Nerds Republic

We all know that China is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, so it makes sense that its biggest cities experience some of the worst smog on record. While it may be easy to ignore the effects of pollution on our planet, the finite nature of life on Earth becomes abundantly clear when you see what people in large cities have to deal with on a daily basis.

As officials from around the world convened to discuss climate change in Paris this month, a thick blanket of smog rendered much of Beijing invisible.

Tianeman Square — which sits in the center of Beijing, China — attracts thousands of tourists each year because of its architectural beauty and historical significance.

Getty Images

But earlier today, tourists and locals at the site had to put on masks to combat the effects of intense smog.

Getty Images

Over the course of a few hours, the scene went from beautiful and bright to dark and dismal. Not long after that, strong winds swept the smog away again.

Getty Images

Most alarmingly of all, the area was met with 25 times more smog than is acceptable by the World Health Organization. At its worst, the entire city was suffocated by pollutants.

Getty Images

Chinese officials announced plans to combat atmospheric pollution and get a handle on emissions back in September, and those changes couldn’t possibly come soon enough.

Getty Images

(via BuzzFeed)

Situations like this underscore the importance of climate summits like the one that just took place in Paris. The sad reality is that this phenomenon is completely manmade, and only human intervention can put a stop to the relentless damage it’s causing worldwide.

Many people have lashed out at the Muslim community since the attacks in Paris and Beirut, blaming thousands for the actions of few. The Islamic Center in Pflugerville, Texas, was vandalized in the wake of these attacks, and the people who worship at the mosque were heartbroken by what they saw one day. The building was covered in feces, and torn pages of the Quran were strewn everywhere.

A seven-year-old boy named Jack Swanson was equally upset and disturbed by this hateful act, so he decided to do something amazing.

Jack had $20 saved in his piggybank for an iPad, and he told his mom that he wanted to donate all of that money to the Islamic Center. You can watch the inspiring story unfold in the video below:

One could argue that the most important segment of the morning news is the weather report. This report dictates what we wear, whether we ditch our bikes for the subway, and whether or not we lug around our umbrellas all day. Luckily for us, there are dedicated meteorologists out there who make it their mission to help us out in that regard.

But have you ever noticed that these lovely ladies tend to look similar? These meteorologists decided to take that idea and run with it.

One woman posted a link for a dress on Amazon on a private Facebook group for meteorologists nationwide, and they all decided to buy it.

Imgur / fujitagirl83

“More than 50 of us purchased the dress, so if you travel and watch the news, you might see something familiar,” Fox 4 meteorologist Jennifer Myers writes.

“This dress had all of those qualities we look for, but the price was the major selling point,” Lyndsay Tapases said. “Many of us don’t have a clothing allowance and are responsible for buying all of our own clothes.”

Amazon

There aren’t many dresses like the Homeyee Women’s stretch tunic pencil sheath dress. This particular dress is comfortable, stylish, and really affordable.

And those awesomely bold colors don’t hurt!

Next time you turn on the TV and wonder if the meteorologist is wearing the same dress two days in a row, make sure it’s the same woman. After seeing this, there’s no guarantee!

Last week, the world was shaken by brutal acts of terrorism in Paris. Over the weekend, many of us gathered in support of those victims, sending prayers and love from across the globe. But sadly, that heartwarming outpour of kindness has had one significant drawback: we have neglected to notice those who are also suffering in Beirut and Baghdad.

Both areas were targets of suicide bombing attacks just hours before the attacks in Paris occurred, but they’ve received little to no coverage in the press. Facebook isn’t offering to let us temporarily filter our profile pictures with their flags’ colors, even though their citizens have felt as much loss and pain as the people of France.

In Beirut, a marketplace erupted as two bombers made their way through the crowd. The blasts took 43 lives and wounded at least 239 others. But those numbers might have been even higher if it weren’t for the brave, split-second decision of one heroic man.

Adel Termos was at the marketplace with his daughter when he saw the first bomb go off.

Twitter / faketual

Chaos and debris flew everywhere as people panicked to find shelter. That’s when Termos noticed a second bomber preparing to attack.

Twitter / faketual

Instead of running in the other direction, Termos went straight for the man and tackled him. The bomb went off, killing both men. With his brave final act, Termos saved hundreds of lives.

Twitter / emilycmulligan

His daughter, shown here at her dad’s funeral, was one of the lucky people who was saved by his heroic actions.

Twitter / Datoism

(source: Pri)

We mourn each of these tragic acts of violence equally, and we urge you to keep all of those who are still suffering in your thoughts. Karuna Ezara Parikh, a blogger from India, shared this poignant image on Facebook in the aftermath of these attacks, which reminds us to not only mourn for Paris, but for the whole world.

Just yesterday, on November 4, 2015, a devastating accident rocked South Sudan as a cargo plane full of passengers crashed shortly after takeoff. When investigators and rescue workers arrived on the scene, they knew that there was little hope of finding survivors in the charred, twisted wreckage.

But just as they were about to give up all hope, they made a miraculous discovery.

Prospects were grim as rescue workers stepped onto the site of the horrific crash.

Getty Images

The plane was only designed to hold cargo and about 12 crew members, so it’s believed that overcrowding caused it to go down.

Getty Images

Approximately 36 passengers are confirmed dead, but numbers will likely rise as the wreckage is moved.

Getty Images

But just as they were about to give up hope, rescuers made a heartbreaking — but completely amazing — discovery.

Getty Images

They found a one-year-old girl crying underneath the wreckage. She’s one of two reported survivors, and volunteers were completely floored by the tiny child’s will to live. The other survivor ultimately succumbed to injuries sustained in the crash, but somehow, this brave little one made it.

The girl, named Nyalou Thong, was immediately rushed to the hospital. She’s reportedly doing well after receiving treatment for a broken leg and other minor injuries.

Getty Images

Sadly, