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How to Win Someone’s Heart? New Research Says You Better Be Recycling

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Good News Network
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Is “green” the new sexy? According to new research, 62% of Americans consider it a turn-off if somebody doesn’t recycle.

The statistic emerged in a new study of 2,000 Americans examining the country’s relationship with recycling and found that you may want to add “I recycle” to your dating profile bio.

It seems to be a growing trend, too, as the younger generation is the most likely to say they’d be turned off if they saw somebody being wasteful.

The new survey, conducted by The Recycling Partnership, also found that not only is recycling now a dating factor – it’s also influencing where we choose to spend our paychecks.

RELATED: America’s Largest Grocery Store Chain is Saying Goodbye to Single-Use Plastic Bags

For example, 74% of Americans said they’d rather shop and spend money at a “green business,” or a business that makes every effort to recycle and reuse materials, than a non-green business.

In fact, the average American would happily spend an extra $151 every month if it meant all their purchases went to supporting green businesses.

When split by age it appears the younger generation is the most ready to switch completely to green companies.

LOOK: River Pollution is Being Collected and Recycled to Make Gorgeous Floating Public Parks

Those aged 18 to 34 would spend an extra $219 a month – or $2,628 a year – if it meant everything they bought came from companies that make every effort to recycle.

Those aged 55 and up, on the other hand, are a bit less concerned – they would only commit to an extra $37 a month to those companies.

“This study reinforces what we’re hearing from cities big and small. Americans value recycling and expect that companies producing products should make sure that their products are one, recyclable and then two, actually recycled,” said Keefe Harrison, CEO of The Recycling Partnership. “It begs the question, however, of what U.S. companies are doing to create that reality. Over the past 15 years corporate giving has declined by over 50%, with consumers now out-giving corporations 14 to one to charitable causes. Corporate America needs to see that in the new generation, giving more means getting more.”

CHECK OUT: Couple Takes It Upon Themselves to Turn Ocean Trash into Prosthetic Limbs for Kids That Cost Only $45

So Americans obviously expect the most out of the businesses they choose to shop at when it comes to recycling, but how are those same Americans at recycling themselves?

According to the results, we need to step up our game.

For example, nearly half of Americans (42%) readily admit they don’t recycle as often they should, with the average American says they will throw away five recyclable items in the trash every week.

TOP 5 REASONS AMERICANS SAY THEY DON’T RECYCLE

  1. I don’t have enough space in my home to recycle – 36%
  2. Recycling is inconvenient – 30%
  3. There’s no financial compensation – 19%
  4. I forget – 17%
  5. I don’t know what’s recyclable and what isn’t – 13%

MORE: Instead of Tossing it Back, 5,000 Indian Fishermen Now Collect Ocean Plastic to Build Roads and Prosperity

Almost half of Americans (46%) feel that recycling exactly properly proves to be quite difficult, but that could be because only 27% feel they’re very knowledgeable when it comes to the subject.

“The Recycling Partnership is transforming recycling for good by making sure every American can recycle, and recycles all that they can,” continued Harrison. “This study makes it clear that our younger generations are a galvanized bunch when it comes to recycling, clearly selecting companies that fund the protection of our planet. Now let’s see which companies will open their wallets to boldly lead the way.”

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This Simple Solution for Pollution Kept 815 Pounds of Trash Out of the Water–Make Sure Your City Does it

By
McKinley Corbley
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An Australian city has successfully piloted a simple solution for keeping their water sources free of trash and plastic pollution – and they hope that other towns will start doing the same thing.

Kwinana, a city of roughly 39,000 people, attached nets to two large drainage pipes located in residential areas back in March.

With rainwater carrying pieces of rubbish into the drainage pipes and out to the Henley Reserve, the community hoped that the nets might help to catch some of the litter before it reached the wildlife reserve.

To their delight, the nets worked spectacularly. Over the course of four months, the nets managed to catch 815 pounds (370 kilograms) of trash that would have otherwise ended up in the water.

MORE: Historic Pacific Cleanup Vessel Has Been Successful With Trials at Sea And Will Soon Hit the Patch

No animals have gotten trapped in the nets since they were installed, and all of the biowaste that ends up getting collected with the trash is taken to a recycling facility that turns the loose leaves and twigs into fertilizer.

The nets cost Kwinana just under $20,000, which included the cost of design, manufacture, installation and associated civil works. Since city workers were previously required to collect the rubbish scattered around the reserve by hand, the strategy was also proven to be surprisingly cost-effective.

“After seeing the nets in action in other local government areas, the City determined the net to be the most cost-effective and safest option over other methods which can be up to four times the cost per unit and are sealed and submerged structures,” said Kwinana Mayor Carol Adams in a statement.

