TGI Friday! Today's positive news stories from around the globe.
France has passed a new climate law that President Macron hopes will burnish his green credentials. The 'climate and resilience' bill reflects proposals made by a 'climate convention' of 150 randomly chosen citizens, established in response to the 'yellow vest' protest movement. The bill aims to cut French carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2030 from 1990 levels. The Macron administration hopes it will convince voters that the French president’s pledge to “make our planet great again” was more than mere greenwashing. This is important as the state has recently been found guilty of ‘non-respect of its engagements’ aimed at fighting global warming by a Paris court.
Not so far from Paris: Zoe Duffin, a kind hearted student at England's York University, has started an Instagram account for this very unusual duck. It's over 1m tall and is believed to be a cross between a Mallard and an Indian Runner Duck. She says 'We did feel a bit sorry for him, as he didn't fit in with all the other ducks and was being shunned by them, he seemed quite lonely.' But the lofty bird can take comfort from the fact that he now has 25,000 followers and has even been endorsed by 6'7" footballer Peter Crouch who posted that Long Boi was 'my kind of duck'.
A professional yacht racer, annoyed by the constant sightings of floating mats of plastic garbage in coastal waters, has designed an ocean-cleaning sailboat that is powered by the waste it collects. The 56m (184 feet) Manta is the first offering from racer Yves Bourgnon’s SeaCleaners Project, and will be one of the largest waste-collecting vessels on the seas. The trash is fed into a processing machine where crewmen sort it before moving it into an incinerator that shreds and melts the plastic - and even uses the heat and gases - to power a turbine to create all the necessary the electric power.
If you've ever tried to get your dog to pose for a photo you'll know how difficult it can be. Let alone six, none of which belong to you. However, Boston dog walker - known as The Pied Dog Walker - doesn't seem to have any difficulty, as these cute pictures on Longfellow Bridge prove.
In a world first, Unilever is to start making detergents from industrial carbon emissions. Typically derived from fossil fuels, surfactants are a critical ingredient for creating the foam and cleaning action of many household cleaning and laundry products - from dish soaps to fabric detergents. The new process now allows surfactants to be made using recycled carbon.
El Salvador has become the first country in Central America to be declared malaria free, the World Health Organization says.
This is the heartwarming moment a group of police officers surprises a boy with a little tractor after thieves stole his favorite toy. 4-year-old Gerald Philbrook was delighted when the generous cops gave him a brand new, replica John Deere. Police swung into action after Patrol Sergeant Andrew Brooks read Gerald’s dad’s Facebook post explaining how his cherished old tractor had been stolen.
Dive in Deeper
Good news for chocoholics: The UK's most over the top chocolate store re-opens, with a single bar costing up to £350. [1 minute read] Yummy...
Food guaranteed to improve gut health: Sauerkraut, kimchi, live yoghurt and other fermented dishes makes for a healthy body and a well-functioning brain. [2 minute read] It's the little things...
Flight powered by bladeless fans on steroids: Get ready to move on from propeller-based propulsion. [2 minute read] Chocks away...
Mood-boosting nature video...
Did you know that the Arctic squirrel has the longest, deepest hibernation of any animal? It sleeps for 8 months before waking to defend its territory and procreate.