Inspired by the mechanics of a dripping air conditioner, French inventor Marc Parent was inspired to create a solution that could bring fresh water to the most remote, driest parts of the world.
His company, Eole Water, produces wind turbines that literally pull fresh water out of thin air at a rate of dozens of liters per hour if the conditions are right.
20 miles east of Paris, a local mayor is breaking new ground by placing a synagogue, a mosque and two Buddhist temples side by side in an effort to harbor harmony between faiths. The traditionally Catholic town of Bussy-Saint-Georges, has long had a church.
France is home to Europe’s largest Muslim and Jewish minorities, estimated at about 5 million and half a million respectively. They rub shoulders with about one million Buddhists, many of them immigrants from France’s former east Asian colonies.
At the Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women in Belfair, Washington, inmates are helping to save the endangered Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly.
Under the supervision of guards and graduate students, a small group of prisoners is breeding the beautiful orange-and-white insects in a greenhouse outside the prison. They have even carried out research to show what plants the butterfly prefers to lay its eggs on — information that will be crucial for boosting its dwindling numbers.
(READ the story in Nature.com)
A man who lives under a San Diego bridge always lives by the Ten Commandments, too.
James Pitcl, who collects recyclables and trades them in for cash, has proven that he always does the right thing, no matter how tempting the alternative.
A non-profit group, AWARE, established to trade cash to homeless folks for the plastic, glass and aluminum collected, is often receiving purses turned in by Pitchl.
(WATCH the video from NBC 7 San Diego)
A man who lives under a San Diego bridge always lives by the Ten Commandments, too.
James Pitcl, who collects recyclables and trades them in for cash, has proven that he always does the right thing, no matter how tempting the alternative.
A non-profit group, AWARE, established to trade cash to homeless folks for the plastic, glass and aluminum collected, is often receiving purses turned in by Pitchl.
(WATCH the video from NBC 7 San Diego)
Canadian public transportation workers might be off the job in Moncton this summer, but that doesn’t mean a wheel-chair bound boy will have to sit home rather than traveling to see his favorite band in concert.
An anonymous angel came forward and offered Jamie Vautour $200 so he could afford wheelchair-accessible transportation to attend his Nickelback concert earlier this year, plus some spending money for souvenirs.
Now, the same donor has come forward anonymously again, this time sending Vautour to see The Boss, paying for tickets, transport and more.
Also heartwarming is the fact that the local food shelter is benefiting after becoming the official local charity for this stop on Bruce Springsteen’s tour, like he did in Toronto recently.
(READ the story in CTV News)
Scientists have discovered a gene that makes people happy, but it is said to work only in women. The findings could help explain why women are often happier than men, the team of US researchers said.
The study focused on a gene called MAOA that affects the levels of feel-good chemicals in the brain.
University of South Florida researcher Dr. Henian Chen said its effects could be cancelled out by testosterone, but boys may still benefit before adolescence because their testosterone level is low.
(READ the story in Zee News)
Do you know someone in the United States who is always looking on the bright side, cheering others when they need it most?
In honor of the Good News Network’s 15th anniversary, we will send a free gift box of gourmet fudge to five positive people nominated by GNN fans to be honorary “Good News Ambassadors,” for their consistent efforts to inspire others.
SendFudge.com, which offers 40 flavors of decadent fudge, wants to honor the sweetest among us. They have teamed up with the Good News Network, which will choose the 5 best stories and send a gift code for a free half-pound box to each winner.
The California company Jamba Juice sells smoothies that are healthy and natural, but relies on an unnatural, unhealthy substance — styrofoam — for serving their drinks.
Ten-year-old Mia Hansen learned that styrofoam does not break down in our landfills and is harmful to the environment and animals, so she started a Change.org petition to get the nationwide chain to stop using it.
Mia’s petition collected more than 130,000 signatures — and the pressure worked.
The California company Jamba Juice sells smoothies that are healthy and natural, but relies on an unnatural, unhealthy substance — styrofoam — for serving their drinks.
Ten-year-old Mia Hansen learned that styrofoam does not break down in our landfills and is harmful to the environment and animals, so she started a Change.org petition to get the nationwide chain to stop using it.
Mia’s petition collected more than 130,000 signatures — and the pressure worked.
A needle-in-a-haystack search by a New York City Parks Department worker willing to go the extra mile turned up a diamond ring lost in Battery Park.
On the verge of giving up hope, a married couple searching the grounds spotted a city trash truck on the edge of the park and decided to leave a note asking that day’s driver to help.
“Hello, I believe my wedding ring is in this truck. It is 5 a.m. and I came down to the park to look for it. Please call me to tell me where the truck is going. I will come ASAP,” the note read in part.
(READ story with great photo at ABC News)
Illegal logging has practically been eliminated in the western Mexico wintering grounds of the monarch butterfly, according to a report released in August.
The government, environmental groups and private donors have spent millions of dollars to encourage residents of forest communities in the butterfly reserve to plant trees and start ecotourism businesses.
The successful anti-logging patrols and payments to rural residents may help solve other forestry conflicts throughout the country.
(READ the AP story in the New York Times)
A bicycle that carries a small library through the city of São Paulo, Brazil encourages reading among people who live on the streets and cannot otherwise access libraries typically requiring ID and proof of residency.
