Showing posts with label Be The Change. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Be The Change. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

New reports indicate that Monarch Butterfly populations are actually beginning to grow again.




Monarch Butterfly Populations Are Rising Again After Years In Decline


 
New reports indicate that Monarch Butterfly populations are actually beginning to grow again.


Credit: Wikipedia
Credit: Wikipedia
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This year, we have published several stories about the dwindling monarch butterfly populations and some of the efforts that have been made to save the species. New reports last week have indicated that these efforts may actually be paying off, because Monarch populations are actually beginning to grow again. In Mexico, one of the main breeding areas for these butterflies, scientists believe that this year there will be at least three times as many of them this year than there was last year.
During a recent conference at the Piedra Herrada research reserve, U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said that Mexico and the US will be working together to create pesticide-free zones for the butterflies to flourish.

“Mexico, the U.S., and Canada have many species that don’t know our political borders, that cross the borders freely,” she said during a conference at the Piedra Herrada research reserve, adding that the three countries will be working together to rebuild the populations.

She told the audience that they hope to see “225 million monarch butterflies returning right here to Mexico every year. We believe we can get there by working together and it sounds like we may be on our way, we hope.”

“We are very glad to report that calculations done before the landfall of Hurricane Patricia showed the monarch presence could cover up to four hectares, a clear indication that the efforts mentioned by Secretary Jewell are having a positive effect,” Environment Secretary Rafael Pacchiano said.

“We estimate that the butterfly population that arrives at the reserve is as much as three and could reach four times the surface area it occupied last season,” he added.
For years, environmental experts have been warning about the steady decline of monarch butterfly populations. The causes of this decline have been largely speculation until recently, but a new report suggests that Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup Ready could be responsible.
 
The report was recently released by US environment watchdog Center for Food Safety and sheds new light on what has been happening with monarch butterfly populations.
According to the report, Monsanto’s herbicide has wiped out 99 percent of milkweed in corn and soybean fields in the US Midwest since 1999.
This has resulted in a decline of nearly 90 percent in monarch butterfly populations in the past 20 years.

Without the milkweed, the butterfly’s food supply is entirely cut out because caterpillars eat only milkweed plants, and then milkweed is needed again when it is time for the butterfly to lay their eggs.
Although this is a very serious problem, it is something that the average person can help to solve. Anyone with some space in their lawn or garden can plant milkweed to help reverse the trend that Monsanto started.
Below are some PDF guides which give you step by step instructions on how to plant milkweed and create habitats for monarch butterflies:
  1. Planting Native Milkweed Species
  2. Avoiding Non-Native Species
  3. Create Habitat for Monarchs
  4. Gardening for Monarchs
 

John Vibes is an author and researcher who organizes a number of large events including the Free Your Mind Conference. He also has a publishing company where he offers a censorship free platform for both fiction and non-fiction writers. You can contact him and stay connected to his work at his Facebook page. You can purchase his books, or get your own book published at his website www.JohnVibes.com. This article (Monarch Butterfly Populations Are Rising Again After Years In Decline) was made available via

True Activist

True Activist Exposing the truth one lie at a time

Monday, November 16, 2015

10 Shocking Facts About Society That We Absurdly Accept As Normal




 

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When you take a moment and look around at the world, things can seem pretty messed up. Take 5 or 10 minutes and watch the 6 o’clock news. Chances are, the entire time, all you are going to see is war, conflict, death, illness, etc. Sure, this is part of the mainstream media’s content strategy to sell drama and keep people focused on it, but besides that, it reveals something real about the current state of our world.

I believe Michael Ellner said it well in his quote: “Just look at us. Everything is backwards, everything is upside down. Doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, psychiatrists destroy minds, scientists destroy truth, major media destroys information, religions destroy spirituality and governments destroy freedom.”

Now obviously Ellner’s quote is a simplified way of looking at our current state, but in many ways it’s bang on. Most of what we do in the name of “good” ends up destroying something else in the process and is passed off mainly in the name of profit.


Read More Here

Thursday, September 17, 2015

BIO DYNAMIC AGRICULTURE interviews for the film 'The Challenge of Rudolf Steiner'

 

cupolaproductions

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Police Officer Quietly Buys Food At Chipotle For Man In Need

 

The humble sergeant thought nobody would know about the kind act.

