Barack Obama seems poised and ready to deal with our major climate issues with the selection of some key players. Jane Lubchenco and John Holden were chosen as two of his top four scientific advisers.

John P. Holdren is a physicist and environmental policy professor at Harvard and will serve as the Obama’s science adviser and as director of the White House Office of Science and Technology.

Jane Lubchenco is a noted marine biologist from Oregon State University and will spearhead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration which overseas ocean and atmospheric studies in addition to performing much of the government’s research on global warming.

“Whether it’s the science to slow global warming; the technology to protect our troops and confront bioterror and weapons of mass destruction; the research to find life-saving cures or the innovations to remake our industries and create 21st century jobs - today more than ever, science holds the key to our survival as a planet and our security and prosperity as a nation,” Mr. Obama said.

Let us hope that Mother Earth is given her share of positive news this upcoming year!

Send your comments our way! We’d love to hear from you.

It’s that time of the year when we look back on what is past and what’s to come. Often the term “resolutions” is bandied about. It’s our way of cleaning the slate, improving ourselves and contributing to a more positive place to live (since ideally, improving yourself improves the world at large as well.)

So what goes wrong? Why do so many New Year’s resolutions fail? And what can you do this year to ensure some new, reasonable and positive changes?

Here’s what one psychologist has to say:

Why do humans pick a single point in time each year to try and change certain things in their life — behaviors, attitudes, whatnot — make resolutions about them, and then proceed to fail at them within a month’s time?

The most popular New Year’s goals people set, according to Miller and Marlatt (1998) are:

• 37% - Starting to exercise
• 13% - Eating better
• 7% - Reducing the consumption of alcohol, caffeine and other drugs, or quitting smoking

According to the same survey, most people — 75 percent — who make a resolution fail on their first attempt and most people — 67 percent — make more than one resolution.

So, from a psychological perspective, it might be interesting to ask what exactly determines how many goals people set and how successful they are. Luckily for us, researchers Mukhopadhyay and Johar (2005) did just that and came to some interesting conclusions.

Their research found that people who believe that self-control is something dynamic, changing and unlimited (e.g., “I can stop smoking, all I have to do is put my mind to it. I can also change my eating and be a better person, it just takes willpower.”) tend to set more resolutions.

People who believe that we all are born with a limited, set amount of self-control that one cannot change (e.g., “I can’t help myself from eating all this chocolate — I inherited the ‘chocolate gene’ from my mom!”) and who also have little belief in their own capabilities to carry out their own goals (they have what psychologists refer to as “low self-efficacy”) naturally did worse on obtaining their New Year’s resolution goals.

As the researchers summarized, individuals with high self-efficacy attribute failure to insufficient effort, while individuals with low self-efficacy attribute failure to deficient ability. Higher self-efficacy generally is correlated with a greater likelihood of achieving one’s goals.

In other words, when you feel your ability to change your behavior is out of your hands, it’s less likely to occur. Here’s some tips to be more successful:

To be successful with your own resolutions:

• Have a strong initial commitment to make a change.
• Have coping strategies to deal with problems that will come up.
• Keep track of your progress. The more monitoring you do and feedback you get, the better you will do.

And make sure to include social contributions as well. While its great to lose some pounds by summertime, it’s even nicer to contribute your time and energy to a worthy cause, even if its something small like helping the elderly man across the street from you. As we see from the heroes of the previous year, they were just like you and I. We can all make some positive news within our community.

Send us your resolutions or examples of positive news. We’d love to hear from you!

Positive news often begins with one person making a small change that grows and expands, almost developing a life of its own. This is the case with Anne Mahlum, a Philadelphia-based runner who decided to recruit several homeless men for her daily jog.

“Why am I running past these guys?” Mahlum asked herself. “I’m moving my life forward every day and these guys are standing in the same spot.”

She contacted the homeless shelter that housed these men, received running gear donations and pretty soon, she had a crew of running partners. “Back On My Feet,” the name of her program, officially hit the streets.

Today, Back on My Feet has 3 Philadelphia-based homeless shelter teams, including 54 homeless members and more than 250 volunteers. The group has logged more than 5,000 miles.

