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Lab-Grown Blood Given to People in World-First Clinical Trial

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Andy Corbley
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NHSBH - Released.
NHSBH – Released.

British scientists have grown human red blood cells in a lab for the first time, and conducted a clinical trial to give it to patients.

The blood is grown by encouraging stem cells found in a blood donor’s sample to become new red blood cells, and opens the door to transfusion treatments for those with ultra-rare blood types.

For the near total majority of blood transfusions, British hospitals will still rely on people rolling up their sleeves and donating. This is, and will remain the case for, A, B, O, and AB blood types.

But what if a patient needs a blood transfusion of the “Bombay” blood group? It’s a tough call, as the British NIH knows of three people in the whole of the UK with this ultra-rare blood type.

Certain diseases, such as sickle-cell anemia, require regular blood transfusions, and if this patient were to also have the Bombay blood type, or “Jka-b-” or “Rh-null” also called “golden blood,” or “SARA” type after the first person it was discovered in, they are in serious danger.

A transfusion with the wrong blood type will be viewed as foreign and attacked by the immune system.

SIMILAR: 3 Years After CRISPR Treatment 73 of 75 Patients Cured of Blood Disease – FDA Approval is Near

In the new trial, tiny spoonfuls of the lab-grown blood containing radioactive particles were given to ten healthy patients. In this way they can track how long the blood remains in the patients’ blood stream.

A red blood cell typically lasts 120 days, after which the body replaces them. Normal, donated red blood cells contain both younger and older cells, but since lab-grown transfusions would contain only new cells, it could be possible for smaller and less frequent transplants to be undertaken.

RELATED: First Sickle Cell Patient Treated with CRISPR Gene Editing is Now Thriving One Year Later, And Able to Care For Her Kids

“This world-leading research lays the groundwork for the manufacture of red blood cells that can safely be used to transfuse people with disorders like sickle cell,” said Dr. Farrukh Shah, the medical director of transfusion at NHS Blood and Transplant.

“The potential for this work to benefit hard to transfuse patients is very significant.”

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Heinz Spent 185,000 Hours Redesigning Their Ketchup Bottle Cap to Be 100% Recyclable

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Andy Corbley
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Heinz recyclable Ketchup cap

 

Heinz recyclable Ketchup cap

After 185,000 hours, 8 years, and 45 iterations, Heinz has redesigned their superior plastic tops to be completely recyclable.

Why so much? Why’d it cost them $1.2 million in R&D? The top was not easily recyclable before, which resulted in as many as 1 billion of them every year going into landfills.

For years Heinz had the market cornered on the only ketchup bottle that moms could buy without their kids complaining over it. The superiority of its the silicone stop valve that allowed the perfect, consistent stream of uninterrupted ketchup that never spilled out over the edge, was obvious for years over other brands.

That original silicone valve however made the top “very difficult to recycle,” as companies had to separate the valve from the rest of the top—too much to ask in many cases.

“The biggest challenges were getting to similar performance of the current closure, addressing the challenges of the current one, and meeting our consumers’ needs… which led to the 45 iterations,” said Kim Bertens-Vlems, an international senior packaging manager at Kraft Heinz based in the Netherlands.

“Changing some of the aspects affected the other criteria, therefore getting the balance right was the main challenge.”

MORE GOOD CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY: How a Tiny Injured Kitten Kickstarted an Entire Sustainability Initiative to Eliminate Plastic

Heinz created 45 different designs in total on the mission to create the new cap, which were printed in-house using a state-of-the-art 3D printer. They eventually settled on a polypropylene design that performs just as before, but can be recycled immediately.

The move will mean a potential one billion plastic caps—enough to fill 35 Olympic swimming pools—can be recycled, instead of finding their way into landfill.

The new design could be perfect for other products like shampoo, and Heinz told Fast Company they are interested in sharing the design with other corporations who face similar difficulties.

RELATED: 150 Brands Unite to Clean Up Our Paper Supply – Saving Global Forests and Improving Recycling

There is currently no set date for a world-wide corporate rollout, but the caps will be launching on Heinz bottles in the UK this year.

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“An optimist isn’t a blithe, sappy whistler in the dark of our time. Human history is one of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.” – Howard Zinn

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Quote of the Day: “An optimist isn’t a blithe, sappy whistler in the dark of our time. Human history is one of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.” – Howard Zinn

Photo by: The New York Public Library (cropped)

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Jeff Bezos Just Gave $100 Million to Dolly Parton for Her Charity as the 3rd Winner of His ‘Courage & Civility Award’ Prize

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Jeff Bezos presents Dolly Parton withe Courage and Civility Award - Twitter
Jeff Bezos presents Dolly Parton withe Courage and Civility Award – Twitter

At a recent event, Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos named Dolly Parton as the latest winner of his Courage and Civility Award.

The award recognizes leaders who “aim high, find solutions, and always do it with civility”. Each awardee receives 100 million dollars to invest in the charities of their choice.

In Dolly’s case, the mega-donation could be invested in her Imagination Library, which two months ago hit the milestone of 190 million free books gifted to children.

“(She) embodies these ideals so thoroughly,” said Bezos, who stepped down from CEO of his company last year to focus on philanthropy.

