For the 129th thru 131st consecutive weeks, the Center for Peace & Conflict Studies has compiled a list of acts of kindness and peace. The initiative began as a response to COVID-19 and the racism pandemic but has broadened to include any act of compassion or service to others. Please share these stories. If you have stories of positive acts people/organizations are taking and you would like to share them, please email them to Madison Pavone peacecenter@bsu.edu. All the stories starting from week 1 are available online. Additionally, you can follow the Peace Center on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) at bsu4peace.
Week 129
Man Breaks into School to Save Lives During the Northeastern Christmas Blizzard
In Buffalo, New York, a school alarm blared at Edge Academy on Christmas Eve. However, due to one of the worst snowstorms that have struck New York in the last decade, its call went unanswered. Though, when the Police finally arrived sometime later, it didn’t seem like a “smash and grab” to be upset over. A note was left on the table which contained an apology for breaking the window, as well as for having to borrow the snowblower to rescue others who were trapped in their vehicles. When Police discovered the surveillance footage, they were brought to tears. “We witnessed people taking care of other people,” said a report on the Department’s Facebook Page. After breaking in, Jay went back out into the storm, finding 24 people and two dogs whom he brought to safety. When everyone was safe, they only utilized food and water which was necessary to survive; even cleaning when it was safe to evacuate the building. After they did find the 27-year-old, he received enormous amounts of praise online. One officer tweeted, ‘Because of Jay Withey, people are still alive.’
Source: https://www.wtkr.com/news/national-news/man-breaks-into-school-to-save-lives-during-blizzard
Historic wins for LGBTQ+ nominees in this year’s midterm elections
In this last midterm election in early November, there were a record number of LGBTQ+ nominees eligible for offices around the country. Out of the 678 LGBTQ candidates, at least 340 have won their races, beating the previous record of 336 in the 2020 election. Many of the LGBTQ candidates who ran were a part of an underrepresented part of the LGBTQ community such as people of color or trans and nonbinary people. This type of representation in our government is important for young LGBTQ people who need their rights protected and need to see people like them involved in the government.There were many firsts this year with several notable winners. Among the elected were the country’s two first openly lesbian governors, Maura Healy in Massachusetts and Tina Kotek in Oregon. Erick Russel has become the first Black LGBTQ person elected to a Connecticut state office. In New Hampshire, James Rosener became the first trans member to be elected to any United States state legislature. Zooey Zephyr will be Montana’s first openly trans person in the state’s legislature and has won by almost 80% of the votes. Alaska voted has elected its first three LGBTQ politicians into the state legislature, Ashley Carrick, Jeannie Armstrong, and Andrew Gray.
Despite these amazing wins for the LGBTQ+ community's representation in the government, it is far from equitable. In fact, according to NPR, “the U.S. needs to elect more than 35,000 additional out LGBTQ people to office” among all levels of government in order to reach equal representation to the general public. Additionally, we must remember the over 300 pieces of anti-LGBTQ pieces of legislation that have been introduced over the past year and are continually being introduced which target trans people specifically. Though representation matters and always will matter, we must stay focused on keeping this underrepresented community safe.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2022/11/14/1136165932/lgbtq-candidates-elections-winners
Wax Worms Could be the next big helper in plastic pollution
A scientist has recently discovered an enzyme in the saliva of wax worms that breaks down polyethylene within hours. This scientist, an amateur beekeeper, was cleaning out a hive that had become infested with wax worms, a moth larvae. They found the larvae started eating holes in the plastic bag, and after some research, they were able to determine this was due to a degrading enzyme within the larvaes’ saliva. Wax worms get their name due to them living and growing in the honeycombs of beehives. They are able to feed on beeswax, which is believed to be a possible reason for how they evolved these plastic-eating enzymes. Polyethylene is a type of plastic that makes up 30% of all plastic production worldwide. It is used in backs and packaging and is a significant portion of the world’s plastic pollution. Scientists are hopeful this discovery could lead to a new way of recycling polyethylene into valuable chemicals or even new plastic. By creating new, recycled plastic, manufacturers could avoid using oil to make new plastic. Although this is an exciting discovery, much more research needs to be done to develop this into a new strategy for plastic waste disposal. According to the Guardian, a 2021 study found other bacteria within oceans and soils that have begun evolving to eat plastic. “It found 30,000 different enzymes that might degrade 10 different types of plastics.”