Requirements for shelter residents? They must live in an affiliated facility and be clean and sober for 30 days. Members receive new shoes and running clothes, and teams run together three times a week between 5:30 and 6 a.m.

It’s a diverse group, from homeless shelter residents to doctors.

“All you can tell is who’s the fastest,” says Anne. “You can’t tell who’s homeless and who’s not.”

Watch how the group hits the predawn streets of Philadelphia. »

“Running really is a metaphor for life,” she says. “There is always another mile. You just have to take it one step at a time.”

Ah, the day after the holidays. A collective sigh of relief can be heard. This was a different holiday for many this year. The economy has had an effect on most of us and we were encouraged to look at the real meaning of the holidays, not simply rampant commercialism.

So how can you create some positive news for others this post-holiday season? The answer lies as close as your Christmas tree. Many of us have several gifts under there that just didn’t cut it. So before you hide those unwanted gifts in a closet for the rest of eternity, think of some others who might appreciate it or simply need it. Clothing is a wanted gift for just about any needy family, so are toys that the kids didn’t necessarily take to. Explain to your kids, if you have them, that Santa loves “passing gifts along” so everyone has something!

Spend some time with the overflow of packaging as well. Keep wrapping paper together to either recycle or reuse. Better yet, don’t use wrapping paper when a gift bag will suffice (another item which tends to get reused often.)

The holiday doesn’t end here. Whatever seems like “extra” in your household right now might mean something to someone else. It’s all about regifting!

Positive News for Others - Regift!

Tad Skyler Agoglia is the founder of The First Response Team of America, a self-funded, nonprofit, traveling cleanup crew that provides immediate, emergency aid to areas hit by disasters. Since its inception in May 2007, the team has aided thousands of people in need at 15 disaster sites across the country.

“Initially, I thought I’d respond to one or two storms a year for free,” says Tad. “But the demand has been so great, I couldn’t say no.”

Tad recognized the importance of helping people in need immediately following a disaster, not days or weeks afterwards, which often happens with governmental agencies:

“The most critical phase of a disaster is the first few days. That’s when you have to find the people that are in desperate need of medical attention, food, water.”

At this point, The First Response Team of America is a well-oiled machine, with more than a million dollars worth of advanced emergency response equipment. Not shabby for a small independent business that’s gaining a sterling reputation nationwide.

Source: CNN

Holidays are often a trying time, though it’s a hidden pain. No one wants to be seen as the Scrooge, shunning joy and gratitude. Yet the truth of the matter is many of do have a tough time during this time of the year. How can you add some positive news to your life during the heart of the winter when you may want to crawl inside of a hole?

First, let go of expectations. Expectations run high around the holidays. We want our holidays season to be just like the ones in the movies or magazines. Or maybe you think your neighbor seems to have it all together when your family seems like a dysfunctional mess! Whatever the case, let go this year. Ask yourself, “What can I do to make this holiday good for me?” Maybe its nothing. Maybe its a quiet meal and a good movie. Maybe you could do without the hoopla one year.

Give. Nothing brings you out of the seasonal doldrums more than focusing on others. If you can’t seem to get your act together to do some serious volunteer work, then keep it simple. Maybe you can go to a local park and do some trash pick-up. Maybe there’s an elderly woman you could sit with for an hour. Maybe you haven’t been giving to yourself in a true and sincere manner. Remember, the act of love starts with you and expands, like a ripple in a pond.

Be sad. We live in a culture that just can’t stand negative emotions. In turn, we often feel guilty when we just feel badly. Sadness is a good emotion. It means your human. It means you’ve experienced loss and disappointment and loneliness. It means you’re alive. Allow yourself this holiday to feel sad without the guilt of feeling sad.

Get outside. There’s something about nature that naturally lifts the spirits. Turn off the radio and television for a bit and celebrate the holidays by celebrating the great outdoors. Breathe, be thankful for the cold, blue sky. If you believe in a higher power, be thankful for being alive today. Maybe the holidays can simplified to that: being grateful for life on this earth, in all of its forms.

