Words by Smiley Team
As far as positive news goes, this week has been a pretty good one for it.
We share stories of people doing good on Smiley News every day, but each Friday we also round up five snippets of happiness that’ll cheer you up so you can end your week on a better note. Enjoy.
There have been changes to the Highway Code in the UK, which gives pedestrians more priority over cars at junctions and crossings. At the moment, motorists only have to give way when pedestrians have actually stepped onto a crossing. The transport secretary said the new code will also ensure cyclists have priority when travelling straight ahead at junctions.
The aim of these changes is to boost cycling and walking throughout the country. Because not only do these activities keep people fit, they also help the environment. From autumn, when the changes will be implemented, they’ll be easier and safer to do.
[Read More: It's time to give back and pamper NHS staff]
Fetching, the free app that helps parents manage the school run and organise dates for the family, has introduced an adorable new feature: Dog Dates. It aims to reduce the separation anxiety dogs may be feeling, since their owners are heading back to the office.
Dog owners leaving home for work can now arrange to share dog dates with their friends using the app. Many lockdown pups have never been left alone so arranging a ‘dog date’ will help get them into good habits when it comes to sharing and socialising.
Big cities have a bad rep. Many assume they’re tiring and impersonal, as people are always rushing around doing their own thing. But a new study by University of Chicago has found that small connections people make in a city – even if it’s a fleeting smile with someone across the road, or a 'thank you' to the barista in a coffee shop – can actually make city dwellers less prone to depression.
These connections may seem trivial, but Marc Berman, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Chicago, says it would be “interesting if we can continue to identify the properties of larger cities that promote psychological benefits while trying to eliminate some of the negatives of large urban living such as crime, poverty, and inequality”.
[Read More: How to start cycling your commute]
The No Meat May was a global campaign that challenged people to eliminate meat from their diets for 31 days. This year, the charity – which encourages participants to make the change for health, environment, animals, and food security – estimates that 130,110 people took part.
Each of the 65,055 registered participants on average encouraged one friend or family member to join them, with every person saving approximately 31 land and sea animals, a collective total of 1,984,178 living beings.
Whiskey brand Glenfiddich recently started adapting its delivery trucks to run on low-emission biofuel, which is creates from its own waste. This new process should reduce emissions by up to 99%, and each truck could displace up to 250 tons of CO2 every year.
‘Fuelled by Glenfiddich’, as they’ve called it, is part of the company’s plan to reduce the carbon footprint of its processes.
Image credit: ValSN / Shutterstock
