Kick starting the weekend with a collections of good news snippets.
Drawing on the power of youth activism, Kristal Ambrose convinced the government of The Bahamas to ban single-use plastic bags, plastic cutlery, straws, and Styrofoam containers and cups. It's amazing what one person can achieve! The ban on single-use plastics has now gone into effect. Hats off to Kristal.
Best meteor shower of the year: If you're lucky enough t have a clear sky you should easily be able to spot 50 or more meteors per hour on Sunday night. On an optimum night for the Geminids, it may even be possible to see up 100 meteors per hour. Visible all over the world, though best seen in the Northern Hemisphere, there’s no need to look in a particular direction to spot these burning specks of dust. Just find a dark spot, a large patch of open sky, and look up.
An environmental preservation group has purchased nearly 1,400 acres in an effort to preserve lands around Pine Mountain in Kentucky. It's been working for years to acquire the land and aims to establish a 125 mile long wildlife corridor to serve as a migration route for several species and a refuge for birds, animals, and plants.
QR Code: Masahiro Hara came up with black and white pattern to optimise inventory in automotive industry twenty five years ago, but it is now being widely used to help protect us all from coronavirus, and he's delighted.
EU member states have just agreed to strengthen their target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the next decade. “Today’s agreement puts us on a clear path to climate neutrality in 2050,” said Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European commission, putting the EU ahead of most of the world’s major economies on tackling the climate crisis.
Act of kindness: A Florida business owner who was once down on his luck is giving back by covering the utility bills of 114 families who were facing disconnection during the Christmas holidays.
After an 8 year fight, environmental activists won an incredible victory this week after the state of New York announced it will divest its $226 billion pension fund from fossil fuels. It will pull investments from the “riskiest” oil and gas companies by 2025 and completely decarbonize its portfolio by 2040. Also, it will evaluate every company in its portfolio to check if they’re aligned with a habitable future.
A new study from the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research indicates being around greater bird biodiversity is linked to greater happiness levels amongst people.
The UK’s first EV-only forecourt opens, enabling 36 electric vehicles to be charged simultaneously (using net zero-carbon energy by utilising solar power) whilst allowing drivers to enjoy innovative station facilities and services.
Christmas came early to the town of Canton, Mississippi when a generous and very secret Santa picked up the tab for more than 300 layaway tickets at the local Walmart. A layaway is system of paying a deposit to secure an article for later purchase. The donor, who chose to remain anonymous, approached the store’s management and made an offer they had no reason to refuse. The exact amount of the donation has not been revealed, but guesstimates are that Santa laid out a sizable chunk of cash to ensure his neighbours’ holidays would be merry, bright, and a whole lot more stress free. In a year that’s been especially hard for people, those who benefited from Santa’s generosity are truly grateful for the gesture.
Multidextrous Musician: Many people can master the art of playing a musical instrument, but how about someone who can play four simultaneously using both hands and both feet? Well, here's how it's done: