Quote of the Day: “The things you do out of truly loving it and wanting to enjoy your life are also the things that are sensible businesses.” – Francis Ford Coppola (80-years-old today)
Photo: by Mark Faviell, CC license via Flickr
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?
(You can also Listen to this story from our Good News Guru Radio Show, here.)
A daredevil has revisited the British bridge where he claims he carried out the world’s first bungee jump—and he recalls that no one even test the rope first.
75-year-old David Kirke took a leap into the unknown on the morning of April 1st, 1979, using a new invention developed by his cohorts in the Dangerous Sports Club at Oxford University.
The group, who had been up all night partying, took their new device to the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, England to try it out.
Kirke reportedly took the plunge while he was wearing a top hat and clutching a bottle of champagne.
This week, 40 years later, he went back to the bridge and says they made the jump without testing the rope first—as that wouldn’t have been in the spirit of their adventure.
“We were called the Dangerous Sports Club, and testing it first wouldn’t have been particularly dangerous,” says Kirke.
“I was confident though. We had some very clever guys with us – Alan Weston went on to be head of development at NASA – and they told me it was going to be okay.
“They were elastic ropes used to catch jet fighters landing on aircraft carriers, so I thought it would be okay. The mathematics of it were not something I really understood, but I did it.”
The Oxford boffins got the idea for their mission from the “land–diving” ceremony practiced by the inhabitants of Pentecost Island in the South Pacific.
The initiation rite requires young men to tie vines to their ankles and jump 60 to 80 feet from specially constructed wooden towers to prove their mettle.
WATCH: This 10-Year-old Boy Just Beat Michael Phelps’s Most Enduring Swimming Record
Baker said when his girlfriend found out about the plan to recreate the death-defying stunt, she pretty much dumped him. The two sisters of Alan Weston also called the police several times the day before the stunt in a bid to stop it from happening.
Police staked out the bridge early that morning, and Kirke said that the officers approached them.
“They came up and talked to us and decided it was an April Fool, that we couldn’t possibly be considering throwing ourselves off the bridge with a bit of rope,” Kirke said. “So they wandered off again, and that was our chance.”
So with the vigilant eye of the law temporarily looking elsewhere, Kirke took the leap.
MORE: 19-Year-old French Superstar Donates Every Penny of World Cup Earnings to Charity
“The main thing going through my mind was ‘whoooppeeee’, really, in one word,” he said. “It’s a completely different feeling to anything else, traveling through the air at that speed.
“I didn’t fasten my top hat, so the wind blew it off,” he added.
Upon realizing that it was not an April Fool’s joke, the police returned, hauled up the men, and promptly arrested them.
“We were taken to the cells, but it was alright really,” said Kirke. “The police were very amiable. Although bemused is the word, rather than amused.
CHECK OUT: 86-Year-old Has Lost 120 Pounds Simply By Walking Around Her One-Bedroom Apartment
“They brought us in for the half-drunken bottles of wine we’d left at the bridge, and we were fined or something,” he remembered.
In the 40 years since, Kirke has rocked and rolled from one adventure to another, taking bungee jumping around the world with the Dangerous Sports Club—and it eventually took off in New Zealand.
“I am pleased it took off, it was what we hoped for at the time,” he added.
The Suspension Bridge and the authorities now take an even more dim view of such antics in comparison to 1979, but Kirke did manage to repeat his stunt again on the 21st anniversary of his first jump—with his lawyer driving the getaway car.
Share the Story of this Pioneering Human Yo-Yo With Your Friends…
This exciting new international report shows that renewable energy now accounts for one-third of all global power capacity.
The decade-long trend of strong growth in renewable energy capacity continued in 2018 with global additions of 171 gigawatts, according to new data released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) earlier this week.
The annual increase of 7.9% was bolstered by new additions from solar and wind energy, which accounted for 84% of the growth.
IRENA’s annual Renewable Capacity Statistics 2019, the most comprehensive, up-to-date and accessible figures on renewable energy capacity, indicates growth in all regions of the world, although at varying speeds. While Asia accounted for 61% of total new renewable energy installations and grew installed renewables capacity by 11.4%, growth was fastest in Oceania with a 17.7% rise in 2018. Africa ranked in third place with 8.4% growth, and nearly two-thirds of all new power generation capacity added in 2018 was from renewables, led by emerging and developing economies.
RELATED: One of the Largest Native American Tribes Has Just Voted to End Their 100-Year Dependency on Coal
“Through its compelling business case, renewable energy has established itself as the technology of choice for new power generation capacity,” said IRENA Director-General Adnan Z. Amin. “The strong growth in 2018 continues the remarkable trend of the last five years, which reflects an ongoing shift towards renewable power as the driver of global energy transformation.”
