Happy Friday!

It’s time again for one of my favorite competitions of the year called the Comedy Wildlife Awards. I’m not affiliated with them, but I always get so happy when these photos come out… They inspire me to want to become a wildlife photographer myself!

Back in 2015 a photographer named Paul was cracking up after looking through his camera roll, and realized humor could help people better understand and empathize with our fellow species, and ultimately act to protect them.

So the contest launched to spread animal awareness and raise funds for conservation, and this year there are 43 finalists out of more than 10,000 entries across 112 countries, plus the people’s choice category is open meaning you can vote for your favorite too.

Which is honestly easier said than done because there so many good ones.

Go vote for your favorite, and spread the word on this fun contest!

What else is going right in the world:

The world’s first co-op(s)

Remember when I joined a member-owned food co-op, where everyone who shops there is also a partial owner and works a recurring shift? This week, I looked into the history of cooperatives to learn more about them.

I learned that the first record dates back to 1761 in Fenwick, Scotland where a group of 15 weavers secretly gathered and wrote a document where they agreed to be honest and faithful to each other while setting fair prices, then they lended money to members and their families in need, shared materials and looms, and bought big sacks of oatmeal to sell in smaller quantities and divide up the savings.

The more formal co-operative movement started in 1844 in Lancashire, England where 28 people pooled resources, agreed on operating principles, and set up a shop to sell essential foods at fair prices where customers also became members, shared profits, and had a vote in decisions.

But really, this existed way before all of that with similar values baked into the culture of many Indigenous tribes, who shared resources and jobs to mutually benefit the community as a whole, while everyone participated with their own skills and shared knowledge with each other.

It’s pretty amazing to see that around 12% of people participate in one of the 3 million co-ops that now exist, breaking conventional capitalist models and successfully distributing abundance and wealth while actually serving the needs of our communities.

See if a co-op is near you and consider joining. I know I’m happy that I did!

A huge solar panel-covered parking lot

A Six Flags theme park just finished installing California’s largest solar carport, putting solar panels on top of 4,315 parking spots, which is not only generating enough clean power to offset 100% of the electricity used by the Magic Mountain and Hurricane Harbor parks, but is also keeping cars cooler on a hot day.

Turning hunters into photographers

A scheme in Indonesia is paying former animal hunters more money to photograph them instead of catching them, almost gamifying conservation by giving higher rewards for photos of rarer animals, helping researchers collect important data while boosting income for small scale farmers.

Justice for incarcerated firefighters

A new law was passed to help incarcerated firefighters find work when they leave prison by standardizing the credentials they earn in California, while getting prioritized for hiring certain jobs, giving these brave people some overdue opportunity and reward for their hard work.

Our community took action

📚 everythingallthethyme had a yard sale with their husband and used the proceeds to buy books for their local family center.

🌳 I collaborated with The Nature Conservancy to plant and care for tree beds in New York City!

How about you?

Talk again soon,

Jacob

This newsletter was written by Jacob Simon. Over 1.5 million people are in our community across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. You can say hi on LinkedIn, or by hitting reply. Brand illustration by Andrea Miralles. Thanks for helping spread some positivity, and see you next week for more.

For the first and only time it was September, 2026.

I always like to end the month with a little reflection on how things went. Typically, we tend to remember a lot of the bad things that happened. But as always, I’m here to remind you that plenty of good things happened too.

So I took a look back and picked 10 of my favorites stories that deserve to be read one more time.

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🛠️ 10: A Right to Repair law started in Texas, forcing companies that sell in the state to provide parts and instructions to repair our own tech.

Right to Repair is one of those laws that feels like common sense when you hear about it. If we buy something, we own it, and we should be able to repair a piece of it instead of fully replacing the whole thing… right? If you’re Texas, the answer is yes! Hopefully more places quickly follow suit, and we can massively reduce e-waste while improving the longevity of our possessions.

🐈 9: The first newly discovered cat species in 100 years was found in Bolivia and named Tilcayo after the local community’s name for it.

I’m always keeping an eye out for new species discoveries, and this one got a lot more attention than most, probably because people really love cats. (As do I, despite being allergic to them). I had a few comments on social media asking me how it could be “new” if the local community already had a name for it, which is a great question! When a species is newly discovered, it tends to mean that it’s new to science. This cat did not spring up out of nowhere, but researchers now realized it was a separate species from its relatives, and so it’s officially described in a scientific paper.

🥗 8: A free lunch program was expanded in England which should lift 100,000 children out of poverty.

They explained that this program is an expansion of one that is already helping an impressive 2.2 million disadvantaged children, and reflects a clear reality that no child should have to go hungry, regardless of their circumstances. I know I would love to see this in every nation in the world, and it would be a great policy to advocate for in your area.

🌅 7: Indigenous Protected Areas now account for over half of Australia’s protected lands.

This story was a cool one and definitely worth a read. In it they discuss the way that Traditional Owners are voluntarily stewarding land all over Australia to protect nature, culture, and traditions. The Indigenous leadership allows them to use knowledge passed down for many generations to care for the land in ways that other agencies wouldn’t be able to. Let’s continue this Land Back trend, please!

☀️ 6: Plug-in balcony solar was passed in California which is just awaiting final signature to make them the 11th state to legalize.

Plug-in balcony (or backyard) solar is similar to rooftop solar, but less powerful and can therefore be plugged into a standard wall outlet. It doesn’t need the same level of overview or permitting, and is really easy to scale up. Germany already has this in over 1 million homes, and it’s great to see more and more places around the US following their lead.

🛣️ 5: The largest wildlife crossing in North America located in Colorado reduced collisions between cars and animals by 91%.

Wildlife crossings are a very clear win-win. They protect drivers from dangerous and costly crashes, while also protecting animals from these same crashes that often cost them their lives. In addition to fencing that directs them to the crossings, these can be incredibly effective, and continue to expand around the world.

👀 4: Seattle became the first US city to ban surveillance pricing on groceries, meaning personal data can no longer impact prices.

We’ve probably all experienced surveillance pricing without realizing it… where companies use your data to influence prices online. Ever search for a flight that suddenly goes up in price, and maybe it’s a different price than what a friend sees from somewhere else in the world? This predatory practice is especially evil when it comes to groceries, something we all need to survive. Thankfully, Seattle is ending it.

🦏 3: The greater one-horned rhino population hit 4,075, along with an 86% decline in poaching thanks to conservationists in Assam, India.

Another reminder that conservationists are true heroes! The majority of these animals are located in Assam and protected by India and Nepal. But poaching doesn’t just disappear on its own. It decreases thanks to brave people putting their safety on the line to protect a fellow species, apprehending poachers and stopping them before they can inflict damage. Huge shout out to these inspiring people, and let’s keep the population growing!

🐟 2: The newest Klamath river update shows salmon populations bouncing back even faster than expected with a 72% increase in a year following the dam removals.

If you don’t remember, the Klamath river dam removal was a very popular and hopeful story. It took over a century to return this river to its free flowing state, and the wildlife are really benefitting. Experts knew that removing the dams would help native species return to the area and enjoy their ancestral breeding grounds once again, but their populations bouncing back even faster than expected makes me excited for more conservation wins like this, so long as we keep the pressure up for positive change.

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 1: our community took action by releasing 1500 native ladybugs, gave their 37th donation to the Red Cross, served 2500 meals to unhoused folks so far this year, and much more…

Which leaves us with just one question: what about you?

Let us know your highlight from September, and what you plan to do in October.

And remember that we build a better future together! Send this breath of fresh air to someone you love, and see you next week for more.

Talk soon,

Jacob

This newsletter was written by Jacob Simon. Over 1.5 million people are in our community across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. You can say hi on LinkedIn, or by hitting reply. Brand illustration by Andrea Miralles. Thanks for helping spread some positivity, and see you next week for more.

When I bumped in Sarah on the NYC sidewalk, her answer was, “Give everyone clean air to breathe”.

Instantly intrigued, I asked if I could help her try… and that’s what my newest YouTube video is about!

Sarah McCuskee is Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Global Health & Health Systems Design at Mount Sinai. She told me that she spends the majority of her time doing research, and much of this is centered around a concept called the exposome.

In simple terms, it’s the environmental factors you experience all around you that impact your health. Some of these are more obvious, and others you may never have thought about before.

So she took me on a walking tour of the city, pointing out some environmental factors that benefit our health (like parks, public pools, and community centers) and some that are a detriment to our health (like traffic, construction, gas stoves, and trash pile ups).

After asking if she had a solution to bring more clean air into our lives that I could help with that day, she told me about a man named Rahman Humphries-Hodge who is living with sickle cell disease. They’ve collaborated on some research before, and she felt he would be the perfect person to visit.

By cleaning up the air inside a home with an air purifier, Sarah wanted to start seeing if symptoms of sickle cell improved. The goal is to have this be the start of many tests and experiments as a potential solution to help people thrive throughout their lives.

So I bought an air purifier and we headed up to The Bronx. After meeting Rahman, we learned more about his experiences, and gave him the purifier to set up in his home! A few weeks later, he let us know that it seems to be helping.

But there’s so much more we cover in the video too, including:

• An air sensor that looks like a cute Pacman ghost that made a map of air quality as we walked around

• More ways individuals and communities can improve their environment and health

• How the city is able to map everything from food deserts to rats

It was a lot of fun to explore the city with Sarah, and meet and help Rahman. I’m excited to keep an eye out and see how the research progresses!

