Insert This On Your Bike Wheel to Filter the Air Pollution While You Cycle

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Jan 10, 2021

Quote of the Day: “For one human being to love another is the most difficult task. It is the work for which all other work is mere preparation.” – Rainer Maria Rilke

Photo by: Casey Horner

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?

How Phoenix Feeds The Hungry With Fresh Food While Saving Local Businesses and Farms

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Michael Goonan

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Jan 9, 2021

Around the world, individuals have found all kinds of innovative ways to support each other during the coronavirus pandemic—but so have governments. In Arizona, the city of Phoenix has managed to save dozens of farms and restaurants, while also getting free meals to those who need it most.

Between July and December in 2020, the Feed Phoenix program provided more than 50,000 meals to local residents—an amazing feat in itself, but only the beginning.

When the city received its CARES Act federal funding in April, it could have simply directed the money to food banks. Instead, it asked a nonprofit group, Local First Arizona, to take a more holistic approach to shore up the city’s food system.

The resulting Feed Phoenix program has been a success on all fronts, connecting struggling farmers with restaurants and caterers in need of business. The nonprofit buys produce directly from the farms, then pays the restaurants to prepare and deliver free meals to citizens in need.

The meals are then distributed at 30 locations, such as food banks, free of charge to those in need. What’s more, it is fresh, ready-to-eat food—much more nutritious than the canned and boxed items normally available at such places.

Local First Arizona was in a unique position to take on this project. For years, the charity has been working with about 3,000 locally-owned businesses to promote buying local.

“The city could have awarded one very large contract to one very large company to just prepare all of those meals,” Kimber Lanning, the nonprofit’s founder and executive director, told Bloomberg. “Instead, we decided to create a program to touch as many businesses as possible.”

The chef at Sana Sana Foods said they had to shut down all their operations due to the pandemic. “This program has helped us feed our community—but in my commercial kitchen (that) we activated again through this grant,” said Maria Parra Cano, who preparing hundreds of delicious vegetarian burritos for Feed Phoenix events throughout the year.

Funds were scheduled to run out for Feed Phoenix this month, but due to its phenomenal success, the city council designated enough money to fund Local First Arizona well into the spring.

Its impact will be felt long after that, too, thanks to the many connections forged between local businesses and farms who plan to continue working together.

“What is going to be left behind is a stronger community food network,” Phoenix environmental programs coordinator Roseanne Albright told Bloomberg. “Restaurants realize the value and excellent product that can be delivered by our farmers, and they want to continue those connections.”

You can donate to Local First Arizona, here. (Photo credit: Lisa Campbell)

