All News - Page 597 of 1725 - Good News Network
Home Blog Page 597

Idaho Judge Says ‘NO’ to One Million Acres of Oil and Gas Extraction Leases So We Can Get Adequate Public Input

By
Andy Corbley
-
By Jeannie Stafford/USFWS

Idaho has for several years been very proactive in taking steps to protect sagebrush habitat for the sake of hundreds of species including the keystone of them all, the ostentatious greater sage-grouse. Now, a federal judge in that state has voided nearly one million acres of oil and gas leases on federal lands across 11 western states.

Chief Magistrate Ronald E. Bush noted that the period for public comment was too short during the lease application process, and it didn’t allow for adequate protestation time; describing it as “arbitrary and capricious”.

“Faster and easier lease sales, at the expense of public participation, is not enough,” wrote the judge, who reinstated a 30-day public forum-style comment period followed by an administrative protest period on all recent leases on public land.

In January 2018, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued a memorandum of instructions to streamline the leasing process by making common-sense adjustments to steer it away from over-regulation while maintaining standards of public health, environmental review, and public input.

“The court wasn’t fooled by the agency’s efforts to disguise its intention to provide greater influence to extractive energies—and the sage-grouse and 350 other sagebrush-dependent species will benefit from today’s win,” said Talasi Brooks, an attorney with Western Watersheds Project, one of the environmental groups which have supported the Idaho reversal.

RELATED: Couple Buys Up Acres Around Indian Tiger Reserve For Reforesting So Big Cats Can Roam

Under the recent rollback of protections for 9 million acres of western sagebrush habitat, departments like the Bureau of Land Management, Environmental Protection Agency, and the Interior have moved to allow states to take greater autonomy in energy and mineral production within their borders.

According to The Washington Post, this has involved making decisions that partly and sometimes entirely outflank citizen input in the case of the EPA, while the BLM has opened much shorter public comment periods and also established different methods of accepting public feedback, with some regional offices accepting only fax or in person protests rather than by email.

Greater Sage-Grouse by Jeannie Stafford/USFWS

The treeless meadows of sagebrush habitat characterize the American West, and the greater sage-grouse—which dances, struts, and fans its tail in an extraordinary mating ritual every spring—has become the poster child of this ecosystem. The bird’s population, once numbering 15 million, has been reduced to just 500,000 through habitat loss, drilling, and disease.

MORE: The Guys Who Sell Ocean Plastic Bracelets Are Closing in on 8 Million Pounds of Waste Pulled From the Sea

Private-public partnerships in states like Idaho have intervened by slowing and even halting the decline of the charismatic bird, so much that the Near-Threatened species never had to be listed as Endangered under the law.

(WATCH the BBC’s amusing video—a dance party of the mating grouse…)

Spread The Good News With Conservation Friends On Social Media…

Whales Feces Represent One of the Greatest Allies Against Climate Change—Even More Than Trees

By
Andy Corbley
-
Right whale - NOAA

Attention in the fight against climate change tends to be focused on gasoline and trees, but 75% of the planet’s surface is covered by ocean—and a natural process taking place underwater has excited scores of climate-conscious investors at the recent World Economic Forum who may want to help.

During the recent wildfires in the Amazon rainforest, journalists often portrayed trees as the “lungs of the world,” but that title most certainly belongs to phytoplankton, which alone refreshes nearly 50% of the atmospheric oxygen on planet earth—the value of four Amazons.

And, in the effort to stop the warming of the planet, our greatest allies could belong to the great blue species of whales—because of the tremendous amount of excrement left in their wake.

A new paper published by economist Dr. Ralph Chiami highlights the influence that whales, especially great blue whales—and their poo—have on climate change. It is all due to the predominance of whale fecal matter in the diets of the tiny ocean dwellers called phytoplankton.

The microscopic marine algae floats at the center of several marine food webs, and they provide food for a host of sea creatures including whales, while synergistically also requiring whale excrement to feed on. They also require carbon dioxide to survive, just like trees.

RELATED: Dutch Guy Famous for Cleaning Up Pacific Garbage Patch is Now Clearing the World’s Rivers Too

Whales, after deep-sea dives for krill and other food, return to the surface and release into the top ocean layer “fecal plumes” rich in nitrogen and iron. These plumes provide a key food source for phytoplankton which feed on non-organic nutrients like nitrates, phosphates, and sulfur.

Whales – A Public Good

Right whale – NOAA

In his paper, Dr. Chiami, an economist at the International Monetary Fund, suggests that since phytoplankton populations expand wherever whales are, a significant effort should be made to combat climate change by encouraging the growth and protection of whale populations.

“At a minimum, even a 1% increase in phytoplankton productivity thanks to whale activity would capture hundreds of millions of tons of additional CO2 a year, equivalent to the sudden appearance of 2 billion mature trees,” writes Chiami.

CHECK OUT: Humpback Whales Bounce Back From Near-Extinction—From Just 450, to Over 25,000

Abandoning the jargon of the scientist and replacing it with that of the economist, Chiami estimates that the financial value of a whale in terms of public good should be expressed in a clear dollar amount—so the value of a whale will serve as a better motivation to protect them.

Chiami calculated what a whale would be worth in terms of climate change by calculating the market price of carbon dioxide, the amount of carbon sequestered in their enormous bodies over their lifetime, and their economic effect on fishery enhancement and ecotourism. The figure is roughly $2 million per whale—with a total value of all the world’s whales at well over $1 trillion. Chiami continues his estimations by determining various ways of increasing whale well-being, before concluding that it would take 30 years to double the current worldwide whale stock.

