I am sure this is wildly overstated, but we live in crazy times. This has been one of the worst years, at least in the past decade. We have experiened the COVID-19 pandemic, a stock market crash, continued injustice, riots, recession, and to top it all off Australia & California's fire tornadoes. A truly unprecedented time.
With so many bad things happening, it is easy to be overwhelmed by them. I am sure some of you have just tuned out of the news completely, which may be a wise decision for 2020. While bad news is predominant in the main stream media, there are many good stories that are unsung. My hope is to bring some of those to light for the purpose of your amusement and humor. Utilizing the handy Google Search Bar, I looked up "Good things that are happening in 2020," and here are some gems I found.
Decrease in Pollution
With the lack of people driving and industries burning fossil fuels, the pollution levels around the globe have decreased. According to Insider, there was such a sharp decline in air pollution that citizens of New Delhi, India could see the distant peaks of the Himalayas, which was impossible beforehand. Read about it below.
https://www.insider.com/himalayas-seen-from-india-pollution-drop-coronavirus-lockdown-2020-4
"I can see my house from here."
Nations came together to help Australia's wildfire disaster
From February to March, Australia was struggling to contain both COVID and the raging wildfires across the continent. Many offered them financial aid while some countries even sent their firefighters. The last of the wildfires were put out in March and the Australian bush is now recovering.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-australias-wilderness-recovering-wildfires-180974464/
"Save the koalas!!"
Cooking Lessons with Massimo Bottura
If you do not know who Massimo Bottura is, he is one of the greatest chefs of our time. When shelter in place regulations started to come out and people were confined to their homes, Bottura made Instagram videos of him giving instructions on how to cook some of his dishes. Check out the one where he teaches you how to make tiramisu.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-z8OfupNNu/
"Bravo, Massimo, Bravo"
Opera for Plants
This one is a bit strange and whimsical, but the Barcelona opera did a live performance to a full audience of plants. The event was available for human watchers via livestream. Afterwards the plants were donated to healthcare workers in the surrounding areas.
"Tell the geranium in front to get out of my view!"