On Thursday, 2 1/2 years since the Maersk Alabama was attacked by four Somalis in a drama that played out over five days and ended in no American deaths, the anonymous band of intelligence analysts who helped in the rescue was given a formal thank-you from the Maersk Line, the ship’s Norfolk-based operator.
Naval Analysts Honored for Quiet Role in ’09 Rescue of US Ship From Somali Pirates
Patagonia Asks Customers Not to Buy Unless They Really Need it
Clothing company Patagonia is asking people not to buy its outdoor sportswear and gear unless the really need it. The company may be the first ever to ask customers to formally take a pledge to reduce consumption and be partners in the effort to keep products out of the landfill or incinerator.
Last week it launched its Common Threads Initiative – asking customers to reduce consumption, and partnering with eBay to help promote the reuse of clothing and gear that might be useful for someone else.
“The Common Threads Initiative addresses a significant part of today’s environmental problem – the footprint of our stuff,” notes Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia’s founder and owner. “This program first asks customers to not buy something if they don’t need it. If they do need it, we ask that they buy what will last a long time – and to repair what breaks, reuse or resell whatever they don’t wear any more. And, finally, to recycle whatever’s truly worn out.
Patagonia in turn commits to make “products that last” and help repair quickly anything that breaks.
To help customers put back in circulation used clothes, Patagonia and eBay Inc. have joined forces to launch a new marketplace for customers to buy and sell used Patagonia gear. Patagonia’s Common Threads Initiative store on eBay establishes a new model for consumption: It marks the first time a major retail brand actively encourages its customers to buy and sell used products on eBay, and it is eBay’s first multi-seller branded store.
A customer who lists a used Patagonia product on eBay will be asked to take the Common Threads Initiative pledge and become a partner. Membership will make the customer’s listing eligible for inclusion in the Common Threads Initiative store on eBay and on Patagonia.com. Patagonia will not receive any of the profits associated with the Common Threads Initiative storefront.
The collaboration between Patagonia and eBay was born out of their common interest to extend the useful life of products. eBay, the world’s largest online marketplace, has, developed innovative ideas to do just that. The eBay Box encourages buyers and sellers to reuse packaging; and eBay Instant Sale encourages customers to sell and/or recycle their used electronics.
Maybe this new model for consumption within the apparel industry – one that emphasizes product, reuse, and tapping the full useful life of clothing – will catch on with other retailers.
“As eBay says, the ‘greenest product is the one that already exists.’
(WATCH a video about customers who would rather repair their Patagonia gear than replace it)
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Patagonia Asks Customers Not to Buy Unless They Really Need it
Clothing company Patagonia is asking people not to buy its outdoor sportswear and gear unless the really need it. The company may be the first ever to ask customers to formally take a pledge to reduce consumption and be partners in the effort to keep products out of the landfill or incinerator.
Last week it launched its Common Threads Initiative – asking customers to reduce consumption, and partnering with eBay to help promote the reuse of clothing and gear that might be useful for someone else.
UPDATE: Rescuers of Trapped Biker From Burning Car Speak Out
The heroes who saved a biker from beneath a burning car have described the moment they dropped their tools to leap to the aid of the trapped Utah college student, seen being rescued on video, here.
Construction worker Mike Johnson recalls: “A lady got down on her belly and stared under there, right into the flames. She yelled out ‘He’s alive,’ and after that, everyone just converged on the car and lifted. I don’t know who she was, but that lady did a great service.”
In a statement, the biker’s uncle said, “It just really restores your faith to have seen what happened yesterday. We are extremely thankful.
(READ more of about the interviews in the Daily Mail)
Girl, 6, Finds Huge 160mil Year-old Fossil With Plastic Shovel
A British girl of six, who unearthed a massive ammonite during her first archaeological dig, has donated it to a museum to be enjoyed by the public.
The 16 inch-long fossilized sea creature — with defensive spikes and a spiral-patterned shell — was a mollusk that lived in the oceans during the Jurassic period.
(WATCH the ITV video below, or READ the story in the UK Sun)
Marine Who Saved 36 While Under Fire Gets Medal of Honor
President Obama today awarded the Medal of Honor to Dakota Meyer, a former active duty Marine Corporal from Kentucky who saved the lives of dozens of men by returning to the battle five times under heavy fire, Forest Gump style, to rescue his “brothers”.
