Tuesday's Upbeat News
- Editor OGN Daily
- Apr 1
- 3 min read
What better way to start a new month than with some upbeat news?
Turbine Board
You can ride the waves, you can ride the wind, and now you can ride the waves on the wind - turbine, that is. Or at least, you could if you were one of the lucky few who got to test the world’s first surfboards made from a retired wind turbine blade. The boards are the result of a partnership between renewable energy and infrastructure company Acciona and Australian pro surfer Josh Kerr's brand Draft Surf, as part of an initiative exploring novel ways to transform decommissioned turbine blades into new products.
Gigil
There’s a new-to-us word that you might want to add to your lexicon: gigil (pronounced ghee-gill). It’s one of those words without an exact English equivalent, and it’s among a batch added to the Oxford English Dictionary. It essentially means to witness something overwhelmingly cute, but it’s more about the feeling than the subject of the cuteness. Originating from the Philippines’ Tagalog language, it might be the perfect word, for example, to describe the all-consuming swell of adoration you feel when you see your baby smiling with their whole face.
New World Record
Slovenia's Domen Prevc broke the men's ski jumping world record with a mark of 254.5 metres during the 2024-25 World Cup in Planica on Sunday. "I'm still shaking right now, really amazing," Prevc said after the jump in front of home fans in the Alpine valley in northwest Slovenia. "I feel like I'm reading a book, or watching a movie and seeing this character do it, so I can't quite believe it, but I felt I could do anything after the take off and it was just perfect."
Want to see what a 291 metre jump looks like? This is the absolute world record - but not achieved within the governing body’s competition conditions.
Wrongdoing Undone
Illinois has returned nearly 1,500 acres of stolen land to the state’s first federally recognized tribe. Correcting a “historic injustice,” the land once belonged to Chief Shab-eh-nay of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation but was seized 175 years ago and sold by the U.S. when the chief was visiting relatives. “This landmark legislation puts Illinois on the right side of history - fostering a partnership with Indigenous communities and returning what was wrongfully acquired,” said state Sen. Mark Walker.
Conservation Works
A new study finds that global conservation efforts are reliably bringing species back from the brink, reports Phys.org A major review of over 67,000 animal species by the University of Cambridge has found that targeted conservation measures like habitat protection, captive breeding and reintroductions are successfully restoring populations of endangered animals. We are facing an ecological crisis - but it is possible to do something about it. "We found that almost all the species that have moved from a more threatened category to a less threatened category have benefited from some sort of conservation measures," said lead author Ashley Simkins of Cambridge's Department of Zoology. "It's a strong signal that conservation works." Adding: "t's vital that we celebrate the success stories wherever and whenever we can. It's so hard for a species to improve its conservation status, but with the right effort, we can turn things around."
Good Progress
New Zealand's grid has reached 88 percent renewable electricity, driven entirely by economics, without government incentives. Planned projects are expected to double annual output capability and will be enough to replace all remaining thermal generation by 2040, says CleanTechnica. That’s right, with no government money necessary, New Zealand’s on track to achieve 100 percent renewable electricity by 2040. Meanwhile, a new Canadian emissions reduction report shows greenhouse gas emissions have fallen to their lowest level in 27 years, marking significant progress in the nation’s climate change efforts.
“I believe in action … I believe in doing rather than talking.” Josephine Baker
On This Day
1 April 1918: The United Kingdom's Royal Air Force was formed.
Today's Articles
New Qualification: After years of persuasion, the UK government is to put nature on the school curriculum.
Seamless System: Plans to link Europe by a huge new 'Starline' high-speed train network have been revealed.
Mood Boosting Video
Stepping Outside For The First Time: The journey from Ukraine to England's specially constructed Big Cat Sanctuary has been a year in the making for these lions.