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The best good news stories from March
March was filled with so much good news, it's easy to overlook some of it!
Today, we're highlighting stories from the past month of Goodnewsletters — to help make sure you catch all the good news you might have missed.
Photo: Courtesy of Vattenfall/Jorrit Lousberg
A decommissioned wind turbine was transformed into an eco-friendly tiny home — its design is scalable to '2,000 houses a year'
Wind energy has increased drastically globally, but with most wind turbines having a life span of about 20 years, much of the initial wind energy infrastructure has been or will soon be decommissioned worldwide.
Challenging public perception, a study found that a large majority of homeless people in California are not illicit drug users
While it's more prevalent than among the general public, contrary to popular perception, only about 37% of homeless people were using illicit drugs regularly, and 25% said they had never even used drugs.
Travis Kelce transformed a $3.3 million mansion into transitional housing for homeless youth
The NFL star's donation will specifically help young people who are unable to secure permanent housing during the "transitional ages" of 18 to 24 — a uniquely challenging time for those who grew up in foster care.
In an 'unprecedented' discovery, researchers found a thriving, never-before-seen ecosystem under an Antarctic ice shelf
In addition to sea spiders, ice fish, and octopuses, the scientists discovered corals and sponges, whose size indicated that the ecosystem had been thriving for decades, if not hundreds of years.
In the U.S. state with the worst drunk driving rates, "bar fairies" are rewarding those who choose a safe ride home
A group of volunteers in Montana's Flathead Valley spends their Saturday and Sunday mornings patrolling the parking lots of local bars searching for cars left overnight to leave a reward on their windshield.
Mardi Gras beads take up to 500 years to decompose, so LSU students designed a biodegradable alternative — and they turn into flowers
When traditional beads decompose, they also release heavy metals and other toxins into the environment and can even clog sewer systems across the city of New Orleans.
A pro surfer partnered with a renewable energy company to recycle decommissioned wind turbine blades into surfboards
Ten prototype boards have been made as part of ACCIONA's "Turbine Made" initiative, which is Australia's first program to explore innovative ways to transform retired turbine blades into new products.
A teen diagnosed with two rare tick-borne illnesses just won the Princess Diana award for her "tick-scanning app" invention
An estimated 476,000 Americans are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease each year, and that doesn't account for the 20 additional infections that ticks can carry — Anotiona Kolb caught two rare, potentially life-threatening ones.
A California city's "earn-a-bike" program gives homeless residents their own bicycle after logging 100 miles
The program has been operational for the last 10 years, and Roberts credits it with helping unhoused community members improve their mental and physical health — while gaining crucial independence.
3D-printed tiny homes made from recycled plastics offer speedy, safe transitional housing to LA wildfire victims
Construction is 70% faster than traditional methods, printing the exterior walls of a home with a combination of fiberglass and recycled plastic in just about one day.
An old Seattle home was transformed into the country's first shelter specifically designed for homeless LGBTQ+ veterans
The Q'mmunity House opened in a renovated 1915 five-bedroom, two-story home in West Seattle and will give residents a place to stay for six to 18 months while they find permanent housing.
An eighth grader in Texas is leading a campaign to educate immigrant families about their rights
Alexa Jaramillo and her team of volunteers quickly created the Red Card Project, a student-driven effort to address families' fear of deportation and give them the confidence to navigate uncertain times.
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a regulation requiring serial numbers, background checks, and age verification for 'ghost guns'
The number of ghost guns found at crime scenes around the country had been soaring, with 27,000 recovered by law enforcement in 2023 — up from fewer than 1,700 in 2017 — and that number had flattened out or declined since the regulation was finalized.
To help confront rising rates of homelessness, a Michigan city developed 'temporary legal encampment sites'
While it's not designed to be a permanent solution, the plan does allow those experiencing homelessness at least a little more dignity and support, especially considering simply removing these encampments does nothing to improve public safety.
