Good News for Humankind 🌏
The world’s latest milestones for climate, justice, freedom, peace, health, and more
10 February 2025 C.E.
New therapy trial from Australian researchers nearly doubles breast cancer cure rates
A phase 3 clinical trial from Melbourne’s Peter MacCallum Cancer Center has shown that adding a targeted immunotherapy drug to chemotherapy dramatically improved the cure rate for patients with the most common kind of breast cancer. In the present phase 3 trial, 510 patients were randomized to receive chemotherapy with either intravenous nivolumab or placebo. In patients treated with nivolumab plus chemotherapy, rates were statistically significant, nearly double those who received placebo plus chemo: 24.5% versus 13.8%, respectively.
Indigenous protests in Brazil topple law seen as threat to rural schools
After 23 days of protests, Indigenous groups and teachers in the Brazilian state of Pará have successfully pressured Governor Helder Barbalho to revoke a controversial education law that favored online learning in remote communities and slashed benefits for teachers. According to Indigenous leaders and the local teachers’ union, the law eliminated the existing education framework, cut teachers’ incomes, including a transportation allowance for teachers to reach remote communities.
New York City to get a $3 billion, 80,000-acre offshore wind farm
New York City will soon be getting its own personal offshore wind farm. The Empire Wind 1 project just received a US$3 billion project financing package and is expected to go online in 2027, powering roughly half a million borough residents. A turbine-laden 80,000-acre plot of Atlantic Ocean – which is nearly half the size of NYC – could generate 810 MW if running efficiently at its designed capacity. That is around 3.19 TWh per year or roughly 6% of NYC’s overall consumption. Empire Wind 1 will be the first offshore wind project to connect directly to NYC’s electrical grid.
Thailand makes hormone therapy free for trans people
Just days after marriage equality became the law in Thailand, the country’s national health ministry added hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to the free health services available to citizens. The Public Health Ministry allocated 145 million baht to the National Health Security Office for HRT. The targeted funds will cover the HRT needs of 200,000 transgender Thais. Until now, self-funding for HRT has prevented some trans individuals from gaining access to proper care, leading to health risks if they resorted to purchasing and using hormones without medical supervision.
New Zealand mountain granted same legal rights as a person
Taranaki Mounga, the second-highest mountain on New Zealand’s North Island, and its surrounding peaks have been granted legal personhood, becoming the country’s third natural feature to gain the same rights, duties, and protections as individuals. The mountain region is of considerable cultural significance to Taranaki Māori and its designation of legal personhood is a long-awaited acknowledgment of their relationship to it. The mountain will also now be solely referred to officially by its Māori name, laying to rest its former colonial name, Mount Egmont.
Louis S. Goodman and Alfred Gilman run first human trial of cancer chemotherapy (1942 C.E.)
In collaboration with thoracic surgeon Gustaf Lindskog, the two doctors from Yale School of Medicine injected the chemical mustine into a patient with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In a monumental moment for the field of medicine, the patient, a Polish immigrant to Connecticut known in literature only as JD, experienced a dramatic reduction in his tumor masses, paving the way for millions of future patients who would benefit from the therapy in the years and decades to come.
Number of annual global deaths from cancer peaks and begins to decline (2046 C.E. ???)
After decades of slow but meaningful progress, the world finally hits “peak cancer” where total deaths begin to decline due to a wave of medical advancements, stronger and more equitable healthcare systems, and healthier lifestyles. As a result, millions of humans are afforded longer lives and more time with their loved ones.
These milestones have been added to the Archive of Human Genius – our database of social change milestones – past, present & future.
Fight Back Against Trump’s Unconstitutional Executive Order to Eliminate Birthright Citizenship
From Indivisible: Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship is an unprecedented and unconstitutional attack on our democracy. By targeting babies born in the U.S., this policy creates a subclass of stateless children, deprived of their rights and opportunities. These babies, through no fault of their own, could be denied access to healthcare, education, and basic protections, leaving them and their families vulnerable to exploitation and hardship. Contact your Governor, Republican and Democratic Members of Congress, or local newspaper editor and make sure your voice is heard. Send a message.
This week’s calendar
- GET S*** DONE Work Group every weekday, 10:30am-12pm PT (online)
- Bellingham Men’s Circle on Monday, February 17, 6-8pm PT (in-person)
- Peter’s show in West Seattle on Saturday, February 22 (in-person)
Weekly reflection
Hi beautiful people,
So many of the conversations I’ve had over the last few weeks have focused on the new political climate in the U.S. and the feelings of despair, anger, and overwhelm around it.
Many people are unsure of how they can be a powerful, positive force in the world in these dark times while protecting their sense of self and well-being. When we try to do too much, we can quickly fall victim to overwhelm and burnout. When we focus on something seemingly small, we often feel guilty or inadequate. We have this nagging feeling that what we can do is not enough to meet the moment. How do we find and maintain the middle ground?
If you’re looking for greater clarity on what it means for you to show up meaningfully in these times, I’d love to support you with a complimentary purpose discovery session. In this call, we’ll draft a personal purpose statement that narrows your focus and helps you tap into your innate gifts and cultivate your core values in the world. Maybe more than anything, it gives you permission to say “no” to all the distractions and “nice-to-have’s” right now so you can maintain focus on what is truly most meaningful to you.
If you’re interested, you can sign up here. I’d love to support you through this! This is not a sneaky way for me to pitch you on coaching or sell you anything. Just an opportunity for you to get some support in these troubling times.
Love,
Peter