turn outs were in DC, NYC, Boston, and Florida, but also in the Midwest - with Chicago, Detroit, and Minneapolis, not to mention the Southwest. Please believe me when I state that I am not exaggerating when I inform you that every single state, plus the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico came out en mass to protest in HANDS OFF yesterday. Cities, towns, suburbs, and even rural areas - along highways, came out in all the states. Places with just under 2000 residents, came out with over a thousand. People who had never protested in their lives, protested. They did in the rain (Kentucky has had flooding and is in emergency crisis - but protested anyhow, NY it rained most of the day - and was in the forties and fifties, and over 200,000 protested in NYC, and that's not counting the thousands across the state), they did it Vegas, in LA, in Oklahoma City, in Topeka, Kansas, in Kansas City, in Indiana, in JD Vance's home town of Middletown, Ohio, they did it Fort Myers Florida, and in Alabama, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Main, Wisconsin, Arkansas, every single state. They protested and flooded DC. They protested in Canada, and in Europe. They protested in Mexico and the US Virgin Islands.
It was huge.
Hmmm...they even showed up in Conservative Heavy Long Island... Mineola had 2,000 people show up (it has a population of about 4,000 if that).
[See previous post for links]
I told Bro.
Bro - glad someone went, I don't go to protests, I'm too tall - they'd point the laser canon at my head. [Bro also has to stay home with his cat.]
[I didn't go either - I can't handle massive crowds of people. I did the Women's March and decided, yeah, no, not doing that ever again. I'll do other things.]
2. On the heels of terminating 10,000 jobs from the Department of Health and Human Services this week, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told ABC News on Thursday some programs would soon be reinstated because they were mistakenly cut.
Go Here
3. The list of famous auto industry flops is long and storied, topped by stinkers like Ford’s Edsel and exploding Pinto and General Motors’s unsightly Pontiac Aztek crossover SUV. Even John Delorean’s sleek, stainless steel DMC-12, iconic from its role in the “Back To The Future” films, was a sales dud that drove the company to bankruptcy.
Elon Musk’s pet project, the dumpster-driving Tesla Cybertruck, now tops that list.
AND The just-released production and delivery report was Tesla’s worst in three years. Dan Ives of Wedbush said in a note to clients that Tesla is seeing soft demand in the United States and China, as well as facing pressure in Europe. “The brand crisis issues are clearly having a negative impact on Tesla...there is no debate,” he said. Ives said that Wall Street and analysts alike knew that the first-quarter figures were likely to be bad, but that it was even worse than expected. “We are not going to look at these numbers with rose-colored glasses...they were a disaster on every metric,” he said.
Go Here
4.The global under-five mortality rate has fallen by over 50% since 1990 according to a new report by the United Nations. The report highlights five “exemplar” countries - India, Nepal, Senegal, Ghana, and Burundi - that, despite resource constraints and diverse contexts, have surpassed global declines through a common cocktail of strong governance, data-driven policies, expanded immunization, and innovative health financing.
5. Illinois has returned stolen land to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation The federal government ceded the land to Potawatomi Chief Shab-eh-nay in 1829, but then sold it to white settlers 20 years later. Governor JB Pritzker has now signed a law restoring the 1,500-acre Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area back to Potawatomi ownership. The land will stay open to the public as a park.
6. Thailand prohibits all corporal punishment of children. Thailand has enacted full prohibition of all corporal punishment of children, making itself the 68th state worldwide to protect children from violent punishment. With a child population of 14,131,000, prohibition in Thailand brings the total number of children worldwide protected by law from corporal punishment to approximately 343 million, or 15% of the global child population.
7. California pilots a solar-over-canal system to combat drought. Project Nexus will cover canals with solar panels, generating clean energy while preventing water evaporation. The $20 million pilot follows UC Merced research showing potential for 13 GW of annual energy—one-sixth of state capacity—while saving 50,000 acres of land. There's more solar canals coming, too. Go HERE
8. Research shows that community groups and small farmers restore land 6 to 20 times more effectively than international NGOs or governments and deliver more sustainable and equitable results.From Mexican fishers who have planted 1.8 million mangroves to locals in Guyana that are protecting a rare bird, here are 10 community-led conservation solutions that are working around the world.
9.In the U.K., “Safe Spaces” in banks and pharmacies give domestic abuse victims a lifeline to seek support — and start again. QT gas stations have safe spaces in the US. Signs posted near the pumps and indoors. Ask the managers and they will shelter you and get help.
10. Every generation in the United States has a lower risk of dementia than the last. While previous projections estimated U.S. dementia cases would double by 2050, a new analysis finds that age-adjusted prevalence has dropped by 67% over the past 40 years. If this trend continues, total cases may rise by only 25% instead of doubling.
11. Plastic pollution along Australian coastlines decreases by 39 per cent
12. We’ve discovered a new class of antibiotics that can beat drug-resistant bacteria. McMaster researchers have identified lariocidin, the first new class of antibiotics in nearly three decades, effective against drug-resistant bacteria. Extracted from backyard soil bacteria and successfully tested in animal models, this discovery might go some way towards addressing the global antimicrobial resistance crisis responsible for 4.5 million annual deaths worldwide.
13.The Thames river, 60 years ago declared “biologically dead,” is now one of the world’s cleanest rivers, and there's more progress to come. The Transforming the Thames coalition has just put together a $5 million mission to restore key habitats across the estuary, including marshes and seagrass meadows, and to protect wildlife like the critically endangered European eels, water filtering oysters, porpoises, seahorses, and lapwings.
14.Finland almost coal-free four years ahead of schedule. Finland has virtually eliminated coal power, dropping to less than 1% of its energy mix. Wind energy has more than doubled since 2020, now supplying 25% of the country's electricity while reducing consumer prices. The transition has cut Finland's emissions by 5% and boosted energy independence by ending reliance on Russian imports.
15.In 2019, Iceland became one of the first countries to implement a four-day workweek. Today, nearly 90% of Icelandic workers have shifted from a 40- to 36-hour workweek, with no loss in pay. Six years later, research indicates that productivity remained stable or even increased in some sectors, all while workers reported better mental health. Parents reported more equal household sharing responsibilities.
16.We won the Wisconsin Supreme Court race by ten points. We literally defeated Elon Musk and his millions in an election he claimed “would decide the trajectory of not only the whole country, but perhaps all of ‘Western civilization’ and ‘the future of the world.’” He may have been right about that, but not in the way he thought. There’s no overstating the magnitude and importance of this victory alone. But that wasn’t it.
17.We also held the Superintendent of Public Instruction seat in Wisconsin—this was a lesser known but critically important race on the same ballot. Jill Underly won by about 5 points, defeating a Republican school voucher proponent who would have been a disaster for public education.
18. This was previously posted, but bears repeating..."Senator Cory Booker broke the record for the longest floor speech in history, and in so doing knocked white supremacist Strom Thurmond out of history’s first-place spot. Booker’s “filibuster”—it wasn’t actually one, as there was no legislation being blocked—was spectacular, thoughtful, emotional, and furious. Tens of millions of Americans watched parts of it on YouTube, C-Span and TikTok.
According to “Cory Booker’s Long Speech: By the Numbers” there were more than 28,000 voicemails of encouragement left on his main office line. Twenty-eight thousand! And honestly, the fact that Booker made this speech at all was because of you as well. Certainly once he stood up the magic was all his—and his staff’s, who’d prepared him for the moment exquisitely—but the fact that he chose to take this action was because his constituents, many of whom subscribe to this newsletter, demanded it. He said as much! You pushed, and pushed, and finally he moved."
19.Senator Schiff announced he would be placing a hold on the nomination of Edward Martin to be U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. Martin is a dangerous, awful, and unfit nominee, so Schiff’s hold is extraordinarily welcome news. We’ve had to push the Senator hard here in California, but once again our efforts are paying off. All Californians should be sure to call Schiff’s office to say thanks.
20.Wildlife bridges and tunnels in Colorado are helping animals commute. Since 2015 the state has built 28 new crossing structures over highways and roads which have been found to reduce vehicle collisions with large animals by more than 80%. Research shows that wildlife crossings save money on any stretch of highway that averages three collisions between motorists and deer per mile, per year.
21.Democrates also had victories in lesser-known elections across the country, including in Aurora, Illinois, where we flipped a Mayoral seat, and in Dane and Winnebago Counties in Wisconsin, where two Democrats flipped County Executive seats.
23.Solar and wind installations set to outpace fossil fuels in the United States by 200-to-1 margin over next three years. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is projecting 111.3 GW of new renewable capacity by 2028, while fossil gas will add just 0.45 GW and coal and oil will contract. Despite the political rhetoric, the US has seen extraordinary gains in conservative states — last year, Texas produced almost twice as much wind and solar electricity as California, and now leads the country in solar manufacturing while fossil gas construction has stalled amidst soaring electricity needs.
24. Solar and wind installations set to outpace fossil fuels in the United States by 200-to-1 margin over next three years. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is projecting 111.3 GW of new renewable capacity by 2028, while fossil gas will add just 0.45 GW and coal and oil will contract. Despite the political rhetoric, the US has seen extraordinary gains in conservative states — last year, Texas produced almost twice as much wind and solar electricity as California, and now leads the country in solar manufacturing while fossil gas construction has stalled amidst soaring electricity needs.
25. [Not exactly good news? But in case you are curious: Georgetown University Law Center students have created a Google doc detailing which law firms have caved and which have stood up to the Trump regime.
Legal Industry Responses to Fascist Attacks Tracker - posted on Blue Sky.]
26. Judge awards $6.6 million to whistleblowers who reported Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to FBI
27. Paralyzed man stands again after pioneering stem cell spinal treatment. In a world-first trial, two of four paralyzed men regained significant mobility after receiving injections of neural stem cells. The most dramatic recovery enabled its recipient to stand independently: “that person is now training to walk.” Another man regained motion in his arms and legs. Larger trials are in the works, but researchers thus far report no serious side effects.
28.Uruguay has revolutionised its energy system, slashing imported oil dependency from 50% in 2008 to just 9% today while building one of the world's cleanest electricity grids. Following drought and oil price shocks, the nation pivoted to wind power that delivers electricity at one-third the cost of oil generation. This shift created 50,000 jobs and turned Uruguay from an electricity importer into an exporter.
29. When Colorado Put Polling Places Inside All Its Jails, Voter Turnout Soared: A new law — the first of its kind in the U.S. — has made it much easier for detained Coloradans to cast a ballot.
