We're All In This Together : Some Good News for your Week

We know you’ve heard this too many times to count over the past few months - but yikes! These are strange times, Kappi Warriors. We hope that you’re all doing okay out there, and are looking after one-another.

The world around us feels to be both moving at lightning speed, but also grinding to a halt. While we’re all (hopefully) cooped up indoors, amazing things are happening to the world outside. We know it’s counter-productive to ignore the bad stuff, but we also think it’s so incredibly important  to focus on the good. The power of positivity is a force not to be reckoned with!

Times are really tough out there for so many people, so for just a moment, we want to tell you about some exciting things that have happened, while we’ve left Mother Nature to her own devices.

Satellite imaging from NASA and the European Space Agency has shown that air pollution over regions in China and Europe has improved thanks to the closing of factories and power plants  as well as the drastic decrease of traffic. 

The reduction was estimated at between 10-30 percent!

NASA air quality researcher Fei Lui said of the difference, “This is the first time I have seen such a dramatic drop-off over such a wide area for a specific event,”.

Some experts even say the reduction in pollution may have saved more lives than the death toll caused by the coronavirus in China. Woah.

Climate scientists say that we’re also likely to see a big drop in global carbon emissions across the rest of the world as a result of the economic slowdown. In regards to climate change, they said “there are absolutely lessons to be learnt that socially we can change, and change quickly,”

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While the air is clearing across the world, Venice’s famous waterways and canals are clearing due to a lack of boat and tourist traffic.

Fish are now visible in the clear waters and swans have even been seen frolicking in the now empty waterways while the country has been under strict lowdown to stem the flow of the virus. There have even been rumoured dolphin sightings in the waters!

Italians have also been coming up with creative ways to stay connected while in lockdown, and have been seen in viral videos playing music and dancing from their balconies as well as exercising together from their rooftops. 

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Deer have been spotted roaming the streets and feasting on grass in the Japanese town of Nara, showing us just how ready Mother Nature is to be rid of us pesky human beings.

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Animals shelters say there has been a noticeable rise in the number of people looking to foster or re-home animals during the coronavirus outbreak.

While we don’t want people making commitments they might not be ready for yet, we think it’s fantastic that an increase in free time has lead to a charitable nature in looking after animals while they wait for their forever homes. Shelters say that there has also been a rise in donations from those who might not be able to foster a pet themselves. 

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Although these are tough times for anyone stuck at home, there have been many heartwarming acts of kindness all over the world to demonstrate and spread love amid isolation and anxiety caused by the virus.

Free online exercise classes are popping up everywhere and we’re constantly seeing new opportunities for people to feel connected and entertained while stuck indoors. Here in Australia, we’ve seen some of our favourite artists banding together in ‘Isol-Aide’ and ‘Saturday Night Stay In’ to bring us intimate shows from the comfort of our own homes. Looking overseas, we’ve seen meditation sessions hosted by the grammy-award winning Lizzo Beating, actors Josh Gad, Amy Adams and Jennifer Garner have been helping parents keep their little ones entertained by streaming live storybook readings and countless concerts streamed by some of the world’s best musicians. 

Have you heard any good news, amongst all the bad? Let us know in the comments, we'd love to hear about it! 

Image from Daren Thomas Magee @realfunwow