 

When he saw a man in need, this humble cop decided to help without expecting any recognition in return. Sgt. Brendan Hagarty of the Chicago Police Department in Illinois was having lunch at a Chipotle restaurant in early September when he saw a man picking through the trash outside, Hagarty told The Huffington Post. The officer tapped on the window to get the man's attention, ushered him inside and bought him food. The interaction was caught on camera by Rachel Mitchell, who posted it to Facebook. It later went viral when a country music radio station, as well as Hagarty's own department shared the posts. The pictures have received more than 10,000 shares and over 26,000 likes on the police department's Facebook page alone.
019th District Town Hall – Sergeant Hagarty Leading by Example A quote posted on social media, Facebook… Rachel Mitchell – "So today I saw something that made my day. This Chicago Police officer was sitting at a window seat at Chipotle, outside the window he saw a homeless man digging through the trash. The cop knocked on the window, getting the homeless man’s attention. Through the glass he asked the man if he was hungry. The man nodded yes, and the cop motioned for him to c... See More
Chicago Police Department's photo.
  • Steve Eagan, Lani Yost Lawson, Sue Self and 27,178 others like this.
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Thursday, April 10, 2014

The Collective Evolution III: The Shift | Official Release 2014

Collective Evolution Collective Evolution








Published on Feb 23, 2014
http://www.collective-evolution.com
https://www.facebook.com/CollectiveEv...
Support the filmmakers: Buy on DVD http://collectiveevolution.bigcartel....

For further resources: http://www.collective-evolution.com/b...

Be sure to check out Anthony Tilotta's music who is featured at the end of the film:
http://anthonytilotta.com/
http://www.youtube.com/anthonytilotta...

Synopsis:
The Collective Evolution III is a powerful documentary that explores a revolutionary shift affecting every aspect of our planet. As the shift hits the fan, people are becoming more aware of the control structures that prevent us from experiencing our full potential. CE3 uses a different level of consciousness and scientific facts to bring clarity about the shift while dispelling myths about our true nature. It offers practical steps that we can implement right now to transition out of survival mode and into our more natural state of peace and co-operation . CE3 includes fascinating interviews with revolutionary speakers and people who are already opting out of the current socioeconomic system. The film examines hidden technologies and exciting alternatives for a bright limitless future. This is the most exciting time in the history of our world.




The Film That Proves We Are Living In The Most Important Time Of Human


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Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Be The Change : Maysoon Zayid: I got 99 problems... palsy is just one






Published on Jan 3, 2014
"I have cerebral palsy. I shake all the time," Maysoon Zayid announces at the beginning of this exhilarating, hilarious talk. (Really, it's hilarious.) "I'm like Shakira meets Muhammad Ali." With grace and wit, the Arab-American comedian takes us on a whistle-stop tour of her adventures as an actress, stand-up comic, philanthropist and advocate for the disabled.
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and much more.
Find closed captions and translated subtitles in many languages at http://www.ted.com/translate
Follow TED news on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tednews
Like TED on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TED

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Friday, February 21, 2014

Be The Change : Would you give your jacket to Johannes? SOS Children's Villages Norway [OFFICIAL]

SOSbarnebyerNorge SOSbarnebyerNorge \






Published on Feb 19, 2014
For English, choose English on the captions icon in media player.
What would you do if you saw a freezing child?
We set up a hidden camera and placed Johannes at a bus stop, in Oslo, Norway. This is what happened.

The film is made to raise awareness of the situation for children in Syria, and to raise funds to SOS Children's Villages is their winter-campaign. Children in Syria are freezing and you can help by dontating. For more information: www.sos-barnebyer.no/Mayday/Syria

NORSK: En test utført av SOS-barnebyer bekrefter at det er mye hjertevarme blant folk i Norge. Nå håper vi at engasjementet også når fram til barn i Syria. Bidra du også send SMS SOS til 2160 / http://www.sos-barnebyer.no/Mayday/Syria

SOS-barnebyer i Syria deler ut tusenvis av varme jakker og pledd til barn på flukt, og samtidig mobiliseres givere i Norge for å kunne hjelpe flere barn gjennom givernettverket SOS MAYDAY.



