After Squirrel Stopped a Woman in the Woods, She Found It Was Asking Her to Help Its Injured Baby

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Sep 27, 2019

Tia Powell is now being called the “squirrel whisperer” after she was approached by a mother squirrel who asked for her help.

Powell had been walking down a trail in Kiwanis Park, Virginia when a squirrel appeared on the path and blocked Powell’s way. At first, she was hesitant about whether the squirrel was aggressive or not, but after she deemed it to be relatively harmless, she decided to continue on her way.

To her surprise, the squirrel did not want her to leave. As Powell was about to walk away, the critter ran up and tugged on her pant leg.

LOOK: Firefighters Spend 2 Hours Freeing Hapless Raccoon From Sewer Grate—‘We rescue citizens both big and small’

She then found that there was an injured baby squirrel near to the path. She suspected that it had sustained the injury from a local stray cat, so she decided to interpret the squirrel’s behavior as a plea for help.

Powell moved the baby squirrel off the path and into the foliage. After she tried to walk away a second time, she noticed that the squirrels were now following her, with the baby limping along on its injured leg.

Powell stopped once more and fed the squirrels a sandwich that she had tucked into her bag. After that, she watched them try to climb into a nearby tree—and when she saw the baby struggling to scale the bark, she decided to call for backup.

After dialing the number for the Pulaski Police Department, Powell also called her friend at the Humane Society for help.

MORE: Watch These Ingenious Rescuers Save a Leopard from Drowning in a 15-foot Well

“In their defense, I did sound like a crazy lady saying the squirrels wouldn’t let me leave,” Powell told CBS News. “But they showed up and assisted as much as they could.

“We were able to get the baby and mother to a different area with more trees and it was able to climb all the way up and they looked very happy.”

The Pulaski Police Department later published a video of the event saying that it was something “that you would’ve had to see to believe!”

“Had Tia not been willing to trust her instincts that something was wrong, this might have had a very different ending!” they added.

WATCH: Bald Eagle Weighed Down by Large Ball of Ice is Freed By Locals Who Jumped into Frozen Lake

The department also mentioned that they had tried to call several wildlife rescue centers and rehabilitation facilities, but there had been “several issues at hand and the baby was unable to be transported.”

Regardless, Powell says that she returned to the same spot with her kids several days later so she could show them where the rescue had taken place—and she reportedly saw two squirrels staring at her from the safety of a nearby tree.

(WATCH the video below or our international viewers can watch the original coverage on the CBS News website)

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“Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God.” – Kurt Vonnegut

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Sep 27, 2019

Quote of the Day: “Unexpected travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God” – Kurt Vonnegut

Photo: by bambe1964, CC license on Flickr, cropped

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UCLA is Launching the World’s First Research Institute on the Science of Kindness

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Sep 26, 2019

Previous research has already shown that kindness can positively affect our biology, general health, and even our longevity.

There are countless other ways that different compassionate acts and lifestyle changes can affect one person, let alone society—and that is why the University of California in Los Angeles has just announced that they will be launching the world’s first interdisciplinary research institute on kindness.

Thanks to a $20 million gift from The Bedari Foundation, the newly-established UCLA Bedari Kindness Institute will support world-class research on kindness, create opportunities to translate that research into real-world practices, and serve as a global platform to educate and communicate its findings.

Housed in the division of social sciences, the institute hopes to use its research to empower citizens and inspire leaders to build more humane societies.

“Universities should always be places where we teach students to reach across lines of difference and treat one another with empathy and respect — even when we deeply disagree,” UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said. “The UCLA Bedari Kindness Institute will bring the best thinking to this vital issue and, I think, will allow us to have a real social impact on future generations.”

The institute, which will begin operating immediately, will take an interdisciplinary approach to understanding kindness—through evolutionary, biological, psychological, economic, cultural and sociological perspectives. It will focus on research about the actions, thoughts, feelings and social institutions associated with kindness and will bring together researchers from across numerous disciplines at UCLA and at external organizations.

Already, a range of researchers at UCLA are studying the types of questions that will be the basis of the institute’s work. For example, UCLA anthropologists are examining how kindness spreads from person to person and group to group; UCLA sociologists are analyzing how people who regularly act unkind might be encouraged to engage in kind acts instead; and UCLA psychologists are researching how kindness can improve people’s moods and reduce symptoms of depression. Others are pursuing research on changes in neurobiology and behaviors resulting from mindfulness, and how those changes can influence kindness and people’s mental, physical and social well-being.

