Doom-mongers have got it wrong – there is plenty of unused, fertile land available in the world to produce the extra food needed to feed a growing population. And contrary to expectation, most of it can be grown in Africa, say two international reports published this week.
Africa Alone Could Feed the World
Getting Back On Course: Golf Pro Serves Wounded Veterans
After golf professional Jim Estes met some wounded veterans, he was moved by “tremendous guilt”.
“I started thinking about how these young kids have been so traumatized. I kept thinking that I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t do something to help their lives. It was just something that touched me, and I knew I had to get involved.”
Over the past two years, Estes, 43, has devoted his talents for golf toward positively influencing the lives of dozens of young vets — even helping to design better prosthetics.
Watch the video below, or read more the story at the Washington Post
Online Therapy: A New Way to Get Help
Online therapy is one of the newest trends in mental healthcare. Although many clients still choose in-person therapy, online counseling has become an important option for some clients in certain situations. It is not intended for serious mental health issues or illnesses requiring medication, but it can be successful in helping people through difficult life issues like divorce or interpersonal conflict.
A Mental Health Minute by Cristina Frick
Electronic therapy is often conducted through e-mail. Clients ask therapists questions about a situation or express their thoughts and feelings, and the therapist will respond. Internet chats are sometimes used as well, allowing clients to have a “real-time” fifty-minute session on-line. Therapy using web cameras is currently being developed as well.
This method of counseling is surprisingly effective when used in addition to other treatment. One study found that clients who received on-line therapy as a follow-up to inpatient treatment fared better than those who did not receive it. The study made no comparison of on-line follow-up with face-to-face follow-up to see which would be more effective, or which would lead to greater participation by patients.
Another study concluded that on-line therapy is an important source of support for those struggling with addiction.
There are good reasons why someone might seek on-line therapy, like being homebound or wanting anonymity. Other reasons on-line therapy is succeeding include the following:
- People living in rural areas who do not have easy access to a psychologist can receive therapy.
- People who could not normally afford therapy can get e-Therapy, via e-mail for as little as $25, or for a flat rate, which is usually cheaper than traditional therapy.
- People who would not normally seek traditional therapy because of stigma might choose the on-line option.
- It is convenient for those with difficult schedules.
- It allows people who are disabled or cannot leave the house to receive treatment.
Although it shows promise in many situations, if you suspect you may have a serious mental illness, such as major depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder — and certainly if you are feeling suicidal, you should seek a therapist’s help in person rather than using the online approach. Here are some other cautions about this treatment type:
- The therapist may not even have the client’s real address or contact information should an emergency arise.
- The Internet poses confidentiality issues.
- Many insurance policies do not cover it.
- If web cameras or Skype/voice systems are not used, it may be impossible for therapists to read a client’s vocal tone or body language in order to decipher whether the client is telling the truth.
- It is much harder to build a trusting relationship, which is one of the hallmarks of effective treatment. It may also be harder to build positive regard and empathy for the client. Less attention may be given to the online client.
- Therapist credentials need to be checked carefully.
While it shows promise for clients who might not otherwise receive therapy, it is important that it be conducted ethically and that clients educate themselves about its appropriate use. Learn more about online therapy from USA Today.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are feeling depressed or think you might be suffering from a mental illness, find a therapist in your state. If you are feeling suicidal, or if you know someone who is, please get help. Call the Suicide Hotline at 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433) or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
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Cristina Frick is a contributing writer and volunteer editor at the Good News Network since 2006. She is currently completing her Master’s degree in Clinical and Community Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and plans to gradute in December.
iPhone App Suggests Doing One Good Thing Daily
Now there is an iPhone app that can make you feel a little better about yourself and the world around you.
Called DoGood, the free app is the creation of a group of University of Michigan students who hope to spread random acts of kindness.
The app sends a suggestion once a day, such as, “Use less water”, and you can track how many other people in the world are being green along with yourself.
(More in the New York Times App of the Week column)
EDITOR’S NOTE: I want someone to build me an app for Good News Network headlines!
From Rare Friendship, a Book Club for the Homeless is Born
The book club, now in its 10th month, began with a stunningly unlikely friendship, between two men from different worlds: a high-powered lawyer on his way to work, and a homeless man guarding a friend’s shopping cart.
