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.

Welcome to the 18th Friday of 2026! It’s officially May, and I’m on my way to Mexico City for a friend’s wedding. I’m taking the next week off, so no newsletter next Friday (or videos throughout the week), but I’ll be back before you know it!

Our lives are busy and full of noise, so it can be tough to hear and remember the good stuff. Here’s your reminder that it’s still happening all over:

10 stories of progress from April, 2026 (recap)

🎤 The last surviving speaker of a First Nations language called Thiinma started a band at 92 years old to help his culture live on after he’s gone.

🎟️ The parent company of Ticketmaster was ruled to be an illegal monopoly that might have to break up.

🦎 Many species were discovered including a crocodile newt that looks like it can firebend, a flowering herb sticking out a golden tongue, and a spider that uses biomimicry to look like a fungus.

🚫 A surveillance pricing ban on groceries is coming to Maryland as the first US state to block personal data from changing prices.

🌞 A roof tile with flexible solar cells built into it was invented.

🚀 The NASA Artemis II mission successfully sent four astronauts further into space than anyone has gone before.

🚌 Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City is set to make buses free for all 10 million residents.

✈️ A fully electric airplane that recharges in half an hour started flying along Scottish mail routes.

📚 A new nature library is opening in Colorado letting people rent gear to get outside like fishing poles, tents, and night vision goggles.

🤝 And our community made a one-of-a-kind bag out of old buttons and their grandma’s dress, started growing their own food to share, learned how to repair their clothes with a tailor.

What was your favorite story from April?

Crash Bandicoot’s real life animal is bouncing back

Yes, Crash Bandicoot, the popular video game character, is a real animal called an eastern barred bandicoot. I also didn’t know this until now. But after being declared extinct in the wild in 1991, 100 are now being released back into the wild.

Here’s how:

Conservationists had a handful of survivors in captivity, but previous attempts to release them failed because of genetic inbreeding, causing something called an “undershot jaw” which makes it harder for them to dig, grasp, and chew food.

So they began a selective breeding program with some from mainland Australia and others from Tasmania, since the populations had been isolated for over 10,000 years, creating far more genetic diversity to strengthen the gene pool.

As the team built up a healthier population of the animals, they developed a new goal for a population of 500 living across five different locations, which increases their resilience and makes it much less likely they’ll be wiped out by their common threats of invasive predators, habitat loss, or climate disaster.

And this huge release is helping more than just the bandicoots, as they naturally dig through 3 tonnes of soil every year which spreads seeds and makes the ground more resistant to floods.

So the next time you play the video game, remember to thank these folks for ensuring the little species is recovering in real life.

+ Bonus stories!

🪧 Amsterdam is officially the world’s first capital city to ban the ads that are the worst for the planet (fossil fuels and meat) starting May 1.

🏷️ Etsy has decided to ban the sale of animal fur on its site starting in August.

💨 The largest clean energy project in the US is officially online and generating power for more than 1 million homes in Arizona and California.

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!

Welcome back to Friday!

This week, I competed in a climate game show hosted by the iconic Pattie Gonia. I didn’t win this time (mainly due to my inability to twerk), but with nonstop dancing, laughing, and great vibes with new friends, it really reminded me that we need to have more fun together… More game shows and shenanigans, and less panels. Who’s with me?!

I also came across a woman who finds shattered car windows and turns the shards into one of a kind jewelry. I reached out and got to hear more about her story, inspiration, and vision for the future:

Sydney Jones was walking her dog one day when she saw a pile of broken window glass, and since she’d already been experimenting with turning broken bottles into earrings, she wondered if these shards would melt in the same way.

Particularly because over 7 million metric tons of glass ends up in US landfills each year, wasting this material that deserves a second life.

So to turn an unfortunate event into something positive, she started listening in to reports of shattered car windows, known as bipping in the Bay Area, then heading over and sweeping up the rubble with a dust pan.

By bringing the little pieces home, throwing them in a kiln, and heating the glass up until it formed smooth little spheres, she created the perfect beads.

Which ended up becoming her “Street Revival Collection”, each piece uniquely made of reclaimed glass windows and windshields, joining the other Odd Commodity Shop crafts she upcycles like soda bottle candles and wine bottle vases

She told me “she aims to inspire people to repurpose materials that are already made, shift toward a more circular economy, and move away from that cradle to grave mindset.”

It might be a little strange, but maybe this is the future of reusing materials, even if they come from a crime scene?

What’s going right in the world

The beginning of the end for surveillance pricing?

