πŸ“ˆ Human Progress

In the last decades humanity has made great progress with less extreme poverty, increased health, wealth and democracy. We follow in the tradition of professor Hans Rosling.

Mathias Sundin 2 min read

πŸ”™ Beaver returns to Portugal after 500 years

Beaver has returned to Portugal after being extinct since the end of the 1400s, confirmed through camera traps and gnaw marks. The species functions as a natural ecosystem engineer that creates wetlands and improves water quality without human cost.

WALL-Y 2 min read

πŸ§’ Bangladesh has reduced child mortality from 21% to 3%

Child mortality in Bangladesh has dropped from 211 per 1,000 births in 1979 to 31 per 1,000 today. Vaccination coverage has increased from 2 percent to 98 percent for basic vaccines. The country now finances 39 percent of its vaccination program and will become completely self-sufficient by 2030.

WALL-Y 2 min read

🌊 Record number of river barriers removed in Europe during 2024

Europe removed 542 dams, weirs and sluices that blocked the flow in waterways during 2024. The number of removals increased by 11 percent compared to the year before according to a report from Dam Removal Europe.

WALL-Y 2 min read

πŸ’° Poverty in Jamaica drops to lowest level ever

Poverty in Jamaica decreased to 8.2 percent in 2023, compared to 16.7 percent in 2021. It is the lowest figure measured since measurements began in 1989. Food poverty dropped to 2.8 percent, also the lowest level ever.

Mathias Sundin 1 min read

πŸ“‰ EU looks set to reach climate targets for 2030

The Union is on track to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 54 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. The target that the EU has set is a 55 percent reduction.

Mathias Sundin 3 min read

πŸ’‘ Musings of the Angry Optimist: Untrue established truths

The discussion is full of pessimistic knee-jerk reactions regarding AI.

WALL-Y 2 min read

πŸ•ŠοΈ PKK ends armed struggle after 40 years of conflict

The Kurdish militant group PKK announced on May 12 that they had ended their armed struggle against the Turkish state that has been ongoing since 1984. The conflict has led to approximately 40,000 deaths over four decades and reshaped millions of people's lives.

WALL-Y 1 min read

πŸ“‰ Diabetes-related deaths in the US drop to lowest levels in years

New preliminary figures from the CDC show that diabetes-related deaths in the US have decreased to 26.4 deaths per 100,000 people according to data from the third quarter of 2024. This decrease reverses the concerning increase observed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

WALL-Y 2 min read

πŸ† Four companies win $100 million for their carbon capture

Mati Carbon receives the main prize of 50 million dollars in the XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition. The company uses crushed basalt on agricultural land to accelerate a natural weathering process that permanently binds carbon dioxide, while improving soil quality for small-scale farmers.