This Week’s Inspiring Horoscopes From Rob Brezsny’s ‘Free Will Astrology’

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Jan 17, 2021

We’ve partnered with our friend Rob Brezsny to provide his weekly wisdom to enlighten your thinking and motivate your 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 beginning January 15, 2021
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Capricorn author Edgar Allan Poe named “four conditions for happiness: life in the open air; love of another human being; freedom from all ambition; creation.” I’m accomplished in three of those categories, but a failure in being free of all ambitions. In fact, I’m eternally delighted by all the exciting creative projects I’m working on. I’m VERY ambitious. What about you, Capricorn? I’m going to contradict Poe and speculate that your happiness in the coming months will require you to be at least somewhat ambitious. That’s what the planetary omens are telling me. So what are the best goals and dreams for you to be ambitious about?

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
It’s time to launch Operation Supple Watchdog. That means you should be tenderly vigilant as you take extra good care of everyone and everything that provide you with meaning and sustenance. It means you should exercise rigorous but good-humored discernment about any oppressive or demeaning ideas that are flying around. You should protect and preserve the vulnerable parts of your life, but do so with tough-minded compassion, not ornery overreactions. Be skeptical, but warm; breezily resilient but always ready to stand up for what’s right. (P.S. The better you shield yourself against weird surprises, the more likely it is you’ll attract interesting surprises.)

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
The atoms that compose your body have existed for billions of years. Originally created by a star, they have been part of many forms before you. But they are exactly the same in structure as they have ever been. So in a very real sense, you are billions of years old. Now that you know that, how do you feel? Any different? Stronger? More expansive? More eternal? I bring these thoughts to your attention, Pisces, because 2021 will be an excellent year for you to come to a more profound and detailed understanding of your true nature. I hope you will regularly meditate on the possibility that your soul is immortal, that your identity is not confined to this historical era, that you have been alive and will be alive for far longer than you’ve been taught to believe.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
As you ripen into a more fully embodied version of yourself, you will summon ever-greater discrimination about where to seek your inspiration. I trust that you will increasingly divest yourself of any tendency you might have to play around with just any old mediocre fire. More and more, you will be drawn to high-quality blazes that provide just the right amount of heat and light—neither too much nor too little. And you will steadfastly refrain from jumping into the flames, as glamorously dramatic as that might seem—and instead be a master of deft maneuvers that enable you to get the exact energy you need.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Dentsu is a major Japanese advertising agency headquartered in Tokyo. Annually since 1925, its new employees and freshly promoted executives have carried out a company ritual: climbing 12,388-foot-high Mount Fuji, Japan’s tallest peak. The theme of the strenuous workout is this: “We are going to conquer the symbol that represents Japan more than anything else. And, once we do that, it will signify that we can do anything.” In anticipation of what I suspect will be a year of career gains for you, Taurus, I invite you to do the following: Sometime in the next six weeks, go out in nature and perform an equivalent feat.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
On January 13, I received a new email from a Gemini friend who lives in London. It was date-stamped January 15, 2015. Weird! In it, she talked about applying for a new job at a publishing company. That was double weird, because February 2015 was in fact the time she had gotten the editing job that she still has. Her email also conveyed other details about her life that I knew to be old history. So why did it arrive now, six years late? I called her on the phone to see if we could unravel the mystery. In the end we concluded that her email had time-traveled in some inexplicable way. I predict that a comparable event or two will soon happen in your life, Gemini. Blasts from the past will pop in, as if yesterday were today.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Eugene Sue (1804–1857) was a popular French author whose stories often offered sympathetic portrayals of the harsh living conditions endured by people of the lower economic class. Writing generously about those downtrodden folks made him quite wealthy. I’d love to see you employ a comparable strategy in the coming year. What services might you perform that would increase your access to money and resources? How could you benefit yourself by helping and uplifting others?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
The beautiful and luxurious fabric known as silk comes from cocoons spun by insect larvae. Sadly for the creatures that provide the raw material, they’re usually killed by humans harvesting their handiwork. However, there is a special kind of silk in which manufacturers spare the lives of their benefactors. The insects are allowed to mature into moths and escape. I propose that we make them your spirit creatures in the coming weeks. It’s an excellent time for you to take an inventory of everything you do, and evaluate how well it upholds the noble principle of “Do no harm.”

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
“Any time that is not spent on love is wasted,” declared the Italian poet Torquato Tasso. Although I am sympathetic with his sentiment, I can’t agree that acts of love are the only things ever worth doing. Sometimes it’s healthy to be motivated by anger or sadness or skepticism, for example. But I do suspect the coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to be in intense devotion to Tasso’s counsel. All the important successes you achieve will be rooted in an intention to express love and compassion.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
I heard a story about how a music aficionado took a Zen Buddhist monk to a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. The monk wasn’t impressed. “Not enough silence!” he complained. I’m puzzled by that response. If the monk were referring to a busy intersection in a major city, I might agree with him, or the cacophony of a political argument among fanatics on Facebook. But to want more silence in one of history’s greatest pieces of music? That’s perverse. With this in mind, Libra, and in accordance with astrological omens, I encourage you to seek extra protection from useless noise and commotion during the coming weeks—even as you hungrily seek out rich sources of beautiful information, sound, and art.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
“Some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal,” wrote Scorpio author Albert Camus. If you’re one of those folks, I’m happy to inform you that you have cosmic permission to relax. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to explore the pleasures of NOT being conventional, standard, ordinary, average, routine, prosaic, or common. As you expansively practice non-normalcy, you will enhance your health, sharpen your wits, and clarify your decisions.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Our lives tend to be shaped by the stories about ourselves that we create and harbor in our imaginations. The adventures we actually experience, the problems we actually face, are often (not always) in alignment with the tales we tell ourselves about our epic fates. And here’s the crux of the matter: We can change the stories we tell ourselves. We can discard tales that reinforce our pain, and dream up revised tales that are more meaningful and pleasurable. I believe 2021 will be an excellent time for you to attend to this fun work. Your assignment: Be a self-nurturing storyteller.

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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Watch Arizona Woman Frantically Pounding on Door to Save Family From Fire Just Before Roof Collapses

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Jan 17, 2021

An Arizona woman was determined to save her neighbors from a house fire—and the rescue was caught on the family’s doorbell camera.

When Carolyn Palisch saw smoke floating past her window early in the morning on New Year’s Day, she knew she needed to check on the Salgados family of six living next door.

The video shows her frantically pounding on the front door of their home in Avondale.

Nicole Salgado says she’s glad Carolyn was so persistent in trying to wake them.

At 7:30am Carolyn finally roused them and ushered the family to safety just in time.

According to Nicole Salgado, minutes after they escaped, the roof collapsed.

