no. 110: The cleanse you need

Hey friend,

It's Friday, and it's time to cleanse your digital consumption with some actual good news.

The news cycle had been dreadfully negative, confusing, annoying, and scary lately. I personally don't believe our brains are wired to consume so much information, and the internal whiplash it creates can't be healthy.

Yes, it's important to stay informed, but it's also important to take a step back and become grounded in your local reality.

Hopefully reading about the good that happened this week can help, but I'd recommend you also get outside and touch some grass this weekend.

I personally went to a park yesterday, lied under a tree, and stared at the sky for an hour. It was wonderful.

Enjoy the 110th edition of Climativity, and have a great weekend!

Monday, July 15

Scientists spotted a once-in-a-lifetime blue mutation of the typically green tree frog in Australia likely due to rare genetics that block yellow skin pigmentation which makes that iconic green frog color. (Bronwyn Thompson|New Atlas)

A new Harvard study of 49,000 women suggests that practicing gratitude literally helps you live longer, finding a 9% lower risk of death (Kate Cheng|Women’s Health)

India has decided to sign and ratify the UN High Seas Treaty making it the 92nd country to sign and agree to protect the two thirds of the ocean that lies outside of a country’s borders (Vishwa Mohan|Times of India)

Expanding rooftop solar, community solar, and home batteries could reduce grid power costs by 40% according to a new research paper that once again proves clean energy is the cheapest option (Dan Gearino|ICN)

Bonus: Singapore’s now approved 16 different bugs for human consumption in an effort to promote the more sustainable protein source (Helen Sullivan|The Guardian)

Tuesday, July 16

The world’s first hydrogen-powered ferry is now silently sailing in San Francisco as the only vessel where you can drink the exhaust as it emits just heat and water vapor which is used for on board drinking and bathrooms (Kamrin Baker|GoodGoodGood)

France’s media regulator issued its first environmentally-related fine to CNews for broadcasting climate denial claims without a rebuttal, violating the nation’s balanced reporting rules and running up a 20,000 euro payment along with increased media accountability (Saskia O'Donoghue|EuroNews)

A new battery made of carbon fiber can reduce the weight of vehicles like cars and airplanes by up to an impressive 50% according to the university developers (Aman Tripathi|Interesting Engineering)

After 25 years, the restoration of Michigan’s Maple River is complete, making it the first US river to return to a natural, free-flowing state after human interference of roads, dams, and clogging which has now been reversed (Trevor Roubadeaux|Up North Live)

Bonus: An app called Merlin that I just learned about can listen to birds chirping around you and identify who’s singing, so shoutout to my fellow bird lovers.

Wednesday, July 17

Jaguars, macaws, and tropical forests deserve the legal right to “life, health, and integrity” per a new Colombian lawsuit arguing local mining is threatening their existence which builds off of at least 7 similar court wins in the past (Katie Surma|ICN)

Fast fashion is finally being combated in the US thanks to the launch of the Slow Fashion Caucus, a bipartisan effort to spread awareness and create laws to hold producers accountable for cheap disposable clothing (Rachel Tashjian|Washpo)

Enough new solar has been approved in Wisconsin to power over 1 in 3 homes despite hostility towards pro-climate policy thanks to politicians strategically emphasizing economic and job benefits rather than environmental ones (Kristoffer Tigue|ICN)

The world’s first Key Biodiversity Area is now officially a National Park in Congo that remains undisturbed, has never been logged, contains no roads, has wildlife that have likely never seen humans, stores carbon, and is a quintessential conservation area (WCS)

Bonus: I’m about to launch a weekly deep dive on the stories you care about most, so let me know which you wanna learn more about!

Thursday, July 18

MrBeast’s TeamSeas campaign has now removed over 34 million pounds of plastic from the ocean in two years, beating the original goal of 30 million and making millions care about cleaning up our waters (TeamSeas)

A high-speed rail proposal with New York City to Boston travel in just 100 minutes is gaining traction as labor unions support the jobs and economy boost with formal plans expected in September (Stephen Nessen|Gothamist)

A living seed bank called Camino Verde has cultivated seeds from the forest floor of 400 native tree and plant species to safeguard and educate locals to help restore the Amazon (Peter Yeung|RTBC)

Forests located in indigenous communities have up to 83% lower deforestation rates per a new study and improving their economic well being would not only be socially just but could also improve these rates even further (Gemma Ware|The Conversation)

Bonus: volunteers counted a record of 546 sea turtle nests in Florida thanks to patrollers protecting these hatchlings 25 years ago which have now come back to nest themselves (Leslie Lake|AMI Sun)

But wait, there's more...

🥃 Heat pumps are turning heat into... whiskey?

🇬🇧 Rivers, lands, and seas are being re-wilded in the UK

🥵 Extreme heat vs. three innovative thinkers

🏞️ National Parks snagged a nice $700m to fight climate destruction

One last thing!

I'm launching a deep dive show on YouTube which further explains the stories you care about the most. Subscribe so you don't miss it, and see you soon!

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