Good News for Humankind

The world’s latest milestones for climate, justice, freedom, peace, health, and more

October 21 – 27 2024 C.E.

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Hi beautiful people,

I got an unexpected curveball this week with my computer dying on me. I spent many hours figuring it out with online tech support, computer repair people, insurance agents, etc. I also had to take all my coaching calls via phone, which is less than ideal. What a hassle!

The good news is that I now have a new computer up and running and fully paid for via insurance. The bad news is that this all means I did not have the time or ability to complete this newsletter in its full form. So please excuse the abbreviated version!

For those of you in the U.S. who are uncertain about your voting status or just want to find ways to help get out the vote, check out ​https://www.vote.org/​.

We are in the final stretch! Let’s all do whatever we can to make sure our loved ones are able and inspired to vote and have their voices heard. It seems like we say this every four years now, but this truly may be the most consequential election in our lifetimes.

Love, Peter

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Calendar

• ​Bellingham Men’s Circle​ on Monday, November 4 from 6-8pm PT (in-person)
• ​GET S*** DONE: Anti-Procrastination Group​ on Monday, October 28 at 12:30-2pm PT (online)

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​China adds unprecedented 160 GW of solar power in first 3 quarters of 2024​

China has added a total of 160 GW of solar power so far this year. Putting that total into some context, China hit a total, country-wide solar power capacity of 770 GW in August. After years of installing more solar power than any other nation, the first 9 months of this year accounted for roughly 20% of China’s total solar installations and roughly 10% of humanity’s total solar installations, a truly astounding and record-breaking amount. China yet again has proven itself as the undisputed global leader in renewable energy.

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​Biden administration adds injectable PrEP requirement for insurance providers​

The Biden-Harris administration has announced a new requirement for insurance providers to cover injectable PrEP in their policies without a co-payment for consumers. PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, was first approved by the FDA in 2012 to prevent people exposed to HIV from becoming infected with the virus. Truvada in pill form was the first prescriptive PrEP to hit the market, followed by Descovy. The injectable PrEP Apretude was approved in 2021.

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​Salmon return to Klamath River for first time in 112 years​

On October 16, biologists with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife spotted the fish above the former site of the J.C. Boyle Dam in the Upper Klamath River. The dam was one of four that had blocked the salmon’s migration between the Klamath Basin and the Pacific Ocean. Each of those dams was recently deconstructed in the largest dam removal project in United States history, which has restored the river to its natural, free-flowing state.

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​Egypt is certified malaria-free by World Health Organization​

The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Egypt as malaria-free, marking a significant public health milestone for a country with more than 100 million inhabitants. The achievement follows a nearly 100-year effort by the Egyptian government and people to end a disease that has been present in the country since ancient times. Egypt is the third country to be awarded a malaria-free certification in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region following the United Arab Emirates and Morocco, and the first since 2010. Globally, a total of 44 countries and 1 territory have reached this milestone.

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​Brazil upgrades park to protect South America’s tallest tree​

South America’s tallest tree, a 400-year-old red angelim in the northern tip of the Brazilian Amazon, is the star of a newly created conservation area called the Giant Trees of the Amazon State Park. The area was officially sectioned off from the larger Paru State Forest for stronger protection. Now, the 1.38-million-acre Giant Trees of the Amazon State Park has been upgraded to the “full protection” category. This means that activities like logging, permitted under the “sustainable use” category when it was previously part of Paru State Park, can no longer be proposed in its bounds.

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These milestones have been added to the ​Archive of Human Genius​ – our database of social change milestones – past, present & future.