12 Days of (2017) Good News

Anyone got the blues at work today? Never fear, it’s time to get happy with our annual 12 days of good news. For a daily dose of optimism, you can follow on Instagram, or scroll down for the complete series. Feel free to share, just make sure to credit the work to Brand by Name.

GOOD NEWS FACT #1

The ozone hole is the smallest it’s been since 1988.

Discovered in 1913, the ozone layer protects the earth from the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation. Since a large hole was discovered in 1985, there has been an international effort to reduce substances such as chlorofluorocarbons that were once commonly used in aerosols and as refrigerants. The hole is now around two and a half times the size of Australia. Researchers expect the hole to return to 1980 levels by around 2070.

Link : bit.ly/ozonelayerhole

GOOD NEWS FACT #2

Denmark has reduced food waste by 25% in five years, credited largely to one dedicated woman, Selina Juul.

Shocked by how much food was wasted, she set up ‘Stop Spild Af Mad’ (Stop Wasting Food). Starting with only a Facebook page, she created clever campaigns such as having a monthly clearout to eat UFOs (Unidentified Frozen Objects). Now, supermarkets encourage shoppers to buy single food items, labeled “Take me, I’m single” and Denmark has more initiatives against food waste than any other country in Europe.

Link : http://www.stopspildafmad.dk and bit.ly/DenmarkFoodWaste

GOOD NEWS FACT #3

Saudi Arabian women hailed the end of the driving ban in September 2017.

Until then, only men were allowed licences and women who drove in public risked being arrested and fined. Activist Manal Al-Sharif, who was imprisoned briefly in 2011 for driving unaccompanied, tweeted … “Today the last country on earth to allow women to drive … we did it.”

Link : bit.ly/SaudiWomenDriver

GOOD NEWS FACT #4

Deaths caused by Aids around the world have dropped by half since 2005, and life expectancy of people with HIV in Europe and North America is now ‘near-normal’ thanks to new drug treatments.

Link : bit.ly/HIV-50

GOOD NEWS FACT #5

The Snow leopard’s status has been improved to ‘vulnerable’ (an estimated population of under 10,000 breeding animals and a population decline of at least 10% over three generations). The rarely-sighted animals were first listed as endangered in 1972.

Link : bit.ly/Snow-Leopards

GOOD NEWS FACT #6

At 148,000 sq km, it has been dubbed ‘The Galapagos of North America’ and will protect hundreds of species of animals and plants, including giant rays, humpback whales, sea turtles, lizards and migratory birds.

Link : bit.ly/Mexico-ocean

GOOD NEWS FACT #7

Clean energy jobs (solar, wind, energy efficiency, smart grid technology and battery storage) vastly outnumbered fossil fuel jobs (coal, oil and gas). The solar industry alone accounts for 1 in 50 new US jobs in 2017.

Link : bit.ly/USEnergyJobs and bit.ly/USSolarJobs

GOOD NEWS FACT #8

The European Union and nine nations, including the US, Russia, China and South Korea reached a deal to make the Arctic off-limits to commercial fishers for the next 16 years. The agreement gives scientists more time to understand the region’s marine ecology and the potential impacts of climate change.

Link : bit.ly/ArcticFishing

GOOD NEWS FACT #9

Tuberculosis kills more people globally than any other infectious disease. Thanks to global efforts, an estimated 53 million lives have been saved, and there is a global commitment to eradicate the disease completely by 2030. In related news, premature deaths (before age 70) for the four biggest noncommunicable diseases – cardiovascular, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory – dropped by 16 per cent.

Link : bit.ly/EradicateTB and bit.ly/PrematureDeaths

GOOD NEWS FACT #10

A report by the International Labor Organisation estimates 98 million fewer boys and girls being exploited in 2016 than in 2000. The decline is credited to firmer legislation against child labor, adequate funding for enforcement, and encouraging more efficient labor inspections. More and more kids are getting an education and enjoying their childhood.

Link : bit.ly/ChildLabourRates

GOOD NEWS FACT #11

After 15 years of trials, the butterfly pea-based insecticide launched in September 2017. In other bee-related news, the European Commission and the UK are looking to ban insect-harming pesticides in 2018, and honey bees dying from Colony Collapse Disorder in the US are down 27% from 2016.

Link : bit.ly/Oz-Insecticide and bit.ly/US-Bees

GOOD NEWS FACT #12

Australia gave an emphatic ‘yes’ response to a same-sex marriage vote in November. The Marriage Act was was changed three weeks later to allow same-sex couples the right to marry, with the first couples tying the knot on December 21st. As we posted at the time — ‘Finally.’ ❤️🌈🎉

Link : bit.ly/AustraliaSSM