🏠 Dutch Designers Build Tiny Homes Out of Wind Turbines

Good morning. This week, we’ve been amazed by a team of Dutch designers finding new purposes for old wind turbines, and a scientist spending decades transforming dried-up stream beds into lush oases.

🎧 P.S. Don’t miss this week’s new episode of Good News To Go, your 5-minute boost of joy on the move.

—Stephanie S

Dutch designers have unveiled the Nestle, a tiny home ingeniously crafted from the nacelle of a decommissioned wind turbine. This 35-square-meter pod is both stylish and sustainable, featuring a warm wooden interior and full amenities like plumbing and electricity.

Created by Blade-Made, the project highlights the potential of upcycling wind turbine parts that are otherwise difficult to recycle. The Nestle is certified under Dutch building codes and has already received orders for ten units.

While not intended as a mass-market solution, the Nestle sparks new ideas for reusing industrial materials. As wind turbines reach the end of their lifespan, creative projects like this could help address mounting waste.

Designers hope their work inspires more innovative uses for retired turbine components, showing how design can turn challenges into opportunities for sustainable living.

In the arid Southwest, USGS scientist Laura Norman has spent decades transforming dry stream beds into thriving oases using simple, nature-inspired methods. By placing stones and logs to slow water flow, her team created year-round wetlands in the desert.

These structures reduce erosion, recharge aquifers, and support lush plant life. The result is cooler, greener landscapes that benefit both wildlife and people.

Norman’s work shows that sometimes, the best solutions are the simplest, harnessing nature’s own wisdom to heal the land.

MrBeast has teamed up with thousands of creators around the globe to launch #TeamWater, the biggest collaboration ever to fight the water crisis. Together, we’re raising $40M to bring clean water to 2 million people.

Families face daily challenges: no safe glass to drink from, no clean shower, and no time for work or school. By partnering with local communities, we’re building long-lasting solutions that transform lives for decades to come. Just $1 gives someone clean water for a year, while $20 provides it for generations.

Join #TeamWater! Go to our campaign page right now to donate and make a difference!

After a severe car crash left teen Lindsay Leskovac trapped and injured, her iPhone 14’s crash detection feature automatically called 911. Emergency services were able to locate her quickly, thanks to the phone’s alert.

Lindsay suffered multiple broken bones but survived without paralysis. Her mother credits the phone’s technology for saving her life.

This story is a powerful reminder to activate safety features on your devices. It could make all the difference.

251 years ago today, delegates from 12 of the 13 American colonies gathered at Carpenter’s Hall in Philadelphia for the First Continental Congress. Called in response to the British blockade of Boston Harbor and the punitive “Intolerable Acts,” the assembly sought to unify the colonies against Parliament’s measures. The Congress produced the Continental Association, establishing a colony-wide embargo on British goods, and drafted a Petition to the King, demanding repeal of the Acts.

The proceedings revealed divisions: moderates like John Dickinson and John Jay urged reconciliation, while voices such as Samuel Adams and Patrick Henry pressed for stronger measures to safeguard colonial rights. Though the boycott was implemented, hopes for compromise were dashed months later with the outbreak of armed conflict in Lexington and Concord.

Other notable September 5 events:

1882: The first U.S. Labor Day parade was held in New York City.

1914: Babe Ruth hit his first professional home run and pitched a one-hitter for Providence.

1946: Freddie Mercury, future Queen frontman, was born in Zanzibar.

1957: Jack Kerouac’s On the Road was first published, becoming a Beat Generation classic.

🤖 Massachusetts: MIT researchers have developed a highly efficient robotic bee that could pollinate plants in challenging environments.

🤿 UK: Divers have explored the wreck of a WW1-era Royal Navy submarine 100 years after it sank off the coast of Plymouth.

🏈 Japan: A former soccer player from Tokyo taught himself American football by watching YouTube and became a college football hero in Ohio and Hawaii.

🧬 Minnesota: Scientists at the University of Minnesota have used breakthrough 3D-printed scaffolding and stem cells to regrow nerves and restore function in rats with severed spinal cords.

🍽️ Colorado: Over 3,400 people gathered at a mile-long table in Denver to share a meal and celebrate community.

— Hannah Arendt

Every day brings discoveries and uplifting moments that remind us how remarkable life truly is. Here are five reasons why now is the greatest time to be alive:

👕 Fashion Cycles: Circular fashion initiatives are turning old clothes into new designs, cutting textile waste significantly.

🏦 Banking Access: Digital banking is bringing secure financial services to millions previously excluded from the economy.

🌾 Smart Crops: Climate-smart agriculture practices are improving food security while reducing environmental impacts.

📷 Remote Observation: Wildlife cameras are allowing researchers to observe endangered species without disturbing habitats.

🔋 Lantern Power: Micro-solar lanterns are lighting up homes in off-grid villages, reducing kerosene dependency.

In Jamaica, student Rayvon Stewart designed a self-disinfecting door handle powered by UV light that kills 99.9% of germs. Affordable, easy to install, and already winning awards, it could transform hygiene in hospitals worldwide.

👉 Catch this, along with other uplifting stories, in this week’s episode of Good News To Go.

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