Over the past 40 years‚ a sea change has occurred in how kids get to school. Throughout most Western countries‚ an increasing number of children are driven to school instead of walking or taking a bike. In a new video called “Why did kids stop walking to school?” About Here’s founder‚ Uytae Lee‚ cites the U.S. Department of Transportation statistic that in 1969‚ 48% of kids walked or biked to school‚ and that number has plummeted to just 11%.Uytae Lee is an urban planner and videographer passionate about sharing stories about our cities. The video was produced in partnership with TransLink‚ Metro Vancouver's regional transportation authority.The video makes a compelling case that more children should walk to school. It’s better for children’s health and reduces congestion and pollution from car exhaust. In a world where we are pushing for people to be greener‚ flooding the road with cars every morning to take kids on a short drive seems counter-productive.Some parents drive their kids to school because they fear they could be abducted or hit by a car while walking to school. But Lee doesn’t believe that those fears should be a reason for parents to change their behavior over the past few decades. “As terrible as [kidnappings and car accidents] are‚ the statistics behind those risks haven't changed significantly over the decades‚” Lee says.The video is a great reminder that reevaluating how kids get to school may be a good idea. When they take a bike or walk‚ it’s better for their health and that of the planet as well.This article originally appeared on 5.9.23

Many people don’t like small talk because it forces them to have conversations about trivial topics such as the weather‚ what they saw on TV the night before‚ or their weekend plans. Other people don’t like it because it causes them anxiety to talk with someone they may not know well.Either way‚ research shows that small talk actually is a big deal. Julia Korn at Forbes says that small talk enables us to find common ground and shared interests‚ build muscles to overcome social discomfort‚ and lays the groundwork for transitioning into more serious‚ deeper topics.It also makes us feel good. Studies show that a quick exchange with a barista while getting coffee can result in feelings of belonging and increased happiness.So‚ how can we get more out of small talk and make it more comfortable? Stanford lecturer‚ podcast host‚ and communication expert Matt Abrahams told CNBC that one small phrase does both‚ “Tell me more.” He learned the phrase's value by listening to his mother‚ who had “impressive interpersonal skills.”“Her favorite phrase was ‘Tell me more‚’ and it happens to be one that people who are good at small talk always use‚” Abrahams wrote.The Stanford expert says that the simple phrase works because it is a “support response” that encourages what the speaker is saying instead of being a “shift response” that brings the conversation back to you.Suppose you’re talking to someone at a party who’s complaining about a lousy dinner they had at a local steakhouse. “The steak was overcooked‚ and the service was terrible‚” they tell you. A proper support response could be‚ “Tell me more about the service” or “What else didn’t you like about the dinner?"“Comments like these give your partner permission to expand on what they said or provide deeper insight‚” Abrahams wrote.On the other hand‚ a shift response that brings the conversation back to you would be something like‚ “I once had a bad dinner at a steakhouse…” and then you told that story. People who overuse the shift response are often seen as self-centered or the type of folks who have to make everything about themselves.That’s a rather annoying personality trait that doesn’t make people a lot of friends or an enjoyable person to work with in the office.Support responses such as “Tell me more” or “What happened next” are a great way to guarantee that you follow another proven conversation strategy‚ the 43:57 rule. A marketing whiz over at Gong.io took a deep dive into 25‚537 sales calls with the help of AI and discovered a cool tidbit: sales went through the roof when the salesperson chatted 43% of the time and lent an ear for 57%. They've dubbed it the "43:57 rule."Now‚ while this gem of wisdom came from business calls‚ think about our daily chats with friends. It's all about tuning in and showing you care about what the other person has to say. Everyone loves to feel heard and valued.In the end‚ the trick to being a great conversationalist isn’t all about being witty‚ charming‚ or informed but simply knowing how to listen.This article originally appeared on 10.5.23

