State In India Sees Rhino Population Grow Fivefold

Good Morning! It’s Friday, and that means a whole new list of Good News stories to make you feel all warm and fuzzy. We have rhino numbers increasing in a state in India, a landmark equality bill that’s been signed in Thailand, and a newly discovered Red Sea creature that might just be the fish cousin of Grumpy Cat. See for yourself!

• 🦏 State In India Sees Rhino Population Grow Fivefold

• 🎓 Millionaire’s Tax Pay For Free Education In Massachusetts

• 🏳️‍🌈 Thailand Signs Landmark Same-Sex Marriage Bill

• 🐡 New Sea Creature Creating Climate Change Awareness

• 🏭 UK Closes Last Remaining Coal Power Plant

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION 🦏

Story 1: State In India Sees Rhino Population Grow Fivefold

• India’s state of Assam had 600 one-horned rhinos in the 1960s

• The state’s current population is more than 3000

• Rhino poaching numbers have decreased by 86%

• Better conservation efforts by the government

Rhino poaching has been a huge global problem for the last couple of decades as their horns are trafficked and used in traditional Asian medicine, supposedly treating everything from fever and gout to snakebites and food poisoning. Like other countries in the world, India has been combatting the demise of their rhino populations for years. India’s state of Assam had just around 600 one-horned Asian rhinos left in the 1960s, but today, that number has risen to more than 3000. 

On top of that, the poaching numbers in the state have dropped by 86% since 2016 – the same year the current government of Assam took over and employed a zero-tolerance policy on rhino poaching. The graphic below, with data up to 2022, illustrates how these poaching numbers have greatly decreased since the new government took over. It also shows that, in 2022, there were zero rhinos poached — a first for the state in 22 years!

Around 88% of Assam’s rhinos are all in national parks and sanctuaries. The government of Assam has expanded some of these habitats by adding more land to them, and they’ve also restored and cleared some of these animals’ territories that have been neglected over the years. On top of that, they’ve upped surveillance in order to curb the poaching of these precious and endangered animals.

The state believes that these conservation efforts have greatly aided in the growth and well-being of their horned animals. “Rhinos are synonymous with the identity of Assam,” the state’s Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, wrote on Twitter. “They are our pride and the crown jewel of our biodiversity.”

EDUCATION 🎓

Story 2: Millionaire’s Tax Pay For Free Education In Massachusetts

• College enrollments have dropped since the pandemic

• High education prices and student loan debt to blame

• Massachusetts now taxing millionaires at a 4% surtax

• These taxes will now pay for community college education

In October 2023, the state of Massachusetts released data showing that the overall rate of the state’s high school graduates who immediately enroll in college had dropped by an alarming 10% over a period of five years. Community college enrollments have seen a particularly steep drop. This rate decline mirrors the national rate of enrollments, too, and many experts are blaming the economic fallout brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the rising cost of education and the burden of student loan debt. The image below is a breakdown of total student debt in the USA, with Massachusetts (on the Northeast coast) owing almost $30.8 billion dollars of the country's entire federal student loan debt balance.

Now, Massachusetts is making it much easier for people to get a tertiary education without having to worry about paying off their student debt until the day the Reaper comes calling. Last year, the state created MassReconnect, an initiative that allowed thousands of Massachusetts residents 25 years and older to attend any community college in the state for free. This was made possible through the state’s Fair Share Amendment that’s also called the Millionaire’s Tax. 

This new tax law —  introduced at the beginning of 2023 — stipulates that anyone in the state making more than a million dollars a year needs to pay an additional 4% tax. So far, the Millionaire’s Tax has brought in an additional $1.8 billion to the state. In August this year, Massachusetts governor Maura Healy signed a nearly $58 billion budget bill that will, in part, further support free community college. Only now, it will be free for everyone, as long as they have a high school diploma and have been living in the state for at least a year.

SOCIAL PROGRESS 🌍

Story 3: Thailand Signs Landmark Same-Sex Marriage Bill

• The LGBTQ+ community in Thailand has faced discrimination

• The country recently signed a historic marriage equality bill

• The law will come into effect in January 2025

• Legal, financial, and medical rights for all married partners

While Thailand is generally known for its inclusivity and acceptance, the country still holds some conservative views. Members of Thailand’s LGBTQ+ community have faced many discriminations over the years, including marriage inequalities. It’s been a worrying trend, not to mention the fact that such discrimination is, you know, considered the opposite of an inclusive society. As the graphic below points out, Thailand also has one of the highest shares of people who identify as LGBTQ+ in the world, which means that it’s about time they enjoy equal rights, too.