LOOK: Group of Birds Employed by French Theme Park to Pick Up Trash

The city made a Facebook post about the success of their environmental initiative, and within two days, it had gone viral and reached over 2 million people around the world.

“The success of the post with over 27k shares, 92k likes and 13k loves in just 48 hours from people all over the world, just goes to show how important it is for government at all levels to really start to focus on environmental initiatives such as these and realize that small actions can have big impacts,” said Mayor Adams. ​

Kwinana plans on setting aside room in their 2019 city budget to implement more net fixtures across the city. They also hope that their community-based efforts will inspire other communities around the world to take similar action on a grassroots level.

(WATCH a quick clip of city workers with the nets below) – Photo by City of Kwinana

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When Single Mom Wins State’s Largest Ever Lotto Prize, She Shares the Fortune With Those Who Need It Most

By
McKinley Corbley
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A single mom has just won the largest lottery prize in her state’s history, and she has announced that she will be sharing the fortune with those who need it most.

Last month, 51-year-old Lerynne West was celebrating the purchase of her first home. She had just finished moving into the house in Redfield, Iowa when she and her sister stopped by a convenience store for pizza and coffee. While she was there, she picked up a Powerball ticket.

West has regularly played the lottery, but the most that she has ever won from a ticket was $150. When she recently checked her Powerball ticket numbers, however, she realized that she had won the $343.9 million jackpot – the largest lottery prize ever won in the state of Iowa.

Instead of spending the money on extravagant luxuries, she is using the money to set up the Callum Foundation, a charitable organization named after her premature grandson who died the day after he was born.

RELATED: 87-Year-old Walking to Buy Mega Millions Ticket Breaks His Hip, Then Wins Hospital Lottery Pool

“I realize this is a life-changing moment,” West said as she claimed her prize at the Iowa lottery headquarters. “I’m excited to share my winnings with family and friends … I also plan to give to the causes and organizations important to my family through our newly-established Callum Foundation.”

The foundation will offer grants to initiatives that alleviate poverty and hunger, and improve education, animal welfare, and veteran affairs.

WATCH: Woman Wins $1,000 Weekly Lotto Payout – and Proves Money Can Buy Happiness By Giving It All Away

Additionally, West appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to say that she was kicking off her new career in charity by donating half a million dollars to The Travis Mills Foundation, an organization that facilitates long-term support for veterans and their families.

Though she is taking a charitable approach to her winnings, West did add that she was excited to buy a new car that would be big enough to carry all of her grandchildren for future field trips.

(WATCH the video below to hear her winning story)

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These Two Cultured Cats Have Spent the Last Two Years Trying to Get Inside an Art Museum

By
McKinley Corbley
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These two intrepid felines have spent the last two years trying to enter an art museum – and the internet has become fascinated by their escapades.

The Onomichi Museum in western Japan first started documenting the efforts of their furry visitors back in 2016 when a black cat, who they later named Ken-chan, spotted a cat photography exhibit that was on display beyond the automatic doors.

Though some people might scoff that a cat would have an interest in feline photography (everybody knows that cats prefer oil pawstels anyway), Ken-chan started regularly trying to get into the museum.

“I’m guessing that Ken-chan spotted some of the exhibits through the glass, and since the photos included those of black cats, he must have thought he had found a new friend,” the museum’s curator, Shinji Umebayashi, told the Guardian. “And then he just kept coming back.”

LOOK: US Embassy Apologizes for Accidental Mass-Mailing of Invitation for ‘Cat Pajama-Jam Party’

Soon, Ken-chan picked up a partner in crime: a ginger cat that the museum named Go-chan.

Over the course of the last two years, Ken-chan and Go-chan have made dozens of valiant attempts to get into the gallery. Though they have developed a sweet rapport with the security guard, he has always dutifully sent them away – after giving them a quick pat on the head, of course.

Since the museum started posting pictures and videos of their little patrons to their official Twitter page, social media users have implored the staffers to let the cats inside for a visit.

Despite the internet pleas, we’re sure that the museum staffers would agree with Indiana Jones in saying that cats do not belong in a museum.

MORE: Watching This Little Girl Read to a Sleepy Cat is the Video to Soothe Your Soul

They have not excluded the dynamic duo from their museum entirely, however; the staffers have started selling Ken-chan and Go-chan merch in their gift shop, although they have had trouble keeping up with demand since their cat photos started being shared by news outlets around the world.

Perhaps Ken-chan and Go-chan are long lost cousins of the Pink Panther and they’re simply staking the joint before their heist; or maybe they just have an appreciation for the finer things in life.

Regardless of their intentions, we’re waiting for the museum to hire an illustrator who can turn this story into the purrrrfect children’s book.