“Renewable energy deployment needs to grow even faster, however, to ensure that we can achieve the global climate objectives and Sustainable Development Goals,” continued Mr. Amin. “Countries taking full advantage of their renewables potential will benefit from a host of socioeconomic benefits in addition to decarbonizing their economies.”
Growth in hydro continued to slow in 2018, with only China adding a significant amount of new capacity in 2018 (+8.5 GW).
MORE: Student Treks to Yellowstone and Finds Bacteria That Eats Pollution and ‘Breathes’ Electricity
Global wind energy capacity increased by 49 GW in 2018. China and the USA continued to account for the greatest share of wind energy expansion, with increases of 20 GW and 7 GW respectively. Other countries which expanded their wind energy capacity by more than 1 GW included Brazil, France, Germany, India, and the UK.
Solar energy capacity increased by a whopping 94 GW last year (+ 24 per cent) with Asia continuing to dominate global growth with a 64 GW increase (about 70% of the global expansion in 2018). Maintaining the trend from last year, China, India, Japan and Republic of Korea accounted for most of this. Other major increases were in the USA (+8.4 GW), Australia (+3.8 GW) and Germany (+3.6 GW). Other countries with significant expansions in 2018 included Brazil, Egypt, Pakistan, Mexico, Turkey, and the Netherlands.
Finally, geothermal energy increased by 539 MW in 2018, with most of the expansion taking place in Turkey (+219 MW) and Indonesia (+137 MW), followed by the USA, Mexico and New Zealand.
Globally, total renewable energy generation capacity reached 2,351 GW at the end of last year – around a third of total installed electricity capacity. Hydropower accounts for the largest share with an installed capacity of 1,172 GW – around half of the total. Wind and solar energy account for most of the remainder with capacities of 564 GW and 480 GW respectively. Other renewables included 121 GW of bioenergy, 13 GW of geothermal energy and 500 MW of marine energy (tide, wave and ocean energy).
The full report is available here and more highlights of key findings can be found here.
Power Up With Positivity By Sharing The Good News With Friends Online…
Most school buses arrive to take students to class – but this bus brings the class to the students.
This refurbished bus is equipped with all the resources, equipment, supplies, and facilities needed to allow 5,000 kids and adults to pursue higher education without having to worry about consistently attending a school campus.
The Self-Determination Project bus, which was launched by the Five Keys Charter School in 2017, travels through some of the poorest neighborhoods and housing projects of San Francisco so it can offer its mobile classroom to disadvantaged residents – particularly single parents, students who don’t have access to transportation, and youngsters who are afraid to cross gang territories.
The bus is equipped with a library, Chromebooks, internet access, desks, study nooks, and a teacher – and all of it is available to students for free and anyone can start learning as soon as they sign up.
“When I was 14 and 15, I couldn’t go to school,” said Emerald Montes, a 17-year-old Five Keys student who grew up surrounded by gang violence. “I was just doing so much bad stuff, it prevented me from going to school. At Five Keys, the difference is they are more flexible. I’m a busy young woman now. I have a job and an internship.”
WATCH: Principal Reads Books in Her PJs Online So Students Always Have a Bedtime Story
The nonprofit school was originally created in 2003 as a means of offering education to inmates in California jails and ending the repetitive “catch and release” system of incarceration. Since its inception, the first-of-its-kind jail-based school has rapidly expanded to 70 additional partner sites.
More than 5,000 students are currently enrolled with Five Keys so they can finally earn their high school degree – and many of them will later go on to pursue higher education and employment.
LOOK: Construction Begins on New School Designed For (And By) Homeless Children
Not only that, the recidivism rate for ex-convicts who became Five Keys students currently stands at 26% – which is 39% less than the state’s average of 65%.
Rena Ortiz, a recent graduate, said it best: “I feel as if this bus is going to change so much. Being able to walk out of my house and see a bus that’s full of education—that is hope on wheels.”
(WATCH the video below) – Photos by Five Keys Charter School
Be Sure And Drive This Inspiring Story To Your Friends On Social Media…
Quote of the Day: “Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.” – Helen Keller
Photo: by Grant, CC license via Flickr
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?
This small town in Ireland is taking “love thy neighbor” to a whole new level.
Melanie and Jeremy Zanni first settled down in Co. Galway after they migrated from France to the west of Ireland ten years ago.
Upon falling in love with a cozy thatched cottage in Fartown, Glenamaddy, the couple started working as bakers for the local restaurants.