MORE: Hawaii’s State Bird Soars Back From Brink of Extinction After Only 30 Birds Left on Islands

This value, according to Chiami, representing a mere fraction of the potential damage that 30 or 40 years of a warming climate would do to the world economies according to many estimations.

Interestingly, according to one report from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland where Chiami and his biologist colleague Michael Fishbach from the Great Whale Conservancy presented their whale/climate strategy to a room completely empty of scientists—and instead packed with bankers and investment managers—the duo were mobbed with interested parties who agreed that the financial world could play a large role in helping to fund whale recovery efforts.

On top of the relatively small commercial whaling operations in countries like Norway, Iceland, and Japan, whales are threatened by marine noise pollution, ship strikes, and plastic pollution. However thanks to Chiami and the aptly-named Fishbach, funding for whale conservation could drastically rise in the coming years, as a few hard-nosed financial investors consider producing an influx of cash the size of which NGOs and nonprofits have only dreamed.

Be Sure And Share This Whale Of A Good News Tale With Your Friends On Social Media…

Engineer Makes a DIY Cell Phone With Rotary Dial So She Doesn’t Have to Use a Smartphone

By
Good News Network
-

A brilliant 34-year-old engineer has built her own mobile phone with a rotary dial—and she did it because she despises texting and over-complicated smartphones.

Justine Haupt has spent the last three years developing the old school device so that it can fit in her pocket, get better reception, and maintain a battery life of up to 30 hours.

When she wrote about the retro cell phone on her blog, the website crashed from the sheer number of visitors clamoring to admire the retro gadget.

LOOK: This New LED Lamp Has Helped 90% of Its Dyslexic Users to Read ‘Effortlessly’

Since Haupt has been inundated with requests from fellow smartphone haters begging for their own version of the phone, she is now offering DIY build-it-yourself kits to the public.

The astronomy instrumentation engineer from New York’s Brookhaven National Laboratory says she was was inspired to make the phone because she dislikes the culture and design of smartphones.

“I work in technology, but I don’t like the culture around smartphones,” says Haupt. “I don’t like the idea of being at someone’s beck and call every moment and I don’t need to have that level of access to the internet.

All photos by SWNS

“I’ve never texted, and building this phone was in part so that I would have a good excuse for not texting. Now I can hold up this phone and say, ‘No, I can’t text.’”

While Haupt did once buy a Samsung Galaxy smartphone for her mother and played around on it herself, she said she got rid of the device after a month.

“I thought I would give it a try but I lasted less than a month with it before I went back to my flip phone,” she recalled. “I’m an engineer, I love technology, but the phone is not the way I want to do it.”

She is also not a fan of the smartphone’s interface or touch screen. (WATCH the video at the bottom)

Numbers display on this screen – SWNS photo

“[It’s] absolutely horrible,” she added. “When you open an application and then you want it to go away but you don’t know if it is closed—that grates against the fiber of my being.”

Haupt’s appreciation of rotary dials inspired her project.

“I had had a flip phone for a long time and it can technically text so I wanted an even more dumbed down phone. I thought: ‘why not make a rotary dial phone?’” says the engineer. “I wanted it to fit in my pocket, be sleek, something I could actually use.

Haupt sourced a rotary dial from an old Trimline telephone, making sure the dial was small enough to fit on a phone which would slip into her pocket.

CHECK OUT: First Drone Project of Its Kind in Canada is Aiming to Plant 1 Billion Trees by 2028

“I was particular about getting one that could be as compact as possible.”

She then bought a cell phone radio development board from hardware company Adafruit in order to build a basic proof-of-concept prototype before designing her own circuitry.

Haupt used a 3D printer to create the cell phone case and she added speed dialing buttons so she could call her husband, David Van Popering, and her mother, Lorraine, at the click of a button.

SWNS photo

“If I want to call my husband, I can call him by pushing a single button,” says Haupt. “I can call people more quickly on this phone than on my old phone. In rare cases when I want to call a new number, I do use the rotary dial and it is a fun, tactile experience.”

WATCH: 14-Year-old Awarded $25,000 For Invention That Totally Eliminates Blind Spots in Your Car Using a Projector

Haupt also added a display to the phone so that she could see messages and missed calls.

“It’s actual e-paper, the same material that you find on Kindles. Those kinds of displays are cool and are under-utilized in technology.”

The phone takes an AT&T prepaid sim card which is compatible with the cell phone radio.

LOOK: People With Diabetes May One Day Be Monitoring Glucose With an Earring

“I never expected to go viral with this,” Haupt said. “I didn’t want to sell it at first but everyone was clamoring and I got so many emails from people begging to buy a phone, and (then) someone suggested I should make a kit.”

Customers can buy the kit, which includes the circuit board and the 3D printed parts, from her company Sky’s Edge for $170—although they will have to source their own rotary dial.

“Now I’m looking at making a more inclusive kit that will come with everything you need,” Haupt added.

(WATCH a demonstration in this SWNS video…)

Be an Influencer, and SHARE This Cool Gadget on Social Media…

Woman Won $1,000 Weekly Lotto Payout—and Proved Money Can’t Buy Happiness By Giving It All Away

By
McKinley Corbley
-

Editor’s Note: this evergreen story was originally published on GNN in July 2018, but we are reposting it this week for #ThrowbackThursday in hopes of introducing it to our new readers.

