Good News Headlines 12/23/2024
Image courtesy The Story of Stuff Project
Coke Has Secretly Brought Back Their Vintage Refillable Bottles…Only In This US City
by The Story of Stuff Project
Despite the company’s public downplaying of the success and popularity of reusable glass bottles, Coca-Cola operates a thriving refillable glass bottle program in just this one US city, which could be a key to tackling plastic pollution globally. Coca-Cola has been the world’s biggest plastic polluter for 6 years running, according to BreakFreeFromPlastic’s Brand Audits, even though it is entirely capable of leading in this space. The Story of Stuff Project is uncovering the details.
Cotton-And-Squid-Bone Sponge Can Soak Up 99.9% Of Microplastics, Scientists Say
by Tom Perkins, The Guardian
A sponge made of cotton and squid bone that has absorbed about 99.9% of microplastics in water samples in China could provide an elusive answer to ubiquitous microplastic pollution in water across the globe, a new report suggests. Just as importantly, the filter’s production appears to be scalable, the University of Wuhan study authors said in the paper. That would address a problem that has stymied the use of previous microplastic filtration systems that were successful in controlled settings, but could not be scaled up.
Breakthrough: Mexico’s Constitution Now Includes Animal Protection As A Fundamental Value
by Anton Aguilar, The Humane Society
Some milestones feel like the beginning of a brighter future, and this is one of them. Mexico has taken a groundbreaking step by enshrining animal protection as a fundamental value in its constitution. This transformative reform represents years of advocacy and a growing societal commitment to protecting animals from cruelty, neglect and suffering.
Invasive ‘Murder Hornets’ Are Wiped Out In The US, Officials Say
by Gene Johnson, AP News
The world’s largest hornet, an invasive breed dubbed the “murder hornet” for its dangerous sting and ability to slaughter a honey bee hive in a matter of hours, has been declared eradicated in the U.S., five years after being spotted for the first time in Washington state near the Canadian border. The Washington and U.S. Departments of Agriculture announced the eradication Wednesday, saying there had been no detections of the northern giant hornet in Washington since 2021.
Soft Medium, Hard Truths – National Endowment For The Arts Recognizes A Navajo Quilter
by Adam Burke, NPR
Susan Hudson’s studio near Ignacio, Colorado, is often a chaotic mess of brightly colored fabrics and half-finished projects. “I’m disorganized/organized,” she said with a laugh. “I know where everything is. But I did clean up a little when I knew you were coming for a visit.” At the time, Hudson was finishing work on her latest show quilt, “Standing Strong In The Face of Genocide.” Trimmed in black fabric, the four-paneled quilt showed a sequence of images focused on a single figure, like frames in a graphic novel.
