Hope Is A Verb - NewsFix - Clean Energy Hits Turning Point. 19.5 Million Lives Saved. Seagrass Comeback.

Episode Date: April 27, 2026

This week’s headlines include – a historic shift in the global energy transition as renewables meet all new electricity demand; Africa’s measles vaccination drive saving 19.5 million lives; a breakthrough gene therapy restoring hearing; major global progress on poverty reduction and mental health; expanded access to education in Chicago; and  two different comeback stories for seagrass ecosystems in France and Australia.NewsFix has officially moved to its own feed! You can check it out here or search 'NewsFix' on your favourite podcast app. This podcast is brought to you by ⁠Fix The News⁠. Hosted by Anthony Badolato, ⁠Hear That!⁠ If you want to get in touch with the team, email [e-mail]

Welcome back to NewsFix, your weekly antidote to doom scrolling. And this might be the last time that you hear me on this particular podcast channel. So just to let you know, I'll be moving to a new feed. If you want to keep getting your weekly dose of good news, make sure you're following NewsFix wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Anthony Badolato and here's what's going right in the world this week. Some big news in the global energy transition. Africa's measles breakthrough, a turning tide for.

sea grass, new hope for deafness and a timely message from outer space. Alright, let's start with energy, because we may have just crossed a turning point. For the first time ever, clean energy has met all of the world's growth in electricity demand. Let's unpack what that actually means. Last year, global electricity demand went up by 2.8%. Normally, that kind of growth would mean more coal, more gas, more emissions. But this time, every single bit of that new demand was met by clean power.

Solar and wind did almost all the heavy lifting, with a little help from nuclear and hydro. As for fossil fuels, well, they didn't grow, like at all. In fact, they dipped. After decades of building and investing, clean energy is now meeting new demand, faster than fossil fuels can keep up. And this transition is showing no signs of slowing down. Countries like France, Egypt, India, Indonesia and Turkey are all doubling down, recently announcing major new clean energy investments and initiatives.

This is systems change in real time. Take a second to sit with that, because this is really good news. Next up, global health and a story that saved millions of lives. Over the past two decades, 44 African countries have added a second dose of the measles vaccine, increasing coverage from just 5% to 55%. That one small shot has had a monumental impact. Measles cases are down by 40% while measles deaths have been cut in half, adding up to around 19.5 million lives saved. And in another breakthrough, researchers in Sweden have used a one-shot gene therapy to restore hearing for people born death. In early trials, every patient in

improved, with some going from near silence to conversation in just months with no side effects. It's still early days, but it is a glimpse at what's happening in labs around the world. But if you're looking for more proof of the incredible progress happening around the world right now, stay with me. In Paraguay, poverty has fallen to just 16% in the past two decades. Global suicide rates have dropped by around 40% since the 1990s and a simple fix in Chicago will give 315,000 public school students instant access to the

city's libraries through their existing school ID. I love this story and it's part of a pilot program designed to give every student access to library programs and resources regardless of age, gender, race or economic status. Now from city libraries to the ocean floor, one of the most important important ecosystems on Earth is seagrass. This unsung hero stores carbon at incredible rates, protects coastlines and supports entire marine food webs, but around the world it's under pressure. However, off the coast of France, seagrass coverage has jumped from just 6% to 81%, and the surprising part, it wasn't replanted. Instead, authorities cleaned up wastewater and reduced

coastal damage and let nature do the rest. It's called passive restoration. But this isn't the only way because down here in Australia, a more hands-on approach is also reaping results. After a marine heat wave wiped out huge areas of seagrass in a place called Shark Bay, Indigenous communities decided to replant 4,500-year-old seagrass by hand, step back or step in, step in, a powerful reminder that when it comes to repairing the planet, you don't always need a single solution. Just momentum. Finally, let's wrap this up with some inspiring words from the crew of Artemis II. That rhymes. Four people who have traveled further than anyone else on Earth. What you saw was a group of people who loved contributing, having meaningful contribution,

and extracting joy out of that. And what we've been hearing is that was something special for you to witness. And the reason I had them form up here with me is because I would suggest to you that when you look up here, you're not looking at us. We are a mirror reflecting you. And if you like what you see, then just look a little deeper. This is you. That's it from me.

Don't forget to check out the full roundup of stories at fix the news.com. And make sure you tune in to the Fix the News podcast this week. Amy and Gus sit down with the host of the BBC's People Fixing the World, Myra and Newby. It's a good one. And remember, it's not all bad.