POSITIVE NEWS - What went right this week: the ‘live-and-let-live’ UK, plus more positive news
Posted 24th June 2022 • Written by www.positive.news • • • • •
The UK was found to be united on a supposedly divisive social issue, nature got a boost, and scientists found an alternative to plastic packaging, plus more positive news
The UK is not divided on gender identity – report
The divisive debate playing out in Westminster and online around gender identity is out of sync with the public’s approach to the issue.
That’s according to a report by the More in Common thinktank. It surveyed 5,000 adults from across the political spectrum and concluded that a compassionate, ‘live and let live’ attitude prevails, despite the vitriol swirling around online.
According to the research, just two per cent of people believe gender identity – a subject amplified by the culture wars – is one of the most important issues facing the UK. A quarter knew someone who is transgender. And more people agreed (46 per cent) than disagreed (32 per cent) that a trans man is a man and a trans woman a woman.
Despite a picture of tolerance, most participants (57 per cent) said trans women should not be allowed to compete in women-only sporting events. Focus groups found that the public see this as an issue of fairness.
“From the toxic debate playing out across social media you’d assume the country is split into trans activists and transphobes,” said More in Common director Luke Tryl. “Instead, most Britons take a nuanced, compassionate approach, that is rooted in society doing what it can to make trans people feel accepted and comfortable, but which also balances inclusion with fairness.”
The EU drafted a ‘milestone’ law to protect nature
The European Commission this week put forward legislation to reverse biodiversity loss, a move described by nature campaigners as a “huge milestone”.
Under the commission’s proposals, EU member states would have legally binding targets for restoring and protecting a fifth of all land and marine ecosystems by 2030.
Other targets include halving the use of chemical pesticides and reversing the decline of pollinators by 2030. Around €100bn (£85bn) will be made available for member states to spend on biodiversity.
“The restoration law is a huge opportunity to bring nature back,” said Sabien Leemans, senior biodiversity policy officer at WWF. “But we need to keep in mind the urgency and make sure the bulk of the restoration action in these ecosystems is not pushed back beyond 2030. This decade must be the turning point to place nature on the path to recovery.”
The proposals will go to the European parliament for discussion.
Meanwhile in the US…
Lawmakers have passed a landmark bill to conserve the country’s endangered species.
The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act will create an annual budget of more than $1.3bn (£1.06bn), given to states, territories and tribal nations for wildlife conservation.
While threatened species are protected in the US under the 1973 Endangered Species Act, until now there has been no legal requirement to fund work to boost their numbers.
Sticking with the US…
A documentary about a US city’s radical plan to close the wage gap for low-income African American families has premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Evanston, a city in Illinois, moved to address the harmful legacies of slavery and discriminatory policies by paying some low-income black residents reparations of $25,000 (£20,420).
Sixteen citizens were chosen to receive the payments. The money can only be used for home deposits, mortgages or home repairs. The policy is funded by a tax on cannabis.
The documentary, dubbed The Big Payback, follows the journey of rookie alderman Robin Rue Simmons as she leads the community in an uphill battle to obtain reparations. It is scheduled for release in early 2023.