Good News Headlines 7/29/2024

Photo©devmarya/123rf

Octopus Farming In The U.S. Would Be Banned Under A New Bill In Congress

by Bill Chappell, NPR

A controversial plan to commercially farm octopus for meat has led to a U.S. bill that would ban the practice, along with any imports linked to it. Bipartisan legislation to ban octopus farming was introduced in Congress on Friday, after NPR reported on the issue. “Octopuses are among the most intelligent creatures in the oceans. And they belong at sea, not suffering on a factory farm,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, a co-author of the bill, said in a statement to NPR. The legislation comes as scientists and animal advocates express outrage over a plan by a large seafood company in Spain to farm octopuses on an unprecedented scale to harvest them for seafood.

Joy Breaks Into The Olympics

by the Monitor’s Editorial Board

“We’re going to bring something new to the table. We’re going to bring a vibe.” That is how U.S. athlete Victor Montalvo describes the newest sport to reach the Olympics. At each Summer Games, the host city gets to add new events. Tokyo introduced surfing for the 2020 Games. In 2016 Rio de Janeiro featured rugby. When the XXXIII Olympiad opens in Paris next week, the new athletes will be breakdancers, aka B-boys and B-girls. “We’re going to bring that peace, love, unity, and having fun,” Mr. Montalvo, a world champion breaker, told CGTN Sports Scene. “This is like a beautiful art form. … You don’t need money, you know; you just need a dance floor. That’s it.”

EPA Announces $4.3 Billion For Climate And Pollution Improvement Projects Across 30 States

by Paige Bennett, EcoWatch

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Monday $4.3 billion in funding that will go toward 25 projects across 30 states. The projects will address climate pollution and environmental justice. The EPA announced the funding through Climate Pollution Reduction Grants, made available through the Inflation Reduction Act. According to the agency, estimates for the selected projects could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of 971 million metric tons by 2050. This would equate to the emissions from energy consumption of 5 million homes for 25 years.

Youtuber ‘Mrbeast’ Just Removed 17,000 Tons Of Ocean Trash By Harnessing Social Media Influencers And Fans

by Andy Corbley, Good News Network

The world’s most influential YouTuber has accomplished an incredible feat of crowdfunding after leading dozens of the world’s top influencers to drive donations and volunteering toward the goal of cleaning up the oceans. 34 million pounds of trash and plastic were removed from oceans and rivers all across the globe, with each dollar donated verified by an independent third party as going directly to removing one pound of trash. Partnering with the Ocean Conservancy and the Ocean Cleanup, the famous YouTuber MrBeast, aka James Donaldson, launched the TeamSeas initiative, which brought together hundreds of voices with large followers on social media.

G20 Nations Take ‘Important Step’ Toward Fair Taxation Of Ultra-Rich

by Julia Conley, Common Dreams

Despite pushback from the United States delegation, finance ministers at a meeting of the c countries in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday agreed on the need to develop a global taxation system in which the richest in the world are taxed at a higher rate—potentially unlocking hundreds of billions of dollars annually to help close the international wealth gap. Ahead of the G20 Summit scheduled for November, which Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s government will host, the finance officials met this week to discuss economic issues and ultimately agreed to start a “dialogue on fair and progressive taxation, including of ultra-high-net-worth individuals.”