While it’s a common belief that money can’t buy happiness, Rachel Lapierre is proving otherwise by giving all of her money away.

The 56-year-old former beauty queen from Quebec won the Gagnant Lifetime Lottery in 2013, which means that she receives a $1,000 stipend every week—and she is going to keep receiving those payments for the rest of her life.

Instead of spending her fortune on lavish possessions, however, Lapierre uses all of her money on running a charity and helping the less fortunate.

“Money is money. When you’re born you don’t have anything,” Lapierre told BBC in the video below. “And when you go, you go with nothing but your memories. You go with what you did here in life.”

WATCH: Powerball Winner’s Gives Amusingly Endearing Retelling of How and Why He Won $183 Million

Fame and money is not strange to Lapierre, either—as a young woman, Lapierre attended modeling school so she could enter the Miss Quebec beauty pageant. In 1982, at the age of 21, she won the pageant and toured the country.

When she left her modeling lifestyle behind her, she started volunteering with humanitarian organizations and working as a nurse so she could fulfill her desire to help people. Then, when she drew her winning numbers, she used the money to start her charity, Le Book Humanitaire. Though the organization also accepts donations, much of the funding has come out of Lapierre’s wallet.

WATCH: Man Living in a Shack is Saved By His ‘Worthless’ Blanket That Spurs $1.5 Million Bidding War

“We just try to promote good deeds. Good deeds can be so many things. It can be a bike, it can be food, it can be transport to go to the hospital. It can even be just listening to somebody on the phone because they are lonely,” Lapierre said to the news outlet.

“I think happiness comes from the heart. It’s nice to have a new home or car. It can be really fun—but you don’t need that to be happy,” she added.

(WATCH the emotional interview below)

Share This Inspiring Story Of Philanthropy With Your Friends – Photo by BBC

Former Prisoners Use Skills Learned as Inmates to Help Firefighters Battle Blazes–And Give Jobs to Ex-Cons

By
McKinley Corbley
-
Photo by All Around Forestry
Photo by All Around Forestry

Not only are these two former inmates helping to fight forest fires since gaining their freedom, they’re also proving to their peers that there is life after prison.

During their time at Central New Mexico Correctional Facility, Lawrence Jaramillo and Joshua Melendrez were just two of the inmates who participated in a state-run program that teaches inmates about firefighting and prevention.

The program, which taught the men life skills that they could use to reintegrate into society upon their release, often placed the men on the front lines of wildfire response teams in New Mexico.

The experience was profoundly moving for Melendrez and Jaramillo, and they would often dream of starting a business together once they were released. So, when they were finally freed from the correctional facility in July 2017 and January 2018 respectively, they launched their own forestry company.

RELATED: Inmates Are Earning Free College Degrees Behind Bars, And Their Recidivism Rate Plunges to 2%

Since they got a business license to operate All Around Forestry in November 2019, the dynamic duo has hired a crew of former inmates to join their company.

“There is life after prison, and that’s what I would like for them to take from this,” Jaramillo told ABC News.

Furthermore, their company has provided much-needed backup support to state firefighters battling blazes across ‘The Land of Enchantment’.

(WATCH the news coverage below)

Plant Some Positivity By Sharing The Good News To Social Media…

“Do not be afraid; our fate cannot be taken from us; it is a gift.” – Dante Alighieri

By
Good News Network
-

Quote of the Day: “Do not be afraid; our fate cannot be taken from us; it is a gift.” – Dante Alighieri

Photo: by Marina Vitale – public domain

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?

 

Having Trouble Sleeping? New Research Says a Dose of Saffron Can Help You Doze

By
Good News Network
-
Spoonful of Saffron

New research has shown that saffron can enhance the quality of sleep in adults who have been experiencing poor sleep.

Lead researcher Dr. Adrian Lopresti came to the hypothesis after earlier research found saffron to be an effective natural agent for the treatment of mild-to-moderate depression, but it also led to improvements in sleep for participants.

This new randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at Australia’s Murdoch University with 68 adults who reported sleep problems, but were otherwise healthy.

“We used volunteers who were not being treated for depression, were physically-healthy, had been medication-free for at least four weeks—apart from the contraceptive pill—and had self-reported symptoms of poor sleep,” said Dr. Lopresti.

“This is a serious issue as poor sleep quality can have a negative impact on both mental and physical health and can interfere with daily function.

CHECK OUT: Give Yourself a ‘Dry January’—You’ll Sleep Better, Save Money, and Lose Weight

“Our previous research showed saffron was an effective add-on to pharmaceutical antidepressants in patients experiencing mild-to-moderate depression. Because many of these people reported improvements in their sleep, in this study we focused on healthy adults who were generally medication free but had experienced poor sleep lasting greater than four weeks.”

Dr. Lopresti said the results, published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine last week, indicate that a standardized saffron extract (affron) at a dose of 14mg, twice daily for 28 days improved sleep quality in adults with self-reported poor sleep, with most of these changes occurring in the first 7 days of treatment.

“In addition to the improved sleep, the study showed that saffron was well-tolerated with no reported adverse effects,” Dr. Lopresti said.

MORE: Want to Stop Eating Junk Food? New Research Says You Should Get More Sleep

However, the researchers reported that even though the results were positive, the findings require replication using a larger sample size and differing populations. The results were based on data collected from 55 of the participants.

“Our early research is indeed positive and there is evidence that taking a standardized saffron extract is associated with improvements in sleep quality,” Dr. Lopresti said.