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

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Jan 9, 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 7, 2021
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
“I only want people around me who can do the impossible,” said Capricorn businesswoman Elizabeth Arden. In that spirit, and in accordance with your astrological potentials, I hereby authorize you to pursue two “impossible” goals in 2021. The first comes to you courtesy of fashion writer Diana Vreeland, who wrote, “There’s only one thing in life, and that’s the continual renewal of inspiration.” Your second “impossible” goal is from actor Juliette Binoche, who said, “My only ambition is to be true every moment I am living.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Your past is becoming increasingly irrelevant, while your future is still a bit amorphous. To help clarify the possibilities that you could harvest in 2021, I suggest you suspend your theories about what your life is about. Empty yourself out as much as you can. Pledge to re-evaluate everything you think you know about your purpose. Once you’ve accomplished that, meditate on the following questions: 1. What experiences do you truly need and passionately long for—not the experiences you needed and longed for in the past, but rather those that are most vivid and moving right now. 2. What are the differences between your fearful fantasies and your accurate intuitions? How can you cultivate the latter and downplay the former? 3. What are your nightly dreams and semi-conscious fantasies telling you about how to create the most interesting version of the future?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Author Gunter Grass wrote, “Writers know that sometimes things are there in the drawer for decades before they finally come out and we are capable of writing about them.” I would universalize his thought in this way: Most of us know that possibly useful ideas and dreams are in the drawer for years before they finally come out and we know how to use them. I believe this will be an ongoing experience for you in 2021, Pisces.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
The pandemic has made it challenging to nurture our communities. In order to make new connections and keep our existing connections vibrant, we’ve had to be extra resourceful. I hope you will make this work one of your holy quests in 2021, Aries. In my astrological opinion, you should be ingenious and tireless as you nurture your web of allies. Your assignment during our ongoing crisis is to lead the way as you show us all how to ply the art of high-minded networking.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Taurus actor George Clooney is worth $500 million. Yet his dazzling opulence is puny compared to that of Taurus entrepreneur Mark Zuckerberg, whose fortune exceeds $100 billion. It’s my duty to inform you that you will probably never achieve either man’s levels of wealth. Yet I do hold out hope that in the next 12 months you will launch plans that ultimately enable you to have all the money you need. 2021 will be a favorable time to formulate and set in motion a dynamic master plan for financial stability.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
One of your main themes for the next 12 months comes from Leonardo da Vinci. He wrote, “To develop a complete mind: Study the science of art. Study the art of science. Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.” If you use da Vinci’s instructions as a seed for your meditations, you’ll stir up further inspirations about how to make 2021 a history-making epoch in the evolution of your education. I hope you will treasure the value of “learning how to see” and “realizing how everything connects to everything else.” They should be at the root of your intention to learn as much as you can.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
An extensive study by psychiatric researchers suggests that well more than half of us experienced a potentially disabling trauma in childhood. You’re in the minority if you didn’t! That’s the bad news. The good news is that 2021 will be a time when you Cancerians will have more power than ever before to heal at least some of the wounds from your old traumas. You will also attract extra luck and help to accomplish these subtle miracles. To get the process started, make a list of three practical actions you can take to instigate your vigorous healing.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Leo author Isabel Allende says, “We are in the world to search for love, find it and lose it, again and again. With each love, we are born anew, and with each love that ends we collect a new wound. I am covered with proud scars.” I appreciate Allende’s point of view, and understand that it’s useful, even inspirational, for many people. But my path has been different. As a young man, I enjoyed my endless quest for sex and romance. It was thrilling to keep leaping from affair to affair. But as I eventually discovered, that habit made me stupid and superficial about love. It prevented me from having to do the hard psychological work necessary to continually reinvent intimacy—and become eligible for deeper, more interesting versions of love. I bring this to your attention, Leo, because I think 2021 could be your time for a personal rebirth that will be made possible by deep, interesting versions of love.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Israel Regardie (1907–1985) was an accomplished author and influencer. To what did he attribute his success? I’ll let him speak for himself: “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” I hope you will write out this quote and tape it to your bathroom mirror for the duration of 2021, Virgo.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
The Kabbalistic Tree of Life is a mystical symbol of the hidden structure of creation. At its heart, in the most pivotal position, is the principle of beauty. This suggests that the wise teachers who gave us the Tree did not regard beauty as merely a luxury to be sought only when all practical business is taken care of. Nor is it a peripheral concern for those who pursue a spiritual path. Rather, beauty is essential for our health and intelligence. In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to take a cue from the Tree of Life. During the next 12 months, give special attention to people and things and experiences and thoughts and feelings that are beautiful to you. Meditate on how to nurture them and learn from them and draw inspiration from them.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
According to motivational speaker Les Brown, the problem for many people is not that “they aim too high and miss,” but that “they aim too low and hit.” I’m conveying this to you just in time for the Reach Higher Phase of your long-term astrological cycle. According to my analysis, you’ll generate good fortune for yourself if you refine and expand your personal goals. Here’s a key detail: Don’t borrow anyone else’s standards of success. Home in on your own unique soul’s code, and give it fuller, deeper, wilder expression.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
One of my primary pleasures in reading books is to discover thoughts and feelings I have never before encountered. That’s exciting! But it’s hard to force myself to keep plowing through an author’s prose if it’s full of stuff that I already know about from my own life or from books, movies, and other art. Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novels fit the latter description. I realize that many people love his fiction, but for me it is monumentally obvious and boring. What about you, Sagittarius? Where do you go to be exposed to thrilling new ways of looking at the world? Judging from the astrological omens, I conclude that this quest will be especially fun and crucial for you in the coming months.

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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Joan Baez Turns 80 And Shows Off Her Masterful Paintings in Second Solo Art Exhibit

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Jan 9, 2021

Singer-songwriter activist Joan Baez turns 80 years-old today—and you can join her for a live streaming event tonight that celebrates a new phase in her life.

Black Is the Color (acrylic self portrait) – Diamonds and Rust Productions, photo by Marina Chavez

After retiring from live performing in 2019, the musician whose 1975 hit, Diamonds & Rust, was written about former lover, Bob Dylan, has turned to painting full-time.

Her new solo art exhibit features portraits of “people making the world a better place.” Mischief Makers 2 is a follow-up to her first show that showcased portraits of people who changed the world through non-violence, like Malala Yousafzai, Aung San Suu Kyi, Ram Dass, John Lewis, and Martin Luther King, Jr—a friend with whom she marched arm-in-arm.