(WATCH the video below) – Photos by Onomichi Museum

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“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” – Harriet Beecher Stowe

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day:  “Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” – Harriet Beecher Stowe

Image: by Stewart #123 456 789, CC license

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?

Facebook Fundraising Has Generated Over $1 Billion in Donations for Charity

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Good News Network
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An inspiring new report from Facebook shows that social media can be used as an invaluable tool for good.

The platform recently announced that their fundraising tool and “Donate” buttons have collectively raised over $1 billion for nonprofits and personal causes since it was launched in 2015.

According to Facebook’s newsroom, over 20 million people have utilized the tools by either donating or creating their own fundraiser.

The initiative have been so successful with over 1 million nonprofits across 19 countries receiving direct donations from social media, Facebook says that they will soon be launching the fundraising tools in Australia and Canada.

RELATED: Swiss Businessman is Contributing $1 Billion Towards Protecting 30% of the Planet

Additionally, the company plans on celebrating this year’s Giving Tuesday by matching up to $7 million in donations for all US-based nonprofit fundraisers happening on Facebook that day.

“We want to celebrate and express our gratitude to the community of people and organizations who have used our tools to support the causes they care about, making a meaningful and lasting impact in their communities,” says Naomi Gleit, Facebook’s Vice President of Social Good.

“None of this would be possible without people in our community who passionately support and raise awareness for the causes and people they care about,” she added. “We can’t wait to see the impact we can continue to make together.”

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Hearts Are Melting Over This Young Man’s New Friendship With a Lonely Senior He Met at McDonald’s

By
McKinley Corbley
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This unlikely duo is a perfect example of how every stranger has the potential to be a friend.

28-year-old Eric Haralson went to a McDonald’s in Noblesville, Indiana last week with the intention of eating breakfast by himself – and as fate would have it, so was Jan.

Jan is a 70-year-old woman who approached Haralson in the restaurant and asked if she could sit down with him and eat breakfast. Haralson enthusiastically said ‘yes’.

The two of them spent the next 45 minutes enjoying each other’s company and swapping stories about their lives. Haralson talked about his son and girlfriend, while Jan talked about how she used to be an artist. When their time together came to an end, Haralson walked her to her car and they exchanged numbers with the intention of having breakfast again soon.

MORE: Watch Grieving Woman’s Emotional Response to Strangers Giving Her Cash After She Paid for Gas in Pennies

“She is a wonderful woman,” Haralson told TODAY Food about his new friend. “She mentioned many times how we all should love one another. And how we should not judge anyone because you never know how their day is going and what they’ve been through.”

It was only later that Haralson saw a picture of him and his new friend on Facebook. A school teacher named Amanda Marquell Craft had snapped a photo of their exchange and published it to social media so she could praise him for his compassion – and the post ended up being shared thousands of times.

LOOK: Photo of Man Holding Baby for a Stranger While She Does Paperwork is Melting Hearts Across the Internet

“Shout out to this guy! This elderly lady (seemed to be a little lonely) came up to him and asked if she could sit with him,” Craft wrote. “My friends and I watched him introduce himself and shake her hand. They talked and laughed together like they were friends. They didn’t know each other, and they couldn’t be more different. But today they shared a meal together and it touched our hearts.”

Haralson is glad that his sweet conversation with Jan could inspire so many people, but he says that he is mostly just happy to have a new friend.

Although she has not yet responded to the voicemail he left about how they are now internet famous, he says he is excited to set up another breakfast date.

“I’ll keep trying,” said Haralson. “I know if we had forever she would have a story for me for everyday.”

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First Parkinson’s Patient to Get Unique Stem Cell Treatment Could Pave the Way for Many More by 2023

By
McKinley Corbley
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In a world first, Japanese neurosurgeons have implanted a Parkinson’s disease patient with “reprogrammed” stem cells – and if the treatment continues to show success, then it could be sold to other patients as early as 2023.

The devastating disease is caused by a lack of cells in the brain that produce dopamine, which is an essential neurotransmitter in the brain. The decrease in dopamine causes trembling, a decline in motor functions, and – if the disease progresses – dementia.

Scientists from Kyoto University in Japan are attempting to reverse the disease by using donated adult stem cells that have been taken from another patient so they can then “reprogram” them into embryonic cells. These reprogrammed embryonic cells, which are called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, can then be developed into dopamine-producing neurons.

Some scientists have expressed concern that the application of these cells would result in malignant tumors, but the research team received permission for the first-of-its-kind clinical trial back in July after they successfully used iPS cells to restore normal brain function in monkeys without any sign of tumors over the course of their 2-year study.