“However, to verify these findings, further studies using larger sample sizes, treatment periods and volunteers with varying characteristics is required.”

Reprinted from Murdoch University

Don’t Snooze and Miss the Chance to Share This Handy Research on Social Media…

Fashion Industry Eyes Alternative Leather Made Out of Cactus–And it’s Sustainable and Eco-Friendly

By
McKinley Corbley
-
Photo by Adriano Di Marti

Two men have succeeded in developing an alternative to animal leather made out of Mexican cactus—and it could save millions of animals worldwide.

Adrián López Velarde and Marte Cázarez created their vegan fabric out of the nopal cactus and spent two years researching and developing their design. They then perfected the manufacturing process in July and unveiled the fabric to the fashion world in Milan, Italy in October.

The entrepreneurs realized the environmental impact of animal leather spending years working in the furniture, automotive, and fashion industries. Upon quitting their jobs, they co-founded Adriano Di Marti to find an innovative leather replacement.

RELATED: 7-Year-Old Sea Turtle Activist Convinces L.L. Bean to Change Company Policy

Their patented “Desserto” fabric is made out of cactus leaves that are sustainably harvested every 6 to 8 months. The material is designed to breathe easily while still being durable and partially biodegradable. In addition to the cactus-based material requiring a minimal amount of water to develop, it is grown organically in the Mexican state of Zacatecas.

The material, which is available in a variety of colors produced using natural dyes, has now been used to make everything from bags and automotive seating to shoes and jackets.

(WATCH the video below)

Plant Some Positivity – Share The Good News With Vegan Friends On Social Media…

When 8-Year-old is Left Without Escort to Daddy-Daughter Dance, Kind Officer Steps in As Her Date

By
McKinley Corbley
-
Photo by Officer Nick Harvey

A wish came true for this 8-year-old girl who wanted to attend the school’s daddy-daughter dance—because a compassionate security guard stepped in.

Avey Cox, now a second grader, had always been eager to attend the annual daddy-daughter dance with her friends at the Arkansas school—but after her father passed away over the holidays, the heartbroken youngster assumed she would not be able to go to the February soiree.

When Van Buren school resource officer Nick Harvey heard that Avey did not have an escort to the dance, however, he sought permission to be her date.

LOOK: Subway Train Officer Spent 30 Minutes Calming Boy With Autism Having a Meltdown—and They’re Now Best Friends

“I reached out to the mother because the last thing I wanted was to get rejected by a second-grader, and then the next day I formally asked if she’d be my date to the daddy/daughter dance,” Harvey told KFSM.

Needless to say, Avey was thrilled to accept the invitation, and the dynamic duo even made sure to coordinate their outfits.

After Harvey and Avey took pictures, they rode in a limo to the school and danced the night away with the other elementary school kids and teachers. It was an event the youngster will not soon forget.

Not only that, Harvey says he hopes to be Avey’s escort for all the school dances to come so she never has to miss another dance.

(WATCH the news coverage below)

Serve Up The Good News To Your Friends By Sharing This Story On Social Media…

THC Holds Promise As Possible First-of-Kind Treatment for Women With Endometriosis: Study

By
Galey Richardson
-

Hundreds of thousands of women are diagnosed with endometriosis every year, and often are left without any hope for an “effective treatment” other than taking hormones.

Thankfully, a promising new study indicates that the cannabinoid THC might be able to alleviate the worst symptoms of the disease.

Endometriosis is a condition in which the tissue that normally grows on the inside of the uterus grows on the outside, which causes chronic, shooting pain in the uterus. About 1 in 10 women in the US suffer from the condition, and although symptoms can start at any age, they generally start in women’s thirties or forties.

Symptoms can range from mildly frustrating to chronically unbearable. What causes endometriosis? There are a number of theories: erratic stem cell growth, environmental toxins, autoimmune irregularity, or retrograde periods (when menstrual flows backwards into the fallopian tubes).

The Mayo Clinic says hormones are responsible for the buildup of endometrial tissue each month, and therapies like hormonal contraceptives can manage the growth—birth control pills, patches, or vaginal rings. But hormones have side effects.

RELATED: Never Too Late—New Study Finds Lungs ‘Magically’ Repair Themselves After Quitting Smoking, No Matter the Age

Some women focus on their diet, limiting caffeine and alcohol, and many others take some form of pain medication. For others, a more drastic solution is required, like undergoing mildly invasive surgeries to remove the growths—or even the entire uterus, in extreme cases. Very few solutions are pain-free and risk-free, and all of them only address the symptoms.

However, recent experiments made by Spanish medical researchers at the University Pomeu Fabra of Barcelona could be turning things around for those suffering from the debilitating condition.

In January 2020, a research team led by Rafael Maldanado published a study investigating an unlikely endometriosis treatment option: THC. And while these experiments were done using mice, their findings were so significant that clinical tests on women are now being funded at the Gynecology Service of the Clinical Hospital of Barcelona.

CHECK OUT: Bees Are Benefiting From Hemp Pollen as More Legal Cannabis is Grown Since 2018 Farm Bill

THC is the psycho-active ingredient in the Cannabis sativa plant, and since it was a major target in the “War on Drugs”, the plant has been largely absent from medical research for the last 60 years.

“Although cannabis comes with a large number of potential side effects, its medicinal properties could provide pain relief in endometriosis and other conditions,” said Maldonado, Professor at the University Pompeu Fabra of Barcelona.

It could even do more than that.

