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Recycling

Recycling can save the planet. We can do it together.

Recycling can save the planet. We can do it together.
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The Recycling Partnership

If you live in a major metropolitan area, you've probably complained about the fact that "garbage night" means that you're going to have to spend at least five minutes of walking downstairs, pulling your trash, compost, and recycling bins on the curb, and then debating whether you'll bring them back in first thing in the morning or on the way home from work.

Right now, you're probably thinking about what a bother it might be to have to put your shoes on and leave the comfortable warmth of your living room to ensure that all your trash and recycling is gone in the morning. So here's something to consider as you pull your slippers on: According to a new study by The Recycling Partnership, easy access to curbside recycling is a privilege a large number of Americans don't have.

The report, published in early 2020, explains that only half of Americans have the same access to curbside recycling as they do trash. Furthermore, many people who do have access to curbside recycling services don't use them at all, and those that do are not participating as fully as they could be. On average, that means only 32 percent of what's recyclable in the U.S. home actually makes its way to the recycling plant. More than 20 million tons of curbside recycling are lost to landfills each year.

How is this a problem? Not to get you down just as you're being reminded to take the recycling out, but landfill space problem is a real issue in the United States. As more and more garbage gets sent to the local dump, the space to leave it becomes rarer and rarer. Some landfills are already approaching capacity. And, according to the National Institutes of Health, not recycling puts a huge strain on non-renewable resources. When we don't recycle paper, for instance, more wood needs to be harvested to create fresh new sheets. And when it comes to aluminum, it takes 95 percent more energy to create it from raw materials than it does to reuse recycled metals. And making metal from scrap rather than new ore uses 40 percent less water and creates more than 90 percent less mining waste.

The Recycling Partnership

With all that in mind, it's clear that recycling isn't just necessary but something we all need to engage in to continue saving the environment. But in order for recycling to thrive and expand (especially to those who don't have access to curbside recycling), The Recycling Partnership makes clear that everyone from individuals to huge corporations need to step up and do their part to make renewing and reusing a regular and sustainable part of our lives.

"Every day we hear from citizens, communities, policy makers, corporate leaders, and other organizations who all want the same thing – a stronger recycling system," says The Recycling Partnership's CEO, Keefe Harrison. "It will take bold public-private partnership and leadership to make lasting improvements. Now is the time for action."

So how can we all step up to increase our recycling power? (Hey, it's kind of like being a superhero!) On an organizational level, it's imperative that we push for greater support of community recycling programs in our communities. And this doesn't mean that we just put out our bins every week. It means we need to lean on our governments for stronger policies and funding. That we demand corporations provide capital funding and technical assistance, and that recycling becomes not just an environmental but political issue when we're choosing which elected officials to give our support.

It's also time that we got more into recycling, too. That means making more of an effort to learn what is and isn't accepted for recycling in your community (pro-tip: check your community's recycling webpage) and understanding how the recycling system works so you know how we all play a role in making recycling successful. Maybe it means speaking to your family, friends, and roommates, or your colleagues at work. Maybe it's leading a recycling initiative at work. One thing's for certain — recycling can't succeed without all of us working together.

The Recycling Partnership

And here's what success looks like. If stakeholders from all levels of the chain participate more fully in recycling, The Recycling Partnership's study found that expanded recycling programs could result in conserving approximately 154 million barrels of oil and reducing gas emissions by 96 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. What does that look like in terms of impact to the environment? It's like taking more than 20 million cars off U.S. highways. And just as important: expanded recycling programs could create more than 370,000 full-time jobs, meaning more recycling would make a positive impact on both the environment and the economy.

"The state of the planet's health demands dedicated and swift action to protect natural resources and abate climate change," says Harrison.

That change can't happen without you.

Teachers

Florida teacher fired for giving zeros to students who didn't turn in assignments

The lowest grade that teachers are allowed to give students is a 50.

Diane Tirado/Facebook

Left: Teacher Diane Tirado. Right: The note she left for students after being fired.

If you're of the mind that kids today are being coddled and not properly prepared for the real world, well, you might want to buckle up for this one. The story out of a public school in Florida has parents and teachers alike up in arms.

