Good News for Humankind

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

October 14 – 20 2024 C.E.

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Hi beautiful people,

Life has been full and challenging in many ways for me lately. With that, though I’ve been following news of the election closely, I’ve let it go far too long without doing much of anything to make a difference – writing postcards, making donations, talking to friends and family in swing states.

I am making a conscious decision to change that.

One (but definitely not the only) thing I can do is use this platform to encourage you to go do something too. That might mean a week-long road trip to a swing state and really dedicating the next few weeks of your life to your cause. But it could also be just quickly texting a loved one to make sure they have a voting plan.

This election matters. Though it terrifies me, I’ve come to accept a wide range of outcomes with this, some pretty bleak. I realize though, what I can’t really accept is looking back and realizing I didn’t do anything about something I profess to care so deeply about.

Has your action matched your level of care? If not, what might you do this week to demonstrate your care?

Love, Peter

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Calendar

• ​Bellingham Men’s Circle​ on Monday, October 21 from 6-8pm PT (in-person)
• ​GET S*** DONE: Anti-Procrastination Group​ on Monday, October 28 at 12:30-2pm PT (online) (NO GROUP THIS WEEK)

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​India unveils whopping $109 billion transmission plan for renewable energy​

Transmission constraints have emerged as a key obstacle for the growth of renewable energy the world over, with a spurt in demand causing delayed deliveries and surging prices of grid equipment. Now, India’s power ministry has unveiled a plan to revamp its power grid to accommodate a large renewable expansion through 2032. The project, estimated to cost 9.15 trillion rupees ($109 billion), will help integrate 500 gigawatts of renewable power by the end of the decade, a more than two-fold increase from now.

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​Brazil elects record-high number of Indigenous mayors, vice mayors, and councilors​

More than 250 Indigenous people were elected mayors, vice mayors, and city councilors this October, the highest in the country’s history and an 8% increase compared to the 2020 ballot. Increasing representation of Indigenous people elected in municipal ballots is a key move to ensure the fulfillment of Indigenous rights and conservation efforts and should pave the way to increase the number of Indigenous people elected in the 2026 state and federal ballots, advocates and activists say.

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​More than 800 U.S. military veterans receive honorable discharges from Pentagon’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” records review​

More than 800 veterans from the U.S. military who were kicked out of the military for their sexual orientation under a policy that banned gays and lesbians from openly serving, known as “don’t ask, don’t tell,” will receive honorable discharges, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin has announced. An honorable discharge status unlocks access to benefits that some of these veterans may have been missing out on for decades, including things like health care, college tuition assistance, VA loan programs, and even some jobs.

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​New cervical cancer treatment regime ‘cuts risk of dying from disease by 40%’​

Doctors are hailing a “remarkable” new treatment regime for cervical cancer developed by researchers at University College London that reduces the risk of dying by 40%, in the biggest advance against the disease in 25 years. The new treatment plan was tested in patients recruited over 10 years from the UK, Mexico, India, Italy, and Brazil. Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally, with about 660,000 new cases and 350,000 deaths every year, according to the World Health Organization.

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​MIT study finds mercury pollution from human activities is declining​

In a new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, researchers analyzed measurements from all available monitoring stations in the Northern Hemisphere and found that atmospheric concentrations of mercury declined by about 10% between 2005 and 2020. They used two separate modeling methods to determine what is driving that trend. Both techniques pointed to a decline in mercury emissions from human activity as the most likely cause.

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​Danish scientists design new form of insulin that automatically switches itself on and off​

For decades, researchers have been working to develop a system that can automatically adjust insulin activity based on the amount of glucose in a person’s blood. Now, Rita Slaaby, a principal scientist at pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk in Bagsværd, Denmark, and her colleagues engineered an insulin molecule with a switch that turns its activity on and off in response to glucose levels in the blood. In animals, this ‘smart’ insulin reduces high blood-sugar concentrations effectively while preventing levels from dropping too low.

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​New heart attack detector gives results in minutes, not hours​

Someone presenting to the emergency room with a suspected heart attack will undergo a number of standard blood tests to determine heart muscle damage. The problem is that it can take one or two hours to receive the results. Now, Johns Hopkins University researchers have led the design of a tiny chip that diagnoses heart attack by detecting these important biomarkers in minutes rather than hours, even if they are present at very low concentrations. The researchers foresee an at-home heart attack detector in the future.

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​India’s state of Assam sees 86% drop in poaching and five-fold increase in rhinos since 2016​

By expanding protected areas and bolstering ranger patrols, the steady growth in the number of rhinos, seen since the late 60s, has now accelerated to the point where 3,000 horns grace the Assam savannah. “Rhinos are synonymous with the identity of Assam. They are our pride and the crown jewel of our biodiversity. Ever since we assumed office, we have taken various initiatives to protect the prized species, expand its habitat and ensure its safety,” Assam state’s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote.

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​‘Extinct’ Guam kingfisher takes flight again after nearly 40 years​

Six Guam kingfishers, known locally as sihek, have been released into the wild, marking their return from nearly four decades of being extinct in the wild. Sihek became extinct in the wild from their native Guam in 1986 due to the introduction of the brown tree snake, but a captive-breeding program has kept the species alive since then. This release, on the predator-free Palmyra Atoll, about 3,700 miles east of Guam, is part of a larger plan to establish a breeding population there, with the ultimate goal of returning the sihek to Guam once the threat from brown tree snakes is addressed.

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​California gets final approval for nation’s third-largest marine sanctuary​

A new 4,543-square-mile area off a gorgeous and ecologically rich stretch of the California coast has achieved federal protection. The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary was officially designated Friday along 116 miles of the coast in the San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. Created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, it is the country’s third-largest marine sanctuary. It is also first designed with the involvement of Indigenous groups and the first in 30 years in California.

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​India completes its first solar park (2012 C.E.)​

Inaugurated in 2012 by the then Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi, it was home to about 250 MW capacity initially. In April 2012, a total of 214 megawatts had been commissioned. It also became the world’s third-largest photovoltaic power station. 345 MW had been installed by March 2016. So far, the park has witnessed investments of Rs 5,365 crore and generated 3,441 million units till date.

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​For first time ever, India generates half of its energy from non-fossil fuel sources (2030 C.E. ???)​

Through billions of dollars in investments in solar and wind energy generation and power transmission infrastructure, as well as aggressive decommissioning of coal-fired power plants, the world’s most populous country reaches its ambitious 2030 renewable energy targets on time, becoming a global renewable energy leader in the process.

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