Researchers studied three specific things in the mice they tested: how THC affects pain-related anxiety, how THC affects pain-related memory deficiencies, and how it affects the actual endometrial growths on the uterus.

MORE: In Historic Announcement, the World Health Organization (WHO) Proposes Removing Cannabis From Most Dangerous Drug Category

The results were surprising, even to the researchers. First, implants that mimic the pain caused by endometriosis were placed in the pelvises of a group of female mice. These implants are already known to cause growths on mice uteruses, just like endometriosis. The implanted group was found to be more anxious; specifically less willing to explore new spaces. They also had a harder time remembering and identifying objects than their pain-free counterparts.

Out of the group of mice with endometriosis-mimicking pain implants, a portion were dosed with 2mg/kg THC for 28 days. The THC-treated mice were shown to be less anxious than their untreated counterparts, and their memory test results were no different than the control group of pain-free mice.

MORE: Cannabis Oil ‘Significantly’ Improves the Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease in Small, First-of-its-Kind Study

While those findings are already evidence that THC might prove an effective treatment option for humans suffering with chronic pain, there was a much more notable surprise waiting for the researchers: by the end of the experiment, the THC-treated mice had endometrial growths that were noticeably smaller than their non-treated fellow mice.

The study gives hope to the medical community and so many people living with endometriosis that THC, which is already known to help relieve chronic pain, may also help to stop malignant growths. Perhaps we have only begun to tap its full healing potential.

And, as for the psychoactive effects of THC, a number of the over-400 natural cannabinoids in the plant can be tapped to lessen the psychoactive effects of the THC. That means a THC compound might, in the future, be usable for endometriosis, while not causing the high induced by other strains of the plant.

Treat Your Friends To A Daily Dose Of Good News By Sharing This To Social Media…

This Pizzeria Has Been Attaching Photos of Adoptable Shelter Animals to Their Delivery Boxes

By
McKinley Corbley
-

A New York pizzeria has been thinking outside of the box to get shelter pups adopted—and their scheme has been working pawfectly.

The Just Pizza and Wings Co. restaurant in Amherst has partnered with the Niagara SPCA to attach photos of adoptable dogs to the front of their delivery boxes.

If the cute pictures aren’t enough to sweeten the deal for potential adopters, Just Pizza has also offered to give away free $50 gift certificates to anyone who adopts a dog from the shelter.

Since posting about the initiative on Facebook last week, the shelter has received an outpouring of support from customers, national news outlets, and social media users.

WATCH: This is the World’s First Beer Taproom That Also Houses Foster Dogs Rescued From Kill Shelters

“We’ve had a tremendous amount of interest and support from the community and beyond since the story went viral on Friday,” SPCA event coordinator Kimberly LaRussa told CNN. “Many people want to order a pizza just to get the shelter dog photo, other pizzerias have offered to put flyers on their pizza boxes, and so many people are tagging their friends and family.”

More importantly, the project has already proven itself to be successful—a 6-month-old puppy was adopted from the shelter just one day after his photo was attached to the first batch of pizza box flyers.

The pizzeria is now trying to raise money for the shelter by selling “Pizza + Pups” tee-shorts for a limited time.

Just Pizza is also helping other local pizzerias implement similar initiatives in their own restaurants—and the staffers hope that it will help every last shelter pet across the state find its forever home.

(WATCH the news coverage below) – Photo by Just Wing and Pizza Co.

Be Sure And Share The Pawesome Story With Your Friends On Social Media…

“Your mission: Build a life you love so much that you won’t have time for hate, regret or fear.” – Karen Salmansohn

By
Good News Network
-

Quote of the Day: “Your mission: Build a life you love so much that you won’t have time for hate, regret or fear.” – Karen Salmansohn

Photo: by Noah Silliman – public domain, cropped, darkened

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?

 

10 Lawmakers Accept Teen’s ‘Eye-Opening’ Challenge to Spend a Day in His Wheelchair

By
McKinley Corbley
-

 

An eighth grade student managed to convince a team of legislators to participate in a day-long lesson which they will remember for the rest of their life.

14-year-old Alex Johnson has been using a wheelchair since he was in second grade due to a form of skeletal dysplasia—a condition which affects the growth of his bones and cartilage.

Since the teen from Lebanon, Tennessee has now been using a wheelchair for most of his life, he has been issuing a simple challenge to his peers and classmates: spend a day in a wheelchair so they can understand what it’s like to be disabled.

RELATED: First US National Park to Offer Heavy-Duty Wheelchairs for Disabled Visitors to Enjoy the Scenery

Not only has the youngster gotten dozens of students to participate in his “Spend a Day in My Wheels” challenge, he recently got ten state lawmakers from across the aisle to participate in the challenge as well.

With Alex’s help, Tennessee Rep. Clark Boyd, R-Lebanon hosted the bipartisan event last month—and the challenge was definitely an eye-opening experience for the legislators.

“Even in a building that is handicap accessible, still you bump into doors,” Boyd told WSMV. “You bump into walls. Some of the doors become very heavy for someone in a wheelchair. Opening a refrigerator door, doors seem to be a pretty big challenge.”

LOOK: After Saving Money for Two Years, Teen Finally Gets to Surprise His Friend With New Electric Wheelchair

Alex now hopes that the experience will help lawmakers to understand the difficulties of the disabled so they can pass more handicap-friendly legislation.

“Our whole community is very supportive of Alex and proud of the effort he’s made to create greater understanding about what it’s like to live with a disability,” Boyd added in a statement. “He’s an amazing young man who has found a way to use his disability as an ability to educate others.”

