Good News Headlines 3/23/2022
Photo courtesy Denver Police Department
Denver’s Program To Dispatch Mental Health Teams Instead Of Police Is So Successful It Is Expanding 5-Fold
by Good News Network
After dispatching mental health teams, instead of police officers, to certain 911 emergency calls, the city of Denver is proclaiming their pilot program a huge success—and expanding it significantly. Since June 2020, the Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) has deployed medical and behavioral health clinicians to respond to over 2,200 low risk calls reporting trespassing, intoxication, or mental health crises involving poverty, homelessness or addiction.
With War On Their Doorstep, Romanians Are Rushing To Help Their Ukrainian Neighbors
by Jenna Griffin, Upworthy
The vast majority of refugees are in transit toward other countries and some toward other regions of Romania, so there is a constant flow of people that need housing, transportation and basic provisions. They tell us that hundreds of people arrive on a single ferry—sometimes upwards of 700 refugees arriving at one time. The majority come on foot, either abandoning their cars on the side of the road before reaching the border, or not having one to begin with.
Waterless Way To Clean Solar Panels Discovered By MIT Researchers
by Paige Bennett, Eco Watch
Solar power currently accounts for 3% of power generation in the U.S. By the end of the decade, it’s expected to reach 10%. Many solar power plants will be placed in desert locations, where sunlight is abundant, but regardless of the location, solar panels do get dirty over time. Rather than wasting water to clean the panels, which is essential for optimal energy output, MIT researchers have found a new way to clean solar panels without using any water.
Ingenious Electric Train Fully Charges Itself By Rolling Downhill With Heavy Load
by Victor Tangermann, Futurism.com
Australian mining company Fortescue is looking to reduce the carbon footprint of its operations by allowing a specially designed electric “Infinity Train” to roll down a hill to recharge its massive batteries — without ever relying on an external charging system. “The Infinity Train has the capacity to be the world’s most efficient battery electric locomotive,” Fortescue CEO Elizabeth Gaines said in a statement.
Nigerian Mom Designs Solar-Powered Cribs That Put An End To Baby Jaundice Disease
by Andy Corbley, Good News Network
A Nigerian mom found out the hard way that jaundice is still a dangerous disease in Africa—but now she’s putting an end to the infant disease with her new tech startup, making solar-powered cribs. After her traumatic experience with jaundice as a new mother, Virtue Oboro pivoted 180° in her professional life, in an effort to help prevent the terrifying situation from befalling other moms.
