Who knew rats could be a good thing?

As featured in this Nicholas Kristof NYT op-ed, HeroRATS finally represent a case where you'd probably be happy to see rats. Trained by Dutch company Apopo, these rats are currently being used in Africa to detect landmines through using their keen sense of smell. Even better, they are too light to set off landmines. As an additional bonus, HeroRATS can also sniff sputum and detect TB much faster than lab technicians.

For more information on HeroRATS or how to donate to this cause, visit the Global Giving website.

Karma Cup: A novel way to reduce paper cup usage

Not that I'm a huge fan of Starbucks (Alterra will always reign #1), but I think it's pretty neat that they sponsored this competition to reduce waste produced from paper cups.The winner of the competition, Karma Cup, proposes to "chart each person who uses a reusable mug. The tenth person to order a drink with a reusable cup will receive his or her drink free. By turning a freebie program into a communal challenge, Karma Cup would create incentives for everyone to bring reusable mugs. (After all, the more people participate, the more free stuff is given away and the more likely you are to get something free.) That, in turn, would eliminate rather than simply redesign the nefarious disposable cup."


Find the full post here.