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She Finally Met Her Long Lost Dad, Who Didn’t Know She Existed, Thanks to Stranger on Facebook

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Adrieanna Tyler with father Joseph Frank - SWNS
Adrieanna Tyler with father Joseph Frank – SWNS

A woman finally met her long-lost dad, a man who didn’t even know she existed—thanks to an amateur sleuth she met on Facebook.

Adrieanna Tyler thought she knew her father until the age of 13, when she overheard him referring to her as his stepdaughter.

Since then, she wanted to know who her biological father was—but never could find out anything about him.

Now a 33-year-old mom married to a truck driver in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she recalled, “I was desperate to find my real dad; it always mattered to me”.

She began the search again this year by ordering a DNA test kit and asked for assistance from strangers running a Facebook group where people help strangers unite with long lost relatives.

“This wonderful lady called Suzanne on the group helped me build my family tree and after doing another DNA test we found my aunt.”

They tracked down her 47-year-old aunt, Kathie Johnson, and from there, found her biological dad—a police officer who lived 1,000 miles away in Florida.

“She said she’d put me in touch with my dad and I was so nervous! How do you just call someone and ask ‘are you my dad?’”

Adrieanna told SWNS news service that Joseph Frank ‘had no idea she had ever been born’ and was thrilled to learn he not only had another daughter, but two young grandchildren.

“When he found out about me, he was so excited, and it was such a relief. I felt so vulnerable before, in case he wanted nothing to do with me.”

WATCH: Long-Lost Brothers to Be Reunited After 77 Years and 10,000 Miles, ‘I still can’t believe it’

After spending the next month texting and video calling daily getting to know each other, Joseph travelled from Florida to Pennsylvania so they could meet in person for the first time.

“We spent some time getting to know each other before finally meeting and it was just perfect. It felt like a dream.”

They met last week at a local festival near her home, and now they’re already planning a family holiday.

During the emotional meeting, they enjoyed pizza and she also discovered she has two half-sisters who are around her age.

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“We bonded right away, and I finally feel I can start to heal now. Everything ended exactly how it was supposed to.”

Adrieanna Tyler and Joseph Frank – SWNS

Dad Joseph agreed: “It’s been pretty amazing. God works in mysterious ways.

“At the time when Adrieanna came into my life, I was going through a tough break-up and I really needed that.

“That part of my heart got filled again when I found out about my daughter.”

Joseph remembered having a “summer fling” with Adrieanna’s mother in the 80s while he was working on his uncle’s farm. They grew close but never spoke again, according to Joseph, who says he didn’t know she was ever expecting a baby.

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“He said he always wanted children and he was excited to be a parent to me.

Joseph stayed with the family for three days—with Adrieanna describing it as “a surreal experience.”

“It was very emotional. I cried all weekend. It’s not until you’re stood next to someone that you realize how alike you look.

“To think I’ve been waiting my whole life for that moment.

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“It was so worth the wait.”

Joseph added: “At first we were both a bit nervous but we settled so quickly and we realized we’re similar in a lot of ways.

“It was great to meet my grandchildren [Maximus, 4, and Preslee, 2]. We took it slow but by the time I left they were sad to see me go.

“It’s so exciting to start planning out our future lives together.”

Adrieanna said, “I just kept thinking that there is a man out there who deserves to know he has two grandchildren. I didn’t want to die knowing I hadn’t tried.”

“I feel like I can finally start to heal now I’m not wondering why he didn’t want me—when all this time it was because he didn’t even know I existed.”

SHARE the Heartwarming Story of Reunion On Social Media…

Scottish Nightclub is Powered By the Heat From Dancers – Moving the Venue to Thermal Energy

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Andy Corbley
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A Scottish night club has found it can reduce its carbon footprint by 70 tons per year if it relies on the beat to make the heat.

Glasgow arts venue SWG3 now has a dancefloor that absorbs body heat from the dancers and converts it to thermal energy, between 250 and 600 watts depending on how intense the music is.

The venue had announced the idea last year, but has only just got it turned on; not a moment to soon considering the energy crisis.

The thermal energy is channeled via a carrier fluid to a deep borehole 650 feet (200 meters) underground where it is charged like a thermal battery before being pumped back up to provide heating and A/C to the club.

TownRock Energy Geothermal designed the system which they aptly branded as “Body Heat” and founder David Townsend told the BBC that medium intensity music like the Rolling Stones could generate 250 watts.

“But if you’ve got a big DJ, absolutely slamming basslines and making everyone jump up and down, you could be generating 500-600W of thermal energy,” he said.

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SWG3 has committed to carbon neutrality by 2025, and the managers insist that despite setting them back £600,000 they can recoup the investment in five years by disconnecting the gas boilers, that would run them around one-tenth of that, through the reduction in energy bills.

“If we can make it work here in this environment, there’s no reason why we can’t take it to other venues, not just here in Scotland and the UK, across Europe and further afield,” SWG3-owner Fleming-Brown told BBC News.

Townsend has gained big interest from the SchwuZ nightclub in Berlin, and said they don’t want to be outpaced in cool clubbing technology.