RELATED: FDA Grants ‘Breakthrough’ Status to Psilocybin Mushroom Therapy for Untreatable Depression

According to Nature, the research team injected 2.4 million of the special cells into the brain of a Parkinson’s patient in his 50s – and in the weeks following the 3-hour procedure back in October, “the patient [has been] doing well and there have been no major adverse reactions so far,” says scientist Jun Takahashi.

If the patient continues to respond well to the therapy, then the team will implant another 2.4 million cells into the patients brain in 6 months. After that, they plan on testing the therapy on 6 more patients by the end of 2020 to prove its efficacy and safety.

The researchers hopes to have enough evidence to make the treatment commercially available to patients by 2023 as a fast-tracked therapy for neurodegenerative diseases in Japan.

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Hubby-of-the-Year Surprises His Wife With Unknown Travel Destination – Even the Pilot Kept it a Secret

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Good News Network
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Written by Jack Longstaff / SWNS

A husband booked his wife a surprise birthday holiday and managed to get her all the way to Greece without her knowing her destination – and even the pilot kept it quiet.

Romantic Steve Millar, 53, took wife Nicola, 50, out to dinner and broke the news they were going on a surprise holiday in a few days time.

But he kept the destination secret – confiscating her boarding pass, getting her to shut her eyes at the gate and covering her ears during the airport announcements.

RELATED: When Radio Station Hears About Mom Struggling to Care for Sick Son, They Give Her Surprise She Will Never Forget

On the plane, the Easyjet crew got on board and the pilot announced on the tannoy: “I won’t say where we are going because you all know, apart from a lady in seat C20.”

It wasn’t until 1,766 miles later when she was walking through Corfu airport she realized where she was.

Amazed Nicola, a financeworker from Shrewsbury, said: “It was magical.

LOOK: UPDATE – Janitor Who Was Surprised by His Students Finally Gets to Feel Like a ‘Trillionaire’ On His Vacation

“Steve will be able to live off the brownie points for a long time. I just couldn’t keep from smiling for the whole time. It’s why I married him in the first place. If I could I choose, I’d choose to marry him again.

“It was surreal and spectacular. I found myself crying with happiness.”

SWNS

Steve, a baker, managed to get Nicola through check-in, security, passport control and the three hour flight without her picking up any clues, last month.

Staff at Manchester Airport arranged for aircraft staff to keep Nicola completely in the dark about where she was going.

They enjoyed a three-night stay at the four star Ela Beach Hotel. Since their vacation was at the end of the tourist season, there were only 17 other guests – and on three occasions, the couple had the hotel dining room to themselves.

CHECK OUT: Woman Stunned to Find Out That ‘Anonymous’ Kidney Donor is Actually Her Best Friend

Nicola, who is also a mum-of-three, is normally “impossible” to surprise and the holiday was a “magical” way to celebrate a landmark birthday.

She said: “We were out for dinner with friends and Steve just told me to pack a case because he had a surprise for me. I was so excited, but I can usually guess a present from a mile away. But even when we were in the air, I had no idea. I kept second guessing the whole time, but I didn’t have a clue.

SWNS

“Even when Steve has tried to surprise me in the past, it’s been impossible. I tried to avoid clues because I knew that if I looked, I’d find them.

“I was sure that I’d hear someone talking on the plane or it’d slip out. I didn’t go looking for clues because I wanted the surprise. It was fabulous to land without knowing. I don’t think anyone will ever be able to repeat it.

“I knew I recognized the airport. I had been to Corfu before. It didn’t click until I saw some Greek writing inside the airport. I just yelled ‘oh my god, I’m in Corfu’.

MORE: Woman Pays for Stranger’s Coffee Only to Receive Heartfelt Letter in the Mail the Very Same Day

“Everyone in the queue cheered and clapped. I was really excited and overwhelmed. There was hardly anyone around at the hotel. It felt like I had the whole hotel to myself.

Steve said he usually relies on his wife of 28 years to do all of the holiday booking. He said the experience was “nerve-wracking” and stressful, but all of the effort was worth it.

He said: “I was thinking about it for two or three weeks. I wanted to do something special because Nicola didn’t like the thought of getting older. She has always hid her age where she could.

“I was going to throw a big party but everywhere was booked up with it being so close to Halloween.

RELATED: Watch 10-Year-old Boy’s Emotional Reaction to Seeing Color for the First Time in His Life

“It was very difficult to keep it a secret. Even I didn’t think I’d manage it but I was excited to see how far we could get without her finding out.

“What they did at the airport for us was amazing. To see her face when she realized was incredible. I can’t believe we got that far.

“It was a brilliant moment and we had a fantastic weekend. It was perfect for what she wanted.

“I’ve been getting some stick from my friends saying that I’ve set the bar high. But Nicola doesn’t owe me anything. She does enough for me every day.”

