The Good News Monday

Arctic ozone hole severely depleted

At the begging of the year, the thinned ozone layer over the Artic was considerably bigger than the at the south pole and at its biggest size record. The recent break nature had from the polluting factors of the modern world aided to completed recover the ozone layer, according to a surveillance by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service.

CAMS monitors the ozone layer by combining information from its detailed numerical models of the atmosphere with satellite and ground-based (in situ) observations through a process called data assimilation. 

Ozone depletion over the Arctic in 2020 has been so severe that most of the ozone in the layer between 80 and 50 hPa (an altitude of around 18 km) has been depleted.

“The unprecedented 2020 northern hemisphere #OzoneHole has come to an end. The #PolarVortex split, allowing #ozone-rich air into the Arctic, closely matching last week’s forecast from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service.
More on the NH Ozone hole https://bit.ly/39JQRU8” was posted by Coppernicus Atmosphere Montioring Service.

NASA translates a Hubble Deep Space image into music ❤

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and space research. NASA, aside from being one of the most intriguing organizations to work for, always managed to keep us interested in scientific facts unlike any other science.

Hubble is the first space telescope launched into low Earth orbit in 1990, and it is one of the largest and most versatile, well known both as a vital research tool and as a public relations boon for astronomy.

Recently, NASA translated into music an image taken by the Hubble into Deep Space. The image NASA used for this project was taken by the Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys and Wide-Field Camera 3 back in August 2018.

The different locations and elements of the image produce different sounds. Stars and compact galaxies are represented by short and clear sounds, while the spiraling galaxies emit more complex, longer notes.

Berlin club scene receives government subsidy

Club culture in Berlin has become a symbol for the city and is viewed by many as the heart of electronic music. Berlin’s clubs and artists bring in big revenue for the city and many times it has been protected and invested in by the government.

The club scene took a big hit with the recent spread of Coronavirus and lockdowns and social distancing has made it virtually impossible for them to keep the business going. Luckily the city knows it is an important cultural element and is helping by offering up to €15,000 for a 3-month grant to small businesses like clubs, and other creative institutions. The federal government is also offering aid to artists, as well as Berlin’s creative spaces. 

Of course many of the artists and creative collectives in Berlin have also tried to find solutions by uniting and creating streaming services like United We Stream.

Music is safe in Berlin.

Nurses and Doctors recognized for the heroes they are

Finally, as a society we are realizing and giving praise to the true heroes of our times.

Banksy donated to University Hospital Southampton (UHS) in the UK the image featured above to honor the hard work hospitals and their staff have been doing during the Coronavirus pandemic. The artist included a note for the hospital that read: “Thanks for all you’re doing. I hope this brightens the place up a bit, even if it’s only black and white.”

On a different continent, more than 4,000 hospital staff — including doctors, physician assistants, nurses, and facilities and food service teams — at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst were surprised with a three-night complimentary vacation, Hyatt and American Airlines announced Friday. And they deserve every second of it.

Fingers crossed we follow this trend and start valuing true, honest and hardworking, people.

Botanical chalking

For who doesn’t know, apparently in some countries it is illegal to use chalk on public pavement. However, this didn’t stop some rebellious botanist in France to start a trend that caught up quick in the UK and other places.

Botanical chalking is simply put the naming of a plant alongside a road, sidewalk or terrain. The campaign in London called “More Than Weeds” raised awareness to the fact that there is a high presence of diversity and richness in the plants that garnish a city.

“Botanical chalking gives a quick blast of nature connection, as the words encourage you to look up and notice the tree above you, the leaves, the bark, the insects, the sky. And that’s all good for mental health,” said one of the lawless, chalk-armed English botanical enthusiasts who spoke to the Guardian publication under conditions of anonymity in order to avoid fines up to £2,500 for graffiti.