MORE: Instead of ‘We Are What We Eat,’ the Science of Kindness Says ‘We Are What We See’ in Daily Life

“In the midst of current world politics, violence and strife, the UCLA Bedari Kindness Institute seeks to be an antidote,” said Darnell Hunt, dean of the UCLA division of social sciences. “Rooted in serious academic work, the institute will partner and share its research on kindness broadly in accessible formats.”

The Kindness Institute will provide seed funding for research projects that examine the social and physical mechanics of kindness and how kindness might be harnessed to create more humane societies. It also will provide mindfulness awareness training to students, faculty and staff and in underserved Los Angeles communities, and host an annual conference at which presenters will examine new discoveries in kindness research, among other activities.

The inaugural director of the institute is Daniel Fessler, a UCLA anthropology professor whose research interests include exploring how witnessing acts of remarkable kindness can cause an uplifting emotional experience that in turn motivates the observer to be kind. Studies by Fessler and his colleagues have shed light on why some people are open to that type of “contagious kindness” experience.

CHECK OUT: How Traffic Jams Show How We Are All Connected Through the Science of Kindness

The Bedari Foundation is a private family foundation whose aim is to enable significant cultural shifts in the fields of health and wellness, community displacement and environmental conservation.

“Our vision is that we will all live in a world where humanity discovers and practices the kindness that exists in all of us,” said Matthew Harris, the foundation’s co-founder and a 1984 UCLA graduate. “Much research is needed to understand why kindness can be so scarce in the modern world. As we seek at Bedari to bridge the divide between science and spirituality, through the establishment of the UCLA Bedari Kindness Institute we hope to educate and empower more and more people in the practice of kindness.”

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We Can Now Help Keep Plastics Out of the Ocean Simply By Ditching the ‘Delicate’ Washing Machine Cycle

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Sep 26, 2019

Researchers have identified a new way for people to help keep plastic out of the ocean—and it’s as simple as changing the setting on your washing machine.

According to new research led by Newcastle University, delicate wash cycles in washing machines release more plastic microfibers than other cycles.

The study found that it is because of the volume of water used during the wash cycle, rather than the spinning action of the washing machine, which is the key factor in the release of plastic microfibers from clothes.

The team measured the release of plastic microfibers from polyester clothing for a range of cycles and water volumes. Counting the fibers released, the team found the higher the volume of water the more fibers released, regardless of the speed and abrasive forces of the washing machine.

In fact, they found that on average, 800,000 more fibers were released in a delicate wash than a standard cycle.

Publishing their findings this week in the academic journal Environmental Science and Technology, PhD student Max Kelly, who led the research, explained:

“Counterintuitively, we discovered that ‘delicate’ cycles release more plastic microfibers into the water, and then the environment, than standard cycles.

“Previous research has suggested the speed the drum spins at, the number of times it changes spinning direction during a cycle and the length of pauses in the cycle—all known as the machine agitation—is the most important factor in the amount of microfiber released.

MORE: With Fridges and Air Conditioners Using 20% of World’s Energy, Cheap Plastic Crystals Could Be the Answer

“But we have shown here that even at reduced levels of agitation, microfiber release is still greatest with higher water-volume-to-fabric ratios.

“This is because the high volume of water used in a delicate cycle which is supposed to protect sensitive clothing from damage actually ‘plucks’ away more fibers from the material.”

Millions of plastic microfibers are shed every time we wash clothes that contain materials such as nylon, polyester and acrylic. Because these fibers are so small, they drain out of our washing machines and can ultimately pollute marine environments.

Laundry has been recognized as a major contributor of microplastics but until now, precisely measuring the release of these fibers has been difficult due to the fact that it’s almost impossible to accurately simulate the reality of what happens in people’s machines in a lab setting.

Using a tergotometer—a benchtop device comprising of eight (1,000 milliliters) washing vessels that simulate full-scale domestic washing—the team was able to carry out tests under different conditions, making changes to water volume, spin speed, temperature, and time. A DigiEye camera (digital color imaging system) was then used to accurately calculate the amount of microfibers released.

CHECK OUT: The Ozone Hole is Healing and May Be Completely Repaired Within Our Lifetimes, Says UN Report

To test whether the observations made using the tergotometers were reflective of full-size domestic washing machines, the team then tested the fabrics on a delicate wash cycle using identical washing machines in the test center.

The team showed that previous recommendations by groups to move towards high water volumes and low levels of agitation as a way of reducing the amount of microfiber released was actually making the problem worse.

“The appliance industry has started to introduce microfiber filters in some new washing machines and the textile industry is looking to reduce the fiber shedding levels of new clothing,” said study co-author Neil Lant. “We hope that the issue will ultimately be solved by such actions, and our work on the mechanistic causes will help in the development of these solutions.”

