Congress approved production and tax credits for the renewable energy businesses as part of its $700 billion bail-out package for the financial industry.

As part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, Congress ensured that renewable energy would be rewarded for its steps toward a cleaner environment.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California relayed that she is “pleased that the bill includes an extension of tax cuts for clean renewable energy that will create and save half a million good-paying paying jobs in America immediately.”

This part of the energy bill did not make the cut last year when it was denied in the Senate. Now, renewable energy jobs are becoming increasingly critical to a sagging economy as well as being fundamental in a society less reliant on fossil fuel.

Greg Wetstone, who is the senior director of governmental and public affairs at the American Wind Energy Association, released in a statement:

“We salute Members of Congress in both parties who fought under difficult conditions to keep the renewable energy production tax credit and small turbine investment tax credit on the agenda until the very end, and then pushed them across the finish line. These tax credits are essential to the continued growth of wind energy, to the economic and energy security of the United States, and to a successful beginning in the fight against global warming.”

The one year tax credit extension applies to other energy sources as well, such as geothermal; closed-loop biomass; hydropower; landfill gas and trash combustion facilities.

It’s good to know that during these difficult times, people who are making an environmental difference are also becoming key players in the economy as well.

Wind turbine and flag at the Maple Ridge Wind Farm in Lewis County, New York

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Can small towns ban a boogie? Apparently, they can try. In Queen Creek, Arizona, restaurateur Dale Bell, owner of San Tan Flat Saloon & Grill, successfully fought a citation that banned outdoor dancing at his venue. As more small businesses desperately struggle against an increasingly bureaucratic atmosphere in today’s mega-corporate environment, this victory proves that the “small guys” can still prevail.

An ancient ruling on the books in this area declared that no dancing would be allowed in an outdoor, commercially owned area and that the owners should “physically restrict” anyone from attempting to sway their hips. It did allow puppet show and mime, strangely enough.

“This case is certainly one of the most absurd and strange abuses of government power that we have come across,” said Jennifer Perkins, a staff attorney from the Institute for Justice, representing Bell. “But it’s a great example of what can happen when a local government really gets free reign over the individuals in their territory.”

Bell claims the county did anything it could to shut down and/or fine the establishment for any infraction, including noise infractions and health code infractions.

“They threw everything but the kitchen sink at us,” Bell said.

Bell lost his first two battles with the county but finally prevailed when a state judge sided with Bell, even though the legal battle took its toll on Bell’s business.

“I was trying to teach my kid how to become a small businessman and enjoy the American dream,” Bell said. “What I really showed him was that the American dream has become the American nightmare. Small business is under attack, and it’s about all that’s left that’s good about the American economy.”

But this small business DID prevail during a trying time for small businesses. And patrons at Bell’s restaurant can now dance about it!

When you see a teenager making such a difference to the world, you begin to realize the potential of youth - and indirectly, the potential of all of us to make a difference now.

Rosetta Ragusa is such a teenager. Since she was 14 years old, she began using her weekends to collect money for SOS Children’s Villages - USA. Whether collecting from friends and neighbors or spending time in front of local grocery stores informing passers-by, this girl is keeping busy!

“I first became interested in SOS-USA when I was given an advanced history assignment and had to research a service project,” Ragusa says. “Once I learned of the impact SOS-USA has around the world, I took my assignment out of the classroom and into the real world.”

Ragusa began specifically exploring the various ways that conflict and disease have taken a toll on Ugandan children. She spread her knowledge by teaching the people around her - friends, family members and the community at large in a grassroots, take charge fashion.

“Rosetta Ragusa is an exceptional example of a well-intentioned young woman who knows that each one of us can make a difference. We are thrilled to have her volunteering for us, and we support and commend Rosetta for everything she is doing,” says Heather Paul, CEO of SOS-USA.

“It makes me feel blessed that young kids in my community recognize me for my passion for SOS-USA, but to myself I am just an ordinary girl in a big world trying to help Ugandan people.” says Ragusa.

More about SOS Children’s Villages - USA

SOS Children’s Villages was founded in 1949 to provide families for orphaned and abandoned children. Today there are over 450 villages in 132 countries around the world. The mission of SOS is to build families for children in need, help them shape their own futures and share in the development of their communities. To learn more, visit SOS Children’s Villages - USA

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The Fuertes’s Parrot has recently found a home in an ever-changing world that doesn’t seem to offer them a habitat anymore. American Bird Conservancy and their partner group Fundación ProAves, recently created the first private protected area to help the critically endangered Fuertes’s Parrot. This species only exists in Columbia, in an area devastated by deforestation.

In 2002, Fundación ProAves President Alonso Quevedo discovered a flock of 14 Fuerte’s Parrots. Thought to already be extinct, Alonso was thrilled. The species has not been spotted since 1911. As of this date, their numbers have grown to 160 - a still precarious figure.

“By conserving these remaining patches of forest and taking other steps to help, we are giving this species a new lease on life,” said Paul Salaman, the American Bird Conservancy’s Director.

The conservancy group has a “bigger picture” plan as well - expanding their 5,000 acre reserve as well as developing an outreach program that includes the “Parrot Bus.”

“Since 2005, the ‘Parrot Bus’ has taken the conservation message out to local communities across the Central Andes – the priority zone for all threatened parrots in Colombia,” said Alonso Quevedo.

