Global collection of good news nuggets to help perk up the day.
Year of the Tiger
Tigers are having a good year. Officials in Nepal just announced that numbers have more than doubled in a bit more than a decade, and last week, a wildlife group reported there are as many as 5,500 tigers prowling jungles and swamps across Asia, a 40 percent jump from its 2015 assessment, reports the Washington Post. Whilst part of this improvement is likely due to better tracking / counting strategies, it's still very good news.
Universal Recognition
A milestone five decades in the making, the UN General Assembly has declared access to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment to be a universal human right. This is a profound shift in the way we see ourselves, and a crucial part of the moral framework we need if our species is going to successfully make it out of our industrial phase. "From a foothold in the 1972 Stockholm Declaration, the right has been integrated into constitutions, national laws and regional agreements. The new ruling elevates the right to where it belongs: universal recognition," says Inger Andersen, UN Environment Chief.
In Norway, new car registrations are now 89.9 percent fully electric, reports CleanTechnica.
Wild Rivers
A new electricity law in Bosnia has banned the construction of small hydroelectric power plants, saving the country’s 244 rivers from over 350 planned projects. The victory comes after a decade of court battles and protests by Balkan activists to protect Europe’s last wild rivers.
Saudade
Noun: the longing to be near someone or something that is distant.
Fleisch Essen
Meat consumption has fallen by 12 percent in Germany in the last decade, from 63 kg per person in 2011, to 55 kg today. Understanding the causes behind Germany's newfound love for plant-based food could be critical in figuring out how to slow climate change - meat and dairy account for around 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, reports Vox.
Carrie On
A former stripper is auctioning off a pair of black underwear she claims Prince Harry handed to her during his infamous Las Vegas night out in August 2012. Carrie Reichert, who goes by the name Carrie Royale, claimed she was at the Encore at Wynn Las Vegas hotel with the Duke of Sussex nearly 10 years ago when images of a naked Prince Harry were leaked to the press. Reichert, 43, said she wants the black pants to be a reminder of the old “fun Harry” before he became “a bore”. The former dancer will auction off the pants – as well as the dress and swimsuit she wore at the time – starting at $10,000.
Quote of the Day
“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.”
Michael Jordan
On this Day
10 August 1793: The Louvre opened in Paris, and it later became the most-visited museum in the world.
This search engine has used its advertising dollars to finance the planting of more than 124 million trees. Time to switch from Google? Read on...
Mood Booster
In memory of Olivia Newton John, here's The One That I Want from Grease.