The Salgado family lost all their belongings in the fire, but a GoFundMe campaign has raised $48,000 of the $50,000 goal.

WATCH the Inside Edition video below…

ALERT Your Friends on Social Media to This Lucky Rescue…

After Year of Isolation, Most Americans Still Aren’t Tired of Their Homes, And Plan Even More Upgrades

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Jan 17, 2021

Tiny Home - Mighty Buildings - Released (1) — Credit: Mighty Buildings

According to a new study, 55% of Americans made a significant change decorating their home in 2020—and 71% said that, even after spending so much time at home in 2020, they’re planning to take their projects to the next level in the new year.

Expect several trendy design features to take up residence in Americans’ homes this year, including smart furniture (34%), natural elements (31%) and colorful statement art (28%), which were among the most coveted interior features respondents want to incorporate in 2021.

Sustainable design (26%) and light-colored woods (26%) also featured prominently in respondents’ redesign plans.

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Puffy with 2,000 Americans across the spectrum, the survey also looked at the styles and items most key to creating respondents’ dream dwellings.

Top decor style shifts pursued by respondents in 2020 included making over a room in modern (35%), traditional (22%) and mid-century modern (12%) design styles.

Eclectic (9%) and minimalist (9%) styles also made an impression, and it’s likely these will continue to be popular in the new year.

The most common reason for the decor alterations, though, wasn’t purely out of boredom, and the changes were not purely cosmetic.

While a change of scenery was sorely needed for 11% of respondents, it wasn’t the top reason respondents reported changing up their interiors.

Nor was a desire to have a space that better served them for the new functions, like homeschooling, that their homes required, the most popular reason (12%).

Instead, craving a home with more luxurious items (28%) and creating a place that felt more like a sanctuary (25%) were actually the motivations respondents cited most often when asked why they wanted to change up their space.

LOOK: Stunning ‘Bubble Hotel’ Under the Icelandic Stars is Truly the Perfect ‘Socially Distancing’ Destination

Nearly four in 10 also said that Scandinavian design – known for its clean lines – was an influence in their home decor changes.

Coziness is a top priority for many respondents, with 78% saying that when it comes to decor, coziness is more important than anything else.

And the interior revamps they already made in 2020 seem to have had the intended effect for 73% of respondents, who agreed with the statement, “My home is my sanctuary.”

When asked which items were most key to making their home their cozy dwelling space, respondents’ couches (27%) and beds (27%) were the clear frontrunners.

“It’s no surprise that simplicity, sustainability and technology are the standout focal points of 2021 home decor. We are seeing a significant shift in the mindset of decorators. There is now more emphasis on merging visual appeal with function and coziness — especially in the bedroom,” added Arthur Andreasyan, CEO of Puffy.

“Creating a sanctuary that delivers comfort every day is critical for overall wellness and happiness.”

TOP DECOR TRENDS RESPONDENTS WANT TO INCORPORATE IN 2021

Smart furniture (34%)
Natural elements (31%)
Colorful statement art (28%)
Sustainable design (26%)
Light-colored woods (26%)
Grey color palettes. (21%)
Deep blue color palettes (20%)
Modern rustic fixtures (19%)
Polka dot print (17%)
Neutral color palettes (14%)

This has to be good news for businesses—and mental health.

Stunning Heart-Shaped Amethyst Geode Discovered by Miners in Uruguay – And it’s Now For Sale

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Jan 17, 2021

There are probably thousands of heart-shaped gems manufactured for gifts on Valentine’s Day, but this amethyst crystal didn’t need any carving or polishing. When miners broke it open they found an extraordinary heart already prepared by Mother Earth.

By Marcos Lorenzelli – Uruguay Minerals Instagram

Workers discovered the amazing quartz geode at the border of Uruguay and Brazil when they split open a rock to discover a beautiful purple heart on each side of it.

Uruguay Minerals had just begun excavation at the Santa Rosa mine in the Catalan area in Artigas, and weren’t sure if anything of value would be uncovered.

The land with its rugged terrain of basalt provided difficult conditions under which to work—but their struggle was rewarded with ‘a pearl of great price’.

“What a treasure!” exclaimed Marcos Lorenzelli of Uruguay Minerals, who said it was the first time the company had ever found such a once-in-a-lifetime gemstone.

Lorenzelli told GNN they have already received a bid of $120,000 for the matching pair of rocks. Due to the basalt, Lorenzelli estimates the weight to be over 150 pounds (80kg).

LOOK: Watch 84-Year-old’s Reaction to Winning New Car After Sinking Incredible 93-Foot Putt

You can contact them with your own bid through their website—and also find many smaller hearts and angel wings crafted by their team to fit smaller budgets looking for the February birthstone.

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“My mother always used to say, “The older you get, the better you get. Unless you’re a banana.” – Betty White (turns 99 today)

Quote of the Day

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Jan 17, 2021

Quote of the Day: “My mother always used to say, ‘The older you get, the better you get. Unless you’re a banana.’” – Betty White (who turns 99 today)

The line is from her book, If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won’t)

Photo by: clappstar, CC license

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

Amazon Launches $2 Billion Housing Fund to Make 20,000 Affordable Homes Available for Working Families in 3 Cities

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Jan 16, 2021

Amazon this month unveiled a new Housing Equity Fund, investing more than $2 billion to preserve and create over 20,000 affordable housing units in three communities where the company has thousands of employees—Washington State’s Puget Sound; Arlington, Virginia; and Nashville, Tennessee.

Amazon’s Housing Equity Fund will help preserve existing housing and help create housing developments through below-market loans and grants to housing partners, public agencies, and minority-led organizations.

The Fund seeks to “ensure that moderate- to low-income families can afford housing in resource-rich communities with easy access to neighborhood services, amenities, and jobs,” according to a news release.

Amazon’s first investments include $381.9 million in below-market loans and grants to the Washington Housing Conservancy to preserve and create up to 1,300 affordable homes on the Crystal House property in Arlington and $185.5 million in below-market loans and grants to King County Housing Authority to preserve up to 1,000 affordable homes in the state of Washington, with additional investments to come in all three regions.

“I’m thrilled Amazon and King County Housing Authority are working together to make our growing Bellevue community more inclusive, equitable, and opportunity-rich for families of all income levels,” said Bellevue City Manager Brad Miyake. “Corporate-nonprofit partnerships like this will ensure positive, long-term change as we tackle this affordability crisis together as a region.”

Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos said that his company has been helping people in need, including building a Mary’s Place family shelter within the newest Amazon office building last year to support over 200 women and children experiencing homelessness in Puget Sound. “This new $2 billion Housing Equity Fund will create or preserve 20,000 affordable homes… (and) help local families achieve long-term stability while building strong, inclusive communities.”

