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A Healthier World, Bar by Bar

If you think of the hundreds of thousands of hotel rooms stocked with perfectly good soap and wonder what happens to it all when guests leave, you'll be asking the same question that Shawn Seipler and Paul Till asked and then acted on.  » Full Story

Don't Mess with Ernestine Shepherd: Body-Building Grandma Benches 150

Taut abs and rippling muscles aren't exactly the stuff grandmothers are known for. But then again neither are marathons and cell phones that play the theme to "Rocky." At 73, Ernestine Shepherd is in better shape than most people decades her junior and inspires other grandmas to get active. » Full Story

California surfer receives whale of an escort during marathon paddle

When surfer Jodie Nelson set out Sunday to standup-paddle nearly 40 miles from Santa Catalina Island to Dana Point, she hoped to inspire her best friend who has cancer. What she could not have known was that a 30-foot minke whale would swim alongside her for two of those nine hours. » Full Story

At Upstate Campus, Saving Energy Is Part of Dorm Life

At Ithaca College, a campus known for its embrace of all things sustainable, two dormitories proudly wear the Energy Star label.  Along with efficient technology, they also benefit from a brigade of students on campus, known as eco-reps, who cajole and exhort their peers to reduce their carbon footprints. » Full Story

Maternal Deaths Decline Sharply Across the Globe

For the first time in decades, researchers are reporting a significant drop worldwide in the number of women dying each year from pregnancy and childbirth. An advocate for women’s health, Dr. Flavia Bustreo,  said “To hear confirmation of improvements is good news. To us, the good news will maintain the interest of investors.”
» Full Story

California garbage trucks fueled by ... garbage

Hundreds of trash trucks across California are rumbling down city streets using clean fuel made from a dirty source: garbage. The fuel is derived from rotting refuse that San Francisco and Oakland residents and businesses have been discarding in the Altamont landfill since 1980. » Full Story

The Mother Figure of Morne Lazarre

Among those suffering in Haiti are people in big camps where much aid has been concentrated.  Then there are those who are trying to maintain neighborhood cohesion with no assistance at all.  One woman - Rea Dol - is leading an effort to feed and care for the people of her neighborhood Morne Lazarre. » Full Story

5 Things That Will Make You Happier

Some scientists have argued that happiness is largely determined by genetics, health, and other factors mostly outside of our control. But recent research suggests people actually can take charge of their own happiness and boost it through certain practices. What's first on the list? Be grateful. » Full Story

Head of the Class

What makes a good teacher?  Innate talent?  Better pay incentives?  Doug Lemov thinks that teaching genius could actually be deliberate technique in disguise and that this can be taught to teachers.  Watch some video examples of winning methods.  » Full Story