Where this economic wake-up call might take us

Following up on yesterday's theme, trying to find some silver linings in current economic news, I stumbled across this piece on the Huffington Post website. It's an opinion piece, on the theme of America's "awakening". But it's not just America, of course. Many in the West, and beyond, are waking up - to what they've spent, what they owe and what they've lost in the process. The latter is an interesting theme - one that the author of the Huffington Post column says she's going to pursue in the weeks to come. The big question of course is whether and how we can recover what we've lost, find meaning beyond consumerism and achieve a more sustainable lifestyle. At the end of the day, we each have to answer that for ourselves...

What the WEF? Is that an apology?

I'm not going to lie to you, folks. There really isn't much good news to be found when it comes to the global economy. But this article, from the UK's Guardian newspaper, does suggest we may have reached some kind of turning point. Apparently, the organizer of the annual World Economic Forum - which kicks off tomorrow in Davos - thinks the world's economic and financial sector leaders should feel and demonstrate remorse, and that some at least should publicly apologize. Who knows whether that will happen, but it does sound as if belts will be tightened at this year's WEF - fewer parties are planned, fewer celebs are expected and some business leaders are staying away. (Maybe they're not ready to say sorry?!) Let's hope the 2600 participants, who will be dominated by the world's political leaders, will seize the opportunity before them. It's time to get serious, take responsibility and address the weaknesses of the global economic system. If that doesn't happen this week, we'll need a lot more than an apology...

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Want to focus on the long-term? Come and join Vision 2100 - and share your hopes, fears and expectations about the future of our planet and your community. It'd be great to see you there... :-)

Dancing for hope in Kenya

People dancing, singing, waving posters of Barack Obama... no, not in Washington DC (though there's definitely a party atmosphere there tonight) but in the Kenyan village of Kogelo, the hometown of Obama's father. According to today's linked article from the BBC, residents of the village have already gained from Obama's election win - with the eyes of the world upon them, local authorities have now installed electricity to the village. Tourists are starting to drop by. But, more importantly, people feel more hopeful for the future, buoyed by a strong sense of what is possible through hard work and opportunities handed from one generation to the next. May that hope be kept alive - and realized - for many years to come... (Beautiful photo from BBC online.)

A pretty neat plane crash

Today saw one of the happiest news stories of the year so far (though we are, of course, only 15 days into 2009!), as reported here by MSNBC. As birds hit a plane in New York and brought it down, the plane's crew avoided catastrophe by landing skillfully on the Hudson River and then rapidly evacuating all passengers with the help of local emergency services. Some good luck, for sure, but a whole lot of judgement too - and proof that practice does indeed make perfect, as the pilot's training and experience, in particular, paid off handsomely. Could it be that the best way to foster and reward hope is through old-fashioned preparation? (Photo from MSNBC.)

Nepalese children won over by computers

This is a really touching - and truly hopeful - piece from the BBC. It's about a project in Nepal that's trying to establish an e-library in every district in the country. So far only six districts have one of the e-libraries, but the aim of the Help Nepal Network is to reach all 75 districts eventually, serving communities with computing facilities, scanned books and other educational resources - including materials developed by Save the Children on issues such as children's rights. The health manual 'Where There is no Doctor' has also proved popular! The early reaction to the centers has been positive - though some children were fearful initially, thinking the computers might harm them in some way. Now, it looks as if the main challenge will be keeping pace with demand for the facilities. Let's hope the project gets the investment it needs to expand soon, as the existing e-libraries sound likely to become the hub of the communities they serve. (Photo from BBC online.)

Grape potential

The antioxidant powers of grapes - particularly red or black grapes - have long been mooted. But today's linked article from the UK's Independent newspaper documents scientific research confirming this potential. Recent studies conducted by scientists from the University of Kentucky found that 76% of leukemia cells exposed to grape seed extract destroyed themselves within 24 hours. Significantly, healthy human cells were left unharmed. It's early days in this line of research, but these striking results suggest grape seed extract may have a role to play in treating leukemia and other cancers. Meanwhile, keep drinking the grape juice (and red wine - in moderation, of course)...

