Tuesday's Positive News
- Editor OGN Daily
- 9 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Selection of tasty bite-sized chunks of positive news to perk up the day.
Olympic Cauldrons
As the Olympic flame makes its way to Italy ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, a pair of Olympic cauldrons await its arrival on Thursday - one in the San Siro stadium in Milan and one in the Alpine resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo. “For the first time in history, the Cauldrons will be lit and extinguished in perfect synchrony, in two different cities, symbolizing a widespread edition of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games that brings territories and communities together.” The cauldrons’ sculptural form draws inspiration from the sun, a timeless symbol of energy, renewal, and vitality. They also reference Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic “Knot” patterns, which express harmony between nature and human ingenuity, as well as the artist’s historic connection to Milan.
Tax to Conservation
According to the Office of Management and Budget, only 18 percent of Americans believe that their tax dollars are being spent “the right way,” while 27 percent admitted that they don’t know how their money is being spent. But a new tax return option is now available for North Carolinians - one that lets them know exactly where that money is going. By checking a single box, taxpayers will be able to donate all or part of their tax refund to the N.C. Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Fund. They will join residents of California, Colorado, and Wisconsin as taxpayers who can directly fund conservation efforts that are matched by the federal government.
Puffin Counter
A beautiful, remote island off the coast of south-west Wales could be your new home - as long as you are happy to count puffins. Skomer Island is a seabird island off Pembrokeshire, managed by the Wildlife Trust. Successful applicants will get to spend several months there over spring, summer or autumn as part of conservation efforts. While the roles are unpaid, free accommodation and travel expenses to and from the island within the UK will be provided, plus a small bursary. Last year, a record number of 43,626 puffins were recorded on the island. Skomer is also home to 350,000 breeding pairs of Manx shearwaters and thousands of guillemots and razorbills.
Persistence Pays Off
The 2026 Games get underway this Friday and the Team USA roster reveals that, at 54, Rich Ruohonen - a curler and personal injury attorney from Minnesota - is the oldest American ever to make the Winter Olympics team. It has been a long wait as Ruohonen spent nearly two decades playing in Olympic trials to no avail. “I figured I’d get [to the Olympics] someday as a coach, maybe,” he told NBC. “But to get there, even if it is as an alternate, is just my dream.” His persistence finally paid off last month, when the U.S. men’s curling team secured its spot in Milano Cortina.
No or Low
A new survey from the British Beer and Pub Association shows that 86 percent of pubs across England now serve no- and low-alcohol beer. And as the demand grows, so does the market. Mainstream companies like Heineken and Guinness have offered up “zero point zero” alternatives to popular brews, and other breweries have devoted their entire line-up to non-alcoholic craft brews. Guinness 0.0 has experienced explosive growth in the UK, with recent data indicating it accounts for roughly 12 percent of the brand's net sales in Great Britain.
Guinness Surfer Advert: Considered by many to be one of the greatest TV commercials of all time. Released in 1999.
Aussies Cleaning Up
According to the Australian Energy Market Operator, the country's clean energy transition is going better than almost anyone realises. In the last quarter of 2025 renewables supplied a record 51 percent of the country’s electricity, with wind, solar and batteries each at all-time highs. The share of fossil gas is at its lowest since 2000, coal power is at its lowest level ever, emissions are down, and wholesale electricity prices have plunged by 44 percent. And, in case you were worried about the United States, the EIA says that 99 percent of new US capacity in 2026 will be solar, wind and storage.
Beyond The Grid
A hidden solar boom is reshaping Pakistan and Africa. Solar deployment in Pakistan and across Africa is far larger than official figures suggest. In Pakistan, imports of solar panels exceeding 50 GW imply far more than the 6.8 GW appearing in net-metering data. In Africa, official records show 23.4 GW operating, but Chinese export data suggests total capacity may exceed 63 GW. Most of this growth is residential and small-scale commercial, quietly transforming energy systems beyond the grid.
“When you train your eyes to see the magic and miracles in the little things, you open the door for your whole life to shift.” Carol Woodliff
On This Day
3 February 1863: Samuel Clemens first used the pen name Mark Twain while working as a reporter for the Territorial Enterprise in Virginia City, Nevada. He signed a humorous letter to the editor with this pseudonym to complain about a local party, marking the beginning of the famous moniker.
Today's Articles
More Mundane Use: CERN's Large Hadron Collider has started heating thousands of local homes sustainably.
This May Surprise You: If all the wealth was evenly distributed in the USA, how much would each person have?
Persian Empire: The key innovations from ancient Persia - 2,500 years ago - that shaped the modern world.
Mood Boosting Video
Official Trailer: After almost 20 years, they are all back together again for The Devil Wears Prada 2.
