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The best tweets about mental health from a massive online fundraising campaign.

We should be talking about mental illness every single day. For now, we'll take what we can get.

In 2010, Canadian telecommunications company Bell launched a campaign called "Let's Talk Day," which encouraged people across the globe to, well, talk about mental health.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness says about 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. will experience some form of mental illness in a given year. 1 in 25 will suffer from a serious mental illness that severely interferes with their ability to live their daily life. (Bell itself claims similar numbers)

Whatever the exact prevalence of mental health issues is, it usually feels like much less. After all, you can't see things like depression, PTSD, or eating disorders.

And those who suffer from them often don't feel safe enough to share.

On Jan. 25, using the hashtag #BellLetsTalk, people from all over the world once again shared their thoughts, hopes, fears, and personal stories around mental health.

Bell promises to donate 5 cents for every use of the hashtag to mental health services in Canada, and as of last year it has committed a total of over $100 million to the cause.

But the real payoff has been in the conversations and stories that flowed out from behind closed lips and into the world.

Here are the 13 best tweets from Bell Let's Talk Day, from powerhouse celebs to everyday people glad to finally get it off their chest.

1. When Ellen is on board, your campaign has officially become a movement.

2. Oh yeah, and the hunky prime minister of Canada was down, too. No big deal.

3. From there, things really took off. Message #1? You should not have to be ashamed of who you are.

4. Hear that? Remember the statistics? You are definitely not alone.

5. Yep, what she said.

6. And hey, friends and allies, we have a big part to play here.

7. The first thing we can learn to do is show some empathy and understanding.

8. When a pro hockey player says you're strong, you ought to believe it.

9. Hockey players actually showed up big time for this, which is awesome.

10. And so did this former professional wrestler.

11. But the real stars were the regular people who had a story to tell, like Kyle.

12. Or who just wanted to let people know they were there to listen, like Miriam.

13. But in the end, as inspiring as this all was, if you only take one thing away, let it be this.

As of this writing, Bell had officially counted over 112 million social interactions using the hashtag.

That works out to more than $3 million in total donations, and even more importantly, that is a whole lot of conversation around a topic that sorely needs it.

Look out for #BellLetsTalk day again next January, or better yet, try to live its values the other 364 days of the year — whether that means mustering up the bravery to talk about your mental health or finding the strength to listen.

This post was updated 5/4/2017.

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Planet

Easy (and free!) ways to save the ocean

The ocean is the heart of our planet. It needs our help to be healthy.

Ocean Wise

Volunteers at a local shoreline cleanup

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The ocean covers over 71% of the Earth’s surface and serves as our planet’s heart. Ocean currents circulate vital heat, moisture, and nutrients around the globe to influence and regulate our climate, similar to the human circulatory system. Cool, right?

Our ocean systems provide us with everything from fresh oxygen to fresh food. We need it to survive and thrive—and when the ocean struggles to function healthfully, the whole world is affected.

Pollution, overfishing, and climate change are the three biggest challenges preventing the ocean from doing its job, and it needs our help now more than ever. Humans created the problem; now humans are responsible for solving it.

#BeOceanWise is a global rallying cry to do what you can for the ocean, because we need the ocean and the ocean needs us. If you’re wondering how—or if—you can make a difference, the answer is a resounding YES. There are a myriad of ways you can help, even if you don’t live near a body of water. For example, you can focus on reducing the amount of plastic you purchase for yourself or your family.

Another easy way to help clean up our oceans is to be aware of what’s known as the “dirty dozen.” Every year, scientists release an updated list of the most-found litter scattered along shorelines. The biggest culprit? Single-use beverage and food items such as foam cups, straws, bottle caps, and cigarette butts. If you can’t cut single-use plastic out of your life completely, we understand. Just make sure to correctly recycle plastic when you are finished using it. A staggering 3 million tons of plastic ends up in our oceans annually. Imagine the difference we could make if everyone recycled!

The 2022 "Dirty Dozen" ListOcean Wise

If you live near a shoreline, help clean it up! Organize or join an effort to take action and make a positive impact in your community alongside your friends, family, or colleagues. You can also tag @oceanwise on social if you spot a beach that needs some love. The location will be added to Ocean Wise’s system so you can submit data on the litter found during future Shoreline Cleanups. This data helps Ocean Wise work with businesses and governments to stop plastic pollution at its source. In Canada, Ocean Wise data helped inform a federal ban on unnecessary single-use plastics. Small but important actions like these greatly help reduce the litter that ends up in our ocean.

Ocean Wise, a conservation organization on a mission to restore and protect our oceans, is focused on empowering and educating everyone from individuals to governments on how to protect our waters. They are making conservation happen through five big initiatives: monitoring and protecting whales, fighting climate change and restoring biodiversity, innovating for a plastic-free ocean, protecting and restoring fish stocks, and finally, educating and empowering youth. The non-profit believes that in order to rebuild a resilient and vibrant ocean within the next ten years, everyone needs to take action.

Become an Ocean Wise ally and share your knowledge with others. The more people who know how badly the ocean needs our help, the better! Now is a great time to commit to being a part of something bigger and get our oceans healthy again.

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Teen with a fishing magnet found a safe full of cash. And then he returned it all to its owner.

The safe was stolen 22 years ago.

via Wikimedia Commons

It's incredible what a double-sided magnet can do.


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The hobby has caught the attention of law enforcement and government agencies because urban waterways are a popular place for criminals to drop weapons and stolen items after committing a crime. In 2019, a magnet fisherman in Michigan pulled up an antique World War I mortar grenade and the bomb squad had to be called out to investigate.


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