“She gives with her heart. What she’s done for kids and literacy, and so many other things, is just incredible.”

In her acceptance remarks, Dolly said, “When people are in the position to help, you should help.” She thanked Bezos and said she believes he gives from the heart too.

The 58-year-old tech billionaire is the world’s fourth richest person. He told CNN last week that he was setting up the foundations for the ability to give away the vast majority of his $124 billion fortune during his lifetime.

A year ago, Bezos pledged $10 billion over 10 years to the Bezos Earth Fund, to be spent on expanding and monitoring protected areas and conservation. That was on top of the ten-thousand millions he’d already devoted towards combating climate change.

WATCH: Students Learn at Graduation the Snapchat Founder Paid Off Their College Debt With More Than $10 Million

In 2021, he awarded the first two Courage and Civility Awards, accompanied by the same amount of money. The first winner was José Andrés, who feeds masses of people after humanitarian disasters with his nonprofit World Central Kitchen—with some of those millions going to help war-torn Ukrainians.

Van Jones, whose work in the nonprofit world mainly in the sphere of criminal justice reform, received the second.

In 2018, Bezos topped the Philanthropy 50 list, ranking as the US’s biggest donor, compiled by the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

CHECK OUT: Shaq Brings 2,000 Nintendo Switches and PS5s To Underprivileged Kids On Christmas: A Long List of His Good Deeds

His former wife and partner of 23 years, MacKenzie Scott, has given away close to $4 billion, donating to 465 organizations in less than a year.

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Top 5 Issues That Americans Think People Need to Come Together to Solve

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A wide majority of Americans, 81%, are willing to put aside disagreements with others in order to work on a cause they hold dear to their hearts, according to a new post-election survey.

The poll of 2,000 adults revealed that when it comes to supporting a cause four in five are willing to put their differences aside to work with someone they usually wouldn’t see eye-to-eye with.

Three in four of the respondents (76%) are totally willing to engage in conversation with someone who holds different views to see if they can understand that point of view.

When asked what topics they believe people most disagreed on, politics came out on top (68%), followed by social justice issues (57%), climate change (53%), equal rights (53%) and the economy and the workforce (49%).

Still, seven in 10 think working on issues has the power to bring people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives together.

Conducted by the Walton Family Foundation and OnePoll to mark National Philanthropy Day today, November 15, the survey found that despite differences in opinions, a whopping 80% of Americans believe people need to come together to solve our country’s big issues.

“It’s heartening that so many people are willing to look toward common ground to find common solutions,” said Caryl M. Stern, executive director of the Walton Family Foundation. “Our problems are too big to solve alone. We need inclusive coalitions to create solutions with sticking power.”

RELATED: Politician Helps Pay Off Medical Debt for Man Who Sent Him Racist Tweets—And They’re Now Friends

But what motivates opposites to work together? Sixty-three percent of respondents said they’d work or volunteer with someone with different views if they had a shared cause they both deeply cared about.

Top 5 Issues Identified as Most in Need of Collaboration:

Climate change
Local community issues
Diversity, equity and inclusion
Growing local economies, and
Increasing student achievement and opportunities

When asked which sectors can bring people together, philanthropy came out on top at 45%—because it can bring extra resources to address the world’s biggest issues. It was followed closely by nonprofits and government.

“This National Philanthropy Day, I’m excited to listen and look for innovative solutions that are bubbling up from people working together,” said Stern.

CHECK OUT: How a New Member of Congress Used Toffee to Thaw Frozen Relations Between Democrats and Republicans

U.S. Near its Goal to House Every Homeless Veteran Identified in a January 2022 Count

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VA and HUD departments conduct homeless count - Dept. of Veterans Affairs
VA and HUD employees conducting veteran homeless count – Flickr

In February, the US Department of Veterans Affairs established a new goal to prevent and end homelessness among military vets, after seeing progress towards earlier goals stall out in 2016.

The new goal to house 38,000 veterans this year is close to being realized—and could bring that number to near zero, based on the government’s Point-in-Time Count total collected January.

As of September 30, the department had achieved 30,914 permanent housing placements, meeting 81.35% of the goal to ensure at-risk veterans are safeguarded from the crisis of homelessness.

VA’s homeless programs are now averaging 3,434 placements each month. To meet the Biden administration’s goal by the end of the year, they would need to continue to place 2,362 Veterans into permanent housing each month through December 31, 2022.

The most recent data showing approximately how many vets were unhoused at the beginning of the year was announced last week. The count showed that on a single night in January, there were 33,136 veterans who were experiencing homelessness in the US.

The count represented an 11% decline since early 2020, the last time a full count was conducted.

If you go back to 2010, the count represents a 55% reduction in veteran homelessness.

“All Veterans deserve to have what they need to lead healthy, safe, and successful lives—that starts with a place to call home,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. “The data released today shows we are closer than ever in ensuring that every Veteran in America has a home.”

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VA and HUD departments conduct homeless count – Dept. of Veterans Affairs

“Under President Biden’s leadership, we at VA, Housing and Urban Development, and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, will not stop until every Veteran has a good, safe, stable home in this country they fought to defend,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough.