Surveillance pricing, which uses personal data to change the cost of items, is set to be banned in Maryland. This new law would make them the first US state to prohibit using browsing history, location, and shopping behaviors to dynamically price necessities like groceries, in hopefully the first step toward completely banning these deceptive tactics. (Amanda Greenwood|Newsweek)

Songs to save a dying language

92-year-old Peter Salmon is the last surviving speaker of the First Nations language Thiinma (TEEN-mah), and teamed up with linguist and musician Rosie Sitorus to create songs in the language and even form a band to keep the language and his people’s culture alive. (Katherine Smyrk|ABC)

Earth Day 2026

This year for Earth Day, I teamed up with the world’s largest environmental nonprofit to tell their origin story. (Watch our sponsored collaboration post here!) A quick summary:

An old-growth forest living just outside of NYC was set to be destroyed in the 1950s to become suburban homes, until a scientist named Gloria Hollister Anable came across it. To protect life in the Mianus River Gorge, she rallied her neighbors, teamed up with a new group called The Nature Conservancy, sent scientists to document the land, and finally bought the 60 acres and made it accessible for everyone to enjoy.

With 160 preserves now in New York alone (and many more around the world), maybe we should all go together as a group some time soon? Let me know if you’d be interested in a nature social club!

A library aimed at getting you outside

A new nature library is opening up in Colorado which will let people rent gear like fishing poles, tents, and even night vision goggles in their “Tryit Kits” to get people outdoors. They’ll also have 35,000 books on the natural world and programming to learn hands-on from park rangers and interact with animals. (John Wenzel|The Denver Post)

More new species were discovered

First up we have this crocodile newt that looks like it can firebend, found in a roadside pond in China, and is surviving despite a habitat fractured from roads and development. The species has 11 distinct characteristics like only having orange on its tail and finger tips that extend beyond its snout, and it’s in the same genus as another new one found on the border between Vietnam and Laos.

Next up we have this flowering herb with a “golden tongue” found in moist and shady streams running through a forest in India’s Himalayas, which a team of botanists spotted clinging to rocks. It’s unique thanks to its bumpy yellow patch on the lower lip of its petals that I can’t decide if it looks like its mocking us or holding on to some magic powers.

And last but not least is this spiraling soft coral found on a ridge in the deep sea of the Indian Ocean. This is unique since most related species are found in the Atlantic or Pacific, yet researchers in this case discovered three similar ones together that will help increase understanding of the mysterious deep ocean.

Our community took action

🦦 We completed our third Community Mission! If you didn’t watch yet, check out the video and see what we’re funding together, fam.

👛 Becca Ross made a one-of-a-kind bag out of reclaimed materials, using buttons they played with as a kid and their grandma’s old dress.

+ Bonus stories!

• Spell your name (or any word) with real satellite images of Earth thanks to NASA!

• Solar power could be getting a huge tech upgrade.

• Is the future of skyscrapers actually wood?

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.

Okay, if you disagree, then you have to at least admit they’re in the top 10, right? After spending two days with these fascinating keystone species and getting to break a world record inspired by their unique behaviors, I like them even more…

The story begins back in 2020 during the thick of Covid-19 lockdowns. I was bored and wanted to do something competitive from my room, so I ended up finding the most ridiculous world records and breaking 42 of them.

Fast forward to today, and I had the chance to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium, meet their staff, and learn about the best sea otter rescue program in the world. Wanting to make the most of this opportunity, I decided to see if I could break a world record with them too, that somehow helped support their work. This turned into our third Community Mission!

Watch the latest episode to find out how it happened:

Community Mission #3 Impact Report

Your subscriber contributions make these Community Missions & videos possible! Please spread the word, and if you’re not a supporter yet, join our fam to be a part of the next Mission coming soon :)

Here’s the full breakdown of episode 3:

Read more

Over the weekend, I escaped into the woods with my partner. Waking up to birds chirping and trees swaying (and absolutely no honking or screaming) is not what I’m used to in NYC, so it was the perfect reset.

I also got to try out all sorts of fun activities, including cyanotype or sun printing!

We used leaves and flowers plus the power of the sun and some chemical reactions to create artistic prints. It turned out so well that I’m gonna figure out how to recreate it at home! If you’re interested in learning how too, let me know.

And now, enjoy some stories of progress from this week, and have a great weekend!

The scientist using mushrooms to eat toxic pollution

After growing up near a river that caught fire from oil spills and then seeing fungi growing in abandoned factories, scientist Danielle Stevenson connected the dots and started experimenting with mycoremediation (or bioremediation). This uses the natural process of fungi mycelium breaking down and absorbing toxic or dangerous chemicals to clean up polluted lands & waters, and turn them into something safe & useful for the community. Is this the future of cleaning up toxic areas…? (Lauren Oster|Smithsonian, Richard Schiffman|Yale e360)

Watch the full video I made on this for more! (I originally covered this story last year, but thought it was worth re-telling for most of you who haven’t seen it yet.)

Five new species worth knowing

Over 300 new species are discovered every week on average, and here’s five new standouts that are worth learning about:

A spider impersonating a fungus

In 5th we have a spider that impersonates a fungus, which is the first documented case of this type of biomimicry in the world. It was found in the Ecuadorian Andes, and the researchers actually thought it was a cordyceps mushroom until they touched it and it moved.

