Good News Headlines 7/1/2024

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In Just First Year Of State’s Ban On Plastic Bags, 1.5 Billion Fewer Have Been Used

by Andy Corbley, Good News Network

At the beginning of 2023, Colorado began enforcing a 10-penny charge on all single-use plastic and paper bags at major retailers in the hope it would encourage the use of reusable ones. This hope sprung into a massive success. A report from 9News claims that Colorado used 1.5 billion fewer plastic or paper shopping bags since the implementation of the Plastic Pollution Reduction Act of 2021 that entered into force at the beginning of last year. The 10-cent charge amounted to $5 million in revenue for the state, which was spent on a variety of programs including the free distribution of durable reusable shopping bags and educational resources for community groups.

Protecting Just 1.2% Of Earth’s Land Could Save Most-Threatened Species, Says Study

by Patrick Greenfield, The Guardian

Protecting just 1.2% of the Earth’s surface for nature would be enough to prevent the extinction of the world’s most threatened species, according to a new study. Analysis published in the journal Frontiers in Science has found that the targeted expansion of protected areas on land would be enough to prevent the loss of thousands of the mammals, birds, amphibians and plants that are closest to disappearing. From Argentina to Papua New Guinea, the team of researchers identified 16,825 sites that should be prioritised for conservation in the next five years to prevent imminent extinctions of animals and plants found nowhere else.

More Americans Are Living Longer. Here’s A Place That Helps People Thrive

by Allison Aubrey, NPR

The number of people hitting the traditional retirement age is surging in the U.S. Every day across the country about 11,000 people turn 65. As many look forward to a new phase of life after retiring from their day jobs, there’s a need to reimagine places and spaces for people to thrive. That’s what Wallis Annenberg is aiming to do. The 84-year-old CEO and president of the Annenberg Foundation wants to change the conversation on aging, and she envisioned a space where older people would gather to grow and learn. Her vision was shaped by observations that troubled her. “I noticed older Americans sitting by themselves in restaurants, in movie theaters, in parks, in the middle of the day, and I’d think how sad,” Annenberg says.

That Queer Barber In Fort Thomas Is Redefining Barbering One Haircut At A Time

by Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, USA Today

What do you picture when you think of a barbershop? A row of men in leather chairs, chatting about sports over the hum of beard trimmers? Hazel Funel, owner of That Queer Barber in Fort Thomas, has set out to change that picture. Funel has offered haircut services since February 2023, when he opened the shop. Embracing his business as a “queer establishment,” he said, has allowed him to reimagine the hypermasculine standard often associated with barbershops. “(Barbershops) can be intimidating for a lot of people, whether you’re a man, a woman, non-binary, trans(gender) people. They feel very ostracized from that,” he said.

Man With Unyielding Depression Starts Picking Up Litter–And Helps Clear 13 Tons Of Trash With Family And Strangers

by Good News Network

A 32-year-old began picking up litter to help his mental health and now his whole family spends quality time together on the clean-ups, while helping their community. Mike Scotland began experiencing depression in his late 20s. After struggling for some time, he found himself by the bank of the River Don in his hometown of Aberdeen, Scotland, surrounded by litter and ready to take his own life. Thankfully, his mind was changed—but whenever Mike would pass the river, a known local dumping ground, the rubbish would remind him of that dark day. So he decided to take matters into his own hands. “I was in a really dark place,” Mike told SWNS news.