I also want to note that so far, my YouTube videos have all been possible because of The Hopemakers community (you) and paid subscriber contributions. But for this video, I was originally connected to Sarah through the Harvard Alumni for Climate and the Environment and Harvard Chan C-Change. I met some of the team after being named to their Climate Creators to Watch list back in 2024, and they approached me asking if I wanted to collaborate with any of their alumni. I thought Sarah’s work was fascinating, and eventually this video came together, thanks to their research and funding help!

If you want to learn more and get involved:

• Watch the full video and let us know if you think this is a good solution

• Follow Sarah to learn more about her work

• Explore HACE (Harvard Alumni for Climate and the Environment)

And stay tuned for a way to donate and help Sarah continue her inspiring work…

Oh, and last but not least, let me know what you think of videos in this style. I’m also trying to experiment with different topics and formats to uplift inspiring people and their impactful projects. Many more are already in the works, but I value your feedback as I decide which direction to go next!

Talk again soon,

Jacob

It’s almost New York Climate Week, which tends to be one of the busiest weeks of the year.

With thousands of events happening all over the city, I thought I would use this week’s newsletter to let you know about some of the most interesting ones I’ve heard of. This is far from a comprehensive list, but instead a collection of some special happenings that stood out to me.

Whether you’re in town or want to tune in virtually, I hope this is helpful to you! We’ll return to our normal newsletter style next week.

Sunday, September 20

Highlight: Climate Film Festival

📍 Multiple

⏰ Multiple

💬 Now in its 3rd year, this event brings together some of the best environmental films and climate cinema. This year they have more than 50 films screening, from stories of frontline resistance to sweeping investigations, global perspectives to bold new visions. This one spans many categories, times, and dates, so check out the schedule for more.

Other events:

• To tune in from afar: How to Live on Earth — Global Premiere on YouTube

• To create: Street Works Earth Festival

Monday, September 21

Highlight: Narrative Change Summit

📍 SVA Theatre, 333 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011

⏰ 9:30am–7pm

💬 ​The Narrative Change Summit brings together the companies, nonprofits, and philanthropies working with film and media creatives to engage new audiences. If you’re interested in the cutting edge of sustainability communications and media, this is for you. ​The Summit is one of the most unique rooms at Climate Week, bringing together filmmakers with entrepreneurs, major studios with creators, journalists with philanthropists, and scientists with leaders in communications and marketing. I might just see you there as I moderate a panel or two in the early afternoon!

Other events:

• To laugh: Climate Town & Amy Westervelt Live

• To connect: Green Jobs Pavilion

Tuesday, September 22

Highlight: Southern Environmental Law Center*

*This event post is sponsored by SELC

📍Iron 23, 29 West 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010

⏰ 9am-5:30pm (with breaks)

💬 Why does the U.S. South matter to the climate conversation? Join the Southern Environmental Law Center in person or virtually to hear how Southern communities are responding to data centers, a changing Appalachia, and the need for climate action.

All live events are FREE and open to the public, featuring thought-provoking conversations, Southern food, a photography exhibit, and a showcase of the region we call home. In-person seating is limited and advanced registration is required. Virtual attendees must register separately for each Zoom session; registration for one session does not provide access to the others.

This three-part series centers the South in the climate conversation and includes:

1. Data Centers: Community-Led Advocacy to Real Solutions (9am-10:30am) SOLD OUT – VIRTUAL ONLY

   • You can’t talk about data centers without talking about the South. Our region has become the largest hub for these facilities, and communities — from city neighborhoods to rural towns — are feeling the impact. Hear how grassroots organizers are pushing for change not only at the local level but calling for more transparency and national policy action.

2. Over, Under, and Through: Wildlife Connectivity and Resilience in Appalachia (12:30pm-2pm)

   • In the heart of the South lies an ancient mountain range — a biodiversity hotspot with species found nowhere else on Earth. Once thought of as a climate haven, it now faces intensifying storms and hotter summers. Learn how communities are responding and building connectivity to help wildlife and people thrive in a changing climate.

3. Storytelling in the U.S. South: Igniting Climate Action through Art (4pm-5:30pm)

   • Join us, in partnership with The Bitter Southerner, as we explore the powerful Southern storytelling redefining the region and reimagining what is possible. Hear from musicians, artists, poets and storytellers as they share authentic ways they are using narrative and experience to build more inclusivity into the climate movement.

Other events:

• To be surprised: Clams Casino: A Soilpunk Variety Show

• To listen: Live recording of the “What If We Get It Right?” podcast

Wednesday, September 23

Highlight: WWF Panda House

📍 Provided upon registration

⏰ Multiple

💬 To get your fill of nature education, attend one of many panels hosted by the World Wildlife Fund to explore how business, finance, policy, and communities are turning nature commitments into conservation outcomes.

Other events:

• To spot: Birding & Bagels Bonanza

• To experience: Governor’s Island Climate Solutions Showcase

Thursday, September 24

Highlight: City Harvest Rescued Food Repack

📍171 53rd Street, Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York, 11232

⏰ 10:00am - 12:30pm

💬 You can’t come to the city all week without giving back a little, right? Spend a few hours volunteering with City Harvest to help repackage thousands of pounds of rescued produce from large, bulk containers into family-sized bags that community food pantries can easily distribute to their clients. While you’re onsite, you’ll also have the opportunity to attend an exclusive tour of their warehouse.

Other events:

• To transform: Atmos Presents Enchanted Forest

• To sing: Climate Karaoke

Friday, September 25

Highlight: Vintage Furniture Store Hop by Home Swap Stories

📍Multiple

⏰ 1-5pm

💬 By taking over 4 vintage furniture stores in Brooklyn, this dynamic multi-location event will be focused on the importance of taking individual action inside your home. Programming includes a panel on being sustainable at home, a Climate Cafe listening circle, and upcycling workshop, and a live podcast recording. And you can get from one location to another by using CLIP, an attachment that clips onto any regular bike to turn it into an e-bike (I have one and I love it!).

Other events:

• To slow down: Forest Bathing for Climate

• To speed up: Free Central Park Bike Tour

Saturday, September 26

Highlight: Marketplace of the Future

📍 Location05, 450 W 31st St 7th floor, New York, NY 10001:

⏰ Noon-10pm

💬 Across several years of NY Climate Weeks, this has always been one of my favorite events. It’s a take on the World’s Fair, fully focused on climate solutions. Some education, some dancing, and some innovative ideas, all under the same roof.

Other events:

• Catch up on sleep :)

Hope to see you at some of these! Make sure you say hi if we cross paths.

And if I missed anything that you think is worth checking out, let everyone know in a comment.

Talk again soon,

- Jacob

This newsletter was written by Jacob Simon. Over 1.5 million people are in our community across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. You can say hi on LinkedIn, or by hitting reply. Brand illustration by Andrea Miralles. Thanks for helping spread some positivity, and see you next week for more.

This week I learned about a company helping college students live extremely cheaply with elderly homeowners in exchange for helping them out. I think it’s a fantastic community-focused idea, and was lucky enough to exchange words with the founder to hear even more. Hope you enjoy!

It started with a fall

The story goes that a woman named Alison Donnally had multiple older family members living alone. All was going well… until it wasn’t. One fell down and wasn’t able to get back up. Another became disoriented and wasn’t sure where they were. A third had declining health due to lack of socializing. And each of them ran into problems, leading Alison to wonder if there was a way for someone to be around and help them.

And while there are existing models for care such as paid aids or assisted living facilities, Alison was looking for something a little bit different.

Building a deeper relationship

In the midst of record-high living costs impacting pretty much everything someone pays for, as well as the big loneliness epidemic where more and more people are living isolated and disconnected from a community feeling that is so important, she began looking for a system that built a deeper relationship. Her ideal scenario was a win-win that was mutually beneficial both for the older adult that could use some help, as well as for someone who needed a place to stay.

The closest thing she could find was the au pair system, where young international people stay with a host family and get a place to stay, food, and some payment in exchange for proving child care and helping out with the family needs.

She loved the system and knew there was opportunity to bring this concept to older adults, so Alison launched a matchmaking app called Joey (named after baby kangaroos that rest in their mother’s pouch).

The Joey matchmaking app

I asked Alison about the Joey startup, and she told me “we match older adults who have an extra bedroom and need an extra set of hands, with university students who would love to rent that room and work for the household on things like grocery shopping, walking the dog, maybe taking out the trash.”

About 62% of American households have at least one spare bedroom, and by filling those with college students that can work around their school schedules, she’s helping address the nearly half that are housing insecure. In Alison’s vision, more win-wins are made possible, and we remember to live the way we used to: cross-generationally and together.

Joey is still in early stages, but it’s beginning to see more successes. Students like Nanik are helping folks like Paige, who has early-onset dementia, with some simpler tasks like transportation and meals. While the help doesn’t go as far as a professional and accredited caretaker or assisted living facility, many people who just need smaller tasks to be handled like cleaning windows and bringing groceries in the door are the target hosts.

