We believe this is a ‘Positive’ development to help our town and its small businesses. Maybe it will generate ideas on making more of the downtown area pedestrian friendly with less vehicles. This could be interesting. CLICK THE IMAGE TO WATCH THE VIDEO.

With COVID state opening guidelines limiting spacing and seating in businesses many restaurants in Central Oregon are trying to figure out a new business model and this idea is gaining support from City of Bend officials.

What do you think???

As reported by KTVZ Bend.

Do you have some ‘Positive News’ that would benefit the community? Email us at info@backyardbend and we’ll help share it.

It has been a difficult week in America as the country tries to face into injustices to the vulnerable. It is challenging sometimes to be positive when people and communities are suffering. We bring you a few stories of ‘Positive News’ we hope helps remind us of the good that exists in the world.

From Insider by Darcy Schild

In the wake of the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer on Monday, riots have erupted around the country as people protest against police violence against the African American community.

One middle school that’s three blocks away from Minneapolis’ 3rd precinct police station put out a call for help in response to the looting and…

From the New York Times By Brad Plumer

WASHINGTON — The United States is on track to produce more electricity this year from renewable power than from coal for the first time on record, new government projections show, a transformation partly driven by the coronavirus pandemic, with profound implications in the fight against climate change.

It is a milestone that seemed all but unthinkable a decade ago, when coal was so dominant that it provided nearly half the nation’s electricity. And it comes despite the Trump administration’s three-year push to try to revive the ailing industry by weakening pollution rules on coal-burning power plants.

Those efforts, however, failed to halt the powerful economic forces that have led electric utilities to…

From The Good News Network By McKinley Corbley

This trailblazing Canadian company is building a new standard for sustainability since they started recycling the bulk of their municipal plastic waste into lumber.

Roughly 80% of the plastic recyclables collected throughout Halifax, Nova Scotia are now being processed by Goodwood Plastic Products Ltd so they can be turned into building blocks.

The plastic lumber can be drilled, nailed, glued, and handled the same way as wooden lumber—but without any of the same deterioration.

The other 20% of municipal plastics are reportedly being sent to other Canadian recycling markets, but Halifax Solid Waste Division Manager Andrew Philopoulos says that provincial legislators are particularly grateful for Goodwood’s initiative.

“We are very, very fortunate…

Happy Sunday Backyard Bend. We try to bring you deeper meatier positive reads on Sunday mornings. We hope you enjoy this one.

From Reasons To Be Cheerful By David Byrne – Yes the Musician founder of Reasons To Be Cheerful. Link to ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE.

These days, fossil fuels look like a shakier investment than ever. As more investors decide the smart money is on clean energy, a tipping point appears near.

Old-school economists—and there are still plenty of those around—make their estimates and calculations assuming 1) that we do everything for money (or some easily quantifiable utility), and 2) that we act in our own best interests. Neither of these things are true.

But sometimes the stars align…

It’s midweek in Backyard Bend and here’s a nice bit of ‘Positive News’ from the Good News Network and the video from the Star-Advertiser Honolulu, Hawaii. It feels good to see and know there are people working on solutions!

It’s already challenging enough for environmentalists to keep beaches clear of washed up trash and plastic debris – but the most difficult problem lies in cleaning up all of the millions of tiny microplastics that are impossible to pick up and separate from the sand.

Fortunately, a group of engineering students succeeded in developing a massive new vacuum cleaner that can collect microplastics without removing any of the sand from the beach.

The 12 Canadian students from the University of Sherbrooke…

We rounded up several ‘Positive News’ features for you this week and this one from Bend is close to home. If you haven’t seen any of the new neighborhood greenways take a look at the link to the City of Bend website where there are updates and maps for the project. CITY OF BEND GREENWAYS PROJECT HERE.

This project will design and construct an initial network of neighborhood greenways for walking and biking across Bend.

Neighborhood Greenway is a term used by many cities across the country to describe a route for walking and bicycling that is more comfortable than nearby busier streets. Proposed improvements include signs, pavement markings, and limited traffic calming such as stop sign changes, speed humps, and…

From SnowBrains

Last week Mount Everest was visible from Kathmandu for the first time in living memory. The picture above, taken from Chobar by Abhushan Gautam, of the world’s highest peak over 120-miles away, would not have been possible two months ago, reports the Nepal Times. Read the ARTICLE HERE. 

Due to the global lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus, vehicles are off the roads, and industry has ground to a halt, resulting in significantly reduced air pollution and clean air above Nepal.

Hospital admissions for respiratory illnesses brought on by pollution and poor quality air in the area have also seen a sharp drop in the last couple of months.

“Many of our COPD patients who need…

From The Good News Network By Andy Corbley

If you’ve ever liked or supported a page on Facebook that has to do with plastic pollution, you may have seen an advertisement for a $20 dollar bracelet made of plastic yanked from the ocean. 4ocean removes one pound of trash from the world’s oceans per bracelet purchased, and after a long almost 3 year slog, 4ocean is closing in on 8 million pounds of trash pulled from the sea.

Cleanup efforts are currently underway in Florida, Bali, and Haiti—and now 4ocean is expanding its presence and operations into Central America, an area that is suffering from a blight earning it the moniker “trash islands”.

ens of millions of pounds of ocean…

From Reasons To Be Cheerful By Mitch Anderson

Residents in some of the most polluted cities in the world have been startled by an unfamiliar atmospheric phenomenon: blue skies. “I look at the sky quite often and enjoy its blueness from my balcony,” retired English professor Sudhir Kumar toldthe New York Times from his home in Delhi. “I don’t know how long this will last, but right now I feel much better.”

Across the world, coronavirus lockdowns, while severe in their human costs, are leading to ecological rejuvenation. Wild goats have been seen grazing in the deserted streets in a Welsh village. A kangaroo was spotted hopping through the streets of downtown Adelaide. In Hong Kong, a pair of pandas,…