Category: World Culture

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Ireland Plans on Planting 440 Million Trees to Help Fight Climate Change

Climate change is altering the world. Some of these changes we can anticipate, but others we are learning about in real time. And even though everyone who’s examined the evidence knows that climate change is occurring and that it is bad, some nations are sitting idly by and acting like their hands are tied.

Others are fighting for the future.

That is exactly what the country of Ireland is trying to do. Over the next 22 years, Ireland has committed to planting 22 million trees each year, totaling to 440 million trees by the year 2040.

Many believe that “revegetating” the natural environment can help to reduce carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. The tree-planting initiative is part of the Irish government’s overall plan to combat climate change, which involves getting to carbon neutral by 2050.

The plan calls for farmers to plant trees, and they will be incentivized for doing so. It’s a bit tricky: some argue that farmers should not be required to plant trees on their own land because it will take away property from their economic crops and cattle. Others have suggested that farmers let land revegetate on its own, so forests can develop naturally.

While there would be greater species diversity if a forest naturally revegetated, it would also take longer for trees to mature that way.

It’s estimated that there are about 3 trillion trees on Earth and that roughly 15 billion are cut down every year by humans.

The action plan from the Irish government says:

“Taking decisive action to confront climate disruption will be a major challenge to every dimension of our society, but the benefits are huge – warmer homes, cleaner air, a sustainable use of the world’s scarce resources, more connected communities, authentic values, and quality jobs in enterprises which can compete in a decarbonised world. This is everyone’s journey. From Government to businesses, communities to householders, climate action is collective action. The Climate Action Plan sets out the Government agenda; see what you can do to play your part.”

If Ireland can do it, it seems like the United States could manage the same, don’t you think?

The post Ireland Plans on Planting 440 Million Trees to Help Fight Climate Change appeared first on UberFacts.

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15 People Share the Things They Believe Have Not Aged Well

Some pieces of technology and pop culture are as (or even more) applicable today as they were the day the made their way into the world.

Others, well…not so much.

For me, one of the most glaring examples of a television show from my youth that is pretty cringe inducing now is Friends. I can hardly watch it (though the younger generation doesn’t seem to have a problem with it).

Below are 15 more things that people on Reddit say should stay forgotten in the past – where they seem to be stuck.

15. This is actually kind of meta, in hindsight, so still funny?

Comment from discussion thecryptidmusic’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

14. This is pretty eerie and not at all cool.

Comment from discussion Sans-CuThot’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

13. So awkward.

Comment from discussion HonchoMinerva’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

12. Just everything about her, really.

Comment from discussion HonchoMinerva’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

11. People on my timeline still do this.

Comment from discussion HonchoMinerva’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

10. Yeah, that’s definitely problematic.

Comment from discussion bitingmyownteeth’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

9. This is just awful. But honestly? Not a fan of the entire film. #sorrynotsorry

Comment from discussion [account deleted]’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

8. This one just made me laugh. Sorry, 3rd grade teacher!

Comment from discussion Nulovka’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

7. That’s tough luck, my friend.

Comment from discussion tzip34’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

6. As long as kids are telling their parents to take them to the movie, it doesn’t have to be good.

Comment from discussion TheBadHalfOfAFandom’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

5. Talk about cringe-inducing.

Comment from discussion Lord_mush’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

4. It’s creepy AND icky.

Comment from discussion MrEmoRemo’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

3. I mean anything Cosby is pretty much cancelled.

Comment from discussion imersial’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

2. No backsies on baby names.

Comment from discussion Phtm’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

1. This guy. Ugh.

Comment from discussion IcePickMan’s comment from discussion "What has NOT aged well?".

Some of these sure are a blast from the past!

Do you agree? Disagree? Have something to add? Sound off in the comments!

The post 15 People Share the Things They Believe Have Not Aged Well appeared first on UberFacts.