To get a sense for how the project works: Nanik is paying $1750 for rent in the San Francisco area, while recouping about $1200 through the work and help he provides. In a place where rents are some of the highest in the country if not the world, paying net $550 for a room in a lovely house, helping someone in need, and making a friend along the way doesn’t sound so bad to me!

So would you try it?

What else is going right in the world:

🗽 NYC is considering a dark skies bill to turn off or shield outdoor lights after 11pm to protect wildlife like migrating birds, bring back the night sky, and lower energy prices. I created a partnership video explaining the bill, and talking about how a better way to reduce energy costs is to add more clean energy to the grid!

🙌 New “positive tipping points” for the climate were revealed in a study showing how we can reverse the damage done by climate inaction and various crises.

🥗 More free school meals in England!

🦫 Beavers continue to win, helping more and more wilderness projects in Colorado become successful, and in turn helping their populations thrive.

🇦🇺 Over half of Australia’s protected lands are now Indigenous-led reserves called Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs… slightly different than the beer). They are transforming the nation for the better with their efforts and care.

This newsletter was written by Jacob Simon. Over 1.5 million people are in our community across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. You can say hi on LinkedIn, or by hitting reply. Brand illustration by Andrea Miralles. Thanks for helping spread some positivity, and see you next week for more.

This week I learned about a man who turned rotting fruit into a flourishing smoothie business that empowers thousands of young people in his community. And we’re diving into it in this special edition of The Hopemakers newsletter!

So much food waste

Mark Memga, who is now 29 years old, grew up in a rural area of Nigeria where most of the community makes a living by farming delicious and nourishing crops. Yet over time he started to notice huge quantities of their food were rotting away.

This was particularly apparent with mouthwatering yet short-lived fruits. With a lack of storage and inadequate food processing facilities, fragile fruits would often spoil before they even reached the market. Over 40% of produce gets lost post-harvest, which not only wastes all of that work that went into growing these foods, but also leaves more people to go hungry.

So Mark began to wonder if there was a way to transform fruits that were literally wasting away into something useful and valuable. Perhaps he could even team up with some of the many young people in the area that lacked opportunities to better their circumstances, to help both the community and the planet together…

Finding the right idea

His first big idea was to start a factory that produced fruit juice. He would gather all of the fruit in his community, squeeze out the juice in large quantities, and supply the juices to neighboring states. But without enough funds to enact such a big operation, he kept brainstorming.

Next came an idea for an DIY-focused app that educated young people on recycling and other sustainable practices. He also wanted to let people post their own ideas to improve the system, and the best submissions each month would get a nice prize. As he started to develop this, he also explored a recommendation component that offered ideas and advice to improve nutrition.

But based on feedback from his community on their needs and experiences, none of these ideas were quite right for the moment.

That changed when he struck gold with his idea for Smoothie Arena Hub.

The answer: Smoothie Arena Hub

If you’re sitting at home with some fruits that are about to spoil, what do you do to avoid throwing them away? Maybe you can store them in the freezer until you’re ready to eat them, bake some banana bread… or throw it all into a blender and create a smoothie.

Mark acquired an electric blender and started crafting healthy, nutritious, and delicious smoothies for his community made of mangoes, oranges, watermelon, banana, pawpaw, strawberries, coconut, and pineapple. He gathered the fruits just before they were on their last leg and worked on different recipes that became an instant hit, plus a way to connect with his customers and bond over ingredients. He would then gather the pulp from processed fruits, dry and grind it, and combine that with special formulas to either create livestock feed or organic manure. Impressively, the process wasted nothing.

How did Mark know how to do all of this? He studied biological science at Benue State University Makurdi in Nigeria, and later joined the International Federation of Red Cross. He learned about climate change, participated in programs focused on designing solutions, and was connected to RIVET who were looking to provide financial support with their NGO partners to areas that are in “capital deserts” and lack the same access to funding that other areas have. Along the way, Mark gained the knowledge, drive, and resources needed to get to where he is today.

Helping the next generation

Mark didn’t stop at just making some smoothies. He doesn’t think his vision of ending food waste can be done alone, so he’s dedicating his platform to educating young people. In his words, “if [someone] can make a smoothie or juice at home, with fruit that would have gone to waste, using this new knowledge can help them combat this waste themselves and go even further”. He hosts school workshops and community camps to teach young minds about entrepreneurship and how value-added products can be created from the precious items you typically watch go to waste. He also explains the negative impact of food waste in landfills. In countries like the US, such waste generates more than half of planet-warming methane emissions (a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide) from landfills.

In an area where young people often don’t have opportunities to lift themselves up and make a good living, he’s so far trained over 5,000 people in a steady effort to change that. Meanwhile, Smoothie Arena Hub has rescued more than 50 tons of food from the landfill, storing that food in the community’s bellies instead.

Together with a team of about 10 people, they’re trying to see how they can expand and scale. Part of this is made possible by the support of RIVET, enabling them to diversify their offerings, replicate the food waste smoothies in neighboring areas, and amplify the impact of what they’re already accomplishing. They have a goal to train 30,000 more young people by 2030, and with the right support, Mark is confident that it’s possible.

What’s next

After working on this for the last three years, Mark gave me some advice on making a positive difference in the world. He told me that the key is empathy. The only way to create a successful solution is to put myself in the shoes of the people actually experiencing the problem. It’s not possible to have a true solution as an outsider, without feeling the pains of the people experiencing the problem.

Yet he also warned me not to be too rigid. He explained that having a personal connection to the solution is essential, because the only way to be sustained in the long run is to link it to a passion, but don’t fall so in love with the solution that it hinders you from evolving when you need to.

I also asked his favorite variety of smoothie, and he told me: banana, pineapple, and watermelon. Semi-confidentially (but with permission to share with you) he told me the key ratio for the recipe is ½ cup of sliced watermelon, ½ cup of sliced pineapple, and 2 bananas.

Thanks to Mark, a problem that has plagued the area for years is now getting better alongside thousands of others who are being trained to implement solutions. Mark is leading the way, and many of these young minds are sure to come up with their own great ideas as well.

Check out Smoothie Arena Hub to see how their work progresses, and the next time your fruit is about to rot, maybe save it with a smoothie.

What else is going right in the world this week:

🌞 Solar energy just passed coal to become China’s largest source of installed power capacity.

🔌 Meanwhile, California voted through a bill to legalize plug-in balcony solar, just needing the governor’s signature, which would make them the 11th state to legalize.

🛠️ A “right to repair” law just started in Texas, requiring companies to provide parts and instruction to repair our tech at home or in third party shops.

🎤 The all-female Daisy Chain Fields music festival raised $20 million for women and girl-focused charities.

That’s all for this week, fam. Let me know if I missed anything, and have a great weekend!

This newsletter was an official collaboration/partnership co-written by Jacob Simon and RIVET. Brand illustration by Andrea Miralles. Thanks for helping spread some positivity, and see you next week for more.

Have you heard of NASA’s 46 citizen science games that let anyone search for evidence of aliens in the universe, make a real backyard radio telescope to study Jupiter, or see which plants can grow in space to feed astronauts?

Apparently NASA scientists have been enlisting the help of regular people for decades to conduct cutting-edge science and make discoveries together, defining citizen science as a “form of open collaboration” for individuals and organizations to voluntarily participate in the scientific process (although a more modern name is community science since you don’t need any citizenship and can be anywhere in the world and any age to participate).

But beyond the incredible space games like discovering new comets close to the sun or how clouds work on mars, there are also projects all over Earth from tracking wildlife spotted on trail cameras in Wisconsin, to reporting landslides for emergency response to save lives, and comparing changes in Arctic freshwater ice.

Some have specific needs too: if you live near mountains you can help report if it’s raining or snowing when weather stations fall short, and they even have live events where professionals present their projects and invite us regular folks to participate.

The goal is to bring together scientists and the public to discover interesting things, and I think this is the perfect example of how humanity can put aside differences and work together on building a better future.

So go play one of these and let me know what you think.

What else is going right in the world

🧑‍🌾 A 76-year-old man named John Massey raised $675,000+ for charity by teaching himself how to garden, then building such an impressive one that people came from all over to come visit. Over 20,000 flowers, trees, and shrubs are now managed by 70 employees, and it’s open to the public every weekend with the small entry fee going to a rotating charity. I had the pleasure of speaking with John last year and wanted to share his inspiring story again!

💉 A new experimental cancer vaccine has early signs of working after a trial with over a thousand people, specifically an mRNA based treatment to help prevent melanoma from returning to patients that previously had it but got it removed through surgery, and more testing is needed but experts say it looks promising. (Joe McFadden|BBC)

🏥 A hospital just focused on saving seahorses that get caught in fishing nets has been rescuing the magical creatures since 2019. Seahorses are amongst the only species where the male gets pregnant and gives birth, after an elaborate courtship dance that ends with the female depositing eggs into a pouch on the male’s tail, where hundreds of babies emerge a few weeks later. Due to rising ocean temperatures and poaching for traditional but unproven medicine, there’s been a substantial decrease in their populations. Yet 8,000+ have been rescued and returned to the sea thanks to the marine biologists working in Italy’s Seamaster Seahorse Rescue Center.

