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Worldwide Hopes Soar After Obama Inauguration

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obama-grphic-wave.jpgThe arrival of a new American president triggered joy and jubilation Tuesday in a world made weary by warfare, recession and fear.

From Kenya and Indonesia, where Barack Obama has family ties, to Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America, Obama’s inauguration sparked a volcanic explosion of hope for better days ahead.

The ascendance of the first African-American to the presidency of the United States was heralded as marking a new era of tolerance and possibility.
From Guyana to Ireland to Brazil, read about – and see photos – of all the repercussions around the world at AP)

In other news, Antigua plans to give the new US President its ‘top’ honour on his birthday: renaming its tallest peak Mount Obama. Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer says the Caribbean nation will rename Boggy Peak, as it is currently known, on 4 August to mark President Barack Obama’s 48th birthday.  (NPR has the story)

IBM Sparks Rally With Encouraging 2009 Forecast

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ibm-logo.jpg

ibm-logo.jpgTech giant IBM gave Wall St. some much-needed good news on Wednesday, reporting profit gains for its fourth quarter and 2008 overall, and projecting a strong financial performance in 2009 as well. (eCommerceTimes.com)

Hyundai Allows New Car Returns After Job Loss, Sales Increase

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Good News Network
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Hyundai Genesis

hyundai-genesis.jpgHyundai Motor Co has seen encouraging results from its program that allows customers to return a new car if they lose their jobs within 12 months of purchase, a company executive said on Wednesday.

After sales of new cars plunged 48 percent in December, the company has seen U.S. sales increase in the first half of January from a year earlier. (Reuters News)

Hyundai’s new Assurance Program, announced on Jan. 5, allows buyers to return their new Hyundai within 12 months of the purchase if they experience an involuntary loss of income.

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Is Hudson River Crash ‘Good’ News? Not Everyone Agrees

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Good News Network
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I wanted to preserve the poll results from last week asking ou viewers whether they thought the Hudson River plane crash was good news and belonged here, or not. The results might make you wonder…

I would welcome a Hudson River rescue story/video on the site… 72%

I’d rather not see the story about surviving a plane crash… 15%

Not sure… 13%

But, it doesn’t surprise me. I am used to this, after 11 years. It is a very narrow range of story that EVERYONE can agree is “good news”

Were you surprised by these numbers? 

 

‘Comeback’ Forests Rich in Biodiversity, Say Scientists

By
Eva Aguilar
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amazon-forest-river

amazon-forest-river.jpgTropical forests that have regrown after deforestation are proving more significant havens of biodiversity than previously thought, scientists said last week.

A meeting convened to highlight the controversy about tropical rainforest “comeback” heard that secondary regrowth of forests is widespread and is leading to areas rich in plant and animal life that can play an important role in conservation efforts in the tropics.

Robin Chazdon, from the University of Connecticut, told the meeting that many species considered to be old-growth forest specialists are in fact doing well in secondary forests, at least in small proportions. 

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Charity Pays For Cancer Victim’s Wedding

By
Gareth Bawden
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bride.gif34 year-old Jessica Keenan has level 4 breast cancer and was struggling to balance her finances due to the costs involved with battling the disease. She and her fiancé were even forced to rent with friends. On the advice of her nurses she wrote to The Dream Foundation with her hopes that a cure will be found, and her dream to get married and have children one day.

The foundation, which fulfills wishes for terminally ill adults, has already fulfilled 7,000 dreams.

Jessica’s dreams of getting married have been granted by The Dream Foundation and a vast number of donators who  took up the cause, thanks to the website’s “Adopt a Dream” page.  This Saturday, January 24, is her wedding day. (See the Read photos and story at CNN)

Afgan Schools to Benefit From $24 Million Boost

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Good News Network
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afghan-children-by-rich-unicef.jpgTens of thousands of schoolchildren in Kabul are set to benefit from a $24 million donation from Japan, under an agreement signed today with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to construct around 1,000 classrooms.

(Photo © UNICEF 2008/Rich: A UNICEF tent on the grounds of Aino Girls School in Kandahar helps with the overwhelming demand for education)

Also in Kabul today, the UN Mine Action Program for Afghanistan (MAPA) announced that the city’s electricity supply has improved as a result of its mine-clearing operation in the north of the country.

