Up first...

🍎 It’s Teacher Appreciation Week! All week long, parents, students, administrators, and all members of the community have the opportunity to show teachers they are valued and appreciated — to help improve their lives as educators.

🇵🇸 Yesterday, we told you about Pope Francis’ support for prisoners, and we’ve got another: a custom popemobile he used to visit the West Bank a decade ago is being transformed into a mobile health clinic to treat sick and injured Palestinian children in Gaza. (Gifted link)

Clean energy

Under new rules, solar panels will be mandatory on all new-build homes in England by 2027

Within two years, nearly all new-build homes in England must be constructed with solar panels under new planned regulations.

While the policy is expected to add between £3,000 and £4,000 ($3,984 to $5,312 in USD) to building costs, homeowners would also save over £1,000 on annual energy bills — helping them recoup the added cost within around 4 years.

The government is also planning to offer government-funded loans and grants to help install solar panels on existing homes.

Why is this good news? While commercial-sized clean energy installations are essential, rooftop solar has enormous potential, too. One study estimated that it alone could provide nearly two-thirds of the world’s electricity.

→ Read more​

More Good News

​Republican lawmakers in several U.S. states are sponsoring legislation to spur community solar to help more people access cheap, clean power. Community solar installations, allow households to reap the benefits of cheaper, clean power without putting panels on their own roofs — and customers who subscribe to these projects can save money on their electricity bills.

​A Wisconsin nonprofit rescued over 7,000 pounds of food from the NFL Draft to give it to local families in need. Distributing it to 13 area pantries and shelters, Rooted In collected a majority of the food — like salads, meat, fresh produce, and, of course, cheese — from catered draft events, along with vendors with unsold leftovers.

​In a “historic ruling,” a Dutch court upheld a ban on fossil fuel advertisements in The Hague. The law has technically been effective since January 1 of this year, pending a lawsuit by the travel industry, and supporters are hopeful that the court’s backing will encourage other cities to take similar action, too.

Environment

Scientists use an Isaac Newton-inspired method to clean up trash from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

→ Read more​

People doing good

A man survived hundreds of deadly snake bites to help pioneer a universal anti-venom

For the past 20 years, Tim Friede has been one of the most notorious “unconventional” medical researchers, undergoing over 200 bites from the world’s deadliest snakes — and more than four times as many — 850 — venomous injections.

And he did it all in the name of science. Now full of antibodies, his blood is now the source material researchers are using to develop an anti-venom capable of neutralizing a broad spectrum of snake bites.

According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 100,000 people are killed by snake bites each year, with countless more being disabled by the venom of the deadly reptiles.

→ Read more​

More Good bits

🐶 An animal rescue got a “mutt-ernity” suite makeover.​

🏳️‍⚧️ NBD ... Robert De Niro is just a supportive father.​

💕 We made the right children’s creator famous. (Instagram)

🦅 Florida man is at it again.

🌎 Kids teach us a lot.​

What’s good?

As someone who’s gotten quotes to have solar panels installed on my existing home ... it appears to be *significantly* more cost-effective to put them on during initial construction.

What do you think of England mandating solar panels on new home builds?

I’d love to know your thoughts!

— Megan