GOOD NEWS
Australia bans biodegradable plastic, Japan court backs same-sex marriage, ‘Buy Nothing’ groups
GOOD NEWS
Australia’s great crime decline, researchers develop foldable solar cells, startup turns hills into batteries
GOOD NEWS
Australia anthem changes to honor Indigenous past, UK tampon tax abolished, law to protect Yangtze River
GOOD NEWS
Tasmanian devils return to Australian mainland, Maryland bans single-use styrofoam containers
GOOD NEWS
Cement-free concrete, biomimetic hand prosthesis, longest organ delivery flight in drone history
GOOD NEWS
Device Captures Tire Dust, World’s Smallest Ultrasound Detector, Australia’s Feral Predator-Free Haven
GOOD NEWS
South Australia Bans Single-Use Plastics, Nanoclay Turns Desert to Farmland
GOOD NEWS
Upcycled Pineapple Leaves Can Clean Water, Strictest Facial Recognition Ban in the US
GOOD NEWS
Filipino Students Have to Plant Trees to Graduate, Australia’s First Aboriginal Minister, Plantable Pencils
A new Filipino law requires every student to plant 10 trees each before graduating; Ken Wyatt is Australia’s first indigenous cabinet minister; a Filipino startup produces pencils that can grow into plants.
GOOD NEWS
Del Taco to Add Pea-Based “Meat”, the Psychology of Peace, Record Solar Panel Installations in Australia
Del Taco customers will soon be able to request pea-based, environmentally-friendly “meat” as an alternative to any protein in Del Taco products; Israeli researchers are running a unique experiment in order to understand the psychology behind the Israel-Palestine conflict; Australia installed almost 50 percent more rooftop panels in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the same period last year.
GOOD NEWS
Australia to Plant One Billion Trees and Fight Climate Change, Depaving Cities, EVs Provide Emergency Power
Australia’s National Forest Industries Plan will help Australia meet its Paris climate agreement targets by planting one billion trees; removing asphalt from public spaces allows urban dwellers to reconnect with nature, reducing flooding and improving health; and affected by tsunamis, typhoons, and earthquakes, Japan is turning to carmakers such as Nissan and Mitsubishi to show how their electric vehicles can power homes in cases of emergency.
GOOD NEWS
Peru to Ban Single-Use Plastic Bags, Niger Law Protects Refugees, Victoria’s Equal Gender Cabinet
Peru will end the production, distribution, and consumption of single-use plastic bags; a new law in Niger protects people fleeing violence, natural disasters, and famine; and Victoria’s new cabinet is made up of 11 men and 11 women.
GOOD NEWS
Palau Bans Sunscreens, New Therapy Enables Paralyzed Men to Walk Again, Australia Eradicated Rubella
Thanks to a new technique using electrical stimulation, three paralyzed patients have been able to walk again; Palau becomes the first country to ban the sunscreen chemicals damaging coral reefs; and thanks to a robust vaccination program, rubella in Australia has been officially been eradicated.