A Florida teacher was fired for giving her students zeros for missing assignments. Diane Tirado has been a teacher for years. Most recently, she was an eighth-grade history teacher at Westgate K-8 School in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Diane recently gave her students two weeks to complete an Explorer notebook project, but several students simply didn't hand it in. Since there was zero work done, Diane gave them zeros.

She got fired for it.

schools, teachers, education, grades, students, parentsMichael Scott from The Office saying "What?"Giphy

The elementary school has a rule called the “no zero policy."

The lowest possible grade that teachers can give students is a 50, even if they don't turn anything in. That means that an extremely poor completed assignment is worth the same number of points as no assignment at all.

Hardly seems fair, right? Westgate is far from the only school that has such a policy, however.

whiteboard, education, classroom, teacher, middle school, 8th grade A message written on the whiteboard for her students after Diane Tirado was firedDiane Tirado/Facebook

It's a rule that Diane, unsurprisingly, does not agree with. After she was fired for disobeying, she left her students a charming goodbye message on the whiteboard.

"Bye kids. Mrs. Tirado loves you and wishes you the best in life. I have been fired for refusing to give you a 50 percent for not handing anything in. Love, Mrs. Tirado"

The scale, as outlined by the school, reads as follows:

A = 90 to 100
B = 80 to 89
C = 70-79
D = 60-69
F = 50-59

Diane later shared the story on Facebook, hoping to spread awareness about the school's policy.

“A grade in Mrs. Tirado's class is earned," she said.

“I'm so upset because we have a nation of kids that are expecting to get paid and live their life just for showing up and it's not real."

Diane's post has gone viral, and most commenters agree with her position – it's not fair to hand out grades for work that doesn't exist.

No zero policies are common in many schools, and teachers notoriouslyhate them. But it's at least worth considering why they exist. Some educators say it's because when a student earns a zero, it's very difficult for them to ever recover their grade in that class. In other words, it may be too harsh. Others argue that, if you don't want a zero, don't turn in nothing! Getting an earned-zero is a great way to learn to at least try.

A follow up statement from the school stated: "Ms. Tirado was released from her duties as an instructor because her performance was deemed sub-standard and her interactions with students, staff, and parents lacked professionalism and created a toxic culture on the school’s campus. ... During her brief time of employment at West Gate, the school fielded numerous student and parent complaints as well as concerns from colleagues. Based on new information shared with school administrators, an investigation of possible physical abuse is underway."

However, school representatives did not deny the existence of the no zero policy, and Tirado claims the school engaged in a smear campaign after she became a "whistleblower" on their policies. She's currently considering legal action against the district.

Still, the debate over the grading policy rages on.

“The reason I took on this fight was because it was ridiculous. Teaching should not be this hard," Diane said.

This article originally appeared 6 years ago.

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Joy

Gary Oldman loses it after Stephen Colbert replays his career highlights. With fart sounds.

His laughter is absolutely contagious.

PhilipRomanoPhoto -/Wikipedia, Jasmin Hunter/Wikipedia

Perhaps his greatest performance of all time.

Listen, there are actors, and then there are actors. Those who can truly transform themselves, mind, body, and soul, into a character. Gary Oldman is that kind of actor. Whether he’s playing real-life historical figures, or fictional icons, Oldman nails any physicality, dialect, and nuance needed to bring these characters to life, even (or perhaps especially) if those characters are pretty out of this world. In the case of Zorg in 1997's The Fifth Element, that’s literal, but we digress.

If you’ve been watching Oldman on his latest show, Slow Horses, you might have noticed that his character, Jackson Lamb, has a fairly distinct tick of sorts: flatulence. The dude farts. A lot. Ferociously. And, being the consummate, Oscar winning actor that he is, Oldman wholeheartedly commits.

“He’s got no filter, he doesn’t care about being judged and there’s really nothing to lose,” he told The Wrap. “There’s something very freeing and liberating about playing someone who really doesn’t give a f–k.”

Now, imagine applying that characteristic to some of Oldman’s other notable, serious roles, like Ivan Korshunov in Air Force One, Sirius Black in Harry Potter, and even Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. Actually, you don’t have to imagine it, because Stephen Colbert recently sat down with Oldman and played some of these iconic scenes (and more) all with a fart effect.