“Not only did we lower the number of Veterans experiencing homelessness, but we made this progress during a global pandemic and economic crisis,” said USICH Executive Director Jeff Olivet. “This proves that, even under the most difficult circumstances, we can take care of each other and address homelessness.”

RELATED: Call of Duty Game Hits Milestone of 100,000 Veterans Placed in Meaningful Jobs–And Blizzard Gives $30 Mil More

The department’s efforts this year are based on the ‘Housing First’ approach, which prioritizes getting a person into housing, then provides them with the wraparound support they need to stay housed—including health care, job training, legal and education assistance, and more.

This progress has been funded by the resources provided by Congress during the pandemic. With the passage of the American Rescue Plan, VA’s homeless programs received $481 million in additional funding to support veterans.

CHECK OUT: Since Leaving the KKK, This Veteran Now Spends His Time Volunteering for Anti-Hate Mission

If you are a veteran who is experiencing homelessness or at risk for homelessness, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-4AID-VET (877-424-3838). Visit the VA Homeless Programs website to learn about housing initiatives and other programs for veterans exiting homelessness.

SALUTE the Fantastic News and Share America’s Progress on Social Media Where No One Has Any Idea…

Disaster Survivors in Remote Areas Could be Kept Alive – By Edible Drones

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EPFL
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne – EPFL

Drones can be crucial during natural disasters by transporting supplies to people in need, but they can only carry about 30 percent of their mass as payload.

What if the delivery drones themselves were made of food? Now, researchers have developed a small flying craft with wings made of rice cakes.

The team at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) decided the answer was to make the wings perform both as functional for flight and as cargo at the same time, so the drone could deliver more life-sustaining nutrition or medication.

To fashion the wing, the rice cakes are laser-cut into hexagonals and fixed together by gelatin.

These are then wrapped in protective plastic, before being affixed to the flying element.

Corn starch and corn starch with chocolate were both trialed as adhesives, but gelatin displayed stronger properties.

A prototype saw the drone able to fly 10 meters per second (32 feet). Now, the team wants to transform other nonedible pieces, by suggesting that structural components, such as an aileron or rudder, could be 3D-printed of edible material.

POPULAR: Watch a Drone Save a 14-Year-old From Drowning in Powerful Spanish Current

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne

They are also looking at ways to transport water onboard.

The wingspan of about 27 inches (70 centimeters) results in enough rice cake and gelatin glue to deliver the equivalent of one breakfast serving—with 80 grams remaining for a payload of vitamins or water.

The lead author, Bokeon Kwak, told IEEE Spectrum the wing tastes like “a crunchy rice crisp cookie with a little touch of raw gelatin.”

RELATED: Drone Helps Save the Life of a 71-Year-old Man Who Has Cardiac Arrest While Shoveling Snow

The research has been documented in a study paper entitled Towards Edible Drones for Rescue Missions: Design and Flight of Nutritional Wings, and is just one application of EPFL’s research initiative called RoboFood, which seeks to develop edible robots in a way that maximizes both performance and nutritional value.

FLY This Innovation to Drone-Lovers on Your Social Media Newsfeed…

“What wisdom could you find that is greater than kindness?” – Jean-Jacques Rousseau

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Eye for Ebony

Quote of the Day: “What wisdom could you find that is greater than kindness?” – Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Photo by: Eye for Ebony

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Livin’ Good Currency Ep. 20: Rabbi Robbie and How Your Passions Speak to Each Other

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Andy Corbley
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Robbie Tombosky - Good Talks.

The Lesson: Listeners will know that Tony and Tobias feel that blending professional, personal, and spiritual passions is the key to aligning them to your purpose. The lesson here is that this benefits yourself and others, but it also makes you feel alive—it is the way that all aspects of yourself can communicate with each other.

Notable Excerpt: “Business is at the lowest rung for me; it’s a tool, but anybody who knows me well will tell you that I am a terrible business person! I leave money on the table all the time! So for me, I think that’s actually not a terrible business person, I think it depends on your lexicon, it depends on your lens. So if that lens is to wake up every morning and to like the person you see in the mirror and be excited and motivated to go out and to be involved in the world, and that allows you to feel expansive, that allows you to bring your gifts to the world, it gives you a sense of confidence and a sense of purpose, that’s a great business decision even if it’s not necessarily the greatest financial decision.”

The Guest: Robbie Tombosky serves as the CEO of GVNG and is the founder and managing partner of Sage Philanthropy Advisors. With over two decades of experience in philanthropic entrepreneurship, Robbie has incubated and launched scores of successful impact projects that integrate corporate values, employee & customer engagement, and meaningful influencer partnerships for the benefit of our shared world. Robbie also serves as a Rabbi at a prestigious temple in Beverly Hills, sits on numerous boards, is a sought after teacher and speaker.

The Podcast: Livin’ Good Currency explores the relationship of time to our lives. It focuses on learning how super-successful people align their purpose with their passions to do good for themselves and others daily, and features a co-host who knows better than anyone the value of time (see below). How do you want to spend your life? This hour can inspire you, along with upcoming guests, to be sure you are ‘Livin’ Good Currency’ and never get caught running out of time.