But due to an accidental chimney fire last month, the Zannis suddenly found themselves without a home last month when they woke up early one morning to find that their thatched roof had caught on fire. Within hours, their cottage had burned to the ground.
RELATED: Dying 86-Year-old Bought 14 Years Worth of Christmas Gifts for His 2-Year-old Neighbor
Not only that, the French couple did not have house insurance because they had been denied coverage due to the cottage’s thatched roof.
As firefighters got the blaze under control, however, local politician Michael Fitzmaurice approached the distraught family and promised to rally the community into getting them a new home.
Over the course of the following three weeks, Fitzmaurice led a team of volunteer tradesmen, apprentices, and retired carpenters in building a new house from scratch. The determined community members worked around the clock until they were finally able to unveil the Zanni family’s brand new home last week.
Needless to say, the family was overwhelmed by the community-driven effort.
“The neighbors are not just neighbors – they’re superheroes,” Jeremy told RTE in the interview below.
Fitzmaurice, on the other hand, says that the laborers were just happy to help a neighbor in need.
“The lads weren’t doing it for the pictures and the stories, they were doing it to help,” Fitzmaurice told The Sun. “There’s a lot of talk about rural Ireland and how they deal with people from different nationalities, but this will show you what these people have done… to help people that were in distress.”
WATCH: Every Night for the Last 10 Years, Community Has Made Sure That Woman in Wheelchair Gets to Bed
Jeremy told The Sun that he and his wife now plan on using their new home to throw the “biggest party that Fartown has ever seen” as a means of thanking everyone for their kindness.
“It restored my faith in humanity big time. It’s incredible. Five minutes on site and you understand how crazy the whole thing is,” he added.
“Something is looking out for us. I’m not religious or superstitious or spiritual but I’m starting to be after what is happening; there is a higher force at stake.”
(WATCH the news coverage below) – Photo by The Fartown Phoenix
Build Up Some Positivity By Sharing The Inspiring Story With Your Friends On Social Media…
Patagonia has always been a role model for eco-friendly business practices – and now, they’re showing brewing companies how it’s done.
The outdoor clothing company’s food division has just announced that they will be mass-producing a new kind of sustainable beer that is made from a perennial grain called Kernza.
Kernza is ideally suited for organic regenerative agriculture because its long roots and perennial growth allow it to thrive without pesticides and use less water than conventional wheat, while also helping to reduce erosion and remove more carbon from the atmosphere.
RELATED: Adidas Test to Sell Shoes Made of Ocean Plastic Was So Successful, They’re Going Even Further
Back in 2016, Patagonia Provisions produced the first commercially available beer ever made with the grain: the Long Root Pale Ale.
Now, thanks to their partnerships with Hopworks Urban Brewery in Portland and The Land Institute in Kansas, they have just released Long Root Wit, a Belgian-style wit beer made with organic ingredients and Kernza grain.
The beers will be available in select Whole Food Markets and other independent grocers in California, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington.
MORE: Patagonia’s CEO is Donating Company’s Entire $10 Million Tax Cut to Fight Climate Change
Furthermore, Patagonia Provisions has collaborated with agricultural researchers and other sustainable companies in order to create the Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC): a framework of high-bar standards for ensuring soil health and animal and worker welfare so that other companies and brewers can follow their eco-friendly example.
“I am very excited to introduce our second beer made with Kernza,” says Birgit Cameron, managing director of Patagonia Provisions. “Through [the] pioneering work at The Land Institute, Patagonia Provisions has been able to help bring this important regenerative perennial grain to the forefront with the hope that others take notice and implement similar practices. Beer is the perfect vehicle for this and a delicious byproduct of our collaborative work in regenerative agricultural practices.”
Brew Up Some Positivity By Sharing The News With Your Friends On Social Media…
This 82-year-old English man was barely able to walk because of crippling osteoarthritis in his right ankle.
Now, he is one of the first patients in the UK to receive an artificial ankle made from the materials of bulletproof vests – and he says that he did it so he could walk arm-in-arm with his wife once more.
Neil Shuttleworth says he has “gotten his life back” thanks to the high-tech surgery which uses plastics in the vests to create a hard-wearing implant.
Problems began for Shuttleworth when he tore ligaments in his left ankle after accidentally stepping into an unseen pothole while on holiday in Cyprus several years ago. The pain steadily worsened until it became unbearable due to bone-on-bone contact.
RELATED: Customers Keep Buying Up All of Donut Shop’s Pastries So He Can Go Home Early to Be With Ailing Wife
Shuttleworth took regular doses of painkillers until he got a consultation at Spire Leeds Hospital and was diagnosed with severe primary osteoarthritis in his ankle joint. Thankfully, his options for treatment included a newly-available total ankle replacement surgery.