(WATCH the news coverage below or you can watch the interview on WSMV)

Be Sure And Share This Sweet Story With Your Friends On Social Media…

Landmark Ruling Finally Grants Women Equal Rights in the Indian Military

By
McKinley Corbley
-

Despite years of ongoing legislative grief and gender bias, the Supreme Court of India has upheld a 2010 verdict that women be offered the same militaristic opportunities in commissioning as men.

The landmark ruling—which the government will be required to uphold within the next three months—means that women in the armed forces can now assume the post of colonel, brigadier, major general, lieutenant general, and chief of army staff. Furthermore, they will be eligible for the same benefits and pensions as their male colleagues regardless of their years of service.

Although the Delhi High Court had already approved equal treatment for female officers 9 years ago, the government attempted to overturn the ruling by arguing that women were not eligible for promotion or intelligence positions because of their “physiological limitations”.

“Women officers must deal with pregnancy, motherhood, and domestic obligations towards their children and families and may not be well suited to the life of a soldier in the armed forces,” stated the central government, according to CNN.

WATCH: Simone Biles Breaks Record for Most World Medals Won By Any Gymnast, With New Move That Now Bears Her Name

Thanks to last month’s ruling from the Supreme Court, however, female officers will no longer be subjected to such archaic discrimination.

“[The] time has come that women officers are not adjunct to their male counterparts. Physiological features of women have no link to their rights. The mindset must change,” Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Ajay Rastogi said in their ruling. “To cast aspersion on gender is an affront to their dignity and to the country.”

“All the lady officers in the Indian Army are very happy and very elated by the landmark judgment,” Lt. Col. Sandhya Yadav said after the verdict on Monday, as reported by The Associated Press. “It was a long wait and has ended. We are happy about it.”

Photo by Suyash Dwivedi, CC

Be Sure And Share The Exciting News With Your Friends On Social Media…

Museum of Natural History Unveils New Hall of Gems After Years Of Renovation—And It Looks Incredible

By
Good News Network
-
Photo by the American Museum of Natural History

After 3 years of renovations, the American Museum of Natural History has finally announced that it will open their completely redesigned hall of gems this upcoming fall—and the newly renovated facility is likely to be awe-inspiring.

The Allison and Roberto Mignone Hall of Gems and Minerals has been a part of the museum since the 1970s, although it has been closed for the last three years so curators could dramatically improve its accessibility and content.

The 11,000-square-foot halls have now been optimized to be a brilliant showcase for one of the greatest collections of its kind and an engaging guide to recent science about our dynamic planet.

The redesigned wing of the museum will feature recently acquired specimens, including two remarkable amethyst geodes that are among the world’s largest on public display; a gallery of gems re-presenting treasures such as the legendary 563-carat “Star of India” sapphire and 632-carat Patricia emerald; and the halls’ first temporary exhibition gallery, opening with Beautiful Creatures, a celebration of exquisite historic and contemporary jewelry inspired by animals.

LOOK: Need to Escape Reality? This Dr. Seuss Exhibit Takes You to Another World

With interactive displays, touchable specimens and media, the halls’ redesigned exhibits will tell the fascinating story of how the vast diversity of mineral types—which, similarly to biological organisms, are grouped into species—arose on Earth, how scientists classify them, and how humans have used them throughout the millennia for personal adornment, tools, and technology.

Highlights will include a luminous gallery featuring a wall-sized panel of rock glowing fluorescently in shades of orange and green; a pair of exquisite amethyst geodes from Uruguay that tower to a height of 12 feet and 9 feet; and the 9-pound almandine “subway” garnet discovered under Manhattan’s 35th Street in 1885.

Jewelry in animal forms featured in the temporary exhibition gallery will include pieces by Cartier, Bulgari, and Tiffany & Co., as well as by contemporary designers such as Bina Goenka.

Photo by the American Museum of Natural History

The halls of gems and minerals are named for Roberto and Allison Mignone, longtime Museum supporters and volunteers. Roberto Mignone is a Museum Trustee and Allison Mignone is vice chair of the Museum’s Campaign.

The halls are undergoing renovation as part of the physical and programmatic initiatives undertaken in conjunction with the 150th anniversary celebration of the museum, which was founded in 1869.

“The opening of the Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals will be a milestone in a wide range of capital and programmatic enhancements commemorating the Museum’s 150th anniversary,” said museum president Ellen V. Futter. “By telling the fascinating stories of the complex processes that gave rise to the extraordinary diversity of minerals on our dynamic planet and describing how people have used them throughout history for personal adornment, tools, and technology, the Halls will not just be glittering but also intellectually engaging.”

CHECK OUT: Fans of Netflix ‘Stranger Things’ Series Inundate Museum With Mountains of Cash

“When I first started as a curator at the Museum over 40 years ago, the most recent version of these galleries had just opened,” said George E. Harlow, curator of the new halls. “Science has progressed significantly in that time, such as with the concept of mineral evolution. These new exhibits will present our current scientific understanding of gems and minerals, present the environments in which they form, and focus on the intimate relationship between minerals and life.”

“Halls like these are crucial and tangible teaching tools that communicate an understanding of humanity’s place in the universe,” said Allison Mignone. “Our family’s experiences at the Museum have helped us see the discoveries and sparks that take place when spectacular exhibits such as this one are on view, and remarkable stories, such as those that will be featured in these renovated galleries, are told.”

