Post #25 A Good News Refresh

“Hope lies in dreams, in imagination, & in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality.” – Jonas Salk

Let’s take a 7-minute vacation. With a sampling of good news. Five recent good news:

1.  In Brazil: “deforestation in the Amazon is the lowest it’s been in 5 years”. Notably, under eco-conscious President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s leadership. Under his earlier leadership “… a substantial decrease (around 75%) in deforestation starting in 2004.” & Now: President Lula recently announced a many-millions reforestation fund & “has goals to eliminate all illegal burns by 2030″. & Apparently environmental fines in the Amazon have > doubled”.

2.  & Brazil again: Last year the World Mosquito Program announced “a 10-year program to release modified mosquitoes into … urban areas”. They spread a specific bacteria that stops mosquitos from transmitting viruses. Over time, this initiative might protect “up to 70 million people from diseases such as dengue.”
While in Colombia: Reported near end-2023 that over the last several years, similar mosquito releases have virtually stopped dengue in 3 Colombian cities by spreading “Wolbachia bacteria, which prevents them from transmitting [dengue]”. Has been reported there as “a 95–97% decline in dengue incidence” compared to previously.

3.  A hockey game happening: the annual GIANT Teddy Bear Toss, which benefits children in need. Teddy bears: tossed onto the ice (donated) as a hockey game event. A new record this year: “74,599 stuffed toys”. & “[Since] 2001 … tradition has collected nearly a half million” teddy bears.

4.  As of November 2023, the solar energy industry has been growing extremely fast “installing record volumes worldwide & selling @ record-low prices.” Worldwide, installed capacity had doubled in 4 years; prices @ their lowest level ever. Near the end of Nov., pricing:  $0.128 per watt.

And:
5.  Experts predicting that in 2024 “researchers could get closer to cracking the code of long Covid“.
(Am thinking that most of us hope for much progress there.)

& Indicative of our times:
“I told my computer I needed a break, and now it won’t stop sending me vacation ads.” – from Unknown, might be “Jeff”