This week's good news: nuclear energy is back & more
Hey there, beautiful people.
Congratulations. We made it to Friday. And no matter what they say, that is a big deal.
I returned to Brooklyn from Chicago a few days ago and came back to very bad air quality, haze, and an orange glow. I can't lie, it was really weird. But the skies are starting to clear up, and it serves as a reminder of how important climate action is NOW, to make sure bad air like this doesn't become a normal part of society.
By continuing to focus on and support the good, and using that to fuel us to make our voices heard and pressure those in charge to change the systems we live in for the better, we can secure a future we're all proud to live in.
And that starts now...
Enjoy some good news!
The Good From Friday, June 2, 2023
☠️ California is expanding protections from rat poisons that harm mountain lions, spotted owls, pets, and people thanks to a 57-12 vote.
🌞 Researchers have developed a way to make flexible and rollable solar panel cells that are just as efficient as conventional rigid solar panels and could help electrify more of the world.
🔋 Starting next month, Colorado will upgrade its EV tax credits from the $2,000 current maximum up to $5,000 dollars.
🐟 South Korea and the 15 nations that make up the Pacific Islands met and agreed to collaborate on the conservation, preservation, and development of their marine ecosystems.
🧑⚖️ After a tough session that just concluded, lawmakers in Texas were prevented from passing bills that would have crushed the state’s clean energy industry.
The Good From Monday, June 5, 2023
🐘 Seven orphaned elephants between 3 and 13 years old have been rescued by the Wild is Life elephant nursery, raised, and will soon be released back into the wild in Zimbabwe.
🚫 After decades of tribal requests, the US government has finally banned all new oil and gas leasing within a 10-mile radius of Chaco Canyon in New Mexico which is one of the nation’s oldest and most culturally significant indigenous American sites.
🧒 Over two-thirds of 15-to-30-year-olds definitely wouldn’t or probably wouldn’t consider working in mining or oil and gas, further proving that young people want to work to save the planet not harm it.
🍺 New technology developed by NASA captures CO2 from beer fermentation tanks, purifies it, and stores it to use as the carbonation in the beer, cutting down on emissions and allegedly improving the taste.
💰 For the first time since 2011, Texas lawmakers raised the maximum penalty of their pollution fine from 25,000 to $40,000 dollars a day.
The Good From Tuesday, June 6, 2023
🌳 Brazil’s President Lula is following through on his campaign promise and just laid out a plan to end illegal Amazon rainforest deforestation in the country.
🐵 An adorable and healthy critically endangered Sulawesi crested macaque was born a few weeks ago, slowly raising the numbers of these Indonesian primates.
👦 A 4-year-old Kenyan boy was lost in the wild for 6 days on his own but was just found, rescued, and is safe and sound.
☢️ The first new US nuclear reactor in more than 40 years is now operating in Georgia, finally generating clean energy 11 years after it was approved, with estimates saying Georgia’s electricity emissions will now drop by 5 to 10 percent.
🚫 New Mexico is now also prohibiting new oil and gas leases within one mile of schools, daycare centers, and sporting fields used by students.
The Good From Wednesday, June 7, 2023
🚫 A greenwashed ad campaign by Shell has been banned in the UK for misleading consumers by focusing on renewable energy despite the company being almost entirely based in fossil fuels, bringing some long-overdue accountability to Big Oil.
🐢 A new satellite tracking program is helping to protect the nesting beaches for critically endangered leatherback sea turtles that are completely protected by law on the Soloman Islands close to Australia.
🤖 AI is now drastically accelerating access to important climate information emphasized by the organization Climate Cardinals, who have now translated the same number of words from reports and content in just 3 months that they did in the first two full years.
🇯🇵 Japan just installed emergency vending machines that will unlock if needed to dispense completely free drinks and emergency food items.
🚽 San Fransisco buildings and homes have been recycling wastewater, known as gray water, to use for toilets and landscaping to drastically save water, and estimate that a fully circular system is 5 to 10 years away.
The Good From Thursday, June 8, 2023
🪸 Australia is phasing out commercial gill net fishing which harms marine life, in a huge wing for protecting the Great Barrier Reef.
🪧 An inspiring youth-led group called Climate Defiance is bravely blockading events, most recently chanting Joe Manchin off the stage in his keynote address, in a series of effective nonviolent disruptions against climate criminals.
🛒 Grocery store chain Sprouts is placing a bigger emphasis on plant-based items and decreasing their emissions in a new sustainability push.
💷 A universal basic income is being trialed for the first time in two places in England, dishing out 1600 pounds a month to help cover people’s basic needs.
🎶 BBC Earth released 50 hours of calming nature sounds for free from the jungle, islands, mountains, deserts, and grasslands around the world paired with really beautiful footage.
Tell Me The Good: An In-Depth Look At An Awesome Story
I started a new series that takes a bit of a deeper dive into specific stories that deserve longer than a few sentences. The first episode is about the EPA updating rules for power plants that will regulate their pollution and be a massive win for the climate. Listen to me talk about it!
Which story was your favorite this week? Let us know in a comment below!
Until next time,
Jacob
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