"An abused stray dog adopted by an Idaho City resident turned out to be twice a hero, saving Candace Jennings a second time from a raging house fire in the middle of the night after Jennings risked her life to go back into the home to get keys belonging to other people." (IdahoStatesman) Thanks to Kim S. for the link!
Shoppers Rise to the Challenge to “Take the Stairs”
Attention shoppers: taking the stairs protects your heart. That’s the message researchers tried to convey at a suburban British shopping mall by putting up colorful signs along the steps of a staircase. The project worked, with use of the stairway next to an escalator more than doubling over a six-week period.
Illegal Immigrant Rescues Boy in the Desert, Jeopardizing Own Freedom
“A 9-year-old boy whose mother died in a car crash in the Arizona desert was rescued by a man entering the U.S. illegally, who stayed with him until help arrived the next day.” (cbsnews) Thanks to Kim S. for the link!
Relentless Advocate ‘Greens’ Rural China, Village by Village
"She has traveled Yunnan Province village by village showing locals how conservation can make economic sense – and save the region’s prized golden monkeys." (CS Monitor) Thanks to SG for the link!
Church Meets $1 Million Katrina Goal
"Parishioners at Fountain Baptist Church in a New York City suburb reached their goal this month: to raise $1 million for communities hit by Hurricane Katrina. It is one of the largest amounts ever raised by a single U.S. church." (AP Wire)
Pastoral Minister Has Led Prayer Services for Inmates for 20 Years
"She’s the Mother Teresa of the King County Jail, holding prayer services three times a week for 20 years, taking a bus from her tiny home to the downtown jail, and personally visiting with 35,000 individual inmates." One man said, "If I didn’t have this service, I’d sit and dwell… I come here, and the whole day is 100 percent better." (Seattle Times)
Scotland Set to Smash 30% Recycling Target
"Scotland is within touching distance of its 2008 target on recycling – more than a year ahead of schedule." (Scotsman.com)
Massive New Rainforest Reserve Opens to Protect Congo Apes
A new nature reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will become the world’s largest continuous protected area for great apes, particularly the endangered bonobo species, the most human-like of all the apes. Larger than the state of Massachusetts, the new reserve encompasses 11,803 square miles of tropical rainforest, extremely rich in biodiversity and will protect both the bonobo and okapi, a rare forest giraffe found, like the bonobo, only in the DRC.
Stem-Cell Advance Opens Up the Field
The Christian Science Monitor reports: "This week’s announcement that two teams have genetically reprogrammed skin cells so that they take on the traits of embryonic stem cells suggests it will be possible for scientists to advance stem-cell research without the ethical and political difficulties of harvesting them from unused human embryos. "This is enormous," says Jesse Reynolds, a policy analyst at the liberal Center for Genetics and Society. "I can’t think of another development "that has been this big.""
More Cash to Beat School Bullies in England
"An extra £3 million is being put into anti-bullying schemes in England where older pupils are trained to step in to resolve conflicts and help victims." (BBC) Thanks to Andrew N. for the link.
Canada to Protect Northern Forest and Tundra
Canada announced Wednesday it is acting to protect two large swaths of boreal forest and tundra in the Northwest Territories from development — a total of almost 10 million hectares (24M acres)
EU Says China’s Progress on Toy Safety is Encouraging
China has made considerable progress in taking actions to ensure the safety of toys and other exported products, the European Union (EU) consumer chief said on Thursday.
I’m Giving Thanks for You Today!
Happy Thanksgiving to my beautiful American readers! (We are giving thanks for our international readers from Australia, Norway, England, New Zealand, Germany, Japan, India, Ireland, and even Congo — along with too many other locations to name. See photos and messages from dozens of our readers around the globe and see where they live on this Good News Network interactive map ! I love you all — and hope to see you on the map, in print, in person and through the airwaves. May good bless on this Thanksgiving day and into the future… from geri, who feels supported, like the top pumpkin on a huge pile. (photo: Ashville, NC)
Tired of Dry Thanksgiving Turkey? Cook it Upside Down
I just gave my Aunt Jane a full-proof recipe for roasting a turkey that will produce juicy breast meat every time. She was relieved to hear of such a solution, saying, “They hate my turkey — it’s always so dry.” If you, too, are looking for a better turkey recipe, check this out: I have been serving a wildly successful Thanksgiving meal for my extended family every holiday for 15 years, and one of my secrets is roasting the turkey upside down… (photo: Geri and her son both love to cook!)
Plan Transforms Toronto Brickyard into Green Spaces
The site design for Toronto’s Brick Works, a unique project that involves restoring nature in the city while incorporating heritage buildings and an art component, was unveiled Tuesday.
Sober California Drivers Rewarded With Turkeys
"300 sober drivers who successfully pass through a sobriety checkpoint somewhere in Salinas will be getting a turkey today." (AP via Yahoo)
India to Expand Coverage of Pension for Poor
The government said it could afford to spend almost 38 billion rupees ($1 billion) on an expanded pension plan for India’s elderly poor and would begin to do so in March. (Reuters)
Humpback Whale Rescued off Rhode Island
Officials from Rhode Island’s Mystic Aquarium freed a 30-foot juvenile humpback whale from entanglement in a fishing net Monday.
Surfer Dude Stuns Physicists with Theory of Everything
SCIENCE – "An impoverished surfer has drawn up a new theory of the universe, seen by some as the Holy Grail of physics, which has received rave reviews from scientists." (Daily Telegraph) I love physics! Thanks Andrew.
Anti-Bullying Software Begins Trials With 900 Students
To coincide with National Anti-Bullying Week (19th-23rd November), the new European software, FearNot!, begins a six-week trial in the UK involving 600 school children from Hertfordshire and Warwick. 300 pupils in German schools will also be introduced to the interactive role-play software designed to tackle the problem of bullying. (Innovation Report) Thanks to Andrew N. for the link.