Luckily, things are about to change because, on September 24 this year, Thailand signed into law its marriage equality bill that will finally allow same-sex couples in the country to legally wed. The law will officially come into effect 120 days after its signing date — meaning January 22, 2025 — at which point Thailand will become the first Southeast Asian and the third Asian country to allow same-sex marriages, following in the footsteps of Taiwan (2019) and Nepal (April 2024).

The bill also grants full financial and medical rights to married partners of any and all genders. Furthermore, the country’s legislation has been amended to replace gender-specific words like “men and women” with gender-neutral and more respectful words like “individual.” After signing this historic human rights bill, Thailand’s Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, wrote on Twitter: “Congratulations to everyone’s love, #LoveWins.”

CLIMATE CHANGE 🌊

Story 4: New Sea Creature Creating Climate Change Awareness

• New fish species discovered in the Red Sea

• Illustrates biodiversity of the region that needs protection

• The Red Sea is prone to coral bleaching that threatens wildlife

• Meme-worthy grumpy fish could advocate environmental protection

RIP, Grumpy Cat, and say hello to a new old grumpy-looking animal that was recently discovered in the Red Sea. Called Grumpy Dwarfgoby, this red fish with its bulging eyes and droopy lips was found by a team of researchers from the United States and Saudi Arabia. These scientists were on a diving expedition to explore the coral reef fish diversity of the Red Sea when they came upon this sour-looking fish. At first, they thought it was a fiery dwarfgoby fish, which would in itself have been amazing since they haven’t been spotted since 1972. However, it turns out that this “tiny horror” of a fish, as they call it, is a member of an entirely brand-new species. 

The Grumpy Dwarfgoby may only be 2 cm (0,79 in) long, but it’s said to be a fierce predator thanks to the large canines protruding from its sad little mouth. This grumpy fish has now become an example of the biodiversity in the Red Sea and why this body of water needs to be protected. The Red Sea has an average water temperature of almost 29°C and, because of its high salt concentration, it’s particularly prone to the onslaught of climate change. Rising temperatures are responsible for damaging coral reefs and impacting fish populations. The graphic below and the middle block, specifically, show the severity of coral bleaching in the region.

Scientists are now hoping that this new discovery with its meme-worthy attributes will help raise awareness of the vast diversity of wildlife found in the Red Sea, and how much still needs to be discovered before some of these species go extinct. Up to 15% of all fish species in the Red Sea are unique to the region. This is why environmentalists are also calling for better conservation efforts to protect all Red Sea wildlife, both old and new (and grumpy).

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 🌳

Story 5: UK Closes Last Remaining Coal Power Plant

• Britain has relied on coal since the 1880s

• Coal reliance has been declining since the ‘90s

• The UK recently closed its last remaining coal plant

• Wind energy is now the biggest electricity source in Britain

Did you know that the world’s first public coal-fired power station, built by Thomas Edison’s Electric Light Company, opened in London back in 1882? For the next 100 years, most of Britain would generate its electricity by burning a colossal amount of coal. Since the 1990s, however, the use of coal in Britain has been steadily decreasing (see below). Gas and renewable power have been favored since the new millennium and, in September this year, the UK officially closed its last remaining coal power plant, the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station in Nottinghamshire.

This has been part of the UK’s goal since 2015 to become completely independent from coal by 2025. This goal also includes backing offshore wind, investing in renewable energy, and working on their power grid. All of this, essentially, to build a new clean energy system for Britain. What’s even better is that they’ve been able to exit coal by focusing on renewable energy sources — especially wind power — and not increasing their reliance on gas, as shown below.

As you can see in the graphic, wind power surpassed gas as Britain’s main electricity source this year for the first time ever. This is a successful development and an extremely positive step toward meeting global climate change goals and limiting the warming of our planet to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Now we just need the whole world to copy Britain and say: Goodbye coal, hello clean energy.

MORE GOOD NEWS 🧬

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That’s it for today! We hope this round of Good News has re-energized you and made you hopeful for the future. Have a wonderful weekend, we’ll see you on Monday.🌻

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