Amazon is providing below-market capital—in the form of loans, lines of credit, and grants—to households making between 30% to 80% of the area’s median income. In the Washington, D.C. metro area, this translates to a household of four earning less than $79,600 a year. In the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area, this translates to a household of four earning less than $95,250 a year.

Amazon’s Housing Equity Fund will provide an additional $125 million in cash grants to businesses, nonprofits, and minority-led organizations.

“In booming cities across the U.S., many apartment buildings affordable for teachers, healthcare providers, transit workers, and others with modest incomes are increasingly being redeveloped into luxury apartments, causing displacement and reducing housing options for working families,” said Sarah Rosen Wartell, President, Urban Institute.

CHECK OUT: Amazon’s Bezos Makes Amends, Giving $2 Billion to Help Homeless Families

“Investments like those announced by Amazon that help preserve these existing buildings and maintain moderate rent levels are critical to local efforts that promote economic inclusion and support the stability and economic mobility of moderate- and low-income families.”

The Housing Equity Fund website details the commitments:

Washington Housing Conservancy’s Crystal House in Arlington, Virginia

Amazon’s first Housing Equity Fund commitment in Virginia includes a $339.9 million below-market loan and grants worth $42 million to the Washington Housing Conservancy (WHC)—a nonprofit organization that preserves homes so they are affordable for moderate- to low-income residents. A typical affordable housing acquisition would be financed with a combination of loans and private investment, with interest rates as high as 15% for certain portions of the financing. Access to Amazon’s lower-cost long-term financing will allow WHC to maintain affordability well into the future in the National Landing neighborhood of Arlington. Amazon’s grants also include $2 million to fund WHC’s social impact work.

With Amazon’s flexible capital, WHC was able to execute the purchase of Crystal House in under two months, an expedited timeline for commercial real estate transactions. WHC’s finance partner, the Washington Housing Initiative and Impact Pool, created by developer JBG SMITH, provided commercial real estate expertise and an additional loan of $6.7 million. Crystal House will offer a dynamic rental structure. Through natural renter turnover, rents will be significantly lowered to appeal to households earning less than 80% of AMI. The conversion of existing apartments to more affordable apartments began on Jan. 1, 2021 and will continue over the next five years. A 99-year covenant ensures that Crystal House will remain affordable for the long term. JBG SMITH will manage the property on behalf of WHC.

“Amazon’s investment in affordable housing in Arlington is transformational—and couldn’t come at a better time,” said Matt de Ferranti, Arlington County Board Chair. “We are delighted to further strengthen our partnership with Amazon and to work together to serve our shared commitment to equity and economic opportunity for all of our residents.”

King County Housing Authority in Washington State

As part of Amazon’s ongoing and growing partnership with the King County Housing Authority (KCHA), Amazon’s first Housing Equity Fund commitment in Washington will fund an initial $161.5 million below-market loan and $24 million in grants to preserve affordability for 1,000 apartment homes. The funds, to start, will allow KCHA to complete acquisition financing on 470 recently acquired units across three properties—Pinewood Village (108 units), Hampton Greens (326 units), and the Illahee Apartments (36 units)—preserving these critical resources as affordable housing by maintaining rent affordable to households earning at or below 80% of local median incomes. This commitment includes $4 million of the grant funds to support the preservation of housing for extremely low-income households (less than 30% of AMI) at the Illahee Apartments.

The Housing Authority’s portfolio currently includes over 7,000 housing units affordable to moderate- and low-income workers. With support from Amazon’s Housing Equity Fund, KCHA will continue to build its portfolio and increase affordability over time by minimizing rent increases. These buildings will remain affordable long term—for at least 99 years.

“Acquiring these properties in Bellevue to ensure that they stay affordable is critical to preserving the economic diversity of this area,” said Stephen Norman, Executive Director, King County Housing Authority. “We are excited to work with Amazon to preserve affordable housing options close to jobs, transit, and schools. Our whole region thrives when a range of housing options is available to all.”

Since announcing its selection of Arlington as the site of its second headquarters, Amazon has donated more than $19 million to community organizations across the Washington, D.C. metro area. Most recently, Amazon gave $3 million across four legal service agencies to support families and individuals facing eviction issues due to challenges stemming from the ongoing pandemic. In Seattle, Amazon has provided more than $100 million in cash and in-kind donations to Mary’s Place, a nonprofit focused on fighting family homelessness.

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This Could Be Your Dream Job: Thousands Apply to Be Caretakers on Remote Irish Island

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Jan 16, 2021

seaside cottage in ireland rainbow-Great Blasket Island FB fairuse — Great Blasket Island - Facebook

If you love the rugged wilderness and rustic living, this might be your dream job.

For the second year running, owners of a coffee shop and four rental cottages on Great Blasket Island are in search of an intrepid duo to take up concierge duty for the tourist season from April 1st through October 1st.

According to owners Billy O’Connor and his partner Alice Hayes, last year they received more than 40,000 applications for the sought-after gig, from as far away as Mexico, Finland, and Argentina.

Located just off the coast of Ireland’s County Kerry, the isolated island is a hiker’s paradise during the height of the summer, with hundreds of visitors daily.

Caretakers will be provided with accommodation, food, and glorious views of some of Mother Nature’s most spectacular seaside scenery.

“It’s absolutely fantastic that so many people want to come here,” O’Connor told The Irish Examiner, “but many didn’t realize what the living conditions are like.”

He is referring to the fact that there’s no electricity or hot running water on the Island. That means anyone who gets the job will need to go with the flow.

Since they’ll be living in a main bedroom above the coffee shop, O’Connor and Hayes think a couple would be ideally suited for the situation. Chores basically entail running the coffee shop and maintaining the holiday cabins.

LOOK: Greek Athlete Carries Disabled Woman Up Mount Olympus, Fulfilling Her Lifelong Dream

Since so much of the local tourist trade is weather-dependent—and it rains a lot in Ireland—there can also be long stretches of downtime. (The daily schedule is detailed on the website.) Additionally, when it get hectic in June and July, a volunteer or two will be hosted in a second bedroom upstairs.

To narrow the field of entries, this year they’re asking that any would-be caretakers make sure they meet the criteria posted on the website prior to filling out the application. Applications will be accepted, here, until January 22.

While they concede that due to COVID-19 considerations, this year’s caretakers will likely be Irish (as were the two previous couples), O’Connor and Hayes will consider all viable applications, with hopes of opening the opportunity to more candidates from abroad.

CHECK OUT: After COVID Cancels All Flights, One Man Sailed Solo Across the Atlantic to Reach His 90-Year-old Father

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4 Major Asian Nations Cancel 80% of Planned Coal Power Projects After Fossil Fuel Market Crashes in 2020

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Andy Corbley

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Jan 16, 2021

coal mining trucks-cc-flickr-Parolan Harahap — Coal mining: Parolan Harahap, CC license

Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and the Philippines have canceled nearly 45 gigawatts of proposed coal power projects, a figure equal to more than one-quarter of the total installed capacity of Germany.