Through months of daily conversations, that began with jokes and sports talk and gradually delved deeper, they found a common interest: literature. And when they saw the bridge that they had built, they recognized its potential for others.
Last Tuesday, the weekly book club met in a church to tackle O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi,’’ mulling the idea of objects as identity…
(Read about the inspiring men on Boston.com)
Thanks to Jim Schneider for the story tip!
Rare Original Declaration Of Independence Copy Found In British Archives
A rare print of America’s Declaration of Independence has been found in England among files at The National Archives outside London.
Printed on the night of July 4, 1776, it is one of only 26 known copies in the world, called the Dunlap broadside prints, named after John Dunlap, the 29-year-old printer who was charged with the task of printing the document by the Congressional Committee that had drafted its language.
An American carrying out research at The National Archives found the newly discovered print in very good condition while cataloging a box of documents labeled as correspondence from American colonists intercepted by the British in the 18th century.
As of 1989, only 24 copies of the Dunlap broadside were known to exist, until a flea market shopper bought a framed painting for four dollars. While inspecting a tear in the lining behind the painting, the owner discovered a folded Dunlap broadside. It was authenticated by Sotheby’s as the 25th copy of the Declaration and sold at auction for $8.14 million.
Italy Unveils Antiquities Returned by US Museum
Italian officials on Thursday unveiled 14 artifacts spanning from antiquity to the Middle Ages that were looted or stolen from Italy and recently returned by The Cleveland Museum of Art (photo, right).
Culture Ministry officials trumpeted Italy’s latest victory in its campaign to recover antiquities stolen over the years.
The U.S. museum agreed to hand over the treasures in exchange for long-term loans of other artifacts and joint work on future exhibitions.
China Wind Companies Poised for Green Boost of Historic Proportion
China’s ambitious stimulus package to increase wind power capacity could attract up to $150 billion in investment, and raise its wind power capacity to 100 gigawatts (GW) by 2020, eight times its current level and more than Britain’s entire current power capacity.
The threat of climate change is driving Beijing to take a series of initiatives to restrain the country’s greenhouse gas emissions and move toward renewables.
Analysts expect China’s wind industry to grow at up to 24 percent a year through 2020.
Lady Liberty’s Crown Opens July 4th, First Time Since 9/11
Today will mark the first time visitors can tour the crown of the Statue of Liberty since it was closed following the 9/11 attacks.
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will officially reopen the crown to the public this morning. About 20 lucky visitors will be among the first to climb the 354 steps to the top, but thanks to the power of technology, everyone can join in the celebration. The public can view photos of the day’s events on Flickr and follow Lady Liberty on Twitter.
About 240 visitors per day will be able to tour the crown, but you can visit the Statue of Liberty anytime from home by taking the new Statue of Liberty National Monument virtual tour.
Read all about Lady Liberty activities and order crown reservations at www.nps.gov/stli.
Katelyn Sabochik is the Director of New Media for the U.S. Department of the Interior
Alzheimer Symptoms Reversed With Stem Cells
A new stem cell treatment reverses Alzheimer-like memory impairment in mice, according to researchers at the University of South Florida and James A. Haley Hospital. Based on the promising findings, the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation is funding a pilot clinical trial on humans.
The researchers studied 52 elderly mice with symptoms mimicking Alzheimer’s disease and confirmed through a series of tests that the treated mice demonstrated clearly improved memory, performing as well on behavioral tests as their non-Alzheimer’s counterparts.
Sears Tower Unveils 103rd Floor Glass Balconies (Video)
Visitors to the new glass balconies at Chicago’s Sears Tower all seem to agree: The first step is the hardest. The balconies are suspended 1,353 feet in the air and jut out four feet from the building’s 103rd floor Skydeck.
Paralyzed Man Writes Book With Just His Blinking
Patients who are conscious but almost entirely paralyzed, unable to move or speak, could be aided by French research that reads their brain activity to help them communicate.
suffered “locked-in syndrome” when he woke up from a coma caused by a massive stroke to find his mental faculties intact, but body useless. He could only blink.
