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With celebrity death and elections taking the media by the nose, it’s easy to forget that this year saw a great many positives. Let’s look.
1. The Colombian government and FARC rebels committed to a lasting peace, ending a war that killed or displaced over 7 million people.
2. Sri Lanka spent five years working to exile the world’s deadliest disease from their borders. As of 2016, they are malaria free.
3. The Giant Panda, arguably the world’s second cutest panda, has official been removed from the endangered species list.
4. @astro_timpeake became the first ESA astronaut from the UK, symbolizing a renewed British commitment to space exploration.
5. Tiger numbers around the world are on the rise for the first time in 100 years, with plans to double by 2022.
6. Juno, a piece of future history, successfully flew over 588 million miles and is now sending back unprecedented data from Jupiter.
7. The number of veterans in the US who are homeless has halved in the past half-decade, with a nearly 20% drop in 2016.
8. Malawi lowered its HIV rate by 67%, and in the past decade have seen a shift in public health that has saved over 250,000 lives.
9. Air travel continue to get safer, and 2016 saw the second fewest per capita deaths in aviation of any year on record.
10. India’s dogged commitment to reforestation saw a single day event planting more than 50 million trees, a world record.
11. Measles has been eradicated from the Americas. A 22 year vaccination campaign has led to the elimination of the historic virus.
12. After a century, Einstein’s theory of gravitational waves has been proven correct, in a ‘moon shot’ scientific achievement.
13. China has announced a firm date for the end of the ivory trade, as public opinion is becoming more staunchly environmentalist.
14. A solar powered airplane flew across the Pacific Ocean for the first time, highlighting a new era of energy possibilities.
15. Costa Rica’s entire electrical grid ran on renewable energy for over half the year, and their capacity continues to grow.
16. Israeli and US researchers believe they are on the brink of being able to cure radiation sickness, after successful tests this year.
17. The ozone layer has shown that through tackling a problem head on, the world can stem environmental disasters, together.
18. A new treatment for melanoma has seen a 40% survival rate, taking a huge step forward towards long-term cancer survivability.
19. An Ebola vaccine was developed by Canadian researchers with 100% efficacy. Humans eradicated horror, together.
20. British Columbia protected 85% of the world’s largest temperate rainforest, in a landmark environmental agreement.
21. 2016 saw the designation of more than 40 new marine sanctuaries in 20 countries, covering an area larger than the United States.
22. These marine reserves include Malaysia’s 13 year struggle to complete a million hectare park, completed this year.
23. This also includes the largest marine reserve in history, created in Antarctica via an unprecedented agreement by 24 nations.
24. Atmospheric acid pollution, once a gloomy reality, has been tackled to the point of being almost back to pre-industrial levels.
25. Major diseases are in decline. The US saw a 50% mortality drop in colon cancer; lower heart disease, osteoporosis and dementia.
26. Uruguay successfully fought tobacco companies to create a precedent for small countries looking to introduce health-focused legislation.
27. World hunger has reached its lowest point in 25 years, and with poverty levels dropping worldwide, seems likely to continue.
28. The A.U. made strides to become more unified, launching an all-Africa passport meant to allow for visa-free travel for all citizens.
29. Fossil fuel emissions flatlined in 2016, with the Paris agreement becoming the fastest UN treaty to become international law.
30. China announced a ban on new coal mines, with renewed targets to increase electrical capacity through renewables by 2020.
31. One third of Dutch prison cells are empty as the crime rate shrank by more than 25% in the last eight years, continuing to drop.
32. In August went to the high Arctic with some incredible young artists. They helped open my eyes to the promise of the next generation.
33. Science, economics, and environmentalism saw a reversal in the overfishing trends of the United States this year.
34. @BoyanSlat successfully tested his Ocean Cleanup prototype, and aims to clean up to 40% of ocean-borne plastics starting this year.
35. Israel now produces 55% of its freshwater, turning what is one of the driest countries on earth into an agricultural heartland.
36. The Italian government made it harder to waste food, creating laws that provided impetus to collect, share and donate excess meals.
37. People pouring ice on their head amusingly provided the ALS foundation with enough funding to isolate a genetic cause of the disease.
38. Manatees, arguably the most enjoyable animal to meet when swimming, are no longer endangered.
39. Grizzlies, arguable the least enjoyable animal to meet while swimming, no longer require federal protection in US national parks.
40. Global aid increased 7%, with money being designated to helping the world’s 65 million refugees doubling.
41. 2016 was the most charitable year in American history. China’s donations have increased more than ten times since a decade ago.
42. The Gates Foundation announced another 5 billion dollars towards eradicating poverty and disease in Africa.
43. Individual Canadians were so welcoming that the country set a world standard for how to privately sponsor and resettle refugees.
44. Teenage birth rates in the United States have never been lower, while at the same time graduation rates have never been higher.
45. SpaceX made history by landing a rocket upright after returning from space, potentially opening a new era of space exploration.
46. Finally - The Cubs won the World Series for the first time in 108 years, giving hope to Maple Leafs fans everywhere. Happy New Year.
There are countless more examples, big and small. If you refocus on the things that are working, your year will be better than the last.