WATCH: Students Design Beach Vacuum That Can Suck Up Microplastics While Leaving All the Sand

Max Kelly adds: “Reducing the amount of plastic pollution is everyone’s responsibility and often it’s the small changes that make a huge difference.

“By avoiding high water-volume-to-fabric washes such as the delicate cycles and ensuring full wash loads then we can all do our bit to help reduce the amount of these synthetic fibers being released into the environment.

“Hopefully, these findings may also be used by manufacturers to influence the design of future washing machines and reduce our plastic footprint. Over time these changes could also see a global reduction in the amount of energy and water required to wash our clothes.”

Reprinted from Newcastle University

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Man Used Insect Photography to Combat Suicidal Thoughts—and His Stunning Photos Are Now in National Geographic

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Sep 26, 2019

This 34-year-old nature photographer had been suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts when he first found his passion for taking pictures of insects—and his work is now featured in National Geographic.

Matt Doogue says that he tried to take his own life nine years ago after hitting “rock bottom.”

“The moment is blurry. In the lead-up, I was so paranoid and angry that I couldn’t leave the house,” says Doogue. “When I attempted suicide I knew I needed to see someone.

“I went to the doctors and got antidepressants and counseling, but I knew that I needed something more—and that’s when I started photography.”

Now a dad-of-two, Doogue found that looking at insects through a camera lens helped him in ways he could never have imagined—and it proved to be the lifeline he needed.

It had a “calming effect” that helped him to “disconnect” from stress; and his astonishing images, showing insects and spiders in stunning detail against brightly colored backgrounds, caught the eye of publishers at National Geographic.

“I ended up as [one of their] featured photographers,” recalled Doogue. “It was the pinnacle of my career. It felt incredible.”

Originally from Salford, Greater Manchester, he now lives in Armadale, West Lothian. Though he fears that Scotland is in the grip of an “epidemic” of male suicide, he believes that sharing his love of nature photography can help others to cope with their mental health issues as well.

“I think the problem is this ‘man-up’ approach; the idea that men need to be strong puts so much pressure on young males to be fine all the time,” says Doogue. “This is why I try and be so open about my own experience.

“Whenever I am out with my camera, I don’t think about my other worries. It is just me and the environment around me,” says Doogue. “You can lose yourself with a spider making their web.”

Doogue, whose work can be found on Matt’s Macro Photography, is set to speak to students at Edinburgh Napier University about the impact nature photography can have on mental health on November 20th.

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First Fully Rechargeable Carbon Dioxide Battery is Seven Times More Efficient Than Lithium Ion

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Sep 26, 2019

Lithium-carbon dioxide batteries are attractive energy storage systems because they have a specific energy density that is more than seven times greater than commonly used lithium-ion batteries. Until now, however, scientists have not been able to develop a fully rechargeable prototype, despite their potential to store more energy.

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago are the first to show that lithium-carbon dioxide batteries can be designed to operate in a fully rechargeable manner, and they have successfully tested a lithium-carbon dioxide battery prototype running up to 500 consecutive cycles of charge/recharge processes.

Their findings are published in the journal Advanced Materials.

“Lithium-carbon dioxide batteries have been attractive for a long time, but in practice, we have been unable to get one that is truly efficient until now,” said Amin Salehi-Khojin, associate professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at UIC’s College of Engineering.

MORE: Exciting New Study Says That Crops Thrive Underneath Solar Panels—and the Panels Produce More Energy

Traditionally, when a lithium-carbon dioxide battery discharges, it produces lithium carbonate and carbon. The lithium carbonate recycles during the charge phase, but the carbon just accumulates on the catalyst, ultimately leading to the battery’s failure.

“The accumulation of carbon not only blocks the active sites of the catalyst and prevents carbon dioxide diffusion, but also triggers electrolyte decomposition in a charged state,” said Alireza Ahmadiparidari, first author of the paper and a UIC College of Engineering graduate student.

Salehi-Khojin and his colleagues used new materials in their experimental carbon dioxide battery to encourage the thorough recycling of both lithium carbonate and carbon. They used molybdenum disulfide as a cathode catalyst combined with a hybrid moneyslots electrolyte to help incorporate carbon in the cycling process.

CHECK OUT: This Revolutionary Blast Furnace Vaporizes Trash and Turns It into Clean Energy (Without Any Emissions)

Specifically, their combination of materials produces a single multi-component composite of products rather than separate products, making recycling more efficient.

“Our unique combination of materials helps make the first carbon-neutral lithium carbon dioxide battery with much more efficiency and long-lasting cycle life, which will enable it to be used in advanced energy storage systems,” Salehi-Khojin said.

This research was supported, in part, by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and a grant from the National Science Foundation.

