World

The City of Copenhagen, located in Denmark, has decided to use their city as a huge experiment, in order to figure out whether energy efficient street lamps -- also called smart lights -- will actually help cut carbon emissions on a measurable level. According to Denmark's official website, the city plans to be a "role model for many of the world's cities when it come to sustainable town development." Copenhagen has been making extensive efforts to become known as a leading city for green technology. Along with the smart light experiment, they have announced a citywide climate change plan that has the lofty goal of making the city "carbon neutral" by 2025. This means that carbon emission levels will be cut so dramatically as to be essentially insignificant and completely negated by o...

An unexpected hail storm hit the large city of Novosibirsk, located in Siberia, Russia, earlier this month, devastating the city's people and property.According to a July 14 Huffington Post article, temperatures neared 100 degrees Fahrenheit before the hail storm began. Video footage captured beachgoers fleeing from the sudden hail, which ended up killing two children. In addition to the human cost of the hail storm, the hail stones, which were the size of eggs, according to USA Today, likely took a toll on household windows. "In a large storm we're faced with 'supply and demand' issues from both the supplier and labor chain," says Tony, Roofing Manager at Husker Siding, Windows and Roofing. "As a contractor, we must possess the ability to listen to our customers needs, patch leaking...

Now, more so than ever before, it's becoming important for young students to attend schools that reinforce positive values, such as high self-worth and a sense of community responsibility. Why do these programs matter? Not because students are unable to learn about self-worth and community value on their own. In fact, many students do. But when these lessons aren't monitored, they often encourage negative values. They encourage young girls to be critical of their bodies, and they reinforce the idea in young men that masculinity is easily defined and is more important than anything else. This learning trend doesn't just occur in the U.S.; a recent online article published by Worldcrunch.com makes it clear that a strong education, which specifically reinforces positive values, is proven to m...

A new report from ABC Eyewitness News shows that the number of Americans heading overseas to seek out more affordable dental care continues to increase. The report focuses on a young American woman who, after being told it would cost her nearly $70,000 for a full mouth restoration that would give her back a great looking smile, decided to look around for other options. What she found was UCLA-trained dentist Alberto Menza, a cosmetic dentist operating out of Costa Rica. He offered to complete the same procedure for the woman for only $20,000. Rising Costs, Lack of Insurance Leave Many Feeling They Have No Choice This story is not what you'd call unique. As the economy continues to stand on shaky legs and the cost of many dental procedures continue to climb at an astounding rate, many A...

Civil-rights groups this week have filed a class-action lawsuit faulting the U.S. government for its inability to provide adequate, legal representation to unaccompanied alien children who are facing deportation hearings.The American Immigration Council, the American Civil Liberties Union, and other civil-rights groups have filed the lawsuit in Seattle's U.S. District Court on the behalf of these unaccompanied alien children, or UACs as they're being referred to. The suit seeks to require that agencies provide UACs with legal representation at their deportation hearings, since these kids aren't currently guaranteed to receive help from any lawyers. "The government pays for a trained prosecutor to advocate for the deportation of every child," said Ahilan Arulanantham, a senior staff atto...

China is no stranger to food scandals. One of the latest controversies involved international retail giant Walmart. This January, investigators found that meat sold at the store and labeled as donkey meat was actually fox meat, which came from a local supplier. According to an official government report, Chinese police dealt with over 52,000 criminal food safety cases within the past three years. This number doesn't represent the number of consumers affected -- simply the number of infractions. The Standing Committee of the China's National People's Congress is having its bi-monthly session right now, and lawmakers will be looking to improve upon existing regulations and laws concerning food producers and food safety. "The draft amendment proposes that a unified supervision and manag...

It's been just over a year since the British newspaper The Guardian began releasing leaked intelligence information from former NSA analyst Edward Snowden. In partnership with the paper's Glenn Greenwald, Snowden painted a picture of a National Security Agency that had become more like the tyrannical government in Orwell's 1984 than a benevolent body that just wanted to keep the United States safe. The conclusion? We've all, every single one of us that uses the internet, have been and continue to be watched online. Huge tech companies, from Google to Twitter, promised to start encrypting their users data and closing security holes -- not a foolproof way to ward off the NSA, but encryption makes it more difficult for them to act on their carte blanche. While many of our most used service...

Google Maps can now legally show street views of Greece, San Jose Mercury News reports. For five years, the Greek government denied Google rights to post up-close photographs online. Culture Minister Panos Panagiotopoulos recently overruled that ban, hoping the map application and service will help revive tourism in the country. "We have so much to show off. This is a godsend," Panagiotopoulos said. "Everyone knows how difficult things are, with all the obstacles that are there when dealing with the Greek state. We are trying to overcome these difficulties." Panagiotopoulos adds that the country's landscape resembles an "endless archaeological park," according to San Jose Mercury News. The leading internet company is ready to launch the pictures as soon as they are able. "Google was ...

Those in Chicago who wear uniforms to city jobs, such as firefighters, police officers, and maintenance personnel, may soon wear more ethically-produced apparel, thanks to an effort by Chicago Fair Trade activists in the city. The new ordinance, introduced in the Chicago City Council on May 28, would enforce labor rights for the workers who manufacture these garments if the law is passed, essentially cutting out any sweatshop-produced uniforms. Garment workers in many other countries are often subject to harsh treatments from their employers, so low wages and long hours are common, along with wage theft in some cases. And the working conditions of the factories are just as bad: fire exit doors are padlocked to keep workers from leaving and buildings have haphazardly constructed addition...