The Hosts: Good News Network fans will know Tony (Anthony) Samadani as the co-owner of GNN and its Chief of Strategic Partnerships. Co-host Tobias Tubbs was handed a double life sentence without the possibility of parole for a crime he didn’t commit. Behind bars, he used his own version of the Livin’ Good Currency formula to inspire young men in prison to turn their hours into honors. An expert in conflict resolution, spirituality, and philosophy, Tobias is a master gardener who employs ex-felons to grow their Good Currency by planting crops and feeding neighborhoods.

Subscribe to the Pod:  On iTunes… On Spotify… On Amazon Music… Or Google Play.

Officials Want to Turn Rikers Island Prison Into a Green Energy Hub

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Andy Corbley
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Renewable Rikers – Released.

A coalition of groups are envisioning the former jails on Rikers Island as the hub for green energy generation, enough to power 45,000 homes.

They also see it as a potential hub of green energy job training, and as a replacement for at least several of New York City’s gas-fired power plants.

Since New York City Council ordered in 2021 for the jailing on Rikers Island to be shut down in by 2027, ideas to use it as a hub to offset the huge emissions budget of the city came along straight away.

Rikers sits in an advantageous position within an infrastructural nexus near La Guardia Airport. Furthermore, large infrastructure could be more secure long term on Rikers, as it used to be the site of a landfill, making it about 100 feet higher than the surrounding land.

This allows for power generation of 275 megawatts, with an additional 1,500 megawatts of storage, allowing for the decommissioning of 5 gas-fired plants called “peakers” that operate a few times every year to handle peak demand.

But it’s not everyday that so many acres become available just like that. It’s so much that the Regional Planning Association, the group that commissioned the report on Rikers as a potential green energy hub, found that there would even be room for new wastewater plants.

Their report found that the aging wastewater treatment facilities on Randall Island, and in the Bronx and Queens, could all be replaced, clearing even more acreage for communities to add whatever infrastructure they have need of.

RELATED: New York Turned the World’s Largest Garbage Dump into a Green Oasis of Native Grasses That Also Powers Homes

“It’s got to be incredibly difficult to site a power plant in New York City,” said Moses Gates, the RPA’s vice president.

“Rikers would let you put all these things that are vital to the city and its future where there’s the least effect on the surrounding neighborhood, while it lets you decommission a lot of the aging infrastructure.”

Still further, they picture the installation of an anaerobic digester to create compost, and a recycling facility to process part of the city’s waste. On opposite shores from Rikers sit Harlem River, 91st Street, and North Shore stations, which together process 30% of the Big Apple’s waste.

MORE GOOD NYC NEWS: New York City Begins Electrifying Its Garbage Truck Fleet

A hub located at Rikers would allow huge amounts of waste to be diverted from being moved by garbage trucks. The huge proposed aerated composter and co-digester could produce fertilizer from much of the city’s organic waste.

The idea of having a penal colony next to and on top of a landfill is a dreadful thought. This plan will hopefully begin a healing process for anyone who’s spent time on the unhappy island, and turn at least a part of the Big Apple into a Big Green Apple.

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Pilot Captures Jaw-Dropping Spectacle of St. Elmo’s Fire Phenomenon

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Andy Corbley
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Luis Andress / SWNS
Luis Andress / SWNS

A pilot has captured the jaw-dropping spectacle of St. Elmo’s Fire from his cockpit.

Airbus captain Luis Andress was flying from Miami to Denver last month when he encountered the scene.

It was part of the overall effects of Hurricane Ian when it hit the gulf coast of Florida this year.

St. Elmo’s Fire occurs when the atmosphere becomes charged and an electrical discharge of plasma is created between an object and the air around it.

This can happen to aircraft flying through heavily charged skies.

Luis Andress / SWNS

“I live in Florida, and was doing the MIA-DEN on the same day the Hurricane Ian was passing by,” said Andress.

“It was a spectacle to see the phenomenon of St. Elmo’s Fire. It was such a show.”

“I was impressed because it was my first time that I saw them with that intensity.”

St. Elmo’s fire is named after St. Erasmus of Formia, also known as St. Elmo, the patron saint of sailors.

This 1866 illustration was the best astonished sailors could come up with – note the streamers off the mast and jibs.

The phenomenon, which can warn of an imminent lightning strike, was regarded by sailors with awe and sometimes considered to be a good omen.

WATCH: Watch An Astrophotographer Capture ‘Giant Red Jellyfish Sprites’ on Colorado Mountain

Another reason it’s associated with sailors is that the mast of their ships were easy ground zero for the corona discharge that creates the amazing violet light. In the case of Andress, it was probably created off the leading edge of his Airbus, another place it’s been commonly recorded.

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Endangered Manning River Turtles Released into Wild After Egg Rescue During ‘Black Summer’

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Andy Corbley
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- Aussie Ark, YouTube.
Releasing the juvenile turtles – Aussie Ark, YouTube.

Australian conservationists have released 10 juvenile turtles into the wild, which they had saved from becoming charred omelets during the 2020 bushfires.

The Manning River turtle is one of Australia’s most endangered reptiles, but a conservation program put into place years ago to stop the loss is now coming good.