Diamonds and Rust Productions will present the live-streamed 80th birthday celebration online. The event will introduce her new show of portraits with a live interview with Baez, a virtual tour of the show, and other festivities and “mischief” to mark the milestone occasion.

WATCH: Obama Agrees to Prank a Fan By Showing Up on Her Zoom Call–and the Results Are Hysterical

Subjects in her new show include personal heroes and famous friends from the worlds of politics, literature, music, and more, including Nelson Mandela, Patti Smith, Bob Dylan, Kamala Harris, and Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Baez also includes a self-portrait in acrylic, titled “Black Is the Color.”

John Lewis by Joan Baez – Diamonds and Rust Productions

“I hope this new collection of portraits inspires you,” Baez says in her artist statement. “Maybe it will encourage you to go out and, in the words of the late Congressman John Lewis, ‘make good trouble.’”

The Glorious Notorious RBG, 2018 (acrylic) – Joan Baez

During the lockdowns of 2020, she also started performing music from her gorgeous kitchen, and posting the songs on YouTube. Check out her performance of Dylan’s Forever Young dedicated to all the Heroes of the 2020 pandemic…

Here’s the link to check out more artwork at JoanBaez.com and find out how to support the artist.

SHARE Her 80th Birthday and New Artwork With Your Friends on Social Media…

Air Pollution Laws May Have Saved Over 1.5 Billion Birds in American Skies, Finds New Cornell Study

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Jan 9, 2021

heron one-time use from Cornell study-Gerrit Vyn — Photo by Gerrit Vyn, Cornell

Countless human lives have been saved in the last forty years since pollution regulations were signed into U.S. law—but tackling dirty air has also been saving the birds.

A new large-scale study conducted by scientists at Cornell University and the University of Oregon found that improved air quality under a federal program to reduce ozone pollution may have averted the loss of 1.5 billion birds during the past four decades.

That’s nearly 20% of birdlife in the United States today.

“Our research shows that the benefits of environmental regulation have likely been underestimated,” says Ivan Rudik, the study’s lead author and Ruth and William Morgan Assistant Professor at Cornell’s Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management. “Reducing pollution has positive impacts in unexpected places and provides an additional policy lever for conservation efforts.”

Ozone is a gas that occurs in nature but is also produced by power plants, factories, and car emissions. It can be good or bad. A layer of ozone in the upper atmosphere protects the Earth from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun. But ground-level ozone is hazardous and is the main pollutant in smog.

To examine the relationship between bird abundance and air pollution, the researchers used models that combined bird observations from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird program with ground-level pollution data and existing regulations.

They tracked monthly changes in bird abundance, air quality, and regulation status for 3,214 U.S. counties over a span of 15 years. The team focused on the NOx (nitrogen oxide) Budget Trading Program, which was implemented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to protect human health by limiting summertime emissions of ozone precursors from large industrial sources.

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The study, published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that ozone pollution is most detrimental to the small migratory birds (such as sparrows, warblers, and finches) that make up 86 percent of all North American land bird species. Ozone pollution directly harms birds by damaging their respiratory system, and indirectly affects populations by harming their food sources.

“Not only can ozone cause direct physical damage to birds, but it also can compromise plant health and reduce numbers of the insects that birds consume,” explains study author Amanda Rodewald, Garvin Professor at the Cornell Department of Natural Resources and the Environment and Director of the Center for Avian Population Studies at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

CHECK OUT: New Bird Song That ‘Went Viral’ Across This Species of Sparrow Was Tracked by Scientists For the First Time

“Not surprisingly, birds that cannot access high-quality habitat or food resources are less likely to survive or reproduce successfully. The good news here is that environmental policies intended to protect human health return important benefits for birds too.”

FLY This Good News to Birdwatching Friends on Social Media…

“Only you and I can help the sun rise each coming morning. If we don’t, it may drench itself out in sorrow.” – Joan Baez (turns 80 today)

Quote of the Day

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Jan 9, 2021

Quote of the Day: “Only you and I can help the sun rise each coming morning. If we don’t, it may drench itself out in sorrow. You special, miraculous, unrepeatable, fragile, fearful, tender, lost, sparkling ruby emerald jewel, rainbow splendor person. It’s up to you.” – Joan Baez (turns 80 today)

Photo by: bruno costa

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?

NJ Congressman Andy Kim Began Cleaning Up Litter Inside the Capitol at 1:00 in the Morning: ‘I‘m honored…’

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MORE: Protest Sign Made by Third Grader Inspires the Nation When it Mysteriously Travels to Protests

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Jan 8, 2021

It was late. It had been a long day, filled with surreal events.

