The world is reeling from a wave of appalling events. In a speech, Donald Trump amplified the conspiracy theory that the Capitol attack on January 6th, 2021, was staged by the US government and compared the imprisoned rioters to Japanese victims who were in internment camps in the United States during World War II. This came on the heels of Trump’s claim that January 6th should be commemorated as a day of ‘love’. Meanwhile, in South America record dry conditions have led to wildfires and power cuts, revealing that the Amazon, the world’s largest river, is drying up. And, in Gaza, Hamas’ leader Yahya Sinwar was killed as the war in Gaza rages on.
Amid these grim headlines, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and pessimistic. But let’s take a step back and focus on the positive developments that went unnoticed this week. In fact, there has been a lot to celebrate it this week, yet it often does not make the front page of newspapers. This Sunday Summary will showcase some of this week’s silver linings.
An analysis by the RMI, an American think tank, demonstrated that 1 out of 5 nations in the Global South now boast a larger share of green energy in their total energy mix than countries in the Global North. The falling costs of renewable energy in places like Brazil has placed them at the forefront for renewable energy developments. Remarkably, while the Global South holds merely 20 percent of the world’s fossil fuel reserves, it has 70 percent of the global renewable energy potential. The International Energy Agency predicted that by 2030 half of the world’s energy demand will be met by renewables, with a major contribution from these nations.
Timor-Leste has made massive leap in global health, successfully eliminating elephantiasis - a parasitic disease that is spread through mosquitos – that causes painful disfigurements in the form of enlarged body parts. This is a result of the WHO’s IDA program, which consists of a triple drug therapy program that was introduced in 2019. Recently, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Brazil have also successfully eliminated the disease.
In the United States, for the first time, indigenous communities were at the heart of creating a new marine reserve in California. The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary covers more than 7000 kilometers and is home to blue whales, leatherback turtles and many more species that are merely found there. The Chumash indigenous community long campaigned to safeguard the future of the waters. A campaign leader for Greenpeace called the collaboration ‘a new era of ocean management shaped through collaborative co-stewardship, where traditional and local knowledge is woven into federal management processes.’
A 5th test launch of SpaceX’s Starship vehicle left the world in awe. The Starship is the largest, heaviest and most powerful rocket ever built by humans. What makes it truly revolutionary is its ability to be re-used for space travels through its jet propulsion landings – an accomplishment not seen since the Apollo landings. Kate Tice, the manager of Quality Systems engineering at SpaceX called it ‘a day for the engineering history books.’
Finally, a world-leading study in England has begun testing 100,000 newborns babies for rare genetic diseases. This study aims, through genomic testing, to diagnose these diseases at the earliest stage, ensuring thousands of babies can be given life-saving treatment right from the start of their lives.
This week’s uplifting events demonstrate that, amidst the chaos, there are peoples and initiatives working to safeguard a bright and more sustainable future. These positive events are happening every day, even if they do not always make the front page of the news.
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