Global collection of uplifting news nuggets to brighten the day.
Spanish Writers
The solitary denizens of Macondo appear to have proved too much for a famously insane knight errant, according to research that shows Gabriel García Márquez has overtaken Miguel de Cervantes to become the most translated Spanish-language writer of the century so far. However, the genius who gave the world Don Quixote – and with him the first modern novel and a byword for impractical idealism – can take comfort in the fact that he remains the most translated writer in Spanish over the past eight decades.
King of the Road
The humble push bike is the new king of the road in London. Cyclists now outnumber motorists at peak times in the city's centre, following sustained efforts to encourage cycling and deter car use, reports Forbes. Over the last decade, motorists have declined by 64 percent and cycling has almost quadrupled, with an estimated 800,000 journeys a day now made by bike in the English capital.
The Benefits of Going Dutch: What if the whole world embraced bikes with the same gusto as the Dutch? The research has been done – and the results are in.
River Restoration
19 billion native seeds will be planted as part of the Klamath River dams removal programme in northern California and southern Oregon. It's the largest river restoration project in American history. Local tribes and environmental groups are busy sourcing 96 different species of trees and shrubs including culturally significant plants like yampah, lomatium and milkweed to plant across 2,200 acres of drained reservoirs.
Nature's Legal Rights in Florida Being Tested: Arguing for the legal rights of nature, five bodies of water threatened by development are suing the state of Florida as well as a developer. More...
New Tactic
Automakers and dealers are trying to speed up EV adoption in the US by giving customers electric cars to take home and drive for weeks or months at a time. Why? Only 11 percent of consumers who had no experience with EVs said they were "very likely" to consider buying one, according to a J.D. Power study. That rose to 24 percent for those who had been a passenger in an EV, and 34 percent among those who had driven electric.
EU Maritime Emissions
The European Parliament has agreed on a new law to cut emissions in the maritime sector. The law aims to reduce ship emissions by 2% as of 2025 and 80% as of 2050, covering greenhouse gas, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions. They will review the law in 2028 and decide whether to place carbon-cutting requirements on smaller ships. The agreement will also require containerships and passenger ships docking at major EU ports to plug into the on-shore power supply as of 2030. Penalties collected from those that fail to meet the targets will be allocated to projects focused on decarbonising the maritime sector.
“Finland is officially the world’s happiest country. It is also 75 percent forest. I believe these facts are related.” Matt Haig
On this Day
30 March 1858: Hyman L. Lipman of Philadelphia received a U.S. patent for a pencil with an attached eraser.
StudyFinds analysed ten expert websites, creating a list based on the top recommendations across these sites. Top 5...
Born with a smiley face on his side, this calf became a media star and helped save a hospital. Everyone's happy...
Human Convergence: Helsinki is home to a remarkable new library concept that over half the city visits every month. Blueprint...
Mood Booster
The Penguins' Story: The day the penguins met David Attenborough.