Sam Bentley

This underwater speaker is playing a song that’s bringing coral reefs back to life! Tell me your best guess of what song it is? So healthy coral reefs are full of sounds from all the wonderful marine life in them, and these sounds attract young fish and coral larvae. But when reefs are damaged, they go silent. So scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution worked out that if they played the sounds of healthy reefs near damaged ones, it actually tricked fish and coral into returning to these areas. And it actually worked! In the Caribbean, they placed coral larvae on underwater speakers playing reef sounds and compared it to a control group nearby with no sound. They found that coral exposed to healthy reef sounds settled 70% more often, and in some spots, up to 700% more! Coral reefs are among the most biodiverse habitats on the planet, but over the last 30 years, 25% of them have vanished and many more are in poor health So simple solutions like this could help us initiate and accelerate reef recoveries! #goodnews #coral #reefs #savethereef #ocean #conservation

Would you love to see these in your city? In Andalucia, summer temperatures can reach over 40°C (104°F), which is especially dangerous for elderly residents and vulnerable groups who struggle with extreme heat. So 300 local women got together to tackle the problem, and spent three years crocheting a massive shade canopy! It stretches 60 meters long and covers 500 square meters, made entirely from yarn. Not only is it a stunning alternative to plastic canopies, but it’s also drawn more visitors to the town, turning a local craft into a tourist attraction. Along the way, it brought the community closer together, with women of all ages working side by side to create something meaningful. And it’s even catching on, with other towns creating their own versions too! #goodnews #greendesign #crochet #sustainableliving #Sustainability #spain

This paper bag is helping to stop trees from being cut down! Releaf Paper are a Ukrainian company using fallen leaves from urban areas, not from forests, to create bags that don’t harm a single tree. Leaves are collected from parks and residential areas before being cleaned, and dried for storage. They are then be processed into paper bags, using way less resources than conventional paper production. The bags are strong, breathable, and even water resistant making them a great environmental alternative to both plastic and paper! They even decompose quicker than normal paper only taking about thirty days while normal paper takes up to 270 days! Leaves in urban areas are a waste product and are generally burned, releasing CO2. So Releaf provides a way of putting those leaves to good use while also decreasing deforestation from paper manufacturing! What do you think of this idea? Let me know! #goodnews #Sustainability #conservation #saveourplanet #upcycle #deforestation

In Switzerland, they're turning their train tracks into solar farms! Using the unused space between train rails, solar startup Sunways are installing solar panels, without disrupting train traffic. After getting the green light from the Federal Office of Transport, 48 panels are being laid across 100 meters of track in Neuchâtel, with the potential to generate 16,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a year. The panels can help power everything from local homes to the trains themselves, and thanks to removable designs and built-in cleaning systems, they won’t interfere with rail maintenance. If the pilot is a success, it could scale up and potentially cover railways across Switzerland, supplying up to 2% of the country's electricity needs. It’s a great example of using overlooked spaces to meet growing energy demands, all while preserving natural landscapes. Would you like to see this in your country? #goodnews #solar #switzerland #innovation #cleanenergy #trains

This bracelet helps protect you from Sharks when out at sea! They're called Sharkbanz, and they create a 1-2 metre magnetic field around you that sends sharks away. Here’s how they work. Sharks have powerful sensors that use magnetic fields to help them navigate and hunt, but the Sharkbanz use powerful magnets to overload those sensors with a strong magnetic field, that’s similar to shining a bright light into your eyes. (It doesn’t hurt but it’s uncomfortable so they leave.) They tested it on a dummy with bait attached to each limb, with about 15 bull sharks. Without the band, the dummy was attacked roughly every 42 seconds, but with the band, the dummy wasn’t attacked once. They’re backed by almost two decades worth of peer-reviewed scientific research and studies on the use of patented magnetic technology as an active and effective shark deterrent So something as simple as this wristband can keep both humans and sharks safe. Would you wear one of these? Let me know below! #goodnews #sharks #ocean #innovation #conservation #surfing

This guy in Brazil turned a dead rainforest back into a thriving farm forest! Ernst Götsch, a Swiss farmer, wanted to swap farming with pesticides and fertilisers for a more natural solution instead. So in the 1980s, he moved to Brazil and found 480 hectares of barren, unproductive land. Using a method called Syntropic Farming, he planted in layers, just like a wild forest, so the plants could support and nourish each other. He covered the dry soil with organic matter and planted fast-growing trees that help keep moisture in the ground, making the soil healthier. As the plants grew, they released moisture into the air, triggering rainfall, this process is called “flying rivers,” and it’s how rainforests create their own rain! His approach eliminated the need for pesticides and fertilizers by letting plants, microbes, and natural cycles do the work instead! Why is this so important? Conventional agriculture in the region has stripped landscapes of biodiversity, depleted soil nutrients, and made land harder to farm. So Götsch’s work shows that regenerative farming can provide both food for local people whilst improving ecosystems too! Do you think more farms should work like this? #goodnews #conservation #brazil #regenerative #forest #nature