Fiery flowers

In 4th is this striking orange and yellow flowering plant which was discovered in Laos and had some hollowed out twigs with ants living inside them.

Two very similar songbirds

In 3rd is actually two yellow migratory songbirds found on two different Japanese islands which are quite similar physically but have different birdsong. After testing it was confirmed that they’re genetically distinct too, yet both are likely both vulnerable, partly since island species often go unnoticed.

Cave-dwelling crab with unusually long legs

Our runner-up is this cave-dwelling crab with unusually long legs in Malaysia, which likely belongs to a new genus and gives another reason why these caves must be protected from mining.

A glassfrog from a “hidden world”

Last but not least is this glassfrog that looks like it knows something we don’t. It was found in a “hidden world” along with many other unknown species in Ecuador back in 2017 but it’s now officially described, and likely evolved around 4.5 million years ago.

Which is your favorite?

What else is going right?

🎟️ Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, was found to be an illegal monopoly by a jury, meaning penalties and a potential breakup are on the horizon.

🍟 Norway has banned junk food ads to protect children’s health.

🚌 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s most populous with 14 million people, is making busses free for all.

🦬 Bison that have been released back into the wild in Romania have increased the plant biomass by 30% through grazing, trampling, and spreading seeds.

🌞 Watch out, solar panels. They developed roof tiles that have solar cells build right into them!

Have a win 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.

We’re over a quarter of the way through 2026… do whatever you want with that information :) Now that we’ve passed 10,000 subscribers (!) and started our community chat, I have a quick question to help this newsletter grow and improve.

The goal for The Hopemakers is to become a self-sufficient group of action-takers making the world more solarpunk. Meaning there’s enough value in this newsletter that by consuming more solutions reporting & inspiring stories, you’re also funding our Community Missions which directly contribute to & amplify real-world solutions.

I always want to keep the core of this community free, but if you have a spare 5 seconds, please let me know how I can provide more value that’s worth paying for:

Your answer is greatly appreciated, and feel free to email me any other thoughts you have!

This week’s underrated stories

6. The leading environmental law nonprofit is winning in court

This story is from a paid social media collaboration with Earthjustice. I only partner with those that I truly believe in & want their story to be told. Which is why I’m including it here for more content that you’ll enjoy :)

Sometimes I feel hopeless but then I remember that…

The government tried to open up 400,000 miles of protected waters to commercial fishing, but failed when they got blocked in court.

And then they tried to cancel 600 grants worth $34 million for farmers using sustainable agriculture, until they failed when they got blocked in court.

And then they tried to stop New York City’s congestion pricing despite the data showing its massive success, until, you guessed it, they failed when they got blocked in court.

Plus a toxic facility in Louisiana’s Cancer Alley had to suspend operations, a polluting oil storage tank expansion was forced to stop, a freeze of high-speed electric vehicle charging stations along highways was unfrozen, and hundreds of other lawsuits are currently underway to hold all of these lawless government activities accountable.

Each of these cases plus 150 more are brought by Earthjustice, representing all of their clients completely for free while fighting for the planet. And they’re winning!

Because the best way to counteract our despair and the relentless attacks on our environment is with legal expertise that won’t back down.

By supporting Earthjustice we can help them hire more lawyers and file more lawsuits that protect our home and lives, so join me here and together we can turn our dread into action and victory!

5. 100 old dams were removed

Last year across the US, 100 unsafe dams were removed, each one outdated, falling apart, and no longer serving a practical purpose. This is reconnecting a record 4,893 miles of rivers, allowing fish to swim freely for spawning while lowering flooding risks during storms. (Jessie Thomas-Blate|American Rivers)

4. Coral colony found in the deep sea

A coral colony bursting with life despite living in complete darkness was discovered a few kilometers down in the deep ocean off the coast of Argentina. Researchers are studying around 40 unidentified animals that could be new species, while also testing new ways to safeguard the health of this ecosystem that have never been tried before, like special artificial coral that attracts animals and acts as a home base. (K. R. Callaway|Scientific American)

3. UK money will feature native species

The UK’s banknotes are getting redesigned to feature native wildlife instead of historical figures. This serves the dual purpose of introducing new designs to reduce counterfeits while also raising wildlife awareness, and the featured species to be chosen later this year. (Angela Symons|Euronews)

2. How the world’s best sea otter rescue program happened

Two partnerships in one week?! Yes, it’s true. This is a paid partnership just for social media with the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I include these disclaimers to be fully transparent with you, but again, I’m only including this here because it aligns with my normal free content and I’m sure you’ll love it!

After fur traders hunted Southern sea otters to near extinction for their thick pelts, the few remaining in remote areas (around 50 were left in California) were given legal protections as a threatened species.

Then in 1981, a concerned citizen brought a young pup that washed up on the beach to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, three years before it even opened.

