How have the actions of Goku and others benefited Dragon Ball's Earth?

[Lionel]

I mean apart from protecting Earth obviously. Is there anything that could be said that's helped to benefit the planet? You know, make it a better society as a whole when in comparison to before Goku came onto the scene. One example of this that I can think of is the threaded action & consequence officiation of Dende as deity of Earth who increased the capabilities of the Dragon Balls by allowing them to grant two wishes instead of one. One other might be Gohan's dissertation on the fundamentals and utilisation of ki which allowed for its understanding and harnessing to become wide-spread amongst the general population in Dragon Ball Online (from what I hear).

What other examples can the fans think of?

[Polyphase Avatron]

It's not ruled by Pilaf, the Red Ribbon Army, or King Piccolo.

[theherodjl]

Well...Earth is safe from Freeza's Army & Babidi's minions. Pilaf or the RRA might have taken it over but its astronomically better to be ruled by powerless dwarfs than super-powered ones.

[Xeogran]

They made Mr. Satan, the World Champ, get over his arrogance and be overall more helpful and nicer person than when we first meet him.

[Cursed Lemon]

I think it's more that Goku and friends are good for the universe but bad for Earth. lol

[Polyphase Avatron]

I think it's more that Goku and friends are good for the universe but bad for Earth. lol

Well consider what happened to the Universe 6 Earth...

[emperior]

Goku defeated the Red Ribbon army, which was quite well known and feared, and also cleaned the world off its most brutal assassin Tao Pai Pai (at least for a while) and later on Master Roshi’s speech to Tenshinan at the 22nd Budokai spared the world from a new Tao Pai Pai.
Roshi also helped out a whole village when he gave Nam a capsule to fill with water.
Also let’s not forget that Goku and co. got rid of the Monster Carrot, who was causing trouble with his gang, changed a desert bandit (Yamcha) into a better person and tamed Launch for a while.
The fact 17 is alive and working in a island to protect endangered species can also be seen as beneficial for the Earth.
Goku has also given a lesson (and actually brought to the police in the manga) the thieves who were trying to steal his Capsule Corp vehicle at the beginning of the Universal Survival Arc.
Krillin’s work as a cop and Gohan’s acts as Great Saiyaman (with the help of Videl too) definitely helped into ridding the society off a few bad elements.
Bulma’s Capsule Corp surely must have a positive impact on society considering everyone uses their capsules and Mr Satan’s fame and charisma may have inspired many people into being good.

[DragonBallFoodie]

At most the Z-Fighters' actions amount to protecting Earth from threats to it. But nothing really progressive like rebuilding or development.

[Lionel]

Really good examples, Emperior. When you look closer at the details of the people's everyday lives and their interactions with one another, the benefits really do start to show, it looks like. One thing that comes to mind which I think would be perfect for Bulma and Capsule Corporation to accomplish is using the blueprints for #17 to replicate the eternal energy engine and make that a usable product like their capsules. You might have a lot of major potential in something like that.