Good News for Humankind

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

September 16 – 22 2024 C.E.

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Hi beautiful people,

For the last few months, I’ve been inviting friends and clients to a new group called GET S*** DONE: Anti-Procrastination Group.

So many of us have important tasks in our lives that we put off for one reason or another: impostor syndrome, lack of inspiration, getting distracted, etc. In my experience, structure and group accountability can be a powerful way to push through these common barriers. This group is meant to offer that.

The idea is simple: we get together for 90 minutes at 12:30pm PT on Mondays. We each check in briefly, announcing what we most want to get done today and what might stand in our way. We then work for more than an hour – videos on, but mics off. I’m available for coaching via phone as needed. We then check out, announcing what we got done and how it felt. We judge success based on one simple question: Did you put in the time? If so, we encourage you to leave with a sense of accomplishment and momentum.

This group is free. It’s available to anyone who is interested – but I’d like to get to know you first. So if you’d like to join and I don’t know you personally, let’s set up a brief (10-15 minutes) chat and get to know each other.

Love,
Peter

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​Norway becomes world’s first country to have more fully electric cars than gas cars​

Norway has long been a standout, with the highest level of EV market share of any country and an aspiration to end sales of new gas cars by 2025. And now, sometime in September 2024, Norway will have more electric cars on its roads than petrol-only vehicles, according to an analysis of Norwegian government data. It set another world record with 94% EV new car market share in August.

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​Joe Biden makes history by confirming 12th LGBTQ+ judge, the most of any U.S. presidency​

Judge Mary Kay Costello made history on Tuesday when she became the 12th Senate-confirmed LGBTQ+ judge appointed by President Joe Biden. The Senate voted 52-42 to confirm Costello after a day-long hearing. She’ll now sit on the bench of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Her confirmation helped Biden set a new record, topping both the Obama administration and Biden administration’s previously tied record of appointing 11 out LGBTQ+ judges.

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​Brazil rooting out last of gold miners on Yanomami lands​

In a rush for gold, illicit miners had contaminated rivers with mercury and other toxic chemicals and with human waste, resulting in a wave of disease among the Yanomami that led to food shortages and malnutrition. In February of 2023, Brazil launched a campaign to “completely eradicate illegal mining” from the territory, which spans an area roughly the size of Portugal. More than a year later, officials say they have destroyed 42 airstrips, 18 aircraft, and 45 barges used by miners, and have seized 24,000 gallons of diesel fuel. They are now close to expelling the last of the miners, Reuters reports.

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​Global alliance buys half a million mpox vaccines for Africa​

A batch of 500,000 mpox vaccines has been bought by the vaccine alliance Gavi, for delivery this year to virus-affected countries in Africa, where until now doses have been scarce. It is estimated that 10 million vaccines are needed to meet demand, but the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which accounts for most cases, only received 100,000 vaccines earlier this month despite having had more than 700 deaths this year and 22,000 cases of the new Clade 1b strain.

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​Morocco is rapidly growing its EV production capacity​

Morocco has already established itself as a leading power in the African automotive sector. It now aspires to lead the way on the transition to EVs. The country currently produces between 40,000 and 50,000 electric vehicles (EVs) per year. However, this is expected to increase to around 100,000 units by 2025. By 2030, EVs are expected to account for up to 60% of all cars exported. The country has also entered into strategic partnerships that aim to create a solid foundation for the electric vehicle industry and supply chain, with investments totalling about $10 billion USD.

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Malaysian court shuts down hydroelectric dam project on Indigenous land​

A Malaysian court ruled this week that hydropower companies building a dam on land belonging to the Indigenous Semai people of Malaysia’s Perak state had failed to secure proper consent and must halt operations immediately. The court also ruled that the state and federal governments, and the federal agency tasked with overseeing Indigenous affairs, had failed in their duty to protect Indigenous land from encroachment. Activists expressed relief and elation at the verdict, which marks a major milestone for land rights for Malaysia’s Indigenous peoples, known collectively as Orang Asal. The verdict can still be appealed.

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​Women and transgender people in Pakistan get a ride-sharing service for protection​

In an effort to increase protection for trans people, a Pakistani business has launched a ride-share service that will be available only to women and trans people. Called SheDrives, the service was launched last weekend and seeks to protect trans people from discrimination and harassment, says Ammaz Farooqi, the company’s chief executive. It currently operates only in the second-largest city of Lahore, but Farooqi said that expansion is possible.

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​Governor bans use of ‘conversion therapy’ on LGBTQ+ minors in Kentucky​

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear banned the use of “conversion therapy” on minors in Kentucky on Wednesday, calling his executive order a necessary step to protect children from a widely discredited practice that tries to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity through counseling. The governor used his executive powers after Republicans who control the state legislature repeatedly blocked efforts to enact a state law banning the practice. Beshear said he would no longer wait for others to “do what’s right.”

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​Dutch bank ING to ditch climate laggards as clients​

Dutch bank ING will dump large clients it believes are not making sufficient progress on reducing their climate impact, in the latest sign of divergence between European and US banks over the risks of global warming. Chief executive Steven van Rijswijk said ING had put its clients on notice that it would either restrict or stop providing finance to companies that fail to address their carbon footprint on a case-by-case basis. Van Rijswijk said ING had assessed 2,000 of its largest clients based on their publicly available climate transition plans and other data. Companies had until 2026 to make sufficient progress, he said.

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​California passes two new bills protecting actors and performers against AI​

In a potentially precedent-setting moment for tech legislation across the country, the new laws not only bolster those existing protections but extend them to everyone in California — not just to people working in front of a camera in Hollywood, as IndieWire notes. Together, the bills make it illegal to use an AI-generated digital replica of an actor’s likeness or voice — or technically, any Californian’s — without their explicit consent. Studios will also be prohibited from cloning deceased actors unless they have permission from their estates.

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​Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen leads the first expedition to reach the South Pol (1911 C.E.)​

He and four other crew members made it to the geographical south pole on 14 December 1911, which would prove to be five weeks ahead of the competitive British party led by Robert Falcon Scott as part of the Terra Nova Expedition. Amundsen and his team returned safely to their base, and about a year later heard that Scott and his four companions had perished on their return journey.

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​For the first time ever, there are more EVs on the world’s roads than gas-powered car (2044 C.E. ???)​

In a historic milestone in climate action, the majority of cars on the roads are now powered by electricity, drastically reducing the carbon emissions produced by transportation and preventing millions of deaths caused due to air pollution.

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