🎓 Seattle will give free meals for all public students starting this fall thanks to a unanimous vote to take leftover money from an affordable housing complex that was cheaper than expected, and channel it into the program to make sure no students go hungry (Ryan Nguyen|Seattle Times)

🏆 The winner of the Invertebrate of the Year is… the leaf sheep! This mesmerizing animal is a tiny marine slug that photosynthesizes like a plant. If you ask me, it was a well-deserved win. (Patrick Barkham|The Guardian)

😮‍💨 A study found that London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone, which blocks heavily polluting vehicles from the area, has led to children’s lungs growing bigger and stronger, restoring capacity in those that were previously stunted from pollution, in another example of how effective policies like this can be on our health (Damien Gayle|The Guardian)

Our community took action

🌱 medeajade from our community bought a bunch of native plants to turn their front lawn into a little prairie.

Lightning round

🛠️ Right to repair laws continue to spring up around the US.

⚡️ A fully electric plane flew for nearly half an hour on $5 of electricity, hinting at the future of aviation.

🤝 Australia returned more Land Back to native ancestral owners.

This newsletter was written by Jacob Simon. Over 1.5 million people are in our community across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. You can say hi on LinkedIn, or by hitting reply. Brand illustration by Andrea Miralles. Thanks for helping spread some positivity, and see you next week for more.

This week I learned about Ugly Potato Day which just gave out the largest fruit and vegetable donation of all time.

The idea came from Tyler Heppel, who realized most people don’t want oddly shaped or blemished produce, so even though they taste just as good as their beautiful counterparts, they often go to waste, ending up in the landfill and emitting heat-trapping methane into the atmosphere.

So in 2022, Tyler sent an open invite for anybody to come to his family farm and pick up the ugly produce for free.

Just 12 people showed up that first year, which did reduce some waste, but he knew it could be much bigger… So he kept growing it until this year’s event which had more than 30,000 people participate just outside of Vancouver, Canada.

25 farms, the majority local to the area, donated funky-looking carrots, apples, cabbages, potatoes and more ugly yet perfectly good fruits and veggies to combat food waste, help the local community get fresh quality foods for free, and foster a relationship between farmers and their neighbors.

Guinness World Records even showed up, weighing all of it and officially deeming it the largest fresh fruit and vegetable donation in 24 hours ever at 543,000 pounds.

Would you choose an ugly fruit or vegetable next time you shop?

What Else is Going Right in the World

🗳️ Voting opened up for the Invertebrate of the Year 2026, a fun contest to bring more awareness to these creatures that are often overlooked. Last year’s champion was a waterbear or tardigrade measuring less than 1 millimeter long, and almost miraculously can survive unbelievably extreme environments. But vote for this year’s winner quickly, since it ends on August 16th!

🏷️ AI-generated content is now legally required to be labelled in the European Union, in an effort to reduce the massive amount of deceptive and manipulative content being put on the internet. Companies face fines up to 3% of annual revenue or €15 million if they don’t follow the rules and properly disclose content made with AI.

🧑‍🚒 74 brave firefighters from Australia and New Zealand are true heroes by coming to the US to help fight wildfires, spending five weeks away from home to share their skills and knowledge in fire suppression. It’s desperately needed: the US is at its worst level of wildfire preparedness, as the people in charge are failing us while fighters are spread thin and resources are becoming too strained. Thank you to these brave folks for their camaraderie and help, and let’s also make sure our elected officials prioritize policies to limit climate-fueled fires. (Watch my recap video made in partnership with Climate Power)

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 41,000 people joined a Facebook group in Pennsylvania to take down a data center. Started by a woman named Karen Feridun in January, the massive group is now working together to call and message their representatives, support moratoriums, and discuss strategies to protect the community.

🔭 Out of this world: the James Webb Space Telescope revealed dust and water surviving on a star near the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole, a very extreme environment. “Even under the harsh conditions… stars of this kind can indeed produce dust and other materials, which will help create future generations of stars and planets.” Take a look at this stunning picture above and remember how vast, mysterious, and incredible the universe is!

📲 New Jersey is tackling social media addiction in kids via a new law that will kick off next year with many regulations. Some of note include: restricting the use of children’s data, limit discovery of children’s accounts, banning platform notifications between 8am and 4pm on school days, and more efforts to regulate the social media industry which has largely had free reign.

Our Community

👚 Darcey reached out to let me know that before Adam Root created his washing machine microplastic filter (that was covered in last week’s newsletter), Mojca Zupan invented one called PlanetCare. This similarly attaches to existing machines to prevent tiny plastic fibers from entering waterways, but impressively, they collect and recycle the caught fibers too!

This newsletter was written by Jacob Simon. Over 1.5 million people are in our community across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. You can say hi on LinkedIn, or by hitting reply. Brand illustration by Andrea Miralles. Thanks for helping spread some positivity, and see you next week for more.

This week I learned about a guy who’s catching microplastics from our clothes before they enter the water.

His name is Adam Root, and he was a mechanical engineer until he went scuba diving one day which awakened him to our massive ocean pollution problem and all the beauty worth saving down there.

So he quit his job to figure out a way to help, using a £250 (or $335) investment to make a filter by hand while tinkering with an old washing machine in his garage, aiming to stop the 35% of ocean microplastics that come from textiles.

Since the majority of our clothes are made from fossil fuel-based plastics called polyester, nylon, and acrylic that are grated as washing machines spin, tiny plastic fibers get sent to our waterways, drinking water, and food.

So after plenty of experimenting and spraying water all over the place, Adam created a filter that can go in home washers, textile factories, and wastewater treatment plants to capture 97% of those microfibers. It uses a very fine mesh that rinses itself after each wash to clear the surface and store whatever is caught.

The idea seems to be working, ending up as a finalist for the Earthshot Prize, and now teaming up with big names like Bosch to make more of these filters. Yet not all microfibers come from washing, so fully addressing plastic pollution means moving away from synthetics into natural fibers, adopting the global plastics treaty, and consuming less.

What do you think about filters like these?

(Matter Industries Website | Matter Instagram | Earthshot Prize | The Guardian coverage | Bosch Consumer Product Site | Plastic Leakage study)

What else is going right in the world

31 marvelous new species

31 new species were discovered in the largest yet least explored habitat on Earth, but only because of incredible new tech.

The international team of explorers spent two weeks off the coast of Brazil in the ocean’s midwater, which is sandwiched in between the dark ocean floor and the upper layer lit by the sun. But since it takes decades for scientists to identify and describe a species, they brought advanced technologies onto the ship including non-invasive lasers to scan and create a 3D images, cameras to capture tiny details, gravity machines that imitate endless water columns, and an open-source microscope that captures internal cellular structures, all to describe the species without having to collect them.

They even sequenced genomes onboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s Falkor (too) research vessel to identify new species pretty much right away, finding a crustacean called an ampiphod, a mesmerizing and speedy gossamer worm, nine jellyfish, seven jellyfish-related siphonophores, seven glittering comb jellies, four tadpole-like larvaceans, and two giant rhizarians which are single-celled organisms so big we can see them with the naked eye.

Imagine what would happen if our smartest people focused more on technology like this to better understand and respect the planet… perhaps the solarpunk future of marine biology uncovers ocean life without negatively impacting it, so we can all learn, appreciate, and take care of it?

Finally, an AI slop button

A “seems like AI slop” button was added to LinkedIn, letting users report low-quality content generated by AI. They’ve become the first major player to take this action in an effort to reduce the amount of AI spam posts on the platform, hopefully inspiring other platforms to follow their lead and prioritize human-made content. (Hari Srinivasan|LinkedIn)

New record-breaking sun pics just dropped

The highest resolution images ever taken of the sun’s surface were captured by a telescope in Hawaii in pictures that are equivalent to seeing ants crawling along the ground from 100 miles away. Aside from being stunning, they show dynamic whirlpools of plasma swirling around in a major breakthrough for solar physics and understanding the universe. (Lee Billings|Scientific American)

Data center backlash gains ground

The data center backlash has been so strong that Texas has paused approvals until an audit can be completed to see how they’ll impact the state’s power grid, signaling that communities voicing their opposition are breaking through when demanding that people be put ahead of profit. (Shelby Webb|E&E)

Our community took action

Tiffany from our community helped feed a family in need for two weeks, buying and delivering staple items to help their neighbors out.

Lightning round

🗽 NYC is adding 50,000 affordable homes.

⚡️ 54.1% of Spain’s power generation came from renewables last month, a new record.

🍍 This jet fuel is made from… fruit? (if paywalled)

👀 Welcome to the future, where we have self-healing contact lenses.

🏞️ South Sudan gets the latest UNESCO World Heritage Site.

🐟 Meet the record holder of the most aquatic animal tattoos on a female body (106).

This newsletter was written by Jacob Simon. Over 1.5 million people are in our community across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. You can say hi on LinkedIn, or by hitting reply. Brand illustration by Andrea Miralles. Thanks for helping spread some positivity, and see you next week for more.

Have you heard about the new proposal to build 600 miles of protected bike lanes across New York City?*

Back in 2023 this was first proposed but it never gained traction and faded away… until it was reintroduced this year! If enough of us get on board, we can make sure the bill actually passes this time.

There’s already a legal requirement to build 50 miles around the city, but they fall short every time, so this new bill backed by nine Council Members so far will require 100 miles to be built every year for the next six years, which could bring some overdue accountability to make sure it actually happens.