Despite the best efforts of the nine staff members, the little one didn’t make it, yet they were determined to keep trying to find new ways to rescue orphaned pups. While researching the remaining wild population’s threats and behaviors, they tried helping an abandoned pup by introducing him to a mother who just lost her own.

And it worked! In time revealing that otters raising otters were more successful than humans raising otters, so they continued this surrogacy program, introducing orphaned pups to non-releasable mothers and bringing 300 back into the wild so far through this and other rescue methods.

Which is not only heartwarming but is also saving many more lives as the otters keep sea urchin populations in check, not letting them gobble up massive underwater kelp forests that are home to many ocean species and reduce the impact of storms on the coast.

These keystone species continue to bounce back and help others, but they are still vulnerable to a number of threats facing our ocean.

So if you love otters as much as I do and want to see them continue to grow and thrive, please join me in signing up for Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Ocean Action newsletter: they’ll alert us at key moments to use our voice on behalf of sea otters and the ocean!

1. Our community took action

🪡 reenee214 is working with a tailor to learn how to repair their own clothing instead of tossing it away for new pieces.

🙌 Liaya is going to finish their AA and apply for university at age 41, now that their kid is grown.

🫵 How about you?

+ Bonus stories

• Reintroduced toucans are dispersed endangered seeds over the Amazon.

• An epic spoof on Lululemon called “Mumumelon” is showing the popular clothing brand (one of my favorites) how they can operate without reliance on fossil fuels.

• Speaking of, at least 46 nations are planning to join a fossil fuel phase out summit later this month.

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.

Happy April! Bring on the fleeting rainy days, blooming flowers, and new beginnings.

By the way, we just hit 10,000 subscribers of this newsletter!

I’m blown away as this community continues to grow. We’re elevating underrated stories & underreported solutions, we’re making our own positive impact through monthly community missions, and we’re reframing dread & fear into hope & action.

As promised, I opened up a subscriber-only chat on here so we can share good stories we find while celebrating each other’s wins.

Join the chat, and let’s keep building a better future together!

10 good things you probably forgot happened from March 2026 (recap)

🤝 7.5 million acres of lands and waters or about 7% of California will finally be given back to Indigenous Tribes 175 years after it was promised.

🏞️ No company placed any bids on an Alaskan oil and gas lease sale, showing no interest in destroying the 1 million acres of pristine land.

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

🌞 Virginia became the second US state to legalize plug-in balcony solar panels with 24 others working on similar laws for people to easily generate their own power.

🦑 38 new deep sea species were discovered off the coast of Japan, each one more bizarre than the last.

💰 A “millionaire’s tax” passed in Washington state as their first income tax at 9.9% for earnings over $1 million.

🐧 Vulnerable Humboldt penguins won in court again, blocking a huge mine in Chile which would have jeopardized their home and existence.

🇺🇦 Even in the middle of a war, Ukraine has rewilded 45,000 acres of land and waters around Lake Kartal with plants, fish, and birds returning in record numbers.

🧲 A plan to replace 10,000 gas stoves that leak asthma-causing pollutants with induction stoves that heat using magnets is starting in New York City public housing.

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 And our community made a free seed board outside their home, went back to college at 35, sprouted 30 keystone species oak trees, and much more…!

This week’s stories of progress

5. What happens when your ideas actually make it out of the group chat

I originally shared this story last year, but it’s one of my favorites, and I thought you all deserved to hear about it again! Jo Leen Yap took an idea from a Facebook Group into real life, using old fire hoses to create bridges that connect tree canopies, allowing dusky langur monkeys to safely cross the road. And it’s working even better than expected! (Instagram)

4. The farthest a human being has ever traveled

Four astronauts are so sick of us that they hopped on a rocket ship and are flying farther away than any human in history! This is NASA’s Artemis II mission heading to the far side of the moon 252,000 miles away, to test equipment for future missions. Unlike this one, those missions coming later on will actually land on the moon for the first time after more than 50 years. (NASA)

3. Sperm whales work together for births

A new study found that sperm whales actually help each other out in ways we previously didn’t know. Researchers observed two female-led groups helping a baby calf being born, lifting and holding the newborn near the water’s surface. No one really knows why, but it’s maybe it’s so they could get a better view of that Artemis II rocket ship taking off? ;) (Jackie Flynn Mogensen|Scientific American)

2. Electric planes start delivering mail

A fully electric plane that recharges in about half an hour is now flying along mail routes in Scotland by using existing runways in a test to see if the mail service can use electric flights to deliver in the UK. (Press Release)

1. Our community took action

🫜 marcaleigh from our community is hurting the feelings of our corporate overlords by growing and making their own food from local ingredients to share and barter.

Let’s keep building towards a solarpunk future, 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.

It’s our last newsletter of March 2026! I might be biased since this was my birth month, but as the days keep getting warmer and sunnier, I feel more and more energized and ready to charge forward. How about you?

I usually start with something of note in this intro, but for today, let’s dive right into the good stories I found this week.

Have a great weekend, and ring in April in style!

