Inspiring News Articles
Excerpts of Highly Inspiring News Articles in Major Media
Below are one-paragraph excerpts of highly inspiring news articles from the major media. Links are provided to the original inspiring news articles on their media websites. If any link fails, read this webpage. The most inspiring news articles are listed first. You can also explore the news articles listed by order of the date posted. For an abundance of other highly inspiring material, see our Inspiring Resources page. May these inspiring news articles inspire us to find ever more ways to love and support each other and all around us to be the very best we can be.
Popcorn could soon be used to create sustainable insulation for buildings, replacing the current non-biodegradable materials. Scientists have invented a method to create sustainable building insulation boards using "granulated" popcorn with "excellent" thermal insulation properties and good protection against fire. The plant-based, environmentally friendly material is a sustainable alternative to current building insulation products that are derived from petroleum, said scientists from the University of Göttingen in Germany. About 90 per cent of the materials currently used to make insulation for buildings are made of plastics or mineral fibre, which are non-biodegradable, according to the scientists. These materials generate carbon dioxide during their manufacturing stages and are also rarely recycled when a building is torn down, contributing to pollution and making them unsustainable. Conventional insulating materials made of polystyrene also tend to damage the environment, the scientists pointed out. On the contrary, the researchers said, granulated popcorn is similar to polystyrene and just as lightweight, without having the synthetic material's downsides. "This new process, based on that of the plastics industry, enables the cost-effective production of insulation boards at an industrial scale," Alireza Kharazipour, head of the research group from the University of Göttingen, said in a statement.
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On the snowy shore of the northern Swedish city of LuleĂĄ, bathers are lowering themselves into a rectangular hole in the frozen seawater. "It's like a happiness rush afterwards," says Katariina Yliperttula, 44, who is taking a dip before work. While many have their own hobbies that keep them going through the cold dark winter months here – ice swimming, cross-country skiing, walking on the "ice road" out into the archipelago – one thing remains a problem: loneliness. In an attempt to counter that, authorities in LuleĂĄ have launched a campaign to ease that social isolation, ever so slightly, by encouraging people to say hello to one another. The Säg hej! (say hello!) campaign says it aims to create a friendlier city by nudging people towards small but significant social interactions. Adverts are running on buses, and workshops are being held in schools. Recent research found that among 16- to 29-year-olds, 45% of people in LuleĂĄ were experiencing problems as a result of loneliness. Ă…sa Koski, who works for LuleĂĄ municipality, came up with the idea for the campaign. She wants the city, which is undergoing a period of rapid growth as it tries to attract tens of thousands of new people to work in "green" industry ... to not grow more atomised as a result. "We don't just want that LuleĂĄ is going to grow as a city; we want LuleĂĄ to be a pleasant and safe and friendly city," says Koski. Being greeted by strangers makes people feel "more seen and a bit more like you belong", she adds.
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