These are four critical emerging markets that were targeted for growth by the struggling coal industry, but a mixture of pandemic and financing-related problems caused them to pivot toward considering more cost-effective and environmentally-sound alternatives.

The year 2020 was as bad for coal as it was for health systems, and a new analysis by Global Energy Monitor (GEM) shows there will be no stimulus or v-shaped recovery for the black mineral.

After banks in South Korea and Japan, the major Asian coal investors, announced new regulations on coal power development, plans that included 29 new plants in Bangladesh alone, for example, went up in smoke.

“We are reviewing how we can move from coal-based power plants,” said Bangladesh’s Energy Minister, Nasrul Hamid during a webinar in June, 2020. He noted they were keeping three coal-fired plants that are under construction, but are aiming for 40GW of total generation capacity where only 5GW is coal based.

LOOK: Bezos Created $10 Billion Earth Fund to Meet Climate Crisis, First Grants of $800M Go to Iconic Environmental Groups

Thousands of miles to the east, Vietnam’s draft version of their Power Development Plan, to enter into force in 2022, included the canceling of 7 plants, and the icing of 6 already in progress, to be reviewed again in 2030.

By November, the Philippines had proposed a moratorium on new coal projects, which analysts from GEM estimate as totaling nearly 10GW.

Coal mining: Parolan Harahap, CC license

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi noted that part of the moratorium was to urge 100% foreign ownership on geothermal exploration and projects. His nation already has the highest rate of renewable power in the Greater Southeast Asia region and they project solar power to surge to 35% of the energy mix by 2030.

“I am determined to accelerate the development of our country’s indigenous resources,” he said at a speech in Singapore during International Energy Week 2020. “We are also pushing for the transition from fossil fuel-based technology utilization to cleaner energy sources to ensure more sustainable growth for the country.”

How it all happened

During the 2010s, it was estimated that while most of the developed world was on the verge of shunning coal, the Asian strongholds of Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, and China provided the opportunity for one final golden age for coal exporters.

But by early 2020, energy monitoring groups like Carbon Tracker were showing to policy makers that their planned coal plants carried enormous risk of becoming “stranded assets,” projects that would simply become too un-economical to operate.

In a report from Carbon Tracker entitled: How to Waste Over Half a Trillion Dollars, the authors demonstrated that renewable energy sources had bitten so deeply into the market share that in all of the previously mentioned countries, renewables were cheaper to build and operate than coal — almost 10 years before $600 billion worth of new coal projects were set to be completed.

In 2019, Singapore’s three major banks announced a total end to coal power financing.

Banks like Sumitomo Mitsui in Japan and KSURE in Korea, along with their respective governments, reconsidered their financing path. Energy Tracker Asia reports that Japanese investments would rely on the country possessing “ultra-supercritical technology,” and “having a decarbonization strategy.”

China remains the world’s largest investor in Asian coal projects, but their recent net-zero announcement suggests that even though they’ve beefed up Cambodia’s coal-powered resources, they will reduce their own reliance on the mineral.

Regardless of how monopolistic governments throw their money around, the reality is that both banks, and thousands of investors around the world are making investment choices based on climate realities, while the simple development of lower cost, higher-quality technology driven by market innovation has rapidly brought renewable energy or liquified natural gas up to speed with modern energy needs.

GENERATE Some Applause for This Climate Good News on Social Media…

“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Martin Luther King

Quote of the Day

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Jan 16, 2021

Quote of the Day: “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Martin Luther King

Photo by: Joshua Earle

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

The Last Known Swinhoe’s Turtle on Earth Was Alone Until This Female Was Found – Researchers Hope for Babies

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Andy Corbley

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Jan 15, 2021

swinhoes turtle female atp imc — ATP/IMC

After a female Swinhoe’s softshell turtle was discovered in a lake in Vietnam, a hope that the world’s most endangered turtle species may recover was set alight among conservationists in Asia.

Giving a whole new meaning to the words “from the brink of extinction,” there was one such turtle alive in captivity. ‘He’ was thought to be the only one on Earth, and with the discovery of a healthy adult female, a chance for a reptile version of Adam and Eve can commence.

The female weighed a hefty 86 kilos (189 pounds) when she was found in the 1,400-hectare (3,459 acre) Dong Mo Lake in October. After blood tests were taken and a tracking device was fixed to her, they returned her to the lake.

The last remaining male turtle lives in a zoo in Suzhou, China, and after DNA tests confirmed the discovered female was indeed a member of the same species, scientists assured reporters the animals would be given a chance to breed.

Also known as the Hoan Kiem turtle or Yangtze giant softshell, it was driven literally to the brink of brinks by overhunting for its meat and eggs. The individual previously thought to be the last female died in captivity in April 2019 during a breeding program that failed to produce offspring.

A real second chance

Conservationists involved in the confirmed DNA test and capture were understandably ecstatic.

Wildlife Conservation Society Vietnam Country Director Hoang Bich Thuy said: “In a year full of bad news and sadness across the globe, the discovery of this female can offer all some hope that this species will be given another chance to survive.”

MORE: New Species, Devil-eyed Frog, and Satyr Butterfly Not Seen For a Century Found in Forests 30 Miles From the Capital

“In Vietnam, with the leadership of the government, we are determined to take responsibility to give this species another chance.”

Andrew Walde, Chief Operating Officer of the Turtle Survival Alliance, a technical advisor on this project, said: “This is the best news of the year, and quite possibly the last decade, for global turtle conservation.”

“As the most endangered turtle on Earth, a tremendous amount of energy and resources have been dedicated to the preservation of the Swinhoe’s Softshell Turtle.”

Authorities suspect one other turtle, aside from the female, survives in Dong Mo Lake and perhaps another based on recent sightings in the nearby Xuan Khanh Lake.

CHECK OUT: Tiny Pygmy Possums Discovered on Kangaroo Island After Fears Bushfires Had Wiped Them Out

The same respective organizations are planning to make a search of the two lakes for the supposed turtles in 2021 when the water level is at its lowest.

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Good News on Epic Bike Trail Stretching Coast to Coast Across USA, as Cycling Popularity Soars During Pandemic

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Jan 15, 2021

great american rail-trail - rails to trails — Rails-to-Trails

Back in 2019, we shared word of an exciting new trail designed to allow cyclists and hikers to travel 3,700 miles across America from coast to coast.

The Great American Rail-Trail will eventually run from Washington, D.C. to Washington state’s coast and connect more than 145 existing paths. More than 1,988 miles have already been completed.

Once the trail project, which is led by Rail-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), is completed, it will serve a huge number of Americans, as 50 million live within 80km of the trail.

