Good News in May (you might have missed)

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Big thanks to
Researcher: Risi Cheshire
Editor: El Tooth

Welcome to this month’s Good News episode,
where we take a look at what’s gone right over the last month. But before we start,
I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who left lovely comments
on the last video they co-hosted with my younger brother,
Jack. It meant so much to me, my family reading over the comments,
and we even managed to raise around $2,000 for the National Autistic Society,
which is absolutely huge and wouldn’t have been possible
without you. They can hopefully go a small way
to supporting individuals with autism. And if you’re new here, I’m
Sam and I make videos showcasing good news and solutions to some of the world’s
biggest problems. If you’ve been there before,
it’s lovely to have you back. And if you’re enjoying these roundups, tap that like button
to help spread some goodness and help prevent social media bombarding us
with constant doom and gloom. So let’s get into it. Here’s some good news from
May that you might have missed. In a powerful blend of art and activism,
a herd of life sized animal puppets has begun a 20,000 kilometer journey
from the Congo River to the Arctic Circle, symbolizing the mass migrations
forced by climate change. The project, called The Herds,
kicked off in Kinshasa in April the 9th and will stampede across cities
in Africa and Europe, featuring handcrafted puppets of animals
like elephant, lions and polar bears. As the journey continues. New species join the herd
like vervet monkeys in Nigeria and reindeer in Norway, adapting
just like wildlife must in the real world. At each stop, the public can take part
in art workshops, climate discussions and community events,
all coordinated by the Walk Productions. The team behind Little Amal
with partners like WWF, Save the Elephants and Ted Countdown, The Herd turns climate storytelling
into a moving, unforgettable spectacle and brings a climate crisis to the streets
in a way that’s impossible to ignore. If you want to follow
the journeys of the herd, you can find them on Instagram here. And in other herd related news. After being wiped out, nearly 3000 years
ago, a herd of elk could be returning to the UK after similar successes
in other reintroduction projects. This next story takes us to South Korea. Researchers at Seoul National University
and Gachon University in South Korea have developed a liquid robot
that can get into super small spaces and could one day target and destroy
cancer cells. They call it PB short,
a particle armored liquid robot. Don’t ask me how that acronym works. And it’s made of liquid wrapped in water,
repelling armor like particles. Kind of like water beads up on a lotus
leaf. This coating gives the liquid droplets
super powers. It can change shape,
move around obstacles, merge with others like it, and even scoop up
materials as it rolls. The concept is that it could one day
encapsulate harmful cells like cancer, and either deliver targeted drugs
to destroy them, or physically isolate and remove them. In the lab, it’s
shown the ability to engulf materials, kind of like how white blood cells
swallow bacteria. What’s wild is that they can control its
movement using soundwaves, and in future versions, they might even stab it
with magnets or electric fields. Scientists
believe it could be the future of targeted drug delivery
or noninvasive cancer treatment. While it’s early days
and the current version isn’t humans safe yet,
they’re already working on eco friendly, body safe materials to take it
one step closer to real world use. Next up, we head to New Caledonia. New Caledonia has just made history
by banning seabed mining across all of its ocean territory
for the next 50 years. An area of ocean roughly
the size of Egypt, this French Pacific territory is considered
a global biodiversity hotspot. Home to nearly a third of the world’s
remaining pristine coral reefs and over 9000 marine species, many of which
are found nowhere else on Earth. The decision follows growing pressure
from scientists, indigenous leaders and environmental groups
concerned about the irreversible damage caused by mining the deep sea
for nickel, cobalt and other metals. Seabed mining stirs up plumes of toxic
sediment, disrupts ancient ecosystems and threatened species that science
is only just beginning to understand. The move also echoes concerns raised about other destructive
ocean practices like bottom trawling, which can cause massive economic impact,
according to a study by National Geographic Pristine Seas. Bottom trawling inflicts a net cost of up to €11 billion
per year on European society due to its massive ecological damage
and the loss of critical ocean services. New Caledonia’s long term ban sends a clear message
that protecting ocean health matters more than just short term profits,
and in another win for our waters. That shows what happens when we center the
environment and not short term profits. After 50 years, native trout of return to historic levels in Lake Huron,
one of the largest lakes in the US. This next story is about a trend that’s
been sweeping nations around the world. This month, a new gardening craze
is gaining in popularity. That’s called meadowscaping, and it’s turning ordinary lawns
into buzzing, blooming ecosystems. For decades, the perfectly manicured lawn has been the go to garden look
