I’m delighted that more good news stories now seem to be coming in thick and fast!
As stories of gloom and doom flood ever faster into television news channels and onto the front page of newspapers, as the COVID crisis drags on, as democracy and truth seem to have been undermined and as the dark winter days lie ahead, I’ve no doubt that restricting the amount of mainstream news I watch and looking out for good news stories is helping to relieve my eco-anxiety.
As I’ve discussed before, worries about the state of our natural world are affecting more and more of us as evidence of climate change and environmental degradation becomes more difficult to ignore.
So, as regular visitors to these pages will know, I choose to concentrate on all there is to feel happy about on Planet Earth as we move towards the end of 2020 …
From Positive News* this week I learned (among lots of other good news stories) that …
The government has encouraged people to get on their bikes during lockdown and has ear-marked £2bn to boost walking and cycling.
Councils across the UK have accelerated the trend for driving cars out of cities in a bid to make cyclists feel safer.
According to the Department for Transport, the UK saw a 146 per cent increase in cycling during lockdown with a reported 1.3m bikes being sold in the same period
AND
The UK’s first all-electric, intercity coach service (funding by ethical bank Triodos) is set to launch this week, providing passengers with emissions-free transport between Edinburgh and Dundee
I’ve also come across the Carbon Copy website which leaves me with no doubt that while the ‘chiefs’ are arguing among themselves, the ‘natives’ are coming together to bring about the change we need. Carbon Copy describes itself as ‘a hub that connects organisations and local groups across the UK who share the goal of a carbon zero future.’ This is a treasure trove of people taking action. The list of what’s happening at a local level is enough to lift the heart of the most pessimistic among us – so many local renewable energy networks, community housing projects, clothes upcycling, repair cafes and lots, lots more. If you’re feeling down, just take a peek at https://carboncopy.eco/
On top of all of that, I’ve found hope in the activities Local Futures who see ‘localisation’ as the answer to the worldwide problems which they believe are largely caused by ‘globalisation’. Local Futures derives from the work of Helena Norberg-Hodge and John Page who, in 1978, founded ‘The Ladakh Project’ in India. They had witnessed a rise in unemployment, alcoholism and depression as ‘development’ was foist upon them.
As I discussed in my blog of February last year ‘Is Britain Broken’, there has been so much grassroots action in the UK which rarely hits the headlines. And, since then the momentum has been growing as more and more people are taking in the urgency of our situation and taking action. For lots of good stuff – including videos to bring joy to the heart – see https://www.localfutures.org/
But perhaps my most exciting find this week was when I came across the website of Compass, an organisation which is campaigning to ‘Build Back Better’ by providing a platform for everyone who wants us to come out of the COVID crisis a stronger, fairer, greener country. In the week beginning 26th October, Compass will be bringing you ‘Build Back Better: How?’ – a week of online events, raising up examples of the Good Society in action across the UK and all over the world.
Knowing that so many people are changing the way they think and live sure helps me to sleep at night!
Time by 95C from Pixabay
Coach by Freedommail from Pixabay