Reprinted from the American Museum of Natural History

Be Sure And Share This Gem Of A Story With Your Friends On Social Media…

Billy Idol is Protecting NYC Air By Telling Drivers to Shut Their Engines Off: ‘Billy Never Idles; Neither Should You’

By
Good News Network
-
Photo by the City of New York
Photo by the City of New York

Environmentalist rock star Billy Idol is playing on his world-renowned name to discourage New Yorkers from letting their cars idle unnecessarily.

Idol joined New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to launch a new anti-idling advertising and publicity campaign as part of a larger anti-idling initiative aimed at boosting public awareness on the harmful effects of idling, expanding enforcement of anti-idling laws, and encouraging individuals to file citizen complaints.

In 2018, DEP began a “Citizens Air Complaint Program” where individuals who witness and record a truck or bus idling can file a complaint online with DEP and collect 25% of the penalty, $87.50 of a $350 fine. Launching today, the public awareness campaign encourages drivers to shut off their engines to reduce idling and increase accountability for commercial vehicles. Additional information can be found at the “Billy Never Idles” website.

RELATED: Passing at Age 103, Actor Kirk Douglas Gives Away Entire $61 Million Dollar Fortune to Charities

“Billy Idol never idles and neither should you,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “It chokes our air, hurts the environment, and is bad for New York. We’re sending a loud message with a Rebel Yell: turn off your engines or pay up.”

“I love New York City and I’m delighted to lend my support to a campaign benefitting our environment,” added Mr. Idol. “Like most New Yorkers, I‘m troubled when I see cars and trucks sitting idle while polluting our neighborhoods. New Yorkers are some of the most hardworking, passionate people in the world and I hope they will join me in turning off their engines. SHUT IT OFF, NEW YORK!”

Idol attended multiple events in New York City last week to kick-off the ad campaign, featuring him and his message: “Billy Never Idles, Neither Should You; Shut your engine off.”

Photo by City of New York

The effort includes 12 high-profile billboard locations, gas station TV, radio and multiple social media platforms (hashtag #BillyNeverIdles), as well as LinkNYC and NYC TaxiTV, exposure and placement on City fleet vehicles equipped with anti-idling and emission control technology.

The city will also be adding seven air and noise inspectors to the Department of Environmental Protection to help process the increased complaints. These inspectors will focus on verifying and compiling citizen complaint filings sent to the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings and help increase inspections of priority zones identified by 311. This builds on the efforts of Local Law 58 of 2018, sponsored by Council Member Helen Rosenthal, which expanded the citizen enforcement program.

LOOK: Kristen Bell is Using Her Instagram Page to Help Send Thousands of Gifts to Teachers in Need

The eight priority zones identified thus far are Chinatown, Port Authority, World Trade Center, Fulton Street, Richmond Terrace, Flushing, Roosevelt Avenue, and Commercial Fordham Road. These zones will see an expansion of NYPD Traffic Enforcement Agents to educate drivers on the city’s laws surrounding idling.

These efforts will be overseen by an interagency task force comprised of individuals from the NYPD, Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Sanitation, and Department of Transportation. The task force will convene for the first time in the coming weeks to discuss further tactics to curb idling pollution.

Photo by the City of New York

Overall air quality in New York City has improved dramatically over the last decade, primarily driven by the City’s regulations phasing out the use of the most polluting home heating oils. However, emissions from the transportation sector, primarily cars, buses, and trucks, contribute a significant amount of pollution to the air across the five boroughs.

Every year, motor vehicles contribute approximately 11% of the local fine particulate matter and 28% of the nitrogen oxide emissions. High levels of fine particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and nitric oxide continue to be observed in areas of high traffic density, building density, and industrial areas, including the South Bronx, Western Queens and Northern Brooklyn. These pollutants have been linked to adverse health outcomes, including an exacerbation of cardiovascular and respiratory disease.

“We need an all hands on deck approach to stop idling throughout New York City,” said Deputy Mayor Laura Anglin. “That includes increasing enforcement, changing the behavior of our drivers, doubling down on our public education of the harmful effects of idling, and yes, enlisting the help of a rock star to ensure sure drivers remember to shut off their engine.”

Reprinted from the City of New York

(WATCH the ad video below)

It’s A Nice Day To Share The Good News With Your Friends On Social Media…

13-Year-old Has Been Sewing Hundreds of Bowties to Help Shelter Pets Get Adopted

By
McKinley Corbley
-

This 13-year-old philanthropist from Newark, New Jersey has been working tirelessly to help shelter animals across the country get adopted by making them handcrafted bow ties.

Darius Brown’s sister first taught him how to sew so he could improve his motor skills as a youngster. As he became more and more talented with his needlework, she suggested he use his newfound skill to start sewing bow ties.

Shortly after Darius started crafting the spiffy little accessories, Hurricanes Harvey and Irma hit Texas and Florida—and the teen was heartbroken by the amount of animals who were left without homes after the storms.

WATCH: 14-Year-old Awarded $25,000 For Her Invention That Totally Eliminates Blind Spots in Your Car Using a Projector

He then resolved to help the shelter pets find their forever families by making them personalized bowties.

He figured that if the cats and dogs could look extra dapper for potential adopters, they would be more likely to find a home—and he was right.

Since Darius began his labor of love, he guesses he has made as many as 500 bow ties. Not only that, he says that the accessories have helped more than 100 dogs and cats find forever homes.

As more and more animal shelters reached out to Darius about getting their own shipment of ties, he launched a GoFundMe campaign in June 2019 in order to raise more money for fabric and supplies.

