Mar 3, 2023
Updated: Mar 23, 2023
Rounding off the week with a global collection of positive news nuggets.
Saving Goliath
When Cedrick Fogwan had his first encounter with the goliath frog he was impressed by its mighty proportions. Growing to the size of a cat, it's the world's largest living frog. Almost like holding a human baby, he says, having handled one in a rescue mission. The Cameroonian conservationist was so captivated he set up a project to fight for the future of the endangered species. For decades, the goliath frog has been over-hunted for food in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. The conservation team works to persuade hunters to become citizen scientists, recording sightings of the frog rather than using it for food. The conservation work is starting to pay off, with the goliath frog returning to new rivers in the Mount Nlonako Reserve. The project to save the goliath frog is supported by the Conservation Leadership Programme, BirdLife International and the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Green Corridor
A former railway line Singapore is being converted into a green corridor spanning 24 km, from the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve in the north, to the city's central business district. The corridor will help preserve mangroves, forests and grassland, provide a safe haven for animals to traverse between green spaces, and will be ten times longer than the High Line in New York, says Bloomberg.
Dark Sky Sanctuary
An island in north Wales has been officially recognized for having one of the best night skies in the world. Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island), off the Llyn Peninsula, has become the first site in Europe to be awarded International Dark Sky Sanctuary certification. It joins 16 other sites worldwide recognized as the most remote and dark places on earth. The trust which owns the island said it was a 'huge achievement'.
D for Dementia
A new large-scale study has shown that warding off dementia early may be as simple for some as taking a vitamin D supplement. Researchers looked at the link between dementia and vitamin D supplements in close to 12,400 people who had a mean age of 71 and were dementia-free at the start of the study. Researchers found 40 percent fewer dementia diagnoses among the 4,637 participants who took vitamin D supplements, compared to the cohort that did not.
Aussie Rooftops
Rooftop solar is on track to become Australia's number one power source by April. More than 3.4 million Australians have a rooftop solar installation, and around 300,000 new ones are being installed annually, reports ABC.
EU Beats Forecasts
The pace of clean technology rollout is set to put the EU at 45 percent renewable energy by 2030, according to new analysis from energy think tank Ember. That comfortably exceeds the original 40 percent target. A surge in solar power leads the boom, with 2030 capacity expected to be at least twice that originally forecast by EU policy. High fossil fuel prices and subsidies in some EU countries have resulted in heat pump deployment being 50 percent higher than forecast, reaching at least 60 million in total. Electric vehicle rollout is expected to outpace targets by 30 percent - that is, the EV fleet is expected to expand to a minimum of 40 million - with record sales last year and newly announced EU policy already increasing momentum.
"Spring will come and so will happiness. Hold on. Life will get warmer."
Anita Krizzan
On this Day
3 March 1931: The Star-Spangled Banner, written by Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812, was officially adopted as the national anthem of the United States by act of Congress.
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Mood Booster
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