Capable of living only in the upper Manning River catchment on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, the Manning River turtle can be picked out of a reptile lineup due to the distinctive yellow strip down their cheek and neck.

The conservation group Aussie Ark established a breeding program for the turtle in 2018—the first in the world, and the 10 turtles released in early November were a first for the program as well.

They were hatched from eggs at a monitored nest in the path of the 2020 Australian wildfires, and that were rescued by the volunteers of the program.

SIMILAR: Georgia Sets Turtle Record With Most Loggerhead Nests Ever Counted on the Beach –LOOK

Director Tim Faulkner called it a “monumental, historical day” that was a “very special day for these turtles.”

“This is what the program is all about; rescuing an endangered species and getting them back to the wild,” he told national news. “Getting to see them swim off into the river is not a sight I will soon forget.”

One of the biggest problems facing the river population is the predation by foxes of adult females after they come on land to lay their eggs. As a result, the population of juveniles is almost non-existent.

GOOD REPTILE NEWS: Sea Turtle Boom Astonished Volunteers in Florida With Best Nesting Season on Record

The Manning River was monitored for months before the release, with Aussie Ark waiting for the optimal mix of food and nesting habitat.

The 10 newly-released turtles will soon be joined by another group of 10 that hatched between March and April of this year, though Aussie Ark hopes to be soon releasing many more as their breeding program expands.

WATCH the reptiles swim in their home river again…

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Beavers Building Dams are Protecting the Rivers Threatened by Climate Change in Colorado

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CC 2.0. Sandy Brown Jensen, Flickr
CC 2.0. Sandy Brown Jensen, Flickr

The humble beaver could hold the key to saving our water, according to new research that found how their dam building skills protect rivers threatened by climate change.

If rivers should come under pressure from drying up, beavers’ tendencies to build dams under such conditions will help sustain the water flow and quality.

The research, done on rivers in Colorado, found the animals’ wooden barriers raise water levels upstream. As it builds up the water is diverted into surrounding soils and secondary waterways—known collectively as riparian zones.

These act like filters, straining out excess nutrients and contaminants before water re-enters the main channel downstream.

Extreme weather events, such as rapid snowmelt and severe storms, impact water quality in major river systems. Droughts and floods are becoming more frequent, and the scientists have also found they are contributing to a resurgence of the American beaver in the US, and consequently an explosion of dam building.

“As we’re getting drier and warmer in the mountain watersheds in the American West, that should lead to water quality degradation,” said senior author Professor Scott Fendorf, of Stanford University, California. “Yet unbeknownst to us prior to this study, the outsized influence of beaver activity on water quality is a positive counter to climate change.”

The team chose to monitor a 40 kilometer stretch of East River, near Crested Butte in central Colorado. They reviewed data on water levels gathered hourly by sensors installed in the river and throughout the riparian area.

READ ALSO: Wild Bison Return to UK After Thousands of Years – And Are Ready to Tear S*!# Up

They also collected water samples, including from below the ground’s surface to monitor nutrient and contaminant levels.

The researchers compared water quality along a stretch during a historically dry year, to water quality the following year when water levels were unusually high.

They also compared these year long datasets to water quality during the nearly three-month period, starting in late July 2018, when the beaver dam blocked the river.

The study revealed the dams increased nitrate removal by nearly 50% by increasing the pressure of the water flow upstream 10 times over, which pushed more water out into the riparian areas.

This decrease in nitrates, which are absorbed and digested by soil microbes, helped increase oxygen content and quality for aquatic life.

Initially, lead author Dr. Christian Dewey at Oregon State whose mascot incidentally is a beaver, had set out to track seasonal changes in hydrology.

“Completely by luck, a beaver decided to build a dam at our study site,” Dewey said. “The construction of this beaver dam afforded us the opportunity to run a great natural experiment.”

RELATED: Beavers Saved From Euthanasia Transform and Replenish Rivers in the Utah Desert

The study is a reminder that as the future impacts of climate change are holistically assessed, feedback from changes in ecosystems must also be included.

“Beavers are countering water quality degradation and improving water quality by producing simulated hydrological extremes that dwarf what the climate is doing,” said Fendorf. “We would expect climate change to induce hydrological extremes and degradation of water quality during drought periods.”

“In this study, we’re seeing that would have indeed been true if it weren’t for this other ecological change taking place, which is the beavers, their proliferating dams, and their growing populations.”

The building of dams is an industrious instinct that stretches back millions of years. Their handiwork is responsible for the lush, fertile land they love.

SHARE This Story Over At Your Friends’ Dams On Social Media…

“My reality needs imagination like a bulb needs a socket. My imagination needs reality like a blind man needs a cane.” – Tom Waits

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Quote of the Day: “My reality needs imagination like a bulb needs a socket. My imagination needs reality like a blind man needs a cane.” – Tom Waits

Photo by: Patrick Fore

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Free Hotel Rooms If Your Thanksgiving Flights Are Delayed at 5 Major U.S. Airports

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Lowes Home Layover
Lowes Home Layover

It’s the most wonderful—and disorderly—time of the year.

With so many people flying home this holiday season, flight delays and cancellations are inevitable, leaving down-on-their-luck travelers looking for hotels in unfamiliar cities.