This suit helps people with mobility difficulties move around more easily! It’s called the EXOPULSE Mollii Suit, designed by experts in Sweden, and it acts like a translator between your brain and your muscles. With certain conditions, the brain struggles to send the right signals to the muscles, making parts of the body feel stiff, shaky, or hard to control. So the Mollii Suit uses its 58 built-in electrodes to send gentle electrical pulses to specific muscles, helping activate the ones that need support, and relax the ones that are too tense. For example, if someone’s bicep is stuck in a tight, bent position, the suit gently activates the tricep, the muscle on the opposite side, which tells the bicep to relax. This helps the arm straighten out and move more freely. It was developed for individuals with conditions such as cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and spinal cord injuries. People can wear it for just one hour, and the effects can last up to two days, helping with people’s quality of life and independence. It’s also a non-invasive alternative to medications and surgical interventions, that can be used at home Would you like to see tech like this become more accessible? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! #goodnews #innovation #tech #mobility #accessibility #Sustainability

Some of the best good news from May you might have missed! #fyp #foryou #goodnews #sustainableliving #conservation #newstiktok

Some of the best good news from April you may have missed! #fyp #foryou #goodnews #sustainableliving #conservation #newstiktok

This house is made from just sandbags and barbed wire, and they’re a simple way to help house people in crisis! They’re called Sandbag Shelters, and they were designed by Iranian architect Nader Khalili, inspired by ancient Middle Eastern mud brick architecture. Long sandbags are filled with earth and stacked in circles, layer by layer. Barbed wire goes between each row to hold it all in place and make it strong enough to handle earthquakes. As the walls rise, they curve inward to form a cone, which becomes the roof. They’re cheap to build, durable, and no fancy equipment or training is needed. They’ve even been approved by the UN for emergency housing, used to shelter refugees, and have received building permits in California, thanks to CalEarth, a non-profit Nader founded before he passed away to continue his legacy. They’re also eco-friendly, as the thick earth walls keep heat out during the day and hold onto warmth at night, so the inside stays comfortable without the need for heating or cooling. Do you think we need more accessible housing options like this? Let me know in the comments! #goodnews #sustainableliving #housing #architecture #greenbuilding #Sustainability

Would you prefer to travel through cities like this? Mexico City found a simple solution, to cut hour long journeys across the city, down to just 17 minutes, and it costs less than a dollar too! It’s called the Mexicable, Mexico City’s cable car system, and it was built to help avoid growing congestion whilst making it easier to travel to and from the more mountainous areas. But it’s not just public transport. Local artists have painted over 50 murals along the route, making it feel more like you’re floating through an open-air art gallery than commuting. Each cabin fits 10 people, and the system can carry up to 29,000 passengers a day. It only costs 6-9 pesos, around 31-43 cents, making it one of the most accessible ways to travel round the city. Do you think more cities should have this? #goodnews #mexico #Sustainability #mexicocity #transport

This cardboard donut is helping to grow trees in dry areas! It's called the Cocoon, and it's been developed by Dutch company Land Life. So far, they've planted more than 10 million trees with the Cocoon and other innovative planting methods in severely degraded land all over the world So how does it work? First, you dig a shallow pit and place a seedling inside it and pack it with soil to secure it in place. The Cocoon is then placed around the seedling, and it's filled to the trim with water. A lid is then added to prevent the water inside from evaporating. Soil is then packed around the cocoon, and over time, the water seeps into the soil, helping the seedling's roots grow healthy. A shelter is then added to protect the growing seedling from too much sun exposure, the wind and small animals. The cocoon is made from recycled cardboard, and is 100% biodegradable. Land Life says The Cocoon helps trees establish in arid and degraded environments with only 25 liters of water, using x1000 less water than traditional methods. Plus it provides survival rates up to 95% in hot and dry areas. There are 2 billion hectares of degraded land worldwide, that’s a bigger area than South America. So reforestation projects like this are vital to reverse this critical situation! #goodnews #saveourplanet #trees #regeneration #treeplanting #conservation

This father did something incredible to help support his son who has autism! John D'Eri from Florida, noticed his son Andrew was struggling to find his place in the world. So with his other son, Thomas, he bought a failing car wash and transformed it into a place where Andrew, and other people with autism, would be given the right environment and support to thrive. It’s called Rising Tide Car Wash, and about 80% of its employees are on the autism spectrum. It’s been built around the needs of the team, with training programs that include clear and repetitive tasks, visual aids, and consistent feedback to help them learn and deliver high-quality service for customers and the results are amazing! They’ve hired over 500 individuals with autism, with over half moving on to other employment opportunities thanks to the skills they’ve learnt. The business has also created greater community understanding and acceptance of neurodiversity too. Approximately 85% of adults in the US with autism are unemployed, so Rising Tide hopes to serve as a model for other businesses, showcasing how inclusive hiring practices can lead to huge success for everyone involved! Would you like to see more places like this? Tap like if you would and share to help spread the word! ‌#goodnews #worldautismacceptancemonth #autism #autismfamily #florida #usa