The Health Benefits of Friendship

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Jul 14, 2009

Friendship comes in many forms, and it is not necessary for everyone to have a large social circle to reap the benefits. In fact, it turns out that having just one close friend provides psychological and physical rewards, including a longer life and increased feelings of connectedness.

A Mental Health Minute by Cristina Frick

Thanks to Alison Tunnicliff for the idea for this story!

Friendship provides multiple health rewards, including a greater immunity to disease. It has also been shown to reduce the production of the stress hormone cortisol, leading to greater feelings of relaxation. Because of this, friendships are helpful when people are recovering from illness or depression.

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Major Breakthrough in Desalination Easily Generates Drinking Water from the Sea

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Ted Burton

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Jul 14, 2009

Concern over access to clean water is no longer just an issue for the developing world, as California faces its worst drought in recorded history with water deficits that can’t keep up with population growth.

Researchers at UCLA may have found a way to help alleviate the problem with their new mini-mobile-modular (M3) “smart” water desalination and filtration system.

Though the system is compact enough to be transported anywhere in the back of a van, it can generate 6,000 gallons of drinking water per day from the sea, producing enough for 6,000 or more people.

(Continue reading in today’s Science Daily)

Best Good News Stories of the Summer

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Good News Network

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Jul 13, 2009

In times of high unemployment, scary news from overseas, and embarrassing political press conference at home, it’s inspiring to know there’s some good news out there.

Sit back, let your guard down, and relish our list of the Best Good News of the Summer.

1) Crime is Plummeting Across North America — But No One Knows Why

Toronto is celebrating an “unprecedented” nearly 30 percent drop in crime, but this downward trend in crime statistics is being documented in cities across Canada and the United States.

From the state of Washington to Oregon, to Vermont, and in big cities like Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago and New York, both property and violent crime rates have steadily declined despite the economic downturn. Even Detroit has seen steady decreases, along with huge double-digit improvements in Tampa, Memphis and Milwaukee.

A score of scholars have produced a wide variety of theories to explain the drop, but none of these explain why Canada also has seen such improvement.

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Heartland States Send National Guard to Aid Afghan Farmers

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John Gramlich, Stateline.org

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Jul 13, 2009

National Guard troops from a half-dozen heartland states are taking their civilian farming know-how to Afghanistan in a little-noticed aspect of the Obama administration’s efforts to stabilize the war-torn country.

About 400 Guard troops from six states — Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Tennessee and Texas — are serving 11-month tours in Afghanistan as part of special “agricultural development teams” that are teaching Afghans how to improve their farming techniques. Six other states — California, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Oklahoma and South Carolina — will send similar teams to Afghanistan by the end of the year, according to Guard officials. (Photo, right, shows Afghan potato farmer, by Julie Fossler, USAID)

Pioneered by the Missouri National Guard in 2007, the teams are intended to improve relations with the Afghan people and give a boost to Afghanistan’s agriculture-dependent economy.

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G8 Pledge of $20B to Feed the Hungry also Promotes Peace and Stability

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Good News Network

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Jul 13, 2009

The annual G8 meeting, which wrapped up last week, has yielded pledges of $20 billion over three years to feed the hungry and mobilize a comprehensive strategy focused on sustainable agriculture development that would ensure global food security.

By helping the world’s hungry, who now number one billion, the international community can also secure a more peaceful and stable future for all, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations Friday in L’Aquila, Italy.

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Wounded Get Back in the Game

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Bob Lee

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Jul 13, 2009

Of the ten men on the court to play wheelchair basketball, none is older than 26, each has lost at least one limb in recent combat. And no activity has provided better physical or emotional therapy than their time on the hardwood every Thursday.

“Playing this, you forget about your injuries. You really do.”

On this particular week, members of the Edinboro (Pa.) University wheelchair basketball team came to Walter Reed hospital to put on a clinic for the ex-soldiers, sharing strategy and skills.

Jim Glatch, who will coach Team USA in the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation Junior World Championships, brought along two of his standout players: Tommie, who lost both limbs because of spinal meningitis when he was 4; and Trevon Jenifer, a 2006 graduate of Huntingtown High School, who was born without legs.

Read the full feature story in the Washington Post, or watch their video below…

NY Philharmonic to Visit Cuba, Maybe Tour in Fall

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Good News Network

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Jul 13, 2009

The New York Philharmonic is headed to Cuba to explore the communist nation after being invited to perform there in the fall. Orchestra president Zarin Mehta says he’s part of a delegation traveling to Havana to examine Cuba’s concert halls and hotels.

