Amidst the 2024 Presidential election, political turmoil, and conflict around the world, it is important to stay positive and take a moment to acknowledge the good things in life and the news. This past month has brought a great deal of positivity to the world that may have gone unnoticed with all the bad going on.
On Sept. 10, singer Jon Bon Jovi saved a woman from jumping off a bridge in Nashville, Tennessee. Bon Jovi was filming a music video for his upcoming album, Forever, when he noticed the woman preparing to jump. Surveillance footage showed that the singer spoke to her for some time before he helped to lift her over the railing and brought her to law enforcement officers. The Metro Nashville Police Department commended Bon Jovi in a post on X, “It takes all of us to help keep each other safe,” stated Nashville Chief of Police John Drake.
“I think it’s amazing that Jon Bon Jovi saved a life. Mental health is a serious issue that we need to address, and this act of kindness placed a lot of awareness on that,” said senior Jaylan Jellabi.
Global warming has been a pressing issue, but with this comes creative measures to combat it. Belgian designer Mathilde Wittock has decided to tackle the climate crisis by creating furniture out of old tennis balls. Wittock repurposes up to 1,800 balls per day, which would have otherwise been thrown away. Tennis balls, which can last up to 400 years in a landfill, were a particularly good choice for making furniture according to the designer. Wittock emphasizes circularity in her designs, and to follow this principle, she allows owners of her furniture to send them back when they no longer want them, in order to be made into other types of products, like playmats for children.
“It’s great what Mathilde Wittock is doing. We need more repurposing efforts like this and less overflowing landfills,” said senior Julianna Betanco.
Another effort to combat global warming includes the construction of the world’s largest battery in northern Maine. The battery, to be built by an energy company named Form Energy, is intended to power over 80,000 homes for up to 100 hours. It will store renewable energy from sources such as solar and wind energy for instances when it cannot be collected, due to circumstances such as times with little sun, or low wind speeds. According to Form Energy’s website, their battery system will be the most energy efficient of any in the world.
“This is a really good sign for the future of our climate. I hope more developments to fight global warming come about soon,” said senior Evelyn Escobar.
To celebrate the nation’s heritage, England has initiated a major restoration project to revive its historical railways. The subject of the project is Swindon Railway Village, about forty-five minutes east of Bristol in the south of England. The Village was originally occupied by Normans, circa 1066 C.E. The Industrial Revolution, however, transformed the town into a center for factories by the 1800s. But just a century later, Swindon Railway Village became one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in its city. In June of 2019, the Swindon Heritage Action Zone partnered with multiple organizations such as Historic England and the Swindon Borough Council to renew and refurbish over 300 historic buildings.
In Virginia, a group of students at James Madison High School (JMHS) raised over $20,000 together to buy their custodian, Francis Apraku his dream car, a Jeep Wrangler. In an email to Good Morning America, a JMHS student named Bennett stated that Apraku was more than just a custodian to him and his friends, and they wanted to pay him back for everything he had done for the school. The students began the fundraiser, assuming it would take about two years to reach their $20,000 goal, but they made a quarter of it in just two days. Apraku told Good Morning America that he could not believe he had received such an incredible gift, and that he will never forget these students’ act of kindness.
Despite all the problems occurring in the world, there is always room for positivity. Climate change can feel daunting, but hope for the Earth is rapidly increasing as scientists, artists, and everyday people continue to develop methods for tackling the issue. Ruined villages are being rebuilt, people are being saved, and acts of kindness, large and small, are changing lives every day. It is important to keep in mind that although there may be many intimidating news stories at first glance, there is still lots of good news in the world.