and an incredibly boring one at that. Inspired by English estates and kept alive
by a lot of mowing, a lot of water and a lot of time on weekends
that could be better spent literally doing anything else. But now people are finally waking up
to the benefits of having mini meadows instead. Compared to lawns, meadows are cheaper
to maintain up to seven times cheaper. In fact, they require less water and help
actively pull carbon from the air. More importantly, they support pollinators
and native wildlife, turning gardens into homes
for important little local critters. Some councils and governments are even
starting to get behind the idea to. In Pennsylvania, the state’s Department
of Natural Resources launched a long conservation
program in 2020 that actually helps
fund these transformations. And now they can’t
keep up with the demand. I asked my friend Andrew the Arborist,
what people could do if they wanted to do this
for their own space. Yeah, Sam, that’s a great question. I think folks can always go
the professional route and hire a native plant landscaper to come in
and maybe transform their front yard into a native meadow,
but that’s going to cost a lot of money. And I think the more more fulfilling
and the more satisfying way is to do it yourself. And to get involved
in your own restoration of your own land. Important thing here is to try and learn
about your local ecology, either by going out and visiting
natural areas, local native plant nurseries and local public gardens
are great resources for learning more about native plants in your area,
so if you have those nearby, it’s always worth a visit
and they’re super knowledgeable folks there on staff
that are probably willing to help you. Start small. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes
and always try to learn. Always do your best to learn
about your local ecology and native plants and good luck! It is a fun and fulfilling process
and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. And it wasn’t just the meadow scaping movement
that shows how powerful local greening efforts can be. As communities in South Africa showed,
the Killarney Riviera, a community garden in South Africa,
have transformed public spaces into vibrant food gardens
to support people in need. And now they’re going
one step further and launching a community seed library to help beginner gardeners
grow their own food. It’s a beautiful example of how
rethinking our relationship with land, whether through wild flowers or
vegetables, can create a healthy ecosystem systems, stronger communities
and more resilient futures. Whilst many amazing people around the world are working hard to restore
and bring life back to our planet. Sadly,
there are people who played and continued to play a big part in destroying it. But this next story could be a game
changer in holding those people accountable. A groundbreaking study from Dartmouth College has put a price tag on the climate damage caused by the world’s
biggest carbon polluters, and it could be the game changer
we need to finally hold them accountable. The researchers estimated
that 111 companies are responsible for a staggering $28
trillion in heat related climate damage, with over half of that
total linked to just ten fossil fuel giants including Saudi
Aramco, Chevron, Exxon Mobil and BP. To figure this out, the scientists
run over 1000 computer simulations, imagining a world where each company’s
emissions didn’t exist. It found that Chevron’s pollution alone
has raised the planet’s temperature by 0.025°C on a bigger scale. They found that every 1% of global
greenhouse gas emissions since 1990 has caused about $502 billion in heat
related damages, and that doesn’t even include the costs
of floods, droughts or hurricanes. Just the economic hit
from rising temperatures. What makes this study a game changer
is how it cuts through decades of denial. Fossil fuel companies have long claimed
that you can’t pin specific climate disasters on their emissions,
but this research proves otherwise. As coauthor Justin Mankin puts it,
the veil of plausible deniability no longer holds up scientifically by directly
linking emissions to economic harm. It gives governments, courts and communities
a powerful tool to demand accountability. And it could be a huge turning point for policies
like the Climate Superfund Act in Vermont, which aims to make polluters
pay for the damage they’ve caused. And over in Florida, we’re already seeing what
that type of accountability can lead to. In Florida,
a federal judge ruled last month that the state must take stronger action
to protect manatees after years of pollution
have damaged their habitat. The Indian River lagoon, one of the most
biodiverse estuaries in North America, suffered massive seagrass loss
due to wastewater pollution, leading to the deaths of nearly 2000
manatees over just two years. But thanks to legal action brought by
conservation groups under the Endangered Species Act, the state is now required
to implement a clear plan to clean up the waters and secure
stronger protections going forward, helping these majestic beasts
thrive once again. In other good news for coasts around Europe, in the latest
EU Coastline Macro Litter Trend report, it found that between 2015 and 2021,
total beach litter fell by nearly 30%, with the biggest reductions seen in single
use plastic items dropping by 40%. is all the ideas
coming from the next generations. And this next story is about a couple
