Hollywood’s red carpet event Sunday was greener than ever, meeting Fox’s goal for neutralizing the carbon footprint of the 63rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards.
To start, TV stars walked a locally-produced carpet made from 25,000 feet of recycled material, illuminated by solar-powered, energy-saving LED and fluorescent lighting.
A U.S. federal judge on Wednesday blocked a Florida law limiting what doctors can say about guns to their patients, saying it violated free speech protections under the U.S. Constitution.
U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke granted a preliminary injunction preventing the state from enforcing the law, which barred doctors from asking whether patients had guns in their homes or discussions with them about firearms safety.
California budget cuts are causing school districts to find ways to save cash. Instead of laying off teachers, some have invested in solar panels to slash their electricity bills by millions of dollars every year.
With the help of low-interest loans, the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, for instance, installed 10,000 photovoltaic panels at five schools.
It is one of 90 districts in the sunny state that have installed solar panels to save money on utilities. After a decade or two, they will actually profit from the solar energy produced there.
Lucasfilm is teaming up with a celebrity campaign, Stand Up To Cancer, to raise money for cancer research during its launch of the new Blu-ray release of Star Wars: The Complete Saga.
Movie fans can “Use the Force for Good” by buying specially designed tee shirts, bidding on unique auction items from the Star Wars set, and watching a video with Hollywood actors, like Seth Rogen, Zach Galifianakis, and Samuel Jackson, making fun of their favorite Star Wars scenes.
The campaign launched with its comedian-studded video this week (watch below) to encourage fans to join Lucasfilm in donating to Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C).
Lucasfilm is teaming up with a celebrity campaign, Stand Up To Cancer, to raise money for cancer research during its launch of the new Blu-ray release of Star Wars: The Complete Saga.
Movie fans can “Use the Force for Good” by buying specially designed tee shirts, bidding on unique auction items from the Star Wars set, and watching a video with Hollywood actors, like Seth Rogen, Zach Galifianakis, and Samuel Jackson, making fun of their favorite Star Wars scenes.
The campaign launched with its comedian-studded video this week (watch below) to encourage fans to join Lucasfilm in donating to Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C).
Wildlife biologists have evacuated two species of minnows from the shrinking waters of a West Texas river in the first of several rescue operations involving fish affected by the state’s worst drought in decades.
Smalleye shiners and sharpnose shiners, the species collected Thursday from the Brazos River about 175 miles northwest of Fort Worth, were taken to the state’s fish hatchery near Possum Kingdom Lake. When drought conditions abate, the minnows will be returned to the river.
Starbucks has promised that 100 percent of its cups will be reusable or recyclable by 2015, but that doesn’t mean none will end up in landfills. To deal with the challenges of cup recycling, the company hosted its third ‘Cup Summit’ last week in Boston convening more than 100 industry leaders – including Starbuck’s competitors – to discuss industry standards and solutions for the recyclability of drink packaging in the U.S. and Canada.
Cruising around with wheels instead legs, Chili and Arlo are the center of attention wherever they go. But for patients at a Rehab hospital in Dallas, these two canine caregivers are also an inspiration.
“Many of the patients are new to wheelchairs,” said Linda Marler, program director at Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation. “When they see Chili and Arlo, they say, ‘If those dogs can do it, so can I.’ ”
A simple plan is making sure that D.C. children who live in the troubled communities east of the Anacostia River see welcoming black male faces on their way to school in the mornings.
Four times a week, at the crack of dawn, Curtis Watkins and a group of men walk the streets greeting students in a process they call “Safe Passage”. Their opening line is often: “Good morning, young brother! Good morning, young sister!”
Many of the men who walk the streets are ex-offenders searching for ways to give back to the communities they once committed crimes in.
(READ the story in the Washington Post)
Those who make sport out of denigrating the federal workforce should meet the winners of this year’s Samuel Heyman ‘Service to America Medals’.
During a period when government workers face the uncertainty of budget cuts, these awards — better known as the “Sammies” — are a welcome and needed relief.
An elderly Oregon couple gained unexpected fame after a webcam accidentally recorded the two while they tried to figure out their new computer. Their granddaughter posted the three-minute video clip, entitled “Webcam 101 for Seniors….” on YouTube.
Its shows Mrs. Esther Huffman attempting to use the webcam on their new computer while her husband goofed off, sang songs, and soothed her eventual frustration. The accidental video has gone viral with 7 million viewers since Aug. 21.
(WATCH the video below)
David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy received a hero’s welcome from Libya on Thursday as they toured Tripoli and Benghazi, the cities they decided at great political risk to liberate from the grip of Col. Gaddafi six months ago.
In Tripoli’s main hospital, doctors climbed over each other to touch them.
In Benghazi, babies were named after the French president. “Mr Cameron and Mr Sarkozy decided to save my son’s life so when he was born on March 21 we named him Sarkozy and I have brought him here today to thank them both.”
David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy received a hero’s welcome from Libya on Thursday as they toured Tripoli and Benghazi, the cities they decided at great political risk to liberate from the grip of Col. Gaddafi six months ago.
In Tripoli’s main hospital, doctors climbed over each other to touch them.
In Benghazi, babies were named after the French president. “Mr Cameron and Mr Sarkozy decided to save my son’s life so when he was born on March 21 we named him Sarkozy and I have brought him here today to thank them both.”
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.
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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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 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)
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)
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:
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:
