Anti-doomscrolling stories to brighten your morning

1 Nov

THREE NEAT THINGS

My fortnightly newsletter - a dose of goodness, productivity hacks, and small business tips. Sign up here!

ISSUE 047 | 24 October 2023

Hi friends!

Since my last newsletter two weeks ago, I feel like the world has gone backwards. A resounding and devastating NO from Australians on the referendum, and a terrible renewed war in the Middle East. None of our previous generations have ever had this much immediate access to information, which in turn can lead to overwhelm, despair and a whole lotta doomscrolling.

So whilst I'm not saying to turn away from everything that is happening in the news completely, this newsletter is going to take a brief time out to focus on three GOOD things - bite sized snippets of hope and progress.

Marnie x

In a world often perceived as troubled, this website on human progress reminds us that there is many reasons for optimism. These easy to view graphs and summary on the data supports this view: global trends indicate improving conditions, from declining poverty rates to expanding forests and longer life expectancies.

This website offers a refreshing perspective on our world's progress, reminding us that there's more reason for hope than we might think.

ACCESS HERE

From 2010 to 2020, the costs of solar energy had an annual reduction of approximately 15%, while the installed capacity saw an annual increase of about 25%. These cost reductions and capacity growth were mutually reinforcing (as they will continue to be). A recent report indicates that if solar energy continues on this trajectory, it is poised to soon become the predominant energy technology globally.

Furthermore, solar waste is not a significant concern. Even in the worst-case scenario, the accumulated waste from 35 years of solar panels would pale in comparison to the waste produced by fossil fuels and other sources it aims to replace. For instance, the volume of coal ash would exceed solar waste by up to 300 times, plastic waste by 75 times, and even just oily sludge waste would be five times more substantial.

READ MORE ON SOLAR HERE

SOLAR PANEL WASTE MYTHS DISPELLED HERE

Over many years, a dedicated breeding project aimed at reintroducing giant tortoises to Española in the Galapagos Islands has successfully revitalised the once-barren ecosystem into a thriving savanna. In 2020, around 2,000 tortoises that were raised in captivity were released, resulting in a remarkable population increase to 3,000 individuals.

Giant tortoises have proven to be ecological transformers much like beavers, with even just one or two tortoises per hectare capable of triggering significant changes in the landscape.

Photo by Brian Wangenheim on Unsplash