Today's global round up of good news nuggets to brighten the day.
High Tea
Ah, who wouldn't enjoy a nice warm cup of tea tens of thousands of feet up the world's tallest peak? This group of Mount Everest climbers have now participated in the world's highest tea party, according to Guinness World Records who just officially recognized the feat. (Yes, there truly is a record for everything!) The tea party took place at roughly 21,300 feet above sea level and, as you can see, they even had cookies and cakes.
Happiness Report
Finland has been named the world’s happiest country for the fifth year in a row by the UN sponsored World Happiness Report. Now in its 10th year, it's based on people’s own assessment of their happiness, as well as economic and social data. Northern Europeans once again dominated the top spots – with the Danes second to the Finns, followed by the Icelandic, the Swiss and the Dutch. As well as a personal sense of wellbeing, based on Gallup polls in each country, the happiness score takes account of GDP, social support, personal freedom and levels of corruption. “The lesson of the world happiness report over the years is that social support, generosity to one another and honesty in government are crucial for wellbeing,” report co-author Jeffrey Sachs wrote.
EU CO2 Tariffs
The European Union has decided to impose a world-first carbon dioxide emissions tariff on imports of polluting goods. The EU will introduce CO2 emissions costs on imports of steel, cement, fertilisers, aluminium and electricity, from 2026. This is a move aimed at protecting European industry from being undercut by cheaper goods made in countries with weaker environmental rules. A three year transition phase for the levy would begin in 2023, so EU countries and the European parliament are racing to approve the rules this year. "It's a major step forward in the fight against climate change," French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said after the ministers' meeting in Brussels.
Independent Media
Money has been pouring in for Ukrainian journalists and their independent media organisations. A fundraising campaign – organised by journalism groups The Fix, Are We Europe, Jnomics, and Media Development Foundation – has raised more than £3m ($4m) for the country’s independent media outlets in the last fortnight. The Fix said: “Our main goal is to help save lives, first and foremost, and then safeguard Ukraine’s independent and ethical media – an important part of Ukraine’s social fabric at this terrible time.”
Bongo Conservation
Bongos are also extremely rare antelopes native to Kenya that haven’t been spotted in the wild in almost 30 years. They used to roam free across Kenya’s forests but their population has suffered in the wild and now sits below 100. Humans are the reason for these critically low numbers. Kenya started a rewilding program that began with relocating bongos living in American zoos to Kenya in the early 2000s. The relocated bongos were domesticated, unaccustomed to Kenyan weather, and relied on people for their survival. With time and effort each generation of bongos became more independent and started tuning in to their natural instincts. Five mountain bongos were released earlier this month into the Mawingu Mountain Bongo Sanctuary in Kenya. The plan is to continue releasing five more bongos every six months. The Kenya Wildlife Service hopes that by 2050, at least 750 wild bongos will once again be roaming free in Kenya’s equatorial forests.
Black Founders Fund
A cash fund for tech businesses led by black people has been announced by Google. The Black Founders Fund will be awarded to European tech startups that are using technology to solve everyday problems. Successful applicants will receive up to $100,000 (£76,000), plus $200,000 (£152,000) in credit to use towards Google advertising and cloud services. The fund aims to boost black tech business amid growing evidence that racism is built into many emerging technologies.
Quote of the Day
"Remember that the most valuable antiques are dear old friends."
H. Jackson Brown
On this Day
21 March 2006: Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey sent the first public tweet, which read “just setting up my twttr.”
Dive in Deeper
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Petra: Heaven on Earth
Enjoy a 4 minute guided tour of the home of one the greatest civilisations in all of human history.