Created one year ago by a 61-year-old librarian who became homeless, the Bicicloteca initiative has won the support of São Paulo residents and businesses.
A bicycle that carries a small library through the city of São Paulo, Brazil encourages reading among people who live on the streets and cannot otherwise access libraries typically requiring ID and proof of residency.
Created one year ago by a 61-year-old librarian who became homeless, the Bicicloteca initiative has won the support of São Paulo residents and businesses.
Throughout her toughest years living with cancer, Brittany Booth’s dazzling smile has never faded. And now, through the smallest gesture, the gutsy 15-year-old is casting hope and bringing smiles to thousands of Australia’s sick children.
At seven months, Brittany was diagnosed with a rare cancer and over the years endured aggressive chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
The girl, who lives near Nowra, has undergone more than 100 invasive procedures – including radical surgery in February – but, through it all, her colorful pillow case helped keep her spirits high.
The father of the groom was too sick to travel to the planned wedding of his son in California, so the nursing staff at the hospital decided to throw a wedding party in his room and arrange for a Skype web link to view the entire ceremony.
From the guest book, to the cake and the sparkling apple cider, the nurses didn’t miss any details. They even managed to find Pat a tuxedo tee shirt for the occasion.
“Nobody asked,” said the Minnesota man through tears. “They just did it.”
(READ the story at WCCO- CBS)
The father of the groom was too sick to travel to the planned wedding of his son in California, so the nursing staff at the hospital decided to throw a wedding party in his room and arrange for a Skype web link to view the entire ceremony.
From the guest book, to the cake and the sparkling apple cider, the nurses didn’t miss any details. They even managed to find Pat a tuxedo tee shirt for the occasion.
“Nobody asked,” said the Minnesota man through tears. “They just did it.”
(WATCH the video below – may take a moment to load – or READ the story at WCCO- CBS)
Santa Barbara resident Jennifer Vasilakos was in the neighborhood handing out flyers and raising funds when a driver stopped to ask for directions.
She never guessed the man asking for help was Beanie Baby billionaire Ty Warner – until he promised to send her a $20,000 check to cover the cost of her kidney treatment.
The stem cell procedure could help save her life and when the fellow Santa Barbaran heard her heart-wrenching story, he knew he wanted to help.
The dialysis patient wrote on her blog:
“He’d rolled up in his nondescript car, while I was fundraising at the French Festival. He was lost and needed directions. I often get asked by random strangers for directions. Not one to miss an opportunity, I handed him my flyer and he made a fifty dollar donation. As he drove off, I thought that was the end of our encounter.”
But after an hour he returned to her table near the entry to the parking lot.
“Rolling down his window, he reached out his hand and introduced himself. I immediately recognized his name. He was kind and sincere as he looked directly into my eyes, and the woman with him smiled at me. They’d read my flyer.
“I listened as he repeated over and over that he was going to help me. That my fundraising was done. That I didn’t need to worry any longer. He said he would send a check after he returned to his offices during the week.”
After being rejected for a kidney transplant due to the removal of a small spot of melanoma from her back last year, which eliminated her eligibility due to increased risk of cancer, Vasilakos began her research into other treatments. She determined that using her own hematopoietic stem cells could save her life.
“After I serendipitously met Jennifer, I further educated myself on her stem cell needs. I was shocked that this particular type of treatment wasn’t available to her in the U.S.,” said Ty Warner, Chairman and CEO of Ty Inc. “My hope is that we can bring this lifesaving treatment to the forefront so that it can become more readily available and provide alternatives for people like Jennifer.”
Days later, Vasilakos received a FedEx package. Inside was a cream colored envelope inscribed with one word: “Jennifer”. The handwritten letter by the generous businessman was genuine and heartfelt. “It was the type of letter you keep forever,” she said. Accompanying it was the check that might save her life.
Her procedure will take place at a foreign hospital approved by the International Cellular Medicine Society, ensuring its legitimacy. She was scheduled to leave August 19th and plans to disclose the location when she returns.
All of the bumps in the road have not broken her spirit. Jennifer is on a mission to use her story as an educational tool and to highlight the benefits of stem cell research for those suffering with similar illnesses. Read more of her story and follow the next phase in her journey at kidneyrecoverywithstemcells.wordpress.com.
Santa Barbara resident Jennifer Vasilakos was in the neighborhood handing out flyers and raising funds when a driver stopped to ask for directions.
She never guessed the man asking for help was Beanie Baby billionaire Ty Warner – until he promised to send her a $20,000 check to cover the cost of her kidney treatment.
The stem cell procedure could help save her life and when the fellow Santa Barbaran heard her heart-wrenching story, he knew he wanted to help.
When 36-year-old Nordia Palmer-Ferguson went to her doctor complaining of blurred vision, headaches, pressure and swelling in her left eye, little did she know she was facing the possibility of blindness, or even death. Thanks to the ingenious solution of an ophthalmologist and professor of surgery at Cornell, not only was her life saved, but her eyesight has been completely restored.
Not long after giving birth to her daughter earlier this year, Nordia Palmer-Ferguson noticed discoloration in her left eye, which became swollen and painful. A neighbor, who is a nurse, told her she might have broken a blood vessel during delivery. The pain persisted, the eye became enlarged, and her vision blurred. She knew something was wrong.