RELATED: Ingenious Dancers Stun Judges to Make Finals of America’s Got Talent – WATCH

The advantage of using water as a heating system is that while it requires a lot of energy to heat up, it holds onto that energy much longer than air. With the carrier fluid stored under ground it’s well insulated, and therefore also more efficient than any gas heating system.

Bodyheat was financed largely through government subsidy from Glasgow city.

SHARE This Story With Your Friends And Plan A Trip To Go Dancing…

Rare Baby Red Panda That ‘Gave Hope’ for Endangered Species Effort Gets its First Exam –WATCH

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Little Red’s first check up / Paradise wildlife park in Hertfordshire via SWNS
Little Red’s first check up / Paradise wildlife park in Hertfordshire via SWNS

A rare red panda cub born this summer was seen as a hopeful sign for the future of this critically endangered species—and it passed its very first health check this week with flying colors.

The baby was born to mother Tilly and father Nam Pang at Paradise wildlife park in Hertfordshire, England—and the zoo had been waiting to ascertain its sex before naming the cute bundle of fluff.

They’ll have to wait a little longer to complete the birth certificate, though, because the ginger fur ball was so fidgety that the ‘delicate’ procedure was impossible.

The zoo team decided, anyway, to name it Little Red.

This was the first time a veterinarian had visited the cub, and the tests revealed Little Red is in good health. Aside from the fidgeting, the health check was completed without a hitch. (See the video below…)

The birth in July was a bittersweet event that came just a month after Nam Pang’s sudden passing. The zoo had been trying to breed the pair for four years, as part of the European Ex Situ Breeding Program, an initiative whereby endangered species are bred in captivity in order to ensure the continuation of the species.

The program soon achieved success when closed circuit cameras captured the surprise birth.

The Zoo hailed it as a miracle, with operations coordinator Aaron Whitnall saying, “This cub has become a symbol of hope, after the tragic passing of Nam Pang.”

WATCH: Elephant Gives Back a Child’s Shoe That Fell Into Zoo Enclosure – SO SWEET

Animal experts say the first six months of a red panda’s life are the most critical, and Little Red is being monitored even as he appears boisterous and strong.

The population of red pandas has decreased over the last 20 years, with the WWF stating there are currently less than 10,000 left in the wild, due to their illegal capture as pets and a dramatic reduction in their habitat.

LOOK: Amazing Spectacle as Rare White Dolphin Leaps Above the Water For Photographer

See the Hertfordshire baby’s first check-up in the SWNS video below…

SHARE the Cuteness Overload With Panda Lovers on Social Media…

“Find a way to make beauty necessary; find a way to make necessity beautiful.” – Anne Michaels

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Quote of the Day: “Find a way to make beauty necessary; find a way to make necessity beautiful.” – Anne Michaels 

Photo by: Kathleen MacGregor

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Over 75% of Brits Say They’re Greener Today Than They Were 10 Years Ago: Poll

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Artem Beliaikin
Artem Beliaikin

A poll of 2,000 adults found three-quarters of respondents said they were greener today than they were a decade ago—with a large majority believing they have a responsibility to live a sustainable lifestyle.

Making greener choices than ever before, 58 percent described being environmentally-conscious as a ‘badge of honor’.

Collecting rainwater, turning off lights, and carrying reusable bags for shopping are among the top 10 ways Brits are helping the planet.

Other top hacks include giving up single-use water bottles and only washing clothes if they look dirty.

Yet 55 percent still want to ‘up their eco game’ and make even better choices for the planet.

The survey was carried out by OnePoll and commissioned by Yeo Valley Organic, which uses regenerative farming in its practices.

“It’s more important than ever to learn new green habits, and we love sharing good choices for both people and the planet,” said spokesperson, Beth Jones.

RELATED: Americans Want to Use Less Plastic and They Hoard Containers Rather Than Tossing, Poll Shows

“What’s especially great about a lot of the green habits many Brits are already incorporating into their everyday routine is, as well as having a positive impact on people’s health and the planet, they’re also clever ways to save money.”

When it comes to becoming more eco-friendly, more than a quarter (26%) feel there is not enough education around being sustainable—and individuals have looked to TV shows, social media, and friends for inspiration.

CHECK OUT: These 30 Life Hacks Have Saved People Up to Four Hours Every Week Around the House

Top motivations for becoming greener have included saving money (39%), feeling guilty for past habits (25%), and becoming a parent (24%).

TOP 10 WAYS BRITS ARE BEING GREEN

1. Turn off lights when not in the room
2. Using reusable bags at supermarkets
3. Wearing more layers instead of turning up the heat
4. Giving up single-use water bottles
5. Buying loose produce rather than packed in plastic
6. Only washing clothes if they look dirty
7. Washing clothes with cold water
8. Collecting rainwater for plants
9. Composting food scraps
10. Swapping disposable razor for reusable one

Breakthrough: Polyethylene Bags and Jugs Can Finally be Upcycled to Solve Several Problems at Once

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Polyethylene bonds / Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Polyethylene bonds / Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Notorious plastic bags and containers can finally be upcycled, thanks to a new technique for recycling polyethylene bags and food packaging into valuable starter materials for high-value plastics and chemicals.

Polyethylene plastics are used to make plastic bags, shampoo bottles, and many products that are extremely difficult to recycle. In fact, only 14 percent of all polyethylene plastic are currently able to be recycled—and, then, only for certain products such as garden furniture.