Reprinted from the University of Illinois-Chicago

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CEO Who Raised the Minimum Salary of His Employees to $70K is Now Doing It All Over Again

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McKinley Corbley

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Sep 26, 2019

Many people recognize Dan Price as the CEO who slashed his own salary back in 2015 so he could raise the minimum wage at his company to $70,000 a year.

The Seattle-based businessman is now making headlines all over again since he opened a new office in Idaho and announced that all of its staffers would be given the same salary.

Price is the founder and CEO of Gravity Payments: a credit card processing company which he launched out of his college dorm room when he was only 19 years old. According to CNN, their new office in Boise used to belong to an independent company called ChargeItPro before it was acquired by Gravity in 2016.

After Price and his employees held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the office earlier this week, he announced that he would be raising their salaries to the $70,000 minimum before 2024.

“This morning, we cut the ribbon on the new [Gravity Payments] Boise office AND announced that all of our employees here will start earning our $70k min salary,” wrote Price. “I’m so grateful to work with this amazing team and to be able to compensate them for the value they bring to our community.”

This morning we cut the ribbon on the new @GravityPymts Boise office AND announced that all of our employees here will start earning our $70k min salary.

I’m so grateful to work with this amazing team and to be able to compensate them for the value they bring to our community. pic.twitter.com/stwwJgYCqQ
— Dan Price (@DanPriceSeattle) September 23, 2019

Price first got the idea for the pay raise in 2015 after reading a research paper on happiness which showed how extra money makes a big difference in the lives of people earning less than $70,000 a year.

He managed to make it through the 2008 recession without laying off any employees or raising prices, despite losing 20% of his business. Since most of those young workers stuck with him through the hard times, he saw the wage increases as a way of returning that loyalty—even if it meant slashing his own salary from $1 million to the same $70K per year.

MORE: Company Founder Surprises Employees With $20 Million—‘I wanted to show some gratitude’

After all 70 of his workers benefited from the pay raise, Gravity Payments became flooded with business. In the week following his announcement, Price says the company recorded the best week for acquiring new clients in the 11 years since he founded it.

Half a year after that, he found that his employees were more productive than ever; old customers were sticking with him; and his customer retention rate had risen from 91% to 95%, which was 37 points better than the national average.

Now, he hopes that the new Idaho office will help to reap the same benefits for everyone involved—especially his employees.

(WATCH the 2015 interview below) – Feature photo by Dan Price

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“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” – Seneca

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Sep 26, 2019

Quote of the Day: “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” – Seneca

Photo: by Meredith Rendall Photography, CC license on Flickr, cropped

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Crane Operator Makes Heartwarming Pact With Dying Man Who Had Been Watching Him Work Every Day

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Sep 25, 2019

A compassionate crane operator from Ohio is being praised for going out of his way to befriend a dying man who couldn’t help but miss his former glory days in construction work.

It had been Shawn Beveridge’s first day working on his most recent construction job when he noticed the man sitting in his wheelchair on the sidewalk of a nursing home across the street from the building site.

The man watched Beveridge and his colleagues working from morning until evening—and he continued to watch them every day after that. He even ate lunch at the same time as Beveridge and his crew.

“I originally had thought to myself, ‘he’s just a curious old man wanting to enjoy his days outside versus being cooped up in his room,” Beveridge recalled in a Facebook post earlier this month. “Well after a couple days, I myself got curious, so I walked over and introduced myself to him.”

LOOK: When Crying Student Boarded Bus for First Day of School, the Driver Held His Hand On the Way There

Beveridge and the man, who identified himself as Harold, ended up sharing an amiable two and a half hour conversation about construction. Before Harold’s health issues landed him in hospice care back in 2012, he had spent 50 years as a crane operator. “He said he enjoys seeing what he use to love to do for a living and never thought he’d ever be able to see or be around a crane again, let alone be so close to see one in action,” wrote Beveridge. “So I made Harold a deal!

“Our deal is this: Harold ran cranes for over 50 years and no matter how good you think you are at something, there’s always more to learn. So I told Harold every day after work, I’ll sit with him for a little bit so he can critique me and judge me on how I did for that day (give him something to talk about that he enjoys) while I also get to learn from him. In return, I would bring him a black coffee every morning for as long as I’m here and buy him lunch twice a week from wherever he chooses.

“He didn’t skip a beat before ‘ABSOLUTELY!’ came out of his mouth,” continued Beveridge.

MORE: Deaf Teen Thanks Flight Attendant for Handwritten Note That ‘Meant the World’ to Her During Her First Flight Alone

“He originally wanted to be put on payroll, [but since] I explained to him that wasn’t possible I quickly came to what I thought was a fair agreement,” he added.