He is the first living Marine to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan. And at 23, he is also one of the youngest recipients in decades.
Sergeant Meyer was recognized for courageous actions in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, where he risked his life above and beyond the call of duty and saved 36 lives amid a Taliban ambush. In prepared remarks, the President compared the story to one that “will be told for generations.” Obama continued:
Marine Who Saved 36 While Under Fire Gets Medal of Honor
President Obama today awarded the Medal of Honor to Dakota Meyer, a former active duty Marine Corporal from Kentucky who saved the lives of dozens of men by returning to the battle five times under heavy fire, Forest Gump style, to rescue his “brothers”.
He is the first living Marine to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan. And at 23, he is also one of the youngest recipients in decades.
Sergeant Meyer was recognized for courageous actions in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, where he risked his life above and beyond the call of duty and saved 36 lives amid a Taliban ambush. In prepared remarks, the President compared the story to one that “will be told for generations.” Obama continued:
Blue Whales Put on Rare Show off Southern Calif Coast (Video)
Ten years ago seeing any blue whales in Southern California would have been rare. This year already, there has been more than 500 sightings of the world’s largest creature.
The length of a basketball court, a blue whale visits this warm stretch of the Pacific Ocean to fill up on Krill, a tiny shrimp prevalent here this time of year.
Blue Whales Put on Rare Show off Southern Calif Coast (Video)
Ten years ago seeing any blue whales in Southern California would have been rare. This year already, there has been more than 500 sightings of the world’s largest creature.
The length of a basketball court, a blue whale visits this warm stretch of the Pacific Ocean to fill up on Krill, a tiny shrimp prevalent here this time of year.
New App “LocalHero” Gives Opportunities to Help Friends With Specific Needs
A new iPhone app launched this week, called LocalHero, lets friends help each other by identifying the people in a person’s social network who are nearby and have the right skills or interests to assist with any task or need.
The mobile networking application unveiled at the TechCrunch event in San Francisco matches a person’s location to the skills and interests of nearby friends, allowing helpers throughout a region to reach out and be a “hero”.
“While social networking applications have helped connect people in ways previously unimagined, there is currently no way to reach out to a select group of friends for help without broadcasting to the entire network,” said Ana Baltodano, CEO and co-founder of LocalHero. “With LocalHero, we have created a smart way for friends with specialized talents to take action and become real heroes to their friends and people nearby.”
LocalHero can be used for a range of requests, such as finding other friends who are interested in joining a group task, like a painting party, or to brainstorm on a specific problem.
The app categorizes friends by activities and interests and requests can be organized with tags.
“I had the privilege of attending a class in business school with a group of highly accomplished executives who shared their knowledge and skills to help each other out,” continued Baltodano, who is located in Palo Alto, California. “However, once we left the class, even though we were connected online, there wasn’t an easy way to continue that reciprocity that was so valuable to us all. That’s when I started to think about creating the LocalHero application.”
LocalHero, is available immediately for free download at the iPhone apps store and at the website:
Many US Cities Still Thriving Despite the Economy
Newsweek rated American cities on their job creation, sustainability, livability and transportation-infrastructure, to cull a list of the nation’s top performing metropolises.
Of the 20 cities topping the list, the highest rated were these ten which represented diverse areas of the country — west coast, east coast, south, center and northeast: El Paso, Oakland, Riverside, San Antonio, Omaha, Washington, D.C., Raleigh, Atlanta, Buffalo and Austin (pictured here).
Cat Missing for 5 Years Found in NYC 1600 Miles From Home
Willow, a calico cat who disappeared from her Colorado home five years ago, was found Wednesday on a Manhattan street and will soon be returned to her family.
How she got to New York, more than 1,600 miles away, is a mystery, but thanks to an implanted microchip, Willow will be reunited with her owners, who had long ago given up hope, especially with all the coyotes in the area.
Bystanders Lift Burning Car to Save Trapped Biker (Video)
A 21-year old motorcyclist who collided with a BMW on the campus of Utah State University was lying unconscious beneath the burning wreckage when bystanders rushed to help.
Workers at a nearby construction site began to lift the car along with students, while a professor shot the scene on his camera phone from an upper window of a building.
