Youngest Poet Ever to Recite at Presidential Inauguration Beats Speech Impediment to Take Global Stage in D.C.

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Jan 19, 2021

Amanda gorman screenshot YouTube pbc — PBS/YouTube

You may already have heard that Lady Gaga and J-Lo will be performing at the presidential inauguration tomorrow. But how about Amanda Gorman?

While Gorman may not yet be a household name, she’s about to become much better known as she follows in the footsteps of Maya Angelou and Robert Frost to give the inauguration poem in D.C.

The 22-year-old Los Angeles native and National Youth Poet Laureate is the youngest person to ever be given this platform.

Like Angelou, who was mute as a child–and Joe Biden, who grew up with a stutter–she’s overcome a childhood speech impediment to find her voice.

Gorman had difficulty saying certain letters of the alphabet as a kid. The letter ‘R’ was especially hard for her to pronounce. That hasn’t held her back. In fact, her first lyrical picture book, Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem, is already available for pre-order.

Speaking of the ceremony tomorrow, the Harvard graduate told NPR, “I think there is a real history of orators who have had to struggle, a type of imposed voicelessness, you know… So it’s really special for me.”

With future plans including running for president, expect to see much more from this young star.

(MEET Amanda in the PBS video below.)

Featured image: PBS/YouTube

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Iran Has Passed a Bill That Would Protect Women From Domestic Violence

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Andy Corbley

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Jan 19, 2021

women spring blossom headscarf Iran public domain hasan-almasi — Hasan Alması

Hardly considered a bastion of liberal values, the Iranian executive branch has nevertheless drafted a piece of legislation to prevent several forms of violence against women.

The bill, called the Protection, Dignity and Security of Women Against Violence, actually pre-dates the administration of President Hassan Rouhani, and has been the result of resolved women activists and officials.

It defines violence as “any behavior inflicted on women due to sexuality, vulnerable position or type of relationship, and inflicts harm to their body, psyche, personality and dignity, or restricts or deprives them of legal rights and freedoms”.

Masoumeh Ebtekar, vice president for women and family affairs, has championed the bill since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s administration, and as well bringing violence against women into draft law, it provides for the creation of more psychological support in the medical sector for women who have been victims of violence.

“Through an inter-sectoral process, we developed national indicators for gender equity, which laid the ground for the first result based Plan for Women and Family Advancement in 31 provinces,” said Ebtekar in October, according to Tehran Times.

MORE: This Moving Company Now Helps Victims of Domestic Violence Leave Abusive Homes Nationwide At No Cost

State broadcasters will also be directed to create programs that promote the support of women and the prevention of violence against them as part of family values.

Furthermore, the department of education will be responsible for creating courses for parents, students, and teachers to help better identify vulnerable students.

Ebtekar said the proposed legislation was based on the work of “hundreds of hours of work by tens of legal experts, judges, executives and officials,” and dedicated it to the “worthy and patient Iranian women.”

Now that the executive has approved the bill, it will be sent to parliament before finally arriving at a judicial and religious entity called the Guardian Council.

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Embryos Created at Christmas Are Viable—Raising Hopes For the 2 Remaining Northern White Rhinos

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Andy Corbley

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Jan 19, 2021

last two northern white rhinos planet released Ami Vitale_Ol Pejeta Conservancy — The last two northern white rhinos: Ami Vitale/Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Following up on their success of the last two years, the international collaborative effort to save the northern white rhino from extinction has extracted another 14 egg cells from Fatu, one of the two females rhinos that make up the living remainder of the species.

Scientists collecting eggs from Fatu, a female white rhino: Ami Vitale/Ol Pejeta Conservancy

These would end up offering two viable fertilized eggs for the restoration program, and while conservationists often use phrases like “a glimmer of hope,” this particular success is far beyond a glimmer.

On a charter plane they went, overnighted from the Ol Pejeta Conservancy to Milan where they were taken to a lab in Cremona, Italy. There they were combined with the frozen sperm from Suni, a deceased male rhino of the same species born in 1980.

BioRescue, an NGO spearheaded by members of the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, the Italian laboratory Avantea, in Cremona, the Dvůr Králové Zoo in the Czech Republic, and Kenya’s Ol Pejeta and Kenya Wildlife Service, has been pursuing the project ever since the last male rhino died in 2018.

They now have a total of five fertilized eggs, essentially giving them five chances to get the next, and most critical part right: artificial insemination.

The brink of brinks

The last two northern white rhinos: Ami Vitale/Ol Pejeta Conservancy

“We plan to have a calf on the ground in two to three years,” David Hildebrandt, a Berlin-based expert on wildlife reproduction, told Megan Bergman of The Guardian.

To make things more complicated, neither Fatu nor her mother Najin can bring a rhino calf to term. BioRescue will use a surrogate from the southern white rhino subspecies which diverged around one million years ago.

To help the scientists out, a sterilized southern rhino bull will accompany the female to help signal when she is in heat. Currently the embryos are stored in tanks of liquid nitrogen, at -196C°.

“Liquid nitrogen buys us time,” explained Hildebrandt, adding that it’s vital any living calves can join Fatu and Najin in life at least for a few years to learn vital information about white rhino society.

MORE: Rhino Poaching Plummets 53% During Lockdowns, Extending 5-Years of Success in South Africa

The embryos can work to prove concept and create more lifelines while science develops other, more radical methods of saving the subspecies.

This could include manufacturing eggs and sperm through Nobel Prize winning scientist Shinya Yamanaka’s method of changing skin cells to stem cells, and stem cells into the cells that make up sexual equipment.

LOOK: Orphan Baby Rhinos Heal With Help of Hand-knit Blankets

Apparently there are, incredibly, enough existing skin cells to create a stable and genetically diverse population that would be raised by surrogates, protected in sanctuaries, until 20 or 30 years when they may rejoin the spirits of their ancestors on the open plains of Kenya.

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Formerly Vacant Lot in Milan Wins ‘Reinventing Cities’ Contest With Vineyard Atop Building With Public Sidewalk

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Andy Corbley

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Jan 19, 2021

The new headquarters for the molecular and oncology research center ICOM will be centered within 5,000 square meters of green public spaces—including a 650-foot long vineyard.

The grapevines will snake their way up the side of the Milan building in a shallow ramp, and will act as the centerpiece of a footpath that starts on the street and reaches all the way up to the roof as part of an effort to link humans in cities back to nature.

