In this day and age, binging the news cycle can be extremely upsetting, depressing even. While it's crucial to stay informed about events in your community and around the globe, doing so is really detrimental to your mental and physical health. According to The Guardian, bad news “constantly triggers the limbic system.” Therefore your body ends up in a state of chronic stress, meaning the news is toxic to your body. Other side effects include “impaired digestion, lack of growth (cells, hair, bones), nervousness, susceptibility to infections, fear, aggression, tunnel-vision and desensitization." Now that we've delivered the bad news about how reading bad news can be bad news, it's time to finally deliver some good news.
The US House of Representatives Passes a Huge Wildlife Conservation Spending Bill
A wildlife conservation measure that would contribute $1.39 billion to the preservation of endangered species has been approved by the US House of Representatives. Grants will be given out to non-profit organizations to build and maintain habitats for threatened and endangered species, which in turn will protect over 12,000 plant and animal species.
New Type of Plastic Made Directly From Organic Plant Waste
Scientists have developed a new type of plastic that is generated entirely from organic plant waste. The new substance is simple to create and has potential applications in everything from electronics and medicine to fabrics and packaging. Scientists created a plastic precursor by "cooking" wood and other non-edible plant materials with cheap chemicals. Scientists in Switzerland have already begun to use this new material for 3-D printing.
Teen Named "Hero of Ukraine" for Using Drone to Spot Russian Convoy Heading toward Capital
A teenager spotted a Russian convoy nearing his city using his personal drone and provided real-time location information that helped Ukrainian artillery to strike it down. Andrii Pokrasa is one of more than a thousand civilian drone operators who use drones to support their nation's security. According to Global News Canada, 15-year-old Pokrasa’s actions were the only reason the military convoy failed to seize his town.
Houston, Texas Has Provided 25,000 Unsheltered Individuals With Their Own Apartments
In the last ten years, Houston, Texas, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, has reduced its unsheltered population by 63 percent in the last 10 years. This was made possible by a new approach called housing first. The goal is to house unsheltered people in one-bedroom apartments as soon as possible. Difficulties like jobs, drug addiction, mental illnesses and more are addressed later through consumer choice and self determination, recovery orientation, harm reduction, individualized and client-driven support and social and community integration.
Phoenix gas station owner sells gas at low price to help his customers
Jaswiendre Singh, the owner of a gas station in Phoenix, pays his supplier $5.66 a gallon for gas, but charges his customers 47 cents less. Singh suffers a significant loss as his station pumps 1,000 gallons of gas a day. Despite this, what matters to him the most is giving his customers, and their wallets, a break. Singh told KTVK/KPHO, "My mother, my father, they teach us to help. If you have something, you have to share [it] with other people."
By Evelyn Summers, Copy Editor