30. Fossil gas manufacturing in Australia has collapsed, with prices tripling and new units unavailable until 2028-2029. The replacement? Giant solar farms with eight hour batteries, which have emerged as the preferred power solution, with DC-coupled solar-battery systems now enabling 24/7 industrial operations at competitive costs. Meanwhile, New Zealand's grid has reached 88% renewable electricity, driven entirely by economics, without government incentives. Planned projects are expected to double annual output capability to 5,000 GWh—enough to replace all remaining thermal generation by 2040. That’s right, with no government money necessary, New Zealand’s on track to achieve 100% renewable electricity by 2040.
31.Mexico City changes bullfighting rules to preserve the spectacle but save the bulls: The biggest bullfighting city in the largest bullfighting country in the world is making a change to its centuries-old custom: from now on bullfighters will only be allowed to use capes (no swords!) and fights will be capped at 15 minutes. The shift is designed to protect the bulls while retaining the spectacle (and livelihoods!) of those that rely on the games.
32.Africa region records a steep decline in TB. The 2024 WHO Global Tuberculosis Report found that deaths from TB in the region fell by 42% between 2015 and 2023, while cases declined by 24% over the same period - South Africa led the way with a 50% reduction. Improved detection across countries helped identify 1.9 million cases in 2023 (up from 1.4 million in 2020), raising treatment coverage from 55% to 74%.
33. New York’s First Guaranteed Income Program Is a Lifeline for Homeless Moms: The simple act of cash distribution can alleviate poverty and improve health — including families’ health and early childhood development.
34.‘Snow Farming’ Is Making Spring Skiing More Sustainable
Move over, snowmaking. As climate change reduces snowpack, some ski areas are harvesting early season snow to keep their slopes shreddable.
35. Rewilding Death in the Appalachian Mountains
A growing conservation burial movement is challenging the funeral industry’s environmental footprint while healing the land.
36.For Modern Foragers, A new map reveals Urban Abundance
Through Falling Fruit, people around the world can find edible plants to enjoy — often in unexpected places.
37.In Thailand, Farmers Are Using an App to Reduce Smog
FireD aims to limit pollution from agricultural burning — long a part of the yearly crop cycle — while shifting the blame away from farmers.
38.A new study finds that global conservation efforts are reliably bringing species back from the brink. A major review of over 67,000 animal species by the University of Cambridge has found that targeted conservation measures like habitat protection, captive breeding and reintroductions are successfully restoring populations of endangered animals. We are facing an ecological crisis - but it is possible to do something about it.
While biodiversity loss is a genuine crisis, it's vital that we celebrate the success stories wherever and whenever we can. It's so hard for a species to improve its conservation status, but with the right effort, we can turn things around.
39.Nepal has virtually eradicated extreme poverty. In 1995, an estimated 55% of Nepalis lived in extreme poverty, defined as living on less than $ 2.15 per day. By 2023, this figure had plunged to just 0.37% (!) A key factor behind this remarkable decline is a substantial increase in remittances as a result of large-scale emigration. By 2023, remittances accounted for around a quarter of Nepal’s GDP, improving economic growth and lifting many out of poverty.
40.First-of-its-kind territory in Colombia will protect Indigenous Peoples in Isolation. The “Territoriality of the Indigenous Peoples in Isolation between the Caquetá and Putumayo Rivers” will span 1,092,849 hectares of remote Amazonian forests that are home to over 600 Amazonian species. The territory includes a strictly-protected intangible zone of 929,502 hectares to guarantee the right of communities to live in isolation.
41. Look at how conservation efforts are paying off for various large and lovely mammals. After 120 years of conservation efforts, Yellowstone bison are functioning as a single and genetically healthy population of between 4,000 and 6,000 individuals. The official lion count in Gujarat is expected to hit between 900 -1,500 in the 2025 census, up from 674 big cats in 2020. And Kazakhstan is making significant strides in restoring populations of Przewalski’s horse, Turanian tigers, and snow leopards after dramatically expanding its protected natural areas, from 8,690 km² to 309,000 km².
42.First commercial lunar lander succeeds spectacularly. Blue Ghost, built by Texas startup Firefly Aerospace, has completed a pioneering two-week lunar mission, becoming the first fully successful commercial moon landing. The car-sized spacecraft drilled three feet into lunar soil, captured Earth's magnetic field, collected rock samples, and even photographed a solar eclipse. Our two favourite bits? The lunar sunset photos investigating the mysterious horizon glow and the poetic goodbye message.
44. US scientists unveil a hormone-free male birth control pill. YCT-529, a hormone-free pill developed by US researchers, has shown 99% effectiveness in trials and is now in human testing. Researchers from the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, in collaboration with Columbia University and YourChoice Therapeutics, have developed YCT-529—a hormone-free oral contraceptive designed for men. Unlike traditional contraceptives that rely on hormonal changes, YCT-529 works by inhibiting sperm production. The oral contraceptive for men was found to be 99% effective in mice — and it just completed its first phase of clinical trials.
45.New Bill Provides Free School Meals to 40K More Utah Students: An additional 40,000 Utah elementary school students will soon qualify for free school meals, thanks to a bill approved by Gov. Spencer Cox last Tuesday. Currently, students whose family income is at or below 130% of the federal poverty level — about $40,560 for a family of four — are eligible. But when the bill, HB100, goes into effect July 1, the threshold for receiving free meals will change to 185% of the poverty level, or $57,720. Per Utah-based nonprofit The Policy Project, HB100 will allot $2.5 million from the state’s education budget toward the newly free meals, although the organization is also raising private funds in case more are needed, a spokesperson told The Salt Lake Tribune. The law also states that local education agencies will be prohibited from “stigmatizing students who cannot afford meals,” i.e. singling out children who are receiving the free food.
