Highlighting Good Things Happening Globally

[Jules]

Jamala, thanks again for the info to reach that article. It’s some hope for the future.

 

[Jamala]

Revolutionary Device Turns Touch into Music, Transforming Lives of those with Dementia and Disabilities.

Have a look here….

https://engineeringexploration.com/revolutionary-device-turns-touch-into-music-transform

 

[Sunny]

What a nice thread! Reading the newspaper, I often think, "Doesn't anything good ever happen in the world?" This is very welcome.

 

[Jamala]

What a nice thread! Reading the newspaper, I often think, "Doesn't anything good ever happen in the world?" This is very welcome.

Thank you Sunny ... it's not all bad out there

 

[Jamala]

Ulladulla community praised for ‘amazing’ free food pantry.

Yes… that’s a real name! A small Aussie community has been praised for its “amazing” initiative that’s helped to make sure all residents have enough to eat.

The community of Ulladulla, a costal town 230 kilometres south of Sydney, has rallied around its Little Free Food Pantry, a small outdoor cupboard that’s stocked with basic grocery staples including eggs, bread and fresh produce.
Written across the top of the pantry is the touching motto:
“Take what you need, give what you can.”

If all communities did the same… could we end hunger?

 

[Jamala]

New type of star gives clues to mysterious origin of magnetars.

The finding marks the discovery of a new type of astronomical object – massive magnetic helium stars.

A new type of star is shedding light on the mysterious origin of magnetars – the strongest magnets in the universe.

Magnetars are super-dense dead stars with ultra-strong magnetic fields, and can be found all over the Milky Way.

Although astronomers do not know exactly how they form, using multiple telescopes around the world, including European Southern Observatory (ESO) facilities, researchers have uncovered a living star that is likely to become a magnetar.

The finding marks the discovery of a new type of astronomical object – massive magnetic helium stars – and sheds light on the origin of magnetars.

 

[Paco Dennis]

Commercial Cargo Ship is Crossing Ocean Using ‘Wind Wings’ Like High-Tech Sails​

It seems a bit silly, but merchant shipping which long ago ditched its sails for internal combustion is now switching back, but not to any sail you’ve ever seen.

Called WindWings, the large wing sails measure around 100 feet (37 meters) in height and can be added to the deck of commercial vessels.

Pyxis Ocean, chartered by US global food corporation Cargill, is the first vessel to be retrofitted with two WindWings.


Produced by industrialization partner Yara Marine Technologies, they are expected to generate average fuel savings of up to 30% on new vessels, which could be even higher if used in combination with alternative fuels.

Pyxis Ocean is now on the water, conducting her maiden voyage with the WindWings having recently launched in China.


“At Cargill we have a responsibility to pioneer decarbonizing solutions across all our supply chains to meet our customer’s needs and the needs of the planet,” Jan Dieleman, President of Cargill’s Ocean Transportation business, said in a statement.

“A technology like WindWings doesn’t come without risk, and as an industry leader—in partnership with visionary shipowner Mitsubishi Corporation—we are not afraid to invest, take those risks, and be transparent with our learnings to help our partners in maritime [sic] transition to a more sustainable future.”

The WindWings project, which is co-funded by the European Union is a retrofit solution that is capable of semi-decarbonizing existing vessels. Over half of the world’s merchant shipping vessels are over 9 years old, so extensive retrofitting is a must.


The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set ambitious goals for carbon emissions reduction from the use of diesel fuel on vessels. They hope to lower CO2/equivalents by 70% by 2050 compared to a 2008 baseline.

GREEN SHIPPING NEWS: The First Cargo Ship Running on Green Methanol Weighs Anchor Amidst Merchant Shipping Decarbonization

The performance of the WindWings will be closely monitored over the coming months to further improve their design, operation, and performance, with the aim that the Pyxis Ocean will be used to inform the adoption process across not only Cargill’s fleet but the industry.

According to a Cargill release, on an average global route, WindWings can save 1.5 tonnes of fuel per WindWing per day—with the possibility of saving more on trans-ocean routes.
WATCH the WingWings go below…

Commercial Cargo Ship is Crossing Ocean Using ‘Wind Wings’ Like High-Tech Sails

 

[Jamala]

Commercial Cargo Ship is Crossing Ocean Using ‘Wind Wings’ Like High-Tech Sails​

It seems a bit silly, but merchant shipping which long ago ditched its sails for internal combustion is now switching back, but not to any sail you’ve ever seen.

