How Odisha faced the utterly destructive Cyclone Fani and emerged a winner
Cyclone Fani, the most destructive cyclone in India in two decades, ravaged the coastal state of Odisha, leaving a trail of massive destruction in its wake. With wind speeds touching 200 kmph, the tropical storm wreaked havoc in Puri, parts of Khurda, and other districts, and tore apart critical infrastructure, especially power, telecom, and water supply. However, the damage could have been much worse had it not...
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This facility in Iceland has been turning CO2 emissions into stone
For the last four years, the CarbFix facility in Iceland has been tackling climate change in its own unique manner. The facility has been busy capturing emissions from a nearby power plant and turning it into stone! Due to the fascinating geological layout of Iceland, the bulk of the nation’s energy comes from geothermal sources. Though it is an ideal source of renewable energy, geothermal steam still contains...
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Short of new students, elementary school in South Korea fills classrooms with illiterate old women
In South Korea, the annual birth rate figures continue to drop drastically. The condition is such that most elementary schools have to actually look for kids to fill up the classrooms. Daegu Elementary, a school in Gangjin County, is one of them. The school that used to have 90 students back in 1980s, today has just 22. So as a means of saving the school, the principal invited elderly...
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A miracle that helped this 3-year-old born with backward legs to walk for the first time
Victoria Komada is a three-year-old Polish girl who was born with an extremely rare condition – both her legs were bent backwards making it impossible for her to walk. However, thanks to the generosity of communities in Norwich and Szezcin, Poland, that helped raise £180,000 for a ‘miracle’ surgery, the little girl has walked for the first time. Two years back, Victoria had faced losing both...
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This Delhi startup has recycled 100,000 tons of plastic waste while increasing the income of rag pickers by 25%
According to a 2018 report, over 300 million tons of plastic is consumed globally on an annual basis. Out of this, 16.5 million tons is consumed in India alone. No wonder the country ranks high in the list of world’s top plastic polluters! The only solution to this plastic waste crisis is to stop or strictly limit the use of single-use plastic items. However, until that goal is achieved, recycling plastic...
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This former teacher turned into a savior of snow leopards
Once upon a time, thousands of snow leopards roamed the high altitudes of Asia’s tallest peaks. But habitat destruction and poaching caused their numbers to drop drastically. In South Mongolia, these big cats had one more enemy – the Mongolian farmers who didn’t hesitate in killing them in order to protect their herds. To make matters worse, an extensive mining program was being launched in...
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Teachers donate their sick days to coworker with a daughter battling cancer
16 month old daughter of David Green, a history teacher at the Mae Jemison High School in Hunstville, AL., was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia six months ago. Since the little girl is greeting treatment 100 miles from home, she needs him to be there when he can. When Green ran out of sick days to look after his daughter, the teachers at his school got together to donate their sick days to him....
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This couple restored an entire forest by planting 2.7 million trees over 20 years
Brazilian photojournalist Sebastião Ribeiro Salgado and his wife Lélia returned home to Minas Gerais, Brazil, after Salgado’s traumatizing stint in Rwanda to cover the Rwandan genocide. The couple hoped to find some peace back home after the gruesome incidents they had come across in Rwanda. However, they were devastated to find that Salgado’s beautiful hometown had underwent rampant deforestation...
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Guinness to ditch plastic packaging to tackle ocean pollution
In an initiative that puts Guinness in the league of major beer brands like Corona and Carlsberg in fighting marine plastic pollution, the Irish brewing company is all set to ditch plastic packaging for eco-friendly options. Guinness’s parent company, Diageo, announced that the iconic Irish stout will no longer use plastic rings or shrink wrap. Instead, the company will invest $21 million to replace...
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A courageous woman determined to protect India’s majestic elephants from abuse
As a three year old visiting a temple in her home state of Kerala, India, Sangita Iyer would always be intrigued and captivated by the majestic bull elephant domesticated by the temple authorities. The little girl would often question her family why the gentle animal was in shackles when her own legs were shackle-free. This bond that she formed with elephants early on in her life steered Sangita towards the path...
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