Electricity, electricity, electricity, oi oi oi!  

Aussies have something new to cheer about — free electricity in the middle of the day!

There's such an abundance of solar energy Down Under, the Australian government is offering three hours of free electricity to millions of households. The hope is that consumers will shift their behavior to use electricity when it’s cheapest and cleanest.  

Australia’s solar bounty isn’t just because of sunshine. It actually comes from smart policies that remove red tape and reduce costs for developers and consumers. With the right policies in place, the U.S. could be offering free, clean electricity too. 

Clean air wins in court

If you enjoy breathing, then have we got good news: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit — the nation’s most important court, after the Supreme Court — unanimously rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to strike down the EPA’s new air quality standard for soot, the tiny, toxic particles that come from vehicle exhaust and power plants.  

“Soot can cause asthma attacks, lung cancer and premature deaths,” says Noha Haggag, senior attorney for Environmental Defense Fund. “The court’s rejection of the Trump administration’s attempt to eliminate our national health standards for soot will mean healthier, longer lives for people across the country.” 

Mangrove forests bounce back 

Mangrove forests have rebounded, nearly offsetting all the losses of recent decades, according to a new study. Mangroves store massive amounts of carbon dioxide — five times more than land-based forests — all while protecting the coastline and coastal communities against storms and rising waters.

Since mangroves play both offense and defense in the fight against climate change, having more mangrove forests on Team Earth is a big climate win. 

Conservation efforts and the mangroves’ own natural ability to propagate have helped the forests stabilize and spread. Much of the remaining mangrove forests are now protected, and local communities, like these crabbers in Ecuador, are working to make sure the forests survive and thrive.

Arrr, shipping freight to follow the wind 

This ship might look like it sailed straight out of the 1995 film Waterworld, but wind-powered cargo vessels are not reserved for science fiction any longer. Starting in 2027, shipping company DHL will begin using wind-powered trimarans — essentially huge sailboats with three hulls — for some trans-Atlantic cargo shipments. 

The ships, built by Vela, a company co-founded by a professional yacht racer, will make trips from France to the U.S. once a week. Vela plans to have five trimarans in operation by 2030. 

The wind-powered ships will hold less than a standard container ship, but considerably more than an airplane. They will follow wind currents across the Atlantic and should reduce greenhouse gas emissions up to 90% compared with other sea freight.