Called WindWings, the large wing sails measure around 100 feet (37 meters) in height and can be added to the deck of commercial vessels.

Pyxis Ocean, chartered by US global food corporation Cargill, is the first vessel to be retrofitted with two WindWings.


Produced by industrialization partner Yara Marine Technologies, they are expected to generate average fuel savings of up to 30% on new vessels, which could be even higher if used in combination with alternative fuels.

Pyxis Ocean is now on the water, conducting her maiden voyage with the WindWings having recently launched in China.


“At Cargill we have a responsibility to pioneer decarbonizing solutions across all our supply chains to meet our customer’s needs and the needs of the planet,” Jan Dieleman, President of Cargill’s Ocean Transportation business, said in a statement.

“A technology like WindWings doesn’t come without risk, and as an industry leader—in partnership with visionary shipowner Mitsubishi Corporation—we are not afraid to invest, take those risks, and be transparent with our learnings to help our partners in maritime [sic] transition to a more sustainable future.”

The WindWings project, which is co-funded by the European Union is a retrofit solution that is capable of semi-decarbonizing existing vessels. Over half of the world’s merchant shipping vessels are over 9 years old, so extensive retrofitting is a must.


The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set ambitious goals for carbon emissions reduction from the use of diesel fuel on vessels. They hope to lower CO2/equivalents by 70% by 2050 compared to a 2008 baseline.

GREEN SHIPPING NEWS: The First Cargo Ship Running on Green Methanol Weighs Anchor Amidst Merchant Shipping Decarbonization

The performance of the WindWings will be closely monitored over the coming months to further improve their design, operation, and performance, with the aim that the Pyxis Ocean will be used to inform the adoption process across not only Cargill’s fleet but the industry.

According to a Cargill release, on an average global route, WindWings can save 1.5 tonnes of fuel per WindWing per day—with the possibility of saving more on trans-ocean routes.
WATCH the WingWings go below…

Commercial Cargo Ship is Crossing Ocean Using ‘Wind Wings’ Like High-Tech Sails

Great innovation Paco Dennis... thanks for posting!

 

[seadoug]

Here's a great story from Maui that makes one believe that there is still goodness and caring in the world.

After the fires on Maui, one home shelters 87 people​

https://www.npr.org/sections/pictur...the-fires-on-maui-one-home-shelters-87-people

 

[Paco Dennis]

Ospreys Breed in Ireland for the First Time in More Than 200 Years​

Welcoming the news of breeding Osprey in Northern Ireland
For decades, people have marvelled at the spectacle of Ospreys splashing into wild waters in Scotland and travelled there to see the spectacle. Conservationists, across all parts of the Island, have erected artificial nest platforms, in the hope passing migratory Ospreys might settle here again. Now at last, the Ospreys have returned by themselves and restored another lost icon of the Irish landscape.
The history of the Osprey, across Western Europe, over the last 300 years, is a sorry tale. Nest, after nest were destroyed and birds shot with increasing ease, as firearms became more effective. Numerous countries have records of declining populations, prior to extinction.
The news that Ospreys, have nested in the Lakelands of Fermanagh, this year and fledged young is such a beacon of hope for Irish wildlife. The Ulster Wildlife Trust team are to be warmly congratulated for their measured response – putting the welfare of this bedrock pair, before any other consideration.
The information about the dwindling Irish population, identified several nest sites across various counties. The last recorded Osprey nesting attempt seems to be on the ruins of McDermott’s Castle, on an islet in Lough Key, County Roscommon, by Beranger, in 1779 (see Lost Irish Birds, Gordon D’Arcy).
The old Gaelic name for Osprey was “Iascaire Coirneach”, signifying “Tonsured Fisherman”, possibly related to its obvious black eye-band demarcating its white crown. There is plenty of evidence that the Ospreys often hunted over the fishponds of monastic settlements and thereby would have been linked to the tonsured monks, of that era.
The slow westward spread of the European Osprey population, since its low point in the early 20th century, is testament to the conservation reality; where there is human tolerance – wildlife can co-exist with human settlements.
Hopefully, this pair of Lakeland Fermanagh Ospreys, will now be the fulcrum for a gradual natural recolonisation of the Northwest, with a myriad of suitable and potential Osprey lakes and rivers, nearby.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=688254406680641&id=100064882620197

 

[Jamala]

Here's a great story from Maui that makes one believe that there is still goodness and caring in the world.