Needless to say, the result was pretty epic. But really, it’s Oldman’s red faced, crying-from-laughing reaction that really seals the deal. Watch:

In fact, the moment only endeared people to him more, judging by the comments.

“An actor that can find that much humor in farts dubbed in his movies is something we don’t deserve. Wholesome video of the day for me.”

“His reaction was pure joy. Absolutely love it.”

“This was the greatest interview. I love Gary Oldman even more now.”

Why are farts funny?

Farts have been making people laugh for a long, long time. In fact, the world’s first record joke, traced back to 1900 BC, was centered around a woman farting in her husband's lap. And it’s generally agreed that farts continue to be joke fodder because, well, everybody knows what it’s like to have a little toot come out. It’s a little reminder that none of us have full control over our sometimes-disgusting human bodies. Is it base? Yes, but it’s also universal. And universal is often funny.

Even if you aren’t the biggest fan of fart humor, there’s still lots to love about Slow Horses, especially if you’re fond of underdog stories and yearn for a refreshing take on the espionage genre. In particular, Oldman’s Lamb has plenty of intensity, charisma, and uniquely dark humor (not to mention a healthy dose of menace) that makes the character compelling.

By the way, there’s even more gems to be gleaned from this interview, including which onscreen death was Oldman's favorite, which he shares at around the 2 minutes and 45 seconds mark on the video below:

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

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Pets

Four guys asked their new neighbor if they could walk her dog. Then the dog wrote back.

"If you ever get bored, we are more than happy to look after him/her."

via Stevieticks / Instagram

A black dog and a note form "the boys from number 23."

If you've lived your whole life with a dog, a home has to feel pretty empty without one. Your heart has to feel like there's something missing as well. When Jack McCrossan, originally from Scotland, moved to Bristol, England with his three friends, they were bummed out to learn that their landlord didn't allow dogs.

So when they saw a beautiful black Sheprador (a German Sheppard Lab mix) in their neighbor's window, they knew that had to become buddies with her. They wrote the dog's owner, Sarah Tolman, a letter asking to arrange a play date with the dog. "If you ever need someone to walk him/her, we will gladly do so," they wrote.

"If you ever get bored (we know you never will, but we can dream), we are more than happy to look after him/her. If you want to come over and bring him/her to brighten our day, you are more than welcome. If you want to walk past our balcony windows so we can see him/her, please do," the letter continued.


"We hope this doesn't come too strong, but our landlord won't allow pets, and we've all grown up with animals. The adult life is a struggle without one," they wrote. "Yours sincerely, The boys from number 23," the letter concluded.

Soon after, the boys in 23 received a response from the dog herself, Stevie Ticks, accepting the offer. However, it may have been written by her human, Sarah Tolman. In the letter, Stevie shares a bit about herself, saying she's two years and four months old, was adopted in Cyprus, and that she's "very friendly and full of beans." (The boys shouldn't worry about a gassy hound, in England, "full of beans" means lively.)


"I love meeting new people and it would be great if we can be friends. I must warn you that the price of my friendship is 5 x ball throws a day and belly scratches whenever I demand them," the letter continued. A few days later, the boys got to meet Stevie. "Meeting Stevie was great!" McCrossan told Buzzfeed. "She was definitely as energetic as described. We got to take her for a walk and she wouldn't stop running!"

black labrador, dogs, dog-walkers, kind nieghbors, stevieticks, bristol, ukA black labrador (representative image).via Canva/Photos

Tolman thought the boys' letter was a fantastic gesture in an era where, quote often, neighbors are strangers. "In a day and age where people don't really know or speak to their neighbors, it was really nice for them to break down that barrier," she said. After the story went viral, she saw it as an opportunity for people to share their love of dogs with the world. "My mother and I are amazed at all the love we've received from around the world these past few days," Tolman wrote as Stevie. "If you have a doggo in your life, share that love with those around you."

