Good News Headlines 6/15/2026
Photo©robertogalan/123rf
Dutch Kids Declared The World’s Happiest (Again). Here’s Why.
by Gavin Haines, Positive.News
A mother cycles determinedly through the drizzle while her togged-up toddler sits on the crossbar squinting in the rain. The sky is black and the cycle lanes are busy. An onlooking American tourist asks no one in particular what it would take for Amsterdammers to leave their bikes at home. Riding through the rain is a rite of passage in the Netherlands, which is one of Europe’s wettest nations. Yet, despite the often gloomy weather, the Dutch are surprisingly chipper. The latest World Happiness Report ranked the Netherlands the fifth happiest country, behind Finland, Denmark, Iceland and Sweden.
Papua New Guinea Sets Up Protected Ocean The Size Of UK–Over 77,000 Square Miles
by Andy Corbley, Good News Network
In the legendary Coral Triangle, where the Pacific and Indian Oceans meet, 200,000 square kilometers of tropical seas will be off limits to fishing thanks to bold conservation action by Papua New Guinea. The newly-designated Western Manus Marine Protected Area (MPA) will form part of the newly established Melanesian Ocean Corridor of Reserves, a network of national and jointly managed protected areas spanning Fiji, Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea. The Western Manus ocean region in PNG’s territorial waters is characterized by undersea mountains and volcanoes, ridgelines, and canyons, harboring remarkable biodiversity.
Foie Gras Ban Passes Portland City Council In 7-5 Vote
by Alex Jensen, KGW8
Under the ordinance, the city will prohibit the sale of foie gras sourced from force-fed birds. The French delicacy is made from the enlarged liver of a duck or goose, typically achieved by force-feeding the animals to increase liver size. Restaurants and businesses caught selling force-fed foie gras — or giving it away for free — could be fined up to $5,000. Restaurants will have six months to transition away from serving force-fed foie gras, making the deadline Dec. 1.
Mangrove Forests Are Healing After Decades Of Human Destruction
by Matt McGrath and Esme Stallard, BBC
The world’s coastal mangrove forests, which protect millions of people from storms – and soak up vast amounts of planet-warming gases – are staging an unexpected comeback, scientists find. For decades these swampy trees had been declining rapidly as they were cleared for fish farms and housing. But a new study shows that since 2010 the world has been gaining more mangroves than it has been losing – driven by stronger legal protections and increased public awareness of their importance, sparked by disasters such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
Dutch Ocean Cleanup Folks Are Clearing LA’s Rivers Of Trash In Time For 2028 Olympics
by Andy Corbley, Good News Network
Seeking to preen and pamper its beaches ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics, authorities in 2 Los Angeles districts needed to figure out how to get thousands of pounds of trash out of the LA and San Gabriel rivers. They turned to the best in class; a man who among those whose passion is cleaning up water bodies, needs no introduction: Boyan Slat. The once-child-wiz kid behind the Ocean Cleanup, the international nonprofit using the currents of the ocean to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, Slat also invented a device for cleaning up rivers called the Interceptor.