(WATCH the SWNS video below)

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“I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life, and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing that I’ve wanted to do.” – Georgia O’Keefe (on the date of her birth)

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day:  “I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life, and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing that I’ve wanted to do.” – Georgia O’Keefe (on the date of her birth, in 1887)

Image: Cropped Georgia O’Keefe painting

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?

Africa’s ‘Homegrown Philanthropy’ is Rising, Creating Self-Sufficiency for a New Generation

By
Andy Corbley
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The Lesson: The decorated psychologist Steven Pinker outlined in his recent book, Enlightenment Now, a convincing case that the world is far better off than modern media would lead us to believe.

In Africa, ‘homegrown philanthropy’ is rising from all parts of the local and national economies there, in countries like Kenya, Nigeria, and others. This episode of a BBC radio documentary series, Africa’s Big Philanthropy, highlights how many of the more fortunate members of the world’s fastest growing economies are not forgetting their often disadvantageous roots, returning to support education and healthcare, with sometimes breathtaking sums of capital. Joining the host is Tsitsi Masiyiwa, who co-founded the Higherlife Foundation based on her passion to provide education to young African men, who can lead the next generation into self-sufficiency.

Notable Excerpt: “Africa’s a continent on the move. Middle classes are growing, there’s more money available to spend, and we can see philanthropy rising all over Africa… It is the only continent in the world where philanthropy among its people is growing. For instance, 93% of Kenyans give, or donate.”

The Host: Alan Kasujja was born in Uganda, but fled to Kenya where he spent the first 12 years of his life. He later returned to his home country to study law. In Uganda he began working in radio, and became the first ever host of Uganda’s own Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Kasujja is one of the main presenters of Newsday on the BBC World Service, and in 2016 co-moderated the first ever televised Ugandan presidential debate. His documentary series is called Africa’s Big Philanthropy.

(LISTEN to the BBC radio show below) – Featured photo by Rod Waddington, CC license

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Bruno Mars Celebrates His Musical Success by Donating 24,000 Thanksgiving Meals to Needy Families

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Good News Network
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Almost one year after his album won Grammy of the year, Bruno Mars is celebrating his success by sharing the love with his home state of Hawaii.

According to the Associated Press, the R&B superstar is donating 24,000 Thanksgiving meals to needy families.

The donation is a specific homage to his most recent award-winning album “24K Magic”. Earlier this week, he closed out his “24K Magic” Tour by playing the final show in Hawaii.

Mars will be proving the holiday meals by partnering with the Salvation Army’s 48th annual Thanksgiving Dinner meal program.

RELATED: When Duchess Meghan Accepts Macaroni Necklace Gift From Young Fan, He is Flooded With Orders

“We are humbled and honored by this generous donation from Hawaii’s own Bruno Mars,” Major Jeff Martin, divisional leader of the Salvation Army Hawaiian & Pacific Islands division, said in a statement.

“Bruno is a shining example of how people in Hawaii step forward and take care of one another and we are grateful to him for his aloha and kokua,” he added.

Pass On The Positivity: Share The News To Social Media – Photo by Slgckgc, CC

Special Bacteria is Found to be a ‘Battery’ That Turns Sewage Waste into Clean Hydrogen Energy

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Good News Network
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You’ve flushed something valuable down the toilet today.

This new study is the first to show that purple phototrophic bacteria – which can store energy from light – when supplied with an electric current can recover near to 100% of carbon from any type of organic waste, while generating hydrogen gas for electricity production.

Organic compounds in household sewage and industrial wastewater are a rich potential source of energy, bioplastics and even proteins for animal feed – but with no efficient extraction method, treatment plants discard them as contaminants.

Purple bacteria, however, is an environmentally-friendly and cost-effective solution.

RELATED: The Hoover Dam Could Soon Be Turned into a ‘Giant Battery’ for Renewable Energy

“One of the most important problems of current wastewater treatment plants is high carbon emissions,” says co-author Daniel Puyol of King Juan Carlos University, Spain. “Our light-based biorefinery process could provide a means to harvest green energy from wastewater, with zero carbon footprint.”

“Purple phototrophic bacteria belong to the biggest and most diverse group of bacteria,” Puyol told Research Gate. “All of them are photosynthetic, but unlike plants and algae, they use infrared light as the energy source for their metabolism. This gives them a color from brown to red—including purple.

“The main feature of these fascinating organisms is their versatile metabolism. They can perform a range of metabolic reactions, making them a kind of metabolic Swiss army knife. For this reason, these organisms are ubiquitous in nature. However, their preferred environment is in bodies of water, mainly lakes. They’re also frequently found in wastewater treatment plants, which gives us a clue about their applications.”

