We at GOOD don’t really believe in the one-day-a-year thing, but we do see the merits of global leaders using it as an excuse to talk shop, the same way we see the merits of at least setting a start date for kicking your own bad habits. So let these Earth Day events be things to inspire you to change the way you do things-yes-every day.EARTH DAY EVENTS FOR GLOBAL BIG SHOTS:1. Global Food Security Summit in Washington, D.C.George Washington University is hosting a conference that will be attended by bigwigs from the USDA, NASA, and elsewhere. Attendance is free but you have to register in advance. Click here for more info.2. G8 Environment Ministers Meet in Siracusa, ItalyConsider this the prelude to the Copenhagen climate conference. The Environment ministers from the G8 will come together with members of the E.U., the European Commission, and others, to prioritize climate change and biodiversity as their cardinal issues. Check news outlets or here, for details on what’s going on inside.3. U.N. Global Business-for-Environment Summit in ParisYou can’t attend this one unless you want to pay up, but this conference, about business-driven change for the planet, sounds pretty cool. Here’s hoping they come up with things other than slick ad campaigns. The speaker lineup is impressive, and can be found here.4. UNEP Champions of the Earth Awards in ParisThe Oscars of environmentalism, the UNEP Awards will be announced today in Paris. If you want to try to guess before you read, there are all sorts of blind-item teasers on the UNEP site, here.EARTH DAY EVENTS FOR YOU:


1. Free or cheap energy audits of your houseSome companies are offering cheap energy audits on Earth Day, like Sears, which is doing it for $99 all week, instead of the usual $600. Others, like Pro Energy Consultants, are offering them free, but only in certain cities. Call them to find out if yours is one of them at 888-9PROENERGY.2. Safely dispose of your electronicsObviously you should always do this. But there are more places than ever that are willing to take your e-crap off your hands today. To find places near you click here or here. For computers, specifically, click here.3. Join the launch of Green Generation Gearing up for 2010, the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, this is an online effort to mobilize the masses around some common goals (sustainable consumption, energy use, green-collar job creations). It kicks off today. Find out more about the goals and events here.4. Watch NASA plant its moon treeThe space mavericks have all kinds of Earth Day-related stuff on their site, but the coolest has to be this: Today at 1 p.m., in honor of Earth day and the anniversary of the Apollo program, NASA will plant a second-generation seed-descended from one that’s been to the moon and back-at the arboretum in D.C..

  • Man’s dog suddenly becomes protective of his wife, Internet clocks the reason right away
    Dogs have impressive observational powers.Photo credit: Canva

    Reddit user Girlfriendhatesmefor’s three-year-old pitbull, Otis, had recently become overprotective of his wife. So he asked the online community if they knew what might be wrong with the dog.

    “A week or two ago, my wife got some sort of stomach bug,” the Reddit user wrote under the subreddit /r/dogs. “She was really nauseous and ill for about a week. Otis is very in tune with her emotions (we once got in a fight and she was upset, I swear he was staring daggers at me lol) and during this time didn’t even want to leave her to go on walks. We thought it was adorable!”

    His wife soon felt better, butthe dog’s behavior didn’t change.

    pregnancy signs, dogs and pregnancy, pitbull behavior, pet intuition, dog overprotection, Reddit stories, viral Reddit, dog instincts, canine emotions, dog owner tips
    Otis knew before they did. Canva

    Girlfriendhatesmefor began to fear that Otis’ behavior may be an early sign of an aggression issue or an indication that the dog was hurt or sick.

    So he threw a question out to fellow Reddit users: “Has anyone else’s dog suddenly developed attachment/aggression issues? Any and all advice appreciated, even if it’s that we’re being paranoid!”

    The most popular response to his thread was by ZZBC.

    Any chance your wife is pregnant?

    ZZBC | Reddit

    The potential news hit Girlfriendhatesmefor like a ton of bricks. A few days later, Girlfriendhatesmefor posted an update and ZZBC was right!

    “The wifey is pregnant!” the father-to-be wrote. “Otis is still being overprotective but it all makes sense now! Thanks for all the advice and kind words! Sorry for the delayed reply, I didn’t check back until just now!”

    Redditors responded with similar experiences.

    Anecdotal I know but I swear my dog knew I was pregnant before I was. He was super clingy (more than normal) and was always resting his head on my belly.

    realityisworse | Reddit

    So why do dogs get overprotective when someone is pregnant?

    Jeff Werber, PhD, president and chief veterinarian of the Century Veterinary Group in Los Angeles, told Health.com that “dogs can also smell the hormonal changes going on in a woman’s body at that time.” He added the dog may “not understand that this new scent of your skin and breath is caused by a developing baby, but they will know that something is different with you—which might cause them to be more curious or attentive.”

    The big lesson here is to listen to your pets and to ask questions when their behavior abruptly changes. They may be trying to tell you something, and the news may be life-changing.

    This article originally appeared last year.

  • Throughout history, women have stood up and fought to break down barriers imposed on them from stereotypes and societal expectations. The trailblazers in these photos made history and redefined what a woman could be. In doing so, they paved the way for future generations to stand up and continue to fight for equality.

  • ,

    Why mass shootings spawn conspiracy theories

    Mass shootings and conspiracy theories have a long history.

    While conspiracy theories are not limited to any topic, there is one type of event that seems particularly likely to spark them: mass shootings, typically defined as attacks in which a shooter kills at least four other people.

    When one person kills many others in a single incident, particularly when it seems random, people naturally seek out answers for why the tragedy happened. After all, if a mass shooting is random, anyone can be a target.

    Pointing to some nefarious plan by a powerful group – such as the government – can be more comforting than the idea that the attack was the result of a disturbed or mentally ill individual who obtained a firearm legally.


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