Ted's 2023 Conference Kicks Off With Good News

TED2023 has officially kicked off in Vancouver with a theme of "Possibility", and the atmosphere is buzzing with excitement. But the best part? TED's emphasis on good news! The conference began with a "good news bulletin" presented by Angus Hervey, an economist, journalist, and co-founder of Future Crunch, which covers breakthrough progress in human rights, global health, and science. Chris Anderson, Head of TED, intentionally led the charge with a celebration of progress and possibility, reflecting on the unfortunate asymmetry of news, where bad things happen quickly, and good things happen slowly. He challenged the traditional approach to news, asking, "What is the most significant thing that has happened in the last year?" Hervey's good news report highlights incredible progress in climate action worldwide. The war in Ukraine has accelerated climate action in Europe, with wind and solar overtaking gas, nuclear, or coal as the continent's largest source of electricity for the first time ever. In the United States, the Inflation Reduction Act has invested $90 billion into renewables and electric vehicles, putting the country on track to get 80% of its electricity from carbon-free sources by the end of this decade. China is also leading the way with solar installation, installing enough solar panels every day to cover the area of New York's Central Park. And while COVID-19 continues to generate headlines, there are efforts to eliminate tropical diseases, with eight countries eliminating at least one neglected tropical disease last year. Togo is leading the way, eliminating four diseases, including Trachoma, the leading preventable cause of blindness worldwide. Hervey's delivery is compelling, with a classic anchor desk and a theme song initiating his talk. He quips, "Go Togo," and the audience laughs, enjoying the refreshing change of pace from traditional news. TED2023 aims to reframe the daily thirst for hard-hitting news and provide a picture of nuance, progress, and hope. It's exciting to see such incredible progress in climate action and global health, and we can't wait to see what other possibilities TED2023 will reveal.