Tasty selection of bite sized chunks of positive news.
UFO?
A rare cloud formation resembling a UFO was spotted floating over Bursa, Turkey. According to reports, the almost circular cloud, known as a lenticular cloud, remained intact for about an hour. It appeared at sunrise and featured a large hole in the middle. Several people captured the rare phenomena on their phones and, of course, the images were widely shared on social media, including this one that was tweeted by @ByronJWalker.
Teeming With Life
Proof that legislation powers conservation, New York harbour is teeming with life thanks to a landmark act by US Congress 50 years ago. The Clean Water Act helped transform the harbour from an open sewer into a functional ecosystem, with a resurgence in wild oysters, alewife, Atlantic salmon, whales and marine borers, and attracting bald eagles, ospreys, and herons back to the shoreline. Better yet, dolphins have just been spotted frolicking in New York City’s Bronx River, an encouraging sign of the improving health of a waterway that was for many years befouled as a sewer for industrial waste. “It’s true - dolphins were spotted in the Bronx River!” the parks department gleefully tweeted. “This is great news - it shows that the decades-long effort to restore the river as a healthy habitat is working. We believe these dolphins naturally found their way to the river in search of fish.”
US State Agencies Upping the Funny Factor: Wildlife departments in Washington and Oklahoma have led the way as government officials find a new voice on social media. Read on...
Box Office
Avatar: The Way of Water is continuing its march through the upper reaches of the all-time takings charts as it becomes the sixth film to break the $2bn mark in worldwide box-office receipts. According to Deadline, the Avatar sequel directed by James Cameron reached a total of $2.024bn on Sunday, and predicts that it will climb to the No 4 spot later this week. This will mean Cameron will have directed three of the top four films of all time, with the first Avatar film at No 1 with $2.9bn, and Titanic at No 3 with $2.2bn. Only Avengers: Endgame, at No 2 with $2.8bn, interrupts the sequence.
British Electricity
According to National Grid, the UK’s electricity system operator, wind generation in January is regularly accounting for more than 50 percent of British electricity – while gas is struggling to get out of the single-digit realm. January is always a historic moment for UK renewable energy generation, and regularly serves to highlight the successes of the year just finished – just as spring does the same in Australia. Zero carbon sources in the UK are not only setting records in January, as zero carbon electricity sources provided over 50 percent of electricity in February, May, October, November and December in 2022.
Siemens Celebrating
Over the next 11 years, Siemens will deliver 1,200 electric locomotives to Indian Railways. The new locomotives are part of Indian Railways commitment to achieve 100 percent electrification of rail traffic in India. With a network of 68,000 km (42,250 miles), Indian Railways are one of the largest in the world, and India plans to become the world's largest green railway by 2030. In addition to delivering the electric locomotives, Siemens will also provide 35 years of maintenance. The locomotives will be produced and maintained locally, involving Indian Railways personnel.
“When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” Leonardo DaVinci
On this Day
25 January 1961: The animated film One Hundred and One Dalmatians was released in the United States. It became a Disney classic, especially noted for the villainous character Cruella De Vil.
Revolutionary device helps propel cargo ships across the Atlantic, reducing transport costs and emissions. Read on...
Blood Cholesterol: It’s one of the leading causes of heart disease, so help stabilise yours with these simple tweaks to your diet. Top Tips...
Mood Booster
People Versus Icy Driveways: There's only ever going to be one winner!