For cycling fans, here’s a look at how rail-trails have benefitted people in the pandemic, and a peek at the increasing popularity of cycling and long-distance trails around the world.

COVID-19 Lockdown Proves Rail Trails Invaluable

Rail trails, paths built on disused railway tracks, and other recreational routes have proved invaluable respites for many during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing alternative commuting routes and space for people to exercise, often near built-up urban areas.

“This year has proven how vital projects like the Great American Rail-Trail are to the country. Millions of people have found their way outside on trails as a way to cope with the pandemic,” said Ryan Chao, president of RTC.

“As the Great American Rail-Trail connects more towns, cities, states, and regions, this infrastructure serves as the backbone of resilient communities, while uniting us around a bold, ambitious, and impactful vision.”

Cycling Increasingly Popular During Pandemic

While multi-use trails can be used by anyone from joggers to horse riders, cycling has become particularly popular during lockdown both as a form of exercise and a method of transport. Bike sales soared across the world as people sought to avoid public transport.

There are the obvious health benefits of traveling by bike. Not only does it provide an aerobic workout and trigger the body’s feel-good chemicals, endorphins, cycling is also easy on the joints, builds muscle, increases bone density and helps with everyday activities. Cycling is also seen as a way of handling post-pandemic pollution levels.

Paris is just one place planning to become a ’15-minute city’, where everything you need is within a 15-minute radius by foot or by bike.

MORE: This Clever Attachment Makes Any Bicycle an E-Bike in Just Seconds – And it’s a Much Cheaper Method

Milan is implementing a similar program, while Buenos Aires has introduced free bike rental schemes. Europe has spent 1 billion euros on cycling infrastructure since the pandemic began, according to the European Cyclists’ Federation.

Cycling Routes Across the World

At around 5,955km, the Great American Rail-Trail may be particularly ambitious in terms of scale, but it is one of many innovative cycling projects across the world. The 4,450km EuroVelo 6 route runs through 10 countries as it crosses Europe between the Atlantic and the Black Sea.

The 346km Transpennine Trail across the north of England, which opened in 2001, uses disused railway tracks left empty after the decline of the coal industry and passes through city centers, heritage sites and national parks on its way between coastlines.

Last year, the UK launched the 1,300km Great North Trail running from the Peak District in the north of England to John O’Groats at Scotland’s north-eastern tip.

In the Belgian province of Limburg, the Cycling Through Water path enables cyclists to cut through the ponds of Bokrijk. The 200-meter path is at eye-level with the water, allowing riders to glide across the lake.

CHECK OUT: Exercise in the Morning May Stave Off Cancer, As Opposed to Later in the Day, New Study Says

Meanwhile, the 7.6km Xiamen bicycle skyway is the world’s longest elevated cycle path and runs above the Chinese city’s road network. It has capacity for about 2,000 cyclists during rush hour, with much of it suspended under an elevated bus lane, providing shelter from the weather.

Source: World Economic Forum

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‘Stunning’ Victorian Bathhouse Uncovered Beneath a Manchester Parking Lot

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Andy Corbley

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Jan 15, 2021

Mark Waugh/Mayfield Partnership

A stunning Victorian-era bathhouse over 150-years old was uncovered when builders upended a Manchester parking lot during the construction of a new public park.

Unlike a Roman-era construct that would only be known as “bathhouse,” city archaeologists identified the find as Mayfield Baths, a place where city textile workers bathed and washed clothes during the 19th century.

“We knew what we would be excavating but we didn’t expect the tiles to be in such good condition,” Graham Mottershead, project manager at Salford Archaeology, told the BBC. “They are stunning.”

Mark Waugh/Mayfield Partnership

So far the excavators have discovered two 62-foot long tiled pools, boiler, flues, and pumps. The apparatus heated the water then sent it circling throughout the pools or to the laundry. They used 3D laser scanning and drone photography to identify the site and make digital drawings.

Trade during the 19th century had converted Manchester into the beating manufacturing heart of England, and was known as the “Cottonopolis.” Sanitary conditions were poor, and the Mayfield Baths were the third such installation in the city to improve the lives of the factory workers.

“Before public baths the textile workers lived in crammed unsanitary conditions and would wash their clothes in the used bathwater,” Ian Miller, another Salford Archaeology expert, told the BBC.

MORE: The World’s Oldest Known Cave Painting Has Been Discovered in Indonesia

“Public baths were a game-changer for the health of the working classes, keeping clean, and having clean clothes were essential for public health.”

The tiles will be used as part of the £1.4 billion Mayfield Partnership plan to redevelop that part of the city, including a 6.5-acre park, the first new one built in the city for over 100 years.

According to the Smithsonian, one of the new commercial buildings will be named after a 19th-century swimming instructor and public health advocate, George Poulton, who actually gave lessons at the Mayfield Baths.

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The Myriad of Massive Health Benefits in 6 Different Kinds of Mushrooms

By

Andy Corbley

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Jan 15, 2021

Porcini mushroom hunter-copyright Andy Corbley — Copyright Andy Corbley

Mushrooms have been used as food and medicine for thousands of years, and it’s becoming more common for researchers to announce new therapeutic interventions based on different species.

Gathering porcini in Italy, copyright Andy Corbley

Even though it’s common for people to tell you that 80% of mushrooms are poisonous, the ones that aren’t offer nutrients which are often hard to find in more commonly consumed foods.

For brain health, there are few things better, and many mushrooms are now powdered and sold as “nootropic” supplements, with claims that they enhance memory and mental performance.

Others have been found to inhibit cancer growth and proliferation, and others are studied for respiratory infections.

Putting aside the traditional use of mushrooms in our society—namely for pizza toppings and hallucinogenic trips, new names for new purposes are finding their way into health food stores and magazines, and here are just a few.

1. For longevity: reishi

“For over 2000 years reishi mushrooms have been recognized by Chinese medical professionals as a valuable remedy,” reads a study from the American-Eurasian Journal of Botany. Its Chinese name means “spiritual potency,” while it’s also known as the “mushroom of immortality,” and the “medicine of kings.”

Studies have shown reishi mushrooms strengthen and improve the “competence” of the immune system through their content of triterpenes. They can protect the liver, significantly inhibit all four types of allergic reactions, and activate immune cells, particularly ones which kill tumor cells, and invasive bacteria.

While it doesn’t demonstrate anti-senescence, lengthen telomeres, or boost NAD+ levels— hallmarks of the modern understanding of longevity—any one of the things it can ameliorate could just as easily end a life, so in a sense, the “mushroom of immortality” earns its moniker.

2. For respiratory health: agarikon

Paul Stamets with agarikon, Dusty Yao Stamets, CC license

“This rare, old-growth mushroom has a multi-thousand-year history of use in Europe,” world-renowned mycologist Paul Stamets told Rochelle Baker at Canada’s National Observer.