Since Beveridge described his heartwarming encounter with Harold on Facebook, his post has been shared more than 200,000 times. He now hopes that it will inspire other people to reach out to a stranger who may need a smile.

“Always try to enlighten someone’s spirits. When God chooses to take this man home, I’m happy knowing that I’ve been placed here at this location to make his days better,” concluded Beveridge. “I’m happy with that.”

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McDonalds is Turning Dozens of Roadside Billboards into ’Bee Hotels’ in Sweden

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McKinley Corbley

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Sep 25, 2019

Instead of just using their billboards for marketing, McDonalds is putting their signs to good use by attaching “bee hotels” to the backs of roadside ads.

As a means of helping dwindling pollinator populations in Sweden, the restaurant chain has started drilling holes into their own billboards so the structures can provide shelter for honeybees.

Furthermore, the Swedish branch of the company has partnered with outdoor advertising firm JCDecaux in order to attach small bee houses to the backs of other unused roadside billboards as well.

LOOK: 316 Dutch Bus Stops Are Getting Green Roofs Covered in Plants as a Gift For Honeybees

This is not the first time that McDonalds has used tiny structures to help struggling pollinators. In addition to several of the Swedish branches building beehives on the rooftops of their restaurants, the company auctioned off a fully-functioning beehive that was built inside of “the world’s smallest McDonalds” back in May.

The “McHive”, which was built by award-winning set designer Nicklas Nilsson, sold at auction for more than $10,000, all of which was donated to charity.

Now, McDonalds has partnered with the same designers in order to produce and implement as many of the “bee hotels” as possible.

(WATCH the promo video below)

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This ‘Chilled Out’ Cat Was the Best Man at His Owner’s Wedding—and the Photos are Purrrfect

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Sep 25, 2019

Cat Best Man-Aaron Benitez Instagram : Jonnie and Garrett Photography — Photo by Aarons Animals / Jonnie and Garrett Photography

Dogs may be man’s best friend, but not for Aaron Benitez; he wanted his beloved feline friend to be the best man at his wedding.

To be fair, Benitez isn’t your ordinary cat lover. The Brooklyn man is renowned on YouTube for publishing hilarious photos of his cat, Prince Michael, getting into all sorts of shenanigans.

Photo by Aarons Animals / Jonnie and Garrett Photography

With millions of followers across social media, Benitez and Prince Michael are a pretty iconic duo—so it only made sense for the cat to involved in his owner’s wedding back in September.

“When we looked for venues, allowing cats was the main priority,” Benitez told PEOPLE. “When we picked a caterer, we made sure they could make salmon (Michael’s fave). And when we booked a DJ, we made sure he wouldn’t play ‘Who Let the Dogs Out.’”

Finally, after getting Prince Michael a custom-made tuxedo fit for a king, the “super chilled out” feline was there at the altar when Benitez got married—and the photos are adorable.

“He actually did a ton throughout the day,” recalled Benitez. “Aside from strutting down the aisle, his biggest role was keeping the party going well into the night. As a groomsman, he kept everyone in the wedding party entertained and energetic.”

If you want to check out even more ameowsing pictures and videos of Benitez and his furry friend, you can visit the AaronsAnimals YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook page.

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Former Gang Leaders Embrace Peace So They Can Stop the Violence and Be Better Role Models

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McKinley Corbley

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Sep 25, 2019

Dozens of troubled men and women are undergoing awe-inspiring transformations thanks to a team of former Crips and Blood gang leaders who are determined to put a stop to the violence in their communities.

Atong Lucky, who used to be a leader of the Bloods in Dallas, Texas, is now one of the founders of Original Gangsters United (OGU): an initiative that recruits former gang members to be mentors and ambassadors for other young people trapped in the cycle of street violence.

He was inspired to form the organization after he was released from prison following his own struggles with street violence. He then began working with opposing gang leaders to form peace—and it worked.

According to an interview with Freethink, OGU participants who have been incarcerated in the past are dramatically less likely to reoffend within the first year of their release; and once they have learned to become positive role models in their community, they become mentors for the program so they can pass on their experiences to the next generation of youth.

(WATCH the Freethink Catalysts video below) – Photo by Freethink

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Teacher Carries Student With Spina Bifida On His Back So She Won’t Miss Out on Class Field Trip

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McKinley Corbley

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Sep 25, 2019

A Kentucky teacher is being hailed for going above and beyond the call of duty to bring a disabled student along on their field trip.

Ryan Neighbor’s fourth grade class at Tully Elementary School had been preparing to go on a field trip to Falls of the Ohio State Park last week—and she was heartbroken over the prospect of missing out on the fun.