of those individuals, two young scientists from Slovakia and Czech Republic
won the Earth Prize 2025 for developing a pioneering water
purification system that’s tackling one the world’s
most urgent but overlooked issues. 18 year old Thomas and 19 year old
Anna created pure to combat antibiotic pollution, a growing threat projected
to cause 10 million deaths a year by 2050. Their system uses a never before seen
combo of light and cold plasma to remove harmful pollutants and antibiotic
resistant bacteria from water. Backed by prize
funding and global recognition, they’re now working on a next gen prototype
to scale up their impact and bring this powerful zero waste
solution closer to real world application. Talking of combat and pollution,
disposable batteries contribute to toxic waste
and fill e-wee and fill e-wi Why can’t I say e-waste? And fill e-waste landfills
around the world. But over in Switzerland,
they may have come up with a solution. Swiss scientists have created
batteries made of fungi that digests itself after use,
leaving no toxic waste. These new fungal batteries
use yeast and white rock fungus to generate electricity
from sugar and water, and once they’ve done their job,
they safely return to nature. Developed by EMPA in Switzerland,
the batteries are 3D printed using a special cellulose based
ink that keeps the fungi alive and allows the structure to biodegrade
when it’s no longer needed. That ideal for powering low energy devices
like temperature sensors in remote areas where collecting dead batteries
is difficult and often polluting. While they’re not ready to charge
your phone just yet. These living batteries are part of a growing shift
towards tech that supports the planet, not damages. And before we leave Switzerland this month, the Swiss also started
testing out a new way to use solar panels. Over in Switzerland, they’re turning
train tracks into solar farms as the country pilots its first solar
power plant on active railway tracks. The project, led by solar startup
Sunways, is using the new space between train rails to install solar panels
without disrupting train traffic. After getting the green light
from the Federal Office of Transport, 48 panels are being laid across
100m of track in nature trail, with the potential to generate 16,000
kilowatt hours of electricity a year. The panels can help power everything from rail
infrastructure to the trains themselves, and thanks to removable designs
and built in cleaning systems, they won’t interfere
with rail maintenance. If the pilot proved successful,
it could scale up quickly, potentially covering railways across Switzerland and supplying up
to 2% of the country’s electricity needs. It’s a brilliant example
of using overlooked spaces to meet growing energy demands,
all while preserving natural landscapes. And it wasn’t just Switzerland
choo-choosing to use more renewables. I’m sorry I had to. Over in England this month,
it was announced that solar panels are to be fitted on all
new build homes by 2027. And in March this year, for the first time
in US history, fossil fuels supplied less than half the United States electricity generation for an entire month, according to new data released by energy think tank Ember. Before the last couple of stories,
I just want to say a big If you’re still here watching this video,
this next story is probably about you. A new report released on Earth
Day has revealed that 89% of people globally
want stronger action on climate change. But here’s the twist most of them
think they’re in the minority. This global perception gap is huge. Nearly 70% of people are willing
to give 1% of their income to help fight climate change. But when asked how many others they think
would do the same, they guessed just 43%. And in some countries, the reality and the perception
were off by up to 40 percentage points. This widespread misbelief is fueling
what researchers call a spiral of silence. People care deeply,
but they’re staying silent, assuming others don’t feel the same. And that silence makes the majority feel isolated,
which slows down momentum for real change. That’s where efforts like the 89 Percent Project come in
part of a growing wave of initiatives working to spotlight the silent climate
majority and correct the false perception that only a few people care. Experts
say that this could be a game changer when people know they’re not alone. They speak up, take action, and demand
more from their leaders. In other words.
This isn’t just a feel good start. It’s a massive opportunity
to unlock a global climate tipping point. And talking of climate action,
for this last story, I want to shout out an amazing woman
fighting for our planet down in Peru in the Peruvian Amazon, indigenous leader
Mari Luz Canaquiri Murayari has been honored
with the Goldman Environmental Prize in recognition of her work,
spending decades defending her people’s land from oil pollution
and exploitation. As president of the Kukama Women’s Federation, she helped secure legal protections
for over 100,000 hectares of rainforest. And for the first time in Peru’s history,
a river was granted legal personhood, granting it
the same rights to exist as a human, along with the right to be free
flowing and free of contamination. That’s a wrap.
Thank you so much for watching. If you’ve enjoyed the video, hit
that like button and also comment down below where we should look for good news
stories next month. I’ll see you the same place,
same time next month, my friend. Bye.