Good News Tuesday for Jan. 19, 2021: Germany’s Renewable Energy Success, City’s De-escalation Training Pays Off, US Capitol Clean UPs, and High School Senior Opens Email at Mom’s Grave

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

Germany Used More Renewable Energy than Fossil Fuels in 2020

In 2020, the world’s fourth largest economy used more renewable energy than fossil fuels. Here are the details from the Good News Network.

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Newark, NJ De-escalation Program: No Shots Fired in 2020

In the city of Newark, New Jersey, no police officer fired a weapon while on duty in 2020. City leaders credit a de-escalation program implemented two years ago. Overall crime was down 6%. Learn more here.  

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US Capitol Clean Ups by a Congressman and Veterans

Congressman Andy Kim was cleaning up litter in the US Capitol at 1:00 on the morning after the attack on his Capitol. Representative Kim was in a separate office building during the attack, but when he saw the awful mess later that night, he felt compelled to help clean it up. With tears in his eyes, he told Congressman Dean Phillips, who spoke last week at a Braver Angels event, that he couldn’t stand seeing capitol that way and wouldn’t rest until it was cleaned up. Here’s more from NBC News.

In a related story, a group of veterans volunteered in a clean-up event near Capitol Hill Sunday picking up trash, debris and graffiti after last week’s riot. Here’s more from The Hill.

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High School Senior Opens Email at Mother’s Gravesite

Skylar’s mom passed away in 2016 on the last day of 7th grade. When Skylar saw the email from Duke University, she didn’t open it right away. Not knowing whether she was accepted into Duke, her first choice, she took her laptop, and her dad, to her mother’s grave, to open it. You can read more about Skylar here at Good Morning America. Watch what happened at the gravesite and be ready to be moved.

Got good news?

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It can be global, local, or personal!

Thanks to the cities of Newark and Washington, I included today’s Just Jot January prompt: “city.” For details on Just Jot January and fantastic stories from our host, Linda Hill, visit:

#JusJoJan prompt the 19th – “City” | (lindaghill.com)

Good News Tuesday for Sept. 29, 2020: Helping a Neighbor, A Pledge for the Planet, Friendly Abundance, and a New Job

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

North Dakota Farmers Rally to Help Neighbor after Heart Attack

When Lane Unhjem’s combine caught fire at harvest time he went into cardiac arrest. But about 60 farmers put their own work on hold to join to help their neighbor harvest his wheat and canola crops …. “in a record time of seven hours.” The Good News Network has more.

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Pledging 100% Renewable Energy in New Zealand in Ten Years

New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern and the Labour party have pledged to have their country running on 100% renewable energy by 2030 if re-elected. The Good News Network has more on their plan.

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Lonely Widower Receives an Abundance of Friends

I’ve lost Jo

My lovely wife and soul mate

I have no friends or family

No one to talk to

I find the unremitting silence

Twenty-four hours a day

Unbearable torture

Can anyone help me?

That’s what was on the sign Tony Williams put up outside his house in England. Before that, two newspaper ads and handing out cards didn’t work and Tony felt cursed with loneliness. Now, he has thousands of friends from around the world. A good reminder to not give up. Keep asking for what you need. Here’s more of the story.

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You’re Hired!

LeShenda Williams was homeless and sleeping in her car at Krogers in where she used to shop. Then she she saw a flyer that the store was having a job fair and decided to ask for a job. The manager saw something special in LeShenda (you will, too) and hired her. Now, LeShenda has an apartment furnished with help from her co-workers.

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Good News Tuesday for July 14, 2020: Food in the Frig, Grizzly Bears, Renewable Energy, and Girl Power X 2!

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

Food in the Frig

“Take what you need, leave what you can.” Fully Stocked Refrigerators are Popping Up Around NYC. Read more about it in this article from Good Morning America.…

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US Court Maintains Protections for Grizzly Bears

Grizzly bears in the US Yellowstone region will remain protected by the federal Endangered Species Act thanks to a July 8th court decision which rejected the current administration’s attempt to remove protection. The court decision maintains protective status and halted planned trophy hunts for grizzly bears in Wyoming. The Western Environmental Law Center provides details in this article. 

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100% Renewable Energy for Sydney

Downtown Sydney, Australia is now powered by 100% renewable energy. The energy is coming from two solar farms and a wind farm. Read more about this historic achievement in the Good News Network.

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Olivia Helps the Homeless

In Chicago, 7-year-old Olivia Tyler has started a non-profit to help the homeless. She gives out masks to homeless people and has a solid financial plan for her goal to buy a homeless hotel. This link from the Today Show includes an inspiring video with Olivia and her parents.

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This 12 Year Old’s Invention Detects Lead Levels in Water

Our closing video comes from Theresa at Culture Shocks who shared the link in last week’s GNT comments. It’s about 12-year-old scientist Gitanjali Rao who invented “Tethys,” a portable device that detects lead in water. Gitanjali started working on her invention after she heard about the toxic water crisis in Flint Michigan.

