Good News Notes: “Memorial Day came a little bit early this year for Marty Weber and Jeff Poissant. On Thursday, with his congressman and several others looking on, Weber signed a letter of intent to donate 36 acres of wooded property in Barnegat Township for use as a group home, rehabilitation facility and quiet retreat…
Tag: Germany
Plastic pollution: Chinese scientists identify polythene-eating bacteria
Good News Notes: “Chinese scientists say they have identified a blend of marine bacteria that appears capable of breaking down polythene, one of the most ubiquitous plastics on the planet and source of much of the pollution in the world’s oceans. While the plastic-eating qualities of bacteria are already well known to the scientific community,…
We found methane-eating bacteria living in a common Australian tree. It could be a game changer for curbing greenhouse gases
Good News Notes: “Trees are the Earth’s lungs – it’s well understood they drawdown and lock up vast amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. But emerging research is showing trees can also emit methane, and it’s currently unknown just how much. This could be a major problem, given methane is a greenhouse gas about…
Main Volkswagen brand speeds up shift to electric
Good News Notes: “Volkswagen wants electric vehicles to make up the majority of European sales for its core brand by 2030, it said on Friday, the latest carmaker to accelerate the shift towards battery-powered models. Fully electric vehicles are expected to account for more than 70% of its total European vehicle sales by 2030, compared…
Germany exports 33 pct less plastic waste in 2020 than ten years ago
Good News Notes: “Germany exported around one million tons of plastic waste to other countries and regions in 2020, a decline by 33 percent compared with ten years ago, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) said on Wednesday. With 17 percent, large parts of Germany’s plastic waste were exported to Malaysia, according to Destatis. Malaysia had…
Germany says it beat 2020 goal to cut greenhouse emissions
Good News Notes: “Germany’s economy minister says the country beat its target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 40% last year compared to 1990 levels. Peter Altmaier said figures show Germany’s emissions of planet-heating gases were 42% lower in 2020 than three decades ago, confounding warnings that the country couldn’t meet its goal. While the…
Global reforestation drive grows fast as governments grasp benefits
Good News Notes: “The world’s largest reforestation push, now almost a decade old, has beaten its 2020 target, as countries use their pledges to tackle national priorities including job creation, food security and climate change, researchers said on Wednesday. The Bonn Challenge – launched in 2011 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and…
This Photographer Is Working To Document Species Before They Go Extinct
Good News Notes: “Joel Sartore, a photographer based in Lincoln, Nebraska, has worked with National Geographic for over 30 years, and has led the Photo Ark for the past 15. The mission of the Photo Ark is to document the 15,000 species that are in captivity, many of which are on the edge of extinction. Sartore…
Random Acts of Kindness That’ll Give You Hope
Good News Notes: “Life as we know it has changed significantly as the novel coronavirus pandemic spreads across countries and continents around the world. From closed restaurants and bars to spending more time indoors, staying at home and away from friends and family has become a way of life. Thankfully, acts of kindness, no matter…
Scientists Discover New Bacteria that Feeds on Plastic
Good News Notes: “Researchers have identified a new bacterium that feeds on polyurethane, a kind of plastic that is difficult to recycle or destroy. Scientists say the discovery could help reduce a flood of hard-to-recycle plastics that are ending up in the world’s landfills and polluting oceans. A team from the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research in…