After the fires on Maui, one home shelters 87 people​

https://www.npr.org/sections/pictur...the-fires-on-maui-one-home-shelters-87-people

I truly believe there are more kind people in the world than unkind.

 

[Jamala]

Ospreys Breed in Ireland for the First Time in More Than 200 Years​

Welcoming the news of breeding Osprey in Northern Ireland
For decades, people have marvelled at the spectacle of Ospreys splashing into wild waters in Scotland and travelled there to see the spectacle. Conservationists, across all parts of the Island, have erected artificial nest platforms, in the hope passing migratory Ospreys might settle here again. Now at last, the Ospreys have returned by themselves and restored another lost icon of the Irish landscape.
The history of the Osprey, across Western Europe, over the last 300 years, is a sorry tale. Nest, after nest were destroyed and birds shot with increasing ease, as firearms became more effective. Numerous countries have records of declining populations, prior to extinction.
The news that Ospreys, have nested in the Lakelands of Fermanagh, this year and fledged young is such a beacon of hope for Irish wildlife. The Ulster Wildlife Trust team are to be warmly congratulated for their measured response – putting the welfare of this bedrock pair, before any other consideration.
The information about the dwindling Irish population, identified several nest sites across various counties. The last recorded Osprey nesting attempt seems to be on the ruins of McDermott’s Castle, on an islet in Lough Key, County Roscommon, by Beranger, in 1779 (see Lost Irish Birds, Gordon D’Arcy).
The old Gaelic name for Osprey was “Iascaire Coirneach”, signifying “Tonsured Fisherman”, possibly related to its obvious black eye-band demarcating its white crown. There is plenty of evidence that the Ospreys often hunted over the fishponds of monastic settlements and thereby would have been linked to the tonsured monks, of that era.
The slow westward spread of the European Osprey population, since its low point in the early 20th century, is testament to the conservation reality; where there is human tolerance – wildlife can co-exist with human settlements.
Hopefully, this pair of Lakeland Fermanagh Ospreys, will now be the fulcrum for a gradual natural recolonisation of the Northwest, with a myriad of suitable and potential Osprey lakes and rivers, nearby.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=688254406680641&id=100064882620197

That is so special...magnificent birds!

 

[JBR]

Commercial Cargo Ship is Crossing Ocean Using ‘Wind Wings’ Like High-Tech Sails​

It seems a bit silly, but merchant shipping which long ago ditched its sails for internal combustion is now switching back, but not to any sail you’ve ever seen.

Called WindWings, the large wing sails measure around 100 feet (37 meters) in height and can be added to the deck of commercial vessels.

Pyxis Ocean, chartered by US global food corporation Cargill, is the first vessel to be retrofitted with two WindWings.

Produced by industrialization partner Yara Marine Technologies, they are expected to generate average fuel savings of up to 30% on new vessels, which could be even higher if used in combination with alternative fuels.

Pyxis Ocean is now on the water, conducting her maiden voyage with the WindWings having recently launched in China.

“At Cargill we have a responsibility to pioneer decarbonizing solutions across all our supply chains to meet our customer’s needs and the needs of the planet,” Jan Dieleman, President of Cargill’s Ocean Transportation business, said in a statement.

“A technology like WindWings doesn’t come without risk, and as an industry leader—in partnership with visionary shipowner Mitsubishi Corporation—we are not afraid to invest, take those risks, and be transparent with our learnings to help our partners in maritime [sic] transition to a more sustainable future.”

The WindWings project, which is co-funded by the European Union is a retrofit solution that is capable of semi-decarbonizing existing vessels. Over half of the world’s merchant shipping vessels are over 9 years old, so extensive retrofitting is a must.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set ambitious goals for carbon emissions reduction from the use of diesel fuel on vessels. They hope to lower CO2/equivalents by 70% by 2050 compared to a 2008 baseline.

