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Just Good News Monday

Updated: Jul 24, 2023

Ensuring the week gets off to an upbeat start with a global collection of good news nuggets.


A time-lapse image of lightning bolts from a thunderstorm
A time-lapse image of lightning bolts from a thunderstorm near Mudanya in Turkey on 16 June | Uğur İkizler
Visual Feast

A photographer has captured a striking time-lapse photo of more than 100 individual lightning bolts during a fierce thunderstorm in Turkey. Astrophotographer Uğur İkizler created the electrifying image by combining shots of the sky near his home in the coastal town of Mudanya. The individual images were collected over a 50 minute period around midnight on 16 June - meaning that, on average, there was a lightning strike every 30 seconds. "Each and every one of them is beautiful, but when I combined all the lightning bolts into a single frame, it was a frightening sight," İkizler told Live Science. The thunderstorm was a "magnificent visual feast," he added.


Hel Bound

Passengers “taking the highway to Hel” in Poland will no longer be able to travel on bus route 666, said Sky News. The Polish seaside resort of Hel is “a far cry from the fiery pit of eternal damnation evoked by its name”. But while locals have “long seen the funny side” of the bus route number, according to the broadcaster, transport operator PKS Gdynia is changing it to 669 following pressure from religious groups. A PKS spokesperson said that the management board “buckled under the weight of letters and requests” from critics unhappy with the use of the “satanic” number.


Church Sells Oil

The Church of England is selling its investments in BP, Shell and other oil and gas giants because they do not “protect God’s creation”. The General Synod, the Church’s lawmaking body, had voted in 2018 to disinvest from fossil fuel companies that were failing to take significant action on tackling climate change by 2023. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who is a former oil industry worker, said the climate crisis “threatens the planet we live on.”


Stunt Oscar?

Variety magazine reports that according to John Wick franchise director Chad Stahelski, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences is close to introducing a Best Stunts category at the Oscars. Yes please!

 
 

Ejector Seats?

A rusty Mercedes once owned by Sean Connery has sold for £7,077.77. The “barn find” was bought new by the James Bond star, and recently sold for the fitting price on eBay. At first glance, the “restoration project” had nothing in common with the secret agent’s famous Aston Martin. The 45-year-old vehicle has rust along the wheel arches and roof, the upholstery is stained, and the rear bumper is hanging off. No ejector seats or missiles lurking behind the headlights. However, the Mercedes 300S did have all the documentation to prove it was originally bought by Sir Sean in the 1980s.


Ocean Protection

Global efforts to protect the world's ocean have only really picked up in the last two decades. In 2005 there were less 2 million km² (77,2200 sq. miles) of marine protected areas, but since then there has been a huge jump. Today, 29,581,750 km² (11,420,00 sq. miles) is under protection, covering 8.16 percent of the ocean, reports Protected Planet.


Long Distance Affair

Community solar is like having a long-distance relationship with your solar panels: you get all the romance without ever having to see them. And some options, like Arcadia and Solstice, can slash your power bills by up to 10 percent - that’s over $500 a year for most Americans. Here’s how it works:

  • Search your zip code through Arcadia or Solstice to see community solar options in your area.

  • Get connected with local providers.

  • Change your energy plan and start saving.

From that point on, you’ll get cheap, clean electricity from solar farms in your area straight to your home - no live-in panels necessary!

 

"A champion is someone who gets up when he can't." Jack Dempsey

 
On this Day

26 June 1976: CN Tower opened to the public in Toronto. At 1,815 feet (553m), it was the world's tallest freestanding structure until being surpassed in 2007 by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

 





 
Mood Booster

Need another laugh? Enjoy this funny Freddie Mercury spoof.



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