Good News for Humankind 🌏
The world’s latest milestones for climate, justice, freedom, peace, health, and more
7 April 2025 C.E.
California now has more EV charging ports than gas nozzles
California has steadily amassed its EV charging network with both public and private charging ports over the last few years. In 2024, California boasted 178,500 total EV ports compared to around 120,000 estimated gas nozzles, according to the California Energy Commission. The number of accessible chargers across California has nearly doubled since 2022. Since August, the last time these figures were publicly updated, the state has recorded roughly 26,000 additional publicly accessible EV chargers.
Women’s participation in India’s tech sector triples in last four years
India’s tech workforce has seen a significant shift over the past four years, with female participation increasing from 10% in 2020 to 28% in 2024, according to a new report. This growth is driven by advancements in digital infrastructure, increased access to remote work opportunities, and the expansion of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. However, despite improvements at the entry level, women’s representation in senior leadership positions remains low, growing only marginally from 11% in 2020 to nearly 14% in 2024.
England to make the morning-after pill free over the counter in pharmacies
Currently, women can get the emergency contraception pill for free from sexual health clinics run by the National Health Service (NHS). However, the pill can cost up to £30 ($62) at pharmacies in the UK. Starting this year, the pill will be available for free at pharmacies, aiming to “reduce inequalities”, according to a Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) statement. The move will also help free up general practitioners by reducing the need for women to make appointments to access the pill, the DHSC said.
Siamese crocodile release into the wild marks conservation milestone in Cambodia
The Siamese crocodile is one of the world’s rarest crocodilians, with less than 1,000 individuals estimated to be surviving in the wild. The species hasn’t been sighted for more than 20 years in Virachey, one of Cambodia’s most remote national parks. Combined with recent record-breaking hatchings both in the wild and in captivity, as well as new records of releases into the Cardamom Mountains from the NGO Fauna & Flora, conservationists hope to build a species stronghold in Cambodia.
Minneapolis to become first city in North America to own and operate biochar facility
Biochar is a specialized charcoal created by heating wood waste to 700 degrees in a low-oxygen environment. The Minneapolis biochar facility will have the capacity to annually: process over 3,000 tons of wood waste, produce over 500 tons of biochar, and remove nearly 3,700 tons of carbon dioxide (the equivalent of taking over 789 cars off the road). Construction is expected to begin this spring with biochar production beginning in the summer or early fall.
These milestones have been added to the Archive of Human Genius – our database of social change milestones – past, present & future.
Thomas Davenport invents what is perhaps the world’s first electric vehicle (1834 C.E.)
As early as 1834, he and his wife Emily Davenport developed a battery-powered electric motor. They used it to operate a small model car on a short section of track, paving the way for the later electrification of streetcars. It was the first-ever attempt to apply electrification to locomotion. With his wife Emily and colleague Orange Smalley, Davenport received the first American patent on an electric machine in 1837, U. S. Patent No. 132.
For the first time ever, there are more EVs on the world’s roads than gas-powered cars (2044 C.E.???)
The majority of cars on the roads around the world are now powered by electricity rather than fossil fuels, drastically reducing the carbon emissions produced by transportation and preventing millions of deaths caused by air pollution. This historic milestone was achieved through aggressive government incentives, improved and less expensive EV technology, and consumer awareness.
These milestones have been added to the Archive of Human Genius – our database of social change milestones – past, present & future.
Tell Big U.S. Banks: Stop destroying the Amazon. End your gas and oil investments
From 350.org: Big U.S. banks are among the top funders of gas and oil drilling in the Amazon — while claiming to fight biodiversity loss and exploitation of Indigenous peoples. We cannot accept that these banks claim to be sustainable while, in fact, they profit from investing in oil and gas drilling in the Amazon. Tell these big U.S. banks: Stop the destruction in the Amazon. End your oil and gas investments! Sign the petition.
This week’s calendar
- GET S*** DONE Work Group every weekday, 10:45am-12pm PT (online)
- Bellingham Men’s Circle on Monday, April 7, 6-8pm PT (in-person)
Weekly reflection
Hi beautiful people,
I turned 40 this weekend. Of course, in some ways, it doesn’t really mean anything—or at least it doesn’t have to. But I’ve chosen to make this milestone meaningful to me, as an inflection point in my life, the start of a new chapter.
It dawned on me recently that over the past few years, I have adopted the belief that “I am tired.” I so often feel drained and overstimulated from parenting, growing a business, poor diet choices, doom scrolling, etc. I so often am trying to get out of the present moment into some other easier, more peaceful moment.
Of course, there are many moments when I truly am exhausted and need to rest. There’s no way around that. But at the same time, “I am tired” has also become an attitude I project onto so many moments unnecessarily and to the detriment of myself and those around me. In some ways, it has become a toxic belief that warps how I see and relate to myself and the world around me.
I’d love to change that. I’d love to infuse my life with the belief that “I’m here, willing and able to do what’s needed.” I’d love to show up to each moment with a genuine sense of enthusiasm, resilience, and warriorship, rather than malaise, resistance, or victimhood.
I know I can’t just believe this all into existence. If I don’t want to feel as tired, better sleep, healthier food, less screen time, etc. are all going to be a part of the equation. And they will be.
But perhaps I can also train my mind to show up to every moment differently. Perhaps I can learn to cultivate the peace and ease I long for within myself right here, right now, rather than running off trying to find it in some other moment. Perhaps I can learn to remember that profound transformation is available simply by changing the stories I tell myself.
That’s what I’d love to make 40 about.
Love,
Peter