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Student walks 20 miles to get to his first day of work and meets kindness every step of the way

Walter Carr, a dedicated young employee, wins accolades in Alabama for going above and beyond to get to his first day of work.




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World's first recycled plastic bike path opens in the Netherlands

The Dutch do it again with a new cycling path in the northeastern city of Zwolle that's made from old plastic bottles and packaging.



  • Research & Innovations

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Van Gogh's life to be explored in first fully painted feature film

Painstakingly handcrafted biopic on the legendary Dutch painter is seeking artists interested in contributing.



  • Arts & Culture

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Judd Hirsch: Neighborly fuss over wind turbine is 'baloney'

Residents in the New York town of Denning rally against 'Taxi' actor Judd Hirsch's proposed wind turbine project.




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IKEA announces first U.S. investment in wind energy

IKEA gusts into the U.S. wind energy sector with an investment in an Illinois farm capable of generating enough annual energy to power 70 stores.




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First-ever 'soldier' bee discovered

The big-bodied bees join the ranks of ants and termites, which have long been known to rely on a separate caste of 'soldiers' to defend the colony.




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Space miners pitch concepts to empty chairs in lieu of Obama, Romney

No U.S. president has waxed as poetically about mining the moon the way John F. Kennedy did about landing on it.




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World's first polluted river flowed through Jordan 7,000 years ago

Neolithic humans in the Wadi Faynan region of southern Jordan may have polluted the river while first learning how to smelt.



  • Arts & Culture

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Thirsty Key deer get a helping hand after Irma

With fresh water supplies contaminated by Hurricane Irma, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees are bucking the rules to keep Key deer in Florida alive.




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Hank Hartsfield, leader of first space shuttle Discovery flight, dies at 80

NASA astronaut Henry "Hank" Hartsfield, who in 1984 commanded the maiden mission of the space shuttle Discovery, died on July 17




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This has to be the world's first solar farm that can be described as 'cute'

China has now given a face to its aggressive renewable energy goals — and man, is that face adorable. (It's a panda.)




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First fully solar-powered train hits the track

Heritage rail and clean tech collide in the Aussie beach town of Byron Bay with the introduction of a solar panel-topped vintage train.




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World's first solar-powered theme park is coming to New Jersey

Following a protracted court battle, Six Flags Great Adventure is set to become the world's first theme park that's fully powered by the sun.




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California becomes first state to require solar panels on new homes

California approved new rules that require new homes and low-rise apartment buildings to use solar panels starting in 2020.




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How to train for your first triathlon

If you want to try a triathlon, here's what you need to know about the event that combines swimming, cycling and running. Experts Erin Beresini weighs in.



  • Fitness & Well-Being

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Is it normal to get winded when climbing stairs?

Everyone gets winded while climbing stairs, but sometimes it's a little more serious.



  • Fitness & Well-Being

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Champs-Elysees is going car-free the first Sunday of each month

Paris gives cars the boot on this popular thoroughfare one day a month to promote clean air and exploring the city on foot.




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U.S. declares bees endangered for first time

Seven species of Hawaiian pollinators are the first bees added to the U.S. endangered species list — but they're unlikely to be the last.




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These 8 bird species are the first to be declared extinct this decade

BirdLife International has confirmed the extinction of eight bird species, including the Spix' macaw in Brazil.




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Spanish island first to be powered only by wind, water

El Hierro, the smallest of the Canary Islands, is becoming energy self-sufficient by relying solely on wind turbines and hydroelectricity.




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Ready to plog? Fitness craze pairs aerobic exercise with litter removal

Sweden is to thank (go figure) for a hot new lifestyle trend known as plogging that encourages participants to beautify cities while burning calories.



  • Fitness & Well-Being

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Dutch supermarket debuts world's first plastic-free aisle

Organic supermarket chain EkoPlaza teams with an anti-plastic waste group to launch a supermarket aisle liberated from plastic packaging.




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Denmark's ski slope (on top of a power plant) welcomes first guests

Copenhagen gains an unusual new landmark in the form of a multitasking waste-to-energy plant designed by Bjarke Ingels Group that functions as a ski slope.




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For the first time, a mammal species is extinct because of human-induced climate change

The Bramble Cay melomys lost most of its habitat to rising sea levels.