A lot has changed in the past 6 years since this story warmed hearts around the globe. The boys have since moved away, but as of September 2024, Stevie is around 8 years old and still doing well. Her keeper and Sarah's partner, Chris Bowley, shared an update on Instagram. "[The boys] sadly moved out of Bristol. However, we have always tried to keep the ethos going of Stevie having as many friends and meetups as possible," Bowley wrote.


This article originally appeared six years ago.

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Family

Mom captures young daughters making up after a fight, and the emotional intelligence is incredible

"When you realize that parenting is so worth it."

via Canva/Photos

Two young girls hugging each other.

Emotional intelligence is one of the most powerful skills a parent can instill in their child. It gives them a strong foundation for understanding themselves and others, which will work wonders in their family relationships, friendships, and careers. These days, it’s one of the most sought-after skills in the workplace.

Simply put, people with high emotional intelligence can recognize and control their own emotions and comprehend the feelings of others. Emotional intelligence skills involve self-awareness, self-control, social awareness, and interpersonal relationships. Lauren Reed, a mother of two young girls, shared a video recently on TikTok that shows she and her husband have done an incredible job at teaching their children how to be aware of their emotions and those of others. It all started when Maise refused Clementine’s help, leading Maise to yell.

“Backstory- Maisie was putting away her blocks and was feeling proud of herself for doing it on her own, and Clementine came to help her, but Maisie wanted to do it on her own,” Reed wrote on TikTok. ”So Maisie loudly told her she didn’t want her to do that, and then both girls got sad. BUT then they talked it through on their own. These two are the absolute sweetest.”

@itslaurenreed

You guys… I know this is a little long, but the way they talked this through 🥹🥹 Backstory- Maisie was putting away her blocks and was feeling proud of herself for doing it on her own, and Clementine came to help her, but Maisie wanted to do it on her own. So Maisie loudly told her she didn’t want her to do that and then both girls got sad. BUT then they talked it through on their own 🥹🥹 These two are the absolute sweetest #sweetmoments #gentleparenting #sweetkids #girlmom #sosweet #myheart

Here’s a transcript of the super cute display of emotional intelligence.

Clementine: It's fine, you don't have to change your mind and make me help you. It's just you also really have to like—you also have to use kind tone if you don't want me to.

Maisie: Okay, how do I do that?

Clementine: Well, like, if you get frustrated and you feel like you need to use like a loud voice but you feel like you but you feel like you have to—I'll tell you how to do it. Take a breath and then say, 'I don't need help,' in a calm voice. Okay?

Maisie: Okay.

Clementine: I didn't know that you didn't need help. I'm sorry.

Maisie: It's okay.

Then, the two hugged it out.


The post received a ton of comments from people who thought the kids have great parents. “These two have more emotional intelligence than most men in their 30s combined,” one commenter joked. “Child therapist here. I just have to say, wow! Excellent work, mama! I know it won’t be like this every time, but the fact that they have this love and respect shows it all!” a therapist added.

Others thought that the girls showed some incredible conflict-resolution skills. “‘How do I do that?’ is such a powerful and valid question. She answered perfectly,” one wrote. “The oldest also acknowledging, apologizing, and validating feelings while teaching her little sister,” added another.


The children’s emotional intelligence can be seen as a prime example of gentle parenting, a style that values empathy, respect, and boundaries over punishment. It also places a lot of importance on emotional regulation. “By the end of the day, we’re definitely tired and feel like we’ve done a lot of parenting,” Reed said, according to USA Today. “[But] You see moments like this, and you’re like, ‘it is working.’ They’re kind and emotionally intelligent young people, and it makes it all worth it.”

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Doctor reveals major life regret of patients on their deathbed. It’s often overlooked.

“Take the picture.”

Photo credit: Canva

Doctor reveals patients' often overlooked deathbed regret.

Thinking about death is kind of a bummer. Nobody excitedly tells a friend that they're dying or throws a will-writing party, though come to think of it, what a great way to organize your final wishes while blasting early 2000s club music and sipping on sangrias. Note to self: Plan will-writing brunch.

But seriously, thinking about death is uncomfortable and a little scary, so it's understandable that it's not on everyone's "things to do today" list. Sadly, it's part of life and, unsurprisingly, many people die with regrets. The regrets can range from not making the move to Colorado at 25 to turning down the sweet kid from math class that asked you to prom. Hospice and palliative care doctor Kathy Zhang cares for people at the end of their lives on a daily basis and she reveals the biggest regret that haunts patients on their deathbeds.

