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In the headlines...

🙅 The family after whom the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility is named condemned its operations and called for its closure, saying its current operations have “nothing to do with the original mission.” (Gifted link)

⚽ World Cup referee Omar Artan will receive his full tournament fee from FIFA despite being denied entry to the United States.

Clean energy

Spain just launched a new floating ocean solar farm

Spain just launched one of its biggest marine solar energy projects to date with the “Paiporta” platform, a megawatt floating photovoltaic system designed to operate in offshore waters and port environments.

The project is a huge step forward for Spain when it comes to renewable energy. Instead of competing for agricultural land and forests, offshore floating solar installations have been shown to speed up the energy transition by taking advantage of underutilized marine surfaces.

The design of the floating solar farm itself has an added benefit. The cooling effect of the water beneath the platforms reduces the risk of panels overheating, which in turn generates higher electricity. Researchers from Oregon State University said that the cooling effect on floating solar farms can boost panel efficiency by up to 15%.

Why is this good news? When offshore solar farms succeed on a large scale, it helps reduce dependence on fossil fuels and cut greenhouse gas emissions — all while avoiding many of the land-use conflicts that often slow new energy projects.

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More Good News

​Residents in a Pennsylvania town are fighting back against proposed data centers that could cover 14% of their town. Residents of Archbald, Pennsylvania are creating the blueprint for how to protect communities from the noise, heat, and utility costs of massive data centers.

​A Scottish man is walking 3,200 miles from Los Angeles to Boston for the World Cup while raising money for men’s mental health. Craig Ferguson’s mission is rooted in the loss suffered by his best friend, Struan, whose father, Russell, died by suicide seven years ago.

​More than 50 organizations and 25 countries launched a new alliance to protect the Atlantic Ocean’s leatherback sea turtles. Leatherbacks are classified as “vulnerable” globally on the IUCN Red List, but more recent regional conservation status assessments for the turtles show more concern about their status.

​Amtrak delivered its first high-speed train for final testing in Seattle ahead of passenger service launch later this year. It’s the first of eight that will replace the aging fleet of passenger trains currently serving the Amtrak Cascades route, and 83 trains Amtrak plans to deploy around the country.

​Researchers created a 3D-printable architectural material made out of yeast. Traditional construction materials are long-lasting and durable, but also contribute a large amount to global emissions and consumption of resources, while the yeast-based material is biodegradable, sustainable, and zero-waste.

​Mushrooms helped remove sewage and filter out 80% of E. coli bacteria in a U.K. river. In a separate trial, a similar mushroom filter barricade caught 83% of phosphorus and 35% of nitrogen from rainwater running off farmers’ fields.

People doing good

‘Girl dads’ are talking periods and hairstyles over beers at the pub: ‘It's not a mom topic, it’s a parenting topic’

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good progress

China’s rapid transition to electric vehicles cut enough pollution to prevent 262,000 deaths

A new study found that China’s swift shift to electric vehicles has cut urban air pollution so much, it’s prevented an estimated 262,000 premature deaths. It’s among the strongest evidence so far that transit electrification brings real-world public health benefits.

Using air quality data and machine learning across 150 cities, researchers found that the growth of “new energy vehicles” – including battery-electric, plug-in hybrid, and hydrogen – was linked to a 28.80% reduction in PM2.5, and a 30.67% reduction in carbon monoxide.

They then estimated that improvement in air quality prevented an estimated 262,000 non-accidental deaths, as well as around 75,000 all-cause deaths.

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More Good bits

🌈 Noah Kahan honored Pulse nightclub victims in Orlando. (TikTok)

⚽ It’s a competition, and this World Cup story is winning.

🇯🇵 A close second: Japan’s fans continuing their clean-up tradition.

☀️ There’s at least one place where 100% clean energy is a reality.

🎵 Music labels are going green in “record” numbers. (May require login)

🦫 Britain’s builders bested by British beavers.

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