Why Are We So Bad at Reporting Good News? | Angus Hervey | TED

Introduction

In this section, Angus Hervey introduces the special report and highlights some of the major events that have shaped our world in the last 12 months.

Major Events

• Russia's invasion of Ukraine has dominated headlines over the past year.

• The global fight against climate change has accelerated as a result of Europe doubling down on green energy in response to Putin's attempt to use gas and oil as weapons.

• The United States has committed hundreds of billions of dollars to invest in renewables and electric vehicles, putting the country on track to getting 80 percent of its electricity from carbon-free sources by the end of this decade.

• China is leading the race to build more clean energy, installing enough solar panels every day to cover an area the size of New York's Central Park. At its current rate, China will reach its climate targets years ahead of schedule.

• Last year, eight countries eliminated at least one neglected tropical disease. Togo became the first country to eliminate four diseases including trachoma, which is the world's most common infectious cause of blindness.

Global Health

This section focuses on global health issues and highlights some positive developments in fighting diseases.

Malaria Vaccine

• A new vaccine designed by the University of Oxford was shown to be safe and incredibly effective against malaria.

• Ghana became the first country to license that vaccine for distribution followed by Nigeria. Both countries are now going to vaccinate children under three years old with this vaccine.

• This treatment offers genuine hope that we may finally be able to eradicate one of humanity's biggest killers, a scourge that has plagued our species for thousands of years.

Environmental News

This section focuses on environmental news and highlights some positive developments in protecting the planet.

Protecting the Planet

• Humanity has begun to respond to pollution and degradation by expanding protected waters around the Galapagos, creating an enormous marine sanctuary west of Australia, and agreeing on a global pact to protect 30 percent of the planet by 2030.

• After nearly two decades of negotiations, countries agreed on the first-ever legal framework for regulation on and protection of life on the high seas. Greenpeace called it "the greatest conservation victory of all time."

Environmental and Human Rights Victories

This section highlights some of the environmental and human rights victories that have been achieved in recent times.

National Parks and Reserves

• Argentina created a national park around one of its biggest saltwater lakes and wetlands.

• Ecuador created one of the largest reserves in the Amazon, in one of the most biodiverse places on the planet.

River Restoration Project

• The largest river restoration project in United States history kicked off on the Klamath River, led by the Yurok people of California.

Progress for Nature and Humanity

• Destruction is not inevitable, and nature will recover if given an opportunity.

• Globally, countries have abolished the death penalty, ended child marriage, banned conversion therapy, legalized homosexuality, and strengthened reproductive rights.

• India passed a law guaranteeing access to safe abortion for every single woman.

• Spain protected transgender rights and became the first country in Europe to provide paid menstrual leave.

• Slovenia, Cuba, and Mexico all passed legislation on same-sex marriage and adoption. Three times as many countries now grant those rights to all their citizens compared to a decade ago.

Poverty Reduction Efforts

This section focuses on poverty reduction efforts across different countries.

India's Poverty Reduction Efforts

• India lifted 415 million people out of poverty between 2006 and 2021, according to a report by the United Nations.

Positive Developments in Brazil, Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh

This section highlights positive developments in Brazil, Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh.

Ministry of Indigenous People in Brazil

• The new Ministry of Indigenous people is bringing much-needed food, hope, relief, and aid to the country's indigenous communities.

• They've already deployed the military to remove tens of thousands of illegal miners and restore justice.

All-Female Army of Wildlife Rangers in Zimbabwe

• The Akashinga is an all-female army of wildlife rangers in Zimbabwe.

• These women have become formidable warriors after years in the field.

• They're uplifting their communities, bringing down poaching rates dramatically and contributing to a huge rebound in wild animal populations.

Midwives in Bangladesh

• Thousands of newly-trained midwives are bringing hope and healing to those who need it most.

• Since 2012, they've helped bring down the child mortality rate here by almost 50 percent.

Artificial Intelligence Advancements

This section discusses advancements made with artificial intelligence technology.

ChatGPT Technology Uptake

• ChatGPT has taken the world by storm becoming the quickest technology uptake in human history.

Concern for AI Impact on Society

• The power of artificial intelligence is incredible but there are also very real reasons to be concerned about its effect on systems of power and its impact on jobs and society.

Humanity's Resilience

This section highlights humanity's resilience in the face of challenges.

• In the last 12 months, humanity has repeatedly shown our resilience, inventiveness, and capacity for expanding our knowledge and ability to rise to meet our greatest challenges.

Recent Scientific Breakthroughs

The speaker discusses recent scientific breakthroughs that have been achieved in the past few months, including creating planetary defense systems, achieving nuclear fusion with laser beams, and using a new form of CRISPR to cure leukemia.

Recent Scientific Breakthroughs

• Seven months ago, scientists confirmed their ability to create planetary defense systems against earthbound objects by smashing a spacecraft into an asteroid and altering its orbit.

• Four months ago, scientists used laser beams to recreate the conditions inside of a star and achieved more energy out of a nuclear fusion reaction than they put in.

• Scientists used a new form of CRISPR called base-editing to hot-wire immune cells and clear the body of a 13-year-old girl named Alyssa from an incurable form of leukemia.

Reporting Good News

The speaker questions why we are so good at reporting bad news but so bad at reporting good news. He argues that when we only tell stories of doom, we fail to see the stories of possibility.

Why We Need to Report Good News

• Despite all the progress made in human rights, rising living standards, public health victories, clean energy breakthroughs, technological magic, ecological restoration and countless extraordinary acts of kindness that take place on this planet every day; people are still not aware about them.

• If we want to change the story of the human race in the 21st century then we have to start changing the stories that we tell ourselves.

• Hope is not something that we have or something that we're given. It's something that we do. Millions around the world chose hope in the last 12 months and then rolled up their sleeves to get it done.

Conclusion

The speaker concludes by introducing himself as the editor of Future Crunch newsletter and encourages people to make good news the news.

Let's Make This The News

• The speaker introduces himself as Angus Hervey, and encourages people to make good news the news.