Since the 10-year-old youngster was born with spina bifida, she has relied on a wheelchair her entire life. This is not the first time that Ryan’s disability has prevented her from attending field trips in the past, so her mother Shelly King began “preparing for an ‘alternate field trip day.’”

Thankfully, she didn’t have to. Upon hearing about Ryan’s plight, elementary school teacher Jim Freeman contacted the family “out of the blue” and offered to carry Ryan around on his back for the entire field trip.

LOOK: Hearts Are Melting Over Little Girl Admiring a Beauty Ad Depicting Woman in a Wheelchair

True to his word, Freeman used a specialized backpack to carry the 55-pound youngster on his back across the park terrain—and Ryan was thrilled.

Since her mother shared photos of Freeman and Ryan on the field trip, they have been shared thousands of times.

“We are sooooo blessed to have an ENTIRE school that is so compassionate and empathetic and NEVER make her feel left out,” King wrote on the Team Ryan Facebook page documenting her daughter’s experiences with spina bifida. “These beautiful people should be shared with the world, to see and inspire.”

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“Life sometimes brings enormous difficulties and challenges that seem just too hard to bear. But bear them you can, and bear them you will, and your life can have a purpose.” – Barbara Walters (turns 90 today)

Quote of the Day

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Sep 25, 2019

Quote of the Day: “Life sometimes brings enormous difficulties and challenges that seem just too hard to bear. But bear them you can, and bear them you will, and your life can have a purpose.” – Barbara Walters (turns 90 today)

Photo: by Ana Bernardo, CC license on Flickr, cropped

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In ‘Massive Boost’ to Climate Goals, Banks Responsible for $47 Trillion in Assets Are Committing to Saving the Earth

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Sep 24, 2019

In a massive boost for climate action and sustainability, 130 banks collectively holding $47 trillion in assets have joined with the United Nations this week to launch a new initiative for combatting climate change.

According to the newly-signed Principles for Responsible Banking, which was launched one day ahead of the UN Climate Action Summit in New York, banks responsible for one-third of the global banking sector committed to strategically aligning their business with the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Sustainable Development Goals, and massively scaling up their contribution to the achievement of both.

By signing up to the Principles, banks said they believe that “only in an inclusive society founded on human dignity, equality and the sustainable use of natural resources” can their clients, customers and businesses thrive.

With global leaders coming together to share the actions they are taking to attain the Sustainable Development Goals and address climate change this week in New York, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said at the launch event, attended by the 130 Founding Signatories and over 45 of their CEOs, that “the UN Principles for Responsible Banking are a guide for the global banking industry to respond to, drive and benefit from a sustainable development economy. The Principles create the accountability that can realize responsibility, and the ambition that can drive action.”

The Principles are supported by a strong implementation framework that defines clear accountabilities and requires each bank to set, publish and work towards ambitious targets. By creating a common framework that guides banks in growing their business and reducing risks through supporting the economic and social transformation required for a sustainable future, the Principles pave the way for the transformation to a sustainable banking industry.

“A banking industry that plans for the risks associated with climate change and other environmental challenges can not only drive the transition to low-carbon and climate-resilient economies, it can benefit from it,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). “When the financial system shifts its capital away from resource-hungry, brown investments to those that back nature as solution, everybody wins in the long-term.”

While action on climate change is growing, it is still short of what is needed to meet the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement.

More ambition, backed by a step change in investment from the private sector, is needed to tackle these challenges and ensure that humanity lives in a way that ensures an equitable share of resources within planetary boundaries.

MORE: First UK Supermarket Chain to Eliminate Plastic From Produce Will Save 1,300 Tons of Plastic From Landfill

The banking and private sectors can benefit from the investment they put into backing this transition. It is estimated that addressing the SDGs could unlock $12 trillion in business savings and revenue annually and create 380 million more jobs by 2030.

“To transit to low-carbon and climate-resilient economies that support the goals of the Paris Agreement requires an additional investment of at least USD 60 trillion from now until 2050,” said Christiana Figueres, Convener, Mission 2020, who is credited as the architect of the Paris Agreement in her role formerly as Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. “As the banking sector provides over 90 per cent of the financing in developing countries and over two thirds worldwide, the Principles are a crucial step towards meeting the world’s sustainable development financing requirements.”

Reprinted from the United Nations Environmental Program

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30 Years of Research Shows Sauna Bathing is Game-Changer for Longevity and Heart Disease

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Andy Corbley

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Sep 24, 2019

Reprinted with permission from World At Large, a news website of nature, science, health, politics, and travel.

For the last three decades, scientists in Eastern Finland have been researching the effects of sauna bathing on thousands of men and women—and have uncovered some amazing trends.