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A Scientist Proposed Eating Human Flesh to Combat Climate Change — and It’s Not a Joke

Let’s get the good news first: scientists are coming up with creative ways to battle the effects of climate change. The bad news is that one of them involves cannibalism.

The NY Post reports that a Swedish scientist suggested eating human flesh to combat climate change at a recent summit in Stockholm.

Magnus Soderlund of the Stockholm School of Economics believes that people should consider eating meat derived from already-dead human bodies. Indeed, he presented an entire panel on the topic called “Can You Imagine Eating Human Flesh?”

In the talk, Magnus asserted that “conservative” taboos against cannibalism could change if people simply tried it. He also questioned whether humans are too selfish to “live sustainably” and claimed that cannibalism is the solution to sustainability.

As for himself, Magnus said he’d consider eating human flesh.

“I feel somewhat hesitant but to not appear overly conservative … I’d have to say … I’d be open to at least tasting it,” he told Sweden’s TV4.

Cannibalism is a risky proposal, however. It’s not like history isn’t FULL of examples of people resorting to eating each other, and scientists know that the practice is a health hazard. It can, and has, led to the spread of scary infectious diseases.

In other words, there’s a very good reason why cannibalism is taboo in most societies.

And there’s a very good reason why this scientist’s proposal is now being clowned on Twitter. Thankfully, he did have some more reasonable solutions in mind, such as eating insects.

Yum.

The post A Scientist Proposed Eating Human Flesh to Combat Climate Change — and It’s Not a Joke appeared first on UberFacts.

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These Pictures of Endangered Animals Have as Many Pixels as There Are Remaining Members of the Species

We’re seeing a mass extinction of animals and plants from the face of the earth at a frightening pace. It’s strange to think that our children or grandchildren will live in a world where giraffes or white rhinos could cease to exist in the wild – could, perhaps, vanish altogether.

Every Pixels is one animal. The more pixelated the image, the closer it is to extinction.

The World Wildlife Fund wanted to shine a spotlight on the often-forgotten but still looming tragedy, so they worked with creative designers Nami Hoshino, Yoshiyuki Mikami, and Kazuhiro Mochizuki at Hakuhodo C&D in Tokyo to create the concept of population pixelation.

Image Credit: JJSmooth44

Image Credit: JJSmooth44

Recently, Imgur user JJSmooth44 made a followup to the project then posted it on Imgur and Reddit, and people seem just as taken.

Image Credit: JJSmooth44

Image Credit: JJSmooth44

The results, as you can see, are stark and sad.

Image Credit: JJSmooth44

Sadder still? These population declines are all driven by humans.

Image Credit: JJSmooth44

Image Credit: JJSmooth44

Will we do something to turn the tide in time?

Image Credit: JJSmooth44

That remains to be seen.

Image Credit: JJSmooth44

But as long as there are a few pixels left, there’s still hope.

The post These Pictures of Endangered Animals Have as Many Pixels as There Are Remaining Members of the Species appeared first on UberFacts.

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Your Daily Cup of Tea Might Contain Billions of Microplastics

Let’s start off by saying this: there is no science, as of today, that proves (or disproves) that microplastics are harmful to human beings.

As of today is a pretty big qualifier here, though, and most people believe that inhaling, touching, and/or ingesting tiny plastics all day every day can’t be the best thing in the world.

So your tea? It might be trouble, my friends.

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PLASTIC FREE TEA ANYONE? 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️🍵 . For any tea lovers, we always recommend to have your tea loose and brewed with stainless steel (or other food-grade metals), glass, or ceramic strainer. . Why? Because most of the tea bags sold in the stores are made of plastics and they are releasing billions of micro & nano plastics when came in contact with hot water. Afterall, all we want is a nice cup of tea, not a cup of microplastic brew, don't we? . Both loose tea (with many variants!) and stainless steel tea strainer are available in our stores. You can pop by to see our selections or simply visit our web to have yours delivered right to your doors with our #refillservice! Ps. Keep an eye out on tomorrow #igstories as I will be heading to one of our organic tea garden supplier 🙏 . 📷 @easyecotips . #zerowastebali #zerowastefacts #plasticfacts #plasticteabags #breakfreefromplastic #balibulkfood #loosetea #naturaltea #plasticfree #teaaddict #tealover

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Recently, many tea manufacturers have begun replacing paper teabags with plastic (silken) ones that are both terrible for the environment and, it turns out, capable of releasing loads of microplastics.

