Optimism and a firm belief in positive progress are core values at Zee Feed – and in 2024, we’re gonna need to protect those values more fiercely than ever. Finding and sharing the good news with you every month has become an important part of our mental health routine, so we’re sticking to it! Bookmark this page for whenever you need an escape from the doom and gloom.
January
European Union Passes New Law Banning Greenwashing
The European Parliament has passed a new law to stop false claims about products being environmentally friendly. Terms like “environmentally-friendly” and “biodegradable” can’t be used in advertising or packaging without substantiated evidence; only labels from certified schemes or public authorities will be allowed; and any claim suggesting a product is climate-friendly because of CO2 offsetting will be banned. The law also emphasizes promoting product durability, requiring more visible guarantee information and introducing a new label layout for products with extended warranty periods. Now that the laws have passed, countries part of the EU have two years to put the rules into action. Read more about the new law on Euro News.
New Procedure Allows Heart Repairs To Grow With Children
In 2022, 18-day-old baby Owen Monroe received the world’s first partial heart transplant. In January 2024 his doctors reported a significant milestone: the tissue used in Owen’s heart repair have grown along with his heart. If his transplanted valve continues to grow at the same pace as his heart, Owen may not need future surgeries like other children with congenital heart defects. It’s a huge development in medical science, as while researchers have previously only been able to make heart valves grow in animals – not humans. Learn more about Owen’s story on CNN.
Cameroon Leads World-First Rollout of Malaria Vaccine
Cameroon has begun the a world-first malaria mass vaccine rollout, administering 662,000 doses of the RTS,S vaccine to children. It comes after successful trials in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi. The vaccine rollout is important because 95% of malaria deaths occur in Africa, and the World Health Organisation predicts RTS,S (also known as Mosquirix) will save tens of thousands of lives. A further 19 countries across Africa plan to introduce the vaccine this year (including Burkina Faso, Liberia, Niger, and Sierra Leone), aiming to treat 6.6 million children. A second vaccine, R21/Matrix-M made by Oxford University, is also set for rollout later this year. Learn more on The Guardian.
Doja Cat Becomes First Woman of Color to Win Triple J’s Hottest 100
Doja Cat has made Hottest 100 history with her single ‘Paint The Town Red’ – she is the first female rapper to achieve the number one spot and the first woman of colour to do it solo. The 2023 countdown broke other records too: G Flip is now the artist with the most songs ranking in a single year, with a total of seven (including #2 placed ‘The Worst Person Alive’) from their award-winning 2023 album, DRUMMER. G Flip now has 19 total appearances the Hottest 100 countdown, putting them in equal third place alongside Tame Impala and Kanye West. Learn more about the Hottest 100 records on Triple J.
February
Batsheva Hay’s Trailblazing Over-40s Runway Show
Fashion designer Batsheva Hay cast only women over 40 for her runway show at New York Fashion Week. Alongside models, the show also included women of other professions like iconic 80s actress Molly Ringwald (who opened the show) and award-winning journalist Amy Fine Collins – Hay reportedly “stopped women outside a dance studio, on the subway and inside a grocery store” and even “slid into strangers’ DMs” to scout models for her show. When asked how this concept came about, Hay told the New York Times “I find that aging is a big preoccupation for me and my friends. It’s an area of discomfort in fashion.” Closer to home, Melbourne Fashion Festival will have its first over-40s runway later this year. Read more about the Batsheva Hay show on Vogue.
Record-Breaking $1 Billion Donation Pays Med School Fees For Every Student
Ruth Gottesman, a former professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, has made an unprecedented $1 billion (USD) donation to the institution. The surprise gift will cover all tuition fees for all current and prospective students at the medical school – a particularly important gift, as the school is located in the Bronx, which is both the unhealthiest county in New York and is the poorest borough. Gottesman is the widow of a Wall Street financier; her husband left her the money in his will, with the instructoin to do “whatever she wants” with it. In the U.S. medical professionals typically begin their career already in significant debt, taking out loans to cover med school fees – at AECM, the fees often exceed US$200,000. Learn more about the donation on Women’s Agenda.
