Every day the Good Good Good team collects the best good news in the world and shares it with our community. Here are the highlights for this week!
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The Best Positive News We’re Celebrating This Week —
A California construction company announced its plans to 3D-print ‘inflammable homes’ for LA wildfire victims
Emergent Construction CEO Don Ajamian is all too familiar with wildfires: the Carr Fire struck his community in Redding, California and while he didn’t lose his home — many of his neighbors did.
He founded Emergent to act as a “second responder” after a disaster strikes. It 3D prints homes out of concrete, providing construction that’s not only faster and sturdier — it uses no flammable materials.
Emergent has “built” seven homes so far, six of them in Redding. Now, it’s hoping to help LA wildfire victims by providing “attractive, dignified, long-term solutions for local housing.” And it’s not just for those who can afford it — Emergent wants to help families of all socio-economic backgrounds “have a place to call home.”
Why is this good news? The clean-up and rebuilding process following the immense damage caused by the Eaton, Palisades and other fires in the Los Angeles area will take time — solutions like these are a quicker fix. Unlike other “quick fixes,” though, this one also offers safe, secure, dignified shelter for people who lost everything.
A decade ago, it took the world a year to add a gigawatt of solar power capacity — now it only takes a day
In 2004, it took about a year for the world to add one gigawatt of solar power capacity. Less than a decade later, in 2023, the same amount was added every single day on average.
One gigawatt of solar is enough to power around 200,000 homes in the U.S. — meaning the world’s capacity for powering homes with renewable energy is expanding rapidly.
Much of this growth is happening in China, which in 2023 accounted for about 43% of installed solar energy capacity globally.
It’s also a result of dramatically lower prices for solar panels, which have dropped by about 95% since 2001 from $6.21 per watt to $0.31.
A new tiny home “recovery village” in New Mexico is designed to promote sobriety among its residents
The city of Albuquerque, New Mexico recently broke ground on a new tiny home neighborhood called Recovery Gateway. The 46-mini-home community is designed to provide shelter to those facing homelessness and experiencing substance use disorder.
Sobriety in homeless shelters and transitional housing is a hot topic, as it is often a barrier to entry for these much-needed facilities. And while some “low barrier” shelters exist — meaning they do not require background or credit checks, income verification, sobriety, or an ID — they can struggle to maintain sustainable funding.
After studies showed that Albuquerque had a shortage of low-barrier recovery housing, the city got to work on Recovery Gateway to expand housing options for people living with substance use disorders.
Why is this good news? It can often be more challenging for people who are homeless to stop using substances, because they may face greater barriers to accessing treatment, have smaller support networks, decreased motivation to be and stay sober, and “may have other, higher priorities, such as finding housing or food.” A supportive community like this can be transformative.
An abandoned prison in Spain was transformed into a first-of-its-kind homeless shelter and soup kitchen — it also provides job opportunities
A nonprofit leader in the UK slept on the streets for 10 nights to learn more and better serve people experiencing homelessness, especially women
As the founder of U.K. nonprofit The Esther Project, Lianne Kirkman has worked to provide refuge, recovery, and rehabilitation to women experiencing homelessness for over a decade.
But this year, to learn more about the lived experiences of the people her organization serves, Kirkman set off on a 10-stop tour across the country, meeting with other shelters and nonprofits — and sleeping on the street for 10 nights in a row.
According to The Esther Project, 65% of Londoners in temporary accommodation are women — and they face unique hurdles that often go overlooked. Many, for example, do not feel safe in those accommodations and those who cannot access them at all also avoid the dangers of street-sleeping — leaving them without any place to go.
Kirkman used her experience to more deeply consider what women might need to feel safe indoors — and meet those needs.
→ Read more
A free children’s bookstore opened in Maryland to provide diverse reading options and improve literacy rates
Maryland-based nonprofit organization Our Kids Read just opened a free children’s bookstore at a Baltimore-area mall with the goal of promoting proficient literacy among underserved children.
On a more personal level, the organization’s executive director wants to instill a love and appreciation for reading in children — just like he had.
The Free Children’s Book Store and Literacy Hub offers thousands of donated books, supported by the Baltimore and Princeton communities, Scholastic, and others — with a focus on literature that showcases various cultures and backgrounds.
Why is this good news? In 2024, only 13% of fourth-grade students performed at or above “proficient” reading levels in Baltimore city — similarly, only 16% of eighth-graders did. While libraries are an incredible, essential resource — they aren’t always accessible (when they aren’t under threat), so more options to expand access are essential.