Shuttleworth, who is a retired printing specialist from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, self-funded the ankle replacement surgery since it is not currently available on the NHS.
When he finally opted to undergo the surgery, he says it is because he had just one ambition: to walk down the Promenade de la Croisette in Cannes eating ice cream with Christine, his wife of 34 years.
LOOK: Grandson Has Spent 20 Years Using Doodles to Help His Illiterate Grandma Identify Phone Numbers
“When my surgeon asked me what I was wanted from the operation, I said I wasn’t expecting to run a marathon, but I wanted to be the best I could be for my age,” says Shuttleworth. “I said I would like to walk along a promenade hand-in-hand with my wife eating an ice cream, but without the pain I had lived with for far too long.
“The photo we had taken of us doing this was titled ‘mission achieved’. I sent a copy to my surgeon.”
The surgery – known as Rebalance Total Ankle Replacement – uses polyethylene materials that are used to make bulletproof vests, but with extra added vitamin E. Since the hard-wearing implant is made from the durable plastic fibers, it is expected to last much longer than current replacements.
WATCH: New Chance at Love for Woman Who Woke Up From Coma to Find She Has Second Husband
Prior to his injury, Shuttleworth had always led an active lifestyle which involved running and cycling across the UK and Europe. After he stepped into the pothole, which was several inches deep, he says he could not walk more than a few hundred yards as the pain in his ankle was so severe.
“I knew I had to do something about it. My condition had become intolerable, I had virtually no cartilage and if I went over on my ankle the pain was agonizing,” says Shuttleworth. “I have now got my life back.”
The senior is now one of the first patients in the UK to undergo a Rebalance Total Ankle Replacement operation.
After using crutches and wearing a special walker boot for the six weeks following his surgery, Shuttleworth underwent a strict six-week physiotherapy regime. He is now able to walk a couple of miles, and he uses a treadmill on an incline setting in order to build his fitness levels even further.
He recently celebrated his renewed mobility by fulfilling his lifelong dream of flying in a Spitfire plane.
“It was a never-to-be-forgotten experience as I took the controls for quite a while before the pilot took over again and performed the famous ‘victory roll’. It was exhilarating.”
Professor Nick Harris, who performed the surgery, said: “The use of E-poly with its better wear characteristics is an exciting development and will hopefully mean ankle replacements will last longer. The results of Neil’s surgery are excellent and there is at least an 80 to 90% chance the ankle replacement will survive for at least 10 to 15 years.”
Be Sure And Share This Inspiring Story Of Transformation With Your Friends On Social Media…
Sikhs around the world are joining together to plant one million trees as a means of helping the planet and honoring the founder of their religion.
The Million Tree Project is being orchestrated by the Washington DC-based environmental group EcoSikh. Since the project was launched last month, thousands of saplings have already been planted across Australia, the UK, Kenya, the US, and India.
Sikh volunteers are working with environmental specialists in order to collectively plant 1,820 forests around the world. Each forest is set to contain several hundred shrubs and trees, all of which will be made up of species that are native to the area.
Since the majority of the Sikh population lives in Punjab, every single village in the Indian state has committed to planting their own forest of 550 trees.
MORE: Karma Comes Back Around for Man Who Broke Religious Rule to Help Boy
The Million Tree Project is expected to be finished in time for the 550th birthday of Sikhism’s founder Guru Nanak in November.
Rajwant Singh, the president of EcoSikh, told The Guardian: “Guru Nanak was a nature lover. [He] had talked about nature as a manifestation of God and many of his writings talk about how we need to learn lessons of life from nature.”
MORE: World’s Largest Free Kitchen Feeds 100,000 a Day Inside a Sikh Golden Temple
He now hopes that the project will inspire his fellow Sikhs to reconnect with the planet and motivate youngsters to get involved in protecting the planet.
Plant Some Positivity By Sharing The Good News To Social Media – Photo by the Sikh Union Coventry
Earlier this week, country singer Brad Paisley broke ground on a site that will soon become a free grocery store for the hungry.
The nonprofit supermarket, which Paisley has simply dubbed “The Store”, is set to open up in Nashville, Tennessee by the end of the year.
The Store is being run in collaboration with Paisley’s alma mater Belmont University. Visitors will be able to select their groceries and take them home after having their items scanned by volunteer staffers – which means that needy families will not have to pay a dime for their next meal.
