Some good news this July
In light of current events, you’ve probably noticed that we’ve been sharing some good news stories each month. We’re going to keep bringing you these posts to help take our minds off the pandemic for a minute and hopefully spread a little bit of joy.
Emus banned from outback Queensland pub after bad behaviour
We’ve all seen someone get a bit too rowdy at the pub and be kicked out, but not many of us have seen this happen with a group of emus. A pub in outback Queensland has had to ban the town emus from entering due to their “bad behaviour.” The emus decided they were of age to enter the hotel when they realised they could climb up the front steps. And, not unlike some young humans on their first trips to the pub, they began to cause havoc. They’d steal food, drinks, car keys and do their business all over the place. The outback pub may not have digital ID scanners to keep the emus at bay but the rope barriers they’ve installed seem to be doing the trick.
Seasonal flu deaths drop in Australia as coronavirus restrictions and precautions save hundreds of lives
Measures we’ve all implemented to help reduce the spread of coronavirus, such as social distancing, improved hand hygiene and staying home where possible, have not only worked to help combat coronavirus in Australia, they have also resulted in substantially reduced transmission and death rates of influenza. Last year, between January and June, there were 132,000 people diagnosed with influenza in Australia, compared to 21,000 this year over the same period. Further, between January and June 2020, there have been 36 deaths because of influenza, compared to 430 over the same period last year. This decline in influenza cases has been seen across numerous countries that are also in their peak flu season, such as New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina. It seems the old adage holds true: prevention is better than cure.
The City of Sydney now runs on 100% renewable energy
From 1 July, the City of Sydney officially made the switch to 100% renewable energy. This means that all city-owned properties, including buildings, parks, streetlights and sporting facilities will be powered by either solar or wind energy. This change is predicted to save the council roughly $500,000 as well as 200,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions from being emitted into the atmosphere over the next 10 years. With this step, the city is expected to achieve its goal of reducing emissions by 70% by 2030, six years ahead of schedule.
We hope these stories provided you with at least a moment’s relief from all the other news we get these days! Stay tuned for next month’s good news stories.
Feel free to share any of your good news with us too!
