Bite sized chunks of good news from around the world to perk up the day.
Wind Empire
All buildings owned by the Empire State Realty Trust — including the iconic Empire State Building — are officially being completely powered by wind. Their 14 buildings have more than 10 million square feet total, and with the purchase of the 3-year contract, the trust is now the largest real estate user of entirely renewable energy in the U.S. The Empire State Building itself has run on renewables since 2011, and the trust had already cut the skyscraper's emissions by about 40 percent. By adding all its buildings, they'll avoid producing around 450 million pounds of carbon dioxide. According to reporting from The Washington Post, that's the equivalent of removing all New York City taxis from the road for a year.
All-Women Media
The first all-women media house in Somalia has been launched, creating a rare opportunity for female journalists in the country to research and publish stories they want to tell. The pioneering Bilan project, funded by UN, will be led by Nasrin Mohamed Ahmed, one of the few female senior news producers in the country. Her team of six will produce content for TV, radio and online media on issues such as gender-based violence, women in politics and female entrepreneurs. Crucially, they will have the autonomy to make editorial decisions.
A Dog's New Life
A homeless dog that brought comfort to U.S. soldiers overseas will now get a chance to live the cozy life in America with one of those soldiers. The three-year-old mixed breed became like family to Sergeant K. and his Army unit in Kosovo last year, after they found him looking for food around their base. His daily visits and wagging tail soon became the highlight of their day, delivering comfort to those far from home. Now the lucky dog is on his way to America for a new life.
Greenerland
Greenland's government, Naalakkersuisut, says it will no longer issue new licenses for oil and gas exploration. This is hugely significant because Greenland is thought to have a large amount of undiscovered oil deposits. Estimates from the U.S. Geological Survey say it could hold more than 17 billion barrels of oil. Despite this, the government said that the country has stopped future exploration because the “price of oil extraction is too high.”
Scotland's Forests
In just under a century, forest coverage in Scotland has grown from around 6 percent to nearly 18 percent. Our World Data reports: "1,000 years ago, 20 percent of Scotland's land was covered by forest. By the mid-18th century, only 4 percent of the country was forested. But then the trend turned, and it moved from deforestation to reforestation. For the last two centuries forests have been growing and are almost back to where they were 1,000 years ago." The Scottish government has a target for 21 percent forest cover by 2032.
Ikea Buys Back
Ikea is making its Buy Back and Resell program permanent across its 37 US stores after piloting the program last year. The service applies only to personally-used Ikea furniture that is fully assembled and fully functional. The company will inspect each item for its condition, age and functionality and if it passes muster, the customer gets a store credit. The company said all such items approved for resale will be available in a designated ‘as is’ section in stores at discounted prices. This initiative is part of Ikea’s effort to become a circular business by 2030. The goal is to eventually produce products that are 100 percent made with materials that are recycled, remanufactured, refurbished or reused.
Quote of the Day
"Don't go through life, grow through life." Eric Butterworth
On this Day
13 April 1997: Tiger Woods won the Masters Tournament, becoming the first golfer of African American descent and, at 21 years old, the youngest player to win the event.
Dive in Deeper
Unprecedented overpass will allow animals from the Santa Monica mountains to safely cross a dangerous 10-lane stretch of highway on the world's biggest wildlife bridge.
Hop Aboard
From the front of a tram, a motion picture camera records a trip down Market Street, San Francisco, in 1906.