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Good News Tuesday, May 12, 2020: Renewables Surpass Coal, Elder Recoveries, Eagles in England, and Repaying a Kindness

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

Windmills in North Carolina

Renewable Energy Surpasses Coal for the Month of April in the US

Renewable energy from solar, wind, and hydropower generated more electricity than coal for the month of April in the US. Contributing factors include “…low gas prices, warmer weather, a significant amount of new renewable capacity connecting to the grid late last year, and lower power demand… because of the coronavirus.” Here’s more from the Good News Network. 

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Elders Recovering from COVID 19

Also from the Good News Network is a story about elders recovering from COVID 19.  Guadalupe and José from Spain, both 88, “had just celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary a few weeks earlier when they both became ill with the virus.” Then there’s Carrie Pollock, age 99 in the UK, 104-year-old Ada Zanusso of Biella, Italy, and Cornelia Ras, the Dutch woman who celebrated her 107th birthday on March 17th. You can read their stories, along with some words of wisdom, from the Good News Network. 

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Eagles are Back in England

Eagles had been almost hunted to extinction in the UK. “Now, 240 years after the last sighting, a mature white-tailed eagle was confirmed soaring in the wild high over the North York Moors.” The comeback is the result of several eaglets that were released on the Isle of Wight.”  Here’s that story from The Good News Network

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Ireland Repays the Kindness of Native Americans

In 1847, when Ireland was suffering starvation during the potato blight, the North American Choctaw tribe found compassion amidst their own suffering of forced relocation. The tribe raised $170 (almost $5,000 in today’s currency) and sent it across the ocean to help Ireland. Now, the people of Ireland are paying back that debt by helping  the Navajo and Hopi tribes hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.  GNN reports that “almost $2.7 million has been raised so far, with many donations flowing in from Irish citizens expressing gratitude for the help they received so many decades ago.”

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Good News Tuesday: More For Earth Month

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

My personal good news is that I’m visiting family in the Appalachian Mountains while my grand daughter is on spring break. It’s still Earth Month, so today, I offer three more good news stories for life on earth.

Notre Dame Bees are Alive!

CNN reports that the bees who have been living in hives on the roof of the Notre Dame cathedral survived the fire! Here’s the story.

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Global Growth of Renewable Energy

“Renewable energy now accounts for one-third of all global power capacity.”

Read more here:

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/renewable-energy-now-one-third-of-global-power/

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Norway Recycles 97% of it’s Plastic Bottles

Here’s the story from Positive.News

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Feel free to share your good news  in the comments! It can be global, local, or personal.

 

 

Good News Tuesday: Lost and Found, Way to Go Germany, Fox Rescue, and The Gift of Shoes

Rescuers Found 3 Year Old Casey Alive and Well

Young Casey Hathaway wandered into the woods a couple of counties north of where I’m living. He was missing for almost three days through wet freezing nights until rescuers found him tangled in thorny bushes. I’d been following this story on the local news, but hadn’t heard about the bear. The Good News Network reports Casey said he spent some of his time in the woods with a friendly bear who kept him safe.  There’s no other confirmation about the bear besides Casey’s words, but thank goodness for friendly bears! You can read more about Casey’s rescue here.

 

 

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Rakotzbrücke Bridge in Germany. Photo from Pixabay

Germany to Close its Coal Fired Plants

The Los Angeles Times reports that Germany plans to close all 84 of its coal fired plants over the next 19 years with the goal to rely mostly on renewable energy.  Here’s the story.  

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Photo from Pixabay

Foxes Rescued from Fur Farm

174 foxes were rescued from a fur farm in China and given sanctuary at a Buddhist monastery. The fur farm planned to close and “dispose” of the foxes, but animal activists took them to the monastery at where the foxes were were released from cages.

The residents of Buddhist Jilin Nursing Garden in Mudanjiang, China said that they were happy to welcome the critters onto their property.   (Good News Network)

The foxes will reportedly be staying at the monastery until volunteers are able to construct a permanent shelter.  You can read and get links to video in this GNN story.

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He Gave his Shoes

Nine year old Cheikh Faizal was walking with his father in in Malaysia noticed a boy with no shoes. He stopped and took off his shoes and socks and lovingly put them on his new friend.  You can read the story from The Good News Network.

 

 

 

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Good News Tuesday seeks to bring balance to our lopsided media one Tuesday at a time.

If you’ve got good news, global, local, or personal, please share!

Progress in Renewable Energy: Way to Go Apple and Portugal!

With Earth Day just behind us by two days, I’m feeling even stronger appreciation for our home planet. That’s why I’m sharing these two stories to recognize a company and a country making real progress.

In this article learn how Apple has gone to 100% renewable energy. Their new headquarters, Apple Park, is now open and has one of the largest solar roofs in the world.  Here’s what it looks like:

 

Below, you can read about how Portugal made enough renewable energy in the month of March to power the whole country!

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/05/599886059/in-march-portugal-made-more-than-enough-renewable-energy-to-power-the-whole-coun