Well, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has teamed up with Lowes to offer a free stay in a room decked-out with holiday cheer and coziness that can soothe even the most frustrated of flyers.

On one of the busiest travel days of the year, the evening before Thanksgiving, Wyndham has set-aside 50 free stays for travelers in need, hoping to evoke “home for the holidays” for stranded passengers in five of the biggest airports in the U.S.

File this information in your baggage, in case you find yourself stranded on the night of Wednesday, Nov. 23rd in one of these five airports: La Guardia in New York, LAX in Los Angeles, O’Hare in Chicago, DFW in Dallas, and Miami Int’l Airport.

Lowe’s will decorate the rooms to be winter wonderlands “to channel the magic of the holiday season”. Ten rooms will be available at each of the 5 major airports.

“We know that there are few things more frustrating than being stuck in an unfamiliar city during the holidays, away from the creature comforts of home, family and friends,” said Lowe’s marketing exec Jen Wilson. “We’re thrilled to have the chance to provide select travelers with a memorable holiday experience.”

Lowes Home Layover Christmas decor

“While our Holiday Home Layover experience cannot replace the feeling of being with loved ones during the holidays, it will surely bring some warmth,” said Lisa Checchio, CMO Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.

Here’s what to do if you need a room…

  • Visit the Holiday Home Layover website.
  • The webpage will show the list of 5 participating hotels.
  • Each of the five hotels will have a total of 10 rooms available.
  • If there are no more rooms available at a specific location, that hotel location will be grayed out—and the user will be unable to select it from the list.
  • If rooms are available at a location the user will select the location, complete the registration form, and land on the Thank-You page, which will confirm their booking.
  • User will receive a confirmation email that will include the location of the hotel, hotel phone number, and unique booking code provided by Wyndham.
  • Winner will need to present travel documents while checking-in at the hotel.
  • When all 50 rooms have been reserved, users will no longer be able to select a location.

WATCH: Passengers Flying to Hawaii Surprised with Free Ukuleles and a Lesson Aboard World’s Happiest Flight

You can, of course, shop for all the Lowe’s holiday décor used to furnish the Home Layover rooms by visiting LowesHomeLayover.com.

SHARE the FREE Rooms With All Your Traveling Friends on Social Media… And watch the video below to see the room makeover.

SHARE the FREE Rooms With All Your Traveling Family and Friends on Social Media…

Three Mermaids Save a Scuba Diver From Drowning: ‘Not Just Pretty Tails And Smiles’

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Joshua Leonardi/NATIV Productions
Joshua Leonardi/NATIV Productions

A fairytale rescue saved an experienced diver from drowning when a trio of mermaids suddenly showed up off Catalina Island in California.

Pablo Avila lost consciousness while scuba diving with his son and a friend on Oct. 23, which coincided with the second day of a mermaid training course nearby.

A 33-year-old mermaid performer and diver from Miami who was leading the certified diving course in open water jumped into action when they all heard calls for help.

Elle Jimenez and two of her students, all donning their mermaid fins, used their training—and their tails—to speedily take control of the situation.

Mermaid student Elaina Marie Garcia, a certified diver who also works as a firefighter, said Mr. Avila was foaming at the mouth and unconscious by the time they reached him.

The mermaid pod quickly removed his heavy dive gear, which can weigh 30 to 40 pounds, and underwater weights that can add another 35lbs.

“I gave him rescue breaths in the water,” Garcia told Fox News. “My training kicked in, and I had the muscle memory I needed to get his scuba gear quickly and efficiently off.”

“I think we were all meant for these roles and that moment proved we were exactly where we needed to be,” said Jimenez.

RELATED: Becoming a Part-time Mermaid is a Big Trend in China – It’s as Difficult as it is Lovely

They also coached a second diver to use breathing techniques to calm him when he was panicking and in distress.

Garcia was thrilled that Mr. Avila survived, saying she believed “it’s rare to come back from needing full CPR to breathing, talking and smiling.”

They hope the story spreads the word that “mermaiding” takes athleticism, above all.

“It’s not just pretty tails and smiles, but we can save lives, too … with grace.”

WATCH the news coverage from KTTV-11 in Los Angeles…

SHARE the Dreamy Rescue With Your Pod of Friends on Social Media…

14-yo Crowned ‘America’s Top Young Scientist’ for Headphones That Treat Ear Infections With Blue Light

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3M America‘s Top Young Scientist
3M America‘s Top Young Scientist

A 14-year-old in San Diego, California, was named the grand prize winner of this year’s 3M Young Scientist Challenge, the nation’s premier middle school science competition.

Leanne Fan developed Finsen Headphones, a low-cost headphone device that uses machine learning and blue light therapy to detect and treat mid-ear infections in children—potentially preventing up to 60% of hearing loss in children.

As a finalist, Leanne had been assigned a mentor—Dr. Ross Behling, a research specialist in 3M’s material laboratory—who worked with her one-on-one to transform her idea from concept to prototype over the summer.

