Disclaimer:

It seems like many of you didn’t receive yesterday’s edition, and those who did said it got shortened by the server. So, I’ve decided to send it out again!

Why?

1. Because I want everyone to enjoy this little dose of good news I shared.

2. I put a lot of effort into researching all this, and I want every single item to be read. 😄

This time, I’ll split it into two parts—apparently, there was so much good news that it ended up being too heavy for the mail servers!

Let’s pick up where we left off:

Hello Tanamesers,

I hope you all had a magical Christmas yesterday, surrounded by love, laughter, and amazing food! This edition is incredibly special to me because it marks the end of the first full year of Tanamesa. We did it! 🎉

Throughout this journey, there were so many moments when life got hectic, and friends would say, “You look exhausted, can’t you skip an edition just once?” But how could I? Every other Thursday, you showed up. You read, you commented, you celebrated with me. Your enthusiasm and support kept me going, no matter what.

Thank you for being the heart of Tanamesa this year. Your kindness, curiosity, and encouragement have made this project so much more than I ever dreamed it could be. I’m excited for what’s ahead, and I hope we get to share many more milestones together.

Now, let’s get to business.

THE MUSTS

Wholesome news

it’s been a while, right?

Wholesome news to end 2024

Today, we’re in full celebration mode. With just five days left in the year, I thought it would be the perfect time to bring back this special section. Here, we focus on the good things that happened this year—the moments of progress, kindness, and joy that too often slip under the radar of the mainstream media.

The world might still be buzzing with complaints and bad news, but not here. Today, we’re spreading hope.

Milestones for Conservation:

1. EU's Nature Restoration Law: The EU passed a landmark law requiring 27 countries to restore 20% of land and sea by 2030 and degraded ecosystems by 2050—a major step for biodiversity and climate.

2. Amazon Deforestation Halved: Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon dropped by 50%, hitting near-record lows. Colombia also reduced deforestation by 36%, and new protected areas were established in Bolivia and Pará, Brazil.

3. Global Land Protection: Mongolia protected 144,000 km², Alaska safeguarded 113,000 km² from mining, and Mexico created 20 new protected areas. Canada, Bhutan, Spain, Chile, and the Congo also expanded conservation efforts.

4. Did we just saved the Whales? Populations of humpbacks, fin whales, and blue whales showed strong recovery, with sightings in areas like Seychelles and the Scotia Sea, thanks to the 1985 whaling moratorium.

5. Plastic Phase-Out: Nigeria banned single-use plastics, the EU cracked down on microplastics, and California passed a plastic reduction law. Amazon switched to paper-based packaging, and UK plastic bag use dropped 86%.

6. Animal Rights Wins: Romania banned fur farming, Chile ended cosmetic testing on animals, and South Korea outlawed dog meat. South Africa began phasing out lion and rhino captive breeding, and Belgium banned hunting trophy imports.

Bonus: All of these endangered species recovered: Saimaa ringed seal | Scimitar oryx | Red cockaded woodpecker | Siamese crocodile | Narwhal | Arapaima (fish) | Chipola slabshell and Fat threeridge (mussels) | Iberian lynx | Asiatic lions | Australian saltwater crocodile | Asian antelope |  Ulūlu | Southern bluefin tuna| Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog | Yellow-footed rock wallabies | Yangtze finless porpoise | Pookila |Orange-bellied parrots | Putitor mahseer (fish) | Giant pandas |Florida golden aster 

Milestones for Living Stardards:

• Huge Boost in Education Access: Between 2000 and 2023, school attendance rose nearly 40% globally, with 25 million more girls in primary school in Africa since the early 2000s. Since 2015, 110 million more children entered school globally, and 40 million more completed secondary school.

• School Meals Expanded: 480 million students now receive school meals, up from 319 million pre-pandemic. Nigeria, Kenya, and Indonesia pledged massive expansions, with Indonesia set to create the world’s largest free school meals program.

• Invisible story of Progress: Since 2015, over 200 million children gained access to clean water, sanitation, or hygiene at school. Brazil, Senegal, and the DRC launched projects to provide water to millions, while Malaysia and Mexico made strides in clean water infrastructure.

• Air Quality Improved: Europe’s PM2.5 and PM10 emissions continued to decline, Delhi saw a 5.9% reduction, and child deaths from household air pollution dropped by 36%, thanks to improvements in China and South Asia.

• Greener Cities: Paris reduced air pollution by 40% in a decade, planted trees, and banned motorists from central areas. Medellin, Colombia, cut temperatures by 2°C with tree planting, while Berlin became a sponge city, and New York opened 60km of greenways.

• Wealth Tax Push: The G20 reached a historic agreement on taxing the ultra-rich, with the Biden Administration recovering $172M from wealthy tax evaders.

Milestones for Global Health:

• Breakthrough of the year: A twice-yearly drug for HIV, lenacapavir, achieved an astonishing 100% efficacy, and the closest thing to a vaccine in four decades of research. The maker of the drug, Gilead, pledged an affordable version for 120 low-income countries, and trials began for a yearly shot.

• Millions of Elderly Citizens Covered: India extended medical insurance to citizens aged 70+, benefiting 60 million people, in addition to the 500 million already covered under its national scheme.

• Infant Mortality Plummeted in South Asia: Child deaths in South Asia dropped from 5 million in 1990 to 1.3 million in 2022—a 62% decline since 2000 across nine countries.

• Humanity is kicking a bad habit: Smoking rates fell in 150 countries, with 19 million fewer smokers in two years. Africa leads with a projected 30% reduction by 2025, while Indonesia raised its smoking age, and the UK aims to be smoke-free.

Hi there,

Christmas and New Year’s Eve have always been my favorite time of the year. Growing up, it was the one moment my family would come together. After Christmas, we’d head to my uncle’s beach house, and those sunny days by the ocean remain some of the happiest memories of my childhood.

• But now, it’s been two years since I’ve been home. And spending this season away from home isn’t easy for me. It makes me reflect deeply on my choices, questioning what I’m doing and why.

As bittersweet as it is though, I’m using this quiet week in Milan to catch up with myself. I’ve been studying, finishing books I left halfway through, setting my 2025 budget, meditating, and reflecting on this year’s highs and lows.

Yesterday, I opened my 2024 goals. And here’s the thing: I’m proud. I hit 75% of them (12 out of 16). That moment of realization was a reminder of why I made the choices I did this year. And why I continue to make them every day. It all makes sense.

• It’s so important to understand why you’re living the life you’ve chosen—especially when that life takes you far from the people you love most.

As this year comes to a close, I want to invite you to take a moment for yourself. Reflect on the choices you made in 2024. Were they aligned with the life you’re trying to build? And more importantly, what will you design for yourself in 2025?

Wishing you an amazing New Year’s Eve and a year full of clarity, purpose, and love.

With all my heart,
Micael.

Subscribe to Tanamesa for your regular fix of content, entertainment, and my life. Our mission is bring everything you need to know about the most important things happening worldwide, with exclusive recommendations curated by the editor-in-chief.

Take it easy: It lands in your inbox only every second Thursday. And just like me, it is not only free but also kind of addictive.