Art & Good News 1-13-2024
Weekly roundup for January 13th, 2024 with art and uplifting stories.
Starting with some art…
The weather is getting snowy and wintery where I am, and that has caused me to start dreaming of warm sandy beaches. Who wouldn’t rather be on a nice warm beach when it is super cold where you live. Someday I will go scuba diving or snorkeling on a beautiful beach instead of shoveling snow đŸ˜‰. I hope everyone is staying safe and warm if you live in a cold climate.
Now to the Good News…
US buildings kill up to a billion birds a year. These architects want to save them
Modern architecture is not bird friendly, and it hasn’t been since the 1970s when glass design really took hold as the standard in design. However, as the science and design has evolved architects are coming up with innovative solutions to minimize the bird deaths. Many work with the Audubon Society to design more bird friendly buildings that either have special glass that birds can see, or use alternative materials like wood and concrete. There are even some architects who are creating green roofs and facades that invite the birds to stay and settle in to the building. Hopefully these changes in architecture will save many birds.
How Uruguay achieved 98% renewable energy
Picture it, it is the year 2000, oil prices are rising at an unsustainable rate; especially if you’re living in a country that is completely dependent on oil from other countries for their energy like Uruguay. When the prices spiked they started looking for solutions and most people said the only option was to go with a nuclear power plant. However, after some research they found that renewables were a much more promising investment. While it wasn’t a perfectly smooth transition, the results speak for themselves generating anywhere from 90-95% of the countries energy. They also had an increase in work opportunities and decrease in poverty from 40% down to 10%. This is a model for what can be done to really achieve energy independence.
Photographer Gives Shelter Dogs a ‘Second Shot’ With Professional Adoption Photos
A good photo can go a long way. Which is why Adam and Mary Goldberg got involved in helping to photograph shelter animals so that the pets find good homes. They photograph pets for a living and specialize in making the animals feel at ease. Since shelter animals are normally very scared and skittish they normally do not photograph well, which in turn makes it harder for them to get adopted. The Second Shot program is a great one that runs on donations, so check it out if you have time.
Thank you so much for joining me on my journey through the good news this week.
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