One the more mysterious aspects of being human is our sense of intuition. This "sixth sense" isn't something we can see or measure‚ but many people have experienced it in some form or fashion. Maybe it comes as a strong feeling that something isn't right‚ or that we or someone else should or shouldn't do something. It can be hard to read—not every feeling we get is truly our intuition—but there are plenty of examples of people trusting their instincts and being glad they did.One such story has gone viral on TikTok. Jessica Higgs‚ a mom who works as an Instacart grocery delivery person‚ shared a story in an emotional video that illustrates the importance of listening to that inner voice when it prompts you to make sure someone is OK. "I just want to start this off by saying if you see something‚ say something‚" Higgs said. She explained how she had done an Instacart order the previous day for a daughter who was ordering for her older dad who couldn't shop for himself. She said she was going the extra mile like she always does for her customers‚ and that the daughter told her to just drop the groceries on the porch and he'd get them. That's what Higgs would usually do."I get there and something was telling me no‚ you gotta help this man out‚" she said. "He came out‚ and I was like OK let me help you‚ and I got the groceries. You're not supposed to go into someone's house‚ but I used my judgment and I brought the groceries inside and put them down wherever he wanted me to put them down. You're not supposed to‚ but I did. And you're supposed to just take a picture and leave‚ and I could not just leave." @jessicahiggs3 @Instacart #28DaysOfEucerin #fyp Higgs noticed that the man looked really sick and she was really concerned. A voice in her head said‚ "You gotta say something. You gotta say something‚ Jess." Rather than mark the order as complete‚ she messaged the man's daughter and told her that it was really unprofessional to say something like this‚ but she felt like her dad wasn't doing well. "There's a propane tank in there‚" she told the woman. "I was in there maybe five feet and I got dizzy. There's got to be a leak. He might not be doing good because of this leak."The woman said she would send her son over to check it out and Higgs left. The woman changed her tip from $14 to $100‚ which Higgs appreciated‚ but the message she sent her the next morning was a much greater reward for her going the extra mile."Thank you so much‚ once my son went to check on my dad it turned out it was definitely leaking‚" she wrote. "You definitely saved my dad and my younger son's life!!!"Through tears‚ Higgs said‚ "I'm just an Instacart worker‚ but if you see something‚ say something. I did and I'm so happy I did."Higgs' TikTok has been viewed more than 15 million times and has been shared widely on social media. It has also attracted the attention of big companies.Royal Caribbean Cruises shared a TikTok video of its own praising Higgs for her heroic act and offering her and her family a seven-day cruise anywhere in the world. "Cause even heroes need a vacation‚" the company wrote. @royalcaribbean Stitch with @jessicahiggs3 - cause even heroes need a vacation. Thanks @captaincruiseguy Old Navy connected with her and arranged a shopping spree where she got to model several new outfits. People Magazine commented‚ "You’re literally a HERO! Good job trusting your instincts. 💕" Even TikTok itself wrote‚ "You are amazing ❤️thank you for sharing this with all of us."Lots of commenters also pointed out that she's not "just an Instacart worker." Her work is important‚ she's providing a needed service and any job done in a spirit of helping others should not be minimized. If she hadn't been there doing her job well‚ that man may not be here. Never underestimate the difference each of us can make by the simple act of looking out for one another‚ friend and stranger alike.Higgs' heartfelt story touched millions‚ and she's being rightly rewarded for listening to her heart and going out of her way to help someone. Gotta love seeing good things come to people doing good. Well done‚ Jessica Higgs.This article originally appeared on 02.08.22

