Heroes

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!

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Unilever and the United Nations

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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Sunshine For All

How your food is made matters. Here’s why.

Photo from Dole
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As you sit down to eat your breakfast in the morning or grab an afternoon snack, take a minute to consider your food, how it was made, and how it got to your plate.

The fruit on your plate were grown and picked on farms, then processed, packaged and sent to the grocery store where you bought them.

Sounds simple, right?

The truth is, that process is anything but simple and at every step in the journey to your plate, harm can be caused to the people who grow it, the communities that need it, and the planet we all call home.

For example, thousands of kids live in food deserts and areas where access to affordable and nutritious food is limited. Around the world, one in three children suffer from some form of malnutrition, and yet, up to 40% of food in the United States is never eaten.

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Well Being

When should you ditch your doctor? Why I fired my psychiatrist and never looked back.

Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash (left), Kimberly Zapata (right)

Picking a psychiatrist is a precarious situation, one I know all too well. I have bipolar disorder, depressive disorder and anxiety disorder. I have been in and out of therapy for nearly 20 years. And while I have left doctors for a wide variety of reasons—I've moved, I felt better and "been better," I've given up on pharmacology and stopped taking meds—I've only had to fire one.

The reason? She was judgemental and disrespectful. In her office, I wasn't seen, heard or understood.

To help you understand the gravity of the situation, I should give you some context. In the spring of 2017, I was doing well and feeling good, at least for the most part. My family was healthy. I was happy, and life was more or less normal, so I stopped seeing my psychiatrist. I decided I didn't need my meds.

But by the summer, my mood was shifting. I was cycling (which occurs when bipolar patients vacillate between periods of mania and depression) and when I suffered a miscarriage that fall, I plunged into a deep depressive episode—one I knew I couldn't pull myself out of.

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Dole
Dole Sunshine
Sunshine For All

How your food is made matters. Here’s why.

Photo from Dole
True

As you sit down to eat your breakfast in the morning or grab an afternoon snack, take a minute to consider your food, how it was made, and how it got to your plate.

The fruit on your plate were grown and picked on farms, then processed, packaged and sent to the grocery store where you bought them.

Sounds simple, right?

The truth is, that process is anything but simple and at every step in the journey to your plate, harm can be caused to the people who grow it, the communities that need it, and the planet we all call home.

For example, thousands of kids live in food deserts and areas where access to affordable and nutritious food is limited. Around the world, one in three children suffer from some form of malnutrition, and yet, up to 40% of food in the United States is never eaten.

Keep Reading Show less
food
popular

Comedian Keraun Harris shares inspiring story of his traffic stop being recorded by a white woman

via @Kingkeraun / Twitter

Keraun Harris, who goes by the name King Keraun, is a popular comedian on social media who's appeared as an actor on HBO's "Insecure" and ABC's "Black-ish."

On Monday, he posted a video on Twitter sharing the story of how a white woman had his back during a recent traffic stop.

"I just got pulled over, and for the first time, I watched a white woman record my whole traffic stop," she said.

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Nature

Caesar the 'no drama' therapy llama has been keeping protesters and police calm in Portland

via Tania / Twitter

Therapy animals have become a controversial issue of recent, even though they've helped over 500,000 people overcome psychological and physical issues that have made it difficult to perform everyday tasks.

It's because countless people have tried to pass off their pets as service animals, making it hard for legitimate, trained animals to gain acceptance in public.

So when people hear about emotional support llamas, they're met with understandable cynicism. However, studies show they are great at helping children with autism spectrum disorder, and they are routinely used to cheer up people residents in retirement homes.

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