In the wake of an ill-contained siege that left the U.S. Capitol building littered with broken furniture and debris from an unruly mob, New Jersey Representative Andy Kim was finally heading home after taking part in the vote to certify Joe Biden as the next U.S. President.

Walking down the halls of his beloved democratic institution, he saw officers assigned to the grim duty of cleaning up.

He felt a “heightened, supercharged kind of patriotism” and was stirred to join them.

The two-term Democrat who represents New Jersey’s 3rd District, grabbed a trash bag and—still dressed in his suit and tie—began picking up trash.

“I think it was 1 in the morning,” said his fellow New Jersey Rep. Tom Malinowski, in an interview with AP. “I noticed somebody on his hands and knees leaning under a bench to pick something up and it was Andy all by himself, just quietly removing debris and putting it in a plastic bag…. It was, for me, the most poignant moment of the long night.”

At 1am last night, @RepMalinowski and I walked the Capitol to thank staff, police, and guardsmen and women for their service on a horrifying day. In a quiet Rotunda, we found our friend @RepAndyKimNJ alone, on his knees, picking up garbage left by the insurgents.
📸:@andyharnik pic.twitter.com/AnYj3rSogb
— Rep. Dean Phillips 🇺🇸 (@RepDeanPhillips) January 7, 2021

The son of Korean immigrant parents, Rep. Kim’s credentials are impressive. He’s the first Asian American to represent New Jersey in Congress. He’s also a University of Chicago graduate and Rhodes Scholar who was tapped by President Obama to serve as Iraq director for the National Security Council. (He’d previously held a similar role with the Pentagon.)

But in the middle of the night, in the aftermath of the unthinkable, Rep. Kim’s resume was irrelevant. For him, the imperative was making something right; restoring something that truly mattered. It was a small gesture perhaps, but one that symbolized something so much larger.

CHECK OUT: When Black Man Was Afraid to Walk in His Upscale Community, 75 Neighbors Walked With Him

“When you see something you love that’s broken you want to fix it. I love the Capitol. I’m honored to be there,” Rep. Kim said. “This building is extraordinary and the rotunda, in particular, is just awe-inspiring. How many countless generations have been inspired in that room? It really broke my heart and I just felt compelled to do something…

“What else could I do?”

Featured images: Twitter @AndyKimNJ / Ted Eytan, CC license

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COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Tracker Lets You See Where U.S. Doses Are Going

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Jan 8, 2021

If you’d like to see how quickly vaccinations are progressing in your state, the COVID Data Tracker from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has an interactive map that includes state-by-state tallies.

On the site, you’ll see data for the total number of vaccines distributed, as well as the total number of people who have received their first dose. Another data panel shows the distribution in long-term care facilities, which are prioritized under current US vaccination guidelines.

As of Thursday, you can see from the CDC’s map that the states that have received the most doses per capita so far are: New Hampshire, Connecticut, D.C, Alaska, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Montana.

All in all, according to the CDC more than 21 million doses have been distributed.

CHECK OUT: ‘Saint’ Dolly Parton Partly Funded Moderna’s Promising New Coronavirus Vaccine

Data comes from healthcare providers, and the data on the CDC site is expected to be updated thrice-weekly: on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Take a look at the CDC tracker tool here.

Family Farm in Maine Couldn’t Make it After Restaurants Close – Until the Neighbors Showed Up

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MORE: Barber Shop Swoops in to Help Run Restaurant When Staff Gets COVID: ‘We couldn’t ask for better neighbors’

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Jan 8, 2021

In 1996, organic farmers Ralph and Lisa Turner launched Laughing Stock Farm on one-fifth of an acre in Freeport, Maine. With trial and error eventually came success, a steady customer base, and 12-and-a-half more acres.

“Our quality produce coupled with your commitment to purchasing fresh local vegetables has built our business into a sustainable family-owned farm that will be able to serve you for years to come,” their website proudly states.

When the pandemic hit last year, as suppliers to Portland area restaurants forced to close, that future seemed very much in jeopardy. Their main source of income was suddenly gone. Left behind, eight overflowing greenhouses plus 10 tons of veggies in cold storage of supply—and zero demand.

Zero sales translated to zero cash flow.

With money already invested in produce they couldn’t sell, a loss seemed inevitable and breaking even only a pipe dream. But rather than ditch the harvest, the Turners, who are both trained engineers, went back to the blackboard and came up with a Plan B.

The couple opened a farm stand, selling pre-bagged produce at $3 a pop, and sent out word via their company newsletter.