What’s going right in the world?

7. Indigenous tribes get Land Back after 175 years

7.5 million acres of lands and waters will be returned to Indigenous tribes across California thanks to new plans giving back 7% of the state, about the same amount that was promised to them back in 1850 but never honored. This will bring long overdue justice while allowing tribal stewardship to begin to right many wrongs against people and the land. (Noah Haggerty|LA Times)

6. 38 new deep sea creatures just dropped

In the deep ocean off the coast of Japan, 38 new deep sea species were discovered and confirmed by the The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census. Highlights include a glass sponge with symbiotic worms, new squat lobsters, and parasitic barnacles… and these researchers are continuing to uncover many more mysteries within the depths of the ocean. (Ocean Census)

5. Wales to require rooftop solar on new builds

Starting early next year, Wales is set to become the first UK nation to require new buildings to have their own built-in renewable energy generation. In nearly all cases, this will mean rooftop solar, and the policy will make energy cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable across the country. (Matthew Lynas|PV Magazine)

4. A contest launched to find out: how should we great aliens when they arrive?

Jordan, Carter, and Taylor launched a writing contest asking “when aliens arrive and we can only greet them with one letter, what should it say”? And they’re offering $2,000 for the best submission that’s physically mailed in, claiming they’re just doing this because they think it’s fun. I do agree! (Dear Aliens)

3. Cockroach Lord is giving them a fighting chance

Cristian AKA “Cockroach Lord” discovered 15 species of the hated-on insects and named many of them after Lord of the Rings characters like “Hobbitoblatta”, as he advocates for their research and protection given their essential role in breaking down dead organic matter to decompose into the soil. (Andrew Zinin|Phys)

2. One family is saving endangered Amazonian plants

Ramón and his family are saving endangered plants in the Amazon without any outside help by venturing deep into the jungle to find seeds, bring them to their “living laboratory” seed bank, grow the plants, and replant areas of the forest that were cleared away by logging and drought. (Gonzalo Solano|AP)

1. Our community took action

📚 katelynnehansen8115 went back to college at age 35 and is absolutely smashing their second semester.

🐝 Anna from our community is helping a group of volunteers raise $6 million to buy the 440-acre Sibling Prairie in Detroit and permanently preserve one of the last of its kind still remaining.

🧑‍⚖️ I teamed up with my partners at Climate Power to figure out what US law has saved the most lives. Take a guess, and then watch for the answer!

+ A few more bonus stories

🌊 San Francisco’s sea walls are alive!

🦋 Some populations of monarch butterflies are on the rise.

🥗 Having plant-based meals be the default at hospitals is working to cut emissions.

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 had a conversation with a potential collaborator this week and she mentioned how cool my job was, getting to meet amazing people and tell such interesting and meaningful stories. I honestly hadn’t thought about it in a little while, but she made me remember how fortunate I am to do this for a living, and tell stories that not only uplift important people but also help all of you learn and get inspired.

In my never-ending search for people that are working on something cool and important that we probably haven’t heard of, I was thrilled to get a DM and email from a student working on something (literally) pretty cool…

Here’s their story!

This group of students is creating a solar-powered autonomous rover that can survive in one of Earth’s harshest environments.

Getting scientists to Antarctica is difficult, expensive, and dangerous while they gather data on one of Earth’s least understood places. Once they are there, most research expeditions use big and expensive equipment like diesel-powered vehicles, heated shelters, and of course food and necessities.

But, “what if researchers didn’t always have to be there in person?”

A team of 60 students from 20 different nationalities set out to answer that by developing a rover that operates without humans needing to be on site, making important missions safer, cheaper, longer, and have less of a negative impact on the environment.

But with treacherous terrain and unpredictable weather, this isn’t easy to pull off. So students from over a dozen majors at Eindhoven University of Technology spanning engineering, software, sustainability, and design all came together to create this rover called Gentoo, and make their vision of a zero-emission Antarctica a reality.

They’re still testing and refining the design, but maybe this is the future of scientific expeditions in the most extreme areas of our planet?

What’s going right in the world?

7. Millionaires gotta pay up in Washington

A “millionaire’s tax” just passed in Washington state after a day-long debate, creating a 9.9% tax on earnings over $1 million. This applies to less than 0.5% of residents yet will be the state’s first income tax to “rebalance the system” and raise billions of dollars to fund education, healthcare, and tax credits for small businesses and low income families. (Anna Griffin|NYT, Washington State Budget & Policy Center)

6. Plug-in solar comes to state #2

Virginia just nearly unanimously passed a bill to legalize plug-in balcony solar panels. They’re set to become the second state after Utah to remove complicated barriers for approvals and wiring to instead just let people buy and set up their own panels on their patio or yard, offsetting household electricity costs. (Elizabeth Ouzts|Canary Media)

