Uplifting News Thursday
- Jul 30
- 3 min read
Today's smorgasbord of uplifting news nuggets to put a spring in your step.
Emerald Waves at Dusk
This gorgeous image is one of the winners in The International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026 competition. It was captured above the rolling hills of San Jose, California, at golden hour, this image reveals the Diablo Range at its greenest after winter rains, highlighting smooth contours and flowing patterns.
Buildher
A nonprofit in Kenya is breaking barriers and training women to join the construction industry. Since its inception in 2019, Buildher says it has trained more than 1,000 women, with graduates increasing their average daily earnings roughly five- to six-fold within a year of training - from about $1.50 to between $11 and $12.
Seagrass Seeds
Volunteers are harvesting seagrass seeds to boost underwater meadows in the south of England. Just like trees and plants, seagrass can absorb massive amounts of carbon dioxide - but the same area of seagrass can absorb 35 times the amount a tropical rainforest can.
Vast Bahamas Seagrass Meadow: Tiger sharks help researchers find the world's biggest blue carbon sink.
One Tree Per Child
Kids across Pittsburgh are planting trees around their schools, parks, streets, and playgrounds. The One Tree Per Child Program was first started in Australia by the late singer Olivia Newton-John in 2015.
Good Progress
For the third year in a row, global hunger has fallen, according to the 2026 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World. The annual report on hunger from the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization found that 7.8% of the world’s people were undernourished last year, down from about 8.1% in 2024 and 8.5% in 2023. In other words, nearly 14 million fewer people were affected by hunger in 2025 compared to the year prior, with notable improvements seen in Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
Tonight's Meteor Showers
Two meteor showers will peak together tonight, but skywatchers should expect a moonlit challenge rather than a dazzling display. Both the Southern Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capricornids will reach maximum activity just one night after July's full Buck Moon, which turned full last night. According to the American Meteor Society, the moon will still be 98 percent full during the peaks of those meteor showers, meaning bright moonlight will wash out many of the fainter "shooting stars." But make a note in your diary for 12 August when two remarkable celestial events will occur.
Supercar Rhino Run
South Africa has claimed a new Guinness World Record after an extraordinary collection of supercars and hypercars filled the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit. The achievement came during the Supercar Rhino Run, organised by the Ferris Hope Foundation in support of Rhino Connect. Hundreds of exotic cars first gathered at FNB Stadium before travelling to Kyalami in a police-escorted convoy, where a Guinness World Records adjudicator carefully verified every eligible vehicle. While countless cars were displayed, 243 met all the qualifying criteria, comfortably surpassing the previous record of 179 vehicles.
"There’s no shame in failing. The only shame is not giving things your best shot." Robin Williams
On This Day
30 July 1935: First Penguin Books published in the UK, starting the paperback revolution. Priced at just sixpence in order to make quality literature affordable to the general public. The 10 books were colour coded: Orange for fiction, blue for biography, and green for crime, and were sold in traditional bookstores and non-traditional locations like Woolworths. Three million copies were sold within the first two month, democratising reading and permanently shifted global publishing standards toward softcover formats.
Today's Articles
Mystery Solved? It seems likely that Amelia Earhart’s long-lost plane, and her final resting place, has been found.
Mood Boosting Video
Opening September: Senior Curator of the new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art gives overview.
