Happy Thursday, dear friends. Wishing you all a very happy New Year! It is hard to believe how fast this year flew by!
I think back to this day, last year, and though I am almost always healthy, I was sick on the couch. I remember getting up around midnight, to ring in the New Year, and then falling back into bed. We have a family tradition of ringing a big bell outside, at midnight, to ring out the old, and bring in the new.
Certainly, this past year we said goodbye to many things and ways of being, and that made room for all the new things to flow into our lives. For me, I transitioned to so many new experiences in my life, especially those involving my blessed service here at Golden Age of Gaia, for which I am deeply grateful.
These massive changes can bring a bit of discomfort, certainly, but they also bring a sense of anticipation and hope. They remind us that everything changes, both the difficult stuff and the good stuff. Nothing is set in stone, and that is a great thing. So I sit now, in anticipation and hope, for all the new things that 2015 will bring. I also send out blessings to all of you, for a miraculously wonderful New Year, that is better than our wildest dreams!
We begin our news today, with a short message from our dear Golden Age of Gaia team member, Kathleen, about the work of international non-profit organizations, and then we bounce around from there.
Non-profits are helping to create a world that works for everyone.
Non-profit organizations abound around the world, helping create on a daily basis a world that works for everyone. Just as the Hope Chest is a non-profit organization helping support lightworkers in dire need and the Golden Age of Gaia and the InLight Radio Teams, non-profits can range from humane societies, to women against violence, to recycling, to housing and feeding the homeless and so much more.
Even Wikipedia is a non-profit, funded solely by donations, striving to give access to education in 287 languages. For students in remote areas where books are scarce but mobile Internet access exists, Wikipedia is instrumental.
Here is another non-profit called Growing Chefs! This volunteer organization in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, puts chefs in classrooms sharing information on everything from planting seeds, to making soup and eating in a healthy way.
myVancouver Growing Chefs on YouTube
Moving on…
A new scientific discovery has researchers excited about a green energy revolution.
What is one million times thinner than a human hair, 200 times stronger than steel, and is the world’s best conductor of electricity? The answer is graphene, not some super-hero. It is a form of carbon graphite, similar to the material found in pencils.
Researchers discovered graphene about 10 years ago, and its properties have astounded scientists, as they learn more about its capabilities. Graphene inherently forms sheets of crystals, only one atom thick. Scientists are really excited about its ability to selectively allow certain positively charged particles to pass through these sheets, while being impermeable to others.
The possible applications for graphene could revolutionize the green energy industry, because it passively harvest hydrogen from the atmosphere, for use in hydrogen-cell fuel platforms. The molecule would also significantly increase the efficiency of energy produced in this fashion. Scientists are also exploring its use in the medical field, technology and transportation.
Professor Sir Andrei Geim of Manchester University, shared in the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics, for his work on graphene, and he says the discovery takes many ideas out of the realm of science fiction, and puts them firmly into the realm of possibility in the near future.
Indian companies focus on green and sustainable options in 2014.
India is a rapidly developing nation. As companies begin to expand into new territory, the operating costs for new facilities are often very high, because the necessary infrastructure is non-existent.
With international consumer focus on sustainability increasing, and the desire to keep operating costs down, many companies are implementing green initiatives when designing new business projects.
Gartner, Inc., an independent research group, prepared a report called “Hype Cycle for Green IT and Sustainability in India 2014.” It shows that India’s spending on green IT and sustainability topped $34 billion in 2014, showing a 14% increase over the previous year.
The government has also jumped on the bandwagon, offering incentives to companies who are instituting sustainable platforms, especially in the solar energy field. In the long run, sustainable platforms are much more affordable, and since these are new projects, not infrastructure replacements, it makes good business sense to support the environment.
Companies in India Spent $34B on Green IT and Sustainability in 2014 by Vikas Vij for JustMeans
And finally…
A trusting hug social experiment in Turkey goes viral.
We have spoken about the importance of hugging for human well being, but this blessed person took it to another level. He blindfolded himself, and offered hugs to complete strangers. He simply spread his arms, and in a stance of complete surrender and trust, waited for others to hug him. The results had me in tears.
While this video only got 70,000 views on YouTube, it was posted to iVillage Australia and got over 6Million views. This is awesome! The hugging revolution is spreading! What is even more astounding, this man was given a ticket for misconduct by local law enforcement, even though he made everyone so happy.
I Trust You, Do You Trust Me ? Hug Me – Social Experiment on YouTube.
That’s the news for today. Have a joyous, first day of 2015. I hope to see you back here tomorrow for more news.
Be Well. Be Joy. Be Love!
Alex