→ Read more
Charles Barkley called NBA All-Star game host city San Francisco the ‘armpit of America’ — then made amends by donating $250,000 and volunteering at a homeless shelter
Colorado Parks and Wildlife just acquired 120 acres to create a new wildlife management area
To conserve wildlife and increase recreational opportunities for hunters and anglers, Colorado Parks and Wildlife just acquired 120 acres to create a new wildlife management area.
The area, which includes a quarter-mile stretch along a creek, will become the Michigan Creek State Wildlife Area. Before it was conveyed to CPW, it was donated by a private landowner to the Western Rivers Conservancy to be used towards conservation efforts.
Part of the reason for this acquisition is also to increase opportunities for Coloradans to hunt and fish, but it’s important to note that those activities require a special State Wildlife Area pass, which is different from a Park Pass, and the funding supports conservation efforts and habitat health.
Why is this good news? In light of recent events related to U.S. National Parks and forests, it’s more important than ever to do whatever we can to protect wildlife, prioritize critical conservation efforts, and preserve nature. With this new wildlife area, Colorado will continue its legacy of preserving land and protecting the outdoors “for future generations to enjoy.”
→ Read more
Thanks to Alex Trebek, a former Los Angeles rollerskating rink has been transformed into a 107-bed shelter named in his honor
A retired veteran has built over 500 free ramps for his neighbors in need
Before Pete Adler enlisted in the Army, he majored in architecture. Now, after spending 25 years in equipment maintenance and supply, and another 17 years as a civilian employee, Adler is back to his architectural roots.
And it’s for a good cause: Building free ramps for his senior and disabled neighbors after learning that many people need them — but cannot afford them.
So, he assembled a group of volunteers from his church to help — and they’ve built more than 500 ramps for their neighbors in need.
Environmental groups in the U.S. just filed the first lawsuit to stop new offshore oil and gas drilling
The nonprofit law firm Earthjustice, on behalf of several environmental groups, just filed the first of what’s expected to be many lawsuits challenging the Trump-Vance administration’s efforts to expand fossil fuel production.
After taking office, President Trump issued an executive order revoking protections made under the Biden-Harris administration to protect areas along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts from drilling.
The lawsuit argues that Congress does not grant the executive branch the authority to undo protections placed on those areas. A similar effort was stopped by a judge in Alaska in 2019.
Why is this good news? Burning fossil fuels is the main driver of global warming and we need to stop producing more of them as soon as possible to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
Plus, offshore drilling is especially risky because oil spills can travel far, quickly and damage marine ecosystems and wildlife. And even actions that come before actual drilling can damage these ecosystems.
→ Read more (Gifted link)
A new study found that tiny homes are more effective than group shelters at helping unhoused people get off the streets — for good
→ Read more
The number of unprovoked shark bites dropped dramatically in 2024 worldwide
Worldwide, there were only 47 unprovoked shark bites in 2024 — down from 69 in 2023 and significantly below the 10-year average of 70. Four of those attacks resulted in death, which is also a significant decline.
The U.S. consistently sees the highest number of unprovoked bites and saw 29 total reported incidents in 2024, one of which was fatal. Florida saw more than any other state with 14 bites, eight of them in a single county.
“Unprovoked” bites occur when a person does not initiate contact with a shark. Surfers accounted for 33% of all the unprovoked attacks globally, since turbulent waters attract fish and their predators: sharks.
More good news of the week —
Committing “to the care of God’s creation,” The Episcopal Church has now fully divested from the fossil fuel industry. Longtime leaders in ethical investing, the church restricts investments in human rights, military contracting, for-profit prisons, tobacco products, and now, fossil fuels — it also maintains a “No-Buy List” of over 200 companies involved in these industries.
A “tiny kangaroo” is bouncing back from the brink of extinction in California. Brush-tailed bettongs once inhabited more than 60% of mainland Australia, but European colonization of the country brought predators and destroyed of much of the animal’s native grassland and woodland habitats.
A beginner women’s hockey team in Minnesota is teaching others the sport with joy and inclusion. With skaters of all abilities ranging from 30 to 60 years old, the Duluth Motherpuckers are dedicated to playing beginner women’s hockey, in a supportive, low-pressure environment.
“Homeless outreach” rangers in San Francisco’s state parks give out assistance instead of citations. Balancing “enforcement with compassionate outreach,” the two outreach rangers do what the department calls “arduous and achingly bureaucratic tasks” to help set people up for success across the city’s 220 parks.
A former women’s prison in New York is becoming an affordable housing site for low-income residents and formerly incarcerated individuals. “Liberty Landing” is located in Chelsea, one of New York City’s most expensive neighborhoods where the cost of rent is 183% higher than the national average with a median rent price of $5,595 per month.