Although Afghanistan has made progress towards achieving its target of primary education for all by 2020, around 40 percent of school-age children still do not attend school, of which 65 percent are girls.

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Theologians Converge on Brazil to Envision a Sustainable World

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Stephen Brown, ENI
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waterfall_ferns.jpg

waterfall_ferns.jpgTheologians from around the world are converging on Belém, near the mouth of the Amazon River in northeast Brazil, to develop a theology for the “sustainability of life on Earth”. The meeting of the World Forum on Theology and Liberation January 21-25 was scheduled to precede the World Social Forum, a global gathering addressing exploitative globalization.

The forum’s theme is “Water, Earth, Theology – for another possible world”.

“The relationship between water and earth that makes up the geography of the Amazon region points to a perspective of totality and wholeness of life,” said theology forum organizers. “This theme refers not only to issues of distributive justice and use of natural resources,” but even more so to the ecology intrinsic to the complex relationships that create and sustain the planet.

(Photo by Tim Middleton, timages.biz Waterfall Ferns Rainforest)

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International Year of Astronomy Kicks Off, Bringing the Universe Down to Earth

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Good News Network
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iya.jpgA large cluster of astronomers were sighted in Paris last week at the official launch of the International Year of Astronomy. Planned to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first observations of the heavens with a telescope, the year, also known as IYA 2009, will commence under the theme ‘The Universe, Yours to Discover.’ The celebration is meant to reignite the wonder that the starry skies have always provoked in humankind and promote astronomy’s contribution to society, culture and development.

“People have always looked to the sky for answers to the questions ‘How did we get here?’ and ‘Why are we here?’” said Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO,  the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The gala opening at the agency’s headquarters gathered astronauts, artists, diplomats, industrialists and astronomy undergraduates from over 100 countries.

“The sky belongs to everybody,” Mr. Matsuura said. “Astronomy is an instrument to promote peace and understanding among nations.”

The two-day launch ceremony featured presentations by Nobel prize winners Bob Wilson and Baruch Blumberg, reports of the latest discoveries, discussions on the role of astronomy in culture and public engagement, real-time astronomical observation and a closing performance by the Grammy-winning Kronos Quartet. (See the video trailer announcing IYA2009 at the bottom of this article.)

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Coke Adds 185 Hybrid Delivery Trucks

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Good News Network
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truck

coke-truck.jpgCoca-Cola announced Friday that it will add 185 hybrid electric delivery trucks to its fleet in 2009, more than doubling the largest hybrid delivery truck fleet in North America.

Coke’s 327 hybrid trucks work on both diesel and electric power to reduce emissions by at least 30 percent and increase fuel efficiency by at least 30 percent compared to regular diesel trucks. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Making the World a Better Place From Behind Your Computer

By
Roxana Tigelaar
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coastline_cleanup.jpgVolunteers are able to contribute their skills online from the comfort of their homes with a new tool offered by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) program. The Online Volunteering (OV) service mobilizes volunteers and decreases the gap that exists between volunteers and the organizations that need them.

Given the liberty and flexibility to choose when they work, where they work and how they work, more volunteers are active and there is more diversity in their global ranks.

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Businessman Helps Hundreds of Poor People to Attend Inaugural (w/ Video)

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Good News Network
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earl-stafford.jpgVirginia entrepreneur, Earl W. Stafford, and his nonprofit foundation have paid more than $1.6 million so about 700 struggling Americans will get a chance to attend the presidential inauguration festivities. Party dresses were even donated for inaugural ball festivities. Read the AP story or watch the video:

Saudi Arabia to Donate $1 Billion to Rebuild Gaza

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Good News Network
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The Saudi King said Monday his country will donate $1 billion to help rebuild the Gaza Strip after the devastating Israeli offensive halted recently by a fragile ceasefire. The King said his country’s $1 billion donation for Gaza would go to a proposed fund Arabs are setting up to rebuild the seaside territory. (Associated Press has the story)

50 Hollywood Stars Pledge More Service and Personal Responsibility

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i-pledge-video-celebs.jpgA new video launched on the eve of the inauguration by celebrity couple Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore features 50 of the biggest stars in Hollywood pledging to the new president their committment to greater personal involvement in making America a friendlier, more charitable, more environmentally responsible country… The video asks, What’s your pledge?