Endangered cougar cubs were spotted in the wild in Michigan for the first time in more than 100 years
In the early 1900s, cougars were hunted to the point of extinction and became protected under the Endangered Species Act in 1973 since they're a keystone species, meaning their absence can have negative cascading effects on the local ecosystem.
Drag queen and environmentalist Pattie Gonia made the inaugural "National Geographic 33" list alongside Selena Gomez, Jason Momoa, and others
The list pays homage to the brand's 33 founders by celebrating a class of "visionaries, creators, icons, and adventurers … who are united in the belief that our world needs imaginative solutions and urgent action."
A church transformed its vacant land into a massive urban garden, donating 65K pounds of food to people in need
After seeing an abundance of abandoned land and limited access to fresh, healthy produce in its community, Mission of Mary Cooperative now manages a network of six massive urban farming plots across four acres, growing over 75 different varieties of fruits and vegetables.
Further helping the city improve air quality, residents in Paris voted to make 500 more streets car-free
The additional car-free Parisian streets will bring the total number to nearly 700, with another 10,000 parking spots removed in addition to the 10,000 that have already been removed.
In a "historic milestone for rewilding," Chile and Argentina collaborated to save a giant flightless bird from extinction
The three-foot-tall Darwin's rhea is locally endangered in Chile, and in turn, the country's grasslands deteriorated, as the birds play a crucial role in dispersing seeds and renewing vegetation.
The world's largest women's prison launched an independent newspaper written by and for inmates
The Central California Women's Facility is home to more than 2,000 women, nonbinary, and transgender people, and The Paper Trail is amplifying their voices.
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LET'S TALK NUMBERS
In news that will surprise absolutely no one who's had a child, a recent study found that 61% of parents say exhaustion is the emotion they experienced most in the first year of having kids. That was followed by feeling overwhelmed (48%) and anxious (32%). So if you love your baby but are also really going through it right now, know that it's normal and you're not alone.
ASK THE EXPERT 📞
What is an inferiority complex and how do I know if I have one?
We all occasionally get down on ourselves and worry if we're measuring up to the people around us. That's a common experience. (Right?!) But an inferiority complex, characterized by the American Psychological Association (APA) as a "basic feeling of inadequacy and insecurity" based on an "actual or imagined physical or psychological deficiency," is a bit deeper than that.
Think of it like a persistent boogeyman constantly lurking in the shadows reminding you that you're not as good as the people around you, either in one specific thing (like running or flirting) or in general. "An inferiority complex is a kind of chronic feeling like you're inadequate, you're under equipped, you're not good enough compared to other people," says clinical psychologist Ryan Howes, PhD.
This constant feeling of falling short compared to others can be a huge burden and keep you from living your life the way you want. Whether it's sitting out social events, trying to just blend in at work, or going to extremes to make up for feeling unqualified for everyday tasks, an inferiority complex can keep you stuck and unsatisfied.
What causes an inferiority complex?
This brand of low self-esteem is often rooted in the things we're told about ourselves, the way we're treated, and the stories we hear about others and how they're treated. "When you're a baby, you don't have these stories just yet, but as you grow, you're constantly internalizing data points from the world around you," says psychologist Jenny Wang, PhD.
We might subscribe to the idea that we're not as smart or good looking or athletic as our siblings or other kids in class. It could come from a direct comment, like a parent complaining about how much help you need with your homework. But you might also pick up those stories from the way your teachers or peers treat kids who are better at sports or wear cooler clothes or get higher grades than you. "It can be grade school playground stuff or being told you were not very good at something when you were in high school or during any of your formative years," says Dr. Howes.
Of course, it's not just others' looks, intelligence, and athleticism that can make us feel inferior, we can have an inferiority complex about literally anything—including our race or religion, says Dr. Wang. When you witness racism and discrimination in your community or happening to people you care about (or if it happens to you), you can start to feel lesser than others because of your intersectional identity, says Dr. Wang.
When we start to believe that we're inferior to others, we notice the evidence that confirms those stories or biases, even if they're not true, adds Dr. Wang. It can really snowball from there.
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The information contained in this newsletter is for informational purposes only. This newsletter is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this newsletter.
