It would be easy to write off 2018 as being a bad year. If you're British, this might largely be due to the ongoing chaos of Brexit negotiations being led by our 'strong and stable'government. As a response, I am continuing my tradition of finding a few of the many positives from 2018 to counter the negatives.
#1 - The Royal Wedding
I might as well get it out the way. Despite my thoughts on the wedding, I do have to admit that it made a lot of people happy. Also, with Meghan, we finally have someone in the royal family who actually seems vaguely human. Hopefully, she won't adopt the same dead-behind-the-eyes look that the rest of them have.
#2 - England in the World Cup
My first memory of watching a world cup was in 1998 and that was probably the highlight...until now. There was a sense that we might do alright before the world cup started but the team really did outdo all of my expectations. Of course, lots of people still managed to be disappointed but I was more than happy to see England reach their first world cup semi-finals I've seen them in.
#3 - Thai Cave Rescue
When this story first hit, it was easy to think it was all going to end in tragedy. Instead, what we saw was hundreds of people working together to try and save the lives of a load of people they had never met, many of them volunteers. It was a genuinely happy moment when the boys got to safety and you got to see how happy everyone involved was about the outcome...everyone except Elon Musk.
#4 - Kim Jong Un
Not quite as many positives have come from Kim Jong Un and the vague promises he made for peace and plans to denuclearize as you might hope. However, the peace talks are still a step in the right direction and there is continued hope of an eventual end to hostilities between North Korea and South Korea/USA.
#5 - Elections in Iraq
Iraqis were able to vote for the first time since the Iraqi government declared victory over the Islamic State. The election was marred with issues and a low turnout of voters but being able to vote was still a positive for people who have been through so much. It is hopefully a sign that more stability will come to the country in the coming year.
#6 - Chile helps the environment
Last year, Chile pledged to help protect a large area of land for conservation reasons. This year, it became official. Chile added 10 million acres of national parkland which will help to protect a huge array of wildlife. As with most Brits, 99% of what I know about wildlife conservation comes purely from David Attenborough documentaries and I'm pretty sure this is a move that David would be proud of.
#7 - UK carbon emissions
UK carbon emissions fell to their lowest levels since 1890. Technically, this happened in 2017 but the study that discovered this information was completed in 2018. One of the main reasons this has happened is due to the decrease in the amount of coal being used and in increase in the number of renewable energy sources being used.
#8 - Saudi Arabia
In 2018, the ban on female drivers in Saudi Arabia was officially lifted for the first time in decades. Although there is a long way to go for women rights in Saudi Arabia, it is at least showing that the country is moving in the right direction on this issue.
#9 - Endangered animals
There a a number of previously endangered animals who have been slowly increasing in numbers through 2018. These include Pandas, Snow Leopards and certain species of Rhinos and Whales. Again, I'm sure that this is something David can be proud of.
#10 - Betty White is still alive!
Despite predictions of her untimely demise, Betty White is still going strong at 96 years young!
Betty White, a beacon of hope for us all.
Let me know which 2018 positives I missed out.