His crowdfunding page has since raised more than $50,000 and earned him the GoFundMe Hero title for January 2020.

If you want to check out more of his work, you can visit his Facebook, Instagram, or website.

(WATCH the interview below—or our international viewers can watch the news footage on the CBS website)

Be Sure And Share This Pawesome Story With Your Friends On Social Media…

“A deep meditation is no better for you than a shallow meditation.” – Emily Fletcher

By
Good News Network
-
Lillie Kate, CC license

Quote of the Day: “A deep meditation is no better for you than a shallow meditation.” – Emily Fletcher (meditation teacher and author)

Photo: by lillie kate – CC license, cropped, darkened

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?

 

Swedish Oat Milk Pioneers Offer a Successful Win-Win Path to Struggling U.S Dairy Farmers

By
Andy Corbley
-
Helena Lumme and Mika Manninen

Self-proclaimed as the manufacturer of the world’s only true 100% environmentally-friendly dairy-free yogurt, Hälsa Foods is sharing their secret of success with struggling American dairy farmers.

Scandinavians Helena Lumme and Mika Manninen, the co-founders of Hälsa—which is Swedish for health—use oats to make their ‘oatgurt’ and milk drink substitutes.

Research has shown that oats crops are far more sustainable than the production of coconut, almond, or rice milk which create a more negative impact on both the ecosystems and the workers.

LOOK: Struggling Farmers Turn Excess Milk Into Cheese and Yogurt for the Hungry

“We are currently importing our organic oats from Scandinavia because we cannot find the quality that meets our standard in the United States,” Lumme and Manninen explain.  “At the same time, U.S. dairy farms are struggling due to slumping milk sales. So we thought, why not come up with a solution that benefits both of us—and our planet?”

Hälsa, which is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, did just that by advancing their oat outreach with a structured program to help small U.S. dairy farms—stung by recent trade wars—to stay in business by converting their pasturage to oat crops.

A dairy farming business in the New York town of Hoosick was the first to jump onboard with Hälsa’s conversion process. The farm, with 200 dairy cows, consists of 300 acres of certified-organic land overlooking the Vermont border.

Helena Lumme and Mika Manninen

“We’re excited to get started,” said Eric and Jamie Ziehm, co-owners of the High Meadows of Hoosick farm. “Our goal is to build a biodiverse and biodynamic ecosystem that has the ability to regenerate its resources. We hope this will have a positive impact and also inspire our fellow farmers who are facing many challenges today.”

RELATED: Uh, oh…Rancher’s Wife Turns Vegan, Begins Loving Hostile Takeover (WATCH)

Hälsa is not the only business with Scandinavian roots now catering to America’s exploding desire for oats as a dairy substitute. Swedish manufacturers Oatly opened a $15 million production facility for their oat beverage in New Jersey, and their products are now available in 7,000 stores nationwide.

But, Bloomberg Business News reports there is plenty of demand, with sales up nearly 700% since 2017—from $4.4 million a year to $29 million.

Hälsa sources their ingredients with organic, non-GMO oats that haven’t been exposed to any glyphosate-containing pesticides. Their products contain no artificial ingredients and are sold throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states at ShopRite, Fairway Market, Fresh Direct, all NYC airports, and at select New York metro area stores.

MORE: Tasty Seaweed Reduces Cow Emissions by 99%—and It Could Be a Climate Gamechanger

Plant Some Positivity With Your Friends By Sharing This To Social Media…

Class Ring Lost in Maine 47 Years Ago is Found in Finland and Returned to Widow Who Missed It

By
McKinley Corbley
-

It’s been 47 years since Debra McKenna lost her boyfriend’s class ring while washing her hands in a department store in Portland, Maine—but, it recently reappeared in the most miraculous place.

Debra was only 16 years old when she lost the ring that was given to her by her boyfriend Shawn, a young man she would end up dating throughout high school and college.

Despite her heartbreak over the ring’s disappearance in 1973, Shawn replaced it a few years later with a wedding ring.

The pair were married for four happy decades until he passed away in 2017 following a long bout with cancer.

RELATED: Teen Saved From Seizure After Online Gaming Friend Calls Police From 5,000 Miles Away

In High School, Shawn first asked Debra out for a date on Valentine’s Day—so imagine her surprise when she got a call on February 14th in 2020 from her high school alumni association informing her that someone had located Shawn’s long-lost ring.

Not only that, it was found beneath eight inches of soil in Helsinki, Finland—more than 3,800 miles from where it had been lost.

Helsinki native Marko Saarinen says he found the ring while he was out on a hike with his metal detector. When he saw the graduation year and high school—and the initials carved inside the ring, he reached out to Morse High School to find its rightful owner.

CHECK OUT: After Homeless Man is Featured on the Front Page, His High School Friends From 1971 Rally to Get Him Off the Street

No one knows how the ring could have ended up on the other side of the ocean, but Debra thinks it’s a sign from Shawn. “He never believed in coincidences; he believed everything happens for a reason: He wants me to remember him.”

“There was a lot of weeping when I learned that someone found it and made the effort to reach out and find me,” the 63-year-old woman told the Bangor Daily News last month. “It’s very touching in this world of negativity, to have decent people step forward and make an effort. There are good people in the world.”

(WATCH the interview below) – Photo by Inside Edition

Be Sure And Share This Inspiring Reunion Story With Your Friends On Social Media…

1...596597598...1,725Page 597 of 1,725
© Copyright 1997–2026 GNN, LLC