“We bagged up stuff as if we were going to have maybe 10 people a day come,” Lisa told The New York Times. “We sent it out to probably 450 email addresses—and then people just started sharing it and sharing it and sharing it. The first day it was like, wow, that was a lot of people… The eggs were flying out of here… We went through 130 dozen eggs in two and a half days. It was insane.”

Realizing they were on to something, Lisa contacted a local beef farmer and set up a delivery. She says with customers clamoring for steak left and right, the initial 40-pound delivery never even made it to the freezer.

Even more astonishing was that customers started leaving generous tips from folks who wanted to show their support and keep the farm solvent until the next planting season.

A worker at Laughing Stock Farm/Facebook

Lisa likened the experience to the climactic scene in Frank Capra’s 1946 Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life when a parade of thankful townspeople show up to shower George Bailey (played by Jimmy Stewart) with enough cash to stop his beloved family Building & Loan company from going under.

When all was said and done, the Turners didn’t make a huge profit, but they were able keep themselves in the black financially. In the coming year, they’ve pivoted their business model. In addition to growing and selling their own crops, they’ll be running a farm store featuring their own organic wares along with goods from other local meat and dairy distributors.

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While they can’t be sure they’ll succeed in their new endeavor, they do have cause for cautious hope. Of all the Christmases she’s lived through, the one just past has truly put things in perspective for Lisa. The support and kindness she and her husband received from friends and strangers was both a blessing and an affirmation.

“There’s a lot to be thankful for,” Lisa said. “And it’s an antidote to fear.”

SHARE in the Neighborly Acts of Kindness and Send This Story to Pals…

UK Debuts Geothermal Plant Using Heat From the Earth to Power 10,000 Homes

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Jan 8, 2021

In Cornwall, the UK’s first-ever geothermal power plant has just put pen to paper on a 10-year deal to sell its supply of electricity to 10,000 local homes.

The plant creates power by mixing water down two wells, one of which is three miles deep, that pass through the Porthtowan fault zone and the red hot water and granite rocks within.

The United Downs Deep Geothermal Power Project was funded throughout the 2010s by a mixture of private and public support. Now set to be fully operational in 12 months’ time, Ecotricity, the world’s first renewable energy company, has signed a deal to buy three megawatts of geothermal power for the area.

“Geothermal is a really exciting form of energy that is currently untapped in the UK. We’re pleased to be part of this project and to add the power to our customer’s energy mix,” said Dale Vince, founder of Ecotricity. “It has a big role to play in our plans to decarbonize the country.”

Another buyer came in the form of a local rum distillery, which is preparing a £10 million ($14 million) contract to mature nearly half a million liters of their rum using a geo-heated/powered biome.

But why would someone go through all the trouble of digging a three-mile deep hole when solar panel and wind turbine technologies are advancing as fast as they are?

It’s because geothermal is always running and doesn’t rely on the weather, and while there may be plenty of wind in Cornwall, the sun is not, by any means, a constant.

MORE: Just Add Water—New Salt Battery Could Help Spell the End of Fossil Fuels

Geothermal Engineering Limited, owners of the United Downs plant, responded to a Sunday Times feature on the construction, saying that while exciting it’s still very much early days for the plant and any future geothermal developments.

“There’s a huge amount of energy below the surface of the Earth,” Ryan Law, the firm’s managing director, told the Times of London. “The limiting factors are the drilling costs and the connections to National Grid on the surface.”

Even still, Ecotricity predicts a growth in the geothermal capacity of the island nation, suggesting in a statement that perhaps as much as 10% geothermal energy in the national power supply could, and maybe should be looked at as possible.

Yet sites must be looked at beyond just Cornwall, such as the northeast of England, or the South Downs in Hampshire.

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Japan is Building Wooden Satellites to Cut Down on Space Junk

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Jan 8, 2021

woodensatellite-releaed-sumimoto forestry — Sumimoto Forestry

A wooden satellite will be launched into space in 2023 to study how the organic material holds up in the vacuum outside our atmosphere.

Wooden satellites would create a harmless alternative to metal ones, and significantly cut down on space junk orbiting the Earth which is expected to become a serious problem for spacefarers in the near future.

Researchers and space experts from Kyoto University, including a former Japanese astronaut, are working with the Sumitomo Group, a nearly 400-year old company, on the development and testing of special kinds of wood that can survive in the harsh environment of space.

A translation of a press release regarding the innovation, known as the LignoStella project, explains some of the benefits of using wood.