Less expensive than a brick-and-mortar alternative, cities are using “dignity buses” to combat homeless shelter shortages. In Orlando, Florida, for example, officials estimate a shortage of about 1,000 shelter beds to provide safe places to sleep for unhoused folks who would otherwise be unsheltered outside.
A coastal town in North Carolina built the first tiny home neighborhood in the U.S. for people experiencing chronic homelessness. After three years of construction and planning, 31 wheelchair-accessible, fully furnished homes were built in a round-circle fashion — bookended by a community garden and a clubhouse center.
A hotel in Denver is on the market for just $10 — its future owner must make a 99-year commitment to maintaining it as affordable housing. After an environmental review held up the city from transforming the boarded-up motel, it’s selling it for just $10 so that it can be renovated, open up, and house families in need as soon as possible.
A building in Detroit was transformed into permanent housing for veterans experiencing homelessness. Detroit is one of more than 100 communities in the United States that’s joined “Built for Zero,” a national campaign that’s supporting efforts to achieve what’s called “functional zero” through a data-driven methodology.
A vacant school in Utah was transformed into a first-of-its-kind housing, shelter, and food pantry facility. The Harris Community Village provides 66 permanent housing units for low-income households, a 44-bed shelter, seven family rooms, a community kitchen, an emergency food pantry, and 24-7 childcare.
Emergency “igloo” shelters help provide refuge for homeless individuals facing freezing temperatures. Life-threatening hypothermia can occur when temperatures are between 32 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit, but most warming centers and homeless shelters do not open until temperatures descend much colder.
- Related: Volunteers knit a massive blanket to honor the lives of homeless people who died in the cold
Hank and John Green’s annual 48-hour charity livestream just raised $3.6 million for charity — its largest total ever. The Green brothers have organized “Project For Awesome” since 2007, and while half of the money goes to charities voted on by the public, the other half is split between Save the Children and Partners in Health to support their global health efforts.
A California family-owned farm is donating hundreds of thousands of eggs to wildfire victims and first responders. Egg prices reached a record high in the U.S. last month, mostly as a result of a nationwide bird flu outbreak, as well as higher costs for feed, fuel, and labor because of inflation, and more investment in biosecurity measures to protect flocks.
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University developed a test for earlier detection of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is difficult to detect, giving it time to grow and spread, and deadly — this new research was funded in part with money from the National Institutes of Health, which is also facing cuts from the current U.S. presidential administration.
A software engineer and developer created an Amazon alternative for book lovers to track their reading — and it’s skyrocketing in popularity. Nadia Odunayo originally created The StoryGraph to be a companion to Goodreads, but many of its 3.8 million active users have ditched the Amazon-owned platform altogether for personal and ethical reasons.
A new three-year study found MacKenzie Scott’s $19 billion in charitable giving has been “transformational” for nonprofits. (Paywalled) The report looked at data from over 1,000 organizations that received grants from the billionaire and found that they overwhelmingly managed the money well.
Germany just passed a “historic” law backing women’s right to protection from domestic and gender-based violence. In 2023, there were 180,715 female victims of domestic violence in the country, a 5.6% increase from the previous year, while cases of sexual violence affected 52,330 women, up by 6.2%, and digital violence targeted 17,193 women, a 25% rise.
Finland’s first green hydrogen plant just started commercial production. With new restrictions taking effect for emissions in air and marine traffic in the coming years, as well as the U.S. pausing investment in clean energy, the company says it expects production and demand to increase to benefit the country.
The governor of Illinois just signed “Karina’s Law” to confiscate guns from domestic abusers. Named after a woman who was killed by her husband, who also killed their 15-year-old daughter, the new law clarifies the process for confiscating a person’s gun when they are served an order of protection during instances of domestic violence.
Thanks to conservation efforts, the American Oystercatcher population has rebounded 45% since 2008. Playing a vital role in coastal ecosystems, shorebird populations across the Americas have declined by nearly 50% over the past four decades, facing increasing threats from habitat loss, climate change, and human disturbances.
Architects turned an “oddly-shaped” parking lot into colorful tiny home village for LA’s homeless. While modest, the homes are painted in bright, welcoming colors, and residents have access to onsite meals, WiFi, showers, mental health support, job training, case management, and a small dog park.
A U.S. airport just installed the world’s first pods that convert jet blast into power. The technology is intended to relieve some of the pressure on Texas’s energy grid while enhancing resilience against shortages and complementing the state’s push for renewable energy sources.