They make up about one-third of the entire plastics market worldwide—all manufactured using massive amounts of fossil fuels.

But this may be changing thanks to scientists at the University of California, Berkeley in the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

They have found a way to break the sturdy polymers into the three-carbon molecule called propylene—a valuable molecule that can then be used to make new plastics, including polypropylene, which is used in ropes, twine, tape, carpets, upholstery, clothing, and camping equipment.

Not only that, the discovery will allow them to do it with very minimal fossil fuels.

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“You can’t take a plastic bag and then make another plastic bag out of it with the same properties,” said John Hartwig, UC Berkeley Chair in Organic Chemistry. “But if you can take that polymer bag back to its monomers, break it down into small pieces and repolymerize it, then instead of pulling more carbon out of the ground, you use that as your carbon source to make other things — for example, polypropylene.”

Polyethylene is held together by unusually unreactive carbon-carbon bonds that are very hard to break. In the breakthrough experiment, Hartwig and his team dissolved samples of HDPE (high-density polyethylene), the plastic used in container tops, milk jugs, and shampoo bottles, with ethylene gas and a catalyst in a solvent in a pressurized vessel.

These conditions, the researchers predicted, would force hydrogen from some of the monomer units. Such hydrogen loss, they reasoned, would in turn enable a series of reactions between the dehydrogenated polymer and ethylene in the presence of additional catalysts to produce propylene.

“I was pretty shocked that it worked so well,” exclaimed Hartwig.

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To the researchers’ surprise, even though hydrogen was removed from just 1.9% of the monomer units, 87% of the carbon atoms in an HDPE polymer chain reacted with ethylene and became propylene in a mere 18 hours. This means that every other monomer in a chain of 1,000 monomer units turned into propylene gas – in other words, there was no polymer left.

The team reports in the journal Science that this form of upcycling could produce high value products, meet the high demand for propylene, give wasteful products a new purpose, and reduce the use of fossil fuels.

Hartwig said that although the technique is not yet ready for deployment at an industrial scale, their findings, supported by the US Department of Energy, have important implications for recycling polyethylene plastic into industrial lubricants and jet fuels, too.

CHECK OUT: New Plant-Derived Sustainable ‘Plastic’ is Tough as Bone and Hard as Aluminum

In future experiments, he and his team plan to improve the technique’s commercial viability with recyclable catalysts. They would also like to use this work to lay the groundwork for designing new types of chemically recyclable plastic.

UPCYCLE This Good News for Eco-Warriors on Social Media…

Youth Given 8 Months to Live Has Beaten Aggressive Blood Cancer, Now Inspires Others: ‘You can get through anything’

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Michael Cramer via SWNS
Michael Cramer via SWNS

A young Florida man given just eight months to live has beaten a rare and aggressive blood cancer, after nearly dying multiple times during treatments. Now he is inspiring others who are going through health hardships.

Michael Cramer went to see a doctor after suffering fatigue, night sweats, and weight loss—symptoms he thought were caused by the stress of COVID-19 lockdowns—but the blood test showed something was wrong and he was told to see a blood specialist immediately.

The 21-year-old was then diagnosed with Hepatosplenic T-cell Lymphoma (HSTCL) in July 2020. He and his his mother Ashlee Cramer then heard the terrifying news that most people do not survive it, and Michael may have just eight months to live.

He underwent three rounds of intensive chemotherapy at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami before receiving a bone marrow transplant later that summer.

The transplant resulted in a severe complication called Graft vs. Host Disease (GVHD), where the donor cells attack the host cells. Over the next 18 months, GVHD affected Michael’s skin, his gastrointestinal tract, and then his liver went into failure and nearly killed him.

“The transplant was horrible. I felt so low,” he told SWNS. “It was a long, slow journey of hospital trips, infusions, and so many setbacks.

“I had my gallbladder removed, which left my stomach paralyzed. Then I got avascular necrosis in both of my knees that could have made me unable to walk.”

RELATED: Boy With Crippling ‘Suicide Disease’ Takes First Steps in a Year After Traveling to US for Pioneering Treatment

At the start of 2022, his skin was yellow from the liver failure and receiving so many different, intense treatments that his body was just overwhelmed.

But this June, Michael started a new treatment at the University of Miami Cancer Institute, called extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP).

Approved by the FDA in 1988, ECP has benefitted patients with a variety of autoimmune diseases—plus the graft-versus-host disease, T-cell lymphoma, and organ rejection which all affected Michael.

The treatment separated his blood, treated it, and returned it back to him, which ultimately provided the solution that is still saving his life today.

Ashlee, who gave up her teaching job to care for Michael, described his journey as both heart-breaking and amazing: “Our lives changed dramatically but we decided to just take each day—well really each minute—as it comes.

“He has been so unbelievably strong and I am just so proud of him.”

Michael is now in full remission and is sharing his miraculous journey on TikTok and Instagram, and has produced a podcast with his mother, called Michael and Mom Talk Cancer.

Michael and Mom Talk Cancer podcast

Michael’s social media presence has allowed him to create a huge support system containing cancer survivors from around the world.