“Since wood transmits electromagnetic waves and geomagnetism, if the artificial satellite is made of wood, an antenna and attitude control device can be installed inside the satellite, and the satellite structure can be simplified.”

“The wooden artificial satellites that enter the atmosphere after the operation is completed will be completely burned out. This will lead to the development of cleaner and environmentally friendly artificial satellites that do not generate minute substances (alumina particles) that can be a source of [air pollution] during combustion.”

CHECK OUT: These Comfy T-Shirts Made From Wood and Algae Can Be Composted Once You’re Done With It

These particles can float in the air for many years, and Takao Doi, a visitor to the International Space Station and a researcher at the Kyoto University Space Research Unit, where he founded a new field called the “Basic Research on the Practicality of Wood Resources in Space,” has some worries about their effects on life down below.

“We are very concerned with the fact that all the satellites which re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere burn and create tiny alumina particles which will float in the upper atmosphere for many years,” Takao Doi told the BBC.

There are about 6,000 satellites orbiting the Earth now, and many thousands more will be launched over the 21st century, including over 1,000 from Elon Musk’s universal internet access program, Starlink, alone.

Rendering of space junk, Miguel Soares, CC license

LignoStella holds hope for Kyoto University scientists of leading to the development of unique building materials that, as so many space technologies beforehand have, can eventually move back down to Earth to create more sustainable societies.

READ: These African Nations Used Satellite Monitoring to Cut Deforestation by 18 Percent

Wood has been used in every conceivable way for thousands of years, and so it’s perhaps appropriate that we should be employing its versatility in space now too.

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“Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness… In the name of democracy, let us all unite!” – Charlie Chaplin

Quote of the Day

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Jan 8, 2021

Quote of the Day: “Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness… In the name of democracy, let us all unite!” – Charlie Chaplin

Photo by: Atanas Dzhingarov

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?

Charity Staff at St. Vincent de Paul Organizes a Funeral For 82-year-old Who Died Alone on City Streets

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MORE: Muslim Young Men Protect Catholic Church After Deadly Attacks in France: ‘We will protect churches ourselves’

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Jan 7, 2021

82-year-old Arpad Kiss might not have known he was dying when he made his way into a Darwin St Vincent de Paul charity shop, but he knew he was in trouble. After asking the staff to call an ambulance for him, Kiss collapsed.

Volunteers brought him outside and stayed with him. Some who knew CPR tried to revive the elderly man—to no avail.

“That left a huge impression for our volunteers and me, to hear that story and know he came to Vinnies because he knew we would help,” store manager Fay Gurr told ABC News Canberra.

Though Kiss had been a stranger, Gurr felt a connection she couldn’t ignore. Tasking herself to find out more about the man she’d met so briefly, she sought information from the hospital where he’d been taken.

Medical records and recollections from those who’d dealt with him in the past revealed his name.

Gurr learned that Arpad Kiss had lived in the territory for quite some time, sometimes homeless and sometimes not. He’d had a long history of illness. She also learned that he was Hungarian, a Catholic… and that he had no next of kin.

Realizing that Kiss died without family or any known friends to mourn him, Gurr felt compelled to see that his passing would not go by unacknowledged: He may have been a stranger, but his life mattered.

At Gurr’s behest, arrangements were made by St Vincent de Paul for Kiss’s cremation and funeral service. Kiss was buried on what would have been his 83rd birthday.

The service was conducted, with full honors, by Bishop Charles Gauci at St Mary’s Cathedral in Darwin.

“I asked those present to imagine their own funeral one day and what they would like people to say about them, and how that really affects how we live now,” Bishop Gauci said.

“We choose to do what is good and loving and virtuous, rather than the opposite.

“It was a good reflection for all of us, but also an expression of love and care for a fellow brother.”

While Gurr hadn’t known what to expect when the day arrived, she and the other volunteers attending the solemn ceremony were determined to see their initial act of compassion through to the end—certain that those they serve with their mission deserve nothing less.

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New Study Shows Spending a Long Time on Your Phone Isn’t Bad for Your Mental Health

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Jan 7, 2021

General smartphone usage is a poor predictor of anxiety, depression, or stress say researchers, who advise caution when it comes to digital detoxes.

The study published in Technology, Mind, and Behavior was led by Heather Shaw and Kristoffer Geyer from Lancaster University with colleagues from the universities of Bath and Lincoln.

They measured the time spent on smartphones by 199 iPhone users and 46 Android users for one week. Participants were also asked about their mental and physical health, completing clinical scales that measure anxiety and depression symptoms. They also completed a scale which measured how problematic they perceived their smartphone usage to be.