It’s all part of project VITAE from architecture firm Carlo Ratti Associati (CRA), which took first place at the C40 Reinventing Cities Contest for their design that includes outdoor spaces, the ICOM center, a farm-to-table restaurant, high-tech office space, and even greenhouses.

The spiral of terraced greenery, including the vineyard and hydroponic gardens, is what gave the project its name, a Latin word for both “life” and “vine.”

This grand design will be built in the south of Milan in an abandoned post Industrial-era lot off via Serio, and construction started in 2019.

“VITAE tries to address humankind’s innate ‘biophilia,’ as formulated by the great American biologist Edward O. Wilson,” Saverio Panata, partner at CRA and project manager of VITAE, told Inhabitat.

“We are talking about the natural tendency of our species to seek our happiness through immersion in nature. Thanks to new technologies, it is now possible to achieve this goal even in the heart of the city—this is particularly relevant in a building that is devoted to scientific research.”

A Curriculum of Vitae

The building is all about the green. As well as containing the double-helix-DNA-inspired walkway, 95% of the energy will come from renewable sources including geothermal and PV solar panels.

MORE: The New Green Building Revolution Uses Timber to Build ‘Plyscrapers’ That Save Tons of CO2

A rainwater catchment and grey water salvage facility will ensure the building wastes as little water as possible, while low-carbon building strategies and electric mobility solutions will continue to remove CO2 from the balance sheet.

The Serio project, according to C40, is going up in the Scalo Romana area of the city, an older, partially run-down area that is experiencing a regeneration through new ideas in architecture and city planning.

The Prada Foundation art complex is located in Scalo Romana, and is now one of the most important artistic sites in the city, while Serio will sit less than two miles from the Duomo.

A 20-hectare (54 acre) disused railway yard, the Porta Romana, is one of the most important areas for future innovation and development in the city, and it sits just 250 meters from the Serio VITAE building, placing it at the heart of the city’s regenerative efforts.

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“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” – Dolly Parton (turns 75 today)

Quote of the Day

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Good News Network

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Jan 19, 2021

Quote of the Day: “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” – Dolly Parton (turns 75 today)

Photo by: Todd Cravens

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

When Pastor’s Bike Was Stolen, His Response Was to Start a Free Bicycle Repair Service for People in Need

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Judy Cole

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Jan 18, 2021

For most people, having property stolen feels like a violation. Robbie Pruitt admits when his mountain bike was swiped last September, he got mad, but soon enough, his emotions took a turn. After letting go of his anger and frustration, he found himself on a road to compassion instead.

An avid biker, Pruitt’s first priority was to replace his ride, but when he went bike shopping, he found the pickings slim. The scarcity of inventory got him thinking: What if the lack of bikes was pandemic related, and what if the person who’d taken his had done so because they truly needed transportation to get to work?

With that thought in mind, Pruitt, an assistant rector at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Leesburg, Virginia, came up with a plan and posted it to a local Facebook group. Pruitt offered to fix bikes free of charge for anyone who needed it.

He also put out a call for unwanted bikes, which he would repair—again for free—and then donate to folks who could truly use them but didn’t have the budget to buy a bike outright.

The day the post went live, Pruitt wound up with an inventory of 30 used bicycles. The initial influx was followed by more than 500 queries from people who either had bikes to donate or that needed fixing soon after. By the end of 2020, Pruitt had refurbished more than 140 for donation or to be returned to their owners at about a 60 to 40% ratio.

Pruitt doesn’t vet requests, but he does try to gear his donations to families that are truly struggling. The journey he’s taken has also moved beyond simply being a way to satisfy a material need to become an opportunity to show kids in his Loudoun County neighborhood the nuts and bolts of fixing their own bikes.

MORE: Kindhearted Man Buys Expensive Stolen Bike So He Could Search for Its Original Owner on Social Media

“All the neighborhood kids are spending a lot more time doing something that’s hands-on,” Pruitt’s next-door neighbor Danny Offei told The Washington Post. “Almost everybody in the neighborhood has a bike now, and he’s helped put those bikes together.”

In addition to practical skills, Pruitt’s lessons teach resilience and teamwork, encourage self-esteem, and foster feelings of community. Indeed, forging friendships is one of the biggest perks of Pruitt’s avocation.

“You’re certainly providing a service, but it’s not the bikes,” said the father of three whose goal is to lead by example. “It’s the relationships in the community. It’s the impact you can make with people.”

Pruitt hopes to integrate his “bike ministry” into his church as a regular activity once the pandemic has been contained. In the meantime, the regular crew of helpers who gather in his backyard after their days of remote schooling is thankful for an outlet that lets them channel their energy in a positive direction and gives them a sense of accomplishment.

“Honestly, it feels great,” eighth-grader Hakim Aburami said in an interview with WDVM News. “Being able to help people in this whole situation, it’s just a really great experience.”

(WATCH the WDVM News story to learn Pruitt’s story.)

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More Renewable Energy Used in 2020 Than Fossil Fuels For the First Time in World’s 4th Largest Economy

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Andy Corbley

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Jan 18, 2021

For the first time in history, a combination of wind, solar, and other renewables overtook Germany’s coal, oil, and gas, for use as the country’s fuel source during 2020.

A combination of the pandemic, lower demand for electricity, mild weather, cheaper natural gas, and various economic and market factors led to the historic numbers on the data sheets of Western Europe’s biggest consumer of fossil fuels, and the world’s fourth-largest economy.

According to data collected from the German think tank Agora Energiewende, wind power alone supplied more of the nation’s energy than its lignite brown coal plants, while mild weather and warmer months that were largely cloud-free saw solar contributing 40% of the nation’s baseline, a greater share than black coal.

All this clean energy led to a whopping 10% dip in the emissions of greenhouse gases compared to the previous year, contributing to what Agora described as “the end of coal.”

Heralding the end of coal

This can be attributed to market and policy forces that both increased the cost of running coal plants, and decreased the cost of renewables.

“Lignite-fired power plants delivered 22.3 terawatt-hours less than in 2019 (-19.6 percent), while coal-fired power plants lost 15 terawatt hours (-26.1 percent),” wrote the authors of the Agora think tank report. “Coal-fired generation has thus shrunk by more than half since 2015.”

It wasn’t only coal that suffered in 2020, but the fossil fuel sector as a whole.