46. Former PepsiCo Exec Invented a Plastic That Dissolves in Water If anyone knows a thing or two about plastic’s impact on the planet, it’s Manuel Rendon. The former PepsiCo executive and environmental engineer is using his 20 years of expertise to solve one of the world’s biggest problems through Timeplast. Up to 450 million metric tons of plastic are wasted each year. Microplastics seep into our bodies, and mountains of bottles pile up in the ocean. But Timeplast has patented a water-soluble, time-programmable plastic that vanishes without harming the environment.
47.After hearing about accusations for years, Russell Brand is finally formally charged with multiple sexual offenses.
48. Ahead of beginning routine science operations later this month, NASA space telescope SPHEREx turned on its detectors for the first time on March 27. The telescope captured images of tens of thousands of star galaxies, and each of the six shots above depict over 100,000 detected light sources. “Our spacecraft has opened its eyes on the universe,” said SPHEREx project scientist Olivier Doré in a news release. “It’s performing just as it was designed to.”
49. A coalition of over 500 law firms to challenge the Republican President’s attempts to punish law firms that oppose him. One of them, which happened to be where Usha Vance used to work, Munger, Tolles & Olson filed a brief in federal court in Washington, D.C., warning that Trump’s actions “pose a grave threat to our system of constitutional governance and to the rule of law.” Trump’s measures include revoking security clearances, canceling government contracts, and denying access to federal buildings for firms representing his political adversaries, such as Perkins Coie, which represented Hillary Clinton in 2016. A federal judge has blocked the orders against Perkins Coie, saying the government may not punish individuals or companies for their opinions. The firms represented in Friday’s filing have “a wide range of political and ideological views,” Munger Tolles said. “For our system of justice to operate, members of the bar must be free to advocate zealously for all of their clients, large and small, rich and poor, without fear of retribution.” The brief was signed by Donald Verrilli, a former solicitor general under President Barack Obama. Also HERE
50.In June, Bruce Springsteen will drop seven “lost albums” featuring 74 never-before-released songs
51.A new flexible” robot can help first responders rescue disaster victims trapped under debris.
52.A whopping 66 million years ago, around 100 different marine species died in a shallow sea in what is now southern New Jersey, due to the after-effects of an asteroid that crashed off the coast of Mexico. Today, it may be “one of the world’s most important fossil sites,” per The New York Times, and a new museum is making its cache more accessible to the public.
Ten years and $75 million in the making, the Edelman Fossil Park & Museum, anticipating 200,000 visitors a year, opened its doors last weekend. Exhibits spotlight the sea creatures that once swam beneath its floors, including a terrifying re-creation of a massive shark-like mosasaur and life-size depictions of interactions between dinos meant to “show the gritty underbelly of the dinosaur world,” according to paleontologist Kenneth Lacovara, the museum’s executive director. There’s also an environmental message behind the museum — its motto is “Discover the past, protect the future.” In the “Hall of Extinction,” exhibits connect the asteroid’s effects to the creatures struggling with climate changes today, and kiosks offer actionable steps visitors can take to help. They’re hoping to make people fall in love with this amazing planet that we have so that they take action to protect it.
53.The LA Kings are hosting free youth hockey programs to welcome more Latino kids to the sport.
54.Dormant algae revived after 7,000 years beneath the Baltic Sea, researchers say. Regaining full biological activity after thousands of years sans light or oxygen, the algae opens the door to future “time-jump experiments.” HERE.
55.For 3 decades, elephants have found a peaceful retreat in an unlikely place. Tennessee! (in the US) Tennessee hosts the largest natural elephant habitat in the country: Many rescued elephants call the sanctuary home.
56.DNC Chair Ken Martin just announced the “People’s Cabinet,” a new project that will “leverage a deep bench of qualified policy experts, national and local leaders, and community voices who will cut through the lies and speak directly to the American people about the Trump administration’s reckless and dangerous agenda.” From the DNC’s press release: In order to reach the American people, the Cabinet will conduct briefings with media and coalition partners, speak directly with Americans across the country at town halls as part of the DNC’s People’s Town Hall initiative, produce digital content to reach Americans across the platforms where they get their news, engage in rapid response to counter the lies and disinformation from the Trump administration, and serve as thought leaders for the Democratic ecosystem on effective strategy and tactics in countering the worst of the Republican agenda.
57.With “zero savings” in the bank, New Zealand couple James and Leonie used secondhand materials to build themselves an off-grid tiny home that’s surrounded by a fully regenerative, small-scale syntropic food forest — and their DIY journey was featured in a recent episode of Living Big in a Tiny House. The agriculture system, which James turned into a business as well, imitates natural ecosystems and can produce food while simultaneously boosting soil health and biodiversity. “It’s this wonderful collaboration between humans and nature,” he said.
58. Thanks to one Dutch, tulip-loving couple, residents and tourists in Grugliasco, Italy, are treated to this spectacular rainbow array every spring. The husband and wife founded Tulipani Italiani: the first and largest tulip garden in the country, boasting nearly 1 million tulips between its two locations — and visitors can collect the buds to their hearts’ content.
