An eclectic bundle of good news nuggets to brighten the day.
Tigers Triple
In 2010, Nepal was one of 13 tiger range countries that pledged to double its population by 2022. In the 12 years since that pledge, Nepal tripled its tiger population, becoming the only one of the countries to not only meet but exceed its goal. Nepal now has 355 tiger total, blowing past the 250 that the country was expected to achieve as part of global conservation efforts to double the wild tiger population. Conservationists also say it puts the number of the big cats close to the maximum that the country can hold.
US Travelers Rejoice
Online passport renewal will be rolling out for most Americans next year. The State Department tested online renewal with two pilot programs this year - one for federal employees and contractors, and another for 25,000 members of the public - and has deemed those trials a success, reports the New York Times. A third pilot program will begin later this month, but officials intend to make the option available to all travelers sometime in early 2023.
Philanthropy
Chip Wilson, the founder of Lululemon (which makes technical athletic clothing for most sweaty pursuits), has pledged $75.8 million to acquire wilderness in British Columbia. It's one of the largest philanthropic gifts in Canadian history, and will be used to buy forests and repurchase mining, forestry and other resource licenses, turning huge tracts of land into parks managed by indigenous communities.
Party Time
Following two years of Covid-19 restrictions, Germany’s Oktoberfest is back. And fans of the beer festival - from college students to Bavarian officials - are ready to party. With the traditional cry of “O’zapft is,” (“It’s tapped!”), Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter has hammered the tap into the first Oktoberfest keg in front of a cheering crowd. Over the next few weeks, some six million people are predicted to attend the Munich festival, reports Bloomberg. It’s a much-needed boost to the area’s tourism economy after two years of slow business.
Ludic
Full of fun and high spirits. As in: Puppies are the cutest because they are so ludic.
Rivers and Oceans
First, two inspiring river stories: In the Netherlands, rewilding experts are undoing 500 years of engineering on the Meuse River, a project described as Europe’s largest river restoration, and which will greatly benefit both wildlife and people. Whilst in Canada, indigenous communities are co-leading an effort with the government to restore the estuary of the Squamish River, "reopening its lungs, and bringing back the natural being of it.” Three great ocean conservation stories too: The Republic of the Congo has created its first ever marine protected areas, covering 4,000 km2 off the West African coast, Albania has declared its Porto-Palermo Bay as a nature park, and after a decade of work Canada has unveiled a blueprint for a vast network of marine protected areas across the northern third of its West Coast.
US Child Poverty
The poverty rate in America plummeted to 7.8 percent in 2021, the lowest level on record, cutting the number of children in poverty by nearly half, says the New York Times. "Even temporary support can have lasting impact. There is a great literature that shows improvements in income, especially at early ages, have long-term payoffs for kids," said Christopher Wimer, who directs the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at the Columbia University School of Social Work. In further good news, youth crime has reached its lowest level on record in the United States, says the Department of Justice.
Quote of the Day
"Whatever you are, be a good one." Abraham Lincoln
On this Day
27 September 1905: The physics journal Annalen der Physik publishes Albert Einstein's paper 'Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content?', introducing the equation E=mc².
Offshore Wind: 125 Times Better
Not only is offshore wind power better for the planet compared to oil and gas, it’s also 125 times better for US taxpayers. Read on...
Buzz Stops
Mood Booster
Here are some wise Native American proverbs to calm your spirit. They teach us how to live in harmony with one another, how to not fear death and how to live a fulfilling life.