More specifically, this research, known as the Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study, examined how frequent sauna bathing as a leisurely activity happened to affect common disease risks such as cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, stroke, and all-cause mortality.

Fast forward to just a few years ago and a paper was published demonstrating the dose-dependent effect sauna bathing had on the cohort’s risk for sudden cardiac death, cardiovascular-related death, and fatal coronary heart disease. In this case, the dose was the amount of times the sauna was used in a week, and the amount of time each individual tended to spend in the sauna.

It showed that men who used the sauna 2 to 3 times per week for about 15 to 20 minutes had an 18% reduction in the risk of fatal coronary heart disease—but those who went 4 to 7 times a week experienced a further 20% reduction in risk.

After that initial research was published, additional studies have uncovered the dose-dependent benefits of sauna use on stroke and hypertension.

Since the cohort is Finnish men and women, it’s worth taking a moment to go over how the Finns like their saunas. Finnish sauna bathing is almost always a dry sauna at about 174 degrees Fahrenheit (80 degrees Celsius) with 10% to 20% humidity coming from steam as the bathers typically throw water onto hot rocks. The mean duration for sauna use was about 19 minutes or more.

One of the reasons sauna bathing works to reduce the risks for these diseases is that as blood moves from your core to your skin to facilitate sweating in the hot environment of the sauna, your heart starts to beat faster—up to 150 beats per minute to encourage the sanguine migration, which is about the same as moderate intensity exercise.

MORE: Largest Study of Its Kind Identifies the Surprising Health Benefits of Fasting Every Other Day

A Finnish sauna session was found to increase heart-rate variability, which is indicative of the heart’s capacity to react strongly under stressful conditions. Long-term sauna use was also found to improve left-ventricular function and blood pressure.

Finally, men who used the sauna 4 to 7 times a week were found to have a 60% reduction in risk for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

This mimicking of the cardiovascular conditions of moderately-intense physical exercise could be a perfect standard of care for those who might be prevented from undergoing work-outs because they’ve sustained an injury.

Similarly to how the body releases cold shock proteins during cold stress, heat shock proteins are released by the body as it endures intense heat—and these can help reduce inflammation and improve muscle recovery. Perhaps because of this special mechanism, sauna bathing was also found to reduce inflammation—another important factor of recovering from long term athletic injury.

CHECK OUT: Apples, Tea, and Moderation—The 3 Ingredients for a Long Life

With such strong indications that frequent saunas can improve your cardiovascular health in such robust ways, doctors might want to write a new prescription for patients suffering from one of the panoply of heart diseases that strike down so many in not just America, but around the world.

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School Turns Resource-Greedy Lawn into ‘Giving Garden’ That Provides Produce to Feed the Poor

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Good News Network

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Sep 24, 2019

Photo by the All Hands First Permaculture Project

What was once a barren and “resource-greedy lawn” is now a lush student-run garden that grows produce for food banks and schools.

The Giving Garden at Orcas Christian School on Orcas Island, Washington, which is run by dozens of volunteer students and community members, is thriving since its summer harvests produced more than 100 pounds of fresh, organic produce for the local food bank.

Now, the no-till garden and companion food forest is primed to contribute a bounty of nutrient-rich fruits and nuts to the island community throughout the upcoming seasons.

MORE: Family Farms Use ‘Crop Mobsters’ to Prevent More Than 1 Million Servings Of Food From Going To Waste

The Giving Garden is just the first permaculture project built by All Hands on Earth (All Hands), a nonprofit dedicated to building drought-tolerant, sustainable organic food-sheds and teaching local communities the permaculture principles of how to care for the Earth, care for people, and “fair share” (returning surplus to earth and to people).

All Hands founder Alex Tamayo Wolf remarks about the Giving Garden: “In just four months, we have turned a resource-greedy lawn into a no-till permaculture-based garden that feeds the community and benefits the earth. I want it to be a model to inspire others to act.”

All Hands’ mission is to empower people in diverse communities to address the challenges presented by climate change—including water shortages and waste issues—by turning their underutilized lands into permaculture plots.

Photo by All Hands First Permaculture Project

The nonprofit aims to show people how to create bountiful food-sheds that also conserve water and reduce waste while avoiding the use of synthetic fertilizers, and so the OCS garden teaching lab hosts classes for both students and community members.

The fresh organic produce that is grown during the winter season is donated to the local food bank. When students return to class throughout the other growing seasons, the produce is used in the school cafeteria or preserved for use during the winter school year, with the surplus donated to the local food bank.

“We kids grew it ourselves,” a third grader named Grace proudly told Good News Network. “You can eat everything in there. Stuff that I never heard of.”

