No U.S. Forces Die in Afghanistan, First Month in Years
No U.S. military forces died in Afghanistan during the month of March, marking the first such month in more than seven years and the third time since the war began more than 12 years ago, according to the CNN Library, which tallies the casualties.
Scottish Crime Falls to 39-year Low
Crime in Scotland has fallen to the lowest level since 1974 with homicide and other violence plummeting by more than 20 percent. Even robbery and theft rates dropped despite the recession. - Scotsman
Leprosy Has Been Almost Entirely Defeated
Leprosy has been almost entirely defeated: Worldwide cases have dropped 97% since 1985, and it is now easily treatable, with a global target of 2020 as the year when no more children will suffer from the deformity.
Ivory Cross-Border Trading Banned by eBay
eBay announced this week a ban on international trading of elephant ivory from all its sites worldwide after an animal welfare group found that 94 percent of the ivory up for auction there was potentially illegal.
Stunning Millenium Goal Progress on Educating Children
Over the past 12 years, the world has made stunning progress toward the goal of increasing the number of children attending primary school -- adding 37 million kids to school rolls, an increase of 35 percent. - NY Times
California Beaches Were Less Polluted in 2013
95 percent of California beaches earned A or B grades for water quality during the summer of 2013, a 2% improvement over 2012, according to an annual report. (LA Times)
Trucker Drives Million Miles, No Accidents
Michael Crone was honored by his Indianapolis trucking company for his consistantly safe driving -- over one million miles with no accidents in his 20-year career. The 43-year-old truck driver was the 13th in the company’s history to achieve the mark. (Read More Good Bites)
Cyber Crime Down 50 percent in 2009
A cybercrime report released in July 2010 revealed a 50 percent drop in the number of attacks on retail stores in 2009, with 143 million stolen records, down from 360 million the year before. (CS Monitor)
Florida Crime Rate Lowest in 30 Years
Florida's crime rate has dropped to its lowest level in more than 30 years. 2005 produced a 4 percent drop in overall crime rate, down for the 14th straight year.
UK Breaks its Renewable Energy Record
The UK has generated a record amount of energy from renewable sources in the second quarter of 2013, a full 15.5% of its total production – a jump of 5.8% compared to the same period last year. -Department of Energy And Climate Change
Family Violence Down 14% in Canada
Rates of family-related physical assaults in Canada declined 14% from 2009 and 2013. (Statistics Canada)
Shanghai Carbon Emission Market Cut 5Mil Tons of CO2
200 firms in Shanghai's carbon emissions trading scheme cut their CO2 output by 5.3 million tons in 2013, according to state-owned media in China.
Lower Lead Levels in U.S. Kids
Levels of lead have dropped dramatically. In 1976, 88.2 percent of U.S. children had elevated blood lead levels compared to 1.6 percent today. (Feb. 25, 2006)
World Food Prices Hit Lowest In Nearly 5 Years
Global food prices fell in March to their lowest in almost five years as supplies for most commodities, including cereals and meat, remained robust, the United Nations food agency in April. (Reuters)
50 New Species Discovered Each Day in 2006
16,969 species new to science were discovered and described in 2006 -- an average of nearly 50 species per day -- reports the International Institute for Species Exploration in partnership with the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. (Read All Good Bites)
Extinct Plants Rediscovered in Flora-Rich Queensland
50 plant species new to science are discovered and documented in Queensland, Australia every year. In fact, two plant species thought to be extinct since 1873 were rediscovered this year in the area of Cape York. (Queensland government's State of the Environment report, 2008)
Endangered Gorillas Prosper in Heart of Africa
A 2003 census showed Gorillas in Africa have increased their numbers by 17 percent since 1989, not due to a change in the number of births, but because "there's no more poaching."
With a Shrimp on the Barbie: Australia Named Happiest Nation – Again!
For the third year in a row Australia has been named the happiest place to live among developed nations, according to the latest ranking issued by the Organization for Economic Cooperation. The US placed 6th, after Sweden (2nd), Canada (3rd), Norway (4th) and Switzerland.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car Adds Biodiesel Cars to Fleet
Enterprise Rent-A-Car has added five biodiesel vehicles to its Portland fleet, testing customer demand for environmentally friendly rentals. The Jeep Liberties come filled with bio-fuel and can be refilled at four local stations or with regular diesel.
(Read All Good Bites)
US Helps to Relieve Afghan Hunger Caused by 2011 Draught
The U.S. is helping to alleviate hunger in Afghanistan through its Food for Peace program, a program originally started during the Eisenhower administration. A $40 million donation was used to purchase wheat from Kazakhstan for distribution in 14 affected Afghan provinces. (Food For Peace)