I think we can all agree that 2019 felt like a never-ending parade of shockingly bad news that had us all believing the world was taking a hard nose-dive and there was absolutely nothing we could do about it.
However, one Instagram account has been diligently promoting only the best, most positive news to its followers to remind everyone that amid all the fear-mongering headlines this year, there were some pretty good ones, too.
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The Happy Broadcast is dedicated to delivering what they rightfully call “anxiety-free news”, and we thank them for that. Here are some of the best news stories from 2019 that will help us enter 2020 feeling a little bit better about things.
Seoul hosts daytime discos that are just “like medicine” for the city’s senior population.
According to the BBC , local government in South Korea’s capital organised the daily disco dances (or “colatecs”) in an effort to keep the grey-haired residents happy and healthy, while also offering them some much-needed entertainment and fun.
Rome is making public transportation significantly more eco-friendly!
As Euro News reported, Italy’s capital lets travelers deposit empty plastic bottles in exchange for public transit rides.
Each bottle amounts to about 5 cents’ worth of credit, which means a standard ticket (1.50 euros) would “cost” around 30 plastic bottles.
Padma Shri Jadav “Molai” Payeng began planting trees in 1979 when he was just 16 years old.
Once a barren wasteland, the now-more than 1,360-acre “Molai Forest” is about 1.6 times bigger than Central Park and contains thousands of varieties of trees.
It’s also home to elephants, rhinos, deer, wild boars, reptiles, vultures, and Royal Bengal tigers, The Guardian reported.
A meeting in Geneva approved the near-total ban on snatching baby elephants from the wild to sell to zoos.
This was definitely a huge victory for the wild elephants of the world!
According to the BBC , parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) decided elephants can only be taken from the wild to be placed in “captive facilities” elsewhere. And that’s only after approval by a committee of CITES members.
Kids heading to the operating room at a California hospital are significantly less nervous now!
As People reported, staff at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, California introduced a mini pink Volkswagen Beetle and black Mercedes for their young patients to drive on their way to surgery.
By allowing the youngsters to get behind the wheel and take the cars for a spin, the kids are put at ease and are able to leave their fears in the dust.
Greta Thunberg has inspired students all around the world to stand up and march for climate change.
The 16-year-old activist from Sweden was the compelling force behind some 1.4 million students walking out of schools on March 15 as part of the Global Climate Strike.
The official UN Women Twitter account wrote of Thunberg, “She is proof that we need to listen to the young generation for a sustainable future.”
The “Graduation Legacy for the Environment Act” was officially passed in the Philippines in March.
“With over 12 million students graduating from elementary and nearly five million students graduating from high school and almost 500,000 graduating from college each year, this initiative, if properly implemented, will ensure that at least 175 million new trees would be planted each year,” Rep. Gary Alejano told CNN Philippines .
He added, “In the course of one generation, no less than 525 billion can be planted under this initiative.”
An estimated 300,000 humpback whales were killed through whaling practices in the late 1700s and mid-1900s.
According to CNN , recent efforts to preserve this whale population has seen incredible success, and humpback whales have now nearly reached their pre-hunting numbers.
It’s a resurgence that was once thought impossible, and which serves as a powerful reminder that the world can accomplish amazing things if we make a serious effort.
After a desperate plea from his parents, thousands turned up in an effort to help save the life of 5-year-old Oscar Saxelby-Lee.
According to The New York Times , donors lined up in the pouring rain to see if they were a match for the youngester battling T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. His family had been told he had only three months to find a stem-cell match that could save his life.
A match was found from the nearly 5,000 potential donors, and in June the BBC reported Oscarwas recovering well from the stem cell transplant.
Blood donors in Sweden are notified when their blood is used, encouraging them to donate again!
The Independent reported that donors receive an initial “thank you” text message after first giving blood. Later, they’re sent another message once their donation has been used to save a life, which organizers said compels those people to come back and donate even more blood.
Incredibly, the Netherlands managed to find all its stray dogs a home and prevent new strays.
Apparently this was all possible thanks to an extensive sterilization program known as CNVR (Collect, Neuter, Vaccinate, and Return). New laws were also introduced to protect animal welfare, with stray pets immediately rescued and moved to no-kill shelters.
Additionally, citizens are encouraged to adopt, not shop, with some municipalities even introducing higher taxers for shop-bought dogs to discourage people from going outside animal shelters for their new pets.