Thanks for posting. Doesn't seem a bit silly to me. I read about this concept more than a decade ago... I guess it was theoretical at that time. I'm pleased to learn it's going ahead, and I hope it works out (on balance) to be practical with widespread adoption.

 

[RobinWren]

Meet Hertfordshire’s "longest-serving fire investigation dog." This lovable chap has put his paws up and retired.
Reqs, a black 11-year-old, Labrador, has worked for Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service since joining in 2012.

Nikki Harvey, his handler, told BBC Breakfast Show, he was "an amazing search dog" and was preparing for his new life as her pet.
During his years of service he attended about 500 incidents.

Paws up time for 'longest-serving' Hertfordshire fire dog

I love these stories, it makes me so happy that he will have a happy retirement with his handler.

 

[Paco Dennis]

Dakota tribe reclaim its native land back from the government after 160 years in joyous feat​

CGTN America

@cgtnamerica

The U.S. state of Minnesota is taking the rare step of giving parkland back to an Indian tribe whose members were buried there more than a century ago.The Upper Sioux Agency State Park includes the ruins of a federal facility that was destroyed during a war between U.S. troops and the Dakota tribe in 1862.The war led to the largest mass hanging in U.S. history: 38 Dakota men were executed for their alleged roles in the conflict.Now, after an 18-year campaign, their descendants are getting the land back.Tribes have won the return of ancestral lands in the past. The U.S. has never given a national park back, but some are co-managed with tribes.#Minnesota #DakotaWar #UpperSiouxAgency #LandBack

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1698460040804405668

Full Story

Dakota tribe reclaim its native land back from the government after 160 years in joyous feat.

 

[Paco Dennis]

Court decriminalises abortion across Mexico​

The new ruling has been welcomed by women's groups in Mexico

Mexico's supreme court has decriminalised abortion nationwide.
The judgement comes two years after the court ruled in favour of a challenge to the existing law in the northern state of Coahuila. It had ruled that criminal penalties for terminating pregnancies were unconstitutional.
Mexico's states and the federal government had since been slow to repeal penal codes.
The new ruling legalises abortion across all 32 states.
The supreme court said the denial of the possibility of a termination violated the human rights of women.
"In cases of rape, no girl can be forced to become a mother - neither by the state nor by her parents nor her guardians," said the head of the supreme court, Arturo Zaldívar.

"Here, the violation of her rights is more serious, not only because of her status as a victim, but also because of her age, which makes it necessary to analyse the issue from the perspective of the best interests of minors."
The judgement opens the door for the federal healthcare system to provide abortions. It has been welcomed by women's rights groups.
Mexico City was the first of the country's states to decriminalise abortion in 2007 and a dozen others followed suit.
But in addition to a lack of facilities to carry out the procedure, "many women don't know that they have this right because local governments have not carried out publicity campaigns about it", women's rights activist Sara Lovera told AFP news agency.
"That's why today's decision of the Supreme Court is important."
The new ruling is likely to anger Mexico's more conservative politicians and the Catholic Church, in what is Latin America's second largest Catholic nation.

However, the Church's influence has been declining in recent years and the country's government considers itself staunchly secular.
Latin America has seen a trend towards loosening abortion restrictions that has been referred to as a "green wave".
Elective abortion is legal in Colombia, Cuba, Uruguay and Argentina though the frontrunner in the campaign for Argentina's presidential election in October, Javier Milei, wants to ban the procedure.
Some countries allow abortions in circumstances such as rape or health risks, while outright bans apply in El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
The reforms in Mexico and other Latin American countries contrast with the situation in the United States, where a Supreme Court ruling last year overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision guaranteeing the right to abortion nationwide.

Court decriminalises abortion across Mexico

 

[Jamala]

A name for the spotless giraffe born at Tennessee Zoo. She will be called Kipekee, which means "unique" in Swahili. She is certainly unique and beautiful and in her honour I am posting this song called Malaika which means “angel” in Swahili. Sung by Harry Belafonte and Miriam Makeba.
Stunning artwork by Frank Morris.

