There are many things in today’s world that scare me. This summer we have seen record-breaking heat waves in Europe, extreme weather hitting much of the world more frequently and more widely than ever before. The climate crisis, which we can see with our own eyes today, is supported at least by alarming scientific reports about processes and relationships we don’t yet understand, and consequences we don’t yet see. But there are lots of people doing what they can for the climate, and we see that their efforts are paying off. That’s why I now want to direct the spotlight on a little of all the good and positive things that are happening in the world today!

In November 2010, NRK published this article: “Tigers may be extinct by 2022”. A week ago today, Nepal’s Prime Minister announced that the country has successfully doubled its tiger population, bringing it back from the brink of extinction. According to the WWF World Wildlife Fund, there are now 355 individuals in the country, an increase of more than 190 percent. Nepal has proven that with political will, community leadership and the right steps, it is possible to achieve great things. This marks a historic breakthrough in the fight to conserve tigers, and shows that what we are doing really does have an effect, and that it really pays to persevere, even if it is difficult. Legitimate congratulations on Tiger Day to all stlands-Posten readers!

In 2013, 18-year-old Boyan Slat founded “The Ocean Cleanup”, a non-profit organization dedicated to developing technologies to remove plastic from the world’s oceans. Last week, the organization reached a milestone when they officially removed more than 100,000 kg of plastic from The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP), the world’s largest accumulation of marine plastic. Since implementing the experimental system System 002 in August 2021, they have collected 101,353 kg of plastic in 45 extractions, covering an area of ​​more than 3,000 km² – the size of Luxembourg or Rhode Island. In addition, the organization is working to develop a new System 03 which is expected to capture plastic at a rate potentially ten times greater than System 02. The transition to System 03 is about to begin. This is very cool.

The United Nations has declared access to a sustainable environment a human right. Without a vote against, the United Nations General Assembly has now declared access to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment a universal human right. The decision encourages countries, international organizations and companies to step up their efforts to protect the environment. The decision will increase the ability of the state to safeguard its environmental and human rights responsibilities. The UN Secretary General, António Guterres stated that the decision will empower people around the planet and especially those in vulnerable situations including environmental defenders of human rights, children, youth, women and indigenous peoples. Historic breakthroughs will shape the way we deal with the triple environmental crisis we face. In the future, the right to a healthy environment will be one of the most powerful tools we have for holding government authorities to account. This will mean a lot in the years to come. We can only build a sustainable future for people and the environment by working together.

Kemp’s Ridley is the name of the world’s smallest turtle species whose population is growing rapidly. In the 1980s, there were only a few hundred left. Currently, the population is several thousand. This encouraging development is the result of a number of steps that have been taken to protect turtles. Nature conservation organizations have protected turtle areas, among other things, by restricting access to beaches when they lay their eggs. In addition, fewer turtles are accidentally killed by fishing nets. We’ve come a long way, but more effort is needed if the population can one day survive without human help. However, it’s a big win and there will definitely be more success stories like this one, according to nature conservation expert Lars Skou Olsen.

There is a lot of good going on in the world today, and there are people everywhere who want to make the world a better place. Slowly but surely, we are getting closer and closer to a better future. We’re still not on the finish line, but we achieved and will have a lot of wins along the way. While there is still work to be done, that doesn’t mean we’re not making progress. The world is full of small and big wins, great people, innovative solutions, and positive progress. The news picture often seems overwhelming, and even if what is presented is true, it is often far from a comprehensive picture.

Instead of focusing on problems and shortcomings, we need to start looking more at hope, solutions, and possibilities. I encourage you to take a look at the World’s Best News, an information campaign that works to promote positive progress and through this create commitment to international development issues.