Microplastic particles are around 100 nanometers to 5 millimeters in size, and when they get into your teach, you eat them.

The report was published in Environmental Science & Technology by researchers from McGill University in Montreal, and their findings came from examining 4 different types plastic teabags. They heated the bags in water around 200 degrees F (after emptying the bags of tea) and then used electron microscopes to analyze the contents of the water.

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Tea drinkers beware!! Coincidently after drinking this tea last night (a single bag in my tea collection), and article came out today about how some tea bags are made with plastic, and that at a brewing temperature of 95 degrees releases 11.6 billion microplastics into a single cup. 🤯While the #worldhealthorganization says there is no evidence of microplastic having health risks for humans🥵a research team from McGill University in Montreal 🇨🇦believes more research has to be done. (We agree!!!) Just because there is no ‘evidence’ – we’ve seen the effects on marine life…it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to determine this certainly can’t be a good thing!! I’m going to stay away from plastic tea bags (#Teavana, #Tazo) and check for compostable tea bags – thankfully my normal brands(#traditionalmedicinals, #numitea, #yogitea, #stashtea and others, check packaging!!) or use loose leaf in a metal infuser…🤗just in case😉Full article : https://www.newscientist.com/article/2217483-plastic-tea-bags-shed-billions-of-microplastic-particles-into-the-cup/ #beachrelief #tea #plasticteabags #compostableteabags #teatime #cupofplastic #cupoftea

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An average of 11.6 billon microplastics and 3.1 billion nanoplastics were in the water.

The bags are made of a blend of nylon and polyethylene, a form of plastic that’s also found in water bottles.

Like I said up front, the potential effects on human health aren’t known, and the WHO has said that microplastics in drinking water probably won’t harm our bodies…at least not “based on the limited information we have.”

“To date, the health effects of consuming micro- and nanoplastics to humans are still unknown, while the sublethal effects observed in the present study and in other animals (e.g. algae, zooplankton, fish, mice) give an early warning of both environmental risk and possible human health risk,” say the researchers.

That said, scientists around the world have concerns.

“One of the main potential human exposure pathways of micro- and nanoplastics is likely via ingestion, and particle uptake may occur in the digestive tract. Once inside the digestive tract, cellular uptake and subcellular translocation or localization of the ingested particles may occur.”

If you want to try avoiding microplastics just in case, well, good luck. They’re everywhere, from rainwater to snow, in your food, your water, the soil, and so on.

A 2019 study found that the average American consumes over 74,000 of the particles every year.

Which I guess wasn’t accounting for any cups of tea consumed.

I guess we’ll find out eventually whether they’re harmful or not. Hopefully not in the worst way possible.

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10 Facts for You to Chew On

Let’s celebrate some great facts!

You can share them with your friends, families, and enemies, and you can whip them out at your next dinner party so people get really impressed with you.

Trust me, it works.

Now memorize these facts!

1. Those programs don’t work.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

2. Bring this to the USA!

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

3. Wow, that’s quite a story.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

4. She did what she wanted.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

5. Here’s the real math.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

6.  Well, that’s disgusting.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source

7. Have you seen these?

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

8. That’s just a myth.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

9. All kinds of weird hybrids.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

10. Runs in the family.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

Hip, hip, HOORAY!

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Giraffes Hum to Each Other at Night and How Adorable Is That?

Researchers have always assumed that, given their 13-foot-long tracheas, giraffes were silent beings. There has been some speculation that the gentle, odd-looking vegetarians might produce infrasonic sounds too low for the human ear to catch, but it’s never been proven.

