Before we cover the good news today, let’s not forget the innocent people who lost their lives at the hands of fanatic Islamists on September 11, 2001- twenty-five years ago. I planned not to run a good news feature on this tragic anniversary, but I feel we should keep focusing on the good news when there is so much bad news in this world.

Today’s good news story comes from Diario AS and was sent to me by Noelle Granger, reporter at large. Thanks, Noelle

Mexico protected more than 1 million monarch butterflies in 1980. Decades later, they’ve created a one-of-a-kind ecosystem

The monarch butterfly’s migration is one of nature’s greatest journeys. Every fall, millions of monarchs travel more than 2,500 miles from southern Canada and the northern United States to spend the winter in the cool oyamel fir forests of central Mexico.

But behind this extraordinary spectacle lies a story of government protection, scientific discovery, and ecological recovery that permanently changed conservation efforts across North America.

After the first federal conservation decrees were issued in 1980 to protect the butterflies’ overwintering grounds, authorities safeguarded forests that host well over one million monarchs. Those protections laid the foundation for a protected ecosystem that now covers more than 139,000 acres.

The 1980 decree that changed everything

For decades, the exact location of the monarch butterflies’ winter colonies in Mexico’s mountains remained known only to local communities. That changed in the mid-1970s, when international researchers working alongside Mexican scientists mapped key overwintering sites in the Sierra Chincua and Cerro Pelón mountains.

In 1980, Mexico’s federal government issued its first presidential conservation decrees to formally protect the forests where enormous monarch colonies gathered each winter. Individual sites often contained well over one million butterflies.

The move helped curb uncontrolled logging in some of the most important habitats and marked the beginning of what would eventually become the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. Today, the protected area stretches across municipalities including Zitácuaro, Ocampo and Angangueo in the state of Michoacán, as well as Temascaltepec and San José del Rincón in the State of Mexico.

A UNESCO-recognized sanctuary

Covering 139,000 acres (56,259 hectares), the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve sits about 60 miles northwest of Mexico City in a mountainous region filled with dense forests. Its varying elevations create a range of microclimates that support numerous native plants and animals found nowhere else.

Every fall, millions — and in some years perhaps as many as a billion — monarch butterflies from across North America gather in small patches of forest within the reserve. Their bright orange wings blanket the trees so completely that entire hillsides appear to change color.

The sheer weight of so many butterflies can even bend tree branches.

When spring arrives, the monarchs begin their remarkable return journey north. Over the next eight months, the migration unfolds across four successive generations as the butterflies spread through the United States and into eastern Canada.

Despite decades of scientific research, one mystery remains unsolved: exactly how each new generation finds its way back to the same forests in central Mexico where its ancestors spent the winter.

The good news is that the Mexican government’s protection has ensured the Monarch’s survival. Today’s JohnKu talks about government action. I hope you have a super weekend.

Regulations by JohnW. Howell © 2026

Government does well,

When it regulates for good . . .

Saving the monarchs.

Today’s story comes from the Times of India and was sent to me by Reporter-at-large Noelle Granger. Thanks Noelle

Meet Roy Kim, the 13-year-old Oregon student who designed a chamber that turns moisture in the air into water for drought-hit farms.

“Do what you can do tomorrow, today,” says Roy Kim, a 13-year-old Oregon student who has solved the water crisis for numerous farmers in the region. The teenager developed a device that turns moisture in the air into water, helping farmers access a sustainable and reliable water source in drought-prone areas, according to a report by Young Scientist Lab. As global warming continues, farming becomes increasingly difficult for farmers who rely on water to irrigate their crops. Most of the time, they rely on sources such as groundwater, surface water, and rainfall for this, but over the years, these sources can become depleted. This is why Kim created a device that uses the Peltier Module to turn moisture present in the air into water.

Understanding the module

Kim created a device that uses the Peltier Module to turn moisture present in the air into water.

According to Kim, a Peltier module creates a temperature difference when electricity is applied, making one side hot and the other side cold. “This allows warm air to cool rapidly when it reaches the cold surface, causing water vapor in the air to condense into liquid drops,” he explained. After multiple tests and improvements, Kim finalized the device’s design. The air enters the chamber through the hot side, where a heating element connected to a filter module warms it. The warm air then moves through the fan to the cold side. Water droplets formed here sink due to the temperature difference between the surface and the air.

The collected water then flows into a funnel and is distributed to the plants through a valve. To ensure the plants get the right amount of water, not too much, a soil moisture sensor is placed in the soil to determine when the plants need water. “In addition, temperature and humidity sensors monitor the environment, and if conditions become too extreme, they automatically adjust the airflow to maintain efficient water production,” said Kim. After testing, the device produced 10ml of water in two hours. Its highest efficiency was 135.8 g per kilowatt-hour. “Through this project, I didn’t just create water. I combined natural processes with engineering to develop a sustainable solution for farming,” he added.

Entering competition

Roy Kim, a student of Whitford Middle School in Beaverton, Oregon, entered the 3M Young Scientist Challenge, an annual top middle school science competition in the US run by 3M and Discovery Education, which challenges students in grades 5 to 8 to use problem-solving and innovation to fix everyday issues. When asked about why he wanted to enter the challenge, Kim said, “I entered the 3M Young Scientist Challenge because I wanted to showcase my invention to people around the world. If more people are aware of this problem and the potential solution, the problem might be able to de-escalate.”According to the US Department of Agriculture, between 2010 and 2020, agriculture was a major user of ground and surface water in the US, with irrigation accounting for 47% of the nation’s total freshwater withdrawals. Approximately 212,714 farms in the country depend on natural water sources for irrigation. But with Kim’s invention, the number can be decreased gradually. 15 years from now, he hopes to develop even more such solutions, as he wants to become a successful engineer who solves pressing problems across the globe, specializing in environmental engineering. He is currently among the top 10 national finalists in the challenge. The final event and winner announcement will take place on October 12-13, 2026.

The good news in this story is that an intelligent person converted known technology into a practical solution for water conservation. Today’s JohnKu talks about finding solutions. I hope you have a beautiful Weekend.

Answers by John W. Howell © 2026

When you need answers,

Investigate already knowns . . .

They may surprise you.