RELATED: Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler Donates $500K to Open Up Another Home for Abused and Traumatized Girls
Paisley and his wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, got the idea for the store after visiting a similar shop in California.
“Hunger and food insecurity is a real issue in Nashville,” Williams-Paisley told reporters at the construction site. “One in seven people deal with food insecurity. That means they don’t know where their next meal is coming from. And it’s even worse for kids, one in five children.
“We really want to get people before this is a major crisis,” she added. “We want to help people in this gap where they are trying to get back on their feet.”
(WATCH the news coverage below)
Be Sure And Share These Inspiring Little Moments Of Positivity With Your Friends On Social Media…
Quote of the Day: “No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem.” – Booker T. Washington (born 163 years ago today)
Photo: by Franx’ in Sri Lanka, CC license via Flickr
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?
Social media users are falling in love with a group of kids who went above and beyond to make a 5-year-old boy feel welcomed at the skate park for his birthday.
Since Carter Braconi has autism and ADHD, he has trouble interacting with other kids. He had been riding his scooter around the South Brunswick Skate Park in New Jersey last weekend when he was joined by a group of young skateboarders.
After the kids arrived, Carter became anxious and shy – but then, he was befriended by a 13-year-old boy named Gavin.
LOOK: 13-Year-old Boy Traded His Xbox and Did Yard Work So He Could Buy His Mom a Car
Initially, Gavin started chatting to Carter so he could give him some tips on how to safely roll down the skate ramps without falling. He then started teaching the boy how to use a skateboard. Shortly after that, the youngsters were all chatting and laughing with Carter like they were old friends.
Upon hearing that it was Carter’s birthday, the teens got together and started singing happy birthday. One of the other kids even gave a mini skateboard to Carter as a birthday gift.
Carter’s mother, Kristen Braconi, says that she was so moved by the kindness of the skaters, she posted several videos of their interactions to a local Facebook group, praising them for their actions.
MORE: 7-Year-Old Sea Turtle Activist Convinces L.L. Bean to Change Company Policy
“They were absolutely amazing with him and included him and were so beyond kind, it brought me to tears,” wrote Braconi. “I can’t even begin to thank these kids for being so kind and showing him how wonderful people can be to complete strangers.
“I bought them all ice cream to say thank you, but it wasn’t enough!” she added. “Thank you to whoever these children are and thank you to their parents because you are doing a wonderful job!!!”
The videos were shared thousands of times until they eventually caught the eye of local news outlets and police officers.
LOOKING TO FIND SOME SUPERHEROES - On Tuesday some older kids turned into superheroes right behind police headquarters.
— So Brunswick PD (@SoBrunswickPD) March 28, 2019
Here is the story - A mom took her son to the South Brunswick Skate Park for his 5th birthday. He has high functioning autism and ADHD. pic.twitter.com/DLITBsQz9m
Upon confirming the identities of the youngsters, the police department gave them honorary coins in recognition of their compassion.
Braconi also says that she has arranged to host a pizza party for the teens as a means of properly thanking them for making her son feel included.
(WATCH the heartwarming footage below)
Be Sure And Share This Sweet Story Of Kid Kindness With Your Friends On Social Media…
These color-changing threads of fabric could become a brilliant new form of protection for workers and employees who work in close proximity to dangerous gases.
Engineers from Tufts University have developed a novel fabrication method to create dyed threads that change color when they detect a variety of harmful gases. Woven into clothing, smart, gas-detecting threads could provide a reusable, washable, and affordable safety asset in medical, workplace, military, and rescue environments, they say.
The study, published today in the journal Scientific Reports, describes the fabrication method and its ability to extend to a wide range of dyes and detection of complex gas mixtures. The researchers demonstrated that the threads can be read visually, or even more precisely by use of a smartphone camera, to detect changes of color due to analytes as low as 50 parts per million.
While not replacing the precision of electronic devices commonly used to detect volatile gases, incorporation of gas detection into textiles enables an equipment-free readout, without the need for specialized training, the researchers say. Such an approach could make the technology accessible to a general workforce, or to low-resource communities that can benefit from the information the textiles provide.
The study used a manganese-based dye, MnTPP, methyl red, and bromothymol blue to prove the concept. MnTPP and bromothymol blue can detect ammonia while methyl red can detect hydrogen chloride – gases commonly released from cleaning supplies, fertilizer, and from chemical and material production.
A three-step process “traps” the dye in the thread. The thread is first dipped in the dye, then treated with acetic acid, which makes the surface coarser and swells the fiber, possibly allowing more binding interactions between the dye and tread. Finally, the thread is treated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which creates a flexible, physical seal around the thread and dye, which also repels water and prevents dye from leaching during washing. Importantly, the PDMS is also gas permeable, allowing the analytes to reach the optical dyes.