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Would YOU offer to help a child freezing in the street? Hidden cameras capture reactions of people faced with dilemma... and what they did will warm your heart

  • An 11-year-old boy was filmed as he struggled against the cold without a coat in Oslo
  • But the kindness of those who saw his heartbreaking situation and handed him their clothing is inspiring
  • It was a stunt for a charity helping freezing Syrian children who are fleeing the civil war
By Sam Webb
|
A boy shivers in the harsh Oslo winter, pathetically wrapping his arms around himself on a bus stop bench. He isn't wearing a coat and temperatures in the Norwegian capital regularly plunge to -10C during winter.
A heartbreaking scene, but the actions of the ordinary people who witnessed the plight of 11 year old Johannes Lønnestad Flaaten is both joyous and inspiring.
A young blonde woman who sat next to the boy and notices him rubbing his arms. She immediately asks him: 'Don't you have a jacket?'


This 11 year old boy was filmed as he sat shivering without a coat at a bus stop in Oslo, Norway. The actions of people who saw his discomfort will bring a smile to even the most jaded souls
This 11 year old boy was filmed as he sat shivering without a coat at a bus stop in Oslo, Norway. The actions of people who saw his discomfort will bring a smile to even the most jaded souls


Caring: This young woman asks him why he has no coat in such cold weather. He replies that it was stolen
Caring: This young woman asks him why he has no coat in such cold weather. He replies that it was stolen

Warm heart: She takes off her own jacket and wraps it around the freezing boy
Warm heart: She takes off her own jacket and wraps it around the freezing boy

No, someone stole it,' he replies. She questions him and discovers he was on a school trip and was told to meet his teacher at the bus stop. She asks him the name of his school and where he's from as she selflessly drapes her own coat around his shoulders.
Later, another older woman at first gives him her scarf, then wraps him in her large padded jacket.
Johanne's predicament was a hidden camera experiment by Norwegian charity SOS Children’s Village as part of their winter campaign to gather donations to send much-needed coats and blankets to help Syrian children get through the winter. Many of the refugees have left their homes without winter clothing.
Throughout the day, more and more people offered Johannes their gloves and even the coats off their backs as they waited for their bus. One man even sat shivering in his t-shirt so Johanne could be wrapped up in his warm coat.

Sacrifice: This man endured the savage temperature in just a T-shirt so the boy could get warm
Sacrifice: This man endured the savage temperature in just a T-shirt so the boy could get warm

Read More Here


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When approached by the Make-A-Wish Foundation , Jayci Glover, a terminally-ill teen couldn't think of anything she wanted . Instead she chose to give back to the local High School that had done so much to support her.

Girl with terminal cancer donates Make-A-Wish money to her school


She may not make it to the basketball and volleyball games of her beloved high school teams, but a teenager with a rare type of terminal cancer is making sure they will play in style.
friends
Courtesy Heather Glover
Jayci Glover, right, and a friend share a happy moment. The terminally-ill teen loves mangoes so a local business created a mango smoothie named for her.
When approached by the Make-A-Wish Foundation recently, Jayci Glover, a 13-year-old who lives in Kanab, Utah, simply asked for a new scoreboard for the local high school, where the students and athletes have embraced the girl and kept her spirits up during a difficult year.
“She just decided that she didn’t really need anything, that she has everything she wants and wanted to give something back to all of her friends and the local community that’s done so much to support her,” her mother, Heather Glover, told TODAY Moms.
Her mother said the family wasn’t surprised at all that Jayci’s would think of somebody else when making her wish.
“We had suspected all along that she was going to choose something for her two little sisters or for her friends… She can never think of anything she wants – for Christmas or birthdays.”
Make-A-Wish is paying $7,500 towards the cost of the new scoreboard, which will cost $20,000, said Karen Kelly, who is Jayci’s great aunt and works at the school. The plans are to put Jayci’s name on the scoreboard so she is always there in spirit and cheering on the teams.
The girl, who was diagnosed with peripheral T-cell lymphoma, is at home on hospice care now after spending much of last year in and out of the hospital, Jayci’s mom said.
“There just aren’t any more things they can try. We’ve tried every proven lymphoma treatment that there is and her cancer continued to grow through every single one of them,” Glover said.
event
Courtesy Karen Kelly
The Make-A-Wish check was presented during a ceremony at the local high school on Feb. 12.
“We just reached a decision… to just come home and try to let her be in her home with her two little sisters for as long as we can. We don’t know how long that will be. We don’t think it will be too long.”
Read More Here