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World's first flexible lithium ion battery engineered

A scientific team from South Korea has just created the first bendable lithium ion battery.



  • Gadgets & Electronics

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Say hello to the first female chief ranger in this national park's 85-year history

Lisa Hendy is the first woman to become chief ranger at Great Smoky Mountains National Park.



  • Wilderness & Resources

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Organic elixirs to cool you off this summer

Try these not-too-sweet organic thirst quenchers to stay cool in hot weather.



  • Fitness & Well-Being

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Help write the first crowdsourced sci-fi novel

People across the globe are trying to write 50,000 words for National Novel Writing Month, but only one man has asked the Internet to help him do it.



  • Arts & Culture

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Has Nigeria's first astronaut been stranded in orbit on a secret space station since 1989?

This fraudster has an overactive imagination.




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Ireland to become first country to divest from fossil fuels

Ireland's national investment fund will sell all investments in coal, oil, gas and peat as soon as possible.




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10 first steps to lighter living

Itching to go green and not sure where to start? Try these ten simple ideas.




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Thirst Project Gala honors Pauley Perrette, raises $200,000 to end water crisis

Actress helped create wells in third-world countries.



  • Arts & Culture

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Ted Turner says Obama should have put energy first

Media mogul offers to lobby at no charge in support of wind power.




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Scientists can see cells moving inside live animals for the first time

Stunning 3-D videos capture the drama of life on a subcellular level.



  • Research & Innovations

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First-ever insect vaccine could help save bees

Developed at the University of Helsinki, PrimeBEE allows immunological signals to be passed from a queen bee to her offspring.




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Atlanta, Seattle named first winners in American Cities Climate Challenge

The two cities will receive substantial financial and technical assistance from Bloomberg Philanthropies to help combat combat climate change.



  • Climate & Weather

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Los Angeles debuts first early earthquake warning app in U.S.

Developed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the technology 'aims to reduce the impact of earthquakes and save lives and property.'



  • Research & Innovations

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Tour Atlantic Canada's first LEED Silver certified home

The Salmon Cove home was built with the environment in mind.



  • Sustainable Business Practices

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Invasive plant that can cause blindness pops up in Virginia for first time

Touching a giant hogweed can cause burns and even blindness.



  • Wilderness & Resources

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Seniors, not hipsters, will get self-driving cars first

Autonomous vehicles will be ready soon — to ferry retirees around closed communities.




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First drive in the ultra-quiet Kia Soul EV

The Korean electric car is a credible competitor to the Nissan Leaf. It's affordable, too, so let's break the California-only barrier.




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Sonoma County is getting an Airstream glampsite

It's just like camping ... but with free WiFi and Malin + Goetz shampoo.



  • Remodeling & Design

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U.S. creates first 'National Blueway'

Unlike the current patchwork of river protections, the National Blueway System will cover entire rivers 'from source to sea,' including their watersheds.



  • Wilderness & Resources

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Media Mayhem: Our media columnist's first annual 'Hot' or 'Not' list

What do Michael Pollan, Marc Morano, Lisa P. Jackson, nuclear energy and the climate have in common?




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Snuggie: Social media's first viral success

Millions of YouTube hits helped Allstar Products top $500 million in Snuggie sales.



  • Sustainable Business Practices

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First LED replacement for 100-watt incandescent bulb hits the market

Although several manufacturers have plans to release long-lasting, energy-sipping LED A-Line bulbs that replace the near-obsolete 100-watt incandescent, Osram S




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Alba: World's first responsive LED bulb learns while illuminating

Meet a brainy LED bulb equipped with embedded sensors that will help you sleep better (and save a bundle of cash).



  • Gadgets & Electronics

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In Super Bowl first, host stadium will be illuminated by LED lighting

The University of Phoenix Stadium undergoes a lighting retrofit that's game-changing in more ways than one.



  • Research & Innovations

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Gary Hirshberg, CEO of Stonyfield Farm, adds 'rapper' to his resume

Find out how Stonyfield Farm CEO Gary Hirshberg made a rap video about organic food that inspired a battle rap response from Honest Tea's Seth Goldman.



  • Wilderness & Resources

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The first dark sky reserve in the U.S. is a stargazer's paradise

A 1,400-square-mile stretch of unspoiled wilderness in central Idaho has been designated as the nation’s first International Dark Sky Reserve.



  • Wilderness & Resources