59. Next time you feel like defying gravity, consider a trip to Hawaii — specifically the island of Oahu, which is home to a reverse waterfall. Also known as the Upside Down Waterfall, Waipuhia Falls sprays up Mount Konahuanui and can be seen from Route 61 (the Pali Highway). The striking effect, visible only during the wet season between November and March, is a result of the island’s strong trade winds. They blow in a northeasterly direction, and catch the water before it can reach the bottom, making it look as though the waterfall flows in reverse.
It was huge.
Hmmm...they even showed up in Conservative Heavy Long Island... Mineola had 2,000 people show up (it has a population of about 4,000 if that).
[See previous post for links]
I told Bro.
Bro - glad someone went, I don't go to protests, I'm too tall - they'd point the laser canon at my head. [Bro also has to stay home with his cat.]
[I didn't go either - I can't handle massive crowds of people. I did the Women's March and decided, yeah, no, not doing that ever again. I'll do other things.]
2. On the heels of terminating 10,000 jobs from the Department of Health and Human Services this week, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told ABC News on Thursday some programs would soon be reinstated because they were mistakenly cut.
Go Here
3. The list of famous auto industry flops is long and storied, topped by stinkers like Ford’s Edsel and exploding Pinto and General Motors’s unsightly Pontiac Aztek crossover SUV. Even John Delorean’s sleek, stainless steel DMC-12, iconic from its role in the “Back To The Future” films, was a sales dud that drove the company to bankruptcy.
Elon Musk’s pet project, the dumpster-driving Tesla Cybertruck, now tops that list.
AND The just-released production and delivery report was Tesla’s worst in three years. Dan Ives of Wedbush said in a note to clients that Tesla is seeing soft demand in the United States and China, as well as facing pressure in Europe. “The brand crisis issues are clearly having a negative impact on Tesla...there is no debate,” he said. Ives said that Wall Street and analysts alike knew that the first-quarter figures were likely to be bad, but that it was even worse than expected. “We are not going to look at these numbers with rose-colored glasses...they were a disaster on every metric,” he said.
Go Here
4.The global under-five mortality rate has fallen by over 50% since 1990 according to a new report by the United Nations. The report highlights five “exemplar” countries - India, Nepal, Senegal, Ghana, and Burundi - that, despite resource constraints and diverse contexts, have surpassed global declines through a common cocktail of strong governance, data-driven policies, expanded immunization, and innovative health financing.
5. Illinois has returned stolen land to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation The federal government ceded the land to Potawatomi Chief Shab-eh-nay in 1829, but then sold it to white settlers 20 years later. Governor JB Pritzker has now signed a law restoring the 1,500-acre Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area back to Potawatomi ownership. The land will stay open to the public as a park.
6. Thailand prohibits all corporal punishment of children. Thailand has enacted full prohibition of all corporal punishment of children, making itself the 68th state worldwide to protect children from violent punishment. With a child population of 14,131,000, prohibition in Thailand brings the total number of children worldwide protected by law from corporal punishment to approximately 343 million, or 15% of the global child population.
7. California pilots a solar-over-canal system to combat drought. Project Nexus will cover canals with solar panels, generating clean energy while preventing water evaporation. The $20 million pilot follows UC Merced research showing potential for 13 GW of annual energy—one-sixth of state capacity—while saving 50,000 acres of land. There's more solar canals coming, too. Go HERE
8. Research shows that community groups and small farmers restore land 6 to 20 times more effectively than international NGOs or governments and deliver more sustainable and equitable results.From Mexican fishers who have planted 1.8 million mangroves to locals in Guyana that are protecting a rare bird, here are 10 community-led conservation solutions that are working around the world.
9.In the U.K., “Safe Spaces” in banks and pharmacies give domestic abuse victims a lifeline to seek support — and start again. QT gas stations have safe spaces in the US. Signs posted near the pumps and indoors. Ask the managers and they will shelter you and get help.
10. Every generation in the United States has a lower risk of dementia than the last. While previous projections estimated U.S. dementia cases would double by 2050, a new analysis finds that age-adjusted prevalence has dropped by 67% over the past 40 years. If this trend continues, total cases may rise by only 25% instead of doubling.
11. Plastic pollution along Australian coastlines decreases by 39 per cent
12. We’ve discovered a new class of antibiotics that can beat drug-resistant bacteria. McMaster researchers have identified lariocidin, the first new class of antibiotics in nearly three decades, effective against drug-resistant bacteria. Extracted from backyard soil bacteria and successfully tested in animal models, this discovery might go some way towards addressing the global antimicrobial resistance crisis responsible for 4.5 million annual deaths worldwide.
13.The Thames river, 60 years ago declared “biologically dead,” is now one of the world’s cleanest rivers, and there's more progress to come. The Transforming the Thames coalition has just put together a $5 million mission to restore key habitats across the estuary, including marshes and seagrass meadows, and to protect wildlife like the critically endangered European eels, water filtering oysters, porpoises, seahorses, and lapwings.
14.Finland almost coal-free four years ahead of schedule. Finland has virtually eliminated coal power, dropping to less than 1% of its energy mix. Wind energy has more than doubled since 2020, now supplying 25% of the country's electricity while reducing consumer prices. The transition has cut Finland's emissions by 5% and boosted energy independence by ending reliance on Russian imports.
15.In 2019, Iceland became one of the first countries to implement a four-day workweek. Today, nearly 90% of Icelandic workers have shifted from a 40- to 36-hour workweek, with no loss in pay. Six years later, research indicates that productivity remained stable or even increased in some sectors, all while workers reported better mental health. Parents reported more equal household sharing responsibilities.