Surprisingly, the amount of time spent on the smartphone was not related to poor mental health.

Lead author Heather Shaw of Lancaster University’s Department of Psychology said: “A person’s daily smartphone pickups or screen time did not predict anxiety, depression, or stress symptoms. Additionally, those who exceeded clinical ‘cut off points’ for both general anxiety and major depressive disorder did not use their phone more than those who scored below this threshold.”

Instead, the study found that mental health was associated with concerns and worries felt by participants about their own smartphone usage.

This was measured through their scores on a problematic usage scale where they were asked to rate statements such as “Using my smartphone longer than I had intended”, and “Having tried time and again to shorten my smartphone use time but failing all the time”.

Heather Shaw said: “It is important to consider actual device use separately from people’s concerns and worries about technology. This is because the former doesn’t show noteworthy relationships with mental health, whereby the latter does.”

Previous studies have focussed on the potentially detrimental impact of ‘screen time’, but the study shows that people’s attitudes or worries are likely to drive these findings.

Dr David Ellis, from the University of Bath’s School of Management, explained in a statement: “Mobile technologies have become even more essential for work and day-to-day life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results add to a growing body of research that suggests reducing general screen time will not make people happier.

“Instead of pushing the benefits of digital detox, our research suggests people would benefit from measures to address the worries and fears that have grown up around time spent using phones.”

Source: University of Lancaster

This Film Festival is Looking for a Person to Spend 7 Days Alone Watching Movies in a Remote Lighthouse

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Jan 7, 2021

pater-noster-lighthouse-goteburg film festival — Gothenburg Film Festival

Does locking yourself up somewhere all alone for a week and just watching movies sound like your idea of bliss? Then have we got a film festival for you.

The Gothenburg Film Festival is conducting a “pandemic cinema experiment” in the form of a contest. One candidate chosen from applicants around the globe will be treated to a week’s stay at the site of the historic Pater Noster Lighthhouse located on the craggy island of Hamneskär off the west coast of Sweden.

While there, the winning cinephile will get free room and board along with unlimited access to this year’s festival roster of films. “They are totally isolated. They are not allowed to bring anyone, of course, but also no phone and not even a book,” artistic director Jonas Holmberg, told CBC’s As It Happens. “…It will be only this person and the sea, the waves, the sky and the 60 different premieres that we are screening at the festival.”

Inspired by the pandemic, Holmberg says the experiment aims to examine how social distancing has transformed the movie-watching experience. The most obvious change is the shift from in-person to online and at-home movie viewership.

While traditionally, going to the movies has been something of a communal experience shared with other members of an audience, the trend now is to view films either alone or in small groups. Where once people went to the movies for company, more and more, the films themselves are what provide communal connection.

According to the festival website, “Göteborg Film Festival 2021 will be anything but conventional. No crowds, no parties, no sold-out cinemas. This year’s festival focus, Social Distances, explores the new world that has emerged in the wake of the pandemic. What does film mean to us when we are isolated from everything else? To investigate, we are opening a brand-new cinema. In the middle of the ocean.

“No phone, no family, no friends. Just you, the sea and the festival’s film program with 60 film premieres. For seven days.”

READ: Real-Life Willy Wonka Gives Away Candy Factory In Giant Treasure Hunt

Requisites for the winner, according to Holmberg, are number one: the person must be a true film fan; number two: he or she must either enjoy or tolerate solitude well; number three: since they’ll be expected to document the experience with a video diary, it’s crucial for them to be an adept communicator.

“They will talk about how life is on the island and how these special conditions have affected the relationship to the films that they have seen,” Holmberg says.

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The immersive solo movie experience takes place from January 30 through February 6. The winner will live in the lighthouse keeper’s home but all movies will be air in a purpose-built, one-person cinema inside the lighthouse. Interested film lovers should apply at the festival website ASAP.

We’re not sure if popcorn is included.

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

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MORE: Howling With Joy: After 45 Years, the Gray Wolf Has Successfully Been Lifted Off the US Endangered Species List

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Jan 7, 2021

The devil-eyed frog and satyr butterfly, species that had not been seen for 30 and 100 years, join a plethora of never-before-seen creatures for field guides in a recent expedition into the Bolivian jungles.

Devil-eyed frog, Steffen Reichle/Conservation International

At a time when most journals are writing about the number of species disappearing, a sort of rapid-response team for biodiversity assessment found the trove of new creatures only 30 miles from the capital city of La Paz.

