Happy
The threat feed needs a counterweight. This page tracks long-arc improvements: conservation, public health, energy transition, education, peace.
Conservation wins
Mountain gorilla population now exceeds 1,063 — IUCN downgraded the species from Critically Endangered to Endangered in 2018, and the trajectory continues.
Energy transition
Solar capacity is doubling roughly every 3 years. Wholesale solar electricity is now the cheapest source in much of the world.
Disease elimination
Wild polio cases dropped from 350,000 / year in 1988 to fewer than 30 / year in 2024. Type-2 and type-3 wild polio are now eradicated.
Child mortality
Under-5 mortality has more than halved since 2000. ~17,000 fewer child deaths every day.
Reading progress
Global literacy crossed 87% in 2024 — the highest in human history.
Clean cooking
Households without clean cooking fuel fell by 380 million in the last decade, cutting indoor air pollution sharply.
Recent positive news
In the Land of Infrastructure Projects, Activists and Nature Lovers Saved Endangered Spoonbill Habitat
Following 25 days of vigorous local campaigning, residents in the supposedly-totalitarian country of China succeeded in halting highway construction that would have plowed through mudflats which 49 species of bird rely on for dinner and rest. Among these is the spoon-billed sandp
Tennessee Joins States Requiring Data Center Owners to Pay Full Electricity, Infrastructure Costs
A new law passed in Tennessee will protect residents from incurring rising electricity costs from nearby data centers’ demands on the grid. Republican-led bill HB 1847 prohibits utilities companies and municipalities from paying for a data center’s electrical needs, or any of the
3 Mule Deer Just Inaugurated California’s Newest Wildlife Crossing Bridge
A California wildlife overpass is already proving popular with the local deer—and it’s not even finished yet. In what is certainly a ringing endorsement of the $20 million bridge, 3 mule deer were caught on camera traps using the bridge to safely cross I-97 in Siskiyou County. Th
Good News in History, June 5
1,363 years ago today, the Daming Palace Complex in the Tang Dynasty capital of Chang’an, modern day Xi’an, was completed. This colossal power center covered more than 4,800 Chinese acres, making it 3.5 times more expansive than the Forbidden City in Beijing, 3 times more than Ve
What went right this week: the good news that matters
Europe’s rivers flowed more freely, scientists hailed a new pill for pancreatic cancer, and a ‘lost species' was found, plus more The post What went right this week: the good news that matters appeared first on Positive News.
Shipwrecks from the Age of the Real ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Found–and Filmed–for the First Time
In the real Caribbean, there were once real pirates, and now a team of archaeologists and filmmakers has discovered the first shipwrecks that can help tell the story of the Golden Age of Piracy. Between the 1690s and 1720s, a cast of pirates including illustrious names as Blackbe
Papua New Guinea Sets Up Protected Ocean the Size of UK–Over 77,000 Square Miles
In the legendary Coral Triangle, where the Pacific and Indian Oceans meet, 200,000 square kilometers of tropical seas will be off limits to fishing thanks to bold conservation action by Papua New Guinea. The newly-designated Western Manus Marine Protected Area (MPA) will form par
Radical change can lead to a fairer and greener world, says new report
Rising living standards, shorter working hours and a liveable climate are achievable, say the authors of a new study The post Radical change can lead to a fairer and greener world, says new report appeared first on Positive News.
NASA Reveals Details of its ‘Moon Base’ Program to Prepare Humanity for Next Chapter of Exploration
NASA recently announced details of its first three missions of the Moon Base program, a series of landings on the Lunar south pole. Moon Base is the first stage of establishing a semi-permanent human presence on our satellite, and the data gathered during missions I, II, and III
Heartwarming ‘Sock-er’ News: Arsenal Donates Old Football Socks to Sick Horses and Donkeys
Socks are the pinnacle of lousy gifts—used socks so much the worse—but for these horses and donkeys they’re every child’s dream. That’s because these fancy red socks were donated by the players of the recently-crowned-title-winners, Arsenal FC. The footless socks have been used a
The best advice that you received as a child
‘Always take time to stop and smell the flowers’ – plus other advice that readers received as kids The post The best advice that you received as a child appeared first on Positive News.
The schools giving children a say in how they are run
As trust in democracy declines, a project putting pupils’ voices at the heart of school life is proving its worth The post The schools giving children a say in how they are run appeared first on Positive News.