16.We won the Wisconsin Supreme Court race by ten points. We literally defeated Elon Musk and his millions in an election he claimed “would decide the trajectory of not only the whole country, but perhaps all of ‘Western civilization’ and ‘the future of the world.’” He may have been right about that, but not in the way he thought. There’s no overstating the magnitude and importance of this victory alone. But that wasn’t it.
17.We also held the Superintendent of Public Instruction seat in Wisconsin—this was a lesser known but critically important race on the same ballot. Jill Underly won by about 5 points, defeating a Republican school voucher proponent who would have been a disaster for public education.
18. This was previously posted, but bears repeating..."Senator Cory Booker broke the record for the longest floor speech in history, and in so doing knocked white supremacist Strom Thurmond out of history’s first-place spot. Booker’s “filibuster”—it wasn’t actually one, as there was no legislation being blocked—was spectacular, thoughtful, emotional, and furious. Tens of millions of Americans watched parts of it on YouTube, C-Span and TikTok.
According to “Cory Booker’s Long Speech: By the Numbers” there were more than 28,000 voicemails of encouragement left on his main office line. Twenty-eight thousand! And honestly, the fact that Booker made this speech at all was because of you as well. Certainly once he stood up the magic was all his—and his staff’s, who’d prepared him for the moment exquisitely—but the fact that he chose to take this action was because his constituents, many of whom subscribe to this newsletter, demanded it. He said as much! You pushed, and pushed, and finally he moved."
19.Senator Schiff announced he would be placing a hold on the nomination of Edward Martin to be U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. Martin is a dangerous, awful, and unfit nominee, so Schiff’s hold is extraordinarily welcome news. We’ve had to push the Senator hard here in California, but once again our efforts are paying off. All Californians should be sure to call Schiff’s office to say thanks.
20.Wildlife bridges and tunnels in Colorado are helping animals commute. Since 2015 the state has built 28 new crossing structures over highways and roads which have been found to reduce vehicle collisions with large animals by more than 80%. Research shows that wildlife crossings save money on any stretch of highway that averages three collisions between motorists and deer per mile, per year.
21.Democrates also had victories in lesser-known elections across the country, including in Aurora, Illinois, where we flipped a Mayoral seat, and in Dane and Winnebago Counties in Wisconsin, where two Democrats flipped County Executive seats.
23.Solar and wind installations set to outpace fossil fuels in the United States by 200-to-1 margin over next three years. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is projecting 111.3 GW of new renewable capacity by 2028, while fossil gas will add just 0.45 GW and coal and oil will contract. Despite the political rhetoric, the US has seen extraordinary gains in conservative states — last year, Texas produced almost twice as much wind and solar electricity as California, and now leads the country in solar manufacturing while fossil gas construction has stalled amidst soaring electricity needs.
24. Solar and wind installations set to outpace fossil fuels in the United States by 200-to-1 margin over next three years. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is projecting 111.3 GW of new renewable capacity by 2028, while fossil gas will add just 0.45 GW and coal and oil will contract. Despite the political rhetoric, the US has seen extraordinary gains in conservative states — last year, Texas produced almost twice as much wind and solar electricity as California, and now leads the country in solar manufacturing while fossil gas construction has stalled amidst soaring electricity needs.
25. [Not exactly good news? But in case you are curious: Georgetown University Law Center students have created a Google doc detailing which law firms have caved and which have stood up to the Trump regime.
Legal Industry Responses to Fascist Attacks Tracker - posted on Blue Sky.]
26. Judge awards $6.6 million to whistleblowers who reported Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to FBI
27. Paralyzed man stands again after pioneering stem cell spinal treatment. In a world-first trial, two of four paralyzed men regained significant mobility after receiving injections of neural stem cells. The most dramatic recovery enabled its recipient to stand independently: “that person is now training to walk.” Another man regained motion in his arms and legs. Larger trials are in the works, but researchers thus far report no serious side effects.
28.Uruguay has revolutionised its energy system, slashing imported oil dependency from 50% in 2008 to just 9% today while building one of the world's cleanest electricity grids. Following drought and oil price shocks, the nation pivoted to wind power that delivers electricity at one-third the cost of oil generation. This shift created 50,000 jobs and turned Uruguay from an electricity importer into an exporter.
29. When Colorado Put Polling Places Inside All Its Jails, Voter Turnout Soared: A new law — the first of its kind in the U.S. — has made it much easier for detained Coloradans to cast a ballot.
30. Fossil gas manufacturing in Australia has collapsed, with prices tripling and new units unavailable until 2028-2029. The replacement? Giant solar farms with eight hour batteries, which have emerged as the preferred power solution, with DC-coupled solar-battery systems now enabling 24/7 industrial operations at competitive costs. Meanwhile, New Zealand's grid has reached 88% renewable electricity, driven entirely by economics, without government incentives. Planned projects are expected to double annual output capability to 5,000 GWh—enough to replace all remaining thermal generation by 2040. That’s right, with no government money necessary, New Zealand’s on track to achieve 100% renewable electricity by 2040.
31.Mexico City changes bullfighting rules to preserve the spectacle but save the bulls: The biggest bullfighting city in the largest bullfighting country in the world is making a change to its centuries-old custom: from now on bullfighters will only be allowed to use capes (no swords!) and fights will be capped at 15 minutes. The shift is designed to protect the bulls while retaining the spectacle (and livelihoods!) of those that rely on the games.