“The dyes we used work in different ways, so we can detect gases with different chemistries,” said Sameer Sonkusale, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Tufts University’s School of Engineering and corresponding author of the study. “But since we are using a method that effectively traps the dye to the thread, rather than relying so much on binding chemistry, we have more flexibility to use dyes with a wide range of functional chemistries to detect different types of gases,” he said.
LOOK: After Wildly Successful Crowdfunding, You Can Now Order Bike Helmets That Look Like Regular Hats
Sonkusale’s team used simple dyes that detect gases with acid or base properties. The tested dyes changed color in a way that is dependent and proportional to the concentration of the gas as measured using spectroscopic methods. In between the precision of a spectrometer and the human eye is the possibility of using smart phones to read out and quantify the color changes or interpret color signatures using multiple threads and dyes.
“That would allow us to scale up the detection to measure many analytes at once, or to distinguish analytes with unique colorimetric signatures,” said Sonkusale.
The threads even worked under water, detecting the existence of dissolved ammonia.
MORE: NASA Engineer Saves Passenger Jet From Disaster When He Spots Malfunction From Window Seat
“While the PDMS sealant is hydrophobic and keeps water off the thread, the dissolved gases can still reach the dye to be quantified,” said Rachel Owyeung, lead author and graduate student in the Tufts Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. “As dissolved gas sensors, we imagine smart fabrics detecting carbon dioxide or other volatile organic compounds during oil and gas exploration as one possible application.”
Since repeated washing or use underwater does not dilute the dye, the threads can be relied upon for consistent quantifiable detection many times over, the researchers said.
(Source: Tufts University)
Color Your News Feed With Positivity By Sharing The Good News With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by Rachel Owyeung / Tufts University
Hip hop artist 50 Cent just sold his 52-room mansion for only a fraction of his original asking price – and he did it so he can donate all of the profits from the sale to charity.
The rapper first bought the mansion in Farmington, Connecticut from heavyweight championship boxer Mike Tyson back in 2004.
Though the 51,657-square-foot home has spent several years on the market, 50 Cent recently sold the house to an undisclosed buyer for $2.9 million – which is 87% less than the original asking price.
RELATED: Major League Baseball Pitcher Donates $9.4 Million Estate So It Can Bring Joy to Special Needs Kids
The money will be donated to the rapper’s G-Unity Foundation, which finances American nonprofits that benefit disadvantaged communities across the country.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the home currently holds the record for the most expensive home ever sold in Farmington. 50 Cent originally bought the home from Tyson for $4.1 million – and even though he has reportedly poured millions more dollars into its renovation, the musician is happy to take the financial loss for the sake of a good cause.
“It feels like it’s better if I actually give it away,” he told Million Dollar Listing in 2018. “In the beginning, I come to this property following being on tour and you got to imagine not having any finances and then coming back off a tour and there’s $42 million sitting there. It’s the first thing I bought so I’m going to give it to the G-Unity Foundation.”
This May Be Just A Li’l Bit Of Positivity, But You Should Still Share It With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by Alex Const, CC
As a means of encouraging the automotive industry’s shift towards sustainability, Toyota is granting royalty-free licenses on almost 24,000 of their electric and hybrid vehicle technology.
With consideration for the amount of time, money, and resources needed to help combat rising emissions through electric transportation, this is just one of the measures that Toyota is taking further promote the widespread use of electrified vehicles.
Firstly, Toyota announced earlier this week that it will be granting the royalty-free licenses on nearly 24,000 patents it holds (including some pending applications) for vehicle electrification-related technologies.
Secondly, Toyota will provide fee-based technical support to other manufacturers developing and selling electrified vehicles when they use Toyota’s motors, batteries, PCUs, control ECUs, and other vehicle electrification system technologies as part of their powertrain systems.
LOOK: Elon Musk’s First Ultra-Fast Underground Transit Tunnel Will Open to the Public in December
Ultimately, by granting royalty-free patents and providing technical support on its vehicle electrification systems, Toyota aims to help further promote the widespread use of electrified vehicles, and in so doing, help governments, automakers, and society at large accomplish goals related to climate change.
“Based on the high volume of inquiries we receive about our vehicle electrification systems from companies that recognize a need to popularize hybrid and other electrified vehicle technologies, we believe that now is the time for cooperation,” said Shigeki Terashi, Member of the Board and Executive Vice President of Toyota. “If the number of electrified vehicles accelerates significantly in the next 10 years, they will become standard, and we hope to play a role in supporting that process.”
