by Chris Powell, Activist Post: Money Metals writer Mike Maharrey yesterday shot down the laughable assertion made this week by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell that bitcoin is, “like gold,” merely a “speculative asset” and thus a competitor with gold, not the dollar, because people aren’t using bitcoin for payments or as a store of […]

Welcome back to our weekly behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s getting our team talking. Let us know what you think at info@reasonstobecheerful.world. Rising tide This week, we were drawn to surprising stories about renewable energy. The first, shared by Executive Editor Will Doig from Inside Climate News, takes us to a very small island community in Maine that’s taking big steps toward energy resilience. Will says:   The easternmost point in the US is a tiny island off the coast of Maine. Home to 1,300 residents, Eastport’s diesel generator broke down in 2018 and was never replaced. Instead, the town is building a microgrid that runs off tidal and solar power. Their goal is to show that even remote places with harsh weather can become energy independent. Winds of change Our second surprising story about renewables — from Windpower Monthly via Audience Engagement Manager Sophie Pitt — takes us to the city of Bristol, England, where residents led a campaign to build an onshore wind turbine. Sophie says:   A story of incredible determination over 12 years from a “bunch of unruly residents” from Lawrence Weston, an impoverished area of Bristol, who have come together to build England’s only new onshore wind turbine in the last decade. The turbine, which is the largest in the country, has been running for a year and the first payment from the profits are due in January. And that’s not all, the residents have built 38 affordable homes, a community center and brought a large supermarket to the area. Development Manager Mark Pepper says there’s no reason any other community can’t achieve similar success. What else we’re reading Sophie de Oliveira Barata’s Alternative Limb Project designs creative prosthetics for amputees — shared by Founding Editor Christine McLaren from 60 Second Docs How AI monitoring is cutting stillbirths and neonatal deaths in a clinic in Malawi  — shared by Contributing Editor Michaela Haas from The Guardian Biden designates national monument at site of notorious Native American boarding school — shared by Editorial Director Rebecca Worby from The Hill In other news… In celebration of our fifth anniversary, RTBC founder David Byrne spoke to NPR’s Scott Simon for the Rotary Voices podcast. In the episode, Byrne tells Simon about how Reasons to be Cheerful helps us to “hear the birds,” why stories like this popular one about the Penobscot River have stayed with him, and what he’s learned from five years of the magazine. Have a listen here. The post What We’re Reading: A Quest for Energy Independence on a Remote Island appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.

December 11, 2024

They’re unmistakably American, but their lead visionary names Henry Cow, Soft Machine, Gentle Giant and Van der Graaf Generator among his motivators, and explains why his band is definitely not punk

As language evolves, we often expand the meanings of certain words and phrases. Thanks largely to slang, words like “bad” and “ill” can now be used positively. In most instances, though, those words rarely lose their original meaning. We just expand our use of them. However, there are many words in the English language that […] The post 10 Common Words That Have Lost Their Original Meaning appeared first on Listverse.

“In the second century of the Christian era, the Empire of Rome comprehended the fairest part of the earth, and the most civilized portion of mankind. The frontiers of that extensive monarchy were guarded by ancient renown and disciplined valor. The gentle but powerful influence of laws and manners had gradually cemented the union of […] The post 10 Wars That Shattered the Pax Romana appeared first on Listverse.

The remains of a shipwreck dating to the 6th or 5th century B.C. in the waters off Santa Maria del Focallo, a beach town on the southern tip of Sicily. An underwater excavation found the wreck at a depth of 20 feet, the wood of the hill buried under sand and rocks. Experts revealed that the ship’s hull was constructed using the su guscio technique, a method that involved joining the planks of the hull with dovetail joints and clamps, which gave the structure notable strength and self-sufficiency. Furthermore, near the wreck, two sets of anchors were identified. The two iron anchors, of the inverted “T” type, are attributed to the 7th century AD, while the four stone anchors appear to be of prehistoric origin, extending the chronology of the found elements. The presence of a wreck at the site was first reported to the Superintendence of the Sea in 2022 and documented by volunteer Antonino Giunta of the non-profit cultural association BCsicilia. The Superintendency followed up with an excavation campaign that concluded in September of this year. The wreck was not removed, but divers collected samples of the beams for paleobotanical analysis. They also took high-resolution photographs of the wreck site. Using photogrammetry technology, the team was able to create a 3D model of the wreck that was used to document the ship’s remains with pinpoint precision. The discovery of this wreck underscores the importance of Sicily as a strategic point in trade routes with ancient Greece. The materials and techniques found not only provide insight into the nautical skills of the time but also highlight the intense commercial and cultural activity that flourished in the Mediterranean.

UNITED NATIONS —  Sudan - for the second year in a row - topped a 2025 watchlist of global humanitarian crises released Wednesday by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) aid organization, followed…

The motion reverses an earlier decision, and kickstarts a process for the council to be able to officially hold Australia Day events again.The Geelong City Council in Victoria has successfully passed…