CHECK OUT: Scientists Discover How to Starve Melanoma of its Key Growth Enzyme in New Breakthrough

He summed it up by saying, “Ultimately, having thousands of people understand and relate to me got me through it, so I’m so grateful that I have created this kind of space.”

“I wanted to give up so many times but I never did, and that kept me alive.

On the wall in the hospital Michael had a poster that said ‘It’s not what happens to you, but how you react that matters’, which inspired the pair every single day.

Ashlee and her son hope that their content will inspire people to remain positive and remember that life can be hard, but it is never permanent.

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“I hope that if anyone is going through anything similar they can be inspired by my journey and get through it – you really can get through anything.”

WATCH the trailer for the podcast…

HELP Patients Get Through Anything by Sharing on Social Media…

Your Inspired Weekly Horoscope From Rob Brezsny: A ‘Free Will Astrology’

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Our partner Rob Brezsny provides his weekly wisdom to enlighten our thinking and motivate our mood. Rob’s Free Will Astrology, is a syndicated weekly column appearing in over a hundred publications. He is also the author of Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How All of Creation Is Conspiring To Shower You with Blessings. (A free preview of the book is available here.)

Here is your weekly horoscope…

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY – Week of October 8, 2022
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
The Libran approach to fighting for what’s right shouldn’t involve getting into loud arguments or trying to manipulate people into seeing things your way. If you’re doing what you were born to do, you rely on gentler styles of persuasion. Are you doing what you were born to do? Have you become skilled at using clear, elegant language to say what you mean? Do you work in behalf of the best outcome rather than merely serving your ego? Do you try to understand why others feel the way they do, even if you disagree with their conclusions? I hope you call on these superpowers in the coming weeks. We all need you to be at the height of your potency.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
“One bad apple spoils the rest” is an idiom in the English language. It refers to the idea that if one apple rots as it rests in a pile of apples, the rest will quickly rot, too. It’s based on a scientific fact. As an apple decays, it emanates the gas ethylene, which speeds up decay in nearby apples. I’m wondering how the metaphor might work for you right now, Scorpio. Should you immediately expunge the bad apple in your life? Or should you critique and tolerate it? Should you worry about the possibility of contamination, or can you successfully enforce damage control? Only you know the correct answer.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Of all the signs in the zodiac, you Sagittarians know best how to have fun even when life sucks. Your daily rhythm may temporarily become a tangle of boring or annoying tasks, yet you can still summon a knack for enjoying yourself. But let me ask you this: How are your instincts for drumming up amusement when life doesn’t suck? Are you as talented at whipping up glee and inspiration when the daily rhythm is smooth and groovy? I suspect we will gather evidence to answer those questions in the coming weeks. Here’s my prediction: The good times will spur you to new heights of creating even more good times.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
More than you might realize, people look to you for leadership and regard you as a role model. This will be extra true in the coming weeks. Your statements and actions will have an even bigger impact than usual. Your influence will ripple out far beyond your sphere. In light of these developments, which may sometimes be subtle, I encourage you to upgrade your sense of responsibility. Make sure your integrity is impeccable. Another piece of advice, too: Be an inspiring example to people without making them feel like they owe you anything.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Rapper-songwriter Nicki Minaj says, “You should never feel afraid to become a piece of art. It’s exhilarating.” I will go further, Aquarius. I invite you to summon ingenuity and joy in your efforts to be a work of art. The coming weeks will be an ideal time for you to tease out more of your inner beauty so that more people can benefit from it. I hope you will be dramatic and expressive about showing the world the full array of your interesting qualities. PS: Please call on the entertainment value of surprise and unpredictability.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Author Robertson Davies declared, “One learns one’s mystery at the price of one’s innocence.” It sounds poetic, but it doesn’t apply to most of you Pisceans—especially now. Here’s what I’ve concluded: The more you learn your mystery, the more innocent you become. Please note I’m using the word “innocence” in the sense defined by author Clarissa Pinkola Estés. She wrote: “Ignorance is not knowing anything and being attracted to the good. Innocence is knowing everything and still being attracted to the good.”

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
When you Aries folks are at your best, you are drawn to people who tell you exactly what they think, who aren’t intimidated by your high energy, and who dare to be as vigorous as you. I hope you have an array of allies like that in your sphere right now. In my astrological opinion, you especially need their kind of stimulation. It’s an excellent time to invite influences that will nudge you out of your status quo and help you glide into a new groove. Are you willing to be challenged and changed?