According to Dr. Zhang, this regret isn't just felt by the dying patient, but also those close to them. She writes in her caption, "I didn’t think I would hear this end of life regret as often as I do: people wish they had taken more photos of themselves. People realize at the end of life that photos are snapshots of memories frozen in time, and that each one carries stories and emotions."

end of life, deathbed, regrets, thoughts, lifeSick Season 11 GIF by One ChicagoGiphy

As technology developed into people owning a supercomputer that fits in their pockets and the palms of their hands, society's views around picture taking has also shifted. On one hand you have people insisting that people simply "enjoy the moment" when they're out with loved ones and stop photographing or recording everything. On the other, you get the instantaneous nature of photographs now.

When the only way to take photos was on film, you had to wait for the photos to be developed and hope that one of them looked kind of okay. Now that photos are instantly visible, people can see themselves essentially in real time so there's plenty opportunities to scrutinize every possible angle of one's face. These photos are also usually promptly uploaded to social media, which isn't known for it's benevolently kind nature. Gone are the days when someone would have to physically come to your home to rummage through photo albums and bins to see you in a bathing suit on your family vacation to the beach.

beach, photos, photo opps, real time, real life, Beach Day Summer GIFGiphy

But the things that are lost along with the slow process of developing film are the memories captured with the people no longer walking the earth. Upworthy shared a photo of a woman who asked to be photoshopped to cover her arms and change the color of her shirt due to her own critiques of her body. Dr. Zhang read some of the comments highlighted by Upworthy from the post, and paused one that stood out to her the most.

"I have barely any pictures of me, for this exact reason. At 41, diagnosed with terminal cancer. Now I'm taking all the pictures, but the girls will really only have pictures of their dying mom, not their healthy one. I have few regrets but, not taking or sharing pictures because I was unhappy with my looks, is absolutely one," the mom writes.

The regret around not having enough photos isn't one that stays only with the dying person. It's a regret that ripples out onto your loved ones who would give everything they could to have more pictures of the person they're now missing.

Dr. Zhang then relays a story of a former patient, saying, "I had a patient once who was in her forties dying and her husband was showing me pictures. The[re] were a few pictures that he had of her a year prior on their vacation in the Caribbean. And she was on a catamaran and her hair was flying everywhere and she was gorgeous. She was stunning. And he said, 'I always thought she was so beautiful and she never wanted to take pictures. What am I supposed to look at now that she's gone?' So please, take the pictures. The people who truly love you just want more of you, no matter what you look like."

The sentiment Dr. Zhang expresses in the video is felt by those in the comments with one person writing, "I felt this. I hate my body and taking pictures. But when my dad died, I had no recent pictures of the two of us. Now, whenever someone asks for a picture of me or with me, I do it. If they love me as is, I can too."

Another says, "Thank you for this. My wonderful Mom died of Alzheimer’s in 2013. I post tributes to her on her birthday, Mother’s Day & the anniversary of her passing each year. I include pictures of her especially so her grandkids who were babies when she was sick can get to see what a vibrant, joyful person she was. But… I have only a precious few pictures of her save for a few formal group shots. Because of this I now make a point to be in photos."

One grieving daughter writes, "My Mom was beautiful. Dad took a portrait photography class & needed to take pictures. She hated having her picture taken, but let him. About 3 years after that - at 44 she died. I've always been grateful for those pictures. I always offer to let the photographer get in the picture & take pictures of them with their family & friends."

loss, family, mourning, photos, memory, loved onesmourning GIFGiphy

Someone else chimes in with gratitude, saying, "Thank you. I have never been a picture person, even as a child. I will do better. The pictures are not for.me but for my children and their children. Thank you."

It may be uncomfortable at first to jump into taking more pictures, but the more you do it, the easier it will become. With selfie sticks, affordable tripods, and built-in photo timers, people can easily set up photos of themselves. So, if you're worried about being on the other end of the camera, remember Dr. Zhang's advice–take the pictures.

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