Within a blink of an eye, another month full of cheer and festivity has passed. While it may be sad, waiting another full twelve months until you can admire your Christmas lights and blast Deck the Halls without someone reminding you Christmas has passed, we can still look back on all of the amazing things that have happened in our world recently. In this article, we will look back on five amazing things that have happened in December.
Tab for a Cause
A browser extension, Tab for a Cause, has officially raised two-million dollars for nonprofit as of December. Why is this good news? Tab for a Cause uses a portion of their money to fund many helpful programs. Some of the programs they’ve funded includes the following: #TeamSeas, GiveDirectly, Water.org, Save the Children, Action Against Hunger, and SO much more. By using a portion of their funding to support organizations like this, they are making a change- making our world safer and healthier. How can you help? Simple! You don’t have to donate or pay a subscription to use this browser extension, just go to https://tab.gladly.io/ and add the extension to Chrome! Open a new tab, and BOOM! They just made a profit. Many people may feel skeptical about this site, however, wondering how we can know for sure that their money is really being used for the right reasons? It’s normal to feel that way. With Tab for a Cause, they release their financials every six months, ensuring that people know what their money is going towards. The reality is, sites like Tab for a Cause are vital when it comes to making a difference. Many people feel like they can’t help out because they don’t have time for charity or money for donations, but those people can make a difference, thanks to sites like this.
Cleaner Cities
Compared to the other months when I would do research for things happening around the world, I have noticed a significant increase of progress in December when it comes to cities taking a stand to make their areas cleaner. Due to there being so many places that have made changes, we will only get into the specifics of one area. Multiple places have decreased their coal usage– and here’s the facts. It’s simply not needed anymore. In this day and age, we have come up with more sustainable and environmentally friendly ways to access energy. Many companies have dropped using coal because of alternatives such as renewable, nuclear, and natural gas energy. In India, renewable energy produces more energy than coal. India is entering a new phase in energy, the once mainly coal dependent country is now starting to adapt and rely on other means of energy. Other areas that have reduced their coal usage are Los Angeles (which has become entirely coal free), Colorado, Michigan, Maryland, and Utah.
Ozone Layer is Healing
As of 2025 we got our first ozone layer update in five years. The ozone layer has seen significant recovery, being the fifth smallest it’s ever been since 1992 and the smallest it’s ever been in five years, according to US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA). Why is this good news? The ozone layer is crucial in protecting us from harmful UV rays from the sun. Without that protection, we’re at higher risk of dangerous things such as skin cancer, cataracts, damaged crops and marine life, and weakened immune systems. The healing of this ozone layer proves that it is possible to reverse the damage that has been done over the years and that we are progressing towards a healthier Earth. How will things be if we continue this progress? Researchers believe that the ozone layer over the Arctic should be completely recovered by 2045, the Antarctic by 2066, and the rest of the world by 2040. A quote by NASA scientist Paul Newman gives some insight on how things would’ve been if we didn’t take the steps necessary to heal the ozone layer, “This year’s hole would’ve been more than one million square miles larger if there was still as much chlorine in the stratosphere as there was 25 years ago.” The main point of this news is that it’s not too late to make a change.
Better Marine Life Protection
In December of 2025, governments attended a CITES Conference of the Parties meeting to adopt a plan to to protect majority of imperiled ray and shark species, such as manta rays and whale sharks, by banning international trade due to overfishing and closing up all loopholes that have been exploited by criminals. They also implemented zero export quotas which halted all exports of wild-caught specimens for giants guitarfish and wedgefish. Countries implementing this are so important because high-demand for good quality fins and meat have led so many ray and shark species to the brink of extinction. It’s important to ensure that these species are protected and don’t face extinction because without them, ocean health would be impacted. Sharks and rays keep the ocean balanced by eating sick, weak, and large populated species. In doing this, it results in the resilience of carbon-rich ocean ecosystems. Besides this, they also redistribute nutrients in the ocean, contributing to the nutrient cycling.
Healthier Living
For years, America has faced a problem– obesity. Obesity has been considered an epidemic in America since 1997 and was declared a disease in 1998. In America, obesity is at an all time high, putting people at higher risk for health problems such as heart diseases. For many years, people have been trying to find ways to combat this problem, healthy eating plans and exercise encouragement has been promoted, however, these efforts have not been enough to significantly lower obesity rates. Ozempic, which was first introduced in December 2017, is a weight loss drug primarily used by obese patients to promote weight loss. Since the release of this drug, pollsters reported that obesity decreased from a record high of 40% in 2022 to 37% in 2025. To put into a better perspective, that’s 7.6 million Americans. Obesity rates for men have dropped two percentage points and three percentage points for women. While obesity rates dropping is good news and should be celebrated, it is also important to be informed when using weightloss drugs. Ozempic is still being heavily studied, users should know that it may cause future health risks that we aren’t aware of. On top of that, it’s important to remember that weight loss drugs shouldn’t be the only thing to rely on when losing weight. Life style changes such as healthy eating, exercise, and good sleep should also be prioritized for good mental and physical health.
In this day and age, it’s easy to get lost on social media. With the news we commonly get from fear mongering people on the internet, it can feel as though things are hopeless at times– that there’s nothing people can do to make a change. That’s why it’s good to read articles such as this, talking about our wins in the world, and not just our losses. Change for the better is never guaranteed, but change for the worse is almost always promised if people never try to make things better. So remember, it’s never too late for you to make a difference!
Stroud, A. (2025, December). Imperiled Shark and Ray Species Win Unprecedented Protection at the CITES CoP20 | Born Free USA. Born Free USA. https://www.bornfreeusa.org/2025/12/01/imperiled-shark-and-ray-species-win-unprecedented-protection-at-the-cites-cop20/
Join me on Tab for a Cause! (n.d.). Tab.gladly.io. https://tab.gladly.io/
Coal’s diminishing role in India’s electricity transition | Ember. (2025, October 29). Ember. https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/coals-diminishing-role-in-indias-electricity-transition/
Small and short-lived 2025 ozone hole confirms long-term recovery trend. (2025, December 12). World Meteorological Organization. https://wmo.int/media/news/small-and-short-lived-2025-ozone-hole-confirms-long-term-recovery-trend
Mills, D. (2025, October 30). Weight Loss Drugs Like Ozempic Are Lowering the U.S. Obesity Rate. Healthline; Healthline Media. https://www.healthline.com/health-news/obesity-rate-declining-weight-loss-drugs-gallup-poll#More-Americans-being-prescribed-GLP-1-drugs