Malaika is a Swahili song written by Tanzanian musician Adam Salim in 1945. The song is possibly the most famous of all Swahili love songs in the entire East Africa, as well as being one of the most widely known of all Swahili songs in the world. Malaika means "angel" in Swahili and the word has always been used by the Swahili people to refer to a beautiful girl.

 

[Jamala]

He’d had enough of being at the animal shelter, so Scout the dog climbed over one tall fence and then another, crossed a busy highway in the darkness, entered the automatic doors of a nursing home down the road, walked unnoticed into the lobby, hopped onto a couch, curled into a ball and quietly went to sleep for the night.

An astonished nurse there found him the next morning. She called Antrim County Animal Control, whose shelter happens to be just down the road. And they discovered that he'd escaped from there the night before.

Scout was a stray mutt. He had no identity, no history. The shelter staff gave him his new name, but otherwise they knew nothing about him, though they noticed he had the distinct demeanor of an abused dog. Somebody apparently once shot him too, with BBs or birdshot, because his jowl still had some kind of round pellets embedded in it. You couldn’t see them, but you could feel them if he let you touch him.

The sheriff came and took him back to the shelter.
But a few nights later, there was Scout, back on that same couch in the nursing home lobby. Somehow he again scaled a 10-foot chain-link fence, then a 6-foot solid privacy fence, crossed a highway without getting run over, entered the front door unnoticed, jumped onto the same couch as before and made himself at home for the night.
I love this story… read more about Scout here:

Dog sneaks out of shelter to visit nursing home

 

[Jamala]

Harry following in Diana’s footsteps… at the Invictus Games 2023 Opening Ceremony in Düsseldorf.

Very proud of you Harry…your eloquence, your heart warming speech… keep up the good work and continue to shine like your Mother (RIP)

 

[Rose65]

Thankyou. I need this kind of discussion to help me. I get so very anxious and it has affected my health.
It is good to focus on the many good things and good people in our world.

 

[Jamala]

Thankyou. I need this kind of discussion to help me. I get so very anxious and it has affected my health.
It is good to focus on the many good things and good people in our world.

Yes, of course I agree and you are very welome!

 

[Jamala]

The Power of Good…. ​

Chances are, you have never heard of our 'British Schindler’.
This is the story of Sir Nicholas Winton … a young Englishman
who, in the months leading up to World War II, rescued 669 children from the Nazis.
Nicholas visited Prague in December 1938 and found families who had fled the rise of the Nazis in Germany and Austria, living in desperate conditions with little or no shelter and food, and under threat of Nazi invasion. He immediately realised it was a race against time.

A film (One Life) depicting Sir Nicholas's life had its world premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2023, and its European premiere at the London Film Festival will be on October 2023.

The film will be released in the United Kingdom on January 5, 2024 by Warner Bros. Pictures and stars Anthony Hopkins as Nicholas Winton.
Here is a trailer from the film:

This is such a joyful story… shows what a difference one person can make. There just needs to be one person to say… ‘I cannot stand by and watch’…and others will follow.

We can all do a little bit in life to ease the burden of another human being… for there is always someone worse off than us.
We are all a Power of One.

 

[Paco Dennis]

Inspired Youth Pulls 2.6 Million Pounds of Trash from Indonesian Rivers​

Sungai Watch staff clearing plastic trash gathered from river barriers.

In Indonesia, the worsening plastic pollution crisis has led young Sam Benchegjib to start Sungai Watch – an environmental organization dedicated to keeping Indonesia’s waterways clean by installing river barriers to prevent plastic and other trash from entering the ocean.

An average of 2,000 kilograms (4,400 pounds) of plastic waste per week can leak into the ocean from just a single village. Proper management of plastic waste is lacking in coastal communities in the country, the No. 2 contributor to the ocean plastic crisis, pushing the government to vow $1 billion to cut 70% of its marine plastic waste by 2025.

With his two siblings, Benchegjib started Sungai Watch, in October 2020. They experienced many setbacks throughout the almost three years of building Sungai Watch, from the technology and equipment used in their barriers to staff shortages to learning how to scale the project. He says they’re still learning new things every day and continually improving our processes.


