Fix the News issue 309

I’ve cut social media almost entirely out of my life (10/10 recommend), but I still drop into LinkedIn every so often. And honestly? I get exhausted fast by all the heavy, depressing posts.

Yes, there’s a lot of real suffering and injustice in the world. If you’re in the thick of it right now, I hope you’re able to keep hanging in there.

But if you’d like a little break from the bleak hellscape that is 21st-century journalism, check out the latest issue of Fix the News. Or, if you just want the highlights, here are a few that stood out to me:

• Billions of people have gained clean water, sanitation, and hygiene in the last nine years. (Billions with a B.)

• In the 12 months prior to June, Africa imported over 15GW of solar panels. Sierra Leone alone imported enough to cover 65% of its entire generating capacity.

• Google estimates the median LLM prompt uses 0.24 Wh (about nine seconds of TV), emitting 0.03 g of CO₂ and five drops of water. (How many of you leave the TV on while doing chores?)

• Wildfires are terrifying, but between 2002 and 2021, global burned area actually fell 26%.

A gentle reminder: news and social media are designed to keep you engaged by stoking fear, outrage, and anxiety. That cycle is hard to break, and a lot of my friends worry that looking away even for a moment means we will collectively slide into totalitarianism and ruin.

That’s a lot of weight to carry alone. Yes, we need to stay vigilant and hold leaders accountable, but we can’t live paralyzed by fear. There are countless good people stepping up, trying to make the world better (including many of you). Try to hold onto that truth alongside the bleak!