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Hero teen, 13, with terminal cancer GIVES AWAY her Make-A-Wish to her school to buy new $7,500 scoreboard rather than enjoy a dream trip

  • Jayci Glover, 13, is fighting a rare form of terminal lymphoma which has caused her to gain over 160lbs in the past year
  • When the brave student received a $7,500 gift from Make-A-Wish she decided to give it to her high school rather than spend it on herself
  • The check was presented before a school basketball game earlier this month and the team wore 'Fight Like Jayci' T-shirts
  • Jayci left hospital for the last time on February 12 and received a hero's welcome in her hometown of Kanab, Utah
By Daily Mail Reporter
|
A Utah teenager with terminal cancer has made an incredibly selfless gesture after donating her $7,500 Make-A-Wish foundation gift to her high school.
Jayci Glover, 13, has been fighting a rare form of terminal lymphoma for over a year, which has caused the previously healthy young girl to gain over 160lbs.
When Make-A-Wish asked Jayci what she would like to do with the money, rather than ask for a trip to theme park, or a chance to meet a celebrity or sports star, she decided to gave her gift to Kanab High School to pay a new scoreboard for the gym.

Jayci Glover, 13, has been fighting a rare form of terminal lymphoma for over a year, which has caused the previously healthy young girl to gain over 160lbs
Jayci Glover, 13, has been fighting a rare form of terminal lymphoma for over a year, which has caused the previously healthy young girl to gain over 160lbs
Jayci Glover, 13, has been fighting a rare form of terminal lymphoma for over a year, which has caused the previously healthy young girl to gain over 160lbs


Make-A-Wish presented Jayci Glover's $7,500 check to Kanab High School before a basketball game on February 12
Make-A-Wish presented Jayci Glover's $7,500 check to Kanab High School before a basketball game on February 12

The foundation presented a $7,500 check to the school, in Jayci's name, before a basketball game on February 12, reports Yahoo News.
The boy's team also paid tribute to their benefactor with 'Fight Like Jayci' T-shirts and every player also gave her a rose and a hug or kiss before the game.

Read More Here

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Saturday, February 8, 2014

Be The Change : It Takes A Heart To Be A Hero / Schoolkids on the Front Lines Raising Life Saving Donations to Help Kids With Heart Disease

 

Lucas Camacho

 

Even a $1 donation will help make a difference.  Help make a difference Today.


Lucas Camacho Personal Image
Join me in my efforts to support Jump Rope For Heart or Hoops For Heart! Even the smallest of donations make a big difference.
Earned Badges
I need your support!
Hi,
We only have one heart! I want to take care of mine and help you take care of yours too! This year, I have set a personal goal to raise money for the American Heart Association at my school.
Heart Disease can happen to anyone so it's really important to be physically active and eat healthy. Did you know that heart disease is our nation's number one killer? Help me become a lifesaver!
Will you make a donation to help me reach my goal? It's fast and easy to do on my personal webpage. Just use the link below to support me today!
Your contribution will support the American Heart Association's work to:
- Put up-to-the-minute research into doctors' hands so they can better prevent and treat heart disease among patients.
- Fund groundbreaking pediatric heart and stroke research.
- Train more than 9 million health professionals and others each year in emergency cardiovascular care.
Please support me in my efforts - together we can save lives! Thank you very much!
Follow This Link to visit my personal web page and help me in my efforts to support YM-GSA
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I'm joining millions of others to help save lives with the American Heart Association!
At my school, I'm learning how I can help make a difference by raising lifesaving donations to help kids with heart disease. I'm also learning about my own heart, and how to keep it healthy. And I'm getting active!
I'm excited about raising money for other kids - kids with hearts that don't exactly work right and to help fund new medicines and treatments to be discovered.
Please help me make a difference! Thank you!

