Innholdsfortegnelse for The Do Good Edition i The Goodnewspaper

HELLO HELLO! Ever since we created and printed our first Goodnewspaper in 2017, Good Good Good has existed with one simple mission: To help readers feel more hopeful and do more good. We've always been inspired by Mister Rogers' iconic quote: “When I was aboy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say tome, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” To me, this quote points out the idea that no matter what bad, scary thing might be happening in the world (and there is certainly no shortage of bad, scary things happening in the world), there are always going to be people who respond by filling the world with more good. Sometimes those moments of good — those stories…

Since the early 1990s, violent crime in the United States has been on a steady decline, according to Our World in Data. Homicide rates have decreased, too, taking a sharp downturn after 1965. So, in a country that remains rife with conflict and violence, how do these numbers make sense? And how can we keep up the trend? Researchers at the Brennan Center for Justice reviewed more than 40 years of data from all 50 states and the 50 largest cities to analyze the crime decline. They concluded that although there was a rise in over-harsh criminal justice policies during that time, increased incarceration was not the main driver of the decline. Rather, social and economic factors, like growth in income, were more important. The introduction of CompStat, a data-driven…

It all started with a bottle of wine. Franziska Trautmann and Max Steitz were at the end of their college careers when they were commiserating about their city's inaccessible glass recycling program over a drink. They began brain-storming what it would look like to implement their own grassroots glass recycling program. So, they did. The duo started Glass Half Full, a company that collects glass from residents and businesses in New Orleans and converts it to beach-like sand and glass cullet, which is then used for disaster relief, eco-construction, new glass products, and more. Glass Half Full's ultimate goal is to use its recycled sand to begin restoring Louisiana's fragile shoreline. Returning sediment to wetlands helps combat erosion and encourages the survival of native foliage and wildlife. A number of…

GOOD We all have a fundamental human need to belong — and it's become increasingly difficult to connect. Read “On Belonging: Finding Connection in an Age of Isolation” by Kim Samuel to explore more about this topic. BETTER Support the Coalition to End Social Isolation & Loneliness, which researches the impact of loneliness on older adults, sponsors initiatives with partner nonprofits, and activates local communities. endsocialisolation.org BEST Spend some quality time with older community members by volunteering at your local retirement or community center. Not sure where to get started? Visit voa.org/senior-living-and-care.…

On New Year's Day 2022, Saint Louis news anchor Michelle Li concluded a segment on holiday foods during a newscast. As any news anchor might, she wrapped up the bit with a brief personal anecdote. “I ate dumpling soup,” she said. “That's what a lot of Korean people do.” Following the broadcast, Li's news station received a voicemail from a viewer who said her comment was “inap-propriate,” complaining that Li was “being very Asian” and “annoying.” The caller urged Li to “keep her Korean to herself.” The news station rallied behind Li, denouncing the discriminatory comments, and she quickly shared the voicemail on social media. “We should all be allowed to bring our full humanity to the table,” Li wrote. “This is what happens when you're perceived as perpetually foreign.…

Education is a fundamental human right and one of the most crucial tools to breaking the cycle of poverty, promoting economic advancement, and eliminating disparities — lit-eracy is one way of measuring this progress. Historically, literacy levels for the world population have risen drastically in the last couple of centuries. While only 12% of the people could read and write in 1820, today, it's the inverse: with only 14% of the world population remaining' illiterate, according' to Our World in Data. Over the last two decades, Latin America and the Caribbean, in particular, have made major strides in improving literacy rates across all age groups — with little to no difference between gender. Overall, the number of children out of school fell from 15 million in 2000 to 12 million…

By avoiding products and practices that damage the ozone layer and fighting for more action from governments and industries, we can all continue to help the ozone layer heal. We've compiled five things you can begin doing today to continue the progress being made: Check fire extinguishers for active ingredients. If you find that “halon” or “halogenated hydrocarbon” is the main ingredient in your fire extinguisher, locate a hazardous waste center in your area or call your local fire department for instructions on how to recycle it. You can replace it with a model that does not contain this harmful ozone-depleting chemical. Avoid aerosol products containing chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). While, for the most part, CFCs have been banned or reduced in many countries, be sure to always check the label on…

Smallpox was one of the most devastating diseases humanity has faced, resulting in millions of deaths in its over 3,000 years in existence, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Thanks to aggressive eradication efforts, however, it became the first human disease to be declared eradicated in 1980. To date, two diseases have been declared eradicated by WHO: smallpox and rinderpest in 2011. Reaching that title means the disease must see a permanent reduction to zero instances of infection around the globe, as a result of deliberate efforts — which is no easy task. However, thanks to coordinated, compassionate, and creative efforts, a handful of other diseases are not too far behind. Polio, Guinea worm disease, lymphatic filariasis, and even malaria, measles, mumps, and rubella are all inching their way…

Contrary to the popular belief that society is growing further apart, a research study published by the American Psychological Association found no indications of a decline in people's willingness to cooperate and work with one another. Instead, they saw a slight increase, which could help open doors to solve present and future problems. Researchers surveyed and synthesized 511 experiments conducted in the U.S. between 1956 and 2017, with more than 63,000 participants. To their surprise, the results revealed a small increase in the rate of cooperation, from 0.38 in 1956 to 0.46 in 2017. “U.S. society may have become more individualistic, but people have not,” Paul Van Lange Ph.D., co-author of the study and professor of social psychology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, shared in a press release. This small, gradual…

GOOD Follow creators like Disabled & Outdoors (@disabled-noutdoors) and Curb Free with Cory Lee (@curbfreeco-rylee) to learn more about the real experiences of outdoor enthusiasts with disabilities. BETTER Support organizations making the outdoors more accessible. All Terrain Georgia (allterraingeorgia.org) and Disabled Hikers (disabledhikers.com) are great organizations to uplift. BEST Advocate for more accessible policies and initiatives at nearby public parks! You can reach out to your state's parks department by visiting its website or calling its main offices.…

After a group of residents in the rural Colorado town of Wellington petitioned to ban a list of 19 books at a local public library, the community and its Board of Trustees voted to pass a totally different kind of ban: a ban on book bans. The group behind the book ban list expressed concern over the “sexual content” available in Wellington's public library. The list of petitioned literature included “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky, according to the Coloradoan. After “an overwhelming majority” of residents packed the community board room to express their concerns and testimonies, the Board ultimately voted 5-2 in favor of banning book bans. The new resolution stipulated that the Board cannot “censor, suppress, remove, monitor,…

The Humane Society of the United States — with the support of local shelter and rescue partners across the country — rescued nearly 4,000 beagles from a mass breeding facility in Cumberland, Virginia, making it the largest animal welfare seizure in its 67-year history. According to the New York Times, Envigo, a mass breeding facility that raised dogs for medical research, was accused of multiple Animal Welfare Act violations after an investigation shed light on reports of underfed, ill, injured, and dead dogs within its facility. After years of animal rights advocates and state legis-lators sounding the alarms, the U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit in May 2022 against Envigo, reaching a settlement that included an agreement to shut down the Virginia breeding operation. What followed was two months of…

As many policies in America threaten the rights of trans-gender folks and attempt to ban gender-affirming care for trans youth, anti-LGBTQ+ talking points veer toward the idea that teens who receive hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in their adolescence later come to regret it. However, a recent study by a research cohort in the Netherlands has concluded otherwise. The gender identity clinic of the Amsterdam UMC hospital conducted the study,recruiting' 720 adolescent patients who were diagnosed with gender dysphoria and prescribed puberty blockers. Of the patients in the study. 98% reported continued use of HRT into adulthood. The study affirms that gender dysphoria does not desist on its own and that, with multidisciplinary approaches; including psychiatric care, regular monitoring of hormone levels, and the potential use of puberty blockers, the health…

GOOD Consume more media created by AAPI artists. Some recommendations include listening to the “Asian Enough” podcast from the LA Times or reading “Crying in H Mart” by Michelle Zauner. BETTER Donate to organizations like the Very Asian Foundation (veryasianfoundation.org), Asian Arts Initiative (asianartsinitiative.org), or the Asian American Women Artists Association (aawaa.net). BEST Do your part to end violence against AAPI communities and be prepared to support your neighbors in the event of harassment. Take a bystander intervention training for free with Right To Be. righttobe.org…

In the hopes of closing the existing wealth gap in America, big banks and major corporations like Yelp, Netflix, and Microsoft have been investing millions into Black-owned banks. These banks, or minority depository institutions (also known as MDIs), exist to serve underrepresented communities that have historically been left out (and let down) by the banking industry, allowing for significant wealth gaps to develop — making it even more difficult to achieve financial security and mobility. In fact, Black Americans are more likely to be denied credit or be approved for less credit than requested compared to any other group, regardless of income, Federal Reserve data from 2021 shows. They are also less likely to have access to basic financial services, according to the same study. Between 1888 and 1934, there…

In 2021, the Biden Administration released a set of ambitious clean energy goals, including: cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, reaching 100% clean electricity by 2035, and achieving net-zero carbon greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Though this might seem out of reach for some, one of the fastest and easiest pathways to reaching these targets is through solar power — and we're not talking about Lorde's third studio album. Thanks to federal policies like the Solar Investment Tax Credit, rapidly declining solar costs, and increasing demand across the private and public sectors, there is now enough solar capacity to power over 20 million American homes, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. Though experts predicted continuous annual growth within the clean energy space, none of them, according to…

Sandy beaches, rugged hiking trails, and tall grasses are some of the great pleasures of being outdoors in America's public lands, but visitors with mobility challenges or disabilities have long been unable to access these spaces. In recent years, however, a number of state public parks (and some national parks) have begun to offer Action Trackchairs. These specialty mobility devices are equipped with tank-like tracks that can traverse all kinds of terrain. Cory Lee, an outdoor enthusiast who travels the world as a wheelchair user, has been to Antarctica and Morocco, but the state parks in his hometown in Georgia were inaccessible until this technology was introduced. “I'll finally be able to go on these trails for the first time in my life,” Lee told the Washington Post. “The trails…

Jessica Wade, a 33-year-old London-based physicist, is empowering more girls to study and work in STEM. This call to action started when she began creating Wikipedia entries for unknown women scientists who never got their due. After years of adding entries, her list now tops 1,600 biographies, and she's been recognized by Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, and the late Queen Elizabeth, who awarded Wade with the prestigious British Empire Medal. Wade stresses that girls don't need to be persuaded into being interested in science, but rather need the resources and mentorship in place to succeed and stay in science. According to the American Association of University Women, women make up only 28% of the U.S. STEM workforce and earn an average of $25,000 less than their male counterparts…

SUPPORT GIRLS IN STEM Uplift the stories of women and girls in STEM! We suggest listening to “Femmes in STEM” wherever you get your podcasts, or supporting nonprofits like The Scientista Foundation (scientistafoundation.com). MAKE VOTING ACCESSIBLE You can apply to be a poll worker in your community by visiting your local election commission's website. Most of all, be sure to advocate against any restrictive voting laws on the state and national level. FIGHT BOOK BANS Celebrate Banned Books Week year-round! We've put together a guide on how to make a difference in big and small ways. Visit ggg.news/articles/banned-books to learn how to get started! WHAT'S THIS? THIS IS THE GOOD BAR. We believe in celebrating good and then joining in to make a difference. The Good Bar is full of…

While the COVID-19 pandemic increased the social isolation of homebound and senior citizens, helpful initiatives are working to keep folks connected. New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) partners with Citymeals on Wheels to distribute the “Your Met Art Box” to older adults. The art kits feature four cards with full-color images of the museum's permanent collection, along with questions and activities to encourage seniors and Citymeals volunteers to explore and discuss art every week. The box, which is tied to a monthly theme, also includes information book-lets and two stamped postcards that act as free passes to the museum for folks to use or send to loved ones. Volunteers received training from The Met to help engage and facilitate these conversations, and over 1,000 Citymeals volunteers and recipients…

REAL, MESSY HOPE When I was 15 years old, I had the worst panic attacks of my life. I'm talking “attempting-to-climb-up-the-walls” panic attacks. It was horrifying, confusing, and something I wouldn't wish upon any other human being. But the fire-breathing anxiety dragon I onee thought was lethal enough to kill me ended up spitting me out on my bathroom floor, deliriously tired, too weak to stand — and saddled with the knowledge that somehow, the panic attacks did indeed always end. In that haze, the only thing I could point to as fact was that there was something else on the other side of this fear. At first, I could barely make it out in the blur of my reality, but what I eventually came face to face with was…

Chances are, you grew up learning about the massive hole in our ozone layer (aka the world's natural sun shield) and its devastating effects on the planet. Ever wonder why we haven't been hearing so much about it lately? That's because its shrinking and on track to close. When scientists in the mid-1970s began ringing the alarm bells that man-made chemicals in everyday products were harming the ozone layer, it opened up conversations around the collective impact we have on this planet. By 1985, a hole was confirmed in the ozone layer over Antarctica, which allowed excessive ultraviolet radiation to impact humans — including higher rates of skin cancer and eye problems — animals, and our biodiverse ecosystems. This news spurred immediate action from governments and climate activists, which led…

In an unprecedented shift in the last quarter of a century, childhood poverty in the United States has declined by over 50%, according to a report by Child Trends. What was once a statistic of one in every four American children living under the poverty line is now one in every 10 — and relatively even across racial divides. Since 1993, when this decline began, a number of factors have contributed to the decrease in childhood poverty. Lower unemployment rates, higher labor force participation of single mothers, decreased teen pregnancy, and family configurations are all worth analyzing. However, programs like the Earned-Income Tax Credit and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP benefits, commonly referred to as “food stamps”), have had the greatest impact. “This decline in child poverty is very…

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., accounting for an estimated 1.9 million new cancer cases and 609,360 deaths in 2022, according to the National Cancer Institute. However, a report from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) found that more people are surviving the disease than ever — all thanks to advances in cancer research, early screenings, and successful public health campaigns to reduce smoking. According to this report, the overall age-adjusted cancer mortality rate has been declining over the past 30 years. In fact, between 1991 and 2019, the death rate declined by 32%. This, the organization commented, helped save 3.5 million lives. “The U.S. cancer death rate is steadily declining, and more people than ever before are living longer and fuller lives…