Getting the week off to an upbeat start with today's global round up of good news nuggets.
Almost
She became the youngest ever Olympian and Olympic medallist from Great Britain (aged 13) when she won bronze in the women’s skateboarding park event at Tokyo 2020 in 2021, and Sky Brown had high hopes of becoming the first athlete in history to qualify for an Olympic Games in two sports: surfing and skateboarding - at this year's Paris Olympics. She's already confirmed for skateboarding but sadly, at the weekend, she just failed to qualify for the surfing. "I'm definitely super proud. I made the far. I wish I could have gone a little further but that is part of it, sometimes you've got to lose." Brown, who has been surfing since she was four years old (and is now 15), says she has already set her sights on qualifying for the surfing event at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
Reversing US Inequality
Maybe the reason everyone is confused about the US economy is that very few people alive have experienced one that reverses inequality. So says Project Syndicate, and reporting that real wages are growing, women's wages are growing faster than men's, young people's wages are growing faster than old people's, and low-income wages are growing faster than high-income wages.
Frightening Fungi?
Imagine walking through the woods alone and coming across this sight: The mysterious Dead Man's Fingers mushroom, a peculiar creation of nature that adds an eerie touch to the enchanting world of fungi. Xylaria polymorpha, commonly known as Dead Man's Fingers, resembles the bony fingers of the 'undead'. Its dark, elongated structures emerge from decaying wood in a way that challenges our perceptions of nature's beauty.
Restoration of Nature
The European Parliament has adopted a law to restore land and sea. Under the law, countries must restore at least 30% of habitats in poor condition by 2030, 60% by 2040, and 90% by 2050. Member states will also have to restore at least 25,000 km of rivers to be free-flowing rivers and ensure there is no net loss in the total national area of urban green space and of urban tree canopy cover.
Around The World
Irish explorer Johnny Ward has completed the ultimate tour of the globe, and he's not done yet. After decades of traveling and mountaineering, Ward can now claim the Ultimate Explorer’s Grand Slam, which involves reaching the highest peak on every continent and visiting both the North and South Poles in addition. Oh, he also became the first known Irish person to visit every country back in 2017. Now that he's done the ultimate world bucket list, he says he's putting all his efforts into helping others to achieve their travel goals.
Functional Trash
Plastic bottles that once littered the streets and waterways of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, are being transformed into bristles for brooms. An entrepreneur launched the broomstick enterprise as a way to do something about plastic waste pollution in the city, and every day his warehouse turns about 5,000 bottles into brooms, Reuters said. The plastic is purchased from trash collectors and garbage depots, and in nearly a year, 40 tons of bottles have been turned into bristles.
Porsche Van
An all-electric Porsche luxury van? This could be a possibility. Porsche’s design boss, Peter Varga, said a van is now “very interesting” when combined with luxury. “I really like the van,” Varga admitted. When pressed if it would fit the Porsche brand Top Gear Netherlands, he said, “I think so. It’s a nice car, it looks good and why not? The van as a product, as an idea or concept for a new car, is now very interesting in combination with luxury.”
“The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”
Stephen Covey
On This Day
4 March 1837: Chicago was incorporated as a city, with a population of about 4,200.
Mood Booster
Out-takes of astronauts falling over: NASA's missions weren't all work and no play!