Jordon Brown 2 minute read # This month’s good climate news Fighting for the planet isn’t easy. These wins prove it’s worth it. Published: May 1, 2026 ## Mr. Trash Wheel devours trash in Baltimore Harbor He’s the hero we need, and the hero we deserve. Meet [Mr. Trash Wheel](https://reasonstobecheerful.world/trash-traps-litter-prevention/), the googly-eyed, spinning trash trap who patrols the Baltimore Harbor, devouring hundreds of tons of litter and debris each year. ![Mr. Trash Wheel, a large trash-eating contraption with googly eyes, about to eat some trash in Baltimore Harbor](/sites/default/files/styles/1440px_width_scale/public/2026-05/MrTW5-with-trash-scaled%20%281%29.jpg?itok=lKbI82yP) Mr. Trash Wheel will return in *Avengers: Doomsday*. (*Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore)* Keeping litter out of waterways is already a win, but here’s the really good news: After Maryland banned polystyrene foam in 2020 and Baltimore banned plastic bags in 2021, based on an analysis of Mr. Trash Wheel’s haul, the harbor has gotten cleaner. The friendly floating trash trap has picked up 90% less foam and 72% less plastic bags. Mr. Trash Wheel is not going it alone. He is accompanied in the harbor by his trash wheel family: Professor Trash Wheel, Captain Trash Wheel and Gwynnda the Good Wheel of the West. (These [very real names](https://sbgpartnership.org/baltimore-welcomes-its-fourth-trash-wheel-gwynnda-the-good-wheel-of-the-west/) were voted on by the public after the [Order of the Wheel](https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpS0dhxpn3G/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==), a trash wheel secret society, selected the finalists.) Since 2017, trash wheels and other trash traps around the world, with and without googly eyes, have collected more than six million pounds of trash from waterways. ## It’s a beautiful day in their neighborhoods ![A home with solar panels being installed on it and the installer on the roof raising his arms in triumph](/sites/default/files/styles/1440px_width_scale/public/2026-04/20220221_134217%20%282%29%20%281%29.jpg?itok=e_4l6gUN) Solar co-ops help neighbors negotiate a cheaper price on solar panels and installation. (*Courtesy Ben Davis*) Solar co-ops across the country are allowing neighbors to pool together and [install solar energy at a discount](https://vitalsigns.edf.org/story/these-small-town-neighbors-teamed-get-discounted-solar-panels-and-cut-their-electric-bills). Because installers are putting photovoltaic panels on multiple homes in a neighborhood, the co-op members get a better up-front price on a clean energy system that saves big money in the long run. In Pennsylvania, homeowners could save around $78,000 on their electric bills — more than 3 times the total cost of the system. ## Renewables breeze past natural gas ![Wind turbines on lush green hills](/sites/default/files/styles/1440px_width_scale/public/2026-05/GettyImages-1487351817%20%281%29.jpg?itok=rb7t-X6x) Wind is not winding down. (*Getty*) For the first time in U.S. history, renewable energy [provided more electricity than natural gas](https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/clean-energy/renewables-beat-natural-gas-us-grid-march-2026) for an entire month. March was also the best month ever for energy output from wind power, despite the Trump administration’s attempts to [delay and cancel clean energy projects](https://vitalsigns.edf.org/story/clean-energy-could-lower-electricity-costs-if-trump-administration-would-stop-blocking-it). Solar power provided 54% of new energy capacity to the U.S. grid in 2025, and solar energy, along with wind and batteries, will provide the vast majority of new energy additions again this year. ## Humpback whales having a whale of a time Forget The Traveling Wilburys and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, your new favorite supergroup is here, and their vocals are epic. Photographers spotted the largest-ever humpback whale supergroup in December, off the coast of South Africa — a massive gathering of[ 304 humpback whales](https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260416-the-humpback-super-groups-swarming-the-seas). ![A bunch of humpback whales surfacing to eat with birds diving down in between them](/sites/default/files/styles/1440px_width_scale/public/2026-05/GettyImages-2139513956%20%281%29.jpg?itok=7t88gSJu) New supergroup: The Highwhalemen. (*Getty*) In recent years, humpback supergroup sightings — a supergroup is any gathering of more than 20 whales — have become increasingly common in this region. The uptick suggests that some humpback whale populations are rebounding from near extinction after a global moratorium on whaling. Humpback whales travel the globe, spreading nutrients vital to marine life as they roam, so a whale rebound is a hugely important conservation win. The audio from this particular supergroup was not recorded, but go ahead and add the newest whale songs playlist to your Spotify and enjoy. 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