LOOK: Tiny Wind Turbine That Generates Power From Your Apartment Balcony Wins Dyson Award

The bacteria can use organic molecules and nitrogen gas – instead of CO2 and H2O – to provide carbon, electrons and nitrogen for photosynthesis. This means that they grow faster than alternative phototrophic bacteria and algae, and can generate hydrogen gas, proteins or a type of biodegradable polyester as byproducts of metabolism.

In this study, which was published in Frontiers in Energy Research, the group analyzed the optimum conditions for maximizing hydrogen production by a mixture of purple phototrophic bacteria species. They also tested the effect of a negative current – that is, electrons supplied by metal electrodes in the growth medium – on the metabolic behavior of the bacteria.

Their first key finding was that the nutrient blend that fed the highest rate of hydrogen production also minimized the production of CO2.

CHECK OUT: In ‘World First’, Ultra-Cheap Printable Solar Panels Are Launched in Australia

“This demonstrates that purple bacteria can be used to recover valuable biofuel from organics typically found in wastewater – malic acid and sodium glutamate – with a low carbon footprint,” says co-author Professor Abraham Esteve-Núñez.

Even more striking were the results using electrodes, which demonstrated for the first time that purple bacteria are capable of using electrons from a negative electrode or “cathode” to capture CO2 via photosynthesis.

“Recordings from our bioelectrochemical system showed a clear interaction between the purple bacteria and the electrodes: negative polarization of the electrode caused a detectable consumption of electrons, associated with a reduction in carbon dioxide production.

MORE: Here’s Why You Should Start Washing Your Clothes in Cold Water

“This indicates that the purple bacteria were using electrons from the cathode to capture more carbon from organic compounds via photosynthesis, so less is released as CO2.”

According to the authors, this was the first reported use of mixed cultures of purple bacteria in a bioelectrochemical system – and the first demonstration of any phototroph shifting metabolism due to interaction with a cathode.

Capturing excess CO2 produced by purple bacteria could be useful not only for reducing carbon emissions, but also for refining biogas from organic waste for use as fuel.

“We recently obtained funding to pursue this aim with further research, and will work on this for the following years. Stay tuned for more metabolic tuning,” says Puyol.

Clean Up Negativity By Sharing The News With Your Friends On Social Media – File photo by Chesapeake Bay Program

After Nurse Sings to Hospice Patient, Family is Stunned When He Goes Home One Week Later

By
McKinley Corbley
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A nurse’s heavenly voice is being hailed as the reason a hospice patient was able to go home early after his family had assumed the worst.

Nurse Brenda Buurstra has been singing to patients for 17 years, although this is the first time that she ever got “caught” in the act.

Buurstra, who is a nurse at Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo, Michigan, had been watching a television show with hospice patient Robert Olson when he remarked on how much he liked the song “You Light Up My Life” by Debby Boone.

To his delight, the nurse immediately started singing the tune. Though she admittedly didn’t know a few of the words, she reassured Olson by saying that she would print out the lyrics and sing with him the next day.

WATCH: Political Opponents Stun Voters When They Perform Unexpected Duet in Display of Comradery

True to her word, Buurstra returned with a page of lyrics and sang a sweet duo with her patient. Olson’s daughter Roberta Lyle recorded the emotional song and posted it to YouTube, praising the nurse for her kindness.

Olson had always been a tough older man, but after he was taken to the hospital for having breathing problems at home, his family did not think he would be able to come home – until Buurstra came along.

Lyle was stunned that Buurstra was able to get her father speaking, let alone singing. She also says that the singing lifted his spirits so much, he recovered enough to be able to go home the following week – and she credits it all to Buurstra.

RELATED: Watch the Tender Moment When Elvis Reaches Out His Hand to Sing Duet With Senior in a Walmart

“I just hope this woman knows what she’s done for my dad,” Lyle told CBS News. “I just hope Bronson Hospital knows what they have in her.”

Buurstra, on the other hand, says that it’s all just a part of her job helping patients.

“Not just taking care of the illness in a patient; to touch them. To touch their life. To touch their heart. To make that awful hospital stay they’re going through just a little bit better, a little bit brighter,” Buurstra said. “I’m not the only nurse who goes above and beyond at Bronson. This is what we do every day.”

(WATCH the interview below or our international viewers can watch the coverage on the CBS News website) – Photo by Roberta Lyla

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“The highest possible stage in moral culture is when we recognize that we ought to control our thoughts.” – Charles Darwin

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day:  “The highest possible stage in moral culture is when we recognize that we ought to control our thoughts.” – Charles Darwin

Photo: by Howard Ignatius, CC license

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?

