Some tasty bite-sized chunks of positive news from around the globe.
Problem Solver
A British-Ghanaian businesswoman is on a quest to woo Africa’s delivery drivers away from polluting petrol motorcycles, and towards ebikes. Valerie Labi is the founder of Wahu, producers of Ghana’s first electric bicycle, founded to combat unsustainable, unreliable and expensive transport in the country. During the Covid pandemic, Labi began buying secondhand pushbikes to convert into ebikes. Four years on, the company has launched a platform for delivery riders, opened an assembly plant in the country’s capital, Accra, and is about to close on an $8m investment round. Wahu plans to eventually produce 50,000 ebikes a year across Africa, making huge cuts to carbon emissions. It’s good for drivers’ pockets, too: each bike costs just $13.60 a month to power, compared with $250 for a petrol vehicle. “If I see a problem and I think it can be solved, I follow that thread,” says Labi.
Remarkable Difference Between Electric 2 And 4 Wheels: While electric vehicles are the future of the car industry, the best way to reduce pollution and ensure the health of our planet may be to look beyond cars entirely.
One of The Rarest
England's Chester Zoo has celebrated the birth of what it said was one of the rarest animals on earth. The zoo said the Persian onager was born to mum Azita after a year-long pregnancy and the foal was named Jasper, whose Persian meaning relates to treasure. Onagers hail from the semi-desert regions of Iran, and are related to domestic donkeys. Conservationists at the zoo said there are less than 600 surviving wild onagers, but the birth "of the leggy youngster" could help safeguard the species from extinction.
Heart Attack Detection
Technology that identifies people at risk of a heart attack in the next 10 years has been hailed as "game changing" by scientists. The artificial intelligence (AI) model detects inflammation in the heart that does not show up on CT scans, which involve a combination of X-rays and computer technology. A pilot project, supported by NHS England, is running at five hospital trusts around the country. A decision on its use within the NHS is expected within months.
China's Pivotal Moment
In what is being hailed as a “pivotal moment” and a “historic first”, the accumulated capacity of wind and solar projects in China has overtaken coal for the first time, and solar capacity alone is predicted to overtake coal within two years. Rystad Energy says it has analyzed the latest data from China’s National Energy Administration and says the additions of wind and solar have outstripped coal in China by a factor of 16 in the first half of 2024.
China Renewables: The amount of wind and solar power under construction in China is now nearly twice as much as the rest of the world combined.
Upcycled Tents
Music festivals are known for good bands and good vibes. But one of the more unfortunate aspects of the events is that a quarter of a million tents are abandoned by festival-goers each summer in the U.K. alone, and most go straight to the landfill. “No good can come of you leaving your tent,” says Lauren Mason, the co-founder of Retribe, a small business in England that upcycles abandoned tents into clothes and accessories. She explained that there’s a common misconception that tents are cleaned up or donated to charity; her hope is to help get the word out so “people stop doing this.” In the meantime, the company incorporates tent trimmings into its designs.
Good News From Brazil
A newly published report from the United Nations showed that severe food insecurity dropped significantly in Brazil last year. In total, 2.5 million people went hungry in the country in 2023, down from 17.2 million in 2022 - an 85 percent decline, and a remarkable 14.7 million fewer people facing food insecurity. As of last year, 1.2 percent of the population faces food insecurity, down from 8 percent in 2022.
“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” Milton Berle
On This Day
8 August 2011: Tibetan scholar Lobsang Sangay was inaugurated as prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile, becoming the first non-monk and the first person born outside Tibet to hold the position.
Today's Articles
Preventing Dementia: There is more hope than “ever before” that nearly half of cases could be prevented or delayed, experts say.
Noggin Plug-In: Wide-brimmed floppy sun hat full of solar cells that you can charge your phone with.
Seal's Mystery Ability: These fur seals, once thought extinct, can ingest toxic metal without ill effects - though no one knows how.
Mood Boosting Video
Do You Speak English? Hilarious comedy sketch on life of an English speaking tourist in France.