Monday's upbeat collection of news stories from around the globe.
Burying The Hatchet?
Gordon Ramsay has admitted that his wife is a fan of Jamie Oliver and cooks his recipes at home. Ramsay, who has been locked in a decade-long quarrel with the fellow TV chef, lamented his wife Tana’s choice of cookbook at home while speaking on a podcast hosted by Angela Hartnett, a fellow cook and friend. Discussing the stress of cooking, Hartnett said: “If you see Tana when I’ve been around for supper, she’s so relaxed. She just cooks something everyone wants to eat, like a great lasagne or a brilliant shepherd’s pie. She’s amazing.” Ramsay responded: “Yeah and they’re all Jamie Oliver recipes. Do you have any idea how hard that is for me?” Talking of food...
Recycling Food Leader
South Korea recycles a remarkable 98 percent of its food waste. When the country started tackling the problem 20 years ago, it threw away 98 percent of its food waste; today, leftovers from homes and restaurants are turned into compost, animal feed, and even energy. It’s one of the few countries with a nationwide system for food waste management, and its 50 million people now consider food recycling a part of daily life, says the Washington Post. Food waste accounts for around one-quarter of greenhouse gas emissions from food. That's 6 percent of total global emissions, says Our World in Data.
Recycling is About to Get Much Easier: QR codes with hyperlocal recycling instructions will soon show up on your milk cartons, ice cream tubs and more - meaning you'll be able to scan an item, type in your ZIP code and see if it's eligible to go in the blue bin.
Good News For Whales
There has been an upswing in the number of humpback whales in Icelandic waters; in the US, the federal government is creating a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to conserve and recover endangered North Atlantic right whales with $82 million in funding; and a district court in Maryland has ordered the government to enhance whale protections in the Gulf of Mexico to protect them from offshore oil and gas drilling.
We Can All Relax
A new simulation conducted by researchers at the University of Helsinki provides an updated picture of the Milky Way's future. The study, titled Apocalypse When? No Certainty of a Milky Way - Andromeda Collision, shows that there is a 50 percent chance that the Milky Way will avoid a collision with the Andromeda galaxy over the next ten billion years. This result differs from previous research which indicated that a collision was inevitable within five billion years. Phew!
And Baby Makes Three
Recently, two male flamingos named Arthur and Curtis, successfully hatched an egg together at Paignton Zoo in southwest England. The zoo has had several all-male pairings during past breeding seasons, so the same-sex couple is not exactly unexpected. But the fact that they took a shine to a likely-abandoned egg and then cared for it until it hatched is unusual. Now, they're doting papas. “The parents are obviously doing a great job," said the zoo's curator of birds.
Americans With Tattoos
Pew survey finds 32 percent of US adults have a tattoo, with 22 percent having more than one.
Tree Cover
With the help of the Jazamiti app, Kenyans can select and plant trees based on their ecological zones, as the country races to restore its tree cover. It's part of the country’s mission to restore over 30 percent of its tree cover by 2032 to fight the impact of climate change. The country is well on its way to meeting that target - as of July 2024, more than 241 million trees had already been planted.
“Do unto those downstream as you would have those upstream do unto you.” Wendell Berry
On This Day
26 August 1920: The Nineteenth Amendment became part of the Constitution of the United States, giving women the right to vote.
Today's Articles
Auto Industry Disrupter: New $6 a day EV subscription service - with no upfront fees - launching next year.
Interesting Origins: From French kiss to Mexican wave and Indian summer - but do you know how such geographic idioms came about?
Mood Boosting Video
Up Close And Personal: Some of the most magical moments of filming meerkats for BBC Planet Earth Live.
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