Positive Global News Network

10/11/2025

How litter-picking became a competitive sport.

Born in Japan, spogomi is now going global. As competitors like to say: ‘the real winner is the environment’
It’s one sport where playing dirty is positively encouraged – and sweeping to victory means a win for the planet as well as the competitors. Born in Japan, spogomi turns the humble act of litter-picking into a high-octane contest with a side order of civic pride.

“It’s not just about participants enjoying themselves, it isn’t simply about getting exercise – spogomi has a positive social impact that benefits society at large,” says Spogomi UK representative Chris Roaf. “Ultimately, the real winner is the environment.”

Some 53 million tonnes of plastic waste and 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are discarded on streets and landscapes globally each year. Japanese runner Kenichi Mamitsuka began scooping up some of them on his morning jogs in 2008, and soon hit on the idea of gamifying his public-spirited act to raise awareness of littering.
He christened his new creation by splicing ‘spo’ from sport with gomi, the Japanese word for rubbish. Fast forward 15 years and spogomi is now played across Japan and in dozens of countries worldwide. To date, more than 165,000 people have taken part in official contests, collecting almost 200,000 tonnes of trash between them.

Spogomi is typically played in teams of three, armed with bin bags and litter-picking tongs. The rules allow fast walking, but running with sacks full of glass or metal is deemed hazardous, so attracts a point penalty.

Teams have a time limit – usually 45 minutes – to collect as much rubbish as possible from a designated area. At the whistle, they have another 20 minutes to sort their haul into categories for the final weigh-in.

Spogomi has a positive social impact that benefits society at large. Ultimately, the real winner is the environment.

Source content: Positive.News
.uk

25/06/2024

Is elektrisch vliegen op grote schaal iets wat pas in de verre toekomst actueel wordt? Allerminst. Op Maastricht Aachen Airport start deze zomer een pilot, waarbij je je in een tweepersoons elektrisch vliegtuigje (een Pipistrel Velis Electro) in iets meer dan een kwartier van Beek naar het vliegveld in Luik of het voormalig militair vliegveld Merzbrück in Würselen bij Aken kunt laten vliegen.

Ook in omgekeerde richting wordt gevlogen: een vlucht met Electricfly tussen de luchthavens van Luik en Würselen neemt iets minder dan een halfuur in beslag. De verwachtingen zijn hooggespannen. ,,Het gaat om Europa’s eerste internationale elektrische vluchten die beschikbaar zijn voor het publiek”, zegt woordvoerder Mark Maas van Maastricht Aachen Airport (MAA), een van de partners in het project.

Bijzondere primeur

MAA sorteert al geruime tijd voor op mogelijkheden om personenvervoer door de lucht op den duur volledig emissievrij te maken. De korte tochtjes tussen de drie Euregionale luchthavens vormen in dat kader een bijzondere primeur. Electrifly wordt dan ook beschouwd als een voorproefje van de toekomst van eAviation, waarbij passagiers emissievrij vervoerd kunnen worden tussen regionale luchthavens en internationale hubs in Europa, aldus Electrifly. Voor de drukbezette zakenreiziger, die ook nog maalt om het milieu, is het een absolute uitkomst.

Enorme stap vooruit

Jonas van Stekelenburg, de vorig jaar aangetreden interim-directeur van MAA, kenschetst de proef als ‘een enorme stap vooruit bij het realiseren van onze missie om emissievrije vluchten voor passagiers mogelijk te maken’. ,,Door te participeren in dit project openen wij de deur voor duurzame verbindingen tussen regionale luchthavens en samenwerkingen met mobiliteits- en luchtvaartpartners die dezelfde doelen nastreven met betrekking tot emissievrij transport. Iedereen die dit doel nastreeft is van harte welkom op onze luchthaven”, aldus de tijdelijke CEO. Hij roemt MAA als de perfecte locatie om de ontwikkeling van eAviation verder te faciliteren.

Bron: de Limburger

De Limburger Maastricht Aachen Airport

22/02/2024

Elke ouder langs de kant van het voetbalveld zou hier eens goed naar moeten luisteren. Fantastisch verwoord!

18/12/2023

You might have heard from the organization “Just-Dig-It”. If you didn’t…
Well…, it is time you do!
By using a range of landscape restoration techniques, we can help nature and restore vegetation to these degraded areas. The presence of vegetation then keeps the soil healthy and fertile, allowing plants and trees to continue to grow. When vegetation comes back, it can help restore an entire area!
0ne of the techniques used by Just Dig It is digging “smiley” holes in dry ground.
These holes can prevent valuable rainwater from immediately flowing away. By using plants such as trees and shrubs, the soil is also improved. Root pieces in the ground also create places deeper in the ground where water can drain. The planted trees and shrubs cool the soil, which in turn helps prevent direct evaporation of water when it falls.
In addition, CO2 is stored with the new planting.
Other methods are also used to cool the dry and hot soil in Africa. I would like to refer you to the Just Dig It website or follow

03/06/2023

A vertical forest took shape in Utrecht.

At 110m it’s just over five metres short of the tallest tree in the world, however the greenery-clad walls of the Wonderwoods Vertical Forest – a new office and residential tower block in Utrecht, Netherlands – will equate to an impressive one hectare (2.5 acres) of woodland.

