"Australian and U.S. researchers hope to lift koala populations by chilling the marsupials’ semen and sending it to zoos around the world." (The Border Mail) Thanks to Kay for the link…
Work Begins on Brad Pitt’s Green Project in 9th Ward
"Construction is to begin on an environmentally friendly new home, based on the winning design in a competition launched by movie star Brad Pitt. Folks in the 9th Ward, a Hurricane Katrina-devastated area, celebrated near bundles of hay that were used to outline the site of the first house, which will serve as a model home and visitor center while construction of other houses are under way. Expected to be complete around the second anniversary of the storm, the home will be made with energy-saving materials such as metal roofing and recycled textiles." (WWLTV.com) Read GNN-i stories on the launch of the project in April, 2006, and the unveiling of the winning design in September.
Gates Foundation Gives $7.1M to Support Gulf Coast Housing
"The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said Thursday it would give $7.1 million to Gulf Coast organizations to help the people whose homes were destroyed by hurricanes Katrina and Rita and those who have been employed to work on the cleanup." (AP) Thanks to Jessica for link
An American Rebuilds Paradise Lost to War in Africa (Video)
Fifteen years after a brutal civil war, Greg Carr, an American philanthropist believes the key to revitalization in Mozambique, one of the poorest spots in Africa, is a long-forgotten park called Gorongosa. It was once the most popular tourist destination and boasted the densest wildlife on the continent, but the park and its animals were ravaged by war. Carr personally has pledged $40 million to restore the park and bring the tourist dollars back — at the same time bringing the nation back from poverty… (Video 6:29)
(Video produced by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and Azimuth Media; Visit their website for photos and blogs about the project.)
Jolie-Pitt Foundation Donates $1M in Darfur
Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie and actor Brad Pitt have donated $1 million towards the humanitarian effort assisting millions of people affected by the crisis in Sudan’s Darfur region, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has announced.
“The donation from the Jolie-Pitt Foundation will go to three agencies playing key roles in Darfur and neighboring Chad: the UN refugee agency; the International Rescue Committee and the international non-governmental organization, SOS Children’s Villages,” UNHCR said in a press release issued on Thursday.
All three agencies are active in providing life-saving humanitarian assistance to the more than 2 million people displaced within Darfur and the 240,000 refugees from Darfur living in camps in eastern Chad.
“This generous donation comes just months after Angelina Jolie made a personal visit to a refugee camp in Chad and it shows, once again, her and Brad Pitts’ commitment to helping refugees and the displaced,” said Michel Gabaudan, UNHCR’s regional representative for the United States and the Caribbean.
“As Goodwill Ambassador, Jolie’s continued support of UNHCR and those we seek to help is a powerful force in ensuring they are not forgotten.”
Ms. Jolie has visited the region three times. During her recent visit to the Oure-Cassoni camp she said she was struck by the sense of hope she encountered and by the widespread desire for peacekeepers to be deployed in eastern Chad.
It was in Oure-Cassoni where the actress met staff working for SOS Children’s Villages, who are providing psychological assistance to traumatized children.
“The children benefit enormously from the therapy,” said Yolan Broek, project leader of the Emergency Relief Programme of SOS Children’s Villages in Chad. “Children who at first did not speak, did not eat and who were isolated in their own worlds, are now playing happily and are able to interact with others.”
Photo: UNHCR
Iraqi Baby Admitted to Israel for Lifesaving Surgery
Israeli officials approved entry to Israel for a three-week-old Iraqi baby in need of lifesaving heart surgery, a complex procedure not available in neighboring countries. "Sam Muhammad and his mother had been waiting in Jordan for the permission to be treated in Haifa. Entry for four other Iraqi children in need of heart surgery, along with four escorts, were also approved. Muhammad was born with transposition of the great arteries and must be operated on within the next several days." (Jerusalem Post ) Link submitted by Daniel Keebler
Boy Gets Heart Transplant Thanks to Cell Phone
Hospital officials in Pennsylvania tried to contact a family awaiting a heart transplant. Their son’s organ had arrived and he needed to get to surgery immediately. The mom’s cell phone was turned off due to attendance at a jazz concert, so the sheriff’s department called Sprint Mobile to track the family’s phone using global positioning. When the concert was stopped, and the family’s name announced, the boy was whisked away in the nick of time, while the crowd offered a standing ovation. (CNN)
Gov. Schwarzenegger Signs Global Warming Pact with Victoria, Australia
The premier of the state of Victoria, Australia, has signed an agreement with Arnold Swarzenegger to tackle global warming. The memorandum signed Friday establishes a partnership to cut emissions and encourage the development of clean energy. The pact may mark the first cooperative effort to lessen climate change that links jurisdictions from two hemispheres.