5. Train upgrades in California

After the Caltrain commuter rail in California upgraded 51 miles of track from diesel to electric, they’ve shaved off up to 23 minutes on rides that are quieter and smoother, while substantially reducing pollution. This has more than doubled weekend ridership, once again proving that the people want more trains! (Benton Graham|Grist)

4. First tribal nation to clean a superfund site

The Quapaw are now the first tribal Nation in the US to clean up a superfund site, taking over after the government failed to clear remnants of a lead and zinc mine. They achieved this by seeding, mulching, and composting the land until the soil was restored and healthy enough to grow food, and they even got the EPA to cover their expenses. (Todd Price|The Guardian)

3. Wildlife bridges keep working

Canopy bridges that connect treetops and allow animals to safely cross over roads are continuing to prove their effectiveness in re-connecting forests, saving lives, and helping threatened species cover more ground. According to research, it turns out this helps the animals avoid isolation which in turn keeps populations genetically healthier (Luis Partiani|Mongabay)

2. NYC says out with gas, in with induction

10,000 gas stoves in New York City public housing are getting upgraded to induction which heats up using magnets, if a test of an initial 100 succeeds. They’ll be swapping out the old stove that leak asthma-causing pollutants for new ones that plug into a standard wall outlet and have a built-in battery that can cook 150 cups of soup in a power blackout. (Laruen Dalban|Inside Climate News)

1. Our community took action

🎨 Jeanna is making amazing art out of cardboard, thrifted supplies, and materials that would otherwise be thrown away.

🌳 Frankie planted 30 oak trees that are now sprouting, which will be keystone species in their area and live for 500 years while helping countless lives.

What did you do this week that we should know about?

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.

It’s my 29th birthday today (March 13)! I’ll spare you the intro filled with “wisdom” I’ve gained in my 29 years circling the sun and just say that it’s the pleasure of my life to be able to spend the majority of my time finding stories of progress and sharing them with you, our amazing community.

So much more to come this year and beyond!

Before we dive into this week’s stories… Have you watched our latest Community Mission episode yet?? The majority of you haven’t, and I don’t want you to have FOMO:

For this episode, I wanted to know if I could find a grocery store that isn’t completely owned by monopolies but still has the food I actually need. And after a lot of searching, I found (and partially bought) the perfect spot.

Check it out and if you have any feedback, I’d love to hear it!

What’s going right in the world?

11. Permanent basic artist income

Ireland’s basic artist income program is officially becoming permanent following a pilot that saw a big return on investment (€1.39 for every €1 invested)! It’s set to be the first permanent project giving €325 per week for 2,000 eligible artists like musicians, painters, and writers, with applications opening up in May. (Angus Harron|BBC)

10. My new scuba diving heroes

A mother-daughter duo named Jan and Sophie were diving off their family boat when they swam across a rolling meadow of coral spanning 3,973 square meters, or about half a soccer field, believed to have started from a single polyp. This would likely make it the largest known coral ever documented on the Great Barrier Reef. So they joined thousands of community scientists in adding it to the Great Reef Census, giving much-needed data for scientists to better understand how corals are adapting to the changing conditions of our warming oceans. (Citizens of the Reef)

9. “Deforestation is no longer inevitable”

According to a new chart from Our World in Data, deforestation is no longer inevitable, as large areas of Asia, Europe, Central America, and North America are increasing their forest coverage. Since the largest reason for destroying forests is making room for cattle, eating less meat really can make a difference. (Max Roser|Our World in Data)

8. The return of the giant tortoise

180 years after the Galápagos Island’s Floreana giant tortoise was wiped out from sailors, pirates, and invasive species, 158 individuals have now returned home thanks to a captive breeding program of tortoises found on a nearby island confirmed via genetic testing to be descendants. (Rachel Nuwer|Scientific American)

7. No Alaskan drilling bids

No company placed any bids on an Alaskan oil and gas lease sale, where the US government tried to put over 1 million acres up for grabs in the first of six auctions in Alaska, with this failure showing no apparent interest, proving even more why the land should be protected. (Lisa Friedman|NYT)

6. Dogs sniffing out crime

A new method for detecting wildlife trafficking crime has been developed over four years where a tiny air sample is taken from shipping crate vents and trained dogs use their incredible sense of smell able to identify species with 98% accuracy, outperforming machine detectors with a method that could easily scale. (Georgia Moloney, Anne-Lise Chaber|The Conversation)

5. Ukraine is re-wilding

Even in the middle of a war, Ukraine has restored and rewilded 45,000 acres of land and waters around Lake Kartal! They’ve achieved this by removing dams, clearing up channels, and installing pipes that manage water runoff with the Danube river, reversing decades of decline as plants, fish, and birds are returning in record numbers. (Rewilding Europe)

4. Penguins win in court

The vulnerable Humboldt Penguins have done it… they’ve been victorious again in a Chilean court, leading to another rejection of a $2.5 billion iron and copper mine. Citing inadequate environmental permitting as it would threaten the lives of these penguins, the appeals court and I agree they’re worth way more than $2.5 billion. (Noticias Ambientales, Fabian Cambero and Alexander Villegas|Reuters)

