The year about to end was full of gloom and doom. It appears far worse than the preceding year. But there were many silver linings too.

2020 was the year of the Covid-19 breakout. In no time, the virus found its way to every country, forcing medieval-style lockdowns and economic turmoil, unprecedented pressure on public health systems and the high number of fatalities. This was the first pandemic of the social-media age and the discourse was highly divisive and politicized. The only good thing about last year was the brief respites between two waves – and the miraculously quick development of vaccine.

2021, on the other hand, made Covid-19 a recurrent nightmare, with delta and omicron variants and far higher surges in infection numbers than in 2020. Plus, there was a series of freak-weather incidents around the world. In the US, the year did not begin well – there was a mob attack on the Capitol Hill.

But a few good things also happened in 2021.

Vaccines have saved lives (even if worldwide distribution inequality should have been addressed). Now even pills to cure Covid-19 have arrived. Unlike 2020, public systems responded to the virus surges with better preparedness, though there were exceptions too. Two full years later, policymakers, scientists, physicians and even laypeople have a better understanding of the virus: https://www.who.int/news-room/spotlight/10-key-global-health-moments-from-2021

Whether the defeat of Trump and arrival of Biden was among the good things or not depends on your political persuasion. But the economy is in a better shape, weathering the onslaught well: https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/economy/us-economic-forecast/united-states-outlook-analysis.html

2020 was a difficult year for race relations; this year, with the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial, justice was not denied. (But also: https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2021-07-21/ratings-of-white-black-relations-hit-new-low-gallup-poll-finds) Juneteenth – commemorating June 19, 1865 when enslaved Black people in Galveston, Tex., finally heard of the Emancipation Proclamation – was made a national holiday: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/history/what-is-juneteenth/

On climate, the UN reports spoke of a ‘code red’ situation building up. The Glasgow conference made some progress in collective action to avert the dangers of global warming, even if it fell far short of what scientists and activists wished: https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/11/1105792

Other good news:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/12/22/good-news-2021-vaccines-environment-juneteenth/

https://www.wired.com/story/2021-positive-news/

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/50-good-things-that-happened-in-2021/LG4LEG4T7VUGRRLGPCHLJB4BMQ/