European Union Formalises Rules for Carbon Dioxide Removal
The European Union (EU) has taken a significant step towards formalising rules for the removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, in an effort to sift out projects that don’t actually contribute to fighting the climate crisis. It involves setting up a certification process to legitimize technologies that extract carbon dioxide from the air, which would apply to four different categories: ‘permanent’ underground CO2 sequestration; ‘temporary’ carbon storage; industrial carbon removal; and nature-based strategies. The framework also aims to prevent double counting and ensures the captured CO2 is accurately measured and stored for the long term. More details on the rules can be found on The Verge.
Rhinos Return to Central Kenya Plateau Decades After Devastating Poaching
Conservationists are celebrating the successful relocation of 21 eastern black rhinos to “a grassy plateau in central Kenya” – the largest rhino relocation in the country’s history. The rhinos were transferred from three overcrowded parks to the private Loisaba Conservancy, where herds were actually previously decimated by poaching. They now have space to breed, hopefully growing the population of these critically endangered animals. “It’s been decades since rhinos roamed here, almost 50 years ago,” said Loisaba security manager Daniel Ole Yiankere. “Their numbers were severely impacted by poaching. Now, our focus is on rejuvenating this landscape and allowing rhinos to breed, aiming to restore their population to its former splendor.” Learn more on AP News.
March
Olympics Achieves Athlete Gender Parity For The First Time
The 2024 Paris Olympics will be the first to achieve numerical gender parity of competing athletes – an equal number of female and male athletes participating in the largest sporting event in the world. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that the gender balance is also spread more evenly across the various sports, with 152 women’s events, 157 men’s events, and 20 mixed-gender events. It’s up from 48% women’s participation in Tokyo 2020. “In today’s world, no organization or country can afford to leave the skills of 50% of the population behind – either in sport or in society at large,” Tomas Bach, the IOC President, said in a statement. “That is why the IOC is committed to closing the gender gap on and off the field of play.” Learn more about the IOC’s efforts on Sports and Dev.
France Becomes First Country To Include Abortion Rights Into Constitution
France has made history by enshrining the right to abortion in its constitution, becoming the first country i the world to do so. Both houses of Parliament adopted a bill to amend Article 34 of the constitution specifying that a woman’s right to an abortion is guaranteed. France decriminalised abortion in 1975, but the push to enshrine the procedure in the constitution was a direct response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 2022 to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling. It’s a significant victory for reproductive rights advocates and sets an inspiring example for other countries around the world to follow. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said: “We’re sending a message to all women: your body belongs to you and no one can decide for you.” Read more on Women’s Agenda.
EU Passes First Comprehensive AI Regulations
EU regulators passed the world’s first comprehensive regulations on artificial intelligence (AI). The EU AI Act includes bans on biometric systems that identify individuals based on sensitive characteristics (like sexual orientation and race) as well as restrictions on indiscriminate scraping of faces from the Internet. It also introduces transparency requirements for general-purpose AI models and imposes stronger rules for powerful AI models. Each member country will establish its own AI watchdog, while the European Commission will set up an AI Office to evaluate models and monitor risks. Providers of general-purpose models deemed to carry systemic risks will be required to collaborate with the AI Office to develop codes of conduct. This landmark regulation sets a precedent for the responsible and ethical use of AI technology. Read more on Engadget.
NSW Has Outlawed Conversion Therapy
New South Wales (NSW) has officially banned gay conversion practices. The legislation passed by the NSW parliament criminalises conversion practices with a penalty of up to five years in jail, and creates a pathway for survivors get compensation and support. The new laws aligns NSW with Victoria, the ACT, and Queensland, which have already banned conversion therapy. Head of Equality Australia, Anna Brown said of the new legislation: “This law will save countless people from a lifetime of pain and in some cases save lives. It sends a powerful message that we are whole and valid, just as we are.” Learn more on ABC News.
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