This week's good news: a solar punk video game, NASA's new satellite & five high-speed trains

Hey, you. Happy September!

It's around this time of the year that people start to realize how fast time flies. With only four months left in 2023, it still feels like the year just started. But reflecting back, despite the highs and lows, it's been a truly forward-progressing year in so many ways.

And excitingly, New York Climate Week is just around the corner!

I put together this quick guide on all the events I'm planning on going to. If you're in New York between September 17-22, I hope to see you at some of these (particularly the ones I'll be participating in). There's even going to be a Climativity-focused art gallery!

Let me know if you can make it, and enjoy this week's good news <3.

The good from Friday, August 25

After years of invasive and destructive spotted lantern flies taking over the Eastern US and governments pushing an “if you see it, stomp it” campaign, there’s some evidence that populations have declined since their peak, a big relief to those of us living with them (but keep doing your part when you see them because the fight isn’t over yet).

Apple is finally reversing its stance and supporting the “right to repair” via a long overdue bill that would make it easier for the public to access parts, tools, and documents needed to fix devices.

👑 NASA sent an air pollution satellite to space that has just released its first images and will be used to more accurately find the biggest sources of pollution and hopefully put an end to them.

Cork is gaining popularity as a more ethical and sustainable leather alternative for handbags, wallets, upholstery, and shoes.

The good from Monday, August 28

185 countries officially agreed to launch a new fund called the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund that will increase investments in indigenous and local community action, support for vulnerable people, and halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.

👑 Throughout the summer, activists spray-painted luxury yachts, blocked private jets, and plugged golf course holes in a series of public shaming protests against the ultra-wealthy lifestyle mixed with more fossil fuel protesting than ever before with continuous pressure to hold these mass polluters accountable.

Bangladesh is setting up battery plants to phase out fossil fuels, pollution, and combustion engine cars in favor of electric vehicles.

Eco-focused movies and TV are on the rise–particularly eco-thrillers like How to Blow Up a Pipeline–which create relatable characters, educate mass audiences, bring more attention to climate issues, and show us situations that inspire us to act.

The good from Tuesday, August 29

For the first time in about 250 years, since they were hunted to local extinction, a beautiful osprey has just successfully bred in the Irish wilderness.

👑 The Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is the most widely ratified treaty ever with every eligible country signing on except for 1 (The U.S.), just declared through a UN committee that all countries have a legal obligation to protect children from environmental degradation.

A UK nonprofit has enlisted the help of citizens to create an ‘Ancient Tree Inventory’ with over 190,000 trees, helping them get special care, recognition, and protection.

If you’re driving around Texas, Arizona, or California, you may have seen billboards that connect the dots between the extreme weather we’ve been having and the driving forces behind it: Big Oil. These are helping to drive accountability for their pollution crimes.

The good from Wednesday, August 30

👑 A solar punk video game called Loftia raised over $1 million before even launching their MMO game where you can build, explore, and learn about a better future filled with aquaponics, recycled materials, and clean energy. Plus, it looks like a blast!

US National Park visits and spending reached record highs last year, supporting 378,400 jobs and local communities while people fall in love with our planet’s natural beauty.

After 10 hard years, a Tasmanian devil breeding program has produced its 500th joey on mainland Australia, offering hope for the endangered species.

Data shows that in the first half of 2023, the EU burned fewer fossil fuels for electricity than any other year on record, 17% less than last year as demand falls while clean power grows.

The good from Thursday, August 31

Scientists have solved the mystery of 20,000 Pearl Octopuses gathering on an underwater mountain off the coast of California, declaring the clever animals are using warm hydrothermal springs to hatch their eggs up to 5 times faster, drastically increasing their chances of survival.

London’s Ultra-Low Emissions Zone has now expanded to the entire city, which despite backlash has reduced main air pollutants by an impressive 50% in the city center and a third fewer children admitted to hospitals with air-pollution-related illnesses.

For the first time, Texas is allowing people in Houston and Dallas to sell excess energy they’ve created at home back into the power grid to lower costs and prevent blackouts.

Although the US has a long way to go in improving public transportation, there are five major high-speed train projects in development that should be operational within about a decade.

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See you again soon,

Jacob

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