We try to do solutions-based journalism here at the Daily Alternative - but sometimes you have to hat-tip to other outlets for how well they can accentuate the positive. This isn’t Panglossian or Pollyannaish: there’s much research (well featured on this site) that demonstrates how psychologically disabling the standard news diet is (to wit, “if it bleeds it leads”).

Preeminent among those is Positive.News. It’s a paper and online magazine which is admirably consistent in its search for news items, showing that progress in environment, equality and culture is possible, even as big malevolent forces clash around us. We like to keep an eye on those big forces too at A/UK - but it’s literally energising to see how victories can also mount up.

To demonstrate, below is a selection from Positive.News’ feature titled “What went right this week” - first its latest edition, and then links to previous week’s editions. If you want to subscribe to and support Positive.News, click here.

Japan pledged to become carbon neutral

The race to net-zero accelerated this week with Japan, the world’s third largest economy, and South Korea, its 12th, committing to becoming carbon neutral by 2050. The announcements came a month after China vowed to decarbonise by 2060.

In a speech that made the economic case for tackling the climate crisis, Japan’s prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, said: “We need to change our thinking to the view that taking assertive measures against climate change will lead to changes in industrial structure and the economy that will bring about growth.”

Two days later, South Korea’s president, Moon Jae-in, pledged to end his country’s reliance on fossil fuels with a Green New Deal. Like Japan, South Korea is one of the most fossil-fuel reliant economies in the world.

Peace talks more successful if women are involved

Truces between nations have more chance of succeeding if women are involved in peace talks. That’s according to research by UN Women and the Council on Foreign Relations, which found that armistices were 64 per cent less likely to fail when women had a seat at the table.

Women, however, are often excluded from formal peace processes: between 1992 and 2019, they accounted for, on average, just 13 per cent of negotiations, 6 per cent of mediators and 6 per cent of signatories in major peace processes.

“Continued failure to include women in peace processes ignores their demonstrated contributions and overlooks a potential strategy to respond more effectively to security threats around the world,” the Council on Foreign Relations concluded.

HS1 to become first UK railway to run on renewables

There was positive news for eco-conscious travellers this week with the announcement that HS1 is to become the first trainline in the UK to run exclusively on renewables. The rail operator also pledged to be carbon neutral within a decade.

HS1 links London and the Channel Tunnel, which takes passengers travelling on Eurostar to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. The line is also used by train operator Southeastern High Speed.

“As we recover from the Covid crisis, environmental challenges will move further up the political and public agenda, and HS1 can provide a lasting solution to sustainable travel,” said Dyan Crowther, CEO of HS1 Ltd.

Plans for coral ark to save reefs

A plan to store some of the world’s most endangered corals at a facility near the Great Barrier Reef would enable conservationists to revive damaged reefs in the future, supporters of the scheme said.

The proposed Biobank facility in Port Douglas, Australia, would allow marine biologists to store, study and breed from endangered corals. The ‘Noah’s ark’ scheme was inspired by Norway’s global seed vault and could double as a tourist attraction.

Biobank director Dr Dean Miller told Guardian Australia that the facility would be “a life support system for corals.” He added: “Every year we wait, we’re losing corals. We don’t have any time to lose.”

The pandemic has rekindled our love of books

People have rediscovered the pleasure of reading during the pandemic, according to publisher Bloomsbury, which announced this week that lockdown readers have boosted its profits by 60 per cent.

It has been a difficult decade for the publishing industry, which competes with a growing number of content providers for people’s attention – but reports of booming sales are not just positive news for publishers.

With titles such as Why I’m Not Talking to White People About Race and White Rage being among Bloomsbury’s bestsellers, the reading renaissance has also helped underrepresented BAME authors reach a wider audience.

UK becoming more liberal about welfare and immigration

People in the UK are becoming more liberal about welfare and immigration, according the latest British Social Attitudes survey, published this week.

The National Centre for Social Research (NCSR), which carries out the annual survey, found the proportion of people who think benefits are too high fell from 59 per cent in 2015 to 35 per cent today. The proportion of people who think immigration undermines Britain’s cultural life, meanwhile, fell from 40 per cent to 19 per cent.

“Our research reveals a major shift towards viewing immigration as both culturally enriching and good for the economy,” said Gillian Prior of the NCSR. “With UK about to gain control of immigration between it and the EU, it would seem voters may approve of quite liberal application of that control.”

What went right previously

What went right this week: green cities, edible bags and more positive news Some UK neighbourhoods are now leafier than national parks, a paint was invented to tackle climate change

What went right this week: rewilding, circular economics and more positive news A study revealed rewilding’s potential, Ikea embraced circularity and notice was served on ‘thuggish’ debt letters

What went right this week: the prize to save the planet, plus more positive news A prize was launched to repair the planet, insect farming was given a boost and research debunked the unfriendly city myth

More here.

"What went right this week?" Always a good question to ask. And Positive.News answers it better than most other journalistic media