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Five real advances in science, medicine, technology, and the environment, each verified against the original reporting. In this episode: Seven years after London's ULEZ introduction in 2019, children's lung function improved measurably, with FEV₁; The Ocean Cleanup has removed over 66,000 metric tons of plastic trash cumulatively and aims to remove 90% of; Friends Center for Children in New Haven, Connecticut implemented a free teacher housing program to address; An environmental DNA study identified 487 unique marine taxa across Exmouth Gulf, revealing it as a globally; A study of 25 teachers in Anchorage found that ending universal free school meals was associated with.
Five Things Going Right is a daily five-minute podcast covering real, verifiable progress in science, medicine, technology, and the environment. Every weekday, hosts Grace and Josh walk through five stories that actually happened, each checked against the original reporting from sources like the WHO, the IEA, Nature, and university research. A calm, fact-grounded start to your day. New episodes every weekday morning.
Welcome, this is Five Things Going Right, the news that's actually good. Five stories, five minutes, all of them true. Hi everyone, I'm Grace. And I'm Josh. Today is Wednesday, September 2nd, 2026. Let's dive into what we're covering today. Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have been studying the impact of London's ultra-low emission zone on children's lung health. It was introduced back in 2019. They found that between 2018 and 2022, a measure of lung capacity known as FEV1 increased about 10 milliliters per year faster in London compared to Luton. However, it's important to note that this study is observational. It doesn't definitively prove that the emission zone caused the improvement. Right. There could be other factors at play between the two populations or their environments that weren't measured. The Ocean Cleanup, a Dutch nonprofit, has made significant progress in removing ocean plastic. They've removed over 66,000 metric tons using autonomous devices called interceptors. These interceptors are deployed in waterways in cities like Los Angeles, Mumbai, and Kuala Lumpur. The organization aims to remove 90% of all floating ocean plastic by 2040. That's a big goal, especially considering the millions of tons of plastic entering the oceans each year, mostly from land-based waste. In New Haven, Connecticut, the Friends Center for Children has launched a free housing program for its teachers. This came after they found that none of their staff owned homes and some lacked stable housing. The average preschool teacher's salary in Connecticut is about $31,000, while a one-bedroom apartment in New Haven costs around $2,100 per month. To support this initiative, the Yale School of Architecture designed and built a house for the center. The story doesn't provide data on whether this program has improved staff retention or addressed the broader issue of low wages in the sector. A marine biodiversity survey led by the University of Western Australia has identified 487 unique marine taxa in Exmouth Gulf. This study highlights the Gulf as a significant biodiversity hotspot. They found distinct regional communities and recorded critically endangered species across all four regions surveyed. The findings are meant to inform the management of a proposed marine park. However, the study doesn't detail what enforcement mechanisms would follow or how the designation might counter threats like rising temperatures, acidification, and overfishing. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, involving research from New York University, explored the impact of the federal universal free school meals policy in Anchorage. Teachers reported that the policy had reduced student hunger and family stress. But after the policy ended, there was an increase in hunger, anxiety about meal costs, and lower participation in school meal programs. The findings rely on teacher perceptions and retrospective reflections, so they might not capture the full picture of hunger or anxiety levels. We'll catch you next time. Take care. That's it for today. That was 5 Things Going Right. Come back tomorrow for five more.