Women tackling coal dust and other eco wins this week
Indian women fight back against toxic coal dust, the US hits a solar milestone, and there's good news for soil in Kenya and cars worldwide
Indian women fight back against toxic coal dust, the US hits a solar milestone, and there's good news for soil in Kenya and cars worldwide. Solar quietly overtakes coal in the US The Trump administration calls coal the "backbone of affordable and reliable energy" and just pumped $700 million into the industry. Though it once supplied most of the power for the US, over the past decade the fossil fuel has been pushed aside by cheaper natural gas and nuclear power. And now renewables are claiming a greater stake too. In May 2026, coal hit one of its lowest monthly shares ever, falling to just 12% of the US energy mix, with solar outpacing it for the first time on record.
Wind and solar are quietly closing in on coal across the US Image: Caleb Jones/AP Photo/picture alliance EVs exceed every growth forecast The global EV market is booming. Sales have grown tenfold in six years, and by May 2026, 63% of new cars sold worldwide were electric. China leads the charge, but in Africa, Ethiopia is forging ahead. Since banning combustion-engine imports in 2024, the eastern African country's electric fleet has nearly quadrupled to over 100,000 vehicles — powered almost entirely by cheap hydropower. Charging up is becoming part of daily life on Ethiopia's roads Image: Shewangizaw Wegayehu/DW Sand and algae bring Kenyan soil back to life Freshwater is scarce and the ground is mostly sand on the Kenyan island of Kiwayu, yet crops are starting to grow.
Soil microbiologist Su Kahumbu is rebuilding fertile ground using microorganisms, organic waste and clever moisture retention instead of fertilizer. The results are already visible, with trees and beans taking root in soil that until recently was barren. The same techniques are now being tested on polluted urban soils, too. Kenyan food experiment aims to turn sand into fertile soil To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video India's coal-town women fight back against toxic dust Delhi often makes headlines for India's air pollution crisis, but in mining towns like Bokaro, in the state of Jharkhand, the air is worse.
Coal production there tops 200 million metric tons a year, leaving residents exposed to constant dust and rising respiratory illness. When authorities failed to act, local women did. Trained as "Paryavaran Sakhis," or friends of the environment, they track pollution levels, flag hotspots and demand accountability. Edited by: Tamsin Walker
The BriefWire