r/OptimistsUnite

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"From a quarter to half of Earth’s vegetated lands has shown significant greening over the last 35 years largely due to rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change on April 25.

An international team of 32 authors from 24 institutions in eight countries led the effort, which involved using satellite data from NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer instruments to help determine the leaf area index, or amount of leaf cover, over the planet’s vegetated regions. The greening represents an increase in leaves on plants and trees equivalent in area to two times the continental United States."

https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/goddard/carbon-dioxide-fertilization-greening-earth-study-finds/

>“Renewables were the world’s largest source of total energy supply growth last year for the first time outside a recession, according to a new Energy Institute report, with solar accounting for 72% of the total.

>China delivered another record year for both solar and wind — more than the rest of the world combined — but analysts said it is stockpiling fossil fuels as insurance.

>In 2025, US emissions rose 3.2%, four times the growth of China.

>Solar’s advance is supported by battery storage, whose average cost plunged 45% in 2025, according to Ember, an energy-focused think tank.

>The Iran war has turbocharged these trends as countries seek to reduce their reliance on oil and gas from the Gulf.”

>From Semafor.

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Our results further suggest that optimism is specifically related to 11 to 15% longer life span, on average, and to greater odds of achieving “exceptional longevity,” that is, living to the age of 85 or beyond. These relations were independent of socioeconomic status, health conditions, depression, social integration, and health behaviors (e.g., smoking, diet, and alcohol use). Overall, findings suggest optimism may be an important psychosocial resource for extending life span in older adults.

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1900712116

>“Infant mortality in the U.S. dropped to a new all-time low in 2025, according to preliminary government data.

>There were slightly fewer than 5.4 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2025, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

>While that appears to be a small decline from about 5.5 in 2024 and 5.6 in the two years preceding, researchers say it is statistically meaningful and translates to hundreds of fewer infant deaths per year.”

>From STAT.