• Four years after the start of the #MeToo movement, about half of all Americans are more likely to speak up about sexual harrassment. AP.
• Pig heart valves are routinely transplanted into humans. Now, surgeons have successfully attached a pig kidney to a human. In the future, genetically-engineered pigs could be used to save the lives of those who need organ donations. The New York Times.
• Benton Harbor, Michigan is finally getting lead-free water lines. The Guardian.
• Vaccines may have prevented a quarter-million Covid-19 cases and 39,000 deaths among seniors. CNN.
• A group of “holistic engineers” want to regreen the arid Sinai peninsula in the same way the Loess Plateau was regreened. Reasons to be Cheerful.
• Kristine Tompkins has conserved more land than any other single individual. Reasons to be Cheerful.
• Alabama’s free pre-K stands out as a model for long-term, bipartisan success. The Hechinger Report.

For more good news, check out The Progress Network, Future Crunch, and Reasons to be Cheerful.

• The first malaria vaccine has been approved and it’s expected to save tens of thousands of young children’s lives each year. Washington Post.
• Natural bacteria could wipe out dengue-carrying mosquitoes, Australian research suggests. The Guardian.
• 43 fish stocks have been rebuilt since the year 2000. Now, 84 percent of stocks are no longer overfished. Reasons to be Cheerful.
• Wild Amur tigers rebound in China. Mongabay.
• Scientists have created a hydrogel tablet that can purify a liter of river water in an hour. UT News.
• A professor has developed smart microscope slides that help to detect cancer. Medical Xpress.
• The nonprofit Sungai Watch, based in Bali, Indonesia, has created a new system for collecting plastic waste out of rivers which also employs people who lost their tourism jobs due to Covid. Hakai.
• Haiti, which experienced the largest cholera epidemic ever recorded in a single country, hasn’t had a single case of cholera since January 2019. World Bank.
• 84% of countries experienced better air quality in 2020 compared to 2019, due to COVID lockdowns. CNN.
• More than 110,000 landmines were destroyed globally last year, a new annual record. ReliefWeb.
• Three years ago, Pakistan launched the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami, a plan to reforest vast swathes of one of the most deforested countries in the world. They’re on track to plant 1.5 billion trees by the end of 2021. Dunya.
• The population of the critically endangered Grauer’s gorilla has doubled, with current numbers of 6,800 up from 3,800 in 2016. Mongabay.
• The 2020 US Census shows a 13% drop in the total number of incarcerated people, or nearly 300,000 fewer people, compared with the 2010 Census. The Marshall Project.

For more good news, check out The Progress Network and Future Crunch.

• The New Ireland province in Papau New Guinea has severely reduced transmission of lymphatic filariasis which causes elephantiasis. WHO.
• In just ten days, Zimbabwe has managed to vaccinate four million kids and teenagers against typhoid and cholera. WHO.
• Global cases of cholera plummeted by almost two thirds last year, thanks to a 68% decrease in cases in Yemen, and a 23% decrease from all other countries. WHO.
• A court in Jakarta has ruled that the Indonesian government is required to tighten national air quality standards to protect human health and the environment. The Independent.
• More than 99.5% of people in Bangladesh now have access to electricity, up from 47% before 2009. New Age.
• 85,000 adults with disabilities were able to vote for the first time in the recent German election. DW.
• 362,000 marijuana cases in New Jersey have been dismissed and 1,200 people released from probation as new drug laws take effect. NJ.
• The Philippine Senate has approved a bill to raise the minimum age of sexual consent from 12 to 16 years old. Benar News.
• Elderly black women now have equal access to matrimonial property in South Africa. Berea Mail.
• Ford is spending $11.4 billion to build two new factories in Tennessee and Kentucky for batteries and electric pickup trucks. Together, they’ll create over 11,000 jobs. The Atlantic.

For more good news, check out The Progress Network and Future Crunch.

• Malaria cases are way down. The Progress Network.
• 94% of Americans now support interracial marriage. Gallup.
• L.A. County D.A. to dismiss 60,000 unjust marijuana convictions. The Los Angeles Times.
• We have hit “peak car”. People are driving less and the trend is expected to continue. Big Think.
• Little fluffy clouds may help save Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Reuters.

For more good news, check out The Progress Network and Future Crunch.

Good news everybody!

• Renewable energy is now much cheaper than fossil fuels. The Crucial Years.
• Most CO2 from Australia’s megafires has been offset by algal blooms. New Scientist.
• Guinea declares end of Marburg virus outbreak. Reuters.
• Scientists created the world’s whitest paint. It could eliminate the need for air conditioning. USA Today.

For more good news, check out The Progress Network and Future Crunch.