Good News Tuesday for June 22, 2021: Humpback Whales, Plastic Bottle Houses, Fur Trade, and Juneteenth Becomes an Official US Holiday

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

Record-High Number of Humpback Whales Counted off the Coast of Japan

The recent edition of my Goodnewspaper reported a record of 1087 humpback whales were observed off Amani Oshima Island in Japan from December 2020 to March 2021. Out of the 670 pods observed, 105 included mothers and calves which is also a record. This is the first time the seasonal count of whales has exceeded 1000. Humpbacks and other whale species were decimated by commercial whaling in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The population increase of these intelligent, social mammals shows what global conservation efforts can do. I’ve added a video about whales in Hawaii at the end of today’s post.

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Strong Nigerian Homes are Made with Plastic Bottles

Plastic bottles filled with sand are being used to create houses in Nigeria. This bottle brick technology is reported to be
“18-times stronger than regular bricks.” You can read more about the innovative process and see the attractive houses in this article from the Good News Network.

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Israel to be the First Country to Ban the Sale of Fur

In six months it will become illegal to sell fur for “fashion” in Israel. ““Even with the exemption for traditional dress, … Israel’s fur ban will save the lives of millions of animals suffering on fur farms or languishing in cruel traps around the world, and it sends a clear message that fur is unethical, unnecessary, and outdated.” Claire Bass, Humane Society International UK. Here’s more from The Optimist Daily.

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Juneteenth Becomes a Federal Holiday in the US

Last week, the US Congress voted to make Juneteenth (June 19th) a national holiday. President Joe Biden signed the bill into law on Thursday, June 18th, in time for the 156th anniversary of the day African Americans in Texas were informed that the war was over and they were free. This New York Times article, includes information on the significance of the holiday which has also been known as Emancipation Day.

Here’s the signing ceremony. The video is long, but worth watching, even worth skipping the ads.

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Getting back to the whales, I hope you enjoy this video about humpback whales in Hawaii.

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