The oldest active symphony orchestra in the United States played a historic concert last year in North Korea.

(Continue reading the brief AP article in USA Today)

Overcoming MS to Scale Everest

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Andrew Norris

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Jul 12, 2009

A decade after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), Lori Schneider completed her historic quest to scale the highest peak on every continent, concluding with the most difficult, Mount Everest.

Climbing Everest is a challenge for anyone – even if they are young and in the peak of health – but the 53-year-old from Wisconsin is the first person with MS ever to reach the summit.

The real achievement, she says, is that in coming to terms with MS and the possibility that she may one day lose her mobility, she has been able to face down her fears.

Read her story at the BBC or in her hometown paper, the Milwaukee Journal.

Watch the documentary video below… You can also join Lori on Facebook.

Move Over, Prius: Meet the Raptor

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Good News Network

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Jul 12, 2009

A software engineer hopes to change the electric car industry with a souped-up coupe he built himself.

The sleek all-electric sports car called “The Raptor” can reach speeds up to 100 MPH and goes from zero to 60 mph in eight seconds. On a three hour charge it can travel up to 80 miles.

He believes that it could be mass-produced cheaply enough to offer consumers an alternative to the ubiquitous Toyota Prius.

Michigan Town may be First in Midwest to Build Electric Car Charging Stations

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Good News Network

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Jul 12, 2009

In Michigan, Grand Blanc Township may follow in the footsteps of West coast communities in installing charging stations for electric cars for about $3,000 each.

“Money is actually making it from the federal government to the local level,” said Township Engineer Roger Buell, regarding a $143,000 Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant through the U.S. Department of Energy.

While this is a relatively new idea in the Midwest, Oregon has been developing a pilot program to build electric car infrastructure.

Recharging normally costs about 50 cents per hour for the electrical charge and the stations provide peace of mind for drivers of all-electric cars.

(Read more from Grand Blanc News)

Spontaneous Jackson Dance Tribute Draws Cheers from Crowd

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Good News Network

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Jul 12, 2009

A tribute to Michael Jackson broke out in a public square in Stockholm when a flash mob gathered to mimic dance moves from his hit video, “Beat It”.

As the song continues, more and more people converge to dance as the crowd cheers them on.

Watch the video below, from YouTube…

Sun-powered Device Converts CO2 into Fuel

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Good News Network

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Jul 11, 2009

Powered only by natural sunlight, an array of nanotubes is able to convert carbon dioxide into natural gas at unprecedented rates.

The device is commercially viable, says Craig Grimes, from Pennsylvania State University, offering a new way to take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert it into fuel, lessening the amount of fossil fuel emissions that lead to climate change.

(Continue reading at New Scientist)

Boston Airport Tests Radar to Avoid Bird Strikes

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Andrew Norris

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Jul 11, 2009

Logan International Airport is testing a specialized radar system the Air Force uses to protect its fighters and NASA uses to guard its $2 billion shuttles, as it considers stepping up its efforts at preventing collisions between birds and airplanes.

Logan, which is surrounded by water, already has a wildlife mitigation staff that already includes five full-time employees.

(Read the AP story at Google)

Photo by John Stone, eyeclectic.net

Honduras Rivals Agree on More Talks to Pursue Solution

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Good News Network

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Jul 11, 2009

The rivals for power in Honduras agreed on Friday to hold more talks to seek a solution to the crisis created by last month’s coup, keeping alive hopes that dialogue would prevail over confrontation.

“Both sides have agreed to continue talks in the shortest time possible and not rest until they reach an agreement to resolve this crisis,” said the talks’ mediator, Costa Rican President Oscar Arias.

(Thanks to Reuters News for the update)

Fla. Boy Completes Walk to D.C. for Homeless

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Good News Network

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Jul 10, 2009

11 year-old Zach Bonner finally made it to D.C. Thursday, climbing the steps of the U.S. Capitol and completing his walk from Tampa, Florida – a 1,225 mile trek – on behalf of homeless children.

Zach’s Little Red Wagon campaign continues to raise money and awareness of homelessness and already has a new goal on the horizon, walking from Tampa to Los Angeles.

“You don’t have to be all grown up. No matter how old or how young you are, you can make a difference. There’s all kinds of things you can do,” said Zach, who has a YouTube video describing his campaign.

