Good News for Humankind 🌏

The world's latest milestones for climate, justice, freedom, peace, health, and more

January 6 2025 C.E.

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#1

​Kazakhstan’s snow leopard population reaches near-historic levels​

The snow leopard population in Kazakhstan has rebounded to near-historic levels, with an estimated 152 to 189 individuals now residing in the country. This marks a significant achievement in conservation efforts, as such numbers were last observed in the 1980s. Since 2018, Kazakhstan has implemented a snow leopard conservation project under the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). UNDP initiatives have improved protection in 14 natural areas across the country through the use of advanced technologies, including camera traps, drones, and thermal imaging devices. As a result, the snow leopard population has increased by more than 26% since 2019.

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#2

​China has reduced sulphur dioxide emissions by more than two-thirds in the last 15 years​

China has dramatically reduced local air pollution levels — particularly in its biggest cities — in the last decade. One rapidly declining pollutant is sulphur dioxide (SO2), which generates smog, causes ecologically-damaging acid rain, and is associated with higher rates of lung cancer and other respiratory issues. China has been able to make remarkable gains in curbing S02 emissions by putting emissions limits on coal plants and introducing desulphurization technologies that remove SO2 from smokestacks.

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#3

​Zimbabwe abolishes the death penalty​

Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa has approved a law that abolishes the death penalty in the southern African state with immediate effect. Mnangagwa's move comes after Zimbabwe's parliament voted earlier in December to scrap the death penalty. Zimbabwe last carried out an execution by hanging in 2005, but its courts continued to hand down the death sentence for serious crimes like murder.

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#4

​“100% successful” cancer drug gets landmark U.S. FDA approval​

Hugely promising cancer drug dostarlimab is one step closer to being widely available, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted it Breakthrough Therapy Designation status. The drug, a programmed death receptor-1-blocking antibody, completely eradicated rectal cancer tumors without the need for surgery, radiation treatment, or chemotherapy. "Everyone on the clinical trial is doing great,” Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center gastrointestinal oncologist Andrea Cercek said. “So far, 42 people have completed treatment, and all of them have no evidence of disease. Side effects were quite mild and well tolerated."

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#5

​South Australia bans fishing of many sharks and rays in its waters​

The state of South Australia has banned fishing of several endangered or critically endangered sharks and rays in its waters. The state government said the new rules prohibit both recreational and commercial fishing of critically endangered species such as the whitefin swellshark, oceanic whitetip shark, gray nurse shark, and green sawfish; as well as endangered ones like the greeneye spurdog, southern dogfish, and basking shark. Additionally, fishing of all stingarees in the genus Urolophus and skates in the genera Dipturus and Dentiraja are banned.

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Remember

​The UN Development Programme is launched (1965 C.E.)​

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth, and human development. Based at United Nations Headquarters in New York City, it is the largest U.N. development aid agency, with offices in 177 countries. As the poor are disproportionately affected by environmental degradation and lack of access to clean, affordable water, sanitation, and energy services, UNDP also seeks to address a wide range of environmental and conservation issues.

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Imagine

​Human-caused extinction rate drops below 0.001% (2090 C.E. ???)​

Through aggressive conservation and sustainable development efforts, humanity succeeds in significantly slowing biodiversity loss and perhaps even ending Earth's "sixth mass extinction" event. Combined with extensive climate mitigation and adaptation, these conservation efforts help restore the world's ecosystems to their former vibrancy and health.

These milestones have been added to the Archive of Human Genius - our database of social change milestones – past, present & future.

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This week's calendar

• ​GET S*** DONE Work Group every weekday at 10:30am-12pm PT (online)
• ​Bellingham Men's Circle on Monday, January 6 from 6-8pm PT (in-person)

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Weekly reflection

Hi beautiful people,

The possibility of a catastrophic ecological and societal collapse has been looming large in my mind lately. I do not believe such a collapse is inevitable. But with current climate trends, growing authoritarianism, runaway technologies, and the refusal of so many to truly reckon with what's happening (myself included often), it's not hard to imagine. Some days it even feels more likely than not.

When I do imagine such a collapse, it can be easy to begin falling into despair and hopelessness. To cope, I sometimes find it useful just to imagine myself experiencing such a collapse. What advice would that version of me have for me today? What would make them feel proud, grateful, and more hopeful? What would help them make their peace with that world and their fate?

Well, I would certainly not want to have buried my head in the sand, like so many seem to be doing today. I would want to think of myself as someone who was clear-eyed about the risks at hand and who actually did something about it, at least in their own little way. And I would want to have practically prepared myself for such a situation, building up the skills, relationships, and resources that might help me and my loved ones survive and be a useful addition to whatever comes next.

But mostly, I would not want to have been so paralyzed by fear and fixated on all the ways humanity has failed itself that I kept myself from truly cherishing the beauty and goodness that is here right now. I would want to have doubled down on my awe of and gratitude for the Earth's incredible lands, waters, and life; humanity's endless works of art and ingenuity; all the little ways people try to dream a better world into existence; all the little moments of kindness and grace.

What a bitter pill it would be to endure the horrifying, heartbreaking realities of such a collapse and also realize that I had squandered such beauty when it was right here in front of me.

Love,
Peter

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