The first 3D-printed affordable housing project in Europe was just completed — and it only took 12 days
In Ireland, a first-of-its-kind social housing project has been built from the ground up, using 3D printing to save both time and money. It's the first 3D-printed social housing project in all of Europe.
The 3D printing part of the building process took just 12 days, and the company behind the build said it could be completed even faster by simply swapping the printing hose.
Conventional construction methods usually require more than 200 days, according to COBOD, meaning this method could be transformative in quickly scaling affordable housing options.
Why is this good news?As cities and countries all over the world face housing crises, the need for affordable housing options is urgent. Countries like Sweden and Germany are also experimenting with the benefits of 3D-printed solutions, and it could become the standard for building quality affordable housing to address shortages in a cost- and time-efficient way.
In 2024, France's power grid was 95% fossil-free for the first time — driven primarily by nuclear and renewables
Low-carbon sources made up more than 95% of France's annual power production for the first time in 2024. Record output from renewable sources alongside rising nuclear power drove the surge.
The country's nuclear production grew 13% to a five-year high, making up 67% of its total energy generation. Renewables followed, with a record 28% of the total, driven largely by hydropower, which reached its highest levels since 2013.
While solar only accounted for 4.3% of the total, it was still more than natural gas. And gas, coal, and fuel oil reached its lowest level since the early 1950s.
Why is this good news? The impacts of global warming caused by the burning of fossil fuels are apparent — in unprecedented wildfires, ecosystem degradation, and more. And climate scientists agree: every bit of warming we can prevent will stop even more catastrophic impacts from happening.
While we need to see this kind of news on a global scale — it's proof that fossil-free energy is achievable.
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A Danish city paid residents to return their to-go coffee cups — and collected 735,000 in a single year
To reduce the amount of disposable coffee cup waste, the Danish city of Aarhus launched a three-year trial project in January 2024 to get people to return them instead — and it paid them to.
Initially introduced through partnerships with local cafes that began offering returnable, reusable cups, the largest consumer behavior change came during a week-long local festival where more people were exposed — and a new habit was born.
Far exceeding its goal of 500,000 in the first year, 735,000 cups were returned last year, preventing 14 tonnes of single-use plastic from incineration and CO2 emissions. This year, it wants to double that and collect 1.5 million cups.
Why is this good news? The program had an 88% return rate, which means each cup would be reused 44 times.
While initially tested on a small scale, these kinds of programs provide proof of concept that initiatives like this are genuinely popular and adoptable — and it could be coming to more cities in Europe.
Japan just rolled out the world's first toilet paper made from used disposable diapers
The Shibushi Osaki Roll is the world's first toilet paper made from recycled diapers — and it's available to purchase at seven stores in southwest Japan's Kyushu.
Spearheaded by two municipalities that share a waste management system, they collected 98 tons of diapers and other used hygiene products to be transformed into rolls of toilet paper.
Why is this good news? The environmental impact of both cutting down trees for toilet paper and disposable diaper waste is significant. Around 712 million trees are felled yearly to produce virgin pulp toilet paper. Meanwhile, disposable diapers are the third-largest single consumer item in landfills, taking an estimated 500 years to decompose.
This is a new frontier for a toilet paper alternative and could prove viability on a much larger, global scale.
Marcus Freeman became the first Black head coach in the college football national championship
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman will make history today as the first Black head coach to make it to the college football national championship as his team takes on Ohio State.
Freeman acknowledged the historic moment, which came on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but said the attention was misplaced: "... to me the attention should be on MLK Day and what he did for our country and the progress he made for equal rights and progress for all people, the courage he had as an individual to stand for what he believes in."
And Freeman feels that way when it comes to football too, wanting his ascension to the biggest game in college football to do nothing else but blaze a trail for others.
Why is this good news? Ultimately, what Freeman is saying is exactly what Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is all about: progress in creating a world of equal opportunity, freedom, and justice for all. While his milestone is significant, Freeman also demonstrates a commitment to continuing King's legacy on MLK Day and beyond.
In the name of joy being an act of resistance: I'm practicing noticing and celebrating "little" moments of joy in my life. This week: it was my one-year-old starting to copy silly things we do to make herlaugh — in an effort to make us laugh (it worked).
What's something that brought you joy this past week?
I really do believe joy is fuel right now and would love to know (and celebrate!) what's doing it for you!
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