14 good news to cheer you up

With everything going on in the world, it's nice to remember that in the last couple of months there have been lots of good things happening. Let's all spread some positivity.

1. Elephant population in Kenya doubled

In the last 30 years, the elephant population in Kenya has doubled thanks to various missions to stop poaching. Why are they being poached? Unfortunately, their tusks are made of ivory, for which there is a very high demand. In 2019, there were 34 elephants reported poached, compared to only seven elephants in 2020, which is an amazing improvement. Anyone caught poaching wildlife or smuggling wildlife trophies in Kenya is said to either receive a heavy fine or be sent to jail.

2. Scotland will provide menstrual aids for free

Scotland becomes the first in the world to provide menstrual aid products for free. Period poverty is something that a lot of women have to deal with due to the expensive price we have to pay because of what happens to our bodies each month. Coupled with period stigma, this is an issue that affects a lot of young girls. But Scotland passed the bill that ensures authorities have to give free products such as tampons or sanitary pads to anyone who needs them. Great job Scotland for leading the way!

3. Kenyan woman recycles plastic into bricks stronger than concrete

Nzambi Matee is a Kenyan entrepreneur that had an incredible goal - to turn plastic into a strong building material. Plastic waste pollution is a severe issue in Kenya and this amazing individual successfully managed to create bricks that are twice as strong.

4. Germany is changing 62 military bases into nature reserves

Over 31,000 hectares where 62 disused military bases were set will be given back to nature by Germany's Environment Ministery. I think this is such a great choice, especially since they will now be used by eagles, woodpeckers, bats, and beetles.

5. Bernie Sanders mittens meme has raised over 1.8 million for charity

Now, this was a surprise that I personally didn't expect, but it is nice to see that a fun meme can bring so many people together and donate money to charity. The viral photo of Bernie Sanders sitting alone in a chair with his legs crossed, bundled up in a big puffy jacket and wearing a chunky pair of mittens at Biden’s inauguration became a huge social media sensation. He raised $1.8 million for charities in just five days. The proceeds from all the sales benefited various charities and organizations in Vermont that focus on hunger relief and other social issues.

6. Muslim council of Britain elected its first female leader

A 29-year-old woman from Glasgow became an inspiration for so many young girls by being elected the first female leader of the Muslim Council of Britain. I am all about her message about female empowerment and encouraging your girls and women everywhere to seek leadership roles. There is still a stigma in so many fields and types of jobs that women don't usually go for since it can still be a "man's world".

7. The technology behind the Pfizer COVID vaccine is leading to a possible MS breakthrough

One positive about the current pandemic is that research advanced in reducing the severity of MS in mice. A German company that worked with Pfizer used the same technology to create a vaccine that, through the clinical trials on mice, showed massive improvement. Not only was the progression of the MS disease halted, but some lost motor function was recovered in the mice.

8. New prostate cancer test makes a diagnosis using urine in 20 minutes with near 100% accuracy

Technology has embedded our lives forever. An AI developed by the Korean Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) can detect if you have prostate cancer in just 20 minutes. Wow! How amazing is this! Usually, a person would need to go through a very painful biopsy procedure which can hopefully soon be avoided. This research can help save so many lives.

9. A rare and endangered Indian rhinoceros was born at a polish zoo

Scrolling a few weeks ago randomly through Facebook I came across an article about a rare rhino born at a polish zoo. Intrigued, I opened it and started reading it only to find out that it was the first in over 155 years that was born within the zoo. I love animal facts and this just made my day.

10. Volunteers removed 9000 pounds of trash from the Tennessee river

We should all be more sustainability and do our part in helping our planet. Sometimes, the worst pollution is one that is hidden. A huge effort was realised by numerous Johnsonville volunteers over three days. This was not their first attempt and won't be the last since they have set themselves an even bigger goal for their April initiative. Thank you to everyone fighting for this Earth!

11. Wood grown in the lab using plant cells cut deforestation

First, there was lab-grown meat, and now scientists at MIT are working on lab-grown wooden furniture applying a similar process of multiplying cells. To be honest, my first thought while reading about this was just to stop cutting down the forests, but I know it is not easy. And I must say the idea of being able to grow the wood for your own furniture instead of just cutting down a tree would be such amazing progress.

12. Whales are back in the Atlantic ocean after more than 100 years

Conservation efforts and the absence of cruise ship travel brought large numbers of blue whales to the Atlantic Ocean to be discovered when a survey was completed by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) research team in 2020. While the pandemic has had a negative impact on us humans, I think it provided the time the planet needed to start healing itself.

13. Landlords can no longer automatically ban pets in the UK

I know the UK residents might be aware of this, but I just had to include it. Such a good achievement. In the UK, getting permission from landlords to have a pet can be a nightmare and a very difficult process.

14. 14 billion raised for a great green wall to continue planting trees across Africa

In early January 2021, at the ‘One Planet Summit for Biodiversity’ French President Emmanuel Macron announced that $14 Billion was pledged for the great green wall to continue to be planted. This all sounds pretty awesome and this is finally one wall I can support happily!

Where there is life, there is always hope! Hope this left you with a smile and a bit of positivity!

Thank you for reading and hope you enjoyed these facts! Would really appreciate it if you leave a heart or any tip is more than welcomed. You can also check out any of my other articles here!