It’s well known that the media never talk about trains arriving on time. So much so that following the news can be totally depressing. Without denying the great threats and difficulties facing our times, there is also very good news that sometimes reaches us and which is not relayed enough. To ignore them is to condemn ourselves to despair. Here are three recent pieces of information that make us smile again.
A major progression in Internet access
While it was only 30% in 2010, the share of the world’s population connected to the Internet rose to 60% in 2020. This already impressive growth continues at a very good pace if we believe the data shared by Our World in Data.
However, experts note profound inequalities across the globe. Thus, while 80% of the population was connected in 2020 in North America and Europe, this figure was only 30% in sub-Saharan Africa.
Likewise, these statistics are based on people who can connect to the Internet at least once every three months. We suspect that their experience is not the same as that of users who scan their smartphones all day long.
Coal is disappearing in Europe
Coal, a highly polluting energy source, dominated the European electricity mix during the 20th century. This time is well and truly over if we trust the figures from the Ember think tank which shows that the latter has declined considerably over time. In fact, many countries now want to completely eliminate it and replace it with renewable energy sources.
The spectacular fall in the cost of renewable energy
As coal declines, the cost of solar power is falling sharply. Our World in Data reports that the cost of solar photovoltaics has fallen by 90% over the last decade, that of onshore wind by 70% and that of batteries by more than 90%.
Once considered the most expensive source of energy, solar is today the cheapest in many countries. A boon for all states which have chosen to green their energy mix.
That’s it for this week. If you liked this article, you can always reread the previous part of this section to find other good news that has gone relatively unnoticed.
