The Presidential Election has been concluded and with it came a whole host of happy, sad, and “meh” reactions. Whether you feel one way or another, ultimately, it’s important to remember that we will continue living regardless of who takes office. There are so many news outlets, social media sources, and people focused on dividing us over this matter, and for what? So we can be more upset with one another? How about we focus on lifting each other up instead? There are so many uplifting stories from across our great nation that we can all enjoy with one another for the benefit of mutual understanding, despite who your neighbor happened to vote for.
In a world where there is so much mistrust of media sources and misinformation, the US Government has started to take a step in fixing it. The Federal Trade Commission made rulings earlier this Fall to combat fake reviews and testimonials across the nation. It specifically seeks to target the recent rise of AI-generated reviews. By trying to limit the amount of false or misleading information, we can focus more on what is real. While we may not see the direct effects of this ruling, it’s good to know they make such efforts.
Over the last couple of years, many companies have looked into what it would take to use more environmentally friendly methods of transportation across our oceans. Surprisingly (or perhaps not so surprisingly), the answer was found in the past. Cargo ships of the modern era are now being outfitted with massive sails for their trans-Atlantic / trans-Pacific adventures. 65 ft sails, able to move 5000-tonne cargo carriers. I don’t know about you, but that seems incredible and improbable to me. These new riggings are estimated to cut global climate emissions by a third overall.
10 million tons of plastic waste are dumped into the ocean every year. Now, I know what you’re thinking. How is that good news? It’s not, but it did prompt BioLogiQ, a research lab based in Idaho Falls to create a plant-based, degradable plastic. Which plant you may ask? The only one Idaho is known for, of course, the potato. By using plant-based sources, the plastic is easier for microorganisms to break down, which severely limits the time that this plastic waste would be around after we throw it out.
Another story comes to us from Massachusetts, where a good samaritan returned some lost money. We’ve all been there, walking down the street when we find a five dollar bill on the ground and we think: “Well, that’s 5 extra dollars for me!”. Now picture that but with 12’000 dollars. Such was the case in the local grocery store with a gentleman who found the cash lying in an envelope. Instead of pocketing it, he realized just how important it was to return that money to the proper owner. In fact, the woman who lost it came speeding back to the grocery store, frantically asking the cashier if they had seen anything. Luckily for them, there are still good, honorable people in this world, and all of the money was returned to her happily.
Whew! That was a rather random, extensive list of stories, wasn’t it? It just goes to show how many good news stories there truly are out there in the world. The extent of human goodness is often overlooked in our society, but it’s ever so important to recognize it. Just remember, above all else, no matter who your neighbor voted for, be kind to one another.
