Five pieces of feel-good news you might have missed in 2021

While 2021 has certainly has its hard moments, it’s not been all bad.

From the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics to Emma Raducanu’s US Open win, from Chloé Zhao becoming the first woman of colour to win best director at the Oscars to the return of Eurovision, there's been loads to celebrate.

Here are some of the more positive news stories you might have missed in 2021.

Two young giant pandas sit facing each other in the snow, with a wooden fence behind them. — Image caption,
Over 60 nature reserves have been created in China in an attempt to save the future of giant pandas

Giant pandas are no longer considered to be endangered

In July 2021, the Chinese government announced that it was reclassifying giant pandas as vulnerable, after numbers in the wild reached 1,800. The International Union for Conservation of Nature had previously downgraded the giant panda from endangered to vulnerable in 2016, but this was disputed at the time by Chinese experts, who believed that the move would lead to complacency.

In the 1980s, there were estimated to be just 1,114 wild pandas left. The reversal in fortunes for this lovable animal is the result of sustained efforts over 30 years to create nature reserves within the mountainous bamboo forests. Bamboo is 99% of a giant panda’s diet, so it was incredibly important to rebuild stocks.

Pandas do still remain under threat from habitat loss and climate change, and so conservation efforts will continue.

HPV vaccine cuts cervical cancer by almost 90%

Depending on how old you are, you might have already been offered the HPV vaccine, but do you know what it’s for? HPV stands for human papillomavirus, a group of common viruses which have no symptoms and can spread from skin-to-skin contact. For most people, these viruses don’t cause any problems but for others, it can develop into cervical cancer.

Thankfully, recent data has shown that the HPV vaccine is proving incredible effective at guarding against these viruses. It is now being administered in over 100 countries and it’s hoped that it will make a major difference in low-to-middle income nations where cervical cancer screening is not widespread.

In the UK, you become eligible for the vaccine between 11 and 13, depending on where you live. It doesn’t guarantee you complete protection, so still see your GP if something’s worrying you or if you spot anything unusual.

A black and white photograph of Josephine Baker. She is wearing a military style jacket with her hair in a bun, and is standing in front of a BBC microphone. — Image caption,
Joséphine Baker became a French citizen in 1937

Joséphine Baker became the first black woman to be inducted into Frances’ Panthéon

One of the highest honours France can bestow upon someone is a place in Paris’ Panthéon, a dedicated to honouring the country’s most celebrated figures. Approval for entry must be granted by the French president.

In November 2021, Joséphine Baker became the first black woman and only the sixth woman ever to be inducted into the Panthéon. Born in St Louis, Missouri, United States in 1906, Baker made her name in France in the 1920s and 30s, where she sung and danced on stage. But when World War Two broke out and France was later occupied by the Nazis, Baker became a resistance fighter. Using her celebrity status and connections, she was able to gather vital information on German troop movements and smuggle messages in her sheet music or bra.

Baker was also a passionate anti-racism activist and took part in the famous 1963 March on Washington, during which civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr addressed the crowd with his “I Have a Dream” speech.

500,000 acres of the Scottish Highlands are set to be rewilded

The idea of rewilding is to allow an area of land to return to its natural state. Human interventions such as fences and drainage are removed, and native plant and animal species are reintroduced. Rewilding helps to improve in the region and fight against climate change.

This particular project is called the Affric Highlands initiative, and it will stretch across the central Highlands of Scotland, from Loch Ness to Kintail in the west. There are a wide range of habitats in the area, including mountains and forests.

It has been organised by the charity Trees for Life, who will work with six organisations, 20 different landowners and the local communities to make the project a reality, with the hope that more will get on board. Work is expected to begin in 2023.

An athlete in red embraces an an athlete in blue, who has jumped into his arms — Image caption,
Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy and Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar celebrate their historic gold medals

Olympic high jump athletes decide to share the gold medal

One of the most heartwarming moments of the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics was the joyful embrace shared by Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi when it was confirmed that they could share the gold medal in the high jump.

At that point, the two athletes has already been competing for two hours and simply could not be separated. Both had cleared a height of 2.37m without making an error, but then failed to match the Olympic record of 2.39m. In this situation, athletes are offered a jump-off to determine first and second place.

But instead, Barshim and Tamberi agreed with the Olympic officials that they could simply share the gold medal instead, leading to jubliant celebrations. It’s the first time there have been joint Olympic gold medals in athletics since 1912.