saving

Australia began turning waste plastic into railway sleepers in 2015, saving timber; the recycled material could last up to 50 years

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Australia began turning waste plastic into railway sleepers in 2015, saving timber; the recycled material could last up to 50 years

Australia began experimenting with railway sleepers made from recycled plastic in 2015, turning material that might otherwise have gone to landfill into a component designed to sit beneath railway tracks. Developed by Integrated Recycling with researchers at Monash University’s Institute of Railway Technology, the Duratrack sleeper is made from about 85% post-consumer plastic waste, including … Read more

Two Michigan builder brothers bought Ypsilanti’s crumbling 1861 Gilbert Mansion for just $1 in 1986 and spent 14 months saving it from demolition; four decades later, the restored property is asking $1.13 million

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Two Michigan builder brothers bought Ypsilanti’s crumbling 1861 Gilbert Mansion for just $1 in 1986 and spent 14 months saving it from demolition; four decades later, the restored property is asking $1.13 million

Two Michigan builder brothers bought Ypsilanti’s crumbling 1861 Gilbert Mansion for just $1 in 1986 (Image Credit: Christopher White via Realtor.com) A historic mansion in Ypsilanti, Michigan, that once appeared headed for demolition has taken a remarkable turn over the past four decades. Christopher and Steve White, two builders who had previously renovated historic properties … Read more

Meet Captain Sully Sullenberger: He landed a plane on Hudson River after a bird strike disabled both engines, saving all 155 lives; 17 years later, he gets aviation’s highest honour

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Meet Captain Sully Sullenberger: He landed a plane on Hudson River after a bird strike disabled both engines, saving all 155 lives; 17 years later, he gets aviation’s highest honour

Image: Shutterstock/ Wikipedia Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot who safely landed US Airways Flight 1549 on New York’s Hudson River after a bird strike caused an almost complete loss of thrust in both engines, has been inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame. The September 24, 2026, induction came 17 years after the … Read more

In 2011, a Massachusetts dairy installed the state’s first agricultural digester; by 2020, manure and food waste were saving it $155,000 a year on heat, fertiliser, and bedding

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In 2011, a Massachusetts dairy installed the state's first agricultural digester; by 2020, manure and food waste were saving it $155,000 a year on heat, fertiliser, and bedding

For generations, cow manure was simply an unavoidable byproduct of running a dairy farm. At Jordan Dairy Farms in Rutland, Massachusetts, however, it became something much more valuable: a source of electricity, heat, fertiliser and even animal bedding. In 2011, the family-run dairy installed what it describes as the first agricultural anaerobic digester in Massachusetts. … Read more

Philadelphia put white roofs on 340 low-income seniors’ homes; temperatures fell 5°F, saving 560 kWh annually in AC electricity

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Philadelphia put white roofs on 340 low-income seniors’ homes; temperatures fell 5°F, saving 560 kWh annually in AC electricity

Philadelphia tested a simple way to protect older, low-income residents from summer heat by putting reflective white roof coatings on hundreds of homes between 2001 and 2003. The Cool Homes Programme targeted elderly households living in the city’s older housing stock, where dark roofs could absorb intense sunlight and transfer heat into upper-floor rooms. Around … Read more

In 1947, Houston opened a 700-plus-seat Art Deco theater; 79 years later, after demolition was planned, supporters raised $2.8 million toward saving the $7.1 million property

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In 1947, Houston opened a 700-plus-seat Art Deco theater; 79 years later, after demolition was planned, supporters raised $2.8 million toward saving the $7.1 million property

The Garden Oaks Theater opened in 1947 as a 700-plus-seat Art Deco cinema and is now the focus of a preservation effort (Image Credit: Arthouse Houston) For generations of Houston residents, the Garden Oaks Theater was more than a place to watch a movie. Opened in 1947, the Art Deco-style cinema became part of the … Read more

Who was David Taylor? Federal wildlife officer dies while saving families from Railroad South Fire in Oklahoma

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Who was David Taylor? Federal wildlife officer dies while saving families from Railroad South Fire in Oklahoma (@USFWS/X)

A federal wildlife officer died while helping evacuate residents threatened by the Railroad South Fire in Oklahomaaccording to Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge (WMWR). David Taylor was going door to door with local emergency crews, helping save families. His last contact with dispatch came while he was helping a family evacuate their home. Who was David … Read more

American colleges are rolling out 90-credit three-year bachelor’s degrees in nearly 120 programmes across 26 states, cutting a year off college and potentially saving students up to $20,000

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American colleges are rolling out 90-credit three-year bachelor's degrees in nearly 120 programmes across 26 states, cutting a year off college and potentially saving students up to $20,000

The University of Cincinnati is also considering programmes in information technology and professional studies. (University of Cincinnati photo) For decades, a four-year bachelor’s degree has been the standard in the US. That model is changing now as more colleges introduce three-year degree programmes that require fewer credits.As of this spring, colleges in 26 US states … Read more

50 years ago, this California sanctuary began saving some of the world’s rarest gibbons, today, their morning songs are a remarkable story of survival

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50 years ago, this California sanctuary began saving some of the world’s rarest gibbons, today, their morning songs are a remarkable story of survival

Gibbon Conservation Center director Gabi Skollar feeds one of the little apes Every morning, as dawn breaks over the dry hills north of Los Angeles, a chorus of sirens, deep hoots and high-pitched calls echoes across the Santa Clarita Valley. The sounds come from the Gibbon Conservation Center, a sanctuary that has spent half a … Read more