Images via GooBingDetroit.Yup. These images were taken only two years apart. And what you're seeing was not an accident. When the economy crashed in 2008‚ it was because of shady financial practices like predatory lending and speculative investing‚ which is basically gambling‚ only the entire economy was at stake.When the recession hit‚ it literally hit home for millions of people. And Detroit was right in the middle of it.I spoke with Alex Alsup‚ who works with a Detroit-based tech company that's mapping the city's foreclosed homes to help city officials see the bigger picture and find solutions. He also runs the Tumblr GooBingDetroit‚ where he uses Google Street View's time machine to document the transformation of Detroit's neighborhoods over the last few years."There's a common sentiment that Detroit's looked the way it does for decades‚ but it's just not true‚" Alsup said.It's astonishing to see how quickly so many homes went from seemingly delightful to wholly unlivable.When the recession went into full force‚ home values took a nosedive. But the city expected homeowners to pay property taxes as if they hadn't.Not only does the situation defy logic‚ but it's like a brass-knuckled face punch to the people the city is supposed to be looking out for. Alsup explains:"You had houses — tens of thousands of them — that were worth only $20‚000 or so‚ yet owed $4‚000 a year in taxes‚ for which very few city services were delivered (e.g. police‚ fire‚ roads‚ schools). Who would pay that?"Indeed.A local group calls what happened to Detroit a "hurricane without water."And like a real hurricane‚ homeowners aren't the ones to blame. They're even calling for what is essentially a federal disaster response.Here are the three strategies they want to see in action — and they can work for basically anywhere in the country that's struggling with a housing crisis.1. Stop kicking people out of their homes.They want the city to end foreclosures and evictions from owner-occupied homes. Many people aren't just losing their homes — they've lost jobs‚ pensions‚ and services because of budget cuts. Putting them on the street is like a kick in the teeth when they're down.2. If a home is worth less on the market than what the homeowner owes on their loan‚ reduce what they owe.Those are called underwater mortgages. Banks caused this mess‚ and governments ignored it. It's only fair that people's mortgages be adjusted based the current value of their home.3. Sell repossessed homes at fair prices to people who actually want to live in them.Selling to banks and investors only encourages what led to the financial crisis in the first place. Wouldn't it make more sense to sell to people who are going to live in them and have a genuine interest in rebuilding the community?Housing is a human right. And an economy based on financial markets doesn't care about human rights. Maybe it's time for a new economy?Click play below for a silent cruise down a once lovely residential block in Detroit.This article originally appeared on 12.15.14

Time travel back to 1905. Back in 1905‚ a book called "The Apples of New York" was published by the New York State Department of Agriculture. It featured hundreds of apple varieties of all shapes‚ colors‚ and sizes‚ including Thomas Jefferson's personal favorite‚ the Esopus Spitzenburg. That was 110 years ago‚ when commercial apple orchards were still pretty rare and when even in the biggest of those orchards‚ everything was done by hand.Yeah‚ yeah‚ yeah. But why is that apple book such a big deal? The book is significant because most of the apples listed in it have all but disappeared in the past century. DISAPPEARED. In fact‚ we used to have thousands of apple varieties‚ but most of those have largely vanished due to industrial agriculture. Now‚ many varieties are only found tucked away in agricultural research centers and preservationist orchards.Fact: Today‚ the 15 most popular apple varieties account for 90% of all apple sales in the U.S. The most commonly sold apple? Red delicious.2015 looks so different.The fate of all those apple varieties is not uncommon. "In the last century‚ nearly 75% of our agricultural crops have disappeared. They're simply gone. Today‚ farmers primarily grow 12 crops. And of these‚ we mainly eat potatoes‚ rice‚ corn‚ and wheat."So what gives? Why the huge shift? In part‚ the shift has a lot to do with seed regulation. Back in the day‚ farmers would save seeds from year to year and share them with friends and neighbors. But nowadays‚ most seed production is controlled by big companies — and those companies patent their seeds‚ prohibiting things like seed saving or sharing.So what do we do now?Not all hope is lost (yay!). It may be an uphill battle‚ but there are lots of small farmers working to preserve the freedom to freely share and use seeds. People store thousands of seeds from all around the world in buildings called seed banks‚ and trade with other farmers at seed swaps."They're preserving culture and biodiversity‚ one seed‚ one plant‚ and one person at a time." How 'bout them apples? (No‚ really‚ I bet those antique apples they're swappin' are ridiculously tasty.)To check out the full story from The Lexicon of Sustainability‚ watch the video below:This article originally appeared on August 14‚ 2016

I've written tons of things about minimum wage‚ backed up by fact-checkers and economists and scholarly studies. All of them point to raising the minimum wage as a solution to lifting people out of poverty and getting folks off of public assistance. It's slowly happening‚ and there's much more to be done.But when it comes right down to it‚ where the rubber meets the road is what it means for everyday workers who have to live with those wages. I honestly don't know how they do it.Ask yourself: Could I live on this small of a full-time paycheck? I know what my answer is.(And note that the minimum wage in many parts of the county is STILL $7.25‚ so it would be even less than this).This story was written by Brandon Weber and was originally appeared on 02.26.15

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