The royalty-free patents are advanced technologies found in electrified vehicles, particularly those used in hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) that have helped Toyota realize enhanced performance, reduced size, and cost reductions. More specifically, the patents included are for parts and systems, such as electric motors, power control units (PCUs), and system controls. These are core technologies that can be applied to the development of various types of electrified vehicles including HEVs, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV).
Together, Toyota will offer approximately 23,740 patents awarded over more than 20 years of electrified vehicle technology development. The grant period will start immediately and last through the end of 2030. Contracts for the grants may be issued by contacting Toyota and discussing specific licensing terms and conditions.
Toyota has already been offering 5,680 patents related to its fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) since January 2015. Now, Toyota is adding approximately 2,590 patents related to electric motors, 2,020 patents related to PCUs, 7,550 patents related to system controls, 1,320 engine transaxle patents, 2,200 charger patents, and 2,380 fuel cell patents (bringing the total of fuel cell related patents to 8,060).
As for the fee-based technical support Toyota will offer, specifics include providing overviews of vehicle electrification systems, control guides, and detailed explanations of tuning guides for vehicles that will utilize its systems. The guidance that Toyota will provide, for example, includes helping other automakers to achieve high-level product performance in terms of fuel efficiency, output, and quietness fit for the vehicles they are working to develop. The services will be contract-based. More details will be provided to interested parties.
By offering both royalty-free patents and technical support for electrified vehicles, Toyota sees an opportunity to encourage the development and market introduction of electrified vehicles around the world, something it has long considered a top-priority management issue based on its strong belief that environmentally-conscious vehicles will contribute to the fight against climate change only if they come into widespread use through reductions in CO2 emissions.
In 2015, Toyota identified targets to reduce its own emissions and established the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050, a set of long-term action targets for sustainability, aiming to reduce CO2 emissions from its vehicles and plants, and in 2017, Toyota announced a sales plan for the proliferation of electrified vehicles covering the period through the end of 2030.
Drive This Story To Your Friends By Sharing It To Social Media – Feature photo by Dion Gillard, CC
A 25-year-old woman just bought the entire stock of a closing shoe store so she could donate it all to Nebraska flood victims.
Earlier this week, college graduate Addy Tritt bought 204 pairs of new shoes from the Payless Shoe Store in Hays, Kansas.
Since Payless announced that they were going out of business in February, the company has been liquidating its assets in all 2,100 of its stores.
Upon hearing about the store’s closing, Tritt felt compelled to visit the branch so she could buy some shoes for the flood victims in Nebraska.
The store’s remaining shoes – which included 162 pairs of baby shoes, 44 pairs of women’s, and 2 pairs of men’s – were collectively worth about $6,000 retail. After about two and a half hours of negotiation, however, Tritt managed to buy all of the shoes for only $100.
“I have been so blessed. There have been so many great people in my life who have inspired me,” she told Hays Post. “So many people have helped me when I was down, I want to help if I can.
“I just hope this inspires other people to volunteer and donate if you have been blessed,” she added.
Kick Up Some Positivity By Sharing The Good News With Your Friends On Social Media – Photos by Addy Tritt
Quote of the Day: “To walk in nature is to witness a thousand miracles.” – Mary Davis
Photo: by Claudio Audisio, CC license via Flickr
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?
One school district has come up with a simple, yet effective solution for simultaneously tackling both student hunger and food waste.
The Elkhart School District of Indiana has started salvaging their wasted food so they can package it up for their students to take home on the weekend.
Many students depend on the free breakfasts and lunches that are provided by the school as their main source of food – so when there is no school on the weekend, many of those students have nothing to eat at home.
School administrators then noticed how much of their cafeteria food was going straight into the garbage.
WATCH: Principal Reads Books in Her PJs Online So Students Always Have a Bedtime Story
So as a means of helping to feed their students over the weekends, the district partnered with food rescue group Cultivate to collect, package, and freeze all of their unused food from school lunches.
Now every Friday for the rest of the school year, 20 at-risk students from Woodland Elementary School will be given a backpack containing eight frozen meals for their weekend at home.
“It’s making a big impact,” Melissa Ramey from Chamber Leadership Academy told WSBT. “I am proud of that. It was heartbreaking to hear that children go home on the weekends and that they don’t have anything to eat.”
(WATCH the news coverage below) – Photo by WSBT
Be Sure And Share The News With Your Friends On Social Media…
With spring underway and the birds beginning to nest, this blue tit is settling into a particularly fancy little home for season.
