Sep 5

Thursday's Upbeat News

Ensuring the day gets off to a bright start with a global round up of positive news stories.

Daredevil Granny

A 102-year-old woman has become the oldest skydiver in Britain after jumping out of a plane at 7,000-feet. Daredevil Manette Baillie celebrated her latest birthday this month with a tandem skydive - her first ever parachute jump. She said she was ‘breathless’ after the jump, which also raised money for charity. “It was a bit scary,” Manette admitted. “I just want other people who are getting towards 80 and 90 not to give up anything.” Her advice to people reaching their elderly years? “Just keep going.”

40 Percent Milestone

For the first time ever, new reports show that zero-carbon sources made up over 40 percent of the global electricity generated in 2023, reports Bloomberg. The global clean energy transition is making record-breaking progress - and is projected to continue doing so. In 2023, hydroelectric power made up 14.7 percent, wind and solar made up a new record high of 13.9 percent, and nuclear made up 9.4 percent. The reports also found that wind and solar made up 91 percent of net new power capacity additions in 2023 - a significant increase over 83 percent in 2022. Importantly, new fossil fuel projects made up just 6 of new capacity - the lowest amount ever.

Strange But True

A Major League Baseball player has "made history" as the first ever to bat for two different teams in the same game. Danny Jansen was playing for the Toronto Blue Jays when they faced the Boston Red Sox in June, but heavy rain meant the game was called off and rescheduled. The Jays then sold Jansen to the Red Sox, so by the time the rescheduled date came around, he was playing for the famous Boston side. "It's interesting, and it's strange," Jansen said of his historic feat.

Good News From Brazil

The Brazilian Observatory for Inequality study has found that the number of Brazilians living in extreme poverty dropped by 40 percent between 2022 and 2023. A similar study by thinktank Fundação Getulio Vargas reported a 50 percent decline in poverty between 2021 and 2023. Both studies used federal data and attributed the decline to Lula's Bolsa Família financial aid program.

Norway Accelerates

In August, electric vehicles accounted for a staggering 94.3 percent share of new car sales in Norway, as the nation’s road users continue to accelerate ahead of the rest of the world when it comes to EV adoption. While electric vehicles have made up the majority of new car sales each year since 2020, the new monthly figure marks a new high even by their standards, with the Norwegian government aiming to reach a point in 2025 when every new car sold is electric or hydrogen. Speaking of EVs...

Field of yellow Odontarrhena decipiens flowers

Flowers for EVs

The growing popularity of electric vehicles has led to an increased demand for nickel, which is most commonly sourced through mining. Multiple startups are now turning to another idea - phytomining - growing plants such as Odontarrhena decipiens, which has distinct yellow flowers, and can accumulate nickel to up to 2 percent of their biomass, reports Interesting Engineering. According to Viridian, a phytomining startup, a 1,000-hectare farm could capture between 250-550 metric tons of nickel. This could be worth US$3-7 million.

“A good rule to remember for life is that when it comes to plastic surgery and sushi, never be attracted by a bargain.” Graham Norton

On This Day

black hole at the centre of the Milky Way Galaxy

5 September 2001: At a scientific conference in Washington, D.C., this day in 2001, scientists described an observation of energy flares that provided strong evidence of the theorized black hole at the centre of the Milky Way Galaxy.