“I like the kale,” remarked Ben, a second grader. His mother, who was standing nearby, added excitedly, “And he never liked kale before! He really likes it now.”

Before and after photo of the garden — All Hands Permaculture Project

“Activism doesn’t need to be a large-scale undertaking, or act of extremism,” explains Wolf. “It can be as simple as planting a tree or a garden; it doesn’t have to be a big thing. Thinking too big stops a lot of people from acting. Simply growing your own food reduces transportation carbon footprint, improves the local ecology, your health, and feeds people. You can act without being an ‘activist’.”

The many students and volunteers involved in running the OCS garden are already internalizing that message as they lend willing hands to weed, water, plant and gather a sustainable harvest each week on Orcas Island. With the ongoing help of community and corporate donors, All Hands on Earth is looking forward to founding its next projects to continue its work of quiet, everyday activism supporting the steady munch of earthworms in the sun-warmed soil.

“That’s our everyday activism,” says Wolf, who plans to continue instigating similar permaculture projects throughout the country. “Small change multiplied by big numbers can have a substantial impact.”

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School Janitor Praised for Curling Up Next to Student With Autism During Lunch

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McKinley Corbley

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Sep 24, 2019

A school custodian is being hailed for going above and beyond the call of duty to make a young girl with autism feel safe and comfortable during the lunch period.

Ms. Esther is a custodian at Passmore Elementary in Alvin, Texas who was photographed lying next to young Kenlee Bellew-Shaw during a particularly overwhelming day at school.

Rather than spend her mealtime in the cafeteria with the other fourth graders, Kenlee adjourned to a different room of the school and curled up on the floor.

LOOK: Hearts Are Melting Over Waiter’s Compassion Towards 91-Year-old Dining Alone

When Ms. Esther spotted Kenlee lying on the floor, she then curled up next to the youngster and spent the lunch period rubbing her back and making her smile.

Kenlee’s mother Hollie later published a photo of the sweet exchange to social media so she could praise the janitor for her kindness.

“Our school custodian is literally the best, sweetest individual in the world,” wrote Kenlee’s mother Hollie. “When Ms Esther saw her she came and laid next to her and patted her back.

WATCH: Man Crafts Special Gift for Young Neighbor With Autism Enchanted by the American Flag

“Kenlee adores Mrs. Esther. She always greets my daughter with kind words and a hug which is so special to her,” she added. “All schools should be so lucky to have their own angel on campus. Feel free to share so she can get all the appreciation and thanks she totally deserves.”

The Alvin Independent School District later shared the photo to their own Facebook page as a means of spotlighting their employee’s kindness.

“This goes to show you that a kind word, a hug, and a little compassion are all it takes to make a huge difference in a child’s life,” they wrote.

Our school custodian is literally the best, sweetest individual in the world. The Hippy wanted no part of being in the...
Posted by Hollie Bellew-Shaw on Tuesday, September 10, 2019

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“Whenever you feel like criticizing any one…just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald (born 123 years ago)

Quote of the Day

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Good News Network

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Sep 24, 2019

Quote of the Day: “Whenever you feel like criticizing any one…just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald (born 123 years ago)

Photo: by Justin Lynham, CC license on Flickr, cropped

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?

Dad Admits Hilarious—Yet Heartwarming—Texting Blunder After He Learns the Meaning of ‘LOL’

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Good News Network

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Sep 23, 2019

Listen to this hilarious tale of parental miscommunication in this week’s edition of MOTH Monday, a partnership with Good News Network that features inspiring videos from The MOTH, a nonprofit group showcasing the art of storytelling.

Adam Gopnik has always maintained a close relationship with his son Luke—so when the moody youngster suddenly preferred communicating with his father over instant messaging, Adam was more than happy to oblige.

As they chatted over the internet, Adam found himself learning about all of the modern text abbreviations that his son would use, such as “brb”, “g2g”, and his favorite, “lol”.

Adam assumed that his son was responding to all of his parental advice with “lol” because it was the abbreviation for “lots of love”. Adam then became so taken by the affectionate term, he began using it to express his love to his family, friends, and co-workers as well.

After six months of texting “lol” to all of his contacts, Luke and Adam finally realized that they had been having a miscommunication—and the results of their discovery were just as amusing as they were heartwarming.

(LISTEN to Adam perform the live storytelling below)

The Moth gives people an opportunity to tell a true story in front of a live audience, and sometimes their stories are chosen to air on the radio show, now celebrating its tenth year, and broadcasting on 485+ public radio stations—and on The Moth podcast, which is downloaded over 52 million times a year. The Moth’s third book, Occasional Magic: True Stories About Defying the Impossible is now available for purchase through your favorite booksellers.

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