We’re nearly halfway through the year and 2020 has been…difficult.

It seems like every time we open social media or turn on the news that we are bombarded with negativity. 

But what are the global trends? Is the world getting worse or better? Today, we wanted to share some of the positive things that we’ve seen happening this year. 

Health

• Foster pets have increasingly found homes with Americans, boosting mental health.
• Scientists have made great strides towards restoring vision for blind folks. 
• Gratitude is becoming more and more mainstream, allowing millions to reap the associated mental health benefits. 
• Researchers found an effective way to deliver curcumin into the body and clinical trials showed a potential reversal of Alzheimer’s Disease. 
• The FDA has recognized the benefits of video games for children struggling with ADHD. 

Social

• We are seeing continued and widespread civil rights reform as a direct result of worldwide protests following the murder of George Floyd. 
• US Supreme Court back protections for LGBT workers
• Chronic homelessness is declining in most U.S. states – check out the map here.
• 95% of the global population can now afford mobile internet (defined as 1 GB of data for no more than 2% of average monthly income).

Environment

• The UK surpassed two straight months without using power from coal plants, the country’s longest stretch since its 19th-century industrial revolution.
• Greenhouse gas emissions are predicted to fall nearly 8% in 2020 – the largest decrease ever.
• The largest solar project in US history received approval. 

Nature

• A Bald Eagle nest with eggs was spotted on Cape Cod for the first time in 115 years, and their populations in other states are steadily increasing.
• The world’s largest green turtle colony earlier this month was found to be nearly twice as big as scientists initially thought.
• A species of Blue Bee and the Mindu Harlequin Toad were both rediscovered after being labeled “extinct.” 
• US honeybees appear to be doing significantly better this year than last year. 

This is just a quick snapshot of some of the uplifting stories that we’ve seen this year. Not to mention the countless stories of humanity, charity, and community that came out of the lockdowns around the world. 

Things are getting better, that much is clear. 2020 is a year of adversity and the only thing for us to do is keep pushing forward. 

“We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.” — Maya Angelou