Today's eclectic global round up of good news nuggets.
Bill Gates Fixes Pothole
Probably not a headline you ever expected to read - but he actually did. The good news is that the novel road repair material he used is made with carbon that has been stripped out of natural gas to decarbonize it in the process of making clean hydrogen. The billionaire was an early investor in the Seattle-based company founded in 2015 that makes the eco-friendly asphalt. “I filled a pothole - and reduced greenhouse gas emissions,” he wrote on LinkedIn. “With an innovative process that removes carbon from natural gas to get emissions-free hydrogen, Modern Hydrogen is decarbonizing the energy market. And by sequestering that carbon in asphalt used to build roads (and repair potholes), the company is decarbonizing the building materials market, too.”
'Miracle' Operation
A three year old with a genetic condition that causes blindness is doing incredibly well after unique pioneering operation to restore her sight. The UK is the only country performing keyhole eye surgery to inject healthy copies of a gene into sufferers’ eyes. It's being used to reverse blindness in children born with a rare condition which means they can only distinguish between light and dark. And it has given little Khadijah Chaudhry a chance at seeing properly again.
California Dreamin'
California has hit a new renewables record after exceeding 100 percent of grid demand with clean energy sources for 30 of the past 38 days. New data shows that supply from geothermal, hydro, solar and wind exceeded demand for at least part of the day for more than three quarters of days since the start of March. It's the first time that the US state has succeeded in drawing all of its electricity needs from wind-water-solar (WWS) sources for such a sustained period of time.
French Revolution
A new report by L’Institut Paris Région has found that the way Parisians are now traveling from the suburbs to the city centre, especially during peak periods, has undergone a revolution thanks in part to the building of many miles of cycleways. Those cyclists now on the streets and roads of central Paris are not Spandex-clad professionals as seen on the Tour de France but everyday cyclists getting around town. The number of cyclists now far exceeds the number of motorists, a huge change from just five years ago.
Deutsche Bahn
Train travel is going the distance in Germany, with 24m passengers enjoying international trips last year, according to data from the nation’s Deutsche Bahn (DB) rail network. The figures show long distance train travel is up 21 percent overall since 2019, with DB launching new routes, upping seating and deploying longer trains to meet demand. Its Berlin-Amsterdam link saw the biggest increase in 2023, with passenger numbers up almost a quarter compared to 2022.
India's Rooftops
India has approved a massive $9 billion subsidy program to help Indian households install rooftop solar panels in their homes and apartments. The scheme, called PM-Surya Ghar, will eventually provide free electricity to 10 million homes according to estimates.
"The really frightening thing about middle age is the knowledge that you'll grow out of it." Doris Day
On This Day
17 April 2003: Anneli Jäätteenmäki was sworn in as prime minister of Finland, which thereby became the second country (after New Zealand) to install a woman as head of both state and government.
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Mood Booster
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