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HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope 2009 is a great year for all RTBH readers! And, as we all focus our minds on the year ahead, I thought it a good time to draw your attention to a new project I'm involved with - Vision 2100. Vision 2100 aims to bring people from across the world together, to share their vision of the world in the year 2100. In part, it's a bit of good fun. But it could also be a fascinating demonstration of the 'wisdom of crowds' - can we collectively build a vision of the future that we can work towards, across borders, and across cultures? Let's find out! Come and join Vision 2100 today!

Climate related investments will pay

The message from today's linked article from Scientific American is clear: invest significantly now in tackling climate change and its worst impacts will likely be avoided. But cautious investments may well be wasted - they simply won't be enough to make a difference. This is the conclusion reached by researchers in Germany and the Netherlands, who studied how much it would take to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius above 19th Century levels (generally considered the 'tipping point' for catastrophic impacts). They found there was a 90% chance of meeting this goal with average annual investments of 2% of GDP globally, made from 2005 through to 2100. That's definitely a big commitment... It's a wake-up call to leaders across the world as they consider the consequences for their environmental policies of the global economic downturn. But it's also a hopeful sign, as it underscores the value of acting collectively and boldly today to secure our future. If those same leaders are listening, they may find their policy decisions easier to make...

Concerted acts of kindness

This is a great story of some young men trying to spread festive cheer. I found it in the UK's Independent newspaper. The four men concerned are housemates in London, and some time ago they decided to try and brighten the lives of others by making their wishes come true. For example, they managed to persuade Yamaha to donate a red guitar to a child, and helped send people to see a soccer game at the new Wembley stadium and others to see the Moscow State Circus. More recently, though, their "Kindness Offensive" project has focused on gathering donations of food and toys to share with unsuspecting, but deserving, members of the public, such as asylum seekers. It's a great example of how - not so much random as calculated - acts of kindness can have a knock-on effect... not least of all on those being kind, as these guys seem to be really enjoying themselves! (Photo from the Independent.)

Guinea worm may soon be eliminated

Woah - I just realized how long it was since I last posted. Sorry folks. I've been consumed by work over the past two weeks. Fortunately, RTBH reader Stacey reminded me of a story I'd seen but was too tired to post! (Thanks, Stacey!) It's from the BBC, and it documents the progress made in preventing guinea worm infection. The worm is present in water in many poor countries - when people drink water containing guinea worm larvae, the little critters stay in their bodies and grow. They can reach a meter in length and eventually emerge from the skin - as you can imagine, it's extremely painful and disabling. There's no vaccine or treatment for the disease - you avoid it by filtering water and taking other precautions. Thankfully, through such measures, the disease has already been eliminated in many countries, and worldwide infection rates have dropped by 99% since 1986. 80% of all remaining cases are in Sudan. Former US president, Jimmy Carter, is spearheading the final push towards worldwide elimination - with additional support from the Gates Foundation and the UK government - and he thinks it could all be over within 2 years! That really would be quite an achievement... (Photo from BBC.)

HIV positivity in Lesotho

It is World AIDS Day - as it is each year on 1st December - and there was plenty of coverage of the topic on the newswires. In general, it was rather muted and somewhat overshadowed by other big stories (such as the fallout from the Mumbai attacks last week, and the global economic crisis). However, once again the BBC produced a great photo-journalism piece to mark the event - linked from the post title above. For the last month, the BBC has been covering the day-to-day lives of HIV positive people in the small African nation of Lesotho. Today's photo montage focused on Joseph Ramokoatsi, an HIV and AIDS counsellor in the remote community of St Rodrigue, who is also HIV positive. Joseph's openness about his own HIV status has inspired many other people to discover theirs, and to seek treatment for HIV or TB if they need it. He's even appeared on posters advertising HIV testing services, and has motivated others to work as counsellors (such as Mamatsoele Leseo, pictured here in the red t-shirt next to Joseph). In short, he's a symbol of hope in the fight against this disease - across Lesotho and beyond. (Photo from BBC online.)