Stamets is referring to a little-known mushroom called agarikon, which he has worked to protect in North America. He notes that ancient Greek physician Dioscorides actually described agarikon in his works, calling it the elixir of long life—particularly when used to treat tuberculosis.

Now Stamets believes that agarikon and the old-growth forests in which it thrives should be protected and cultivated for use as a public health remedy for coronaviruses, as well as other respiratory illnesses, due to its role as a potent immune system aid.

3. For the liver: chaga

As fun to say as it is good for you, chaga has actually been extensively studied for use as a therapeutic intervention. Lacking only accreditation as a nootropic, mood regulator, or for other brain-related effects, there is one very important role which chaga can perform—as an inhibitor of DNA damage.

MORE: Slimming and Healthful: Benefits of New ‘Green’ Mediterranean Diet Revealed in Study

A South Korean study found that 40% less DNA damage was observed in human lymphocytes when treated with compounds brought about by the consumption of chaga. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell, and one of the main immune cells.

Another study found that chaga inhibited tumor cell growth in human hepatoma cells (liver cancer), among the references for which were other anti-tumor, anti-bacterial, and hepato-protective studies.

4. For… everything really: lion’s mane

In a study from the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry that is close to receiving 100 citations, the authors note that they are sequestering a large and scattered body of literature to present the nutritional compounds and effects of the lion’s mane mushroom.

The reported benefits, according to the researchers, include, “antibiotic, anticarcinogenic, antidiabetic, antifatigue, antihypertensive, antihyperlipodemic, antisenescence, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, and neuroprotective properties and improvement of anxiety, cognitive function, and depression.”

For the authors, they note that it is particularly the anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and immuno-stimulating properties, shown in both human and animal cells, that gives this mushroom such a protective role in our biology.

5. For energy and the brain: shilajit

While many people consider this blackish tar-like substance found in the Himalayas to be a fungus, it’s actually a kind of soil called humus. It’s composed significantly of organic compounds, like triterpenes, phenolic lipids, and small tannoids: three things often present in large quantities in mushrooms.

Still, the ancient North Indians and denizens of the mountains there have used it for thousands of years, and its name, Divya Rasayan, means “celestial super vitalizer.”

Studies have been done on shilajit which concluded nootropic effects, and others which looked at the properties shilajit’s content of fulvic acid, a compound which shuttles nutrients like energy, vitamins, and minerals into the cells in much higher quantities than other carriers like blood cells.

6. For everything else: cordyceps

There’s little debate about the benefits of cordyceps, which one study noted is used to “maintain vivacity and for boosting immunity.” That same study noted the only thing misunderstood about cordyceps is whether its nutrients confer protective effects like a nutritional supplement, or whether they’re strong enough to be administered in medicine.

Another study noted its uses could be described as “adaptogenic, anti-oxidant, anti-aging, neuroprotective, nootropic, immunomodulatory, anti-cancer, hepatoprotective,” and even, the study notes, an aphrodisiac.

Yet another study described it as “one of the most valuable medicinal mushrooms and nutraceuticals in China.” The researchers cited other studies that showed both powerful anti-oxidant capabilities, and, perhaps most valuably, a tempering of the release of TNF-alpha and IL-1b-beta.

These molecules are known as inflammatory cytokines, which, being necessary for wound healing, are one of the major drivers in models of unhealthy aging.

CHECK OUT: Eating Mushrooms a Few Times a Week Could Dramatically Reduce Dementia Risk, Says 6-Year Study

Far from slimy, insect-ridden markers of death and decay, each fungus has huge potential as something bordering between nutritional supplements and outright medicine, and the incorporation of them in your diet can be a great idea.

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People are Making Self-Care a Priority After One of the Most Stressful Years Ever

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Good News Network

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Jan 15, 2021

Seven in 10 Americans (73%) were more conscious of needing self-care in 2020—and 69% plan to do more self-care in 2021 than they did in the previous year, according to a new survey.

The poll of 2,000 Americans examined respondents’ self-care habits and the possibility of whether they see themselves investing in self-care more in the future.

Results found two-thirds of people (67%) agreed that the personal self-care routines they developed during the pandemic have become a permanent part of their daily life.

When asked which activities they consider self-care, 47% said at-home spa rituals were their go-to—as revealed by the survey, which was commissioned by wellness software company Vagaro and conducted by OnePoll.

Other popular activities included going to an actual spa (41%), getting a manicure/pedicure (36%), and getting a haircut (34%).

Visiting a spa was especially popular with respondents ages 18–23, with 55% considering it self-care. Meanwhile, respondents aged 56+ disagreed, with 47% saying outdoor exercise is their preferred form of self-care.

According to the poll, three-quarters of Americans surveyed believe self-care can relieve stress and will try nearly anything to get their stress relief.

Respondents have tried coloring books, cleaning, and impromptu dance parties—as well as yelling and, in one respondent’s case, “I would tear my way through two pints of ice cream while doing a deep-conditioning hair mask, a gel sheet mask on my face, and an acid foot peel while chilling with my furbaby watching horror movies. So relaxing!”

Another respondent said they relieve stress by, “Swimming across my ponds with alligators.”

Some of the more commonly cited stress relievers for people included at-home spa rituals (40%), getting a manicure/pedicure (30%), exercising outdoors (28%), and working out in a gym (24%).

“There’s an inevitable correlation between stress and self-care,” said Fred Helou, CEO of Vagaro. “Many people get so caught up in day-to-day responsibilities that they don’t prioritize time to take care of themselves. However, placing importance on activities that encourage relaxation can make you better equipped physically, mentally, and emotionally to face life’s daily stressors.”

In 2020, the average person only had 65 minutes per week dedicated to self-care.

In good news, 45% of respondents see themselves having more time per week for self-care in 2021.

People are willing to go pretty far in order to have more ‘me’ time. A third of Americans would be willing to move (35%), sell a personal belonging (33%), and even give up their favorite food (30%) for more of it.

The survey also revealed that nearly three in five (59%) will only practice self-care if they feel stressed. And more than seven in 10 (72%) like to use self-care as a reward after a long, tough week.

For 64% of respondents, self-care provides a much-needed boost to their self-confidence. More than two-thirds feel more productive (67%) and happier (71%) after taking time for themselves.

The research also suggests some things are best experienced in-person. Half of Americans are waiting for the pandemic to end before visiting the salon for a haircut or hair color treatment.

CHECK OUT: Top Technologies That Older Americans Have Tried For First Time—And Enjoyed—During the Pandemic

Nearly as many (46%) are more than ready to visit the spa for a wellness treatment.

