Tuesday's collection of positive news stories from around the world.
Coming to America
While preparing to fresco the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling, Italian artist Michelangelo created hundreds - possibly thousands - of small sketches to work out the design. He destroyed many of those preliminary drawings - which were never intended for public view - before his death in 1564. Less than 50 remain in existence today. Now, 25 of the rare sketches are coming to the United States for the 550th anniversary of the artist’s birthday. They’ll be featured in an upcoming show, titled Michelangelo: The Genesis of the Sistine, slated to open next month at the Muscarelle Museum of Art at William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Ecosystem Restoration
Brazil's government and indigenous peoples have started restoring the Amazon's arc of deforestation. The country's government has begun granting 35-year forest regeneration concessions across five states in the Amazon's most degraded areas. Indigenous communities will participate as paid restoration agents, providing seeds and planting services. The initiative is the centrepiece of a broader ecosystem recovery strategy aiming to regenerate 12 million hectares (46,330 square miles - an area equivalent to 1.5 times the size of Ireland) of native vegetation by 2030, reports folha.uol
Hydrogen Homes
Hydrogen has been billed as the future of home heating for years but has yet to live up to its promises. That could be about to change, however, after Scotland cut the ribbon on a collection of newbuild hydrogen homes. The demonstration homes show how hydrogen can provide heating and cooking experiences similar to natural gas. Hydrogen emits only water vapour and can be produced using renewables but has been hampered by high costs and a lack of infrastructure for storage and transportation. The H100 Fife project offers a proof of concept that could pave the way for similar developments.
Economy Bunk Beds
Greg Foran, CEO of Air New Zealand tells Forbes: "SkyNest is my favorite example of innovation and pushing boundaries at 35,000 feet. From 2026, customers traveling on our ultra-long-haul flights will be able to book a lie-flat rest in one of the sleep pods. The SkyNest is something that’s never been done before in commercial aviation so we’re incredibly excited to see this take to the sky next year. Each SkyNest will feature six pods, available for four hours at a time, that includes a full-size pillow, sheets and blanket, ear plugs, reading light, USB outlet, ventilation and lighting designed for maximum rest."
Not Extinct Afterall
A rare fish species thought to be extinct for 85 tears was just rediscovered in India. The last sighting of the Chel snakehead (also known as Channa amphibious) was recorded from specimens collected between 1918 and 1933 in the Himalayan region of India, leading scientists to believe the species had died out. “Commonly known as the Chel Snakehead, this large and vibrant species is distinguished by chrome-yellow to orange stripes, a bright neon patch beneath the eye, and the highest number of lateral-line scales among all snakeheads of the Gachua group,” says Thackeray Wildlife Foundation.
Clean Energy Economics
Climate sceptics often misleadingly frame decarbonisation as a drag on the economy, but fresh analysis of the Chinese economy weakened that argument even further this week. The research by Carbon Brief, a climate reporting website, showed that China’s clean energy sector supercharged the nation’s economy in 2024, overtaking real estate sales in value. The analysis found that ‘green’ technologies - including renewables, electric vehicles and batteries - were responsible for around a quarter of the country’s GDP growth last year.
“Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom.” George Washington Carver
On This Day
25 February 1870: American clergyman, educator, and politician Hiram Rhodes Revels was sworn in to the U.S. Senate, becoming the first African American to serve in the U.S. Congress.
Today's Articles
US Embassy Paris: Historic portrait of George Washington to be restored in Versailles, after previous botched attempts.
Fog Harvesting: Capturing water from fog could provide some of the driest cities in the world with drinking water.
Mood Boosting Video
Devoted Couple: While this hornbill takes care of her eggs, her devoted partner delivers all of her food.