Watch Fox News Video below, or read the story here…

Boy Saves Gorillas, One Egg at a Time

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Michelle Buckley

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Jul 10, 2009

When James Brooks got a chance to meet the gorillas at the Toronto Zoo, it was definitely the highlight of his day.

He is the founder of a charity that helps protect the rare eastern lowland gorillas in the Democratic Republic of Congo through support for a group of widows and schoolchildren living nearby The widows run a poultry farm, which generates income and provides food for the local children. As of June, the project had raised $1,961.52 – enough to buy 7,846 eggs from the farm, at $3 a dozen, for the schoolchildren.

“If people have food and they have money, they won’t need to hunt gorillas and they won’t need to move into their habitat,” James explained.

(Continue reading in the Toronto Star)

Blind Pianist Wins Van Cliburn Award (Video)

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Good News Network

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Jul 10, 2009

The 20 year old blind pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii became an overnight star in Japan after winning the internationally renowned Van Cliburn award.

Watch the video below, or at the Newsroom

Philippines to Resume Peace Talks with Communist Rebels

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Good News Network

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Jul 10, 2009

The Philippine government and the main communist rebel group agreed to resume peace talks stalled since 2005, hoping to sit down next month in Norway, officials from both sides said on Wednesday.

The government will be suspending arrest warrants against rebel leaders who take part in the talks.

The 40 years of a Maoist-led insurgency has killed more than 40,000 people and scared potential investments in the poor.

(Read more from Reuters)

Soccer Offers Hope for Homeless (Video)

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Good News Network

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Jul 10, 2009

A homeless soccer league in New York gets teens and adults off the streets and provides hope for a better life.

The league will compete for the right to represent America in the Homeless World Cup in Milan this year.

Watch the video below, or at the NewsRoom...

Almost 200 Child Soldiers Returned to Families

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Good News Network

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Jul 9, 2009

The United Nations Children’s Fund yesterday welcomed the release of nearly 200 child soldiers by a Central African rebel group.

The People’s Army for the Restoration of Democracy (APRD) has released 166 boys and 16 girls aged between 10 and 17 since April, and nearly all those child soldiers have since been reunited with their families, UNICEF said in a statement.

The release of the child soldiers follows the rebels’ signature of a peace agreement last year and a visit to the Central African Republic (CAR) by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict.

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Good News Network

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Sub-2-Hour Marathon Finally Breached in Official Race as Sabastian Sawe Makes History in London

Celebrating with a Cake Topped with Fish, World’s Oldest Penguin Turns 38

Motoring Madmen Drive Across Africa in Famously Unreliable Three-Wheeled Car (WATCH)

All Your Nutrition in a Daily Drink That Also Feeds Hungry Kids

GNN Paperback Book: “And Now, The Good News”

Holistic Patches Relieve Anxiety, Cramps, or Nausea – Without Drugs

The Heartwarming Feel-Good Book We All Need

A Daily Dose of Positive Affirmations–Right on Your Toes

Native Americans Were Making Dice and Gaming Thousands of Years Before Anyone Else

Why You Feel Rejected When Someone Doesn’t Text You Back: Your Brain is Trying to Protect You

The Science of How Your Brain Forms Habits (and How to Take Control)

How To Love Yourself: 5 Ways to Let Go of the River Bank and Go With the Flow

The Health Benefits of Friendship

A Mental Health Minute by Cristina Frick

Thanks to Alison Tunnicliff for the idea for this story!

Major Breakthrough in Desalination Easily Generates Drinking Water from the Sea

Best Good News Stories of the Summer

1) Crime is Plummeting Across North America — But No One Knows Why

Heartland States Send National Guard to Aid Afghan Farmers

G8 Pledge of $20B to Feed the Hungry also Promotes Peace and Stability

Wounded Get Back in the Game

NY Philharmonic to Visit Cuba, Maybe Tour in Fall

Overcoming MS to Scale Everest

Move Over, Prius: Meet the Raptor

Michigan Town may be First in Midwest to Build Electric Car Charging Stations

Spontaneous Jackson Dance Tribute Draws Cheers from Crowd

Sun-powered Device Converts CO2 into Fuel

Boston Airport Tests Radar to Avoid Bird Strikes

Honduras Rivals Agree on More Talks to Pursue Solution

Fla. Boy Completes Walk to D.C. for Homeless

Boy Saves Gorillas, One Egg at a Time

Blind Pianist Wins Van Cliburn Award (Video)

Philippines to Resume Peace Talks with Communist Rebels

Soccer Offers Hope for Homeless (Video)

Almost 200 Child Soldiers Returned to Families