As the ball drops and the calendars shift from ‘25 to ‘26, it’s easy to focus on what went wrong last year, so instead, let’s focus on what went right. From conservation to health, here are seven pieces of positive news from 2025 that might have gotten lost in the fray.
A better look for the housing market
Source: Sumit Real Estate, Allison Simpson
Housing interest rates are the lowest they have been since October 2024. These rates have been steadily growing for years; however, at the end of 2025, the 30-year mortgage rate averaged 6.15 percent. Additionally, remodeling and home sales will be at an advantage due to delayed tariffs by the Trump Administration.
Biodegradable plastic
Scientists in Japan have created a type of plastic that safely breaks down in salt water in around an hour. From the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science and the University of Tokyo, this team claims that the new plastic is as strong as normal plastic, but leaves no trace when it is broken down. This could mean great things for the future of plastic pollution overflowing our oceans and land.
A fix for the ozone layer
Source: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Figure produced by Eric R. Nash, NASA/GSFC SSAI, and Paul A. Newman, NASA/GSFC, Ozone Hole Watch
In March 2025, scientists discovered with high statistical confidence that the ozone layer is on track to
make a full recovery. The ozone layer protects Earth from the sun’s damaging radiation; without it, there would be damage to crops and higher skin cancer rates. A MIT study revealed that global efforts to reduce ozone-depleting substances are increasingly beneficial.
Long live the turtle
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced in October that Green Sea
Turtles are no longer considered endangered. After decades of conservation work, the IUCN has reclassified Green Sea Turtles as “least concern” on their Red List of Endangered Species.
Potential cures for Alzheimer’s disease
Researchers from Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals, and the Cleveland VA have found a potential way to prevent and even reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. A December study on mice revealed that irregular levels of the molecule NAD+ in the brain are a large reason behind Alzheimer’s. Maintaining the proper balance could be the fix for many people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Down with fossil fuels
The 30th Conference of the Parties of UNFCCC (COP30) brought good news in the climate change debate. The Governments of Colombia and the Netherlands have joined hands in co-hosting the first international conference on the “Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels.” It is set to take place April 2026, in Santa Marta, Colombia. This effort is backed by 24 countries and hopes to make a united effort against the extraction of fossil fuels.
Multilingualism linked to slower ageing
For all of those in German, French, Spanish, and ASL classes, this might be a sign to continue practicing a second language after high school. A study containing around 86,000 participants found that knowing multiple languages can slow down cognitive and biological ageing. Multilingualism was linked to a low biobehavioral gap; this is the difference between the participants’ age and their predicted age.
2025 might have been filled with tough news stories everywhere you look, but keep in mind that good things are on the horizon. For 2026, continue to look for conservation, medicine, and sustainability. Who knows? It might just brighten your day.