The building (main picture) is the brainchild of Italian architect Stefano Boeri, who has nurtured a reputation for covering his creations with vegetation. Besides housing 200 apartments, a gym and workspaces, Wonderwoods’ facades will feature almost 10,000 shrubs and 360 trees.

The plants will not only dampen city noise, provide summer shade, and absorb an annual five tonnes of CO2, but they’re expected to draw 30 animal species to the city, including blackbirds, robins and swallows. Work is underway and should be complete by mid-2024.

Image: Stefano Boeri Architetti

02/12/2022

Where there was once a dried-out landscape, a beautiful landscape with a return of biodiversity arose (by human interference). Wonderful people: Lélia Deluiz Wanick Salgado and Sebastião Salgado Wonderful project this: Institutoterra.org

02/12/2022

Where there was once a dried-out landscape, a beautiful landscape with a return of biodiversity arose (due to man). Wonderful project this:

Vídeo institucional do Instituto Terra.ONG indealizada por Lélia Deluiz Wanick Salgado e Sebatsião Salgado, que tem como missão a restauração ecossistêmica e...

14/10/2022

"Gewoon een normale, mooie do**he voor op de boerderij", zo omschrijft Janneke Bom de do**he die in haar koeienstal hangt. In de afsluitbare ruimte staat ook een toilet, hangt zelfs een urinoir en die worden nog wel eens gebruikt. Maar de do**he hangt daar maar. En dat is jammer, want uit de kraan komt gratis verwarmd water.
Op Facebook doet Maatschap Bom Wessels uit Emmer-Compascuum daarom een oproep om gratis te komen do**hen. 'Hoge energieprijzen? Wij bieden gratis warm do**hen! Wij hebben de beschikking over veel warm water en een do**heruimte op onze boerderij. Dit delen we graag met u', zo is te lezen op de betreffende Facebookpagina. "Het nieuws over de do**he gaat als een lopend vuurtje rond. Het wordt vaak gedeeld", weet Bom.
Zelf handdoek en zeep meenemen
Wie langskomt in Emmer-Compascuum moet zelf een handdoek en zeep meenemen, maar mag wel liefst een kwartier onder de do**he blijven staan. "Mijn zoon had het bedacht" verklapt Bom. "En wij werden meteen enthousiast, want iedereen krijgt in deze tijd te horen dat energie duur is."
Een mono-mestvergisterinstallatie achter de koeienstal produceert warmte en elektriciteit. Volgens zoon Jos Bom levert dat het methaangas waar een aggregaat op draait. Dat aggregaat zorgt dan weer voor stroom en warmte. "Voel je vrij om te komen. We proberen iets te bieden waar wij van over hebben. Het is misschien een druppel op een gloeiende plaat, maar warm do**hen gun je iedereen."

(Bron: RTV Drenthe, Steven Ophof)
**henbijdeboer **hen

03/10/2022

Wales will plough its own furrow with agricultural reforms designed to battle climate change by paying farmers for protecting nature.

The Welsh government said its “historic” Agriculture Bill, which has been in the making since the 2016 Brexit vote, will back sustainable farming. A new subsidy scheme will be rolled out to support the sector’s role in environmental stewardship.

The step is seen as a stark counterpoint to rumours that plans for similar measures over the border in England face being scrapped by Westminster. Defra has confirmed that the Environment Land Management Scheme, currently being piloted, is under review.

In Wales, a new Sustainable Land Management programme will reward farmers for measures that mitigate climate change, enhance ecosystems and conserve the Welsh countryside. These include tree planting, habitat protection and sustainable food production.

Wales will also become the first UK country to ban snares and glue traps, widely criticised for catching animals indiscriminately and causing unnecessary suffering.

“These are difficult and challenging times for our farmers. Climate change, rising costs, new trade deals and the war in Ukraine, are just some of the issues they face,” said Welsh Minister for Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths.

“This Bill provides a framework on which all future agricultural support will be delivered and outlines how we can keep farmers on the land, produce food sustainably and deal with the climate emergency.”


.news
Image: Highwaystarz-Photography/iStock

29/08/2022

Going Dutch took on a new meaning this week with the publication of an enlightening report. It revealed that if other nations cycled as much as the Netherlands, the world would save 686m metric tonnes of carbon annually. That’s roughly equivalent to the annual emissions of Germany.

It’s certainly doable. In the UK, 60 per cent of journeys between one and two miles are made by motor vehicle, most of which could easily be done by bike.

In other news, data revealed that the healthy life expectancy for people in Africa has risen by a decade this century thanks to improvements in health services. Plus, magic mushrooms were touted as a cure for alcoholism, a once-lost species flourished in England, and France banned (some) fossil fuel ads.
(Source: Positive.News)

22/05/2022

Iryna (with her 2 daughters) fled from Ukraine. We got to know her in the "blue yellow living room" in Sittard and now lives temporarily in the Netherlands. Her hobby is making beautiful hair jewelry and brooches and she would like to continue this in the Netherlands. On her instagram .hm are examples she has made with fabric, foam and beads. If you are interested, she can make something beautiful to your liking. Any color and size is possible. Let her know what you personally would like. You can always contact her by sending a personal message on her instagram account.

Carolien Mulder-Leers