GOOD NEWS: we can ban private jets
Hey! Howdy! How's it going?
If you're reading this when it's sent (Friday morning at 7:01 am EDT) then I'm heading to Michigan for my childhood friend/neighbor's wedding. And it's my first time being a groomsman!
Hopefully, my moves on the dance floor hold up, but either way, it'll be a great time.
I hope your weekend plans are just as fun, and these good news stories help you end this week on a high note.
The Good From Friday, May 19, 2023 (watch)
🐐 Chile is deploying goats to graze on forest shrubs to prevent wildfires that are particularly useful for smaller localized areas.
🇧🇷 Brazil just rejected a controversial oil drilling project near the mouth of the Amazon River for environmental concerns!
♻️ The US is considering getting rid of the confusing chasing arrows recycling symbol and instead clarifying rules around what can and can’t be recycled more clearly, and wow is this long overdue…
🧱 A concrete plant in Alabama has just started using a new technology that can reduce CO2 emissions from concrete-making by 70 to 100 percent.
🐶 100 dogs were rescued from an illegal breeding operation and these neglected animals will now get proper veterinary attention, care, and loving homes!
The Good From Monday, May 22, 2023 (watch)
🐸 A competition was held to discover the most beautiful sound in the world and the winner was an incredible orchestra of frogs croaking in a swamp & all sorts of different life singing in harmony reminding us how amazing Earth’s biodiversity is.
☀️ Renewable energy accounted for over 80% of all power capacity added last year!
✈️ More than 210,000 people (including me!) have come together to sign a Greenpeace petition to ban private jets because despite the world knowing we need to emit less, private jet usage by the super-rich is still on the rise.
🎣 A Mississippi nonprofit is paying fishermen to protect marine life by removing neglected traps which are one of the most littered items in the ocean, and in just three years they’ve singlehandedly collected over 3,000.
📉 A newly released report found that greenhouse emissions in Georgia declined 5% from 2017 to 2021 thanks to the state’s largest electric utility moving away from coal and into cleaner energy sources. Props to you, Georgia!
The Good From Tuesday, May 23, 2023 (watch)
☀️ A 45-acre site in Hangzhou, China that used to be an oil refinery is being converted into a stunning renewable-energy-powered park that will be energy-negative, meaning it generates more power from the sun than it will use!
📉 A study found that when big oil gets taken to court to hold them accountable for their pollution and deception, their stock prices fall.
🐤 The iconic Gateway Arch in St. Louis is turning off its lights at night throughout the month of May to help facilitate safe passage for more than 325 bird species passing by each year on their spring migration.
🛑 Wales is now one step away from being the first UK country to enact a complete ban on cruel animal snares, which is expected to be ratified this week after five years of animal welfare campaigning.
🔋 Zeekr is now delivering an electric vehicle with the longest battery range to date–an impressive 641 miles on a single charge–enough to drive all the way from new york city to Canada and back!
The Good From Wednesday, May 24, 2023 (watch)
🌏 The world created more carbon capture and removal last year than ever before, meaning more carbon was trapped before it could enter the atmosphere, and more already emitted carbon was taken out of the environment and stored away permanently!
🍄 A Dutch company is growing coffins out of mushrooms and urns with a sapling sticking out so that your ashes can help give life to a new tree.
☀️ Hospitals in India installed rooftop solar panels a year ago which created reliable and constant electricity, lighting, cooling, and refrigeration for medicines that have saved lives and helped with about 600 births last year.
🧑⚖️ Over two dozen US cities, states, and counties are suing oil companies over damages caused by climate change and misleading the public, with a recent supreme court ruling accelerating these lawsuits!
⛏️ A copper mine in Arizona on an indigenous Apache sacred site has been paused in order to further consult with the San Carlos Apache and other tribes that have voiced their opposition to this mine that encroaches on their holy land and would have big environmental consequences.
The Good From Thursday, May 25, 2023 (watch)
🦛 The UK is tightening a law that will now ban ivory imports from hippos, orcas, walruses, and any other animals with ivory to protect the endangered species from poaching.
✈️ France’s ban on domestic flights has just gone into effect which will end any short flights where an adequate train alternative exists which will substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
🐖 The US supreme court upheld California’s law that requires better welfare standards for farm animals raised in other states if those animals or their products will be sold in California!
🇳🇿 New Zealand just announced its largest emissions reduction project ever, where they’ll switch from coal to renewable power in their major steel plant and reduce the same amount as taking 300,000 cars off the road.
🌊 A proposal for a marine sanctuary encompassing 7,670 miles of ocean was brought forth by the indigenous Chumash people and if passed will be the first tribally proposed and led sanctuary in US mainland which would protect the ocean and marine life.
I genuinely appreciate you joining us in making the world a better place <3
Thanks for being here,
Jacob