They're called 'pollinators,' but they're not bees. They're people. And they're heroes.

"With challenge comes opportunity." That pretty much sums up the way we should look at climate change, doesn't it? If we focus on making changes instead of just talking about the problem — which can make it feel so overwhelming that it's easy to shut down and ignore it — we'll see good things happen. Here are nine great independent stories from around the globe that will give you hope. I'd never heard of a single one of these. Finally, a feel-good video about climate change!

 Laura Willard
11.17.14

Here's an overview of the stories in the video (and where you can find them). But don't rely on my short summaries. These are really cool in-depth stories about people and the interesting, good things they're doing.

India, 1:21

A social business called Pollinate Energy is bringing solar energy to some of the 390 million people in India who have no access to electricity. The solar lanterns are a pretty neat looking solution to a big problem.

Ghana, 3:32

Green entrepreneurship in Ghana is being led by women. The bamboo bikes initiative is building cleaner transportation — and careers for women. (Bamboo bikes!)

Australia, 5:26

1 Million Women is an organization that inspires women to save energy, cut pollution, and reduce waste. 'Cause little actions in our daily lives have real outcomes. I love their honesty about the privilege they have in life and what they can do with it.

Bangladesh, 7:54

ActionAid International works from the ground up to help locals solve problems caused by climate change. The women in a village found a way to protect rice farming and carried out the necessary actions. I'll just mention how positive I think it is that women are banding together to come up with — and execute — solutions to problems that could otherwise be devastating.

Kenya, 9:43

Women living in the arid northern part of Kenya are working with the BOMA Project to adapt to climate change by earning an income from small businesses they're starting. The savings allows them to make it through droughts. In two years, they can double their earnings.

Ghana, 11:47

The Recycle Not A Waste Initiative employs disadvantaged people in poor urban communities to turn recyclable waste into eco-friendly goods. The beads made from cassette tapes are incredible.

Mexico, 14:09

The Mexican government partnered with international development banks. They encourage builders to design homes that decrease carbon footprints.

Philippines, 16:30

The Sustainable Energy Finance Program teaches banks about clean energy and encourages them to lend to sustainable energy projects.

China, 18:20

The country has a national climate fund that supports efforts to deal with climate change.

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A dad's Facebook post is going viral for the way he handed his daughter's first period

Your first period is always a weird one. You know it's going to happen eventually, but you're not always expecting it. One day, everything is normal, then BAM. Puberty hits you in a way you can't ignore.

One dad is getting attention for the incredibly supportive way he handled his daughter's first period. "So today I got 'The Call'," Maverick Austin started out a Facebook post that has now gone viral.

The only thing is, Austin didn't know he got "the call." His 13-year-old thought she pooped her pants. At that age, your body makes no sense whatsoever. It's a miracle every time you even think you know what's going on.

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Jennifer Nettles' CMA dress called attention to the fact female country artists don't get 'equal play'

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Women in country music are fighting to be heard. Literally. A study found that between 2000 and 2018, the amount of country songs on the radio by women had fallen by 66%. In 2018, just 11.3% of country songs on the radio were by women. The statistics don't exist in a vacuum. There are misogynistic attitudes behind them. Anyone remember the time radio consultant Keith Hill compared country radio stations to a salad, saying male artists are the lettuce and women are "the tomatoes of our salad"...? Air play of female country artists fell from 19% of songs on the radio to 10.4% of songs on the radio in the three years after he said that.

Not everyone thinks that women are tomatoes. This year's CMA Awards celebrated women, and Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles saw the opportunity to bring awareness to this issue and "inspire conversation about country music's need to play more women artists on radio and play listings," as Nettles put it on her Instagram. She did it in a uniquely feminine way – by making a fashion statement that also made a statement-statement.

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A Straight Pride parade was held in Dallas but only three people showed up

via Twitter / Soraya

There is a strange right-wing logic that suggests when minorities fight for equal rights it's somehow a threat to the rights already held by those in the majority or who hold power.

Like when the Black Lives Matter movement started, many on the right claimed that fighting for black people to be treated equally somehow meant that other people's lives were not as valuable, leading to the short-lived All Lives Matter movement.

This same "oppressed majority" logic is behind the new Straight Pride movement which made headlines in August after its march through the streets of Boston.

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Man surprises his girlfriend with a wedding proposal on her last day of chemo

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For most of us, the hypothetical question of whether we would stick with a boyfriend or girlfriend through the trials of cancer and the treatments is just that – a hypothetical question. We would like to think we would do the right thing, but when Max Allegretti got the chance to put his money where mouth is, he didn't hesitate for a second.

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