32.Africa region records a steep decline in TB. The 2024 WHO Global Tuberculosis Report found that deaths from TB in the region fell by 42% between 2015 and 2023, while cases declined by 24% over the same period - South Africa led the way with a 50% reduction. Improved detection across countries helped identify 1.9 million cases in 2023 (up from 1.4 million in 2020), raising treatment coverage from 55% to 74%.
33. New York’s First Guaranteed Income Program Is a Lifeline for Homeless Moms: The simple act of cash distribution can alleviate poverty and improve health — including families’ health and early childhood development.
34.‘Snow Farming’ Is Making Spring Skiing More Sustainable
Move over, snowmaking. As climate change reduces snowpack, some ski areas are harvesting early season snow to keep their slopes shreddable.
35. Rewilding Death in the Appalachian Mountains
A growing conservation burial movement is challenging the funeral industry’s environmental footprint while healing the land.
36.For Modern Foragers, A new map reveals Urban Abundance
Through Falling Fruit, people around the world can find edible plants to enjoy — often in unexpected places.
37.In Thailand, Farmers Are Using an App to Reduce Smog
FireD aims to limit pollution from agricultural burning — long a part of the yearly crop cycle — while shifting the blame away from farmers.
38.A new study finds that global conservation efforts are reliably bringing species back from the brink. A major review of over 67,000 animal species by the University of Cambridge has found that targeted conservation measures like habitat protection, captive breeding and reintroductions are successfully restoring populations of endangered animals. We are facing an ecological crisis - but it is possible to do something about it.
While biodiversity loss is a genuine crisis, it's vital that we celebrate the success stories wherever and whenever we can. It's so hard for a species to improve its conservation status, but with the right effort, we can turn things around.
39.Nepal has virtually eradicated extreme poverty. In 1995, an estimated 55% of Nepalis lived in extreme poverty, defined as living on less than $ 2.15 per day. By 2023, this figure had plunged to just 0.37% (!) A key factor behind this remarkable decline is a substantial increase in remittances as a result of large-scale emigration. By 2023, remittances accounted for around a quarter of Nepal’s GDP, improving economic growth and lifting many out of poverty.
40.First-of-its-kind territory in Colombia will protect Indigenous Peoples in Isolation. The “Territoriality of the Indigenous Peoples in Isolation between the Caquetá and Putumayo Rivers” will span 1,092,849 hectares of remote Amazonian forests that are home to over 600 Amazonian species. The territory includes a strictly-protected intangible zone of 929,502 hectares to guarantee the right of communities to live in isolation.
41. Look at how conservation efforts are paying off for various large and lovely mammals. After 120 years of conservation efforts, Yellowstone bison are functioning as a single and genetically healthy population of between 4,000 and 6,000 individuals. The official lion count in Gujarat is expected to hit between 900 -1,500 in the 2025 census, up from 674 big cats in 2020. And Kazakhstan is making significant strides in restoring populations of Przewalski’s horse, Turanian tigers, and snow leopards after dramatically expanding its protected natural areas, from 8,690 km² to 309,000 km².
42.First commercial lunar lander succeeds spectacularly. Blue Ghost, built by Texas startup Firefly Aerospace, has completed a pioneering two-week lunar mission, becoming the first fully successful commercial moon landing. The car-sized spacecraft drilled three feet into lunar soil, captured Earth's magnetic field, collected rock samples, and even photographed a solar eclipse. Our two favourite bits? The lunar sunset photos investigating the mysterious horizon glow and the poetic goodbye message.
44. US scientists unveil a hormone-free male birth control pill. YCT-529, a hormone-free pill developed by US researchers, has shown 99% effectiveness in trials and is now in human testing. Researchers from the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, in collaboration with Columbia University and YourChoice Therapeutics, have developed YCT-529—a hormone-free oral contraceptive designed for men. Unlike traditional contraceptives that rely on hormonal changes, YCT-529 works by inhibiting sperm production. The oral contraceptive for men was found to be 99% effective in mice — and it just completed its first phase of clinical trials.
45.New Bill Provides Free School Meals to 40K More Utah Students: An additional 40,000 Utah elementary school students will soon qualify for free school meals, thanks to a bill approved by Gov. Spencer Cox last Tuesday. Currently, students whose family income is at or below 130% of the federal poverty level — about $40,560 for a family of four — are eligible. But when the bill, HB100, goes into effect July 1, the threshold for receiving free meals will change to 185% of the poverty level, or $57,720. Per Utah-based nonprofit The Policy Project, HB100 will allot $2.5 million from the state’s education budget toward the newly free meals, although the organization is also raising private funds in case more are needed, a spokesperson told The Salt Lake Tribune. The law also states that local education agencies will be prohibited from “stigmatizing students who cannot afford meals,” i.e. singling out children who are receiving the free food.
46. Former PepsiCo Exec Invented a Plastic That Dissolves in Water If anyone knows a thing or two about plastic’s impact on the planet, it’s Manuel Rendon. The former PepsiCo executive and environmental engineer is using his 20 years of expertise to solve one of the world’s biggest problems through Timeplast. Up to 450 million metric tons of plastic are wasted each year. Microplastics seep into our bodies, and mountains of bottles pile up in the ocean. But Timeplast has patented a water-soluble, time-programmable plastic that vanishes without harming the environment.
47.After hearing about accusations for years, Russell Brand is finally formally charged with multiple sexual offenses.
