What better way to start the weekend than with some positive news nuggets? Izzy Wheels Meet the Irish sisters who are turning wheelchairs into fashion statements. Izzy Wheels, founded by Ailbhe and Izzy Keane, has collaborated with over a hundred famous designers to create award-winning wheel covers that allow wheelchair users to express their personalities through disability fashion. “Izzy Wheels empower wheelchair users to make a statement about themselves, it makes a person’s wheelchair into a friendly object rather than something purely functional,” said Izzy, who was born with spina bif ..read more

That’s good news for EV adoption overall, but not so great for owners who already own an EV and are seeing their cars lose value at alarmingly high rates in the resale market. New data from Recurrent - an EV battery analysis and research firm - reveals that used EV prices for leading models had fallen 27 percent year over year as of this month, with some models selling for as low as $10,000. The result of this is that, for the first time, prospective buyers are awash with attractive budget options, and many used EVs are now roughly as cheap as comparable fossil-fuel powered cars. Cheap sec ..read more

Earthshine is a phenomenon that allows us to see the dark, night side of the Moon. But how? Earth is more reflective than the Moon by a considerable margin. Although you might not think it - because the Moon can appear remarkably bright in h night sky - our lunar neighbour's reflectivity is actually about the same as an asphalt road. We’re all familiar with the phases of the Moon caused by the varying Moon-Earth-Sun angle as our neighbour travels around its orbit, and the thin crescents we see just before and after new Moon represent the times when Earth’s light shining onto the Moon is at ..read more

A magical island topped by a gravity-defying abbey, the Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay count among France’s most stunning sights. For centuries one of Europe’s major pilgrimage destinations, this holy island is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as is its breathtaking bay ..read more

Celebrating the end of the week with a collection of upbeat news nuggets. Trusty Workhorse The owners of VW campervans often become deeply attached to their characterful vehicles, giving them names and regarding them as companions in adventure, part of the family. But Steve Green is prouder than most of his van – rejoicing in the name Cecil – which is well on the way to totting up a million miles and still gainfully employed as a trusty workhorse. Green, 50, bought Cecil, 52, for £180 ($225) in 1998, and Cecil is now a part of Clean Ocean Sailing, a Cornish organisation that hauls waste plas ..read more

Sounds Right is the inspiring initiative that expects to raise millions for distribution amongst environmental causes. The project is the brainchild of the Museum for the United Nations - UN Live, and will now see nature recognised as an official artist on major streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music. Artists who use natural sounds in their recordings can choose to list 'Nature' as a featured artist - and a share of their profits will be distributed to environmental causes. "It's a way of saying to artists, 'We all use sounds like seagulls and waves and wind. Why don't we pa ..read more

In 1982, just 22 wild condors remained. Today, 344 of the birds are flying freely in the wild, with another 217 living in captivity. California condors were the first birds to recover from a former “extinct in the wild” status. This is due to the remarkable care and attention of conservationists, as resorting to a CT scan shows. It also offers a rare glimpse inside the embryonic world of one of the world’s most endangered birds. California condors, which are still critically endangered, are the largest wild birds in North America’s skies, with wingspans that can top eight feet. But before the ..read more

Enjoy the stunning landscapes of these remote North Atlantic islands ..read more

Eight countries now generate nearly all of their electricity from renewable energy sources, according to newly compiled figures. Albania, Bhutan, Nepal, Paraguay, Iceland, Scotland, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo produced more than 99.7 percent of the electricity they consumed using geothermal, hydro, solar or wind power. Closely followed by Norway, Costa Rica and Namibia on 98 percent. The data relates to energy generated by Wind, Water and Solar (WWS), which includes onshore wind, solar photovoltaics, concentrated solar power, geothermal electricity, small hydroelectricity ..read more

Hot on the heels of that stunning total solar eclipse in the USA, the Lyrid meteor shower is about to give sky-gazers another great reason to once again look up toward the heavens. One of the oldest-known meteor showers on record, the Lyrids has peaked like clockwork in late April for thousands of years. And while that peak won't be occurring until Saturday night, you still have a chance to see the flashing meteor streaks right now. The best part? While the total solar eclipse was only viewable in North America, the Lyrids should be visible pretty much around the world. Meteor showers occur ..read more