The near future can have connected lanes throughout the whole city, separated from the road with a physical barrier to let riders get anywhere quickly, easily, and safely without obstacles… and even if you don’t bike, it will also reduce traffic and clean up the air for everybody!

So I officially partnered with change.org to make a petition to show our elected officials how many of us want this to pass and actually be enforced.

If enough of us demand this Bill gets consideration, it will be debated in city council, hopefully pass by the end of the year, and once we make it successful, it can be recreated in any other city around the world too.

So please take a few seconds to add your name to the petition, share with a friend or two, and let’s make the world more bikeable.

Sign the petition! 🚴

*This is a partnership with change.org. They asked me if I have a cause I’d like to make a petition for, and after researching existing legislation, I chose this bike lane bill to try and push forward. Together, we can help turn this into a future good news story!

Recap: 10 underrated stories of progress from July

10: New York City announced a new rule making subscriptions cancellable in just 1 click.

9: The EU made it illegal for companies to destroy unsold clothes so they have to reuse and repair instead.

8: Switzerland’s test adding solar panels to train tracks was so successful it’s becoming permanent and coming to Italy, South Korea, and France next.

7: 136 acres of land was returned to Indigenous nations along California’s Mendocino coast.

6: New York became the first state to pause all new hyperscale data centers for the next year as guidelines are created to protect communities.

5: Kelsey Pfendler became the fastest woman to row 2,400 miles unassisted from California to Hawaii while raising money for the Whale Foundation.

4: 1,000 farmers in Zimbabwe created a community seed bank to safeguard local crops.

3: After the US government shut down a website hosting free NOAA research on climate, fired scientists recreated it and continue to vet and update the info.

2: Many new species were discovered including the eyeless Demon Cavefish found in a single cave in Alabama, a mesmerizing frog from Costa Rica, and a partially parasitic flower.

1: Our community took action by: handing out 290 boxes of food at a pantry, turned old shirts into tote bags by hand, made a huge “BE KIND” mural with students, and much more!

August is right around the corner... What are you planning to do?

This newsletter was written by Jacob Simon. Over 1 million people are in our community across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. You can say hi on LinkedIn, or by hitting reply. Brand illustration by Andrea Miralles. Thanks for helping spread some positivity, and see you next week for more.

Have you heard of the guy who relocated 6 million bees by hand to save their lives?

When Clarence Chua was a child, his father decided to suit up to try and relocate a nest from their home.

It became a core memory for Clarence, so in 2020 when a swarm moved into his garden shed in Singapore but no one could come, he taught himself how to move it through online videos.

After a dozen stings he was successful, but then he learned that 30% of our food crops like fruits, vegetables, and nuts are pollinated by bees, as well as 70% of lowland rainforest.

He knew that most people just sprayed and exterminated nests, so he started heading to homes, mailboxes, and even the engine of an airplane to instead suck up and carry them to safety.

And he’s now humanely relocating 100 nests a year without harming the bees by moving the full nest intact with the babies, queen, and workers.

Even though it’s not easy or very profitable dealing with these wild animals, he continues to care for them through a nature center and farmstay, and despite being stung thousands of times, his heroics deserve a shoutout as he puts his safety on the line to protect the lives of little these insects that won’t even know what he’s done for them.

Yet for all that bees do for us, maybe we should give back a little more like Clarence.

Would you hire someone to safely relocate bees instead of exterminating them?

What else is going right in the world

Dressing up like bears to save a cub

Last year, an abandoned black bear cub was found with mama bear nowhere to be seen, so the San Diego Humane Society started caring for him. To prevent him from bonding with humans, they dressed up in heartwarmingly hilarious bear costumes as they nursed him back to health and returned him to the wild. This is one of my favorite stories, so I think it’s worth telling again! (Rebecca Cohen|NBC)

Three new species were discovered

The Demon cavefish, which was named after the demogorgon and is pale with no eyes, appears to be one of the rarest fish in the world. It’s found only in a a single cave in Alabama, and has no reaction to light, so researchers think it lived deep down beyond human reach until last year when it was first spotted.

While the Orange-Lipped ‘Likweli’ Monkey was originally photographed in 2008 but it was blurry and cut off, so it was forgotten. Yet when another researcher got a better photo 10 years later, they went out to find and study more in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They learned it has a spiky black coat, orange-cream skin around its mouth, and apparently makes a sound like a pig snorting.

And this vibrant stream-breeding frog from Costa Rica was found during research and fieldwork. Scientists learned it has a sister species, but stands out with its coloration and croak described as “a broad acoustic repertoire”. Honestly, this one is a work of art, with some incredible photos taken for the published study.

Quick bites

🌳 Amazon deforestation continues to drop, hitting a 10-year low.

🌞 Africa has installed and connected more solar to the grid in the first half of 2026 than the full year of 2025.

🍱 School meals in the Philippines are now free for all kindergarteners and 1st graders.

🐧 The first baby puffin seen in decades was spotted in Southern England.

🚄 New heat-resistant trains are coming to Europe.

Our community actions

📖 4.5 hours after sending this email, at 11:30AM ET, I’ll be live-streaming a book club on my Instagram! We’ll be discussing Sea Change with the author (Amanda, the Executive Director of Environmental Defense Fund) and main character (Buddy the fisherman). This will be my first time trying out this book club format, so please join us and bring your questions. If it goes well, maybe I’ll host more in the future :)

This newsletter was written by Jacob Simon. Over 1.5 million people are in our community across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. You can say hi on LinkedIn, or by hitting reply. Brand illustration by Andrea Miralles. Thanks for helping spread some positivity, and see you next week for more.

Have you heard of the new 3D printing material that’s made out of yeast instead of plastic?

The story goes that a professor named Malgorzata Zboinska had a fascination with combining architecture and living materials, so she led a team of researchers from Chalmers to see if they could turn leftover industrial waste into new materials.

Since typical construction uses a massive amount of resources and energy, they worked on a more circular approach to architecture and after a lot of hard work, they created a jelly-like hydrogel that can be 3D printed. Uniquely, it was made of baker’s yeast, wood fibers, algae, plant-based glycerol, and water.

It works by heating the yeast to deactivate it, then mixing the ingredients together, 3D printing at room temperature, leaving it to try, and turning the beautiful bio-based result into almost any shape needed for screens, wall panels, partitions, or potentially a replacement for synthetic textiles.

But this Engineered Living Material stands out even more since it can be rescued from other industries like brewing or agriculture, it can biodegrade after usage to be more circular, and it might be the first step towards developing more complex substances that are self-healing or purify the air.

Further research and testing has to assess strength, safety, and performance, but maybe this is the future of 3D printed architecture?

What else is going right in the world:

An all-female music festival for a good cause

Olivia Rodrigo is putting on an all-female music festival to raise money for organizations that advocate for women and girls. It’s called Daisy Chain Fields with a mission to inspire meaningful change, drive progress, and uplift nonprofits.

I partnered with Climate Power to break down why this is awesome, but also how we can go even further and take urgent action to protect live events like these that are becoming less reliable due to an unpredictable and dangerous climate. Watch the video if you’re interested!

Click to cancel law

New York City announced a new “click to cancel” rule on all subscriptions, making them the first US city to legally require all of your subscriptions be as easy to cancel as they were to sign up. This will save residents hundreds of millions of dollars in junk fees starting on October 1st, and will end predatory subscription traps. (NYC press release)

136 acres of Indigenous LandBack

The return of 136 acres of land back to Indigenous nations along California’s Mendocino coast took place, marking the first time land managed by the Department of Transportation was returned to its ancestral owners. The Tribes will now manage and protect the sacred site, permanently. (Alex Wigglesworth|LA Times)

NY pauses data centers

New York became the first state to pause all new hyperscale data centers for at least the next year. The pause is called a moratorium which has now stopped any new state permits, in an effort to allow enough time to develop a robust framework that protects prices, the environment, and communities. (NY State Release)

Our community took action

🥗 dearykoos volunteered at a food bank and handed out 290 boxes of fresh food!

📖 I’m hosting a book club next Friday at 11:30am ET! It will be on Instagram live together with the Environmental Defense Fund, focusing on the book Sea Change, and the author and main character will join us. If you want to join…

• Get the book on: Torrey House Press

• Get the audio book on: Spotify, Kobo, or Apple

• Mark your calendars and see you next Friday at 11:30 am Eastern Time on Instagram :)

+ Bonus stories!

• Is your city on the list of the most livable cities in the world?

• Apparently scientists made a solar reactor that consumes plastic bottles and burps out clean hydrogen.

• International Skinny Dip Day is not only hilarious, but also raised thousands of dollars for the Fistula Foundation charity.

Have a win or good story to share? Let us know in a comment! And I’ll see you next week for much more.

This newsletter was written by Jacob Simon. Over 1.5 million people are in our community across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. You can say hi on LinkedIn, or by hitting reply. Brand illustration by Andrea Miralles. Thanks for helping spread some positivity, and see you next week for more.

Her name is Kelsey Pfendler and her final time was beyond impressive as she became just the 3rd woman to ever complete this journey.

On May 21st, she loaded into a 21-foot rowboat named Lily and set off to beat the previous woman’s record of 86 days and the man’s record of 52 days.

And she documented how she pulled it off: filtering seawater, doing laundry, making food, meeting new friends and lots and lots of rowing (of course).