As CNN celebrates the heroes of 2008, showcasing people who have made a big difference with little resources, only one had a nutty job…literally. Jock Brandis went to Africa in 2002 and was struck by a particular image. He encountered a woman who had bleeding hands from her domestic job of shelling hardened peanuts to feed her family. This was actually a common phenomenon.

This bothered Landis enough that when he returned to the states, he was determined to create a device that would help these women. He eventually found his way to ex-Peanut farmer Jimmy Carter who lent his library for his purposes. Eventually he worked with a Bulgarian scientist and developed an invention that was cost effective and efficient - a universal nut sheller.

He then joined forces with a group of former Peace Corps volunteers and co-created the Full Belly Project in 2003, a nonprofit organization developed to create technologies like the universal nut sheller and distribute them on a worldwide level.

Again, regular people like you and I, making universal differences.

Send your comments or positive news our way! A small story of yours where you or a loved one makes a difference.

Maria Ruiz, an El Paso native, knows life across the border. She knows how much a 30-minute drive can change the landscape. 

“Just by crossing the border, you’re in a Third World country,” Maria said, as she eyes the wooden pallets that are called homes and the makeshift elementary schools. For the last 12 years, she’s taken this trip to bring aid to hundreds of poor families.

“My heart went out to those kids,” says Ruiz “I couldn’t just cross my arms and turn away from it. I needed to do something.”

Ruiz received donations from local El Paso businesses and within a short period, she was running a food program out of her home. She prepared meals in her kitchen and drove the food south to the nearest school in Juarez.

She fed on average 200 children every day for over 3 years but soon, the businesses she depended on, shut down. But that didn’t deter her. She then began working with businesses surrounding El Paso and created a local “giveaway” several times a month, donating food, clothing and furniture.

Juarez was also voted by CNN as one of 10 Top Heroes of 2008.

Another brilliant example of a woman making big change with little resources and a lot of hope.

Source: CNN

Vicky Minor is a major help to firefighters. She is an Idaho resident who founded the Wildland Firefighters Foundation, which supports firefighters in need.

“It’s our job to take care of each other,” said Minor.”The government system is so taxed, they don’t have time to clean up injured firefighters and fatalities.”

Since Minor started work with the foundation in 1999, it has given out $1.5 million in monetary aid and assisted 212 families of fallen firefighters.

“I think people want to help, and they don’t know how,” Minor said.”This is an opportunity for them. It’s the one thing they can do for the firefighters.”

Firefighters often sustain lung damage due to smoke and are prone to brain tumors and lung cancer. Minor explains that there are no benefits that cover fire fighters for these complications.

Says Minor:

“I have been helping with wildland firefighters since the mid ’80s. I’ve seen sheets flying off porches everywhere, which say ‘Thank You Firefighters.’ I always say that’s so nice. My own son’s home burned down in Alaska, and the floor fell down on my grandkid’s bed and if the dogs hadn’t kept waking everyone up they would not be alive.The dogs were left inside the house, and when the firefighters rescued the dogs I started to cry.”

Sometimes we assume that the government is there to help our firemen and civil servants but often agencies are overworked and understaffed. Minor takes matters into her own hands and helps the heroes of our land. What ways can you contribute to the people who tirelessly tend to your community?

Send us your hero of the year!

As 2008 comes to a close, the world takes note of some special people who are contributing to our world with conviction, tenacity and love. Yohannes Gebregeorgis is just such a man. He is a native Ethiopian and a children’s literacy advocate. He has also recently been nominated by CNN as a “Top Hero of the Year.”

Mr. Gebregeorgis worked as a librarian at San Francisco Public Library. He took his knowledge and co-founded “Ethiopia Reads,” a non-profit group that connects Ethiopian children with books. If that doesn’t sound remarkable, it’s important to know that 99% of Ethiopian schools have no libraries; children don’t have access to books - something we take for granted. 67% of the population can’t read. Mr. Gebregeorgis has created 17 libraries to date.

CNN specifically choose people for their “Top 10 Heroes of 2008″ that showcased the ability to make big change in ways that didn’t require money or status - just regular people like you and I making positive news everyday in often simple ways.

Read more about this amazing man, who is making a big difference in our world.

Positive News for Ethiopian Children