At least, until now.

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Dis you know?⬇⬇ Giraffes are very social animals and roam around in groups. These groups, called towers, typically have around 15 members led by an adult male. The other members are females and young males. Tag a friend that needs to see this⬇⬇ Follow @natureeslife Follow @natureeslife • • • • • • Dm your wildlife video for a chance to get featured🐯📩 Tag a friend and follow @natureeslife for more 📈 Credit:@paultje_nl • • • • • • #wildlifeonearth #wildlifeowners #wildlifephotography #wildlifeaddicts #wildlifeindia #seewildlife #destination_wild #ourwildlifedays #wildglobe #natgeowild #tigers #animalelite #giraffe #wildgeography #thedodo #naturelife #wondermore #folkcreative #animals #fantasticearth #earthscope #stayandwonder #discoverearth #roamtheplanet #moodygrams #giraffes #exploretocreate #artofvisuals #visualambassadors #fantasticearth

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Researchers at the University of Vienna have spent the last 8 years gathering 947 hours of giraffe noises from zoos around Europe, and have come out with some very interesting – and unexpected – findings.

Not only do giraffes hum to each other at night, but they hum at frequencies that humans can actually hear (around 92 Hertz).

The report in BMC Research Notes, expands:

“Based on their acoustic structure, these vocalizations might function as communicative signals to convey information about the physical and motivational attributes of the caller.”

According to Wired:

“Giraffes have excellent vision, so their primary means of communication is thought to be visual signals during daylight hours. As prey animals, it also makes sense that they might not want to make loud noises that can attract the attention of predators. But when vision is impaired at night, low frequency humming might be a great way to make sure the herd stays together.”

More research is needed to correlate the sounds to giraffe behaviors, but scientists suspect the humming might convey information about age, gender, sexual arousal, dominance, and other things that are less understood.

Researchers more firmly believe that the sounds could be meant to keep the herd together at night, or help wanderers find their way back to safety.

Take a listen:

It’s pretty cool, if you ask me. Were I a giraffe, there would be something reassuring about knowing the others would be there all night, making it easy to get some rest.

There’s safety in numbers, after all.

The post Giraffes Hum to Each Other at Night and How Adorable Is That? appeared first on UberFacts.

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A Couple in Hawaii Invented a Mobile Shower Service for the Homeless

None of us are as secure as we think. An unfortunate series of events might unexpectedly occur one day that left you homeless. In fact, a lot of people are only one medical disaster or one unlucky break at work from being evicted or forced onto the streets.

Craig and Danica Shoji are a couple who are trying to do their part to help out Honolulu, Hawaii’s homeless population by making them “feel like humans again.” How are they doing it? They created mobile showers so homeless folks can get clean and feel better about themselves.

This may not seem like a big deal to those of us who live in apartments or houses, but to someone who is out on the streets every single day, it can be a huge gift.

Craig Shoji first had the idea to help the homeless when he was in San Francisco in 2015. He said “good morning” to a homeless man and the person was surprised and touched by the encounter because he said that no one ever spoke to him on the street. The Shojis decided then that they would do what they could to “just treat people like normal people.”

They began by creating Laundry Love, which provided clean clothes to homeless men and women. That eventually grew into Revive + Refresh which provides people on the streets with mobile showers as well as hot meals.

View this post on Instagram

Here today at Blanche Pope Elementary School

A post shared by Revive + Refresh (@reviverefresh) on

The Shojis have a trailer with two showers and they take it to events around Honolulu. People are allowed 15 minutes in the shower stalls, which are stocked with supplies. Homeless people are also invited to eat hot meals after their showers.

Craig Shoji said, “It’s amazing what a simple shower and a hot meal can do to uplift someone’s spirits, boost their confidence, and rekindle their motivation to keep fighting the good fight.”

This is an incredible idea from two people who are clearly living their best lives. Great job!

The post A Couple in Hawaii Invented a Mobile Shower Service for the Homeless appeared first on UberFacts.