Despite being a professional rafting guide since 18 and guiding tours through the Grand Canyon, the journey was grueling as she battled currents and winds, blistered hands, lack of sleep, and she even had her 32nd birthday along the way.

Yet in the end she became the first woman to succeed, plus the youngest and fastest person to complete the route without assistance at a final time of just under 43 days and 18 hours.

She did it as a fundraiser for the Whale Foundation which gives free mental and physical support to the river guiding community, raising $200,000 for her journey and at least another $30K directly to the organization.

So the next time someone says your idea is impossible, think of Kelsey and say, “watch me”.

What else is going right in the world:

A game that leads to real-world discoveries

There’s a game that lets anyone at home discover actual planets, uncover long lost history, or find threatened frogs in real life…

The story goes that in 2007, scientists trying to understand the formation and evolution of galaxies were faced with a monstrous amount of data, so they invited the general public to help them out.

Half a million people heeded the call and started visually inspecting galaxies through the internet to determine if they were ellipticals, spirals, or mergers. In two years they racked up more than 50 million classifications of 900,000 galaxies, and the creators called the project Galaxy Zoo.

But after finding the results from the public to be consistent with professional astronomers, and having enough people to minimize inaccuracies or individual bias, they realized this strategy could help other areas of science too.

So they launched many more projects and expanded into gravity, wildlife, handwritten manuscripts, climate patterns, and hundreds more, helping unlock new knowledge and even guide policies.

Today it’s called the Zooniverse, where 3 million registered volunteers have made over 1 billion classifications through exciting games, letting anyone participate in science without needing a PhD, yet also helping scientists complete research that otherwise wouldn’t be possible.

So you now have a fantastic excuse to take a break and play some games for a while!

Three new flower discoveries

The first is hemiparasitic (which means it photosynthesizes on its own but needs a host plant for water and minerals), and it was found in California by chance when researchers were looking at community scientist photos uploaded to iNaturalist and realized it had enough unique characteristics to be designated as a new species.

The second is a whimsical orchid found in the Philippines with less than 10 mature specimens ever being documented, with such a cool shape and pattern that it almost looks like it wants to have a conversation when it’s facing forward.

And the third is a passiflora that looks like a firework. It was found in the mountain forests of Peru, literally looks like it explodes open, and a woman named Sara Terreros made a beautiful illustration of it for the paper that deserves a big shout out.

What else is out there, waiting to be found?

Our community took action

👧 Mi Pc is starting a local union to fight child poverty, expanding on a national union, and launching this September.

🖼️ Eric Hyde Miller helped create a giant BE KIND art mural made up of student art.

🦋 EmilyLovesStories created a “pollinator pocket” in their garden that they’re calling a polly pocket.

What about you?

+ Bonus stories!

🔋 Delhi, one of the most polluted cities in the world, is finally starting to clean up its act with a $2.5 billion electrification shift, which includes future bans of many fossil fuel-powered vehicles.

🪼 An invertebrate called a sea squirt found in Antarctica might hold the key to treating melanoma. (Yes, I realize this was a ridiculous sentence to write). It’s toxins have been shown to kill melanoma cells in mice, and researchers are optimistic as it didn’t kill the treated mice.

🛤️ Switzerland continues to prove that adding solar panels the the empty spaces in between train tracks is a genius way to generate clean power, using the land that’s already just sitting there and doing nothing most of the time for something good.

Thanks for reading! This newsletter was written by Jacob Simon. Over 1.5 million people are in our community across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. You can say hi on LinkedIn, or by hitting reply. Brand illustration by Andrea Miralles. Thanks for helping spread some positivity, and see you next week for more.

If you can’t seem to remember anything good thing that’s happened so far, let me remind you of just a few things from each month:

January

• The High Seas Treaty that was signed by 145 countries to protect ocean biodiversity in international waters finally entered into force, meaning it became legally binding.

• Stingless bees became the first insects to get the legal right to exist, thrive, and be represented in court in regions of Peru.

• The rare Siamese crocodile had successful community-based conservation in Laos that released hundreds back into the wild.

February

• The EU made it illegal to burn or destroy unsold clothes in an effort to make companies rethink business models.

• England started covering travel costs for children getting treated for cancer so families can focus on treatment instead of burdensome logistics.

• Vienna turned at least 350 parking spots into public green spaces.

March

• California started returning 7.5 million acres of water and land back to Indigenous Tribes.

• A basic income program for 2,000 artists became permanent in Ireland.

• Another Alaskan oil and gas lease sale failed when no company placed bids.

April

• The Artemis II mission sent four astronauts further into space than anyone’s gone before

• Maryland became the first state to ban dynamic surveillance pricing on groceries which changes based on your personal data.

• Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City announced they’re making buses free for all 10 million residents.

May

• Hawaii ruled corporations are not people and can’t spend unlimited money in elections.

• France made high-quality three-course school meals just €1 for all students.

• Thousands of new species were discovered in the deep sea including a toxic ribbon worm that could help treat Alzheimer’s and Schizophrenia.

June

• New York City started free childcare applications for 2 year olds across the city.

• New data showed that solar in the US generated more electricity than coal over a full month for the first time.

• A flooding London tube station was fixed by re-releasing native beavers into a nearby park that they naturally dammed up.

Members from our Community

• Turned old fencing into backyard birdhouses

• Repaired clothes for those in need

• Made a free seed board

• Turned trash into art

And took thousands of other actions all over the world!

If you want to consume more good news stories, then you’re in the right place. Here are three more ways to keep the good news coming:

1. Share The Hopemakers with someone you love to give them a little boost, so we can elevate underrated stories of progress to even more readers.

2. Comment your plans for the second half of the year on this post.

3. Upgrade your subscription to a paid tier if you haven’t already. All supporter contributions go towards finding, reporting, and spreading stories that make the world a better place.

See you in the second half of 2026 for so much more :)

This newsletter was written by Jacob Simon. Over 1 million people are in our community across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. You can say hi on LinkedIn, or by hitting reply. Brand illustration by Andrea Miralles. Thanks for helping spread some positivity, and see you next week for more.

When I heard about a type of vending machine in The Bronx unlike any I’d seen before, I starting digging into some research to see what the weirdest, coolest, most unique, and most impactful vending machines in the city were.

And after finding six viable contenders for the best vending machine in NYC, I ran all around the city to test them out and see which deserves 1st place.

This turned into our latest community mission!

For those of you that don’t know: I put all of the funds raised your by paid memberships to this newsletter into a pool. I then search for an everyday hero, make a creative video showcasing their work, volunteer to help them out, and donate some of this pool to help their project. So all of this was possible because of your support!

Enjoy the latest episode to see where this vending machine journey took me:

Community Mission #4 Impact Report

Here’s the full break down of where your funds went, and the impact they had.

Read more

And this week I learned that a lake in Europe is suing the company that polluted it and if they win, your local nature might be able to follow their lead.

Back in 2022, a lagoon in Spain called the Mar Menor was legally granted the right to “exist as an ecosystem and evolve naturally”, with a group of scientists, politicians, and citizens representing it as custodians.

But when a company was caught stealing water and dumping contaminants back in, the custodians filed a lawsuit seeking seven years in prison and €500,000.

It’s still ongoing, but when a group of citizens that were frustrated with companies getting away with destroying the natural world heard about it, they decided to build on this momentum and filed a formal petition with the EU that legally must be considered if it gets at least a million signatures, which they’ll start collecting in a few months.

And their demands are for a new law across Europe that officially lets polluted waterways and deforested woodlands to take their polluters to court, giving nature the same legal personhood rights as a company or you to hire a lawyer and sue.

They’re calling it Rights for Nature, and it might have the ability to transform the world, by legally requiring wilderness to be protected and enabling citizens to ensure that happens through the courts.

And although it’s just for Europe at the moment, powerful ideas like these should be supported by all of us, because maybe this is the future of truly protecting the natural world?

What else is going right in the world this week?

New York voted to pause large data centers

New York just voted to pause large data centers for the next year while new rules are developed around energy prices, water use, labor rights, and benefits for the communities they would impact. It passed despite Big Tech opposition, and now it just needs the governor’s signature. (Bianca Caputo|News10)

Minnesota banned prediction markets

While Minnesota became the first state to ban prediction markets, which are those gambling platforms that let people bet on literally anything and are highly susceptible to corruption like people betting on their own elections, insider tech information, pre-taped shows, and even classified military missions. So long story short, banning these is probably good. (Bobby Allyn|NPR)

Indigenous fishers went from facing jail to leading conservation

Two Aboriginal Australian divers were facing 10 years of jail for their cultural fishing practices until the case was abandoned after just 11 days. Now, in a complete turnaround, their Indigenous-led program got a $1.5 million grant to restore the damaged ocean by using their knowledge to clear invasive urchins and heal the barrens they left behind. (Vanessa Milton & Toby Hemmings|ABC)

The scientist who mapped the Wood Wide Web

When a woman realized, “we know more about space than the underground”, she decided to map the fungi network flowing beneath our feet called the Wood Wide Web.

Because despite soils being home to 25% of all species on Earth, they’re often forgotten about in conservation.