How to Approach Investments and Finance if You’re Scared of Talking About Money

By
Ryan Morris
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The Lesson: What do wealthy people do differently than non-wealthy people? This financial guru believes it’s how they think about their money in a way that relates to joy and their overall well-being – and in this podcast, Ramit Sethi discusses how the rich spend their money, and how you can take responsibility for your finances by discovering what you truly care about.

Notable Excerpt: “I’ll give you an example, I call it the handshake effect, and it’s when people would come over to my apartment for the first time, and they would say, ‘Wow! This is an amazing view!’ and then they always say the same thing in New York: ‘Do you own this place?’ and ‘how much did you pay for this place?’ And we’re shaking hands, right? I mean, we’ve just met! … it’s classic New York! And I say, ‘No, I rent,’ and it’s that moment where, if I had said I bought, they would be, like this, ‘Wow! That’s pretty cool!’ And you kind of get this pride. And then, when I don’t say that, they get really confused, because this is the I Will Teach You To Be Rich Guy, but also he rents, and ‘I thought renting is for people who can’t afford it.’ They don’t understand, and they give me this look, and I realized that so many of us are looking for somebody to approve of us, while we are shaking their hand. Someone we don’t even know.

“And so, instead of getting your approval from somebody you just met ten minutes ago, or from your parents, who probably are not the most sophisticated investors, if you’re watching this show, you know, you talk about greatness. And being great means choosing your own path. Sometimes you might choose to buy, I have no problem with that if you ran the numbers and you consciously decided, sometimes it means you don’t. But , if you want to live the life of greatness, you need to be comfortable making different choices than what other people expect.”

The Guest: Ramit Sethi is an accomplished entrepreneur, philanthropist, and financial guru. Author of the New York Times best-seller “I Will Teach You to Be Rich,” Sethi offers his wisdom through online courses, and manages a blog that shares the same name as his book. Dedicated to educating both the financially struggling and the well-off, Sethi wants to provide useful advice to his audience, regardless of their economic status.

The Host: After spending years of his young life and athletic career struggling with his own emotional wellbeing, a crippling injury left Lewis Howes without an identity and without any work. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, however, Howes recreated himself as a multi-million dollar media producer, motivational speaker, bestselling author, and podcast host. The ex-football player now spends his days chatting with the most inspirational icons of this generation on his School of Greatness podcast.

Podcast: The School of Greatness podcast is available for download on Soundcloud and iTunes. You can also watch footage of the interviews on Howes’s YouTube channel.

Books: Howes is the author of the New York Times bestselling book “The School of Greatness”: an in-depth collection of lessons and wisdom that he has gathered from interviewing hundreds of the world’s greatest role models and thinkers. Howes’s latest book, “The Mask of Masculinity”, is based on his experience with the dangerous stereotypes and expectations that are placed on men in modern society.

(LISTEN to the inspiring talk below or read the transcript)

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Watch Marvel’s Video Tribute to the ‘Unmatchable Accomplishments‘ of Stan Lee (1922-2018)

By
McKinley Corbley
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Stan Lee, the mastermind behind some of the Marvel universe’s most beloved superheroes and storylines, passed away earlier this week at the age of 95.

According to a family representatives, he died early Monday morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.

In addition to being the former editor-in-chief of Marvel Comic Books, he was also the creator of such famous storybook icons as Spiderman, Iron Man, the Mighty Thor, Daredevil, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Incredible Hulk, and Black Panther.

Though he had humble beginnings as the son of a poor Romanian immigrant who worked as a dress cutter in New York City, Lee eventually landed a position with Timely Comics that paid $8 per week, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

RELATED: Guy Hitchhikes for the First Time Only to Get a Ride From Chris Hemsworth in a Helicopter

As his comic book empire grew over the decades, he went on to sell Marvel Entertainment to The Walt Disney Co. for $4 billion in 2009.

The Marvel movie series has since given birth to some of the world’s highest-grossing superhero box office flicks of all time.

 

Celebrities and fans have been quick to pay tribute to Lee on social media. Many actors who worked alongside Lee for the Marvel movies, such as Hugh Jackman and Chris Hemsworth, have also expressed their love for the late writer.

“Stan Lee was as extraordinary as the characters he created,” Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger said in a statement.

“A superhero in his own right to Marvel fans around the world, Stan had the power to inspire, to entertain and to connect,” added Iger. “The scale of his imagination was only exceeded by the size of his heart.”

(WATCH Marvel’s video tribute below)

Be Sure And Share The Tribute With Your Own Friends On Social Media

Heartwarming Viral Video Captures Refugee Children Playing in Snow for the First Time

By
Good News Network
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If you need something to smile about today, then these two kids are just the ticket.

In a video that was uploaded by the Ripple Refugee Project, two Eritrean children can be seen experiencing snow for the very first time in their lives – and their reactions are adorable.

