Today (2017 C.E. - 2025 C.E.)

This archive spans the years 2017 through 2025, a period marked by rapid advances in clean energy, medicine, technology, and social equity. It collects documented breakthroughs, policy wins, and scientific achievements from the present era. If you want evidence that progress is real and ongoing, this is where to look.

Aerial view of dense tropical forest canopy in Guatemala's Petén region for an article about Maya Forest rewilding — 13 words.

Guatemala closes oil fields in the Maya Forest to begin historic rewilding

By / / Good News For Humankind

Maya Forest rewilding is underway in Guatemala after the government shut down oil extraction inside the Maya Biosphere Reserve and began ecological restoration of the affected land. The reserve spans 2.1 million hectares at the heart of the Selva Maya, the second-largest continuous tropical forest in the Americas. The decision ends decades of industrial pressure on habitat shared by jaguars, scarlet macaws, and hundreds of other species, and responds to longstanding calls from Maya Q’eqchi’ and Itza’ communities. It also advances Guatemala’s commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

A health worker filters drinking water in a rural African village for an article about guinea worm disease eradication

Guinea worm disease nears total eradication with just 10 human cases recorded

By / / Good News For Humankind

Guinea worm disease is on the verge of becoming only the second human disease ever eradicated, after confirmed cases fell to a historic low of just 10 worldwide. This ancient parasite, which has tormented humans for millennia, has been reduced by more than 99.9 percent since the 1980s through an extraordinary public health campaign relying entirely on community education, water filtration, and local surveillance — no vaccine or drug exists. The achievement, led largely by the Carter Center and local health workers across sub-Saharan Africa, demonstrates that sustained, community-driven effort can conquer even the oldest and most entrenched diseases.

Aerial view of large industrial energy facility for an article about compressed air energy storage

China opens the world’s largest compressed air energy storage plant

By / / Good News For Humankind

China has switched on the world’s largest compressed air energy storage plant, a 300-megawatt facility in Shandong province that more than doubles the previous global record for this technology. Built by China Huaneng Group, the plant stores surplus renewable electricity by compressing air into underground caverns, then releases it on demand to power roughly 300,000 households. This matters because storing clean energy at scale remains one of the central engineering challenges of the global energy transition. Unlike batteries, compressed air storage requires no rare minerals and avoids chemical degradation over time, making it a promising long-duration option worldwide.

Aerial view of rooftop solar panels on Australian suburban homes for an article about Australia renewable energy milestone — 13 words.

Australia hits 50% renewable energy milestone for the first time

By / / Good News For Humankind

Australia renewable energy hit a historic milestone in 2024, with solar and wind together supplying more than 50% of the country’s electricity for the first time ever. A decade ago, coal dominated at roughly 75% of the grid while renewables barely reached double digits, making this shift one of the fastest energy transformations on record. Rooftop solar drove much of the change, with over 3.5 million Australian homes now generating their own power. The milestone matters because electricity is one of Australia’s largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and the next target, 80%, is already within reach.

A researcher examines cancer cells under a microscope for an article about pancreatic tumor regression — 14 words.

Spanish researchers achieve full pancreatic tumor regression in a mouse model study

By / / Good News For Humankind

Pancreatic tumor regression achieved in mice marks a rare and significant breakthrough in one of oncology’s most stubborn challenges. Researchers at Spain’s National Cancer Research Centre induced complete disappearance of established pancreatic tumors by reprogramming the tumor microenvironment, allowing the immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells. Pancreatic cancer kills the vast majority of patients it affects, with a five-year survival rate below 12%, partly because dense tissue surrounding tumors blocks treatment and hides cancer from immune defenses. While mouse results don’t guarantee human success, this proof of concept signals that full regression in this disease is biologically possible.

Colorful coral reef with tropical fish in clear blue water for an article about Mauritius coral restoration

Mauritius pioneers heat-resistant coral with 98% survival rates

By / / Good News For Humankind

Coral restoration in Mauritius is delivering results that are turning heads across the marine science world. Researchers working with the Mauritius Oceanography Institute have achieved a 98% survival rate for transplanted coral fragments by using heat-stress conditioning, a technique that trains coral to withstand the warming temperatures climate change is already producing. That figure dwarfs the global average of 60-70% for conventional transplant methods. With the Indian Ocean having suffered significant reef loss in recent decades, this approach offers a replicable model that neighboring island nations are already watching closely.

Offshore wind turbines rising from the North Sea at dusk for an article about the North Sea wind hub

Ten nations pledge €11 billion for a 100GW North Sea wind hub

By / / Good News For Humankind

North Sea wind hub: Ten European nations have pledged €11 billion to build a 100-gigawatt offshore wind network in the North Sea, enough clean electricity to power roughly 100 million homes. The commitment, formalized through the Esbjerg Declaration, is the largest coordinated offshore wind investment in European history. Beyond the raw numbers, the agreement marks a fundamental shift from competing national energy projects toward a shared multinational grid spanning northwestern Europe. It directly addresses Europe’s dependence on imported fossil fuels while setting ambitious targets of 100GW by 2030 and 300GW by 2050.

Busy street market in Mexico City with vendors and shoppers for an article about Mexico middle class growth — 13 words.

Mexico’s middle class now outnumbers its population in poverty for the first time

By / / Good News For Humankind

Mexico’s middle class has surpassed the poverty rate for the first time in recorded history, marking one of Latin America’s most significant social milestones in decades. CONEVAL data shows poverty fell from over 44 percent in 2008 to below 36 percent, while the middle class grew to exceed that share. The shift was driven by aggressive minimum wage increases, conditional cash transfer programs, record remittances, and nearshoring investment creating formal employment. Serious challenges remain, including regional inequality, economic fragility among newly middle-class families, and an informal workforce still exceeding half of all Mexican workers.

Wind turbines and solar panels generating power across a European landscape for an article about European renewable energy

Wind and solar generated more electricity than fossil fuels in Europe for the first time

By / / Good News For Humankind

European renewable energy from wind and solar surpassed coal and gas combined for the first time in history, supplying 30% of the continent’s electricity in 2024. That share had been less than 14% just a decade earlier, making the speed of this shift remarkable. Solar alone generated more electricity than coal across Europe for the first time ever. Carbon emissions from European power generation fell to their lowest level in decades. While challenges around energy affordability and grid infrastructure remain, the milestone marks a genuine turning point in how an entire continent powers itself.

A modern electric bus on a city street for an article about Malaysia electric buses — 12 words

Malaysia launches initiative to put over 1,000 electric buses on the road by 2030

By / / Good News For Humankind

Malaysia electric buses are set to reshape public transit across the country, with the government committing to deploy more than 1,100 electric vehicles nationwide by 2030. The initiative aligns with Malaysia’s National Energy Transition Roadmap and targets significant reductions in carbon emissions and fossil fuel dependence. Because buses serve hundreds of riders daily, electrifying them delivers outsized public health and climate benefits compared to private vehicle adoption. The program also signals Malaysia’s intent to build domestic EV supply chain capacity, positioning the country competitively within a rapidly electrifying Southeast Asian region.