POSITIVE NEWS - What went right this week: England’s rewilding plan, plus more positive news
Posted 7th January 2022 • Written by www.positive.news • • • • •
A nature recovery plan was announced for England, a blood test was found to detect cancer, and nations agreed to avoid nuclear war, plus more positive news
A nature recovery plan was announced for England
Farmers in England will be paid to create wildlife habitats, restore waterways and protect threatened species as part of a “radical” shake-up of land ownership practices, it was announced this week.
On Thursday, the UK government revealed plans for two nature recovery schemes. The first, the Local Nature Recovery initiative, will pay farmers for “locally targeted actions which make space for nature”. The scheme is set to launch nationally in 2024 and aims to reverse the fortunes of some of England’s most threatened species.
The Landscape Recovery project, meanwhile, will support more radical changes to the landscape, including the creation of nature reserves, woodlands and wetlands.
The government wants an area roughly the size of Lancashire to be covered by the schemes by 2042. Environmental groups cautiously welcomed the plan, but called for greater detail and swifter action.
“How these schemes will work in practice is still a cause for concern for both us and farmers,” said Beccy Speight, chief executive of the RSPB.
Powerful nations agreed to avoid nuclear war
In what was a welcome start to the new year, five of the world’s most powerful nations agreed that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought”.
The rare joint pledge was signed by the US, Russia, China, the UK and France on Monday. That it was agreed amid rising tensions between Russia, China and the west makes it all the more welcome.
A blood test was found to identify cancer
Scientists at the University of Oxford have developed a blood test that can detect cancer in patients with nonspecific symptoms, such as fatigue or weight loss – a breakthrough that could potentially save many lives.
Catching cancer early is critical to improving patient outcomes, but for those with nonspecific symptoms, a diagnosis can sometimes come too late.
The new blood test identifies the presence of biomarkers produced by cancer cells in the blood. In a study, published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, the test was used to analyse samples from 300 cancer patients.
The result? Cancer was correctly detected in 19 out of 20 patients. Though more research is needed, the early findings appear to be very positive news.