Despite this he managed to write a memoir entitled The Diving Bell and the Butterfly to give the world a rare glimpse into the internal lives of the locked-in.
Federal Court Overturns Bush Administration Logging Rule
Protections were restored this week to 193 million acres of national forest by a federal court that struck down the Bush administration policy of relaxed restrictions on logging in 170 national forests and grasslands.
14 environmental groups filed the lawsuit claiming the action violated the National Environmental Policy Act and Endangered Species Act. The decision means the Forest Service will have to reinstate rules protecting fish and wildlife in national forests from Alaska to Florida.
Muslims in America: A New Day Under Obama
Because the notion of Muslims as scary “others” was so pervasive in some areas of America, I had hoped the election of Barack Obama might make a difference. It has.
The day before the November presidential election, I was checking in my bags at the San Francisco airport. I handed my driver’s license to the woman behind the counter and told her my name. When she looked at me, I could tell there was confusion and apprehension behind her mask of polite professionalism. I’d seen that look many times before.
Blackberry Prevents Skier From Falling 700 Ft
David Fitzherbert, 52, was skiing off-trail in Switzerland when the snow gave way and he fell 70 feet into a crevasse. The only thing that saved him from plunging a further 700 feet was the BlackBerry phone in his pocket which became wedged between the sides. It kept him stuck there for two hours until he was rescued by climbers.
Remarkably, the Blackberry still worked afterward.
From Bush to Bikes, a Bamboo Revolution
On the outskirts of Lusaka, Zambia, next year’s crop of bicycles is being watered by Benjamin Banda.
“We planted this bamboo last year,” he says, “and now the stems are taller than me. When it’s ready we’ll cut it, cure it and then turn it into frames.”
Mr Banda, is the caretaker for Zambikes, a company set up by two Californians and two Zambians which aimed to build bikes tough enough to handle the local terrain.
Co-founder Vaughn Spethmann, 24, recalls how it all started with a game of football.
India Judge Overturns Century-Old Law Against Gay Rights
In a historic judgement Thursday, India’s high court decriminalized homosexuality striking down a 150-year colonial ban against gay sex between consenting adults for violating fundamental rights protected by the constitution.
“The inclusiveness that Indian society traditionally displayed, literally in every aspect of life, is manifest in recognizing a role in society for everyone,” said Chief Justice A.P. Shah and Justice S. Murlidhar.
“Oppressive laws such as Section 377 drive people underground, making it much harder to reach them with HIV prevention, treatment and care services,” UN AIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé said. “On top of violating individuals’ human rights, the prohibition of homosexuality in over 80 countries impedes the response to HIV, hampering treatment to access for people living with the disease, according to UNAIDS.”
Co-existence Thrives in Israeli Elementary School for Arabs and Jews (Video)
Enrollment is up for Jewish and Arab students attending the Hand-in-Hand bilingual school in Jerusalem. Kids study together learning the language of friendship and goodwill with two teachers guiding each class in both Hebrew and Arabic.
Despite being in the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, these kids know nothing of ethnic hatred.
Watch the Common Ground video below, or on YouTube.
Most Stood by, But Two Braved an Explosion to Save Stranger
A South Carolina city has something to be proud of this week:
Two men braved a burning car to save a stranger seconds before the car exploded into an inferno because, they said, they couldn’t live with themselves if they hadn’t acted.
“I just couldn’t stand by and watch while someone burned to death,” said Jason Whittle, 36, a city of Columbia traffic safety officer.
Michael Samuels, 37, saw sparks near the car. “She was in the car with power lines on top of it and people were shouting, ‘Don’t touch the car! Don’t touch the car!’ But somebody had to get that woman out. My heart told me to go.”
“Within a minute after Whittle and a civilian, Michael Samuels, pulled the woman from the car, it exploded,” reports The State.
–File photo courtesy of Sun Star
Retired Doctors Give Free Medical Care at their Community Clinic (Video)
Two boyhood friends who know what it’s like to struggle in lower income families, together made it through medical school and now, 60 years later, they’ve come together again to provide free medical care to their community.
They coax companies into giving them free supplies or drugs to ease the burden.
Watch the Making a Difference video below, or at NBC website .
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