Welcome to the Donation Page of

Lucas Camacho

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Friday, February 7, 2014

Be The Change : Labor of love - Volunteer NICU photographer focuses on tiny, most vulnerable babies

Like most parents of a premature baby, Erin Cox suddenly found herself in a whirl of doctors, machines and incubators when her daughter came into the world.
Evalee was born two months early, not long after Cox’s water broke without any warning 30 weeks into her pregnancy. When the baby was delivered via Cesarean section at a Kansas City hospital last June, she weighed just 4 pounds.
mom and baby
Courtesy Jessica Strom Photography
Erin Cox holds her daughter Evalee at the neonatal intensive care unit of a Kansas City hospital last summer.
“She was very tiny. I mean, you walk around in the beginning holding her and it’s like holding a bag of cotton balls,” Cox, 33, told TODAY Moms.
“When you go back and look at the pictures, it’s like, oh, my gosh. What a journey. How amazing is this that she was that little and that she had to be so strong.”
The pictures, tender portraits taken during Evalee’s three-week stay in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit, came courtesy of Jessica Strom, a Kansas City photographer who has made it her mission to provide free photo sessions to local families of preemies.
"A quiet moment of love and comfort for baby Haven as she rests in her Isoloette"
Courtesy Jessica Strom Photography
Baby Haven, photographed in the NICU by Jessica Strom.
Various organizations have started similar efforts in recent years, including Preemie Prints, a Texas nonprofit that has about 60 volunteer NICU photographers in more than a dozen states, and Capturing Hopes Photography, which has 21 volunteers in Winston Salem, N.C. Most NICUs allow photography as long as no flash is used, said Sherri Crum, assistant director of Preemie Prints.
It's a service that may touch many families: One out of every eight babies is born prematurely in the U.S., according to the CDC. The agency doesn't track how many are admitted to the NICU.
Strom, who makes a living taking maternity, birth, and newborn photos, said it’s her way to give back to families who must leave their babies in the care of the NICU, which veterans like Cox simply refer to as “Nick-U.”

See photos of tiny babies that photographer Jessica Strom takes free of charge.
Strom calls the tiny patients warriors.
“It’s an amazing experience to be able to see what these little babies have to go through,” Strom said. “It’s awe-inspiring. The human body is just so amazing.”
“By the time I see them, they’re stable and they’ve already come so far from where they started… it’s just a really exciting time and I think the parents are relieved to be somewhat normal.”
That chance to be "normal" is as precious as the images themselves for the parents, who watch other couples take their babies home right away. Strom knows the pictures she takes allow these weary moms and dads to show off baby photos just like everybody else and give them a break from the day-to-day hospital routine.
Read More Here
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Be The Change : 'Lunch angel' pays kids' overdue accounts at elementary school


Kenny Thompson paid the negative lunch balance fo over 60 kids at the school where he mentors and tutors.
Courtesy of Kenny Thompson
Kenny Thompson paid the negative lunch balance fo over 60 kids at the school where he mentors and tutors.
As a tutor and mentor at Valley Oaks Elementary School in Houston for over 10 years, Kenny Thompson has taken pride in helping out kids. So on Monday, when he found out that over 60 students at his school were eating cold sandwiches for lunch because of overdue funds on their accounts, he decided to pay off the negative balance. All $465 of it.
“It was the best money I ever spent,” Thompson, 52, told TODAY.com. “It was the best gift I ever gave myself. I went into my car and screamed.”
He didn’t realize how widespread the lunch account problem was until he learned that a Utah school had thrown away the lunches of students with negative balances at the end of January. That’s when he decided to look into the issue in his own community.
He found out that some students whose parents hadn’t paid were eating cold cheese or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch, instead of hot, hearty fare. And others avoided the lunch line altogether, preferring not to eat rather than face the embarrassment of not being able to afford the same lunch in front of their peers. Many of these students were already on reduced lunch, which costs just 40 cents a day.
“It was horrifying, it broke my heart,” he said. “These are elementary kids. They’re not bankers, and not responsible for the financial issues in the household.”
His wife, a teacher at Valley Oaks, encouraged him to follow through on the idea, but warned him that he wouldn’t be able to buy the new pair of Doc Martens he’d wanted. That was quite all right with Thompson.
“My work boots are still good,” he said with a chuckle.
Houston residents heard about Thompson's generosity when his story aired on a local news station, NBC affiliate KPRC, on Wednesday.
Read More Here
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