Then, for two days in October, the nine finalists competed at the 3M headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota, giving their final presentations of their innovations. (Watch her qualifying presentation below…)

The world sees 700 million cases of mid-ear infections and nearly 21,000 deaths annually. Many of those impacted are children in underprivileged populations. Without medical access and or healthcare, diagnosis and treatment are often difficult. Leanne’s invention aims to provide an antibiotic free, low-cost option to detect—and treat—any mid-ear infection.

The incoming high school freshman won a $25,000 cash prize, a special destination trip, and the prestigious title of “America’s Top Young Scientist”. She is planning to use some of the prize money to start the patent process for the headphones.

RELATED: 11-Year-Old Becomes ‘America’s Top Young Scientist’ for Her Sensor Detecting Lead in Water

Public voting in the contest also recognized Harini Venkatesh as this year’s Improving Lives Award recipient, honoring the project that has the greatest potential to make a positive impact on the world. Harini’s project, The Comptometrist, is a cost-efficient solution that cuts down the time needed to determine myopic power in a patient’s eyes. Her prototype would eliminate crowding in clinics, report accurate measures of myopic power in seconds, and closes the window of error in the eye examination process.

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The second and third place winners each received a $1,000 prize and a special destination trip. These exceptional students are:

Harini, from Brentwood, New Hampshire, took second place. In third place, Shanza Sami from Iowa City designed a five-stage air pollution filtration device.

Watch Leanne’s presentation below – and see other winners this year at youngscientistlab.com…

SHARE the STEM-tacular Invention to Inspire Students on Social Media…

“If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember when people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act.” – Howard Zinn

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Good News Network
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By Constantinos Kollias (public domain)

Quote of the Day: “If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember when people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act.” – Howard Zinn

Photo by: Constantinos Kollias (the Parthenon and Acropolis in Athens, Greece)

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Marine Vet Gifted With New Vehicle to Resume His Service to Disabled Veterans and Children

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TrueCar / DrivenToDrive
TrueCar / DrivenToDrive

To celebrate Veteran’s Day this week, a dedicated 50-year volunteer for Disabled American Veterans was gifted a new van so he could continue his labor of love.

Former US Marine Len Johnson drives to other veterans’ homes in Philadelphia to support them in any way he can—so people at the TrueCar website saw an opportunity to honor him.

At the age of 18, he served in Vietnam and the Lance corporal received multiple shrapnel wounds during a firefight causing him to lose the use of his left foot. Despite that, he serves local veterans and drops off toys for the children at the Catholic Workers Orphanage.

A video shows the moment Len was surprised with a new retrofitted Chevy Traverse from TrueCar’s 8th annual DrivenToDrive initiative—which is designed to honor the sacrifices made by service members and their families by supporting their mobility needs.

“I feel good knowing that I can finally retire my 20-year-old car and continue my service to the community with this donation,” said the 74-year-old vet who also has limited mobility in his right leg.

Johnson has been using his own vehicle with over 300,000 miles on it for all his volunteer activities, which include helping veterans who are incarcerated.

RELATED: Call of Duty Game Hits Milestone of 100,000 Veterans Placed in Meaningful Jobs–And Blizzard Gives $30 Mil More

Over a lifetime of service, Len has been recognized with the Purple Heart, Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, and a Presidential Unit Citation.

“We’re honored to have the privilege to celebrate Marine veteran, Lance Corporal Len Johnson, who not only served in Vietnam but continues to serve various communities, including his fellow veterans,” said Mike Darrow, President and CEO of TrueCar. “We’re thrilled to be able to help him continue his mission by awarding him this new vehicle.”

WATCH the surprise below – and Learn More about DrivenToDrive’s past recipients…

SPREAD the Love by Sharing His Story of Kindness on Social Media…

Your Inspired Weekly Horoscope From Rob Brezsny: A ‘Free Will Astrology’

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Our partner Rob Brezsny provides his weekly wisdom to enlighten our thinking and motivate our mood. Rob’s Free Will Astrology, is a syndicated weekly column appearing in over a hundred publications. He is also the author of Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How All of Creation Is Conspiring To Shower You with Blessings. (A free preview of the book is available here.)

Here is your weekly horoscope…

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY – Week of November 12, 2022
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Here are tips on how to get the most out of the next three weeks: 1. Be a master of simmering, ruminating, marinating, steeping, fermenting, and effervescing. 2. Summon intense streams of self-forgiveness for any past event that still haunts you. 3. Tap into your forbidden thoughts so they might heal you. Discover what you’re hiding from yourself so it can guide you. Ask yourself prying questions. 4. Make sure your zeal always synergizes your allies’ energy, and never steals it. 5. Regularly empty your metaphorical trash so you always have enough room inside you to gleefully breathe the sweet air and exult in the earth’s beauty.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
“I straddle reality and the imagination,” says Sagittarian singer-songwriter Tom Waits. “My reality needs imagination like a bulb needs a socket. My imagination needs reality like a blind man needs a cane.” I think that’s great counsel for you to emphasize in the coming weeks. Your reality needs a big influx of energy from your imagination, and your imagination needs to be extra well-grounded in reality. Call on both influences with maximum intensity!

