3 Good News Stories That Bring Back a Smile

Because the news can sometimes feel bleak, we have picked out 3 uplifting stories.

It is a familiar saying that the media never report on trains arriving on time. As a result, keeping up with current affairs can be utterly dispiriting. Without overlooking the major threats and challenges of our time, good news does occasionally reach us - and it is not shared widely enough. Ignoring it means resigning ourselves to despair. Here are three recent stories that put a smile back on our faces.

This vanished species has returned

Having been absent for more than a century, pine martens are once again populating Exmoor National Park in England. These mustelids were wiped out by hunting and habitat degradation during the 19th century, but have benefited from a reintroduction programme. As part of the initiative, 19 animals brought from Scotland were released.

Comparable projects have already proved successful in Dartmoor, the Forest of Dean, Wales and Cumbria. Tracey Hamston of Devon Wildlife Trust welcomed the return of a species that was once vital to woodland ecosystems.

This dreadful disease is close to eradication

Dracunculiasis, a parasitic disease spread through stagnant water, has declined dramatically. While 890,000 cases were recorded in 1989, the World Health Organization counted only 14 in 2023. This terrible parasitic illness is contracted via stagnant water: the Guinea worm enters the body when it is swallowed, grows for a year, then breaks through the skin.

Once endemic in around 20 countries across South Asia and Africa, the disease has receded thanks to an international eradication campaign. Better access to safe drinking water and active monitoring in the affected areas account for this encouraging achievement.

100 countries have cut their dependence on fossil fuels

According to the International Energy Agency, more than 100 countries have lowered their dependence on imported fossil fuels by expanding renewable energy. Since 2010, the United Kingdom, Germany and Chile have cut their coal and gas imports by one third by backing wind and solar power. Denmark, meanwhile, has halved them.

These investments prevented the import of 700 million tonnes of coal in 2023, representing savings of $1,300 billion over 13 years. This is all the more welcome because the transition strengthens the energy independence of importing countries while supporting local jobs.

That is all for this week. If you enjoyed this article, you can revisit the previous instalment in this series to discover other good news stories that went relatively unnoticed.