Friday's Positive News
- Editor OGN Daily
- Jan 25, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 14, 2024
Wrapping up the week with a global collection of positive news nuggets.
World’s Largest Ice Rink
Ottawa’s 4.85-mile Rideau Canal Skateway, the largest ice skating rink in the world, has just opened. Every winter from January to early March, the gigantic rink on the Rideau Canal - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - is transformed into a commuter’s dream connecting suburbs to the downtown area of Canada’s capital city, EcoWatch reports. The famous skating rink first opened 53 years ago.
Today's Stat
Today, the U.S. has close to 170,000 public EV chargers and nearly 900 new chargers are coming online per week, says US Department of Energy.
World Doubles No. 1
It's been a good week for one particular veteran tennis player, after India's 43-year-old Rohan Bopanna became the oldest man to reach the No. 1 doubles ranking. He has credited yoga for his fitness on the tennis court.
UK Energy Milestone
The amount of electricity generated from fossil fuels in the UK fell 22 percent year-on-year in 2023, to the lowest level since 1957. That’s according to analysis by Carbon Brief, which said the “decline has been caused by the rapid expansion of renewable energy, up six-fold since 2008”. Low-carbon sources made up 56 percent of the total, of which renewables were 43 percent and nuclear 13 percent. It’s good news but there’s more to be done if the UK is to achieve a fully decarbonised grid by 2035.
Pliny the Elder’s Villa?
Just outside Naples, the Commune of Bacoli was hoping to build a children’s playground, but the kids will have to wait a while because preliminary surveys uncovered a Roman villa on the same spot. 2,000 years ago, the villa would have sat on a cliffside and commanded panoramic views of the Gulf of Naples, and archaeologists excavating the ruins believe it could have been a grand villa belonging to Pliny the Elder. “We think (the excavation of) deeper layers could reveal more rooms and even frescoes - potentially also precious findings,” Simona Formola, lead archaeologist at Naples’ art heritage, told CNN. Time will tell...
Crucial Treaty
The Chilean Senate unanimously voted to ratify the UN High Seas (Global Ocean) Treaty this past week, becoming the first country to do so. Regarded by some as the most significant multilateral environmental deal since the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, this treaty plays a crucial role in achieving the internationally agreed-upon target of protecting thirty percent of the world’s oceans by 2030 (the 30x30 pledge). Currently, only 1.2 percent og the high seas are officially protected. The UN Secretary-General called it “a victory… for global efforts to counter the destructive trends facing ocean health now and for generations to come.” Although 84 countries signed the Treaty in 2023, it will only enter into force if ratified by at least 60 countries.
"Hope is a good breakfast, but it is a bad supper." Francis Bacon
On This Day
26 January 1988: Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, a musical version of Gaston Leroux's melodramatic novel, opened in New York City and went on to become the longest-running show in Broadway history.
1986 Olympic winner's medal, which was actually silver, just fetched $112,000 at auction. Athens...
If you don't use a hearing aid but should, you may want to reconsider, for at least two good reasons. New study...
Amazing images from the Bird Photographer of the Year contest in 2023. Snap happy...
Mood Booster
Huge whale wants to play with this woman on a paddle board.
