{"id":17510,"date":"2023-06-30T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-30T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/sustainability\/?p=17510"},"modified":"2023-11-29T15:29:06","modified_gmt":"2023-11-29T15:29:06","slug":"monthly-good-news-10-june","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/sustainability\/monthly-good-news-10-june\/","title":{"rendered":"Monthly Good News #10: June"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>This blog post was reuploaded in August<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re halfway through the year already. Which is a lot of days. 181 days to be exact. And in those 181 days, a lot of wack things have happened. A bunch of them probably happened in June. So we\u2019re back to combat that bad feeling. That EVERYTHING SUCKS AND WE\u2019RE ALL GONNA DIE feeling. That NOTHING IS WORTHWHILE feeling. Because it\u2019s unfounded and hopeless and the world is full of a lot of positive people doing extraordinary things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And extraordinary crocodiles too. (You\u2019ll see.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So here\u2019s the message of the month, to counteract everything bad: This week I watched that 2019 Brad Pitt space movie <em>Ad Astra. <\/em>And in space movies, there\u2019s usually a lot of hopelessness. But, subverting expectations, <em>Ad Astra <\/em>lets Brad Pitt monologue more than once about hope and how he wants to return home, to Earth, because that\u2019s where love is. And love is always worth coming home for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m sorry, <em>here\u2019s <\/em>the message: There is a lot of love on planet Earth. It is stored in the people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is the good news I found this month:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2023\/jun\/21\/iceland-suspends-annual-whale-hunt-in-move-that-likely-spells-end-to-controversial-practice\">Iceland suspends annual whale hunt<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Chipotle tests <a href=\"https:\/\/www.happy-headlines.com\/blog-posts\/chipotle-tests-new-all-electric-restaurant\">all new electric restaurant<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Offshore wind farms may be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.happy-headlines.com\/blog-posts\/offshore-wind-farms-may-be-helping-to-boost-sea-soil-animal-numbers\">helping boost sea soil animal numbers<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Self-driving trucks <a href=\"https:\/\/www.happy-headlines.com\/blog-posts\/these-einride-self-driving-trucks-could-help-reduce-co2-emissions\">to help reduce CO2 emissions<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>London has a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.positive.news\/society\/new-ground-london-older-womens-co-housing-community\/\">commune for senior women<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>National Express <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessgreen.com\/news\/4118498\/glastonbury-national-express-debuts-electric-bus-service-bristol-route-festival\">debuts electric bus service<\/a> at Glastonbury<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A study has found a link between <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ucl.ac.uk\/news\/2023\/jun\/regular-napping-linked-larger-brain-volume\">napping and good brain health<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Swiss referendum has passed, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/green\/2023\/06\/19\/electricity-sinkhole-or-important-step-forward-swiss-citizens-to-vote-on-new-climate-law\">pledging \u00a31.7 billion to supporting to renewable energy<\/a> over the next decade<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Around <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2023\/jun\/21\/britain-is-embracing-switch-to-refillable-water-bottles-say-campaigners\">60% of Brits now carry a reusable bottle<\/a>, up from 20% 8 years ago<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.walesonline.co.uk\/news\/wales-news\/rare-sighting-minke-whale-coast-27165472\">Minke whales return to Cardigan Bay in west Wales<\/a> for the first time in over a decade<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Devon is trialling <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/uk\/home-news\/water-pollution-devon-artificial-intelligence-b2359424.html\">an AI pollution preventing \u2018crystal ball\u2019<\/a> for their waters<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.space.com\/space-solar-power-satellite-beams-energy-1st-time\">Solar power has been harvested in space and transmitted to Earth for the first time<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>UK start up has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theengineer.co.uk\/content\/in-depth\/how-a-uk-space-startup-plans-to-use-satellites-to-measure-energy-wastage\/\">launched a satellite that identifies the least energy efficient buildings<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Researchers believe that long covid could be treated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/laninf\/article\/PIIS1473-3099(23)00299-2\/fulltext\">with a pill designed for type 2 diabetes<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Iceland has banned conversion therapy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchnews.nl\/2023\/06\/free-sunscreen-for-all-as-temperatures-soar\/\">Free sunscreen is being given out in redundant hand sanitiser bottles in the Netherlands<\/a> to combat skin cancer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Plans are underway to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk\/blog\/how-does-a-bison-cross-the-road\">expand the rewilded bison\u2019s conservation site at Wildwood<\/a> with hoof-friendly bridges<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2022\/06\/scotland-changes-course-to-save-its-last-native-wildcats\/\">Highland tigers have been reintroduced to Scotland<\/a> to combat their extinction rates<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The UK\u2019s Advertising Standards Authority <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/business\/2023\/jun\/07\/shells-green-ad-campaign-banned-in-uk-for-being-likely-to-mislead\">banned oil giant Shell\u2019s \u201cmisleading\u201d ad campaign<\/a> filled with greenwashing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Four fashion brands are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/lifeandstyle\/2023\/jun\/20\/if-its-broken-they-fix-it-four-fashion-brands-that-give-their-garments-a-second-life?utm_term=649429b2e6bb61e41fd41fe581f94d64&amp;utm_campaign=DownToEarth&amp;utm_source=esp&amp;utm_medium=Email&amp;CMP=greenlight_email\">giving their garments a second life<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A subterranean carbon sink made entirely of fungi has been discovered to pull down <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sheffield.ac.uk\/news\/fungi-stores-third-carbon-fossil-fuel-emissions-and-could-be-essential-reaching-net-zero#:~:text=5%20June%202023-,Fungi%20stores%20a%20third%20of%20carbon%20from%20fossil%20fuel%20emissions,essential%20to%20reaching%20net%20zero&amp;text=The%20vast%20underground%20network%20of,emissions%2C%20according%20to%20new%20research.