“While self-care isn’t a new concept, the lessons learned over the past year emphasize the importance of prioritizing it,” added Helou. “Businesses who provide self-care activities should be conscious of safety measures as many of their customers are currently seeking wellness and beauty treatments in-person to feel happier and more productive.

MORE: Americans Are Crediting the COVID Crisis for Helping Them Become More Financially Responsible

“Once restrictions are lifted, salons, spas, and gyms should be prepared to see an influx of clients, as research shows self-care isn’t just a pandemic fad.”

WHAT DO AMERICANS DO FOR SELF-CARE?
At-home spa rituals 47%
Visiting the spa for treatments 41%
Getting a mani/pedi at a nail salon 36%
Getting a haircut at a salon/barber 34%
Home hair treatments 34%
Exercising outdoors 33%
Working out in a gym 31%
Getting hair colored at a salon 30%
Taking a fitness class of any kind 29%
Meditating 28%
Buying new clothes or grooming products 26%
Socializing outside the home 24%
Outdoor exercise classes 22%
Cleaning and decorating my home 22%
Talking to a therapist 22%

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“The blessed work of helping the world forward happily does not wait to be done by perfect men.” – George Eliot

Quote of the Day

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Good News Network

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Jan 15, 2021

Quote of the Day: “The blessed work of helping the world forward happily does not wait to be done by perfect men.” – George Eliot

The English novelist and poet whose real name was Mary Ann Evans chose ‘George Eliot’ as her pen name.

Photo by: Thomas Kinto

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

The World’s Oldest Known Cave Painting Has Been Discovered in Indonesia

By

Andy Corbley

-

Jan 14, 2021

Dated pig painting at Leang Tedongnge_credit Maxime Aubert (1) — Maxime Aubert

Scientists from Griffith University have discovered the world’s oldest known cave painting on a limestone wall on South Sulawesi island in Indonesia.

Dated to a remarkable 45,500 years ago, the painting is of a Sulawesi warty pig, a species hunted and depicted often in Sulawesi cave art from the Last Glacial Period.

The discovery definitively knocks out Europe and establishes that the Indo-Pacific is the center of the first-known developments in artistic expression and perhaps even story-telling.

“The cave is in a valley that’s enclosed by steep limestone cliffs and is only accessible by a narrow cave passage in the dry season, as the valley floor is completely flooded in the wet,” said Prof. Adam Brumm, co-leader of the expedition that consisted of researchers from both Indonesia’s highest center for archaeology (ARKENA), and Griffith’s Research Center for Human Evolution.

“The isolated Bugis community living in this hidden valley claim it had never before been visited by Westerners.”

Measuring 53 inches by 21 inches (136cm by 54cm), the pig is accompanied by two human handprints just above its hindquarters, and a pair of pigs off to the right which are only partially visible.

“The pig appears to be observing a fight or social interaction between two other warty pigs,” said Brumm.

Turning back the clock

Team co-leader, Professor Maxime Aubert from the Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, sampled the art for uranium-series dating. Aubert is an expert in figuring out the age of objects, but noted in a media release that cave art is difficult to date correctly.

“Rock art is very challenging to date,” Professor Aubert said. “However, rock art produced in limestone caves can sometimes be dated using uranium-series analysis of calcium carbonate deposits (‘cave popcorn’) that form naturally on the cave wall surface used as a ‘canvas’ for the art.”

“…A small cave popcorn had formed on the rear foot of one of the pig figures after it had been painted, so when dated, it provided us with a minimum age for the painting.”

The subsequent analysis of the popcorn gave the figure of 45,500 ago, suggesting that it could have been painted at an earlier date.

Certainly finding their forte, the same research team of Brumm and Aubert had dated other warty pig paintings nearby, including one last year which was recognized as one of the 10 Most Important Discoveries of 2020 by Science Magazine.

That discovery dated to at least 44,000 years ago, and contained images of human-beast hybrids, or ‘therianthropes’ hunting Sulawesi warty pigs together, images which the team believed at the time represented a number of ‘firsts’.

“It represents our species first evidence of storytelling,” Professor Brumm said, according to Griffith press. “The figurative depiction of hunters as therianthropes may also be the oldest evidence for our ability to imagine the existence of supernatural beings, a cornerstone of religious experience.”

MORE: Incredible Cave Paintings 8 Miles-Long Discovered Deep in Amazon Forest: The Sistine Chapel of Ancients

“We have found and documented many rock art images in Sulawesi that still await scientific dating. We expect the early rock art of this island to yield even more significant discoveries,” said study co-author and ARKENAS rock art expert Adhi Agus Oktaviana.

Somewhere beyond the sea

With the island of Sulawesi holding the oldest discovered surviving rock art on Earth, science can begin to color in more accurate hypotheses about the migration of humans across the vast swath of islands we call Oceania, but 45,000 years ago is described as ‘Wallacea’.

“Our species must have crossed through Wallacea by watercraft in order to reach Australia by at least 65,000 years ago,” said Professor Aubert in the news release. “However, the Wallacean islands are poorly explored and presently the earliest excavated archaeological evidence from this region is much younger in age.”

One such piece of evidence would be the Gunung Padang megalithic site on Java, in which controversial carbon dating suggests construction on a complex similar in nature to Stonehenge which began during 20,000 BCE, nearly 14,000 years before the English site

Taken together, the rock art sites on Sulawesi represent not only the earliest-known cave artworks, but also a rather sophisticated use of human imaginations; something that would certainly be required to organize hunter-gatherer groups into pursuing large construction projects.

CHECK OUT: Rare Archeological Treasures Discovered Beneath Attic Floorboards of English Tudor Mansion

“This discovery underlines the remarkable antiquity of Indonesia’s rock art and its great significance for understanding the deep-time history of art and its role in humanity’s early story,” Professor Brumm said.

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50 Countries Just Joined New Coalition to Protect 30% of Our Planet’s Land and Oceans By Decade’s End

By

Andy Corbley

-

Jan 14, 2021

A band of more than 50 countries, chaired by France, the UK, and Costa Rica, have committed to an ambitious push to conserve and protect 30% of the world’s land and oceans by 2030.

The agreement was made by the fledgling High Ambition Coalition for People and Nature (HAC) at the One Planet Summit for Biodiversity in Paris at the start of this week.

This coalition will now push the ’30×30′ objective at the upcoming meeting of the UN Council on Biodiversity set to meet Kunming, China in May 2021.

The last time that conservation goals like this were made was the 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets, set down in Japan in 2010, which were largely a failure when the target year of 2020 came around.

This time around, the HAC is hopeful that the diverse coalition of participants, stronger commitments, and prior experience attempting conservation on such a massive scale will increase the chance of what would effectively be a doubling of all protected areas on land, and a quadrupling of that at sea.

