The new year of 2026 is upon us – and that means everyone is asking: “what’s your new year’s resolution?” It is imperative that you change something about yourself for the new year, or else, dare I say it- stay the same? No, the new year means ridding your soul of the boring personality and lack of worth ethic you have! You must go to the gym, you must diet, and you must only eat salads! That’s ridiculous. I think it’s important, and rarely seen, that our society also focuses on what we’ve done right in the world! So cheers to 2026, goodbye to 2025, and here are some things to be happy about!
Some species came back from the brink of extinction in 2025. Throughout all of the climate-crisis and negative news we were constantly consuming during the year, many species decided they were here to stay! The famous green turtle came off the ‘endangered list,’ as did crane birds, jaguars, the sailback houndsharks, and another 150 species! This is great news, not only for the species themselves but the programs working tirelessly to save them. Results mean promise and hope for all who care about our Earth’s inhabitants.
Scientists treated “untreatable” genetic hearing and sight losses with extraordinary technology. In July of 2025, gene therapy treatment helped people born with hearing loss recover their hearing. In October, they were able to assist blind participants into seeing with an eye implant. In fact, 84% of implants were effective in enabling reading abilities.
Australia introduced stricter media laws to hopefully improve childhoods by limiting access to smartphones. Now, those under the age of sixteen are prohibited from using social media. As much as we don’t want to admit it, tech companies are after the attention spans of our younger generations, hacking into their brains at young ages and creating addictions. This is an amazing step forward in creating a balance between technology and a genuine childhood.
California has officially banned ultra-processed food from school lunches. The bill will phase out ultra-processed food from lunches until 2029 when none shall remain. This is a grand effort towards lowering child obesity in America, alongside lowering the chance of future diseases that come from eating poorly at a young age. In educational environments such as schools, the last thing we should be doing is feeding the young generations food with low nutrient value.
The ozone layer is officially shrinking- and they said it couldn’t be done! Scientists announced in December that the hole in the radiation shield provided to us by the Earth is officially the smallest it has ever been in six years! This is incredible, as a healthy ozone layer means the sun’s UV rays will have less damage on humans, crops, and marine life.
I hope everyone had a great New Years, and feel free to play along with the “New Year's Resolutions” discussion we all take part in. However, feel free to always mention the good that’s already been done- and the good that will get done- no matter if you go to the gym or not!