States and Cities Move to Curb Toxins the EPA Hasn’t
"From California to Maine, state and local officials are taking steps to ban toxic substances found in consumer goods ranging from TVs to baby bottles, rather than waiting for the Environmental Protection Agency or other federal agencies to yank them off the market." (USA Today)
Tortured Congolese Mom Wins America’s Hometown Hero Award and New Car
In 1998, Rose Mapendo was sitting on the concrete floor of a Congolese prison cell summoning up every ounce of courage, strength and intellect to protect her children. Almost ten years later, she has used that same determination and drive to help protect and rescue countless thousands of fellow refugees of genocide, and this April was honored for her humanitarian outreach at the 5th Annual Volvo for life Awards ceremony in New York City. Volvo named Mapendo “America’s Greatest Hometown Hero” and awarded her a $50,000 charitable contribution and a new Volvo every three years for the rest of her life…
Mapendo, a Tutsi, was imprisoned and tortured by Congolese soldiers in the wake of the Rwandan genocide. Following 16 months of daily confrontations with death, witnessing the torture and execution of her husband and giving birth to premature twins on the floor of her cell, Mapendo and her nine children ended up in a refugee camp in Cameroon, from where she resettled to Phoenix, Ariz. Once safely established in the U.S., Mapendo helped found Mapendo International with the man responsible for her rescue. Mapendo International works with the U.S. Department of State and the United Nations to identify and assist Africa’s forgotten, those who are at risk of falling through the cracks of humanitarian aid efforts. The organization helps these people through its medical clinic in Kenya and through a rescue operations initiative, identifying at-risk individuals, families and groups of refugees and working to get them out of danger.
Held at the world famous 42nd St. Cipriani on April 5, the Volvo for life Awards ceremony was the climax of the largest-ever national search for and celebration of everyday heroes, with Volvo Cars of North America providing $1 million annually in awards and contributions. This year, in honor of the Awards’ 5th Anniversary, Volvo selected the top five heroes from every state in America and asked the public to visit www.volvoforlifeawards.com and vote for their favorite unsung hometown hero. Volvo received hundreds of thousands of votes from across the country.
A panel of distinguished judges — including Hank Aaron, Sen. Bill Bradley, Caroline Kennedy, Maya Lin, Val Kilmer, Paul Newman, Dr. Sally Ride, Eunice Kennedy Shriver and previous Volvo for life Awards grand winners — selected the program’s top three winners in the categories of Safety, Quality of Life and Environment. Mapendo was the Quality of Life category winner.
“The heroes selected as this year’s honorees have incredibly moving and powerful stories that symbolize Volvo’s core values of conscience, care and character and we are exceedingly proud to have the chance to honor them,” said Anne Belec, president and chief executive officer for Volvo Cars of North America. “It’s hard for anyone to imagine living through what Rose and her family had to endure, but to then go on to help other victims like herself is truly inspirational. She gives Africa’s forgotten refugees a voice and we hope this recent recognition will help America listen.”
Volvo’s 2006 Greatest Hometown Hero Award went to Dr. Ingida Asfaw of Pontiac, Michigan, a doctor who has galvanized over 550 medical and non-health professionals in the U.S. and Canada to give their time and talents to the cause of serving orphans and mothers in Ethiopia. Read his story featured on the GNN, here.
Read more hero stories, gathered over the past five years at the Volvo for life Awards Youtube page.
Geena Davis Honored With Hollywood Hero Award (Video)
Geena Davis received the USA Today Hollywood Hero Award for her project called See Jane, which seeks to improve the number and quality of portrayals of women and their characters in children’s films and in the film and television industry overall.
(WATCH the video below and Learn more at Geena’s website See Jane.org)
Photo: YouTube
Building a Better Bike Lane
"Flat, compact and temperate, the Netherlands and Denmark have long been havens for bikers. In Amsterdam, 40 percent of commuters get to work by bike… New measures designed to shift bike commuting into higher gear include the construction of new parking facilities that can hold up to 10,000 bikes… The rest of Europe and some cities in the U.S. are paying close attention, seeking advice from Amsterdam on developing bicycle-friendly infrastructure and policies." (Wall Street Journal) Google is doing its part, offering free bikes, their own unique model of Google bike, to all empolyees of the company overseas.
