Following on from last week’s uplifting news stories
And at a time when the headlines can feel overwhelmingly bleak, let us continue with more stories that offer reasons for hope, from breakthroughs in clean energy to heartening wins for wildlife and science.
Powering the Future, Sustainably
The clean energy transition continues to gather momentum. New research from SOLARCYCLE and Arizona State University has revealed that solar panels made with recycled glass perform just as well as brand-new ones, a discovery that could secure a sustainable and domestic supply chain for the sector. It’s another sign of how rapidly renewables are scaling up: the International Energy Agency now predicts that renewable sources will overtake coal as the world’s top provider of electricity by 2026.
The shift is already tangible. June saw solar power become the largest source of electricity in the EU for the first time, supplying 22 percent of the bloc’s power, with countries like the Netherlands and Greece generating record shares. Across the globe, new projects are offering hope in unexpected places: Syria, emerging from years of sanctions, is planning an industrial-scale solar farm to meet a tenth of its energy needs, while in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a solar minigrid in Goma has brought light, safety and opportunity to neighbourhoods that were in darkness just five years ago. Even Britons in flats could soon be part of the change, with proposals for “balcony solar panels” promising affordable power for tenants.
Nature’s Comebacks
Wildlife, too, is showing remarkable resilience. In Cornwall, camera traps have captured the first beaver kits born at a local reserve, a sign that rewilding efforts are taking hold. Montagu’s harriers, Britain’s rarest breeding bird, have successfully raised four chicks in an English wheat field, their first success since 2019. And at a Sussex rewilding project, sightings of the rare purple emperor butterfly have hit record highs.
Beyond the UK, whales are thriving along Australia’s New South Wales coast, where a citizen science count recorded thousands of migrating individuals, buoyed by record volunteer participation. And in India’s Western Ghats, a team of women dubbed “rainforest gardeners” is creating a living ark for endangered plants, safeguarding biodiversity in one of the world’s richest ecosystems.
Science That Inspires
Human ingenuity is advancing on multiple fronts. Researchers at the University of Minnesota have developed a new alloy, Ni4W, that could make electronics dramatically more energy-efficient, slashing power consumption for everything from smartphones to data centres. Meanwhile, astronomers have detected the largest black hole collision ever observed, a cosmic event that expands our understanding of the universe.
Closer to home, scientists from Denmark and Wales have identified the perfect flower mix to attract pollinators, a discovery that could help restore buzzing, colourful gardens. Watermelon has also had its moment in the spotlight, with new studies suggesting the fruit offers surprising benefits for heart health.
And then there’s the extraordinary Bogong moth, which researchers have now shown uses the stars and the Milky Way to navigate its annual 620-mile migration across Australia, making it the first known invertebrate to rely on a stellar compass.
Moments of Joy and Reflection
Good news isn’t just about breakthroughs; it’s about joy, too. After a €1.4 billion clean-up project, Parisians leapt into the River Seine for the first legal swim in over a century, their laughter echoing off the riverbanks. In Guatemala, a decades-long effort by Armando Lopez Pocol and his volunteers has transformed deforested highlands into thriving forests, proving how determination can regreen an entire landscape.
And sometimes, progress is simply about rewriting history. In Cambridge, researchers have uncovered the story of Annie Walker, now recognised as Britain’s first professional female astronomer, a woman who, against Victorian convention, observed thousands of stars herself.
Please send us the stories that have made you feel better about the world and help to bring a smile to others amongst the tears and heartache.
