Ever the optimist, Editorial Assistant Dougal Tsakalos-Stewart explores the good things that happened in 2023!
It's fair to say that as humans we tend to look on the cloudy side of life.
Media industries especially, revel in negativity when it comes to worldwide or domestic events. So, I thought as a way to cap off the year in a flourishing way, I would tell you all about 5 great things that have happened this year.
A Win for Renewable Energy!
For the first time in the twenty-first century, greenhouse gas emissions are expected to fall instead of rise for the next year [1]. This is due to a multitude of reasons. The demand for coal has reduced, as there are more efficient ways to collect energy such as hydroelectricity, solar and wind power. Furthermore, the use of transportation reducing carbon emissions, such as Metro’s and emission reducing buses, aid in this positive direction for the climate.
Inflation is Deflating!
In terms of overall inflation, good news is on the rise. President Biden on the 16th of August 2022 signed the inflation reduction act [2]. This had a positive impact on not only the USA economy but also worldwide. This is mainly due to the reduction of energy prices following the war in Ukraine [3].
World Cup Records Broken!
The women's world cup hosted in Australia set a new path for womens football as a whole. The average attendance increased by over 9000 more than the previous one held in 2019 [4]. New records were reached for teams as well, with Jamaica making it not only to the group stages for the first time, but also the knockout round. Australia made history by reaching the semifinals for the first time, as well as Spain winning the prestigious trophy for the first ever time.
Vaquita Vanish is Vanquished!
The Vaquita is a relatively unknown species for a valid reason. A small and adorable species of porpoise native to California, which previously faced extinction. As of February last year, there were only 10 of the species remaining. However, due to involvement from organizations and communities, the number of Vaquita has increased to 18. This is mainly due to efforts from the Mexican navy, who have constructed concrete blocks in order to restrict gillnetting (the main detriment to the Vaquita) [5].
Support for Ukraine
Ukraine has been the recipient of Russian military power since early 2022. However since then the world has shown its support for the people of Ukraine (both in troops and support in general). A most prominent form of support has been floating around stadiums in the English premier league [6]. Furthermore, a plethora of Countries and global unions have established their support for Ukraine. EU institutions as a whole sent 77.1 Billion euros of financial aid to Ukraine, supported by the United States sending 42.1 billion of military aid. [7] This showed that while Ukraine and Russia's feud was devastating, there were still helpful and generous responses from supportive nations.
I think, as humans, that we tend to look at a year that has gone past with a negative frame of mind. It's easy to focus on all the global negative events that happen around the world, especially with news media pumping them out at a fast rate. This article is designed to show everyone some positive things, and that both bad and good things can co-exist in our world.
[1] Henriques, Martha. “The Clean Energy Milestone the world is set to pass in 2023”, BBC Future, 15 Apr. 2023, https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230414-climate-change-why-2023-is-a-clean-energy-milestone
[2] USDA. “Fact sheet: Marking one year of the inflation reduction act”, USDA, (n.d.), https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2023/08/16/fact-sheet-marking-one-year-inflation-reduction-act
[3] Aratani, Lauren. “US inflation rate down to 3% in June, a two-year low, but prices remain high”, The Guardian, 12 Jul. 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jul/12/us-inflation-rate-june-2023#:~:text=As%20has%20been%20the%20case,after%20Russia%27s%20invasion%20of%20Ukraine
[4] Johnston, Neil. “Women’s World Cup 2023: Record attendance of almost two million”, BBC Sport, 21 Aug. 2023, https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/66517612#:~:text=Women’s%20World%20Cup%202023%3A%20Record%20attendance%20of%20almost%20two%20million,-By%20Neil%20Johnston&text=Almost%20two%20million%20fans%20attended,to%2052%20four%20years%20ago.
[5] USDA, “Fact sheet: Marking one year of the inflation reduction act”, USDA, (n.d.), https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2023/08/16/fact-sheet-marking-one-year-inflation-reduction-act
[6] Premier League, “Premier League and clubs stand together in support of Ukraine”, Premier League, 2 Mar. 2023, https://www.premierleague.com/news/2511965
[7] Ukraine support tracker - A database of military, financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine (no date) Kiel Institute. https://www.ifw-kiel.de/topics/war-against-ukraine/ukraine-support-tracker/
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