So Dr. Toby Kiers advocated for this hidden world of underground biodiversity, focusing on mycorrhizal fungi, which are huge networks of threads connecting plant roots to exchange nutrients, store carbon, and create forest cooperation.

Yet they’re vulnerable to the expansion of farming with pesticides, deforestation, and urbanization.

Which is why the global Underground Atlas she helped create is such a cool tool that uncovers some of the mystery and the positive differences fungi are making, including healthier soil, better food quality, and savings for farmers.

Her work is so impressive that she recently won the $250,000 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, letting her continue to bring together scientists, Indigenous communities, decision makers, and artists to protect fungi through education, the legal system, and policy.

TAKE ACTION WITH ME:

I’m starting a Chilli page to post actions we can take collectively to move the needle forward. Start by helping turn this Wood Wide Web knowledge into policy that protects our lands. It only take a minute!

take quick action with me🍄

Our community took action

👨 breadandonion’s spouse started a playground meetup for dads which has grown to 500 fathers in the group chat meeting up and making connections over the past 6 years.

+ Bonus stories!

• A lost parrot has returned.

• Solar is now generating more energy in the US than coal.

• New York doesn’t have the best record at keeping promises when it comes to renewables… but they just announced a big nuclear energy push,

Have a win or good story to share? Let us know! And have an amazing weekend.

This newsletter was written by Jacob Simon. Over 1 million people are in our community across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. You can say hi on LinkedIn, or by hitting reply. Brand illustration by Andrea Miralles. Thanks for helping spread some positivity, and see you next week for more.

Because Roni Nelson Batista Ramos used to hunt turtles to feed his family on Cabo Verde in West Africa, but he’s now one of a dozen former poachers working for conservation organizations to protect the endangered animals. And despite not even realizing this could be how they make a living, it’s working really well.

I originally found this story last year, but it’s worth retelling!

Decades ago, the turtles had been used for food, medicine, or sold to the black market, until increased awareness of their threat led to a big conservation push, and new laws criminalized the killing of threatened species.

Per Mongabay, there were 1,253 illegal catches of female turtles on Boa Vista island in 2007, which declined to just 20 in 2024. And over the same 16 years, loggerhead turtle nests increase more than 700%, making it the third largest nesting population in the world.

Five out of the seven known sea turtle species roam the Island, so these folks have a tough and important job, and their success is amplified through organizations like the Turtle Foundation using drones with night vision, getting dogs to help sniff out concerning scent trails, and involving the local communities to get the best information possible while creating these guardian jobs.

And while the threats are far from over, if these people completely changed their outlook to save their fellow species, and maybe others can too...

What else is going right in the world

Beavers stop London trains from flooding

A London tube station that used to flood from heavy rain, like many of New York City’s subway stations do, was fixed when beavers were re-released into a nearby park. The park actually used to be a golf course, and the beavers naturally dammed up a creek inside of it, creating a pond and wetland that absorbs rain like a sponge. In turn, it reduces nearby flooding. A win-win situation! (Lauren Frayer|NPR)

12 award-winning inventors

12 finalists were announced for the European Inventor Award for innovations including an effective malaria vaccine, a method of taking dead batteries and turning them into usable new ones, a living air biofilter, a magnetic propulsion upgrade for existing trains, and much more. (European Inventor Awards).

Transforming parking lots

Cities around the US are upgrading parking lots. moving away from heat-increasing asphalt towards better models like topping them with solar panels, adding enough trees to shade at least half the lot, painting reflective surfaces, and even using permeable pavement that absorbs water to reduce flooding. (Aya Diab & Alexa St. John|AP)

Our community took action (big time)

🌞 Mihkel recently had their building add solar panels and batteries which has reduced their power bill by about 70%.

🚫 Data center proposals are getting shut down and even banned by Egust4729, aiden_base123, and Susan who are joining their neighbors in signing letters, protesting, and making their opposition loud and clear.

🧵 Michaela Palladino is sewing clothes out of thrifted bedsheets

🎨 madeleine_of_the_woods and their friends started an art project to raise awareness and funds for local species at risk.

🐶 Justaharmlessfire is helping elders in their neighborhood bring their pets to the vet.

🌻 Yards are transforming into wildlife refuges thanks to loryntrail, juliegoodenough is planting milkweed to help butterflies, cmelansonauthor is making a food forest for their neighbors, divalea is using thrifted containers for theirs, oakheartnj planted natives at an elementary school, and Ashley Marie is growing stunning passion flowers to help the Gulf Fritillary species.

📦 Castle’s husband started a community shelf at work to take and leave food, hygiene, and clothes donations.

🌲 Hartstrings Creations is making a card game from scratch based on the life cycle of forest ecosystems

🗑️ Day is going on walks every day to pick up trash

🖼️ Fantasyfawn is hosting an arts and crafts night with strangers to get to know their neighbors.

🫵 And… what about you?

+ Bonus stories!

• Fathomverse, the game where you can discover real marine species by playing, just got a big update.

• Europe removed over 600 dams last year, a new record.

• Concrete towers are getting added to the ocean off of Cambodia to combat and stop bottom trawling (a method of fishing that drags against the ocean floor and destroys ecosystems).

This newsletter was written by Jacob Simon. Over 1 million people are in our community across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. You can say hi on LinkedIn, or by hitting reply. Brand illustration by Andrea Miralles. Thanks for helping spread some positivity, and see you next week for more.

If you close your eyes and imagine a better future, what does that looks like?

I asked myself that when I started this newsletter.

And now, as I read through hundreds of news stories each week, I choose the ones that are planting the seeds for the future I want, many of which are reflected in our guiding illustration I commissioned when we first launched The Hopemakers:

So as you read this week’s edition, think about what these stories mean for the future, and if you think of something you want to see, drop it in a comment. We build a better future together, after all!

What’s going right in the world?

Solar’s on track to be Earth’s main energy source

Solar power is growing even faster than predicted. It’s now on track to become the world’s leading energy source years ahead of schedule by 2032, as global markets have skyrocketed towards electrification amidst the clear fragility of fuel sources. Decision makers can no longer ignore the fact that the sun is always up there sending us free and clean energy! (BloombergNEF, Renew Economy)

Students now get €1 meals

Every student can now eat quality three-course meals for just €1 in France, alleviating financial strain and ending the fact that nearly half of students have had to skip meals for financial reasons in the past. This program had already existed for those within a certain income threshold, but is now expanded to include all students. (Agence France-Presse|The Guardian)

Native pheasants are back in Vietnam

Beautiful native species are returning to the wild: the Vietnam Pheasant has been missing from central Vietnam’s forests for decades due to habitat loss, illegal hunting, and war impacts. But that will no longer be the case, thanks to an alliance of conservationists that managed to grow a captive population until it was genetically viable to now carefully reintroduce 20 back into their natural habitats. They will continue to monitor and aim to grow these bird populations back to their former glory. (Zoo Berlin)

Plug-in balcony solar is taking the US by storm

I reported this story with paid support from my partners at Climate Power. You can watch it here, or enjoy the written form below for more good news!

Many of us are about to be able to pick up a solar panel from the store, leave it on our balcony or in our backyard, plug it into an outlet, and start generating free energy from our beautiful sun.

NYC is about to pass legislation to allow this, but it started when a Utah state representative learned about plug-in solar’s popularity in Germany where over 1 million have been installed already, so a bill was drafted and passed with unanimous support, making them the first US state to adopt them.

But dozens quickly followed and the bipartisan race to legalize plug-in solar across the country is now on, with 5 states already signing it into law, 8 advancing bills, and at least 13 more working on legislation to follow their lead.

Meaning the majority of states are working on letting us install plug-in solar ourselves on a balcony or backyard even if we don’t have access to a roof.

And this is especially important right now with the government entering wars, letting utility companies jack up electricity prices for Big Oil to make record profits, and gutting clean air and water protections, meaning every bit of energy we can cleanly generate ourselves will keep money in our pockets and away from the world’s worst polluters.

So, where does your state stand?

A bunch of new species were discovered, and here’s my 10 favorites

Scientists just announced 1,121 ocean life forms they found over the past year in a global expedition called the Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census, and here are five highlights:

• A burrowing sea anemone was found living alone, buried in sediment in a remote peninsula in Argentina, and honestly I understand the appeal.

• A beautiful dwarfgoby fish just a few millimeters long was found in a remote Australian reef, and it stands out since most relatives are green but this guy added splashes of peach, yellow, and orange into the mix.

• A toxic ribbon worm just 3 centimeters long was found in Timor-Leste and it has a potent chemical defense that could help treat Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia.

• A Mystery Ridge sea pen was found in the South Sandwich Islands, which kinda looks like an antique quill and is actually a coral that sticks up like a tree from the bottom of the deep sea.

• The carnivorous “death ball” sponge was also found in the South Sandwich islands in a trench 3,601 meters deep, and as you can tell from the name, it’s a brutal predator lined with microscopic velcro-like hooks that snag prey to envelope and digest.

And here are five more from around the world:

• A nudibranch or sea slug (that might be the most unique and confusing animal I’ve ever seen) was found in Taiwan and named after the dots covering its body that sort of resemble sesame seeds.

• A flowering wintergreen was found in the Philippines and it likely only lives on one island. It was named after its flowers which researchers think resemble a bird’s beak, and I kinda see it.