“…Germany’s greenhouse gas emissions fell significantly in 2020, coming in 42.3 percent below the reference year of 1990, [and] Germany thus met its 2020 climate protection target of a 40 percent reduction,” wrote the authors.

Certainly though, the advent of COVID-19 played its part in the reductions. According to their estimates, greenhouse gas emissions fell by 80 million metric tons, and the grid share of renewables was 46.2%.

MORE: UK Debuts Geothermal Plant Using Heat From the Earth to Power 10,000 Homes

If the effects on the economy, movement, and energy consumption from COVID-19 were subtracted, the growth of renewable energies would be about 2 percentage points less.

Environment minister Svenja Schulze noted that COVID did not deserve all the credit for the reduction in emissions, and that climate policy decisions had been building ground swell for these changes to happen on their own.

“Emissions are already falling significantly for the third year in a row,” she wrote on Twitter, translated into English.

Indeed, and again according to Agora, rooftop solar panel installations went up by 25% in 2020 compared to 2019.

CHECK OUT: Renewable Energy Defies COVID-19 Downturn To Hit Record Growth in 2020

“Whether solar cells, solar storages or solar collectors – this year they were virtually snatched out of our industry’s hands,” said Carsten Körnig, managing director of lobby group BSW Solar, to Agora.

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Ginkgo Trees Were Going Extinct on Their Own; Then Humans Saved These ‘Living Fossils’ So Now They’re Everywhere

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Andy Corbley

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Jan 18, 2021

gingko public domain jerry-wang — By Jerry Wang

Lining the streets of many American city suburbs are living fossils, which unlike many stories of man’s interaction with nature, involves nature as the destroyer, and mankind, the savior.

While some people take ginkgo leaf as a nootropic supplement, few people would imagine it’s the equivalent of eating a horseshoe crab, that is to say it’s an organism that, unlike every other member of its family, made it out of the time before mammals.

Ginkgo Biloba stands alone in its family Ginkgoaceae; the last of its relatives dying out likely during the last ages of the dinosaurs. Understanding of the tree’s heritage suggests it would have gone the way of T-rex without a brush with homo sapien.

The evidence for this comes down to the slow arms race observed in evolution. There are five types of plants which produce seeds on the Earth today. Flowering plants, conifers, cycads, and gnetales are joined by the lonely ginkgo family, which scientists suggest may have contained many different species based on the fossil record, specifically in China.

About 130 million years ago, flowering plants really started stealing the show, developing sweet nectar in their flowers to attract pollinators, and sweet fruit to attract animals for dispersing seeds. Ginkgo on the other hand relied on the wind to blow pollen from male to female trees.

This was hypothesized as being an inconsistent strategy, as ginkgo are sometimes observed to change sex, perhaps a failsafe mechanism to increase the chances of reproduction.

These respective evolutions likely pushed the ginkgo family to the back of the evolutionary bus. By 66 million years ago, according to National Geographic, ginkgo was gone from most of North America and Europe, and by the end of the last Ice Age, clung on only in China.

MORE: For First Time Ever, Scientists Identify How Many Trees to Plant and Where to Plant Them to Stop Climate Crisis

It’s theorized that it was the Paleolithic residents of China who, removing the reeking outer layer of the ginkgo nut in search of a food source resembling a pistachio, began eating and replanting them to harvest the nuts.

Ginkgo is now one of the most common trees in cities along the U.S. East Coast after botanists brought the tree back from China in the 17th century. Good for almost nothing, besides offering a bounty of beautiful yellow leaves in fall when they all change in a very short time, it nevertheless is resistant to pollution and can thrive under concrete.

Peter Crane, author of the book Ginkgo and one of the world’s foremost Ginkgo experts, described the human intervention as a “rescue from natural oblivion” and “a great evolutionary [and cultural] story.”

The IUCN still recognizes the tree as Endangered in the Red List–the world’s largest threatened species catalogue, largely due to a lack of ginkgo trees surviving in the wild in undomesticated forms.

However a 2012 study confirmed there are trees surviving in southeast China that may represent the only truly wild population left.

CHECK OUT: Tree-Planting Drones Have Successfully Planted Thousands of Saplings – and They’re About to Plant More

The story shows that while humans often receive blame for sending plants and animals into oblivion, we also have a reputation for saving them too.

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Garment Workers Are Now Being Educated in Bangladesh So They Can Go to College

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Judy Cole

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Jan 18, 2021

pathways for promise students released pathways for promise — Pathways for Promise

One of the first lessons those who sew garments for mass markets learn is that they must follow the pattern. It’s a tedious, repetitive process with little margin for error and less for change.

So too, do the lives of countless women who toil at this work follow a pattern. In countries such as Bangladesh, while many daughters dream of pursuing studies that would ultimately lead to alternative careers, without the wages they contribute, their families simply cannot get by.

It’s estimated that 60 to 80% of the garment workers who create goods for such outlets as Walmart, H&M, Next, Gap, Marks & Spencer, and Target are women. While their male counterparts have traditionally been groomed for management positions, the educational divide meant girls were destined to toil at factory jobs for low wages in unsafe conditions because they had no other option.

But a program launched by the Asian University for Women (AUW), Pathways for Promise, seeks to change that trajectory by identifying women who show academic talent and offering them both an education and a stipend that lessens the burden of financial obligations that leaves them free to study.

While the Pathways for Promise met with some initial skepticism, as women who’ve gone through AUW’s earlier initiatives have achieved success, the program is being met with increased acceptance.

“The impact they can have on being an example in the community and propelling others to follow suit is much more impressive and persuasive,” university founder Kamal Ahmad told NBC News Asian-America. “Being the first one has a way of altering the pathways of the family.”

Since its inception in 2016, roughly 470 students have enrolled in the program. Of those, 430 matriculated to AUW’s Access Academy pre-college prep program. The first class of 25 undergraduates graduated in May of 2020.

In addition to reading comprehension, writing, and business studies, another integral component of the students’ curriculum is the performing arts. For women from underserved communities, especially those from conflict areas, learning to express themselves freely and without fear of recrimination instills a sense of self-confidence and opens a new world of possibilities.

MORE: H&M In-Store Recycling Machine Turns Old Clothes into New Threads—A World First

“They are very much underprivileged students, and what happens, the environment for most of them makes them introverted. Performing arts helps them to become more extroverted and communicate well and express themselves,” explained Masud Rahman, a teacher of dance, music, and performing arts. “It is giving the students a new language to express their rights without any hesitation and fear.”

“When I first started at AUW, I felt nervous because I thought my English was not good enough,” said Pathways for Promise alumna Chuma Chakma. “However, I quickly made friends and my teachers were very friendly and supportive. I feel much more confident now, and I believe the opportunity to come to AUW has been the greatest gift of my entire life.”

While the immediate goal of the program is to give talented women the opportunity to better themselves through education, the bigger picture is about breaking a systemic pattern. The graduates who return from their studies armed with the knowledge to catalyze and implement much-needed change in the garment industry bring the hope of a brighter future to its workers.

CHECK OUT: Small Town Business Owner Survives Pandemic By Live-Streaming Fashion Shows on Facebook

“We might be able to help end the tragedy of these women being perennially represented by someone who has no sympathy for their lived experience,” Ahmad said in an interview with Glamour. “These smart, talented women might finally give a voice to people who have never had one before.”

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Scientists May Have Detected the ‘Hum’ of the Universe That Could Change Astronomy Forever

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Andy Corbley

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Jan 18, 2021

Gravitation waves illustration - Tonia Klein — Gravitational waves illustration, Tonia Klein

Astrophysicists attempting to detect the presence of low-frequency gravitational waves are on to something, and it could be one of the biggest discoveries in the history of mankind.

Gravitational waves illustration, Tonia Klein

By collaboration from one side of the Earth to the other, a signal has appeared in the data of a project that uses the rhythm of stars’ movement to detect these truly gargantuan intergalactic waves, and the scientists think it may be proof of the gravitational wave background, a discovery more consequential than anything in recent history.

The researchers, hailing from the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav), are cautious, knowing that both the macro and micro aspects of their data could mislead them.

Their work has involved the constant monitoring of 45 pulsars over a period of 12 years. Pulsars are super-dense stars that spin at incredibly fast speeds, generating a continual stream of light, radiation, and even sound.

Being that they are trying to measure one of the largest forces in the universe, the pulsars work to expand the scientists’ monitoring equipment to large stretches of the Milky Way galaxy, rather than just a laboratory in Colorado.

Their recent paper revealed that the continual spinning of the pulsars seemed to be interrupted for a few nanoseconds in a way that was replicated on each one of the 45 stars, exactly the kind of effect that low-frequency, universe-traveling gravitational waves would have.

“It is incredibly exciting to see such a strong signal emerge from the data,” said Joseph Simon from the University of Colorado, who led the paper. “However, because the gravitational-wave signal we are searching for spans the entire duration of our observations, we need to carefully understand our noise.

“This leaves us in a very interesting place, where we can strongly rule out some known noise sources, but we cannot yet say whether the signal is indeed from gravitational waves. For that, we will need more data.”

A universal

When in 2015, researchers working at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) detected evidence of a single gravitational wave, a ripple in the fabric of spacetime caused by the collision of two black holes, it won the Nobel Prize in Physics.

The wave their laser array detected was equivalent to a snare drum hit—a seconds long event, after which silence reigned again.

In stark contrast, the NANOGrav project from the U.S. and Canada is trying to measure gravitational waves that take months, or even years to pass over Earth.

These waves would be generated by a theoretical force known as the gravitational wave background (GWB), the equivalent of the low, continual blended hum of voices in a cafeteria or party, generated by millions of cataclysmic events saturating the universe with ripples in space time.

Like many discoveries, especially those related to sub-atomic particles or dark matter, the method of observation involves the effect, not the actual object. Therefore the sensitivity of the detective method must be exquisite, considering the object is invisible and so slow and massive as to require millions of light years of detective space and decades of unblinking focus to see its effect on the cosmic environment.

Therefore, NANOGrav is planning to add more pulsars to its observations through collaboration with the International Pulsar Timing Array, and to study them for even more time.

MORE: Amateur Astronomer Tracks Possible Source of the Famous ‘Wow!’ Signal – a Mystery Since 1977

“The next few years are going to be really exciting for NANOGrav as we put together the next data set and search it for gravitational waves.”said Sarah Vigeland, assistant professor of physics at Uni. of Wisconsin to her university press.

Implications of the gravitational wave background

As universal as the force of the tides here on Earth, everything about our understanding of the universe would have to fall in line with the GWB.

Its power is generated by the most cataclysmic events in existence, such as a collision or merger between two supermassive blackholes, objects billions of times bigger than the sun, and which theoretically sit at the center of many galaxies.

“These enticing first hints of a gravitational wave background suggest that supermassive black holes likely do merge and that we are bobbing in a sea of gravitational waves rippling from supermassive black hole mergers in galaxies across the universe,” said Julie Comerford, an associate professor of astrophysical and planetary science at CU Boulder and NANOGrav team member.

CHECK OUT: Biggest Bang Since ‘The Big Bang’ Creates a Black Hole Science Says Should Not Exist

The power of the GWB would open up entire new fields of study, especially those related to the enigmatic supermassive blackholes, and one day if we should become a spacefaring people, the GWB would, like many other forces of nature that factor into travel on Earth, factor into space travel since the power of the low-frequency waves can alter the positions of planets, stars, and potentially even galaxies.

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“The power of positive thinking is the ability to generate a feeling of certainty in yourself when nothing in the environment supports you.” – Tony Robbins

Quote of the Day

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Good News Network

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Jan 18, 2021

flip success joy jump freedom-pubdomain-Zakaria Zayane — Zakaria Zayane

Quote of the Day: “The power of positive thinking is the ability to generate a feeling of certainty in yourself when nothing in the environment supports you.” – Tony Robbins

Photo by: Zakaria Zayane

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Instead of Charging Women With Shoplifting Groceries, Police Officer Buys $250 Worth of Food For Family in Need

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Good News Network

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Jan 17, 2021

Somerset Police Officer Matt Lima released — Somerset Police Officer Matt Lima

In Massachusetts, a Somerset Police Officer responding to a shoplifting incident, but decided that ‘the punishment didn’t fit the crime’, so he bought groceries for the suspects instead.

It was five days before Christmas when Officer Matt Lima responded to Stop & Shop responding to a report of shoplifting.

Upon his arrival, Officer Lima learned that two women with two young children had not scanned all of their groceries at the self-checkout kiosk, before exiting the store with numerous items not scanned.

Lima took the two suspects aside and learned they had fallen upon hard times and attempted to take additional groceries so they could provide a Christmas dinner for the two children.

“The mother of the children was not working and had some other family issues going on and what she had taken was Christmas dinner for the kids,” the officer told WJAR News.

Officer Lima served the two women Notice Not To Trespass forms, and refused to file criminal charges.

Lima’s boss, Chief George McNeil, said, “This incident is a true testament of Officer Lima’s great character and decision making.”

“The two children with the women reminded me of my kids, so I had to help them out,” Officer Lima said.

Officer Lima then then purchased gift cards in the amount of $250 with his own money so the women would be able to purchase groceries for their Christmas dinner at another Stop & Shop location.

WATCH: Woman Donates Kidney to the Cop Who Locked Her Up

“I would like to personally commend Officer Lima for his actions,” Chief McNeil said. “They exemplify what it means to protect and serve the members of our community. When faced with a difficult situation in which a family was trying to provide a meal for their kids, he made the generous decision to not press charges and instead ensured that they would have a Christmas dinner they could enjoy.”

Check out the local news coverage below…

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This Week’s Inspiring Horoscopes From Rob Brezsny’s ‘Free Will Astrology’

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Good News Network

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Jan 17, 2021

We’ve partnered with our friend Rob Brezsny to provide his weekly wisdom to enlighten your thinking and motivate your mood. Rob’s Free Will Astrology, is a syndicated weekly column appearing in over a hundred publications. He is also the author of Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How All of Creation Is Conspiring To Shower You with Blessings. (A free preview of the book is available here.)

Here is your weekly horoscope…

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY – Week beginning January 15, 2021
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Capricorn author Edgar Allan Poe named “four conditions for happiness: life in the open air; love of another human being; freedom from all ambition; creation.” I’m accomplished in three of those categories, but a failure in being free of all ambitions. In fact, I’m eternally delighted by all the exciting creative projects I’m working on. I’m VERY ambitious. What about you, Capricorn? I’m going to contradict Poe and speculate that your happiness in the coming months will require you to be at least somewhat ambitious. That’s what the planetary omens are telling me. So what are the best goals and dreams for you to be ambitious about?

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
It’s time to launch Operation Supple Watchdog. That means you should be tenderly vigilant as you take extra good care of everyone and everything that provide you with meaning and sustenance. It means you should exercise rigorous but good-humored discernment about any oppressive or demeaning ideas that are flying around. You should protect and preserve the vulnerable parts of your life, but do so with tough-minded compassion, not ornery overreactions. Be skeptical, but warm; breezily resilient but always ready to stand up for what’s right. (P.S. The better you shield yourself against weird surprises, the more likely it is you’ll attract interesting surprises.)

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
The atoms that compose your body have existed for billions of years. Originally created by a star, they have been part of many forms before you. But they are exactly the same in structure as they have ever been. So in a very real sense, you are billions of years old. Now that you know that, how do you feel? Any different? Stronger? More expansive? More eternal? I bring these thoughts to your attention, Pisces, because 2021 will be an excellent year for you to come to a more profound and detailed understanding of your true nature. I hope you will regularly meditate on the possibility that your soul is immortal, that your identity is not confined to this historical era, that you have been alive and will be alive for far longer than you’ve been taught to believe.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
As you ripen into a more fully embodied version of yourself, you will summon ever-greater discrimination about where to seek your inspiration. I trust that you will increasingly divest yourself of any tendency you might have to play around with just any old mediocre fire. More and more, you will be drawn to high-quality blazes that provide just the right amount of heat and light—neither too much nor too little. And you will steadfastly refrain from jumping into the flames, as glamorously dramatic as that might seem—and instead be a master of deft maneuvers that enable you to get the exact energy you need.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Dentsu is a major Japanese advertising agency headquartered in Tokyo. Annually since 1925, its new employees and freshly promoted executives have carried out a company ritual: climbing 12,388-foot-high Mount Fuji, Japan’s tallest peak. The theme of the strenuous workout is this: “We are going to conquer the symbol that represents Japan more than anything else. And, once we do that, it will signify that we can do anything.” In anticipation of what I suspect will be a year of career gains for you, Taurus, I invite you to do the following: Sometime in the next six weeks, go out in nature and perform an equivalent feat.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
On January 13, I received a new email from a Gemini friend who lives in London. It was date-stamped January 15, 2015. Weird! In it, she talked about applying for a new job at a publishing company. That was double weird, because February 2015 was in fact the time she had gotten the editing job that she still has. Her email also conveyed other details about her life that I knew to be old history. So why did it arrive now, six years late? I called her on the phone to see if we could unravel the mystery. In the end we concluded that her email had time-traveled in some inexplicable way. I predict that a comparable event or two will soon happen in your life, Gemini. Blasts from the past will pop in, as if yesterday were today.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Eugene Sue (1804–1857) was a popular French author whose stories often offered sympathetic portrayals of the harsh living conditions endured by people of the lower economic class. Writing generously about those downtrodden folks made him quite wealthy. I’d love to see you employ a comparable strategy in the coming year. What services might you perform that would increase your access to money and resources? How could you benefit yourself by helping and uplifting others?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
The beautiful and luxurious fabric known as silk comes from cocoons spun by insect larvae. Sadly for the creatures that provide the raw material, they’re usually killed by humans harvesting their handiwork. However, there is a special kind of silk in which manufacturers spare the lives of their benefactors. The insects are allowed to mature into moths and escape. I propose that we make them your spirit creatures in the coming weeks. It’s an excellent time for you to take an inventory of everything you do, and evaluate how well it upholds the noble principle of “Do no harm.”

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
“Any time that is not spent on love is wasted,” declared the Italian poet Torquato Tasso. Although I am sympathetic with his sentiment, I can’t agree that acts of love are the only things ever worth doing. Sometimes it’s healthy to be motivated by anger or sadness or skepticism, for example. But I do suspect the coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to be in intense devotion to Tasso’s counsel. All the important successes you achieve will be rooted in an intention to express love and compassion.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
I heard a story about how a music aficionado took a Zen Buddhist monk to a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. The monk wasn’t impressed. “Not enough silence!” he complained. I’m puzzled by that response. If the monk were referring to a busy intersection in a major city, I might agree with him, or the cacophony of a political argument among fanatics on Facebook. But to want more silence in one of history’s greatest pieces of music? That’s perverse. With this in mind, Libra, and in accordance with astrological omens, I encourage you to seek extra protection from useless noise and commotion during the coming weeks—even as you hungrily seek out rich sources of beautiful information, sound, and art.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
“Some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal,” wrote Scorpio author Albert Camus. If you’re one of those folks, I’m happy to inform you that you have cosmic permission to relax. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to explore the pleasures of NOT being conventional, standard, ordinary, average, routine, prosaic, or common. As you expansively practice non-normalcy, you will enhance your health, sharpen your wits, and clarify your decisions.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Our lives tend to be shaped by the stories about ourselves that we create and harbor in our imaginations. The adventures we actually experience, the problems we actually face, are often (not always) in alignment with the tales we tell ourselves about our epic fates. And here’s the crux of the matter: We can change the stories we tell ourselves. We can discard tales that reinforce our pain, and dream up revised tales that are more meaningful and pleasurable. I believe 2021 will be an excellent time for you to attend to this fun work. Your assignment: Be a self-nurturing storyteller.

WANT MORE? Listen to Rob’s EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, 4-5 minute meditations on the current state of your destiny — or subscribe to his unique daily text message service at: RealAstrology.com

(Zodiac images by Numerologysign.com –CC license)

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Watch Arizona Woman Frantically Pounding on Door to Save Family From Fire Just Before Roof Collapses

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Jan 17, 2021

An Arizona woman was determined to save her neighbors from a house fire—and the rescue was caught on the family’s doorbell camera.

When Carolyn Palisch saw smoke floating past her window early in the morning on New Year’s Day, she knew she needed to check on the Salgados family of six living next door.

The video shows her frantically pounding on the front door of their home in Avondale.

Nicole Salgado says she’s glad Carolyn was so persistent in trying to wake them.

At 7:30am Carolyn finally roused them and ushered the family to safety just in time.

According to Nicole Salgado, minutes after they escaped, the roof collapsed.

The Salgado family lost all their belongings in the fire, but a GoFundMe campaign has raised $48,000 of the $50,000 goal.

WATCH the Inside Edition video below…

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After Year of Isolation, Most Americans Still Aren’t Tired of Their Homes, And Plan Even More Upgrades

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Good News Network

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Jan 17, 2021

Tiny Home - Mighty Buildings - Released (1) — Credit: Mighty Buildings

According to a new study, 55% of Americans made a significant change decorating their home in 2020—and 71% said that, even after spending so much time at home in 2020, they’re planning to take their projects to the next level in the new year.

Expect several trendy design features to take up residence in Americans’ homes this year, including smart furniture (34%), natural elements (31%) and colorful statement art (28%), which were among the most coveted interior features respondents want to incorporate in 2021.

Sustainable design (26%) and light-colored woods (26%) also featured prominently in respondents’ redesign plans.

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Puffy with 2,000 Americans across the spectrum, the survey also looked at the styles and items most key to creating respondents’ dream dwellings.

Top decor style shifts pursued by respondents in 2020 included making over a room in modern (35%), traditional (22%) and mid-century modern (12%) design styles.

Eclectic (9%) and minimalist (9%) styles also made an impression, and it’s likely these will continue to be popular in the new year.

The most common reason for the decor alterations, though, wasn’t purely out of boredom, and the changes were not purely cosmetic.

While a change of scenery was sorely needed for 11% of respondents, it wasn’t the top reason respondents reported changing up their interiors.

Nor was a desire to have a space that better served them for the new functions, like homeschooling, that their homes required, the most popular reason (12%).

Instead, craving a home with more luxurious items (28%) and creating a place that felt more like a sanctuary (25%) were actually the motivations respondents cited most often when asked why they wanted to change up their space.

LOOK: Stunning ‘Bubble Hotel’ Under the Icelandic Stars is Truly the Perfect ‘Socially Distancing’ Destination

Nearly four in 10 also said that Scandinavian design – known for its clean lines – was an influence in their home decor changes.

Coziness is a top priority for many respondents, with 78% saying that when it comes to decor, coziness is more important than anything else.

And the interior revamps they already made in 2020 seem to have had the intended effect for 73% of respondents, who agreed with the statement, “My home is my sanctuary.”

When asked which items were most key to making their home their cozy dwelling space, respondents’ couches (27%) and beds (27%) were the clear frontrunners.

“It’s no surprise that simplicity, sustainability and technology are the standout focal points of 2021 home decor. We are seeing a significant shift in the mindset of decorators. There is now more emphasis on merging visual appeal with function and coziness — especially in the bedroom,” added Arthur Andreasyan, CEO of Puffy.

“Creating a sanctuary that delivers comfort every day is critical for overall wellness and happiness.”

TOP DECOR TRENDS RESPONDENTS WANT TO INCORPORATE IN 2021

Smart furniture (34%)
Natural elements (31%)
Colorful statement art (28%)
Sustainable design (26%)
Light-colored woods (26%)
Grey color palettes. (21%)
Deep blue color palettes (20%)
Modern rustic fixtures (19%)
Polka dot print (17%)
Neutral color palettes (14%)

This has to be good news for businesses—and mental health.

Stunning Heart-Shaped Amethyst Geode Discovered by Miners in Uruguay – And it’s Now For Sale

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Good News Network

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Jan 17, 2021

There are probably thousands of heart-shaped gems manufactured for gifts on Valentine’s Day, but this amethyst crystal didn’t need any carving or polishing. When miners broke it open they found an extraordinary heart already prepared by Mother Earth.

By Marcos Lorenzelli – Uruguay Minerals Instagram

Workers discovered the amazing quartz geode at the border of Uruguay and Brazil when they split open a rock to discover a beautiful purple heart on each side of it.

Uruguay Minerals had just begun excavation at the Santa Rosa mine in the Catalan area in Artigas, and weren’t sure if anything of value would be uncovered.

The land with its rugged terrain of basalt provided difficult conditions under which to work—but their struggle was rewarded with ‘a pearl of great price’.

“What a treasure!” exclaimed Marcos Lorenzelli of Uruguay Minerals, who said it was the first time the company had ever found such a once-in-a-lifetime gemstone.

Lorenzelli told GNN they have already received a bid of $120,000 for the matching pair of rocks. Due to the basalt, Lorenzelli estimates the weight to be over 150 pounds (80kg).

LOOK: Watch 84-Year-old’s Reaction to Winning New Car After Sinking Incredible 93-Foot Putt

You can contact them with your own bid through their website—and also find many smaller hearts and angel wings crafted by their team to fit smaller budgets looking for the February birthstone.

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“My mother always used to say, “The older you get, the better you get. Unless you’re a banana.” – Betty White (turns 99 today)

Quote of the Day

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Good News Network

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Jan 17, 2021

Quote of the Day: “My mother always used to say, ‘The older you get, the better you get. Unless you’re a banana.’” – Betty White (who turns 99 today)

The line is from her book, If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won’t)

Photo by: clappstar, CC license

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Amazon Launches $2 Billion Housing Fund to Make 20,000 Affordable Homes Available for Working Families in 3 Cities

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Good News Network

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Jan 16, 2021

Amazon this month unveiled a new Housing Equity Fund, investing more than $2 billion to preserve and create over 20,000 affordable housing units in three communities where the company has thousands of employees—Washington State’s Puget Sound; Arlington, Virginia; and Nashville, Tennessee.

Amazon’s Housing Equity Fund will help preserve existing housing and help create housing developments through below-market loans and grants to housing partners, public agencies, and minority-led organizations.

The Fund seeks to “ensure that moderate- to low-income families can afford housing in resource-rich communities with easy access to neighborhood services, amenities, and jobs,” according to a news release.

Amazon’s first investments include $381.9 million in below-market loans and grants to the Washington Housing Conservancy to preserve and create up to 1,300 affordable homes on the Crystal House property in Arlington and $185.5 million in below-market loans and grants to King County Housing Authority to preserve up to 1,000 affordable homes in the state of Washington, with additional investments to come in all three regions.

“I’m thrilled Amazon and King County Housing Authority are working together to make our growing Bellevue community more inclusive, equitable, and opportunity-rich for families of all income levels,” said Bellevue City Manager Brad Miyake. “Corporate-nonprofit partnerships like this will ensure positive, long-term change as we tackle this affordability crisis together as a region.”

Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos said that his company has been helping people in need, including building a Mary’s Place family shelter within the newest Amazon office building last year to support over 200 women and children experiencing homelessness in Puget Sound. “This new $2 billion Housing Equity Fund will create or preserve 20,000 affordable homes… (and) help local families achieve long-term stability while building strong, inclusive communities.”

Amazon is providing below-market capital—in the form of loans, lines of credit, and grants—to households making between 30% to 80% of the area’s median income. In the Washington, D.C. metro area, this translates to a household of four earning less than $79,600 a year. In the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area, this translates to a household of four earning less than $95,250 a year.

Amazon’s Housing Equity Fund will provide an additional $125 million in cash grants to businesses, nonprofits, and minority-led organizations.

“In booming cities across the U.S., many apartment buildings affordable for teachers, healthcare providers, transit workers, and others with modest incomes are increasingly being redeveloped into luxury apartments, causing displacement and reducing housing options for working families,” said Sarah Rosen Wartell, President, Urban Institute.

CHECK OUT: Amazon’s Bezos Makes Amends, Giving $2 Billion to Help Homeless Families

“Investments like those announced by Amazon that help preserve these existing buildings and maintain moderate rent levels are critical to local efforts that promote economic inclusion and support the stability and economic mobility of moderate- and low-income families.”

The Housing Equity Fund website details the commitments:

Washington Housing Conservancy’s Crystal House in Arlington, Virginia

Amazon’s first Housing Equity Fund commitment in Virginia includes a $339.9 million below-market loan and grants worth $42 million to the Washington Housing Conservancy (WHC)—a nonprofit organization that preserves homes so they are affordable for moderate- to low-income residents. A typical affordable housing acquisition would be financed with a combination of loans and private investment, with interest rates as high as 15% for certain portions of the financing. Access to Amazon’s lower-cost long-term financing will allow WHC to maintain affordability well into the future in the National Landing neighborhood of Arlington. Amazon’s grants also include $2 million to fund WHC’s social impact work.

With Amazon’s flexible capital, WHC was able to execute the purchase of Crystal House in under two months, an expedited timeline for commercial real estate transactions. WHC’s finance partner, the Washington Housing Initiative and Impact Pool, created by developer JBG SMITH, provided commercial real estate expertise and an additional loan of $6.7 million. Crystal House will offer a dynamic rental structure. Through natural renter turnover, rents will be significantly lowered to appeal to households earning less than 80% of AMI. The conversion of existing apartments to more affordable apartments began on Jan. 1, 2021 and will continue over the next five years. A 99-year covenant ensures that Crystal House will remain affordable for the long term. JBG SMITH will manage the property on behalf of WHC.

“Amazon’s investment in affordable housing in Arlington is transformational—and couldn’t come at a better time,” said Matt de Ferranti, Arlington County Board Chair. “We are delighted to further strengthen our partnership with Amazon and to work together to serve our shared commitment to equity and economic opportunity for all of our residents.”

King County Housing Authority in Washington State

As part of Amazon’s ongoing and growing partnership with the King County Housing Authority (KCHA), Amazon’s first Housing Equity Fund commitment in Washington will fund an initial $161.5 million below-market loan and $24 million in grants to preserve affordability for 1,000 apartment homes. The funds, to start, will allow KCHA to complete acquisition financing on 470 recently acquired units across three properties—Pinewood Village (108 units), Hampton Greens (326 units), and the Illahee Apartments (36 units)—preserving these critical resources as affordable housing by maintaining rent affordable to households earning at or below 80% of local median incomes. This commitment includes $4 million of the grant funds to support the preservation of housing for extremely low-income households (less than 30% of AMI) at the Illahee Apartments.

The Housing Authority’s portfolio currently includes over 7,000 housing units affordable to moderate- and low-income workers. With support from Amazon’s Housing Equity Fund, KCHA will continue to build its portfolio and increase affordability over time by minimizing rent increases. These buildings will remain affordable long term—for at least 99 years.

“Acquiring these properties in Bellevue to ensure that they stay affordable is critical to preserving the economic diversity of this area,” said Stephen Norman, Executive Director, King County Housing Authority. “We are excited to work with Amazon to preserve affordable housing options close to jobs, transit, and schools. Our whole region thrives when a range of housing options is available to all.”

Since announcing its selection of Arlington as the site of its second headquarters, Amazon has donated more than $19 million to community organizations across the Washington, D.C. metro area. Most recently, Amazon gave $3 million across four legal service agencies to support families and individuals facing eviction issues due to challenges stemming from the ongoing pandemic. In Seattle, Amazon has provided more than $100 million in cash and in-kind donations to Mary’s Place, a nonprofit focused on fighting family homelessness.

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This Could Be Your Dream Job: Thousands Apply to Be Caretakers on Remote Irish Island

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Jan 16, 2021

seaside cottage in ireland rainbow-Great Blasket Island FB fairuse — Great Blasket Island - Facebook

If you love the rugged wilderness and rustic living, this might be your dream job.

For the second year running, owners of a coffee shop and four rental cottages on Great Blasket Island are in search of an intrepid duo to take up concierge duty for the tourist season from April 1st through October 1st.

According to owners Billy O’Connor and his partner Alice Hayes, last year they received more than 40,000 applications for the sought-after gig, from as far away as Mexico, Finland, and Argentina.

Located just off the coast of Ireland’s County Kerry, the isolated island is a hiker’s paradise during the height of the summer, with hundreds of visitors daily.

Caretakers will be provided with accommodation, food, and glorious views of some of Mother Nature’s most spectacular seaside scenery.

“It’s absolutely fantastic that so many people want to come here,” O’Connor told The Irish Examiner, “but many didn’t realize what the living conditions are like.”

He is referring to the fact that there’s no electricity or hot running water on the Island. That means anyone who gets the job will need to go with the flow.

Since they’ll be living in a main bedroom above the coffee shop, O’Connor and Hayes think a couple would be ideally suited for the situation. Chores basically entail running the coffee shop and maintaining the holiday cabins.

LOOK: Greek Athlete Carries Disabled Woman Up Mount Olympus, Fulfilling Her Lifelong Dream

Since so much of the local tourist trade is weather-dependent—and it rains a lot in Ireland—there can also be long stretches of downtime. (The daily schedule is detailed on the website.) Additionally, when it get hectic in June and July, a volunteer or two will be hosted in a second bedroom upstairs.

To narrow the field of entries, this year they’re asking that any would-be caretakers make sure they meet the criteria posted on the website prior to filling out the application. Applications will be accepted, here, until January 22.

While they concede that due to COVID-19 considerations, this year’s caretakers will likely be Irish (as were the two previous couples), O’Connor and Hayes will consider all viable applications, with hopes of opening the opportunity to more candidates from abroad.

CHECK OUT: After COVID Cancels All Flights, One Man Sailed Solo Across the Atlantic to Reach His 90-Year-old Father

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4 Major Asian Nations Cancel 80% of Planned Coal Power Projects After Fossil Fuel Market Crashes in 2020

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Andy Corbley

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Jan 16, 2021

coal mining trucks-cc-flickr-Parolan Harahap — Coal mining: Parolan Harahap, CC license

Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and the Philippines have canceled nearly 45 gigawatts of proposed coal power projects, a figure equal to more than one-quarter of the total installed capacity of Germany.

These are four critical emerging markets that were targeted for growth by the struggling coal industry, but a mixture of pandemic and financing-related problems caused them to pivot toward considering more cost-effective and environmentally-sound alternatives.

The year 2020 was as bad for coal as it was for health systems, and a new analysis by Global Energy Monitor (GEM) shows there will be no stimulus or v-shaped recovery for the black mineral.

After banks in South Korea and Japan, the major Asian coal investors, announced new regulations on coal power development, plans that included 29 new plants in Bangladesh alone, for example, went up in smoke.

“We are reviewing how we can move from coal-based power plants,” said Bangladesh’s Energy Minister, Nasrul Hamid during a webinar in June, 2020. He noted they were keeping three coal-fired plants that are under construction, but are aiming for 40GW of total generation capacity where only 5GW is coal based.

LOOK: Bezos Created $10 Billion Earth Fund to Meet Climate Crisis, First Grants of $800M Go to Iconic Environmental Groups

Thousands of miles to the east, Vietnam’s draft version of their Power Development Plan, to enter into force in 2022, included the canceling of 7 plants, and the icing of 6 already in progress, to be reviewed again in 2030.

By November, the Philippines had proposed a moratorium on new coal projects, which analysts from GEM estimate as totaling nearly 10GW.

Coal mining: Parolan Harahap, CC license

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi noted that part of the moratorium was to urge 100% foreign ownership on geothermal exploration and projects. His nation already has the highest rate of renewable power in the Greater Southeast Asia region and they project solar power to surge to 35% of the energy mix by 2030.

“I am determined to accelerate the development of our country’s indigenous resources,” he said at a speech in Singapore during International Energy Week 2020. “We are also pushing for the transition from fossil fuel-based technology utilization to cleaner energy sources to ensure more sustainable growth for the country.”

How it all happened

During the 2010s, it was estimated that while most of the developed world was on the verge of shunning coal, the Asian strongholds of Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, and China provided the opportunity for one final golden age for coal exporters.

But by early 2020, energy monitoring groups like Carbon Tracker were showing to policy makers that their planned coal plants carried enormous risk of becoming “stranded assets,” projects that would simply become too un-economical to operate.

In a report from Carbon Tracker entitled: How to Waste Over Half a Trillion Dollars, the authors demonstrated that renewable energy sources had bitten so deeply into the market share that in all of the previously mentioned countries, renewables were cheaper to build and operate than coal — almost 10 years before $600 billion worth of new coal projects were set to be completed.

In 2019, Singapore’s three major banks announced a total end to coal power financing.

Banks like Sumitomo Mitsui in Japan and KSURE in Korea, along with their respective governments, reconsidered their financing path. Energy Tracker Asia reports that Japanese investments would rely on the country possessing “ultra-supercritical technology,” and “having a decarbonization strategy.”

China remains the world’s largest investor in Asian coal projects, but their recent net-zero announcement suggests that even though they’ve beefed up Cambodia’s coal-powered resources, they will reduce their own reliance on the mineral.

Regardless of how monopolistic governments throw their money around, the reality is that both banks, and thousands of investors around the world are making investment choices based on climate realities, while the simple development of lower cost, higher-quality technology driven by market innovation has rapidly brought renewable energy or liquified natural gas up to speed with modern energy needs.

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