The bus is a mobile classroom, reaching remote communities in Columbia and hosting workshops for children and adults alike, teaching them about the importance of conservancy and biodiversity.

More positive news for a small group making big changes for a bird in jeopardy.

We all know but have trouble believing it - the way someone shakes your hand speaks volumes about their personality. According a recent study at the University of Iowa, a handshake can beat out a resume or a spiffy outfit as far as qualified personality indicators.

Researches at the University set up mock interviews for 98 business school students with local employers, who then ranked them according to their employability. The students were also met by five trained handshake experts, who ranked each student according to the firmness of their grip.

Interestingly, no matter how well the student fared during the interview, the handshake was the most persuasive predictor of whether he or she would land the job.

“We found that the first impression begins with a handshake that sets the tone for the rest of the interview,” researcher George Stewart said. “We probably don’t consciously remember a person’s handshake or whether it was good or bad. But the handshake is one of the first nonverbal clues we get about the person’s overall personality, and that impression is what we remember.”

A good handshake doesn’t necessarily have to be about a strong grip. An overly firm grip could be deemed too aggressive. A persuasive handshake is about genuinely matching and connecting with the person with which you are meeting. Can you improve your handshake? Sure. Simply being aware that you want to send a positive message with your handshake is often enough!

Shake Hands Like You Mean It!

In a sublime act of social protest, 3 women tied themselves to a crab apple tree, protecting it from its removal and protecting themselves against eviction.

Lea Perrone (64) and Pat Henry (65) and Ethel Casey endured several days tied to their beloved tree which the Shrewsbury Housing Authority had intended to cut down in order to relocate a trash bin. After days worth of protest, they received eviction notices.

Not to be deterred, the women hired a lawyer, Christopher Uhl. After some deliberation, the housing authority agreed not to evict the women…and the crab tree could stay. A resident advisory board would also be established, to protect tenants in the future.

Perrone said she was encouraged and proud that she took a civic stand for her rights - and the rights of a beloved tree.

”I hope that everybody involved is going to try to get along, as a whole,” she said. ”It’s not good for the town or anybody to have to live like this.”

Elderly Women Making a Difference!

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We all have our forgetful moments. Most of the times, we admonish ourselves for it, as if mistakes were a sign of our flaw-filled nature. But we’re human and it’s alright to forget.

Of course, occasionally the stakes can be higher than misplacing some sunglasses or our car keys.

Ann Roggen is a violist with NJ Symphony Orchestra who had one of those “whoops” moments when she left her $40,000 viola in a New York City cab. She didn’t take a receipt but the Taxi and Limousine Commission was able to track down her prized musical instrument using a GPS to figure out which cab had taken her from the Fairway back to her Upper West Side apartment.

When the TLC contacted the driver, Deniz Getting, he was sound asleep. But when he got the messages and checked the backseat of his car, there was the viola, safe and sound.

As for Roggen, she promises to “always make sure to take a receipt.”

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Buddy is not your average German shepherd - though German shepherds are far from average dogs. They are extremely intelligent and fiercely loyal dogs. But when Buddy’s owner, Joe Stalnaker, had a seizure in his Phoenix home, it was Buddy who called 911. That’s right - a dog called 911 and got the help his owner needed.

Buddy was adopted from a Michigan-based clinic called “Paws with a Cause” which trains assistance dogs. Buddy, at the age of 18 months old, is able to press programmed buttons until an operator is online. The operator then sees on the screen that this household has a trained dog to aid and assist in medical emergencies. The operator dispatches help immediately.

So what can be heard on the recording of the 911 call? Whimpering and barking.

Once the dog’s owner was rushed to the hospital, he spent several days recovering…and grateful he had such a well-trained and intelligent dog.

Buddy and his owner Joe Stalnaker

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Positive News for Old Text

The world has gone digital - there’s no doubt there! And sometimes it can seem overwhelming, being bombarded by tons of useless information online (except for this of course!) But the Internet can also be an amazing tool that gives you rare opportunities to experience, research and learn about topics that otherwise might be impossible.

Take the book Forme of Cury. It is one of the 40 rare and ancient manuscripts that’s getting a digital treatment thanks to the hard work of University of Manchester’s John Rylands University Library.

What is Forme of Cury? An ancient cookbook used by master chefs in 1390 when preparing meals for none other than King Richard II.

Digitisation has made it possible to review these complex and unusual recipes (like blank mang - a recipe including meat, milk, sugar, and almonds) and also to preserve the physical text, which is inherently fragile. So if you want to “eat like a king,” remember, its just a keystroke away.

A Lebanese couple in the city of Tyre were in for quite a surprise during their oyster lunch. While consuming one of the bivalves, Raymond Salha’s wife made an amazing discovery - one of her oysters contained 26 pearls inside!

Realizing their value, the couple contacted the city’s maritime museum who sent a team over to examine the goods. The team took the pearls and the oyster away for closer examination. The report back? The team only counted 25 pearls (though Salha insists that there was 26!)

And while the pearls themselves aren’t worth a tremendous sum of money, the fact of one oyster containing so many pearls is highly unusual and impressive.

Currently the oyster and the pearls are on display at the restaurant. When asked whether the owners plan on reporting the oyster to the Guinness Book of World Records, Salha had this this to say:

”If they read about it and find that it is a record, then they can come and record it themselves,” he said.

In the meantime, Salha will wonder what happened to that 26th pearl.

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