Eclectic bundle of uplifting news nuggets to perk up the day.
Tsunami Cloud
The good news, of course, is that this is not a giant wave about to engulf the residents of this Michigan suburb. It's called a roll cloud - a low, horizontal, tube-shaped, and relatively rare type of arcus cloud - "rolling" on a horizontal axis. It's not attached to its parent thunderstorm, but is associated with a gust front or outflow boundary out ahead of the thunderstorm. These clouds form when warm, moist air is lifted by rain-cooled air moving underneath it, caused by the storm's downdraft or gust front. When the warm, moist air is lifted it condenses and forms the cloud. "I saw clouds like this once, while driving. Came around a bend and slammed on my brakes (like everyone else) because it legitimately looked like a huge wave was about to crash down on us. It was incredible. Really beautiful after I understood I wasn’t about to die." Want to see it in a video? Take a look.
China's Progress
Carbon Brief has a new report showing China’s carbon emissions fell by 1.4 percent in the first three months of 2022, making it the third quarter in a row of falling emissions. That's the longest emissions decline in China for a decade. Previous declines have been followed by rapid rebounds, but this time could be different because China is now building the equivalent of one coal plant of wind and solar every week, says Bloomberg. The country is on track to install 108GW of solar alone this year, almost double the 54 GW installed in 2021. Combined with 50GW of wind, that would generate the same amount of electricity as 52 coal plants.
Mood Booster
A group of barn owls living on a farm in North Yorkshire, England, have become global superstars thanks to a viral live stream of their antics. Millions of people have tuned in, from the US to the Netherlands. See the live stream. Why not open up a new tab on your device and enjoy taking a look at various points throughout the day?
Redamancy
Loving someone who loves you back; a love returned in full.
Raw Elements
If you’re looking for a sunscreen that’s good for you and the planet… try this reef-safe sunscreen that also comes in plastic-free packaging.
Bravo Toro
Mexico City has extended its ban on bullfighting indefinitely. The ruling is based on complaints that bullfights violated residents’ rights to a healthy environment free from violence, and could signal an end to almost 500 years of bullfighting in the country. According to historians, Spanish conqueror Hernán Cortés watched some of the first bullfights in the city in the 1520s, soon after his 1521 Conquest of the Aztec capital. Since 2013, four states in Mexico have already banned bull fights, and polls indicate substantial support for a ban.
Fossil-Free Steel
Volvo has become the world's first manufacturer to deliver a construction machine built using fossil-free steel to a customer. This articulated hauler has just been handed over - nine months after the company unveiled the world’s first vehicle concept using fossil-free steel. The vehicle was produced at Volvo’s facility in Sweden, using the existing manufacturing process, with fossil-free steel from Swedish steel company SSAB.
eQuads
UPS is on a mission to become carbon-neutral by 2050. So, as part of its plan, it's testing small, battery-powered cycles for drivers to use in busy cities. UPS is currently testing the electric vehicles, dubbed eQuads, on the bustling streets of London and New York City. “There are more and more opportunities for zero-emission solutions like this that can alleviate inner-city congestion,” says UPS. “It can also help our operations be more efficient at the same time.” The smaller vehicle takes up far less space than the average UPS truck, making it ideal for city streets. The cycles are also less likely to block traffic in already crowded city streets.
Quote of the Day
"Believe you can and you’re halfway there." Teddy Roosevelt
On this Day
23 June 930: World's oldest parliament, the Icelandic Parliament, the Alþingi (anglicised as Althing or Althingi), was established at Thingvellir (the "assembly fields").
Dive in Deeper
The Colombian navy has found the 'holy grail of shipwrecks', packed with gold, emeralds, swords and Chinese ceramics - all in pristine condition. Read on...
A new plant-based material can replace plastic food packaging for keeps. Could this be the end of evil plastic food wraps? Read on...
Comical Mood Booster
Meet the Not-Very-Scary-Shark Choir, hoping to sing to a glass bottomed boat full of drunken tourists.