• A tiny frog was also found in the Philippines but on a different island, was named after the tallest peak, has a call that sounds like a repetitive clicking, and measures about 15 mm… which is smaller than a US dime.

• A mesmerizing millipede was found in Madagascar, which yes I would probably freak out if I saw it in person, but the pictures show off how nature really likes geometry.

• And last but not least, a hairy ghost pipefish that looks almost angelic was found on a coral reef in Australia. It’s special trait is that it’s covered in long filaments that look like shaggy threads.

Our community took action

LunticaSystem is clearing invasive plants from their yard and seeing more native species and pollinators return.

+ Bonus stories!

🌳 What if every city had a tree charter to protect the beautiful green giants?

🪸 Underwater robots are aiming to help coral reefs with… cookies?

☢️ Chernobyl has really transformed from nuclear disaster into wildlife haven.

Have a win or good story to share? Join our community chat and let us know!

This newsletter was written by Jacob Simon. Over 1 million people are in our community across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. You can say hi on LinkedIn, or by hitting reply. Brand illustration by Andrea Miralles. Thanks for helping spread some positivity, and see you next week for more.

Welcome to the 21st Friday of the year! That’s means there’s 31 left, for anyone keeping count.

This week, the weather in NYC ranged from 95 degrees F and sunny, to 50 degrees F and rainy. Each day really is a mystery. Keeps us on our toes at least?

I hope you had a great week. Cap it off with the underrated good news stories I was able to find, and make the most of this weekend ahead!

What’s going right in the world:

The researcher saving native turtles in Yosemite

(I originally covered this story last year, but here it is again for those that missed it)

An invasion of bullfrogs that “eat anything that fits into their mouth” nearly took out an adorable native turtle species, until scientists got to work on saving them.

Sidney Woodruff saw a “constellation of eyes” from invasive American bullfrogs blinking back at her at night in Yosemite, with a call so loud that native species were completely drowned out. So she decided to lead a 7-year-study (while getting her PHD at UC Davis!) to see if removing the invasive frogs could help populations of the northwestern pond turtle recover.

With western pond turtles being the only native freshwater species in California, the area’s marine ecology depends on their natural cycling of nutrients that benefit all sorts of other species. Yet the non-native bullfrogs appeared to be preying on and threatening the survival of young turtles.

To confirm suspicions, Sidney and a team of scientists gathered research on what happens when thousands of frogs are removed, and found 2-100 times more abundance of turtles, slowly but surely hearing the chorus of native species sounds once again and publishing their results for other sites to learn from their methods.

Join me in thanking these researchers for their efforts, and choosing to protect the northwestern pond turtle!

Corporations are no longer “people” in Hawaii

Corporations in Hawaii can no longer spend unlimited money to sway elections. This was first allowed in a Supreme Court case known as Citizen United that essentially classified corporations as people, but a new Hawaiian Bill makes them the first state to clarify that: no, corporations are artificial entities, and maybe billions of dollars of dark money flowing into elections shouldn’t be allowed. (Michael Sherer|The Atlantic)

New Koala National Park

Back over 100 years ago, koalas were hunted in the millions by the fur industry in Australia, until strong public backlash stopped it in perhaps the nation’s first large collective conservation movement.

But even without directly hunting these amazing animals, their numbers kept decreasing due to development, mining, and forestry that divided and destroyed their home.

So grassroots groups and environmental organizations started a 13-year campaign to create the Great Koala National Park in New South Wales, with many people like Mark Graham facing threats to mind their own business and assaults that the police tried to ignore.

But they never gave up, showing the government the urgency of the situation, plus the economic incentives of ecotourism, until they were finally convinced in 2025 to link together existing reserves and forests connecting 1,900 square miles (5,000 square kilometers).

Yet even with these protections, land owners need to be educated, logging bans need to be enforced, and native trees need to grow back before koalas can use them. But the Indigenous people know it’s possible for humans and koalas, which are sacred to them, to live together in harmony, and are determined to share their knowledge for a unified path forward.

Showing that even when hope is lost, we can win when we come together and stay strong.

NYC home-battery pilot

A program is piloting in New York City with plug-in batteries that can hold enough charge to power air conditioners during high heat and peak demand. This is meant to save grid strain and costs, which is essentially acting like a microwave-sized version of those portable power banks we all have, and they look pretty cool too. (Kiki Sideris|AP)

Locals are beating 37 data centers

A monstrous project of 37 polluting data centers near a historic Civil War site in Virginia is losing to the local residents who oppose it. They sued for the project’s failure to adequately notify the public, which has won in court twice now (a lower court, and an appeals court). This has convinced one of the two developers to drop out, and it isn’t looking good for the other as locals aren’t backing down. (Joe Heim|Washington Post, Nick Paschal|The Cool Down)

Our community took action

svelte11 is growing a fruit hedge for their neighbors to pick from as they walk by!

How are you making the world better?

+ Bonus stories!

🌾 Last week, I talked about No Mow May, where people aren’t mowing their lawns in an effort to increase biodiversity. A reader (thanks, Paul!) graciously pointed out that this isn’t a good solution everywhere, so if you’re curious about your area, here’s more information to start you off.

🎒 Tiny backpacks are helping hedgehogs survive.

🛸 Can we finally bring airships back?

⚡️ BYD amazes again, rolling out electric cars that can charge from 10% to 70% in 5 minutes.

💨 Last year, China also installed three times more wind power than the rest of the world put together.

This newsletter was written by Jacob Simon. Over 1 million people are in our community across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. You can say hi on LinkedIn, or by hitting reply. Brand illustration by Andrea Miralles. Thanks for helping spread some positivity, and see you next week for more.

I’m back! Welcome to the 20th Friday of the year.

Last week I was in Mexico City, eating amazing food, seeing beautiful architecture, meeting great people, and witnessing the stunning wedding of my friend Anushka and her now-husband Prateek.

Fun fact, Anushka was an original cofounder and cowriter of this newsletter back when it was called Climativity!

It was a beautiful time, but I’m excited to be back in action. Hope you had a good week, and let’s cap it off with some stories of progress:

What’s going right in the world

AI can’t legally replace workers

A court in China ruled that it’s illegal to fire and replace workers with AI just to cut costs, agreeing with a lower court that ruled the same way, which experts say is reassuring for labor rights protections, that hopefully show up in other areas too amidst the world’s widespread AI adoption. (Jennifer Pak|NPR)

59 countries say: goodbye fossil fuels

For the first time, 59 countries agreed to end the production and use of fossil fuels via unique national roadmaps to finally ramp up this new era of clean energy. While the top polluting countries were absent, this coalition represents over half of global GDP and they’re encouraging all nations to join them. (Fiona Harvey & Jonathan Watts|The Guardian)

Indigenous co-owned solar farm

An Indigenous Community was awarded a 50% stake in what will become Ontario’s largest solar farm, letting the Garden River First Nation have real power and a voice in the decision making as well as the economic benefits, training, and jobs associated with the project set to power 40,000 homes. (Alex Flood|CBC)

From incarceration to solar installation

A group of 50 formerly incarcerated, black, and low-income people are now solar installers thanks to a program in Texas called “Vulnerable to Vibrant” which trained, paid, and certified them to get back on their feet and protect their communities, finding a way to rally together to continue the program even after federal funding was cut. (Kamrin Baker|Goodgoodgood, Adam Mahoney|Capital B, BUFTx)

Teens create air filter from corn and coconuts

Two Kenyan teenagers named Fredrick and Miron created a filter to help clean up air pollution out of corn, coconuts, algae, and recycled batteries that traps pollutants from local minibuses called matatus, reducing airborne particles for a third of the cost, which just won them a cash prize and mentorship. (Malavika Vyawahare & Mary Mwendwa|Mongabay)

No Mow May, back again for more

No Mow May is underway for the 9th year, while thousands of people stop mowing their lawns this month to increase biodiversity, letting the underground seeds have a chance to flower and creating a better ecosystem for local birds and pollinators. (Isaaq Tomkins|The Guardian)

My three favorite new species discoveries

An adorable newly discovered jumping spider was discovered in India in a green belt called the Aarey Milk Colony, is just a few millimeters long, and experts believe the variety of these little guys is still underestimated with many more likely to be found in the future.

A flowering plant found in Guangdong, China and I mostly like it because this dissection image that cut it in half looks like a mouth with just a few bottom teeth but it also has really pretty purplish red flowers that turn into really scary looking fruit.

And a leopard gecko was found by researchers on the outskirts of a wildlife sanctuary in a poorly studied Indian plateau. It belongs to a family of geckos that have moveable eyelids and can blink, and the study authors are urging more assessment of the area to help conservation beat out the threats of mining, habitat degradation, and development.

We’ve discovered about 2 million species on Earth but there are millions if not trillions still out there, living alongside us! Much more to come…

Our community took action

🖼️ Betsy Marie is finding discarded materials on their afternoon walks and turning it into stunning artwork.

🌱 Beverly made a greenhouse out of recycled materials and planted hundreds of garden vegetable seeds that have sprouted.

🫵 What about you?

This newsletter was written by Jacob Simon. Over 1 million people are in our community across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. You can say hi on LinkedIn, or by hitting reply. Brand illustration by Andrea Miralles. Thanks for helping spread some positivity, and see you next week for more.