3. How to end single-use packaging

The city of Tübingen, Germany started charging businesses 25 to 60 cents for single-use to-go packaging in 2022 to make it inconvenient enough for reusable packaging to take over, and it seems to be working, with a 400% increase in reusable containers, raising millions to further subsidize the better alternatives. (Michaela Haas|Reasons to be Cheerful)

2. The power of a good neighbor

After a food bank in North Carolina installed rooftop solar last year, their neighboring thrift shop was inspired enough to follow their lead, now installing enough to cover 40% of the building’s power to save about $1 million, showing the power of the neighborhood peer effect. (Elizabeth Ouzts|Canary Media)

1. Our community took action

🌱 shelishakram6250 made a free seed board outside their home to give away herbs, flowers, and vegetables, meeting over 100 of their neighbors in the process!

📚 Shona got a new little free library installed by their neighbors which is waterproof and already stocked with good books.

🤝 Ok, I promise this is the last promo, but I’m very proud of our latest Community Mission, so if you haven’t checked it out yet, this is your last reminder to :)

+ You should also know…

🔌 BYD can now charge an EV battery from 10% to 97% in just nine minutes?!

🦜 A livestream of the world’s largest parrot.

🎬 A new prize is funding “sci-fi films that inspire rather than terrify”, AKA solarpunk instead of cyberpunk. Can’t wait to watch!

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.

Grocery stores have many problems, but after combing the internet and social media for the main things that people complain about, I narrowed it down into three categories:

1. Monopolies own pretty much every product in your typical grocery store, caring more about profit than people or nutrition.

2. It’s hard to find what you’re actually looking for, particularly for an affordable price.

3. There is SO much waste. Food waste, packaging waste, energy waste… you get the idea.

So I set out to find an answer. There must be a place that exists where I can buy food without any of these three problems… right?

Well, I searched all over Brooklyn to answer that question.

Watch the latest episode to find out!

Community Mission #2 Impact Report

Your subscriber contributions made this video possible! If you’re not a supporter yet, join the fam to be a part of our next video coming in a few weeks (spoiler alert: it includes the cutest animals in the world).

Here’s the full breakdown of episode 2:

Read more

Happy March! This newsletter normally gets sent out on Fridays, but today it’s coming to you Monday instead as I needed a little extra time to get all these stories together for a great February recap (and I was traveling along California’s Big Sur, taking a few days off to soak up the sun and some truly incredible nature).

I’m as surprised as you are that it’s March already. I might be biased since this is my birth month, but I think March is great. Flowers start to bloom, the weather gets a bit warmer, and we get extra sunlight (at least over here in the US).

What do you hope to accomplish in the first and only March 2026?

A recap of some underrated progress from February 2026

10. Turning parking spots into parks

Vienna is working on at least 350 projects turning asphalt parking spots into public green spaces to swap in bike lanes, community gardens, and areas for people to walk and hang out, which is similar to New York’s outdoor dining now finally becoming permanent which benefits local restaurants and everyone dining there. (Dave Braneck|DW, Laura Ratliff|Timeout)

9. Rare Siamese croc bounces back

One of the world’s rarest crocodiles called the Siamese crocodile found in Laos has recovered from the brink of extinction thanks to community-based conservation where local groups trained to monitor nests, protect eggs, and help with release efforts of several hundred individual crocs and many more on the way. (WCS)

8. Time for some overdue AI assessments

The UN has voted to approve a 40-member global panel on the impacts and risks of AI, with scientists now diving deep into the technology to bridge the knowledge gap and assess real world impacts, with 117 nations voting in favor and only 2 voting against. (UN News)

7. The darkest skies on Earth are staying dark

One of the darkest places on Earth is located in Chile’s Atacama desert, but it was set to be disrupted by a power plant proposal. Thankfully, public backlash convinced a company to withdraw the plan, saving the skies for astronomy, local ecosystems, and the nearby community. (Dark Sky)

6. No more burning old clothes

The EU has made it illegal to burn or destroy unsold clothes and shoes in an effort to force companies to rethink business models, and ultimately push towards a circular economy without waste. (European Commission)

5. One of California’s biggest Indigenous Land Back deals

A 10,000 acre Indigenous Land Back deal took place in California, which is apparently one of their biggest, where the Washoe Tribe bought back land they’d been forcibly removed from near Lake Tahoe by teaming up with organizations and grants to help them raise the necessary funds for the purchase. (Dani Anguinao|The Guardian)

4. Old airport becoming a solarpunk city

A former airport in Toronto is transforming into a futuristic neighborhood called YZD. This place will be focused on walkability, green spaces, and reusing airport materials in a solarpunk design that looks pretty epic. (Soo Kim|Newsweek)

3. Medical travel covered for children

This one is simple, yet awesome. England announced they’ll cover the travel costs for any children getting medical care to help families focus on treatment instead of worrying about the expenses to get there. (UK Gov)

2. Pausing data centers

New York became at least the 6th state to propose a data center pause called a moratorium lasting for three years. This is to give them enough time to study the impacts, and ultimately prevent these centers from driving up electricity costs and polluting the areas they’re built in, for little in return. (Molly Taft|Wired)

1. Our community took action

💧 star.k1d_ convinced their parents to stop buying single-use plastic water bottles and switch to reusable jugs and metal bottles instead.