This novel birdbox, which has been designed to look like a tiny human living room, is the brainchild of wildlife expert and consultant Kate MacRae, who designed and built the nesting site using doll house furniture.
Furthermore, MacRae has fitted a camera inside of the bird box in order to livestream all the action from her English garden in Lichfield, Staffordshire to the internet.
“This box has been giving us amazing footage and I cannot describe how excited I was when the first blue tit entered the box and had a good look around,” said McRae. “What is going through her mind as she looks at the cat ornament on the shelf and the potted plant? Does she approve of the mini avian-themed wallpaper?”
MORE: ‘Never seen anything like it’ – Watch Ferry Passenger’s Stunning Footage of 200 Frolicking Dolphins
MacRae has been filming the wildlife in her garden over the last ten years with a plethora of cameras that are wired back to a central computer so she can watch the recordings.
“The birds are a pair but it’s difficult to tell the male from the female until the eggs are laid. It will be the female that sits on them,” she added. “It was really the idea that they will live in the box for the next five or six weeks so I wanted to create a space that looks like a living room, but you’re limited with what to include because you can’t impede on the nesting space too much.
“I have spent the winter planning this box and experimenting with different set-ups. The box was all made using 1/12th dolls house furniture along with wood, cardboard and paper.
“It took me about two weeks to get the interior right and several days to get the camera positioned perfectly,” continues McRae. “It is so important that you get it right so that the birds aren’t affected. I had to experiment with lots of different furniture to get the effect.
“It is vital that the materials I use and design do not create any dangers for the wildlife, [so] everything is securely glued down and the items are made of paper card or wood.”
The box is part of a project with her sponsors CJ Wildlife as a means of capturing the imagination of the public and get them engaged with the wildlife in their own spaces.
RELATED: Watch 800-Pound Bison Perform Adorable ‘Happy Dance’ in Celebration of the First Day of Spring
“Many of us are unaware of the wonderful wildlife that is right outside our window,” said MacRae. “I can engage with an audience that doesn’t normally engage with this. Once they are hooked they can return to see how the birds are getting on. I posted one tweet with some footage and it has had 250,000 impressions.
If you want to check up on the living room bird box or take a peek at any of MacRae’s other feathery livestreams, you can visit her WildlifeKate online blog.
Be Sure And Share The Story With Your Friends On Social Media…
It will soon be possible to reduce common indoor air pollutants using just a curtain.
A mineral-based surface treatment enables this new curtain from IKEA to break down air pollutants when it comes in contact with light.
Air pollution is a global issue and particularly problematic in megacities. According to WHO, around 90% of people worldwide breathe polluted air, which is estimated to cause eight million deaths per year.
The Swedish furniture company hopes to diminish this number by producing the GUNRID air-purifying curtain.
LOOK: For Years, This IKEA Has Been Quietly Welcoming Stray Dogs Off the Streets So They Can Sleep Inside
“Besides enabling people to breathe better air at home, we hope that GUNRID will increase people’s awareness of indoor air pollution, inspiring behavioral changes that contribute to a world of clean air,” says Lena Pripp-Kovac, Head of Sustainability at Inter IKEA Group. “GUNRID is the first product to use the technology, but the development will give us opportunities for future applications on other textiles.”
The curtain uses a technology that has been developed by IKEA suppliers in collaboration with several European and Asian universities over the course of the last few years. The process, which works similarly to photosynthesis, is activated by both outdoor and indoor light.
“For me, it’s important to work on products that solve actual problems and are relevant to people. Textiles are used across homes and by enabling a curtain to purify the air, we are creating an affordable and space-saving air purifying solution that also makes the home more beautiful,” says Mauricio Affonso, Product Developer at IKEA Range and Supply.
RELATED: IKEA Releases Free Design For Garden Sphere That Feeds a Neighborhood
The GUNRID curtain will reportedly be made available to the public next year.
For many years, IKEA has been reducing air pollution from its own operations by phasing out hazardous chemicals and reducing air emissions. Last year, IKEA launched the Better Air Now! initiative, aiming to turn rice straw – a rice harvesting residue that is traditionally burned and contributes heavily to air pollution – into a new renewable material source for IKEA products. IKEA has also committed to becoming climate positive by 2030, reducing our overall climate footprint by 70% on average per product (compared to 2016).
Furthermore, the company has recently been lauded for their 2018 sustainability report stating that 70% of the materials used to make their products were either made from renewable or recycled materials.
“We know that there is no single solution to solve air pollution, [but] we work long term for positive change, to enable people to live healthier and more sustainable lives,” says Pripp-Kovac.
Be Sure And Share The Good News With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by IKEA