48. Ahead of beginning routine science operations later this month, NASA space telescope SPHEREx turned on its detectors for the first time on March 27. The telescope captured images of tens of thousands of star galaxies, and each of the six shots above depict over 100,000 detected light sources. “Our spacecraft has opened its eyes on the universe,” said SPHEREx project scientist Olivier Doré in a news release. “It’s performing just as it was designed to.”
49. A coalition of over 500 law firms to challenge the Republican President’s attempts to punish law firms that oppose him. One of them, which happened to be where Usha Vance used to work, Munger, Tolles & Olson filed a brief in federal court in Washington, D.C., warning that Trump’s actions “pose a grave threat to our system of constitutional governance and to the rule of law.” Trump’s measures include revoking security clearances, canceling government contracts, and denying access to federal buildings for firms representing his political adversaries, such as Perkins Coie, which represented Hillary Clinton in 2016. A federal judge has blocked the orders against Perkins Coie, saying the government may not punish individuals or companies for their opinions. The firms represented in Friday’s filing have “a wide range of political and ideological views,” Munger Tolles said. “For our system of justice to operate, members of the bar must be free to advocate zealously for all of their clients, large and small, rich and poor, without fear of retribution.” The brief was signed by Donald Verrilli, a former solicitor general under President Barack Obama. Also HERE
50.In June, Bruce Springsteen will drop seven “lost albums” featuring 74 never-before-released songs
51.A new flexible” robot can help first responders rescue disaster victims trapped under debris.
52.A whopping 66 million years ago, around 100 different marine species died in a shallow sea in what is now southern New Jersey, due to the after-effects of an asteroid that crashed off the coast of Mexico. Today, it may be “one of the world’s most important fossil sites,” per The New York Times, and a new museum is making its cache more accessible to the public.
Ten years and $75 million in the making, the Edelman Fossil Park & Museum, anticipating 200,000 visitors a year, opened its doors last weekend. Exhibits spotlight the sea creatures that once swam beneath its floors, including a terrifying re-creation of a massive shark-like mosasaur and life-size depictions of interactions between dinos meant to “show the gritty underbelly of the dinosaur world,” according to paleontologist Kenneth Lacovara, the museum’s executive director. There’s also an environmental message behind the museum — its motto is “Discover the past, protect the future.” In the “Hall of Extinction,” exhibits connect the asteroid’s effects to the creatures struggling with climate changes today, and kiosks offer actionable steps visitors can take to help. They’re hoping to make people fall in love with this amazing planet that we have so that they take action to protect it.
53.The LA Kings are hosting free youth hockey programs to welcome more Latino kids to the sport.
54.Dormant algae revived after 7,000 years beneath the Baltic Sea, researchers say. Regaining full biological activity after thousands of years sans light or oxygen, the algae opens the door to future “time-jump experiments.” HERE.
55.For 3 decades, elephants have found a peaceful retreat in an unlikely place. Tennessee! (in the US) Tennessee hosts the largest natural elephant habitat in the country: Many rescued elephants call the sanctuary home.
56.DNC Chair Ken Martin just announced the “People’s Cabinet,” a new project that will “leverage a deep bench of qualified policy experts, national and local leaders, and community voices who will cut through the lies and speak directly to the American people about the Trump administration’s reckless and dangerous agenda.” From the DNC’s press release: In order to reach the American people, the Cabinet will conduct briefings with media and coalition partners, speak directly with Americans across the country at town halls as part of the DNC’s People’s Town Hall initiative, produce digital content to reach Americans across the platforms where they get their news, engage in rapid response to counter the lies and disinformation from the Trump administration, and serve as thought leaders for the Democratic ecosystem on effective strategy and tactics in countering the worst of the Republican agenda.
57.With “zero savings” in the bank, New Zealand couple James and Leonie used secondhand materials to build themselves an off-grid tiny home that’s surrounded by a fully regenerative, small-scale syntropic food forest — and their DIY journey was featured in a recent episode of Living Big in a Tiny House. The agriculture system, which James turned into a business as well, imitates natural ecosystems and can produce food while simultaneously boosting soil health and biodiversity. “It’s this wonderful collaboration between humans and nature,” he said.
58. Thanks to one Dutch, tulip-loving couple, residents and tourists in Grugliasco, Italy, are treated to this spectacular rainbow array every spring. The husband and wife founded Tulipani Italiani: the first and largest tulip garden in the country, boasting nearly 1 million tulips between its two locations — and visitors can collect the buds to their hearts’ content.
59. Next time you feel like defying gravity, consider a trip to Hawaii — specifically the island of Oahu, which is home to a reverse waterfall. Also known as the Upside Down Waterfall, Waipuhia Falls sprays up Mount Konahuanui and can be seen from Route 61 (the Pali Highway). The striking effect, visible only during the wet season between November and March, is a result of the island’s strong trade winds. They blow in a northeasterly direction, and catch the water before it can reach the bottom, making it look as though the waterfall flows in reverse.
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Date: 2025-04-07 09:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-04-07 04:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-04-10 01:04 pm (UTC)Back before I first went on facebook I sometimes did that because of 'rules' on whatever site I was on at the time.
kerk
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Date: 2025-04-10 11:05 pm (UTC)My issue was with the HTML on DW. I have similar issues with linking photos. I'm using FB to DW, which after a bit FB kills the link. I tried other sources, but they didn't work or charged. DW also charges if - you want to go through them. I refuse to pay for social media.