Bystanders Lift Burning Car to Save Trapped Biker (Video)
A 21-year old motorcyclist who collided with a BMW on the campus of Utah State University was lying unconscious beneath the burning wreckage when bystanders rushed to help.
Workers at a nearby construction site began to lift the car along with students, while a professor shot the scene on his camera phone from an upper window of a building.
Military Installations Help SolarCity Double Panel Use In The U.S.
A solar leasing company has inked a deal to put solar panels on the housing in 124 military bases in 33 states.
SolarCity has had a big year, first with news that Google is creating a $280 million fund to finance its residential solar projects, and now with the announcement that it will double the amount of residential solar photovoltaic installations in the U.S.
As part of Project SolarStrong, SolarCity will team up with the big military housing companies that manage homes on military bases to build what may be the largest residential solar project ever.
Greenest Skyscraper Ever Rises From World Trade Center Site
The new World Trade Center in New York currently under construction promises to be the most environmentally advanced structure ever built on such a scale.
The WTC complex is striving for LEED Gold Certification—the second highest attainable below Platinum—requiring a Net Zero CO2 footprint for its electrical consumption and a level of energy consumption 20 percent below New York State’s energy code requirements.
In a project of this size, a Gold certification would be “a first of its kind,” according to Eduardo Del Valle, Director of Design Management at 1 World Trade Center, who has incorporated hydrogen fuel cells and rows of sunny windows into the skyscraper’s design.
Scientists Retrain An Immune System to Kill Cancer, Leukemia is Now Gone
A year ago, when chemotherapy stopped working against his leukemia and he had nothing to lose, William Ludwig signed up to be the first patient treated in a bold experiment at the University of Pennsylvania.
Doctors removed a billion of his T-cells — a type of white blood cell that fights viruses and tumors — and re-engineered them to attack his cancer. Then the altered cells were dripped back into Mr. Ludwig’s veins.
At first, his vital signs took a nose-dive and doctors thought he might die.
But, a few weeks later, “the fevers were gone. And so was the leukemia.”
(READ the amazing story in the New York Times) – Photo from University of Pennsylvania
Thousands of Firefighters Climbed Stairs Around the World to Honor NYFD on 9/11
On Sunday, 343 firefighters from across Texas donning their heavy coats and gear gathered in downtown Dallas to honor the lives of New York firefighters who died on 9/11.
They climbed 100 flights of stairs at Dallas’s Renaissance Tower to commemorate the lives of 343 from the New York Fire Department who died saving others on that day. Each carried the name and photo of one of their department brethren.
“It’s kind of an honor because he was a hero,” said Jacob Manceaux of the Port Naches,Texas Fire Department. “He went to go up and save people and he never came back. I’m doing this to finish his climb.”
To commemorate the tenth anniversary, more than 16,000 firemen around the world participated in a similar climb to remember the fallen of 9/11.
(WATCH the video below, or read the story from SMU-TV)
VIDEO: Dallas 9/11 Firefighter Stair Climb from SMU-TV on Vimeo.
Thousands of Firefighters Climbed Stairs Around the World to Honor NYFD on 9/11
On Sunday, 343 firefighters from across Texas donning their heavy coats and gear gathered in downtown Dallas to honor the lives of New York firefighters who died on 9/11.
They climbed 100 flights of stairs at Dallas’s Renaissance Tower to commemorate the lives of 343 from the New York Fire Department who died saving others on that day. Each carried the name and photo of one of their department brethren.
“It’s kind of an honor because he was a hero,” said Jacob Manceaux of the Port Naches,Texas Fire Department. “He went to go up and save people and he never came back. I’m doing this to finish his climb.”
To commemorate the tenth anniversary, more than 16,000 firemen around the world participated in a similar climb to remember the fallen of 9/11.
(WATCH the video below, or read the story from SMU-TV)
VIDEO: Dallas 9/11 Firefighter Stair Climb from SMU-TV on Vimeo.
Iran Set to Release Jailed American Hikers
Two American hikers sentenced to eight years in prison for espionage and illegal entry into Iran may be released “in a couple of days,” according to Iran’s president.
Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer will be released from Tehran’s Evin prison after a $500,000 bail is paid for each of them, their attorney, Masoud Shafiee, said Tuesday.