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Sometimes, Capricorn, you appear to be so calm, secure, and capable that people get a bit awed, even worshipful. They may even get caught up in trying to please you. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily—as long as you don’t exploit and manipulate those people. It might even be a good thing in the coming weeks, since you and your gang have a chance to accomplish big improvements in your shared resources and environment. It would take an extra push from everyone, though. I suspect you’re the leader who’s best able to incite and orchestrate the extra effort.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
If you have been posing as a normal person for too long, I hope you will create fresh outlets for your true weird self in the weeks ahead. What might that entail? I’ll throw out a couple of ideas. You could welcome back your imaginary friends and give them new names like Raw Goodness and Spiral Trickster. You might wear fake vampire teeth during a committee meeting or pray to the Flying Spaghetti Monster to send you paranormal adventures. What other ideas can you imagine about how to have way too much fun as you draw more intensely on your core eccentricities?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
I suspect you will have metaphorical resemblances to a duck in the coming weeks: an amazingly adaptable creature equally at home on land, in the water, and in the air. You will feel comfortable anywhere you choose to wander. And I’m guessing you will want to wander farther and wider than you usually do. Here’s another quality that you and ducks will share: You’ll feel perfectly yourself, relaxed and confident, no matter what the weather is. Whether it’s cloudy or shiny, rainy or misty, mild or frigid, you will not only be unflappable—you will thrive on the variety. Like a duck, Pisces, you may not attract a lot of attention. But I bet you will enjoy the hell out of your life exactly as it is.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
When you Aries people are at your best, you are driven by impeccable integrity as you translate high ideals into practical action. You push on with tireless force to get what you want, and what you want is often good for others, too. You have a strong sense of what it means to be vividly alive, and you stimulate a similar awareness in the people whose lives you touch. Are you always at your best? Of course not. No one is. But according to my analysis of upcoming astrological omens, you now have extra potential to live up to the elevated standards I described. I hope you will take full advantage.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
In my experience, you Tauruses often have more help available than you realize. You underestimate your power to call on support, and as a result, don’t call on it enough. It may even be the case that the possible help gets weary of waiting for you to summon it, and basically goes into hiding or fades away. But let’s say that you, the lucky person reading this horoscope, get inspired by my words. Maybe you will respond by becoming more forceful about recognizing and claiming your potential blessings. I hope so! In my astrological opinion, now is a favorable time for you to go in quest of all the help you could possibly want. (PS: Where might the help come from? Sources you don’t expect, perhaps, but also familiar influences that expand beyond their previous dispensations.)

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Sometimes, life compels us to change. It brings us some shock that forces us to adjust. On other occasions, life doesn’t pressure us to make any shifts, but we nevertheless feel drawn to initiating a change. My guess is that you are now experiencing the latter. There’s no acute discomfort pushing you to revise your rhythm. You could probably continue with the status quo for a while. And yet, you may sense a growing curiosity about how your life could be different. The possibility of instigating a transformation intrigues you. I suggest you trust this intuition. If you do, the coming weeks will bring you greater clarity about how to proceed.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
“We suffer more often in imagination than in reality,” wrote ancient Roman philosopher Seneca. That’s certainly true about me. If all the terrible things I have worried about had actually come to pass, I would be unable to function. Luckily, most of my fears have remained mere fantasies. What about you, fellow Cancerian? The good news is that in the coming months, we Crabs will have unprecedented power to tamp down and dissipate the phantasms that rouse anxiety and alarm. I predict that as a result, we will suffer less from imaginary problems than we ever have before. How’s that for a spectacular prophecy?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Poet Matt Michael writes, “Sure, the way trees talk is poetry. The shape of the moon is poetry. But a hot dog is also poetry. LeBron James’ tomahawk dunk over Kevin Garnett in the 2008 NBA Playoffs is poetry. That pothole I always fail to miss on Parkman Road is poetry, too.” In accordance with current astrological omens, Leo, I’d love for you to adopt Michael’s approach. The coming days will be a favorable time to expand your ideas about what’s lyrical, beautiful, holy, and meaningful. Be alert for a stream of omens that will offer you help and inspiration. The world has subtle miracles to show you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Virgo author Michael Ondaatje was born in Sri Lanka, but as a child moved to England and later to Canada. His novel Running in the Family describes his experiences upon returning to his native Sri Lanka as an adult. Among the most delightful: the deluge of novel sensory sensations. On some days, he would spend hours simply smelling things. In accordance with current astrological omens, I recommend you treat yourself to comparable experiences, Virgo. Maybe you could devote an hour today to mindfully inhaling various aromas. Tomorrow, meditate on the touch of lush textures. On the next day, bathe yourself in sounds that fill you with rich and interesting feelings. By feeding your senses like this, you will give yourself an extra deep blessing that will literally boost your intelligence.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
You evolved Libras understand what’s fair and just. That’s one of your potencies, and it provides a fine service for you and your allies. You use it to glean objective truths that are often more valuable than everyone’s subjective opinions. You can be a stirring mediator as you deploy your knack for impartiality and evenhandedness. I hope these talents of yours will be in vivid action during the coming weeks. We non-Libras need extra-strong doses of this stuff.

WANT MORE? Listen to Rob’s EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, 4-5 minute meditations on the current state of your destiny — or subscribe to his unique daily text message service at: RealAstrology.com

(Zodiac images by Numerologysign.com, CC license)

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