High in the Andean cloud forest, researchers from Conservation International began a Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) to scout for new insect species. However, the two-week expedition uncovered far more, including the 10mm-long lilliputian frog, two metalmark butterflies, the adder’s mouth orchid, and even a new species of pit viper which thankfully no-one on the team stepped on.

Cup orchid, Trond Larsen/Conservation International

Their search took them up the slopes which flank the Zongo Valley, where steep mountains and pristine forests conceal small ecosystems shrouded in mist which locals are said to refer to as “sky islands.”

Arizona contains features described in the same words, micro-mountain chains where the drastic difference in conditions and the inability to easily relocate creates specially adapted animals.

The RAP, co-led by Trond Larsen from Conservation International, noted to the Guardian that they had not imagined finding new vertebrate species at all, but that the frog and viper were both tremendously exciting.

“What’s so amazing is that you could hear the distinctive call of the little frog throughout the forest, but you get close and they stop calling,” Trond said. “Trying to spot it when it’s not making a sound and is hidden in the moss was a tremendous task.”

Among the other rarities were a new species of bamboo and cup orchid, as well as a snake whose body sported the green, yellow, and red colors of the Bolivian flag. A species of arrowroot logged but one time in 125 years was also recorded. It closed its petals at night, which the scientists described as “like hands in prayer.”

Snake, Trond Larsen/Conservation International

“This truly beautiful and diverse landscape has become a safe haven for amphibians, reptiles, butterflies, and plants that haven’t been found anywhere else on Earth,” said Larsen.

All this biodiversity is a sign that there is no reason to give up trying to save species, and the RAP in the Zongo Valley was actually aimed at underpinning a new conservation area that will protect not only wildlife, but forest resources like timber and Indigenous food sources, as well as waterways.

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Plastic Straws and Single-Use Bags Vanish From China as Ban Kicks In

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MORE: Island Province in China Bans All Disposable Plastics – And Rallies to Ramp Up Biodegradable Substitutes

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Jan 7, 2021

In China, 2020 was bid farewell with a flurry of fireworks and the scratching off of 200 million metric tonnes of plastic straws from the nation’s pollution inventory.

The anticipated ban comes into effect first with two items, plastic straws and single-use shopping bags, with other single-use plastics to follow. They are one of fewer than 10 nations to ban plastic straws outright.

The ban was announced in the Party’s new Five-Year Plan in January 2020, and aims to reduce plastic pollution while moving to integrate biodegradable alternatives, starting with plastic straws.

But there is something unique that makes a plastic straw ban in China more impactful than other countries, and it isn’t the fact they are the most populous nation.

It’s that paper and polylactic acid compound straws will replace plastic ones in the people’s favorite drink—tapioca pearl tea, also known as milk or bubble tea.

Chinese consumers love bubble and milk tea. These treats, often taking the place of the West’s morning coffee, are drank through plastic straws larger and thicker than those we would recognize from a McDonald’s, as they must be able to accommodate the movement of the “bubbles” of tapioca pudding.

In 2018, an estimated 500,000 chains sold bubble tea in China, and the to-go beverage market in the country rose 9.3% in 2020 to $80 billion.

Milk tea chains like Nayuki in Shanghai have already been using paper straws for most of the year in anticipation of the first phase of the plastic ban scheduled to start in 2021.

Supermarkets like Careful and RT Mart are also tightening their fiscal belts as single-use plastic shopping bags are banned as well, with replacements in the form of biodegradable bags, rentable baskets, or for-purchase reusable bags taking the form as the major alternatives.

CHECK OUT: Scientists Turn Plastic Waste Into Valuable Commodities, to Create a Bigger Market for Waste Materials

One Chinese news agency reports that while prices for biodegradable alternatives to straws and bags are more expensive, the ban has seen the market share for bio-plastics skyrocket to an expected $7.3 billion in 2025, and a further doubling to $13.9 billion by 2030, suggesting the cost will rapidly decrease as more entrepreneurs enter the market with new technologies.

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“Let us begin by committing ourselves to the truth to see it like it is, and tell it like it is, to find the truth, to speak the truth, and to live the truth.” – Richard Nixon

Quote of the Day

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Jan 7, 2021

Quote of the Day: “Let us begin by committing ourselves to the truth to see it like it is, and tell it like it is, to find the truth, to speak the truth, and to live the truth.” – Richard M. Nixon

This quote comes from Nixon’s presidential nomination acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in 1968, eight years before he resigned in disgrace during the Watergate scandal, after lying and committing crimes.

Photo by: Eric Vega, cropped

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?

To Protect the Heart From Breast Cancer Treatment, Study Finds Statins Could Help

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