🐦 Lisa turned old fencing in backyard bird houses with their husband and kids, for their home and neighbors.

🫜 Jayjay submitted a proposal to create a local community garden.

🧵 drunken_archer has been using their sewing skills to patch up clothes for those in need at shelter.

And much more!

If you’re reading this, you’re in our community too! What have you done recently to make the planet better?

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.

Somehow, there’s only one week left in February! They say time flies when you’re having fun, but I feel like time flies no matter what these days.

Earlier this week, I had the immense pleasure of attending a workshop where I learned how to make algae yarn. It was epic! And pretty simple. We basically combined a few common(ish) ingredients into a squeeze bottle, squirted out long curvy threads of yarn, and let is solidify and then dry out. Not sure what I’ll make yet with my new threads, but I’m thinking maybe a bracelet?

And I’m now off on a quick ski trip and then some exciting work opportunities. Stay tuned for something I’ve never done before…

Hang tight for that. But today, before we dive into all the good news of the week, I wanted to start things off with the story of how a man walking through an alley led to an international rescue mission that saved an entire extinct snail species.

It started in the capital of Bermuda where a local resident named Bruce was moving flower pots in an overgrown alley when he spotted some tiny snails and sent a picture to his son Alex, who couldn’t believe it.

Coming over straight away, they realized this was the Greater Bermuda snail, last seen about 40 years ago and confirmed many times to be extinct after nonnative predators and habitat change wiped them out.

If the odds weren’t small enough yet, they were probably only one of five people in all of Bermuda who would’ve known what the snail was, since they’d been involved in past conservation work.

So an international program commenced with Bermuda, a Canadian researcher, and the UK’s Chester Zoo setting up a safe breeding program.

But hardly anything was known about the species, in part because snails are some of the least studied animals in the world, probably because people find them slimy and gross, yet they adapted existing techniques and learned the optimal conditions for breeding so well that they even helped create a guide for the species.

And eventually, it was just announced on Reverse the Red Day that six populations were reintroduced to their natural habitats, numbering over 100,000 as they returned home and started to restore their damaged ecosystem, in one of the biggest conservation success stories.

Which really proves that you’ll never know what you’ll find until you start looking!

Underrated good news I found this week:

The world’s longest underwater time lapse

Spanning 1,000 days from May 1st, 2023 - January 28, 2026 off the coast of Miami, the world’s longest underwater time lapse was set up by Colin and Jared from Coral Morphologic. I reached out to them to hear their full story, and it’s a beautiful one.

A family snorkeling vacation planted the seed for Colin’s love of coral, and when his best friend Jared was in a low point of his life, he sent over equipment to set up a home aquarium that Jared says regulated his emotional wellbeing and ultimately saved his life. So with both of them on board, they started cloning coral for research and collectors, then telling the stories of these fascinating animals that have been around for 500 million years. Through time lapses, livestreams, projections, and audio recordings, they’re working to connect humans to these important creatures and learn from them, while ensuring they’re protected. This impressive time lapse is just one of many initiatives they have to give us a sense of wonder and awe of marine life.

If you wanna learn more, check out the video I made about their story!

Action: Watch the livestream 🐟

Protecting one of the darkest places on Earth

A dark sky area in Chile’s Atacama Desert was about to be ruined by a power plant, until public concern and engagement backed by science got the company to withdraw their proposal, saving this dark sky area for astronomy, ecosystems, and nearby communities. (Dark Sky)

10,000 acres of tribal Land Back

One of California’s largest tribal Land Back deals just took place where the Washoe Tribe bought 10,000 acres of land they had been forcibly removed from near Lake Tahoe, working with organizations, grants, and private donors to raise enough money to purchase their land and conserve it. (Dani Anguinao|The Guardian)

Testing battery-powered cargo ships

China has started testing battery-powered electric cargo ships, in an attempt to clean up shipping with swappable batteries that get extra charge via on-board solar panels, which if all goes well could improve some shorter distance operations. (The Maritime Executive, MI News Network)

+ Bonus stories

🥘 Miranda from our community started rescuing surplus foods from rural food banks, cooking them into fresh nutritious meals, and delivering them to food insecure individuals.

💨 These people are building wind power from scratch!

🔥 The EU has banned the practice of burning excess clothing and shoes, hopefully a first step towards a more circular economy.

Have a good story we should know about? Drop it in a comment!

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.