Sungai Watch has successfully cleaned several of Indonesia’s most polluted rivers and revived mangrove ecosystems that have been damaged because of plastic pollution, using a system similar to litter booms. So far, over 1.2 million kilograms (over 2.6 million pounds) of plastic waste has been collected from river systems and bodies of water.

“I grew up in Indonesia and saw that plastic pollution was getting worse and worse throughout the years,” Benchegjib said.


“I think that’s the beauty of being an entrepreneur and fighting an issue like plastic pollution, where new challenges and variables are always presented to you,” he said. “This has been a true-life school for us.”

Despite these challenges, they have removed over 1.2 million kg (over 2.6 million pounds) of plastic from Indonesia’s rivers, installed 180 trash barriers throughout Indonesia’s most polluted rivers, and have grown from a team of 3 siblings to 100 people full-time staff helping the mission to clean rivers.

“Some of our success stories include seeing fish populations return to what were once extremely polluted waterways, reviving mangrove forests after removing layers and layers of plastic, which were suffocating mangrove trees,” Benchegjib says.


MORE PLASTIC POLLUTION HEROES: The Guys Who Sell Ocean Plastic Bracelets Just Reached 30 Million Pounds of Waste Pulled From Seas

In certain rivers, they had to remove their barriers as they were no longer useful due to the lack of plastic pollution after working upstream with communities on education and raising awareness about properly managing waste at the household level.

Inspired Youth Pulls 2.6 Million Pounds of Trash from Indonesian Rivers

 

[Jamala]

Inspired Youth Pulls 2.6 Million Pounds of Trash from Indonesian Rivers​

Sungai Watch staff clearing plastic trash gathered from river barriers.

In Indonesia, the worsening plastic pollution crisis has led young Sam Benchegjib to start Sungai Watch – an environmental organization dedicated to keeping Indonesia’s waterways clean by installing river barriers to prevent plastic and other trash from entering the ocean.

An average of 2,000 kilograms (4,400 pounds) of plastic waste per week can leak into the ocean from just a single village. Proper management of plastic waste is lacking in coastal communities in the country, the No. 2 contributor to the ocean plastic crisis, pushing the government to vow $1 billion to cut 70% of its marine plastic waste by 2025.

With his two siblings, Benchegjib started Sungai Watch, in October 2020. They experienced many setbacks throughout the almost three years of building Sungai Watch, from the technology and equipment used in their barriers to staff shortages to learning how to scale the project. He says they’re still learning new things every day and continually improving our processes.


Sungai Watch has successfully cleaned several of Indonesia’s most polluted rivers and revived mangrove ecosystems that have been damaged because of plastic pollution, using a system similar to litter booms. So far, over 1.2 million kilograms (over 2.6 million pounds) of plastic waste has been collected from river systems and bodies of water.

“I grew up in Indonesia and saw that plastic pollution was getting worse and worse throughout the years,” Benchegjib said.


“I think that’s the beauty of being an entrepreneur and fighting an issue like plastic pollution, where new challenges and variables are always presented to you,” he said. “This has been a true-life school for us.”

Despite these challenges, they have removed over 1.2 million kg (over 2.6 million pounds) of plastic from Indonesia’s rivers, installed 180 trash barriers throughout Indonesia’s most polluted rivers, and have grown from a team of 3 siblings to 100 people full-time staff helping the mission to clean rivers.

“Some of our success stories include seeing fish populations return to what were once extremely polluted waterways, reviving mangrove forests after removing layers and layers of plastic, which were suffocating mangrove trees,” Benchegjib says.


MORE PLASTIC POLLUTION HEROES: The Guys Who Sell Ocean Plastic Bracelets Just Reached 30 Million Pounds of Waste Pulled From Seas

In certain rivers, they had to remove their barriers as they were no longer useful due to the lack of plastic pollution after working upstream with communities on education and raising awareness about properly managing waste at the household level.

Inspired Youth Pulls 2.6 Million Pounds of Trash from Indonesian Rivers

Wonderful... great to know there are such great young people!

 

[palides2021]

My heart! It might seem a small thing but knowing that there are people who still helps even without exchange makes me believe that the world is still filled with good people. And if you can't find one, be one.

Thank you! Yes, the world is still filled with good people! Welcome @itsnotdavid to SF!