Teacher Finds a Way to Get her Students to Washington

By
Honey Lamore
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obamasouthcarolina.jpg Students from the all-black school in Selma, Ala., will get a chance to witness history – and wear their new winter parkas. One teacher made it happen.

(She wanted) the children to see beyond graffiti-strewn walls, beyond limitations, beyond a town where violence is a daily reality. She wants them to witness something people in this racially torn bastion of the civil rights movement never believed was possible. She wants them to see a black man become president of the United States, to hear his voice ring out across the National Mall and know that anything is possible. (Christian Science Monitor)

 

Celebrities Entertain at Lincoln Memorial With Obama (3 Videos)

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tom-hanks-inaugural.jpg

tom-hanks-inaugural.jpgUnder the gaze of Abraham Lincoln’s statue, Hollywood’s hottest performers gave a spirited preinaugural concert Sunday before tens of thousands on the National Mall. Stars including Bruce Springsteen, Denzel Washington, Beyonce and U2 celebrate and entertain at a preinaugural concert in Washington. (Videos may take a moment to load…)

Photo, right, Tom Hanks was among the stars lining the Memorial during the concert.

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Wal-Mart Canada Opens First Environmental Demonstration Store

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walmart.jpgWal-Mart Canada last week opened its first mega-green supercenter in Burlington, Ontario, which uses heat from the earth in a unique geothermal energy design, diverts 85 percent of its waste, and uses sensors that measure the daylight from skylights, calculating the  amount of illumination to add from its energy-saving LED fixtures.

The new Burlington store is expected to use 60 percent less energy than the typical supercenter and to reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 141 tons.

“We’re determined to build the greenest stores on the block, and our Burlington store puts us one step closer,” said David Cheesewright, Wal-Mart Canada’s president and CEO. “We remain committed to being green, not only for the good of the environment, but for the long-term sustainability of our business. There’s a tremendous opportunity to reduce our construction and operating costs and to pass those savings on to our customers, who are looking for lower prices now more than ever.”

Overall the goal for every Wal-Mart Canada store this year is to become 30 percent more energy efficient.

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Optimistic Officials See Congo Peace Deal Ahead

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Good News Network
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A pledge by Congolese Tutsi rebels to abandon their four-year insurgency marks a major step towards ending more than a decade of conflict in the war-ravaged east, Congo’s government and foreign diplomats said on Saturday. Rebel commanders said on Friday it was ready to end its war on government troops and reintegrate with the army. (Full story at Reuters)

Bamboo Bikes, Ghana’s Green Transport (w/ Video)

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Good News Network
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bamboo-bike-ghana.jpgA new kind of bicycle, lightweight and sturdy, made from the abundant bamboo in the forests of Ghana is making life easier for farmers and villagers who cannot afford cars and trucks.

In 1999, an American engineer, David Peckham went to Ghana to study ways to make bicycles more accessible. The Village Bicycle Project was born. He trained locals to craft the simple bikes, which need no electric machine tools to create. Regional Peace Corps volunteers brought the idea to their towns. And it grew and grew.

The Project donates and ships used bike parts from Western countries while providing bicycle repair training and new tools. So far, it has imported 36,000 used bicycles, tutored 5,300 people in bicycle maintenance workshops, and distributed 14,000 tools across 8 African countries. The freedom and easing of hardship this program has created in so many villages is inspiring.

Watch this AFP-TV news report featuring the Ghana Abompe bamboo Bike Project, and the film below that featuring the overall Bike Project:

Watch a trailer from the film about Village Bicycle Project that toured 15 cities worldwide with the 2007 Bicycle Film Festival, a touching story of how a bicycle can change life in Africa.

Tropical Rainforests are Regrowing

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Good News Network
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amazon-forest-river

amazon-forest-river.jpgTwo scientists reported at a Smithsonian symposium that the future of tropical forests may not be as bleak as some conservation experts warn. Some of the world’s tropical rainforests that had been cut down are making a quick comeback.

About 135,000 square miles (350,000 square kilometers) of the original forested areas that were cut down by humans are growing back, according to Greg Asner of the Washington-based Carnegie Institution, a presenter at the symposium.

This regrowth is relatively quick, with the shady forest canopy closing in after just 15 years as trees grow taller and denser, offering habitat for creatures adapted to just this environment, such as birds with huge eyes able to see in the leafy gloom. (Full report, including gloomier outlooks from other scientists, at ENN)

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