\">more than a third of global CO2 emissions each year<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/wwf.org.au\/news\/2023\/australia-to-phase-out-destructive-gill-nets-from-great-barrier-reef-waters\/\">Gillnet fishing to be phased out<\/a> of Australia\u2019s Great Barrier Reef<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A UK biodiversity survey has discovered that <a href=\"https:\/\/solarenergyuk.org\/resource\/solar-habitat-a-look-into-ecological-trends-on-solar-farms-in-the-uk\/\">animal and plant life thrives around solar farms<\/a> \u2013 including a few species considered to be in danger<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Netherlands unveils the building work of a vertical forest \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stefanoboeriarchitetti.net\/project\/wonderwoods-2\/\">2.5 acres of woodland growing up an office and residential tower block<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-65671485\">first Arab female astronaut in space<\/a> went on a 10-day off-planet mission to the International Space Station<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ukrainian company <a href=\"https:\/\/www.positive.news\/economics\/polystyrene-made-from-mushrooms\/\">creates polystyrene from mushrooms<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2023\/jun\/11\/lake-powell-glen-canyon-drought-reservoir?utm_term=648aef3635f629928f0c47dee5ea5835&amp;utm_campaign=DownToEarth&amp;utm_source=esp&amp;utm_medium=Email&amp;CMP=greenlight_email\">A drought is bringing a lost US canyon back to life<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Whatever the heck is going on with White Gladis the orca and <a href=\"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/9762971\/orca-whales-attacking-boats-explanation\/\">the yacht attacks<\/a> (which I consider to be positive because it means the orcas are unionising)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.onegreenplanet.org\/animals\/resurgence-of-blue-whales-california\/\">Blue whales are making a comeback in Californian waters<\/a> \u2013 and today its estimated there are up to 2,200 blue whales in the area \u2013 when only 600 in the world were estimated in the 1960s<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.happy-headlines.com\/blog-posts\/two-critically-endangered-birds-hatch-at-smithsonians-national-zoo\">Two critically endangered birds hatch<\/a> at Smithsonian\u2019s National Zoo<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For the first time ever recorded, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2023\/jun\/07\/scientists-record-first-known-virgin-birth-in-female-crocodile-in-costa-rica?utm_term=648aef3635f629928f0c47dee5ea5835&amp;utm_campaign=DownToEarth&amp;utm_source=esp&amp;utm_medium=Email&amp;CMP=greenlight_email\">a female crocodile has had a \u2018virgin birth\u2019<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Spend some time with a loved one, plant a bee friendly garden and have an excellent weekend.<br><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>By Bethany Climpson, Sustainability Engagement Assistant<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We\u2019re halfway through the year already. Which is a lot of days. And in those 181 days, a lot of wack things have happened. So we\u2019re back to combat that bad feeling.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":331329,"featured_media":17514,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4138,66,86],"tags":[110,114,3822,3994,2014],"class_list":["post-17510","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-monthly-good-news","category-sustainability-engagement","category-whole-earth","tag-acting-together","tag-actingtogether","tag-good-news","tag-positive-news","tag-sustainability"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"authorName":"Bethany Climpson","featuredImage":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/sustainability\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/669\/2023\/08\/blog-headers-1.png","postExcerpt":"We\u2019re halfway through the year already. Which is a lot of days. And in those 181 days, a lot of wack things have happened. So we\u2019re back to combat that bad feeling.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/sustainability\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17510","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/sustainability\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/sustainability\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/sustainability\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/331329"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/sustainability\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17510"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/sustainability\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17510\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17574,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/sustainability\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17510\/revisions\/17574"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/sustainability\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/sustainability\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17510"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/sustainability\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17510"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/sustainability\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17510"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}