Ghost Mail Weekender

Happy Sunday Voornaam,

Let’s be honest - most headlines these days don’t exactly spark joy. The news cycle is a constant stream of crises, conflicts, and climate disasters, making it easy to feel like the world is heading in the wrong direction. But here’s the happy news: good things are happening too.
In today’s letter, we’re deliberately focusing on the moments of progress that remind us what human beings are capable of achieving. Of course, as nothing is ever as good or as bad as it seems, we do recognise that the climate industry has spawned its fair share of dodgy NGOs, questionable incentives and political lobbying that puts profit underneath a thin layer of altruism. Such is the human condition. If nothing else, self-interested behaviour that leads to sustainable outcomes is surely better than self-interested behaviour that doesn't, right?
Here’s one example of our progress: right now, the world is producing 1 gigawatt of solar power every single day. That’s enough to power over 750,000 homes, and we’re doing it daily. Two decades ago, reaching that milestone took an entire year. Today, we hit it before lunchtime.
This transformation is happening because of one simple but game-changing fact: solar energy has become dramatically cheaper. Since 2001, costs have plummeted by 95%, making solar one of the most affordable and fastest-growing energy sources on the planet. And we’re already seeing the results. For the first time in history, Europe generated more electricity from the sun over an entire year than it did from coal.
And it’s not just about cutting carbon. A recent study in East Anglia, England, found that solar farms support more bird species than the surrounding farmland. In other words, shifting to renewables isn’t just good for the planet’s future; it’s already creating healthier ecosystems today.
Yes, the world has its problems. But it also has people working relentlessly to solve them. So while the bad news might be louder, let’s take a moment to celebrate the fact that every single day, we’re making progress. And that’s worth talking about too, even if the energy transition has its fair share of European governments hoping to flick a magical switch that gets rid of coal and lets the world run on renewables overnight.
Think of it as less of a switch and more as one of those old-school car aircon levers where you shift it from cold to hot. Or, in this case, in the other direction to avoid warming!
For an example of the power of collaboration, Dominique's column this week is on how the world got it right when it came to collaborating around dealing with the hole in the ozone layer. Remember that hole? Have you wondered why you don't hear about it anymore? In this great piece, you'll learn exactly why.
And in case you needed any further convincing of the resilience of the human spirit, the story of the saxophone is truly extraordinary. Its inventor, Adolphe Sax, survived more near-death experiences than you could believe possible. And after all that, he died in poverty! Read on for that story, along with Dominique's Fast Facts themed around more good news.
It's just that kinda day where we all need a lift - and perhaps a reminder from the inventor of the saxophone that if you're going to create something that can disrupt an industry, you better have good lawyers.
Have a lovely Sunday!

The Finance Ghost (follow on X) | Dominique Olivier (connect on LinkedIn)

Ozone: how a hole taught humanity to collaborate

Careless Whisper? More like careless inventor!

TL;DR: We all know the saxophone - the instrument of jazz legends, dance music solos, and that one busker in every city who insists on playing “Careless Whisper” at full volume. But behind the saxophone is a man who by all accounts should not have lived long enough to invent it: Adolphe Sax.
Born in Belgium in 1814, Adolphe Sax was practically on a first-name basis with disaster. History tells us that he would go on to revolutionise music, but before he could do that, he had to survive childhood - and that was no small feat, since his life was basically a Victorian-era Final Destination movie.
As a child, he:

Fell three stories, smashed his head on a rock, and was presumed dead.

Mistook a bowl of acidic water for milk and drank it.

Swallowed a pin.

Got blown up in a gunpowder explosion.

Rolled onto a red-hot frying pan and burned his side.

Nearly poisoned himself multiple times by sleeping in a room filled with varnish fumes.

Got knocked out by a falling cobblestone and then fell into a river and almost drowned.

And you thought that you had a tough toddler?
At this point, you’d think he (or his parents) had angered some very specific, very petty gods. His own mother was convinced he wouldn’t survive to adulthood, and his neighbours nicknamed him “Little Sax, the ghost.” Which, to be fair, is exactly what you’d call a kid who seemed to defy death on a weekly basis.
But here’s the thing: despite his misfortunes, he survived.
Against all odds, Adolphe followed in his parents’ footsteps as an instrument maker and quickly proved he wasn’t just good at it; he was brilliant. By 15, he was already crafting his own flutes and clarinets, entering competitions, and making a name for himself.
Then, in the early 1840s, he invented something that would change music forever: the saxophone. But of course life wasn’t done throwing obstacles at him. For decades, he was locked in brutal legal battles with rival instrument makers who either tried to steal his designs or challenge his patents in court. He went bankrupt three separate times (1852, 1873, and 1877). He even battled lip cancer for five years before making a full recovery.
Despite all of this, Sax kept going. He secured a teaching position at the Paris Conservatory in 1857, spent the rest of his life making instruments, and saw his saxophone become a staple in military bands before jazz even existed.
Finally, in 1894, pneumonia succeeded where gravity, poison, drowning, explosions, bankruptcy, and cancer had failed. He died in Paris, in poverty, but the instrument that bore his name lived on.
So next time you hear a sax solo, remember: the man who invented it survived more near-death experiences than any human reasonably should just to bring that sound into the world. This instrument truly was meant to be!

Dominique's fast facts:
More good news

An assortment of facts that will only take you five minutes to read.

Scientists have just developed a new strain of rice that could reduce methane emissions from paddy fields by as much as 70%. Since rice farming is responsible for 12% of global methane emissions, this could make a huge difference. What's even better is that the new variety still produces high yields while being kinder to the environment. After three years of trials in China, this breakthrough is paving the way for more sustainable agriculture.

After a tense diplomatic rift, Ethiopia and Somalia have agreed to restore their ties. Somalia had cut relations over Ethiopia’s sea access deal with Somaliland, which Somalia sees as its territory. This raised fears of a wider conflict in the region. But in January, both countries’ leaders agreed to work things out through dialogue and resume diplomatic relations.

In a win for clean energy, seized assets from a corruption investigation into Nigeria’s oil industry will now fund renewable energy projects in the country. The $53 million of alleged illicit funds, confiscated from former oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke and her associates, will be returned to Nigeria through the World Bank. While Alison-Madueke denies the charges, the funds will be used to support renewable energy projects that can benefit local communities.

Thailand has officially joined the growing list of nations banning imports of plastic waste, calling an end to what activists have dubbed "waste colonialism." Since 2018, Thailand has been a major hub for plastic waste from countries like the US, UK, and Japan. However, a lot of that waste was reportedly burned instead of being recycled. Now, following China’s lead, Thailand’s ban puts even more pressure on countries to reach a global agreement on tackling plastic pollution.

After almost 50 years, China’s huge project to encircle its largest desert with trees is finally done. The 1,864-mile ‘green wall’ was created to stop the Taklamakan desert from expanding and to reduce sandstorms in Xinjiang. Since the 1970s, over 30 million hectares of trees have been planted, with lots of different species tested to find the best fit. It’s a monumental achievement in the fight against desertification!