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Bloggers Unite for World AIDS Day 2008 - challenge site

Nature's own remedy for turtles

This story from The News and Observer (a local paper from North Carolina) caught my eye the other day. Apparently, vets at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center are using a new remedy to treat rare loggerhead turtles that have been injured by boat propellers, and it's proving very successful. It's nothing high-tech, though: it's honey, mixed up with beeswax. Honey has great antibacterial properties - which have been well-recognized since Roman times - and when mixed with wax it can plug a tear in a turtle shell, keep out water and bacteria and help it to heal. This story underscores once again the importance of the humble honeybee to our planet - and reminds us that many of life's best remedies are really very simple.

A gift for life

Thanks very much to RTBH reader, Karn, for sending in today's touching tale. The article comes from a local paper, the Bemidji Pioneer from Minnesota, US. It tells of an incredibly generous young woman, Tausha Smith, who recently donated one of her kidneys to her ailing grandfather. She decided to donate when her grandfather became increasingly tired after his dialysis sessions and tests suggested that, with an O-positive blood type, she could be an ideal donor. As her grandfather, Don Cook, intimated, he's received a pretty extraordinary gift - one that will be appreciated daily, long after both Don and Tausha have recovered from surgery and well beyond the upcoming holiday season. It's a gift that is, quite literally, for life. (Photo from the Bemidji Pioneer.)

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As you may already know, RTBH was nominated for a Divine Caroline award this year - and voting ends soon! (The end of November, I think.) If you are enjoying RTBH, please cast a vote by clicking the button to the right and following the on-screen instructions. Many, many thanks.

Also, although the RTBH blogger's challenge for Donors Choose was running throughout October, you can in fact donate to this fabulous cause any time. The kids' clay art projects selected for funding by RTBH are now fully funded - yeah! - but the two other projects (for musical instruments at a school in Massachusetts and for books at a school in New York) are not. Please consider donating by clicking the button to the right - there is literally no donation too small, as the idea is to gradually amass enough from different donors to buy the classroom equipment needed, and your donation is tax deductible. THANK YOU so much...! (For background, you may want to take a look at RTBH post 356 from October 1st.)

Women drive towards independence in Iran

This story from the BBC caught my eye today. It reminded me of one of my favourite stories from RTBH's past, about the Taxi Sisters of Senegal (Day Forty-Three, posted almost exactly a year ago in fact). According to today's BBC report, a women's taxi service now operates in Tehran - run by women, exclusively for female customers. On the one hand, of course, this reinforces the separation of men and women in Iran's conservative society. On the other hand, the female taxi drivers are thriving in a male dominated trade - and many of them have gained financial independence and new skills. Women run the call centre, drive the taxis and maintain them too - the only man about the place seems to be the company's owner... He now plans to expand the service in Tehran to around 2000 cars and take the business model to other cities across Iran. it sounds as if these taxis will bring increased independence to many more women in the years ahead. Maybe they'll be the next generation of business owners too? (Photo from BBC online.)

The electric bay

News today that San Francisco Bay is leading the way - in rolling out alternative transportation. The UK's Guardian newspaper reports that the bay area – which is home to around 7.6m people - intends to replace 1 million gas-guzzling cars with electric ones by 2015. Billions of dollars will be invested in developing the infrastructure, such as charging stations, that can support this major shift in the way people get around. The plan is supported by local politicians and officials, including San Francisco's mayor, and California state governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. It's not the first time California has led the way on the environment and it probably won't be the last. The state, which is in effect the world's eighth largest economy, aims to reduce greenhouse gas levels to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050 and has environmental legislation that is very progressive compared to the rest of the US. Hopefully it won't stay that way - we all need to catch up! Call it an electric car chase, if you like...

A letter full of reasons to be hopeful

This is a very moving and poignant story from the BBC in the form of a letter written to Noel Martin, a man attacked and paralysed by neo-Nazis in Germany 12 years ago. Noel currently plans to travel to Switzerland to have an assisted suicide. The letter is written by disabled broadcaster Liz Carr who met Noel when she interviewed him for a BBC Radio 5 Live report. She asks "Is your life really not worth living?", before reminding him of some of the reasons he has to be hopeful. She cites the fundamentals - feeling powerful emotions, being surrounded by people who love and care for him, reaching out to others through his writing... the kinds of things that make all our lives worth living, in short.

The genius in all of us

Well, this article from the UK Times newspaper is certainly encouraging. It explores what we know - and don't yet know - about the human brain: how it works, and how it maintains its abilities as we age. On the latter, the evidence appears to suggest that the 'use it or lose it' maxim is a good one to live by - play chess, do puzzles or mind games, or just read a lot. It's all good for your brain, which can grow new cells when challenged in this way. But there is also evidence, apparently, that everyone can experience 'eureka' moments - bursts of creative genius - when faced with difficult challenges. In other words, we plug away trying to find the answer to a particular question, analyzing the options, then all of a sudden - just as we have given up hope - we break through and solve the problem. This likely relates to use of the brain's 'prefrontal cortex', which has the ability to 'freewheel' (allowing us to generate unusual or surprising associations between different ideas) and then pull everything together. This ability is particularly well-developed in 'divergent thinkers', including creative geniuses, but we are all capable of it. So, there you go - let your brain freewheel! You may be surprised at the ideas you generate or the problems you solve...

It's never too late to say sorry...

This is a lovely story. It comes from a local newspaper in the UK – the Bristol Evening Post. According to the article, a Bristol shopkeeper recently received a letter of apology from an former drug addict, who stole 400 cigarettes from his shop - seven years ago. The anonymous letter-writer said they'd been 'a mess' at the time but had now given up drugs and wanted to make amends - indeed, the letter contained £100 in lieu of the stolen cigarettes! The shopkeeper, Imran Ahmed, displayed the letter in his shop, where it's attracting a lot of positive attention. He's also said he will give the £100 to a drugs charity, to help other addicts turn their lives around. It's never too late...

The youth of today...

Many thanks to RTBH reader Suzie for sending me this story from the BBC. It's about a man and his dog who owe their lives to a few skilled and dedicated local students. Stephen Kelly and his dog Molly became stuck on a cliff ledge in Somerset, England, after Molly went over the edge of the cliff and Stephen attempted to rescue her. Fortunately, some pupils from a nearby school were in the area with (as fate would have it) their abseiling gear - and they set about winching both man and dog to safety. What brave young people! The story is also a reminder that we all possess skills that can be put to good use, one way or another - even at the most unexpected moments. (Photo from the BBC.)

Hope personified

If ever a man carried the hopes of a nation - indeed, of the world - upon his shoulders, this man does. Barack Obama. Sí, se puede!! Let's hope we do... (Photo from NDTV.)

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Thanks to RTBH reader Jack for alerting me to today's linked article from NPR, about a 109-year-old woman who voted yesterday for Obama - and herself personifies the huge changes in American society over the last century, which have culminated in Obama's election as the next US President. Amanda Jones' father was a slave until he was freed at age 12. He went on to have 13 children. Only Amanda survived to witness the election of America's first black President. It's a world away from the segregated America of her youth. Now that's change we can believe in...

Bat returns from brink of extinction

Although it was only yesterday that I was reading about declining bat populations in the US, today Science Daily carried this story, about the resurgence of the 'Pemba flying fox', a bat from Tanzania. The bats had been hunted for many years and were considered a local delicacy. Sadly, as a result, their numbers were so depleted by the 1990s that they were thought doomed to extinction. But with support from conservationists, and a local community now proud of this unusual creature in its midst, the bat population has soared to at least 22,000. And they do sound quite amazing - with a wing span of around 5.5 feet but with a weight about half that of a guinea pig. Let's hope this flying fox soars even higher in the years ahead. (Picture from Science Daily.)