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Author Toni Morrison thought that beauty was “an absolute necessity” and not “a privilege or an indulgence.” She said that “finding, incorporating, and then representing beauty is what humans do.” In her view, we can’t live without beauty “any more than we can do without dreams or oxygen.” All she said is even truer for Tauruses and Libras than the other signs. And you Bulls have an extra wrinkle: It’s optimal if at least some of the beauty in your life is useful. Your mandate is summed up well by author Anne Michaels: “Find a way to make beauty necessary; find a way to make necessity beautiful.” I hope you’ll do a lot of that in the coming weeks.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Philosopher Alfred North Whitehead said, “It requires a very unusual mind to make an analysis of the obvious.” I nominate you to perform that service in the coming days, both for yourself and your allies. No one will be better able than you to discern the complexities of seemingly simple situations. You will also have extraordinary power to help people appreciate and even embrace paradox. So be a crafty master of candor and transparency, Gemini. Demonstrate the benefits of being loyal to the objective evidence rather than to the easy and popular delusions. Tell the interesting truths.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Cancerian poet Lucille Clifton sent us all an invitation: “Won’t you celebrate with me what i have shaped into a kind of life? i had no model. i made it up here on this bridge between starshine and clay, my one hand holding tight my other hand.” During October, fellow Cancerian, I propose you draw inspiration from her heroic efforts to create herself. The coming weeks will be a time when you can achieve small miracles as you bolster your roots, nourish your soulful confidence, and ripen your uniqueness.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
“Dear Rob the Astrologer: This morning I put extra mousse on my hair and blow-dried the hell out of it, so now it is huge and curly and impossibly irresistible. I’m wearing bright orange shoes so everyone will stare at my feet, and a blue silk blouse that is much too high-fashion to wear to work. It has princess seams and matches my eyes. I look fantastic. How could anyone of any gender resist drinking in my magnificence? I realize you’re a spiritual type and may not approve of my showmanship, but I wanted you to know that what I’m doing is a totally valid way to be a Leo. —Your Leo teacher Brooke.” Dear Brooke: Thank you for your helpful instruction! It’s true that I periodically need to loosen my tight grip on my high principles. I must be more open to appreciating life’s raw feed. I hope you will perform a similar service for everyone you encounter in the coming weeks.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
How to be the best Virgo you can be during the coming weeks: 1. You must relish, not apologize for, your precise obsessions. 2. Be as nosy as you need to be to discover the core truths hidden beneath the surface. Risk asking almost too many questions in your subtle drive to know everything. 3. Help loved ones and allies shrink and heal their insecurities. 4. Generate beauty and truth through your skill at knowing what needs to be purged and shed. 5. Always have your Bullsh#t Detector with you. Use it liberally. 6. Keep in close touch with the conversations between your mind and body.

WANT MORE? Listen to Rob’s EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, 4-5 minute meditations on the current state of your destiny — or subscribe to his unique daily text message service at: RealAstrology.com

(Zodiac images by Numerologysign.com, CC license)

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“Be faithful to that which exists nowhere but in yourself.” – André Gide

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Quote of the Day: “Be faithful to that which exists nowhere but in yourself.” – André Gide

Photo by: Glodi Miessi

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Undersea Cable to Funnel 3 Gigawatts of Solar Energy From Egypt to Power Millions of European Households

By
Andy Corbley
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One of the cable inspection boats - credit Copelouzos Group. Released.
One of the cable inspection boats – credit Copelouzos Group. Released.

Taking advantage of the huge output of solar energy in places neighboring the Sahara Desert, a massive undersea power cable is coming to Europe from Egypt.

Bringing 3,000 megawatts of renewable energy, the GREGY interconnection will run from northern Egypt to Attica, Greece.

Expected to be in operation for around 8 years, one-third of the cable’s supply will power Greek heavier industry, another third will be exported via shared grids to other European countries Bulgaria and Italy.

The final third will go to the production of green hydrogen.

“By bringing 3 gigawatts of clean energy to Europe, via Greece, we are helping Europe wean itself off Russia’s fossil fuels and natural gas. Also, the green energy we will transport will be much cheaper than today’s energy prices. You understand that this will help both Greek and European consumers,” said Ioannis Karydas, CEO of Renewables, Copelouzos Group.

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This massive effort to decarbonize has been done once before through the XLinks Moroccan-UK Power Project that sees a similar undersea cable run from Morocco all the way to Devon, UK, running a total of 2,300 miles, and bringing 10 gigawatts.

Egypt’s solar fields benefit from connections with the other North African countries of Libya and Sudan, with aspirations to become the largest exporters of renewable energy to southeast Europe.

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Keanu Reeves Creates Comic Books with New Superhero that Kinda Looks Like Him

By
Andy Corbley
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Keanu Reeves made his comic book writing debut recently with BRZRKR, an exceptionally-violent graphic novel about an immortal warrior’s blood-fueled quest about the truth to his existence.

Launched in 2021 with acclaimed illustrator Ron Garney, and co-written with New York Times bestseller Matt Kindt, it was the highest selling comic book launch in 30 years, and volume two hit shelves two weeks ago.

“I love telling stories,” Reeves said recently on Jimmy Kimmel’s show, adding that he had always read comic books as a kid, and gradually selected those most appropriate for his age group.

He said he enjoyed the classics: Superman, Batman, Spiderman at 12-14 years of age, but switched to Frank Miller’s more violent work, such as The Wolverine, after that.

Noticing that the main character, an immortal 80,000-year-old warrior looked an awful lot like Reeves, Kimmel asks if that was by design, to which Reeves began nodding his head like a 6-year-old who was just asked if he wanted an ice cream cone.

Ron Garney drew all the art for the new volume on paper, rather than digitally on a computer, which Reeves said gave it an authentic feeling.

“It’s cool. There’s some action, some pathos,” Reeves said towards the end of the interview, after Kimmel had tried to push the Canadian Reeves into pursuing American citizenship, even going so far as to pull out the State Dept. forms.

WATCH the interview below for classic Keanu…

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Hubble Is Slowly Falling—and SpaceX Wants to Give It a Boost

By
Andy Corbley
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The Hubble Space Telescope is falling, but amid always-tight NASA budgets, SpaceX is volunteering to help see if it’s possible to give it a push back into space.

Hubble has been in orbit around the Earth for a very long time, and it experiences a constant slow-motion re-entry of the atmosphere. It has already been pushed back up in orbit once before.

Sure we have the shiny new James Webb Space Telescope to enjoy, but Hubble has been dazzling Earthlings for decades, and can still contribute valuable science while its new big brother is busy.

NASA is firm that any efforts to “reboost” Hubble back up to its orbit of 600 kilometers (370 miles) above the Earth will not be deducted from its existing budgetary commitments, and that the study co-conducted with Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX is looking only at commercial possibilities.

“It’s wholly appropriate for us to look at this because of the tremendous value this research asset has for us, as well as others,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, at a press conference last week.

Teams expect the study to take up to six months, collecting technical data from both Hubble and the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. This data will help determine whether it would be possible to safely rendezvous, dock, and move the telescope into a more stable orbit.

After NASA shut down the space shuttle program, all missions into craft orbiting around the Earth required hitching a ride with the Roscosmos Soyuz spacecraft from the Russian Federation.

RELATED: Hubble Telescope Spots Most Distant Star Ever Seen on Record, From 12 Billion Light Years Away

Now the SpaceX Dragon Crew spacecraft has entered into service with the agency for crewed missions to the ISS, and the possibility that a flight to dock with Hubble in order to boost it back into orbit, as well as bring along engineers to service Hubble’s systems, is what is currently being discussed.

“Missions such as servicing Hubble would help us expand space capabilities to ultimately help all of us achieve our goals of becoming a space-faring, multiplanetary civilization,” said Jessica Jensen, vice president of Customer Operations & Integration at SpaceX.

LOOK at some of Hubble’s good work over the years…

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Good Gardening Week 11: Your Absolute Must-Have Gardening Tool – Plus Amazing Photos Sent In For Last Week

By
Andy Corbley
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Welcome back to Good Gardening! In our Week 10 discussion, we wanted to know how our Good Gardeners tidy up after a busy harvest season or prepare for the next spring. As always we took the conversation to social media to see what the response was like…

Verna Korkie from Alberta takes the cake this year, and her first hand account is all that’s necessary.

Living in an area with many types of flower lovers/eaters – elk, dear, rabbits – we install 4 motion activated water deterrents in the spring which work beautifully and allow us to have lovely flowers throughout the growing season. When fall comes, we remove the water deterrents. Within a day or so, the critters “know” and they come calling. They are rewarded for their patience and they clean up the “the last roses of summer”, so to speak. It is beautiful to watch. Once they have completed their mission in a day, they do not return to the yard. Symbiosis at its best.

Korkie’s garden and elk

It’s something eh?

Maxine Bergh wrote “Encouraged this morning! So little in my garden has produced—sorry/glad to hear others in the same boat. Cucumbers that have come are amazing, though. Fall cleanup here is loose. I don’t pull up much ’till spring because birds like my dried up zinnias.”

Monica Richards the certified permaculturalist from California is a busy bee in fall, fertilizing trees before the first frost warning.

Question 2: Do you tend to clear your garden of annuals at the end of the year?

It depends on the annual. I pull the plants and leaves of squashes, cucumbers and anything else our tortoise can eat. The tomatoes will get composted, and if anything is diseased, out it goes. Some plants such as basil, I’ll just cut and mulch over.

Question 3: What kind of preparations do you make for next year starting in fall?

Once the garden is ready, I seed cover crop, such as clover, hairy vetch, radishes, triticale, etc, cover a bit of soil and mulch and see what happens in the Spring!

The Sharing Gardens spend every fall on the scarlet runner bean harvest, an obviously massive effort, but which provides serious comfort-calories (and fiber) for the winter months. They wrote in their blog about scarlet runner beans, and here are some of their volunteers taking part.

The Sharing Gardens Jazmin and Kat – Scarlet Runner bean harvest.

“Despite the gardener’s best intentions, Nature will improvise,” – Michael P. Garofalo.

 

Topic Week 11: Your Absolute Must-Have Gardening Tool

Question 1: What is it?

Question 2: Do you have more than one?

Tell Us Here in The Comments… or, send your questions, tips, and photos to [email protected]. Join our Facebook Good Gardens thread every Friday on the GNN Facebook Page…

Good gardening rules

  • Green thumbs can help novice greenhorns.
  • Share your gardening photos and resources.
  • Garden jargon encouraged!

INVITE Friends to our Gardening Discussion on Social Media–And Share Your Photos and Tips!

Renewables Met 100% of the Increase in Global Electricity Need This Year in 2022

By
Andy Corbley
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Thomas Galler

 

Thomas Galler

In a stunning piece of accounting, solar, wind, and hydroelectric power supply was found to have met 100% of new power installations globally during the first half of the 2022.

This prevented a 4% increase in fossil-fuel generation, avoided $40 billion in fuel costs and 230 million tons of CO2 in emissions.

This was compiled in a report by a London energy think tank called Ember.