While 30% seems like just another arbitrary government figure, The HAC claims that scientific estimates suggest that 30% would be a “necessary interim,” one which would halt species and habitat loss long enough to ensure shorter-term catastrophes are avoided.

CHECK OUT: Temperature Analysis Shows UN Climate Goals ‘Within Reach’ Thanks to International Pledges

Along with almost all of Europe, the HAC includes diverse countries; some leaders in regional wealth, others in biodiversity, such as Japan, Ethiopia, Colombia, Nigeria, Peru, Mongolia, Pakistan, and Kenya.

Investing in our shared future

At the One Planet Summit, billions of dollars in commitments, particularly from the UK, highlighted the early support for the 30×30 initiative.

Prince Charles unveiled the Terra Carta, a roadmap for private sector financing that places sustainable use of nature at the heart of investment decisions, while the government announced that £3 billion ($2.2 billion) that would normally go to other climate-related projects would instead be diverted to the conservation of nature.

MORE: Pakistan Meets the UN Climate Goals One Decade Before Deadline in Continuation of Green Economic Legacy

France announced, also at One Planet, that $14.3 billion was going to the ambitious Great Green Wall in Africa, a plan to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land in 11 countries along the Sahel in North-Central Africa in a bid to create jobs, increase food security, and combat desertification.

No agreement has been made yet, however HAC plans to push hard at the next Conference on Biodiversity to replace the old Aichi targets with the 30×30 concept.

“We know there is no pathway to tackling climate change that does not involve a massive increase in our efforts to protect and restore nature,” UK environment minister Zac Goldsmith said of the effort. “So as co-host of the next Climate Cop, the UK is absolutely committed to leading the global fight against biodiversity loss and we are proud to act as co-chair of the High Ambition Coalition.”

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These Women Have Been Penpals for 70 Years, Forging a True Friendship From 10,000 Miles Away

By

Judy Cole

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Jan 14, 2021

Jill Stretton (left), Cathie Alexander right, Supplied Jill Stretton — Jill Stetton (left,), Cathie Alexander (right), supplied Jill Stretton

“Everybody allows that the talent of writing agreeable letters is peculiarly female,” Jane Austen wrote in Northanger Abbey. For proof, one only has to look to penpals Jill Stretton and Cathie Alexander, who’ve maintained a faithful correspondence for seven decades while living half a world apart.

Jill Stretton (left,), Cathie Alexander (right), Jill Stretton

The long-lived letter-writing relationship began in 1950 when 12-year-old Stretton (née Frankling), who hails from Australia, was given Alexander’s (then McIntosh) address by a family friend who’d recently returned from a visit to Scotland.

Back in the day, it could take up to six weeks for a long-distance airmail letter to reach its destination, but the pair felt an instant rapport after their first communication that’s only grown stronger with time.

Though the two women didn’t meet in person until 1982, they feel as if they truly grew up with one another, sharing life’s milestones, through their letters.

“She is just like one of the family,” Stretton told ABC North Queensland. “And we are still as together as we ever were 70 years ago. It is quite an achievement.”

READ: Writer Starts a Pandemic Pen Pal Project – Now 7,000 People Are Mailing Joy to Strangers With Letters

Stretton and Alexander reunited two more times; once in 1988, and again in 2000, and have never stopped writing one another. Along with hopes, dreams, plans, photos, and family updates, through the years, their missives have sometimes contained small mementos that have gone on to become cherished family keepsakes.

While they still write letters and send holiday packages, with technology omnipresent, Stretton and Alexander have bowed, at least somewhat, to the times (although video calls are a washout).

For longer epistles, they’ve resorted to the internet, but they affirm that nothing takes the place of a handwritten note. “We do tend at the moment to send postcards of where we have been and what we are doing rather than write big letters because we email now,” Stretton admitted, adding cheekily, “Aren’t we clever?”

MORE: Lonely Grandma Receives Over 1,000 Christmas Cards From Around the World Restoring Her ‘Faith in Human Nature’

“The distance is nothing when one has a motive,” Jane Austen also wrote. For dedicated lifelong penpals Stretton and Alexander, that bit of wisdom has proved true as well.

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Saudi Arabia is Building a Zero-Carbon City With No Cars or Pollution: ‘A new era of civilization’

By

Andy Corbley

-

Jan 14, 2021

the-line-urban-development-NEOM — The Line, NEOM

Though not often a role model for social justice, freedom, or democracy, Saudi Arabia is delivering to the world a worthwhile example of future living: as it’s announced plans to build a revolutionary zero-carbon, zero-traffic city for over a million people, spanning 105 miles and featuring futuristic technology.

The Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in an announcement that the city, called The Line for its long, thin shape and route along the coastline, will preserve 95% of the natural environment in and around which it’s built, and will be an economic engine for the Kingdom.

“We need to transform the concept of a conventional city into that of a futuristic one,” Prince Mohammed said at an event to launch the city, according to Arab News.

“By 2050, one billion people will have to relocate due to rising CO2 emissions and sea levels. 90 percent of people breathe polluted air.”

Construction is set to start in the first quarter of this year. Eventually, it’s planned that a 105-mile network of AI-operated automated transport will carry a future population through four distinct districts (coastal, coastal desert, mountains, and upper valley) on the northwestern corner of the Kingdom, on the coast of the Red Sea.

The cost of this technological wonderland where there will be no cars, no streets, and no pollution, and where sun and wind will generate almost all of the electricity, is between $100 billion and $200 billion, much of which will come from domestic funds, and the rest from foreign investment, both from businesses wanting a stake in the city of the future, and companies looking to showcase technological innovation.

MORE: Downtown Sydney is Now Powered By 100% Renewable Energy Thanks to Historic Deal

Indeed, $1.5 billion is set to pour in from cloud information technology alone. Data is the central font around which NEOM and The Line will be planned, as Saudi economist Mazen Al-Sudairi described to Arab News, most major cities in the world are organized around the flow of water and placement of crops, while The Line will be planned around access to data.

All the Saudi royals came out in support of the project, with the Education Minister Hamad bin Mohammed Al-Asheikh describing it as “characterized by the principles of global humanity, economic diversity and artificial intelligence, and the enhancement of research and innovation opportunities for the future industry.”

CHECK OUT: Eco-Friendly Behavior In This Finnish Town Gets You Free Cake

Walkability will define life on The Line, with planners allegedly working to ensure that education, transportation, and medical facilities, shopping and leisure locations, as well as green areas are all between 5 and 15 minutes by foot from any point in The Line’s communities.

“It is a new era of civilization, a new model for a city which is clean, proper and with zero carbon,” said Al-Sudairi.

(WATCH the video about The Line below.)

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“Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.” – Helen Keller

Quote of the Day

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Good News Network

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Jan 14, 2021

Quote of the Day: “Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.” – Helen Keller

Photo by: Aziz Acharki

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