The project is a Toronto-based private citizen group that sponsors, settles, and integrates migrant families to Canada. The group had just welcomed the children and their family to Toronto earlier this week.

The kids, 7-year-old Zebiba and 5-year-old Khedir, had spent the last five years living in a Sudanese refugee camp with their family following their escape from Eritrea.

RELATED: Watching This Little Girl Read to a Sleepy Cat is the Video to Soothe Your Soul

Now, however, they are enjoying the fluffy Canadian weather and melting hearts across the internet after Ripple Refugee Project volunteer Rebecca Davies uploaded the video to Youtube.

Even Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau remarked on the cute clip after he retweeted her post on social media.

“Amazing – now convince them that shoveling is fun and you’re all set. Thank you for everything you do, Rebecca. #WelcomeToCanada,” wrote Trudeau.

(WATCH the cute clip below) – Photo by Ripple Refugee Project

Be Sure And Share This Cute Clip With Your Friends On Social Media

Hiker Was About to Die in a Snowstorm When She Was Saved by a Total Stranger Following Her Intuition (Podcast)

By
Good News Network
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Nancy and Katharina, Photo by Snohomish County Sheriff's Office

It’s a good thing that Nancy Abell listens to her instincts—otherwise, a German hiker may never have made it out of the mountains alive. Hear The Good News Guru tell the incredible story (from the November 13, 2018 Ellen K. Morning Show on KOST-103.5 radio in Los Angeles).

READ the full story on GNN…

Subscribe to our Good News podcast on iTunes, or for Android devices on Podbean.

Free CPR Kiosks in Airports Are Effectively Teaching People to Save Lives in Just 5 Minutes, Says Study

By
Good News Network
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These little kiosks are teaching people an invaluable life-saving skill in just five minutes– and this new study shows that it is just as effective as undergoing a full class.

People who learn hands-only Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) using a five-minute kiosk-based program in an airport performed CPR as well as those who attended a 30-minute, facilitator-led training session, according to research by the American Heart Association.

Each year, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital. Almost 90% of those people die—but survival rates can triple when bystanders perform CPR.

RELATED: When Man Suddenly Collapses, People Line Up For 96-Minute CPR Marathon to Save Him

In 2016, the Association rolled out the kiosk program and, to date, there have been 30 training booths installed across the U.S., primarily in airports. After evaluating the program’s success, they hope to install more kiosks in the near future.

“Less than half of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims receive CPR from a bystander, which is a grim statistic that we need to improve,” said John Meiners, the Association’s Chief of Mission Aligned Businesses and Healthcare Solutions. “The study provides insights on hands-only CPR education methods that deepen our understanding of how people can continue to be trained more efficiently and effectively, so they’ll feel empowered and confident to take action.”

The study, which was published in Annals of Emergency Medicine, examined three methods of teaching hands-only CPR: facilitator-led classroom training, which typically lasts 30 minutes and enables participants to practice CPR with the assistance of an instructor; kiosk-based learning, a five-minute, one-on-one training program that uses high-fidelity manikins that provide feedback on the quality of compressions; and a one-minute, public service announcement video.

The researchers found that people who watched the one-minute training video scored lower than the classroom group in total score, but there were no significant differences in total score between classroom and kiosk participants. The video-only group performed lower on compression depth than the classroom group, while the kiosk group outperformed the classroom group on hand position score, but scored lower on compression depth.

WATCH: Student Saves Drowning Squirrel By Doing CPR She Learned From Watching ‘The Office’

Participants in the kiosk session performed as well as those in the classroom session in total score and compression rate. The kiosk users had poorer performance on compression depth, which suggests that this could be an area for improvement in the kiosk’s instruction and feedback.

Because CPR is a psychomotor skill, one that combines mental processes with physical action, the more a person practices, the more they improve, said study co-author Lana M. Gent, Director of Product and Research Innovation at the Association.

Based on the study results, kiosk-based CPR training, which is free for participants and located in high-traffic areas such as airports and shopping malls, is a good option for anyone who wishes to learn or reinforce hands-only CPR skills, she said.

CHECK OUT: Doctor That Discovered Natural Way to Treat Vertigo for Free Writes Book On How Sufferers Can Thrive

“We have heard stories from people who have saved a person’s life after learning hands-only CPR at a kiosk, as well as stories from healthcare providers who use a kiosk to refresh their skills between flights at an airport,” Gent said. “Based on the findings from this study, we hope to have more kiosks placed in high-traffic locations.”

If you would like to sponsor your own training kiosk or find a kiosk near you, you can check out the American Heart Association website.

(WATCH the testimonial video below) – Photo by American Heart Association

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