Underrated stories of progress this week (May 29)
Hey fam,
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.