Across 75 countries representing 90% of global electricity demand, the report found that the renewable sources wind, solar, and hydro increased by 416 terawatt hours (TWh), slightly exceeding the rise in electricity demand itself at 389 TWh.

Essentially what the report showed is that anytime utility companies in 75 countries needed more electricity generation, they installed a renewable source. This didn’t push out existing fossil fuel sources, but as GNN has reported before, the increase in renewable energy across richer nations has enabled some of them, particularly Germany and Australia, to meet 100% of the electricity demand without ever needing to burn a cubic meter of gas.

SIMILAR: Wind And Solar Generated a Record 10% of the World’s Power in 2021 – Victory for Paris Agreement

This is because electricity demand varies throughout the day, and provided it doesn’t exceed a certain limit, the input from renewables to the grid can sometimes be enough altogether.

Fossil fuel demand remained largely unchanged between the first six months of 2022 and the first six months of 2021, although they’re likely to increase going into winter with the energy scarcity in Europe.

“The growth in wind and solar prevented a 4% rise in fossil fuel electricity generation worldwide,” the report says in its executive summary. “In China, the growth in wind and solar enabled fossil fuel power to fall by 3%.”

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“To oppose something is to maintain it… You must go somewhere else; you must have another goal; then you walk a different road.” – Ursula K. Le Guin

By
Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “To oppose something is to maintain it… You must go somewhere else; you must have another goal; then you walk a different road.” – Ursula K. Le Guin

Photo by: Jason Briscoe

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Ukraine Girl Bereft Without Her Cat is Reunited Thanks to Kind Strangers in 5 Countries and 7,000 Miles–WATCH

By
Andy Corbley
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A truly astonishing story of war-time goodwill to mend a 10-year-old’s broken heart will bring a tear to almost anyone’s eyes.

Nearly a dozen people, most of whom never met little Agnessa, all took turns helping to get her cat Arsenii travel-ready, out of Ukraine, across Europe, across the Atlantic Ocean, and all the way to the San Francisco Bay Area so the two could be reunited.

It all started on that fateful late February morning as Russian forces poured over the border into their southern neighbor. The Bezhenar family decided to flee Odessa, but just didn’t have the means to take an animal along.

After arriving in a refugee camp in Romania, the family was linked via a refugee program to a man in the Bay Area who had opened the doors of a second house he had to the Bezhenars for 2 years.

No doubt blessings were counted, but it was after the family were settling in that German stewardess Dee Harnish, who had kept in touch with them, discovered that the Bezhenars had left a family member behind.

“She [Agnessa] missed sleeping with her cat and she missed hugging him, she missed everything about the cat because she had grown up with him,” Mrs. Maria Bezhenar told Harnish.

SIMILAR: Ukrainian Refugees Move Into Medieval Irish Castle Owned by Good Samaritan

Harnish then telephoned another flight attendant, Viola, who rescues animals, who from her home in Hawai’i telephoned an animal rescuer in Houston, Angelica, who laid the groundwork for the rescue. The next person on the call sheet was Maria’s brother-in-law, who was taking care of Arsenii. The man not only vaccinated and microchipped the cat, but got him a passport as well—before driving him on his motorcycle across the border to Moldova.

From there, another man drove him to Bucharest, where another family of refugees took Arsenii in, after which Mimi Kate, an animal rescuer on holiday in Greece volunteered to cut her vacation short to pick up Arsenii in Romania, but all of the cat’s documents had to be checked there, rather than in the U.S., since he came from a non-EU country.

– credit kron4, YouTube.

MORE UKRAINE NEWS: Ukrainian Refugees Find Comfort in Italy From Unlikely Source – A Bunch of Lawyers

A tuk-tuk driver, as if the story couldn’t find room for more characters, helped out, and drove Arsenii and Kate from Bucharest back to make her flight in Athens. Via Montreal and Seattle, Aresnii put 7,000 miles under his paws.

This saga was reported by Kron4 News, San Francisco, who followed it all the way to SFO, where it had the happiest of endings.

WATCH the video and keep a tissue handy…

SHARE This Purr-fect Example of Kindness With Your Friends on Social Media…

Australia Sets Aside 30% of Land Mass to Protect its Unique Species

By
Andy Corbley
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Daintree Rainforest and Great Barrier Reef by Manny Moreno
Daintree Rainforest and Great Barrier Reef by Manny Moreno

Joining the United States and a number of other countries, Australian officials have committed to preserve 30% of the continent’s landmass in a natural state for conservation.

The news was announced Tuesday from Environment Minster Tanya Plibersek, as part of a program called the Threatened Species Action Plan: Towards Zero Extinctions.

By prioritizing 110 species and 20 places, the plan will drive action where it is needed most and will deliver knock-on benefits to other threatened plants and animals in the same habitats.

The plan is the Australian counterpart to the “30×30” initiative that is trending among countries, and which arose out of the COP26 commitments to preserve 30% of lands and waters by 2030.

One of the most biologically diverse countries on Earth, so many of Australia’s animals, particularly her mammals, are found nowhere else on our planet.

