so long, January...

• Late Wednesday night, there was a devastating plane-helicopter crash near a D.C. airport — officials said there are (heartbreakingly) no survivors. Heroic first responders are still searching amidst freezing conditions to recover the crash victims (gift link).
• ​Black History Month officially starts tomorrow — we collected some ways to celebrate with care and intentionality this year. More below!

food

Startups are turning empty office buildings into vertical farms in cities around the world

Canada’s iconic Calgary Tower is now home to a 65,000-square-foot vertical indoor farm, producing crops like strawberries, kale, and cucumber. Similar farms have popped up in Japan, Singapore, and Dubai.

On vertical indoor farms, foods can grow in climate-controlled environments, which is doubly important in light of severe weather events intensified by climate change impacting weather patterns and crop yields.

In places like the U.S., where the office vacancy rate is more than 20%, farms are a solution for landlords who need to fill space. One is in the works in Texas, another opened in Ohio, and there’s now a 200,000-square-foot farm inside a former commercial building in Kentucky.

Why is this good news? The indoor farming movement has been (pardon the pun) growing for years, but when the pandemic disrupted global supply chains, it heightened the need for new, local solutions. And now, the pandemic has also resulted in as many as one in four office spaces left vacant in some cities. Indoor farming offers a solution to both problems.

→ Read more​

More Good News

​The U.K. and Scottish governments launched a “skills passport” to help fossil fuel workers transition to clean energy jobs. Research has found that around 90 percent of these workers have skills relevant to the clean energy transition, and ensuring they aren’t left behind is critical.

​A kabaddi club is helping Indian girls find new opportunities and become financially independent as they get older. An Indian contact sport, kabaddi is now played in more than 50 countries across the world and is offering young girls in India the opportunity to escape a restricted, rural life.

​A new study found a critical ocean current that helps regulate the Earth’s climate and weather has not declined in the last 60 years. Scientists have feared that as the climate continuously changes and the atmosphere warms, fresh water from melting polar ice sheets could significantly disrupt — or collapse — the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation — it hasn’t yet.

homelessness

Using upcycled Carhartt fabric and car insulation, water-resistant coats transform into sleeping bags for homeless folks (and they’re manufactured by formerly homeless folks, too)

→ Read more​

be the good

Black History Month starts tomorrow — intentionally celebrate all month long

​Black History Month starts tomorrow! While we don’t need an awareness holiday to embrace and honor Black history, this month is an opportunity to reconcile with the past, pave the way for a more just future, and celebrate all the amazing figures in Black history.

The truth is, many of us are unaware of the depth, breadth, and relevance of Black history — it’s also difficult for us to comprehend just how recently so much of Black history has taken place.

We can take action to change that — this month, and all year long:

1. ​Watch a documentary about the Black experience
2. Learn more about lesser-known Black leaders from history
3. ​Read books written by Black authors
4. Create a playlist of Black artists (or search for a pre-curated one on your favorite music streaming app)
5. ​Support Black-owned businesses — with your regular purchases, too
6. Donate to Black-led nonprofits and organizations in your community
7. ​Do your part to change policies that lead to racial injustice

​
→ 38 ways to intentionally celebrate Black History Month​

Good Quote

→ More quotes to celebrate Black History Month​

More Good bits

👏 Another good way to celebrate Black History Month: Support DEI initiatives (even when retailers don’t).

🇺🇸 Tiny home villages are a solution to veteran homelessness (in more ways than one).

🏈 Her fiancé may be out of the Super Bowl, but Hailee Steinfeld is still making an appearance.​

🏟️ The Denver Broncos aren’t in the Super Bowl either, but they’re doing a lot of good on another field.

🗳️ Indiana had unanimous support for clearing its rape kit backlog.

What’s good?

This week’s most-clicked good news story was the one about California’s innovative homeless campus that’s a “heck of a lot cheaper than letting someone stay unsheltered.”

What’s been your favorite good news from this week?

I’d love to know what’s been keeping you hopeful — reply and let me know!

— Megan