Age Friendly Workplaces on the Rise
"Most baby boomers say they plan to stay in the workforce longer… Some employers are creating an enviroment free from age bias: Tony Rich cites the benefits of hiring those over 50. In addition to their broad experience, he says, "The work ethic they bring is just incredible. They come from a generation that grew up working hard and doing whatever it takes." (CS Monitor)
(UPDATED) Bill Clinton Brokers Generic AIDS Drug Deal
"Former U.S. president Bill Clinton has announced a deal with drug companies to drastically reduce the cost of second-line anti-retroviral HIV/AIDS medicines for people in the developing world. His foundation has also negotiated a deal allowing a one-pill-a-day treatment that would cost less than $1 a day for developing countries, a 45 percent saving on the current price in Africa…"
Filipino Pineapple Peace Plan to Employ Poor Muslim Insurgents
"The Philippine army plans to transform the insurgency-wracked island of Jolo into the country’s second-largest pineapple-producing region in an effort to end decades of bloodshed. Under the plan, Jolo, 950 km south of Manila, would be transformed into a major producer of pineapples to provide livelihoods to impoverished Muslims who have lived under the shadow of rebel violence for decades." (Qatar Peninsula)
Elephant-Man Disease and Possible Amputation Won’t Stop 32 Year-Old From Seeing Adventure in Life
This story would be really sad if it weren’t for the inspired attitude ringing from this young woman’s lips. She is one of only 126 people in the world to have a rare deforming disease that, in her case, has enlarged her legs to beyond imaginable proportions and might lead to amputation. Instead of dwelling on the horrible ‘luck’, Mandy Sellars, from Lancashire, wants to bring awareness of the condition to the public. She says of the possible amputation ahead, "It could be a more adventurous life. Things I can’t do now I might be able to do then. I quite fancy having a go at snowboarding actually…" (BBC) Thanks, Andrew, for the link – you are correct in seeing the value to GNN readers – filed under, "You think you’ve got problems?"
75-Year-Old Cancer Survivor Skis to North Pole; First Black Woman Believed To Make Trip
Barbara Hillary became one of the oldest people to trek to the North Pole last month at the age of 75. The New York woman, a former nurse and community activist is believed to be the first black woman on record to accomplish the feat, eight years after her battle began with lung cancer. Read more about her on her website
Climate Change ‘Can Be Tackled’
"The growth in greenhouse gas emissions can be curbed at reasonable cost, experts at a UN climate change conference have agreed. Boosting renewable energy, reducing deforestation and improving energy efficiency can all help, they say." (BBC)
Madagascar Creates Millions More Protected Acres
“The government of Madagascar has established 15 new conservation areas encompassing a total of 2.65 million acres (about a million hectares) on the East African island famed for its unique wildlife, (but) which traditionally has had a poor conservation record. An estimated 80 percent of the island plants and animals are found nowhere else on Earth.” (Nat’l Geographic)
Brewing a Sustainable Energy Solution — With Beer!
A joint project between Australia’s most famous lager brewer, Foster’s, and the University of Queensland to turn beer wastewater into electricity has won $140,000 from the Queensland Government’s Sustainable Energy Innovation Fund. The technology works using a microbial fuel cell, which feeds continuously on the churning organics in the brewery wastewater, turning it into watts.
The team from UQ’s Advanced Wastewater Management Centre (AWMC) posed for photos at Foster’s Yatala brewery during the presentation of the funding by Minister for Environment Lindy Nelson-Carr on May 2.
“Energy and water supply are among the biggest challenges we will face in the coming decades,” he said.
AWMC Director Professor Jurg Keller said the focus in wastewater management had shifted away from simply treating waste to recovering valuable resources such as water, energy and nutrients.
“Technology that can do this should be supported, therefore the decision by the Queensland Government to support this project is a very important signal, both to universities and industry,” he said.
The team’s work is in collaboration with the University of Ghent, Belgium, and is backed by a $1.3 million Australian Research Council Discovery grant in addition to on site and financial support from Foster’s, who have been recognised for their innovative water reduction and recycling programs.
A patent is pending for the technology — believed to be a world first — which is designed for small to medium operations and could be used across a number of food, beverage and manufacturing industries.
Professor Keller said the team are achieving good progress with a 10-litre prototype, with plans to have a pilot-scale model up and running to coincide with an international bio-energy conference hosted by the University in September.
Advanced Wastewater Management Centre