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/04/wax-worm-saliva-rapidly-breaks-down-plastic-bags-scientists-discover
Week 130:
This border collie is helping keep his city's streets clean
Many, even dogs, are doing their part to help the planet. A 13-year-old border collie named Scruff lives in England with his owners Yvonne and David Grant. After a visit to the vet, Scruff was not allowed to fetch sticks over concerns he was scratching the inside of his mouth. Instead, Scruff began to pick up water bottles during his daily walks. "This is a focus, a job for him," Yvonne Grant told Today. Grant estimates that Scruff picks up five bottles a day, which is roughly 1,800 a year. Scruff’s owners have started a Facebook page to share their pups' good deeds and send a positive message regarding helping the planet. “We’ve all got to save the planet and look after it somehow,” says David.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/01/02/1146543129/this-13-year-old-border-collie-is-saving-the-environment-one-bottle-at-a-time
New Evidence Unearthed by Podcasters Frees 2 Men Wrongfully Imprisoned for 25 Years
A podcast and non-profit brought evidence of the innocence of two wrongfully imprisoned men to light so they could spend Christmas with their families. As teenagers, Darrell Lee Clark and Cain Joshua Storey were found guilty of the 1996 murder of their 15-year-old friend. Last year, Simpson and Davis began interviewing the state's two key witnesses for their podcast, "Proof." Interviewees on the Proof podcast admitted that Clark's and Storey's false testimony was coerced by the police. With assistance from The Georgia Innocence Project, Clark and Storey were able to receive retrials. Both inmates had all charges dropped, and they were able to spend Christmas with their families for the first time in over twenty years.
Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/new-evidence-unearthed-podcasters-frees-2-georgia-men-wrongfully-impri-rcna61288
5 U.S. States Are Repaving Roads With Unrecyclable Plastic Waste–And Results Are
Impressive
Plastic waste such as bags, water bottles, and printer cartridges is being recycled into aggregate material for road mixtures across the country. Pilot programs are occurring in states like California, Hawaii, Missouri, and Pennsylvania, with help from transportation and environmental regulators ensuring their efficiency. In California, a shoulder of Highway 99 in Elk Grove has been completed entirely with ink cartridges. Similarly, in Hawaii, a recycled polymer mixture utilizing 150,000 water bottles is being used to pave a road near Cormorant Avenue. If successful, these programs could pose substantial benefits in reducing pollution and mining efforts; not to mention a boost in available jobs with the incorporation of the program.
Source: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/these-5-u-s-states-are-repaving-roads-this-year-with-unrecyclable-plastic-waste-the-results-are-impressive/
Week 131:
Plumber helps people survive through the cost-of-living crisis
This story begins with James Anderson, a plumber from the UK, who was on the job one day, and asked by a customer for his opinion on refitting their boiler. When Anderson found out that the first plumber this customer hired was trying to charge over $5,000 for the service, Anderson knew a scam was taking place. He decided to take this issue up with the people from this customer’s first plumbing service and ended up with a free boiler and around $1,000 in compensation for the customer. For Anderson, this incident raised concerns for vulnerable low-income families, elderly, and disabled individuals. So, he decided to create a service, known as Disability and Elderly Plumbing and Heating Emergency Repair, or Depher. This service provides people in need with free and discounted plumbing repairs. Anderson’s initiative also combats scams, has a welfare fund to pay gas and electric bills, and food deliveries. Depher has helped more than 19,000 people so far, and with winter coming up, demands are expected to grow. Depher is based in Lancashire, England, but has expanded nationwide. Funds come from Anderson’s paying jobs and donations, some of which come from major energy companies. Anderson is also motivated by increases in costs of living, he says, “Whatever a family or someone in a vulnerable situation needs, if they can’t find help elsewhere, they turn to us for a solution. We can’t just sit back – for some people it’s a matter of life and death.”
Source: https://www.karunanews.org/story/9519/plumber-led-support-network-keeping-people-warm-this-winter
Doctor saves 2 lives during half-marathon
In the 12 years he's been a cardiologist, Dr. Steve Lome said he's never had to give anyone CPR outside of his shift, and he's certainly never had to do it twice. That all changed in November when Lome was running the Monterey Bay Half Marathon in California. Around the third mile, Gregory Gonzalez, a judge from Washington, fell down in front of Lome, hitting his head on the pavement. Lome immediately began to give him CPR, and after several minutes, he was transferred to an ambulance. Lome jumped back into the race, but not long after crossing the finish line, the same thing happened again — this time, it was Michael Heilemann who fell to the ground, hitting his head. Lome, who rushed to give him CPR as well, later learned that both men had blockages that led to cardiac arrests, and they received stents in their coronary arteries. Lome, Gonzalez, and Heilemann plan to race the half-marathon together in 2023. "There's not a day that goes by that I don't have tears of joy," Gonzales told USA Today. "Absolute joy. I'm here with a second chance at this life."
https://www.today.com/video/california-cardiologist-saves-lives-of-2-runners-during-half-marathon-158908485873
Indiana Volunteer Firefighters Save Goose From Frozen Fate
A Canada goose was recently freed from frozen sand after becoming trapped on the shores of Lake Michigan amid frigid temperatures. The Porter Volunteer Firefighters of Porter, Indiana, were able to make the rescue on Dec. 26, according to a Facebook post shared by The Indiana Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division (Indiana DNR Law Enforcement). "To prevent further risk to the public and to help the animal, a quick call to Porter Volunteer Firefighters, Inc. was made, and the goose was safely removed from the frozen beach," the agency wrote on Facebook. Since the removal, the goose has been taken to a wildlife rehabilitation and veterinary facility for any further treatment, Indiana DNR Law Enforcement shared on Facebook.
Source: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/firefighters-rescue-goose-frozen-to-wet-sand-at-indiana-dunes-state-park/ar-AA15ILbc