It’s tough out there right now; everyday television screens, radio stations and newspapers tell of political upheaval, environmental damage and societal sorrow. Even our social media feeds are choking on unpleasant updates. However, optimism is a crucial tool in the toolkit during the quest to elicit positive change. As such, a spotlight must be shone upon the stories of good from around the world, as well as the bad.

We’ve rounded up some of the best ‘good news’ stories in the media right now, with the hope they’ll inspire a little hope and optimism.

FMCG Giant Unilever takes an ethical stand on the Internet

Keith Weed, Unilever’s chief marketing officer, has confirmed the multi-billion dollar company will not hesitate to pull marketing spend from digital platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter if ‘fake news’, radicalism and hatred continue to be spread, uncontrolled and unchallenged, on these sites.

Why is this good news? Well, Weed insists this move comes from Unilever’s desire to avoid “platforms which do not make a positive contribution to society” — and as a multi-national leader in many categories, it’s unlikely that now Unilever has made its stance clear, other companies won’t do the same. The argument is impossible for the likes of Facebook to ignore. What we can hope for, then, is a cleaner and more responsible Internet that’s safer for everyone to enjoy.

Stay tuned with the help of a new source, such as International brief, for the latest developments on this.

People power helps fund LGBTQ children’s book ‘Maiden Voyage’

Users of Kickstarter — the crowdfunding service — have once again come through for an independent project, raising more than the necessary total to bring ‘Maiden Voyage,’ the second in a series of LGBTQ inclusive books, to print.

Through ‘Promised Land Tales,’ co-founders Adam Reynolds and Chaz Harris want to give today’s children the books they needed to see when they were growing up; stories where diversity is key, yet isn’t questioned or used as a plot device.

This is great news, as it’s another step towards raising younger generations to be accepting and loving of each other as equals.

UK air pollutants continue to decline

Citizens of Great Britain can breathe a sigh of relief, for now, as motor emissions fell 12% between 2012 and 2016. It’s a great step in the right direction, yet the nation remains in breach of European limits for nitrogen oxides in sixteen cities across the country.

Nevertheless, a steady closure of coal-fired power stations resulted in a significant drop in sulfur dioxide levels, and in general air toxicity levels are within legal limits.

While there’s still a long way to go, it’s worth celebrating the positive change — it’s far better than the alternative!

Stay positive; share positivity

It can be hard to keep smiling in times such as these, but one thing is for sure: to drive change, we have to stay motivated. In this spirit, try to share one positive story with someone you speak to today, in the hopes they’ll share one with someone else. One by one, we can change the world.

 

The author is Delicia Warren. She is a freelance writer, passionate about the environment, organic farming and food production. An advocate for a holistic approach to the world’s problems, she has a particular interest in the small changes individuals can make to their lifestyle to minimize their environmental footprint.

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hqdefaultI copied the title above from this article in GreenTechMedia as a preamble to a few remarks.

Some people may say that anything Germany does is a “drop in the bucket” of the world’s overall coal consumption, and thus it’s an irrelevant gesture.  I’ve heard this argument before.  In fact, I’ve actually made this argument before.  But on balance, I think it’s wrong.  Here’s why: (more…)

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1402_2Question:  What country just became the first to divest its entire national holdings from fossil fuels? (more…)

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I thought I’d publish this map of the world, created by the Metropolitan Art Museum, enabling you to get a glimpse of life on Earth if the planet warms 4°C, an extremely likely scenario.  As we’ve often said, there will be some winners along with all the losers.

As interesting as it is, I question its accuracy, in that it features part of today’s land mass that will have long since ceased to exist due to the melting of a large percentage of the ice on Greenland and Western Antarctica.

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download (2)Media coverage of climate change is light, uninformative, and declining in scope–just as its impact in terms of extreme weather events is going through the roof. From this article by Media Matters for America: (more…)

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woman-entepreneurNo matter what business you’re in, reducing costs is one of the surest ways to discover found money. Every dime you save applies 100% of its value to your bottom line, so it is to your benefit to find ways to reduce costs wherever you can. (more…)

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natural resourcesClean energy and sustainability have evolved from topics of conversation in the ‘70s to full-blown commitments frequently made by major corporations, communities, and individuals alike. This not only means that we are taking responsibility for the care of our Earth, but our shifted priorities have brought about new and exciting jobs in sustainability that can co-exist in just about any other industry. (more…)

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maxresdefaultHere’s a promise I’ll make you.  If you watch this perhaps one-minute video, you have my guarantee that you’ll come away feeling better about America than you did going in.   (more…)

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2015-Ford-Focus-01-626x382Is it the End of the Road for the Combustion Engine?

The latest EU goals aim for an ever greater reduction in CO2 emissions from road vehicles. Will diesel trucks still be viable options in 2030? (more…)

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