Celebrating the start of the weekend with a global round up of uplifting news nuggets.
Nyepi
To celebrate the Balinese New Year, known as Nyepi, the island’s usually busy streets fell silent this week with everyone remaining indoors for a day of quiet contemplation. Reminiscent of recent lockdowns around the globe, and unlike any other New Year celebrations, the traditional start of the Balinese Saka calendar is welcomed with several days of island-wide rituals which centre around a day of silence. Everything from the airport to local supermarkets and ATMs are closed, while residents and tourists remain inside for quiet self-reflection.
Marine Reserve
The Australian government is to designate a marine reserve in the Southern Ocean the size of Germany, bolstering protections for millions of penguins and seals near Macquarie Island. Environment minister Tanya Plibersek called increasing the extent of the Macquarie Island marine park a “globally significant contribution to marine conservation” that would place 388,000 square km (150,000 sq. miles) under strict protection. The waters are home to animals like royal penguins, southern rockhopper penguins, subantarctic fur seals, southern elephant seals, black-browed albatrosses, and grey petrels. Expanding the marine park will increase the protected territory in Australia’s oceans to 48.2 percent, Plibersek said.
US Forecast
America’s electricity grid may be only eight years away from hitting a major decarbonization milestone, according to a new federal report. Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have published a new forecast about what the Inflation Reduction Act and the bipartisan infrastructure law could mean for the country’s power grid. They find that the grid could hit a crucial target - generating 80 percent of its electricity without burning fossil fuels - by the end of the decade. Under some of the lab’s scenarios, the American grid could, by 2030, generate 90 percent of its electricity without burning carbon. That is more than double today’s share, and it would make America’s power grid one of the cleanest in the world.
Circular Wonder
If roller coasters make you queasy but you still want the thrill of an amusement park ride, a spokeless Ferris wheel might be more your style. The largest spokeless Ferris wheel in the world will become part of Seoul’s skyline by 2025, according to CNN. The “Seoul Ring” wheel, which will be 180 metres (591 feet) tall, will be located in Haneul Park, offering stunning views of the nation’s capital.
End of Scam Texts
The US Federal Communications Commission has finalized rules requiring mobile carriers to block robotext messages that are likely to be illegal. The FCC described the rules as the agency's "first regulations specifically targeting the increasing problem of scam text messages sent to consumers." Carriers will be required to block text messages that come from "invalid, unallocated, or unused numbers." This initiative builds on an existing FCC ruling that requires similar blocking of voice calls from these types of numbers.
Ford Capri Returns
The Ford Capri is to return to Britain's roads after receiving an electric makeover. The 1970s classic, which became known as the "working man's Porsche", is expected to go on sale again next year at a £40,000 ($49,000) price tag. The new electric version will have a range of up to 310 miles on a full charge and accelerate from 0 to 60mph in 6.4 seconds, according to the Sun. The original Capri (pictured above) sold 400,000 in its first two years and more than 1.8 million by the time production ceased in December 1986. Ford marketed it as “the car you always promised yourself" when it was first unveiled at the Brussels Motor Show in 1969.
Spirit Mountain
Spanning 500,000 acres, President Joe Biden has designated Avi Kwa Ame, a mountainous area in Nevada that’s revered by many tribes, as a national monument - putting him closer to achieving his aim to protect at least 30 percent of the United States’ lands and waters by 2030. Otherwise known as Spirit Mountain, the area is sacred to ten Yuman speaking tribes and other Indigenous peoples. Biden’s speech was greeted with loud cheers as he talked about the importance of the land to Indigenous peoples. “It's a place of reverence. It's a place of spirituality. It's a place of healing,” he said. “And now we recognize it for the significance it holds and be preserved forever.”
“Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.” Doug Larson
On this Day
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Mood Booster
This Pink Panther short won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film.