Hey fam,
Today’s first story is a special one, since I played a part in it but I didn’t even know!
A reader of this newsletter named Devbrat Hariyani (hi, Devbrat!) reached out and told me he had been studying sustainability and trying to figure out what kind of better future was worth working toward, when he came across my social media videos and The Hopemakers. He explained that these stories about people making the world better helped clarify what was possible.
A few years later, his ideas blossomed into a public art project called ChargeZone Shwa, which hires local Indian artists to paint their interpretation of what a solarpunk India could look like, and then adds these murals to electric vehicle charging stations.
Why EV stations? Well, since people have to wait for 20 minutes while they fill up, they can really look at the murals while they don’t have much else to do, and get inspired by a grounded but ambitious vision of the future.
Devbrat told me, “I want people to look at this mural and feel like their own town, their own region, their own city, can feel calmer, can feel cleaner, can feel more sustainable… with their systems being in tune with nature.”
The project name Shwa means ‘tomorrow’ in Sanskrit, and is taking shape in India’s largest EV charging network, where they’ll add more than fifty unique solarpunk visions from a Global South lens, which is represented much less often. Plus, each piece is paired with a QR code for viewers to scan and learn more about the artists and stories behind them.
I’m so proud to have played a small part in these murals, but I wouldn’t have been able to keep reporting these stories without all of your support as well. So, thank you! And wouldn’t it be amazing if this concept spread across the world?
What else is going right in the world:
Nature’s newest update (newly discovered species)
A new poison dart frog comes in two flavors, red and yellow. They live 40 miles apart from each other across mountains in Ecuador but are polymorphic variants of the same species, and they’re likely critically endangered from mining, development, and illegal wildlife trade. Please don’t trade poisonous frogs, stick to normal things like Pokémon cards.
Loki the Sea Cucumber was one of 57 new species found on an expedition called the Ocean Census, with this one spotted in an underwater canyon near Argentina that’s twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. They claim its horned appendages look like Loki from Norse mythology… which might be a bit of a stretch.
A new catfish from Bhutan was published accidentally according to the paper’s author but I included it so I could tell you my favorite catfish fact: that they have taste buds on the outside of their skin, meaning if you picked up a catfish and licked it, you’d be tasting each other at the same time. Don’t test that one out because it’s kinda rude to lick someone without permission.
And finally, an amazing hooktail dragonfly with wings that remind me of stained glass waiting to be painted is endemic to Madagascar, meaning like most of the island’s species, it’s found nowhere else on Earth.
Healing coral
A new study found that when scientists touched a piece of bleached coral together with a cloned healthy coral, its tissues fuse, and the bleached piece recovers in a matter of weeks. It’s a fascinating study with some amazing close-up photography. While this is promising, it clarifies that it’s only when the coral has the same genetics, essentially meaning that it works with clones of the same coral (which happens a lot with coral due to asexual reproduction), but doesn’t work the same way with completely differentiated pieces. Still, let’s keep this research coming!
Free trains
Europe is giving free train passes to 41,000 teens for a year. Applications are open now under the European Commission’s DiscoverEU scheme, which is hooking up people born between people born between January 1st, 2008 and December 31st, 2008 with 30 days of completely free travel over their train lines. More free public transportation, please!
3D printed beak
A 3D-printed prosthetic beak was attached to a southern hornbill who broke his, marking the first time both the upper and lower halves have been replaced in this way on the same bird. Now, he can pick up food and preen his feathers once again. I’m rooting for this little guy!
No deep sea mining
Greenland unanimously voted to ban deep sea mining. They call it mineral extraction, but it’s the same destructive practice which has the potential to decimate marine ecosystems and is completely unnecessary, as fixing our systems to have better e-waste reduction and using these materials we already have in our devices will cover any gap that this would fill.
More plug-in balcony solar
Following the approval of legislation to legalize plug-in balcony solar from 11 states across the US, now the first federal bill was proposed to help legalize it across the whole country. It’s not exactly a legalization bill, but instead encourages utility commissions to enable all Americans to benefit from this tech. Let’s hope it’s the first step forward out of many more to come.
Wildlife crossings keep working
Colorado’s newest and biggest wildlife crossing reduced animal and car collisions by 91%. With dozens more on the way across the country, these proof points continue to be a promising solution, and should only keep increasing.
Keeping forests intact
Indonesia officially cancelled its largest deforestation project, since they already grow enough rice to be self-sufficient. The plan was initially to replace forests with rice fields, but after reaching their target years ahead of schedule, they have now called this off in a big win for keeping the natural environment intact. Moving forward, they plan to use degraded land instead of deforesting.
Deforestation is down
Brazil recorded their lowest rate of Amazon deforestation since records began nearly 40 years ago in 1988. The current President Lula has pledged to reach no deforestation which he continues to move towards every year, and this is especially important right now as the next presidential election is going to a runoff between Lula and a far-right candidate who will almost certainly reverse this progress. Let’s go, Lula!
A smiling galaxy
NASA captured this distant photo of a smiling galaxy caused by gravitational lensing. Nothing too significant about this, but any excuse to post a smiley face is one I happily welcome.
Our community took action
🧑🌾 NicholeDille from our community spent the past 6 years replacing invasive plants on their property with native ones.
What’s your highlight from this week?
Remember that we build a better future together. Thanks for joining me in replacing dread & fear with hope & action. Let’s keep it going!
Forward this breath of fresh air to someone you love, and see you next week for more.
Talk soon,
Jacob
This newsletter was written by Jacob Simon. Over 1.5 million people are in our community across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. You can say hi on LinkedIn, or by hitting reply. Brand illustration by Andrea Miralles. Thanks for helping spread some positivity, and see you next week for more.
I showed these to my team yesterday and they were amped! Please keep rippling out these impacts and sharing the good good!