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A Couple in Hawaii Invented a Mobile Shower Service for the Homeless

None of us are as secure as we think. An unfortunate series of events might unexpectedly occur one day that left you homeless. In fact, a lot of people are only one medical disaster or one unlucky break at work from being evicted or forced onto the streets.

Craig and Danica Shoji are a couple who are trying to do their part to help out Honolulu, Hawaii’s homeless population by making them “feel like humans again.” How are they doing it? They created mobile showers so homeless folks can get clean and feel better about themselves.

This may not seem like a big deal to those of us who live in apartments or houses, but to someone who is out on the streets every single day, it can be a huge gift.

Craig Shoji first had the idea to help the homeless when he was in San Francisco in 2015. He said “good morning” to a homeless man and the person was surprised and touched by the encounter because he said that no one ever spoke to him on the street. The Shojis decided then that they would do what they could to “just treat people like normal people.”

They began by creating Laundry Love, which provided clean clothes to homeless men and women. That eventually grew into Revive + Refresh which provides people on the streets with mobile showers as well as hot meals.

View this post on Instagram

Here today at Blanche Pope Elementary School

A post shared by Revive + Refresh (@reviverefresh) on

The Shojis have a trailer with two showers and they take it to events around Honolulu. People are allowed 15 minutes in the shower stalls, which are stocked with supplies. Homeless people are also invited to eat hot meals after their showers.

Craig Shoji said, “It’s amazing what a simple shower and a hot meal can do to uplift someone’s spirits, boost their confidence, and rekindle their motivation to keep fighting the good fight.”

This is an incredible idea from two people who are clearly living their best lives. Great job!

The post A Couple in Hawaii Invented a Mobile Shower Service for the Homeless appeared first on UberFacts.

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15 Times People Did Their Part to Help out the Environment

These gestures might be small, but small things add up in the end. And we all need to do our part to help out the environment cause it is not doing great, folks.

Whether it’s recycling, using less water, cutting down on electricity, or any number of things, DO YOUR PART.

These people sure did, and the ideas are wonderful.

Take a look.

1. A great idea.

The Cafe at my closest beach gives free drinks to people who collect a bucket of litter from the beach from mildlyinteresting

2. That is very impressive.

Turns out my pencil is made of recycled newspaper! from mildlyinteresting

3. Good beer, too!

Carlsberg using glue to make six packs instead of plastic. from mildlyinteresting

4. Plant it when you’re done with it.

Got an event bracelet that can be planted from mildlyinteresting

5. Get rid of those pesky cups.

An ice cream cup made of banana leaves from mildlyinteresting

6. Bake some bread!

My grocery store started selling overripe bananas for cheap with a recipe for banana bread on the bag from mildlyinteresting

7. Keep it going.

You can charge this battery with a micro USB from mildlyinteresting

8. Eliminates so many bottles.

Refill Station at Simon Fraser University, Canada. from ZeroWaste

9. Not plastic, but plant starch.

This cup is made from plant starch, not plastic from mildlyinteresting

10. Plant your pencil.

My pencil has seeds on the tip, so when it’s too small to use it you can plant it and a tree will grow out of it from mildlyinteresting

11. Reducing more waste is crucial.

This super market had tiny paper bags instead of plastic containers to reduce waste from mildlyinteresting

12. Much better than discarding it.

Every day after closing, this local bakery leaves out a bag of their unsold pastries that people can take from freely instead of throwing them away and make unnecessary waste from mildlyinteresting

13. These look great!

The bowling alley in my neighbourhood tore up old lanes and used them to renovate the washrooms. from pics

14. Get rid of those butts.

I bought a pack of cigarettes and they came with a postage paid recycling pouch. from mildlyinteresting

15. This is awesome!

I don’t know about you, but I find all of those examples very inspiring.

What are you doing to help out the environment? Share your ideas in the comments!

The post 15 Times People Did Their Part to Help out the Environment appeared first on UberFacts.