S&P Upgrades U.S. Credit Outlook To ‘Stable’
Standard & Poor's today revised upward its credit outlook on the United States government from negative to stable, citing recent increases in tax receipts and steps taken to address longer-term budget issues. - Reuters
Worldwide Air Crashes in 2006 Lowest in 53 Years
Air travel is getting safer as the number of plane crashes worldwide fell to its lowest level in 53 years during 2006. Even while air travel increased by 4 percent over the previous year, 22 fewer commercial flights ended in disaster.
California Beaches Were Less Polluted in 2013
95 percent of California beaches earned A or B grades for water quality during the summer of 2013, a 2% improvement over 2012, according to an annual report. (LA Times)
Sudan Lifts Ban on Opposition Newspaper
A Sudanese official said in late January the government has lifted a ban on an opposition newspaper, a week after Khartoum announced that it would hold a national dialogue to address freedom of expression. -AP
Abortion Rate at 30-Year Low
The U.S. abortion rate has reached a 30-year-low. In 2005 a survey of abortion providers showed the rate was lower than the number of abortions in 1975, which was just two years after Roe v. Wade became the law of the land. The results revealed an eight percent drop in totals from 2000 to 2005. -Alan Guttmacher Institute
Colombia Army and Rebels Meet in First-ever Peace Talks
Colombian military officers and leftist guerrillas from FARC met face-to-face for the first time in their 50-year war, starting talks on a ceasefire. (Reuters)
Mild Season for Tornado Alley
"During a remarkable 17-day lull from mid-May through early June, there were no tornado watches issued anywhere in the United States, a period that is typically the height of the season in Tornado Alley," reported the AP this week. (July 31, 2009)
US Vehicles Hit Record Gas Mileage in 2012
New cars and trucks sold in the US in 2012 hit a record for average of miles per gallon - 23.6 - in combined city and highway driving through improvements to engines and transmissions. Carbon dioxide emissions also hit a record low.
Aid From Rich Nations Doubled in 4 Years
Industrialized nations are giving more economic assistance to the world's impoverished states, revealed the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development in statistics released on Jan. 29, 2007. Aid rose by 8.8 percent in 2005, the fifth consecutive annual increase, and had more than doubled since 2001.
UN Finds Global Hunger Easing in 2010
The number of people in the world suffering chronic malnutrition fell for the first time in 15 years -- down 9.3 percent in 2010, according to the United Nations' food agency. - FAO
States Set Renewable Energy Goals
Eighteen states, including power hogs California and Texas, have set requirements or goals for renewable energy. New York, for one, aims to generate 25 percent of the state's energy from renewables by 2013, up from 19 percent today. (Jan. 2006)
Tesla Gives Away All its Patents To Spur Electric Car Growth
To further advance electric vehicle technology and address the carbon crisis, Tesla Motors has opened all its patents to its competitors, saying it will not initiate lawsuits against any who use their technology in good faith.
Arctic Bowhead Whale Population Thriving
The Arctic bowhead whale population is estimated to be around 17,000, up from 5,000 in the early 1980s, according to an Alaskan Eskimo commission.
Olympic Stadium Lighting is Made in Iowa
The US Olympic uniforms may have been made in China, but the stadium lighting was made in America. A company called Musco, in Muscatine, Iowa has lit every Olympic game since 1984 -- as well as center court at Wimbledon, the World Trade Center site and probably your kid's sporting field. (Musco.com)
Albuquerque Residents Recycle Big in 2014
Albuquerque residents smashed their recycling record in 2014, collecting 70 percent more than they did in 2013. (KOAT)
Gamestop Raises $2.8Mil for St. Jude’s Hospital Charity Drive
During Gamestop's 3rd annual fundraiser for children suffering from extreme illnesses at St. Jude's hospital, customers donated $2.8 million dollars in December, exceeding the gaming store’s original goal of $1 million. (Gamestop)
Electric Utility Emissions 70% Cleaner Than in 1990
Yearly measurements from the 100 largest power producers in the U.S. show that emissions from sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are 70 percent lower than they were in 1990, according to a new report that highlights progress in the nation's electric power sector. Mercury is down 40 percent since 2000, the first year it was tracked.
Worldwide Renewable Energy Jobs Hit Almost 6.5 Million In 2013
Global renewable jobs hit almost 6.5 million in 2013, a 14 percent increase over the previous year, driven by the rising solar market and employment in China, says a report from the International Renewable Energy Agency.
Hybrid Car Sales Surge
Hybrid car sales during the year 2000 numbered fewer than 10,000. Last year sales climbed to 330,000 vehicles. In May 2008, auto sales for every US manufacturer was down by up to 28%. Only Honda sales were up (by 16%) led by their popular hybrid.
Fewer Pirate Attacks on World Seas in 2011
With more international boats patrolling the high seas, piracy in 2011 dropped for the first time in five years. Pirate attacks in the South China Sea were cut by almost two thirds and Bangladesh incidents plunged by more than half. -Associated Press