“The Threatened Species Action Plan strengthens our commitment to stopping the extinction of Australia’s plants and animals,” said Plibersek. “Based on input from researchers and experts from the community, this plan identifies 20 priority places and 110 priority species and will guide recovery actions that will benefit a broad range of threatened species and their habitats.”

The plan was announced alongside 20 listings of species and 3 of ecosystems on the nation’s threatened list, and AUD$224 million – USD$146 million in total funding to protect them.

RELATED: Bigger than Texas: Huge New Marine Park Will Protect ‘Australia’s Galapagos’

In total around 50 million hectares are expected to be provided for under the plan, which also mandates a 5-year review.

Recently, Australian conservationists have had big success with certain goals, particularly the protection or restoration of island ecosystems like Macquarie Island on which nearly 300,000 rabbits were eradicated to restore the natural ecosystem, and Lord Howe Island which had a similar story but with rats. Both of which are UNESCO Natural Heritage Sites.

In the far northern area of Queensland, environmentally sensitive areas are continuously returned to indigenous hands to be managed as national parks. So far these kinds of transfers have amounted to nearly 4.7 million hectares.

WATCH a Reuters video from Australia… (*Note: GNN is not affiliated with any ads.)

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Boy Struggling at School is Now a Math Genius After His Mom Taught Him to Use An ABACUS–May Help Today’s Kids

By
Andy Corbley
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16-year-old Dhruv and his abacus - SWNS
16-year-old Dhruv and his abacus – SWNS

A British woman of Indian heritage thought a bit of ancient instruction might help her son tackle a modern problem.

Growing up in India, a young Dr. Rashmi Mantri used an abacus to help her visually comprehend mathematics. After noticing her son Dhruv was struggling with math, she started employing that same ancient tool to help him after school.

In just six days he started to show progress with the abacus and would go on to become a regular whizz kid with numbers, with even his classmates’ parents reaching out for help.

Dhruv has now landed an apprenticeship at international beverage firm Diageo and said he reckons his teachers would be shocked by the career choice considering his difficulties with math.

“Dhruv was in [fifth-grade] when I started to notice he was struggling with simple [arithmetic,]” said Dhruv’s mom Dr. Mantri. “I would ask him something like 35 – 13 and he couldn’t do it.”

“I never thought I would teach him using an abacus, but it was something I used as a child in India and it was always helpful. Within six days I started to notice a difference and see results.”

So dramatic was the turnaround, that school staff asked him to perform with the abacus at an assembly, where some parents even came to ask for advice on using it for their kids.

RELATED: For the First Time Ever, a Woman is Awarded the Most Prestigious Mathematics Award in the World

In 2016 Dr. Mantri launched the British Youth International College (BYITC) and is now using her abacus tutoring to teach to thousands of kids around the world.

IT specialist Dr. Mantri said the humble abacus can be used for calculations into the trillions and kids enjoy learning on it because it’s like a game.

Dr. Rashmi Mantri and her abacus – SWNS

“I decided to change the way he looked at numbers,” she said. “An abacus is a tried and tested method, the Egyptians used them for building the pyramids.”

“They become a playing tool for younger children, it feels like a game. I think the success comes because children can touch and feel an abacus and visualize them.”

By the age of 12, Dhruv was giving online cyber security seminars and is now pursuing a career in data science and analytics. During the four-year apprenticeship, he will spend one day a week studying Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at Glasgow Caledonian University.

GOOD LEARNING NEWS: Majority of Teachers and Parents Want More of This to Increase Student Engagement in Classrooms

“He is so confident now and I am so proud,” she said, with Dhruv adding “I don’t think my teachers would have guessed that I would be following a career in data science at that time.”

Hard to argue with the results, not least of which the Pyramids.

SHARE This Academic Turnaround On Social Media…

Lumber Company Grows Trees That Smile With Massive Grin for Oregon Drivers

By
Andy Corbley
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Photo courtesy of Hampton Lumber
Photo courtesy of Hampton Lumber

Every autumn in Oregon, motorists traveling down the route 18 receive a “beaming” smile from the hills above the roadway.

That’s because years ago, Hampton Lumber company logged the trees on that hill, and decided to replant early-changing larch in the shape of a smiley face.

Surrounded by evergreens, it stands out like an emoji on the road between Grand Ronde and Willamina in Polk County.

Autumn is a stunning time in the Pacific Northwest, enough to bring a smile to your face and to the very hills themselves.

“After every harvest, our foresters start planning the reforestation process,” Kristin Rasmussen, a spokesperson for Hampton, told Oregon Live. “They typically plant a variety of native species depending on the elevation and soil conditions, including Douglas fir, western hemlock, noble fir and western red cedar.”

MORE LAUGHS: Woman Pairs a British Village Named ‘Dull’ with Oregon Town Called ‘Boring’–Making Both More Exciting

“Larch is a conifer with needles that turn yellow and drop off in the fall, which is why the smiley face is best visible this time of year.”

The company explains that it will take another 30-50 years before that stand of trees is ready for logging again, at which time they say they will attempt a different emoji.

WATCH the hills have smiles

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“Well, if it can be thought, it can be done, a problem can be overcome.” – E.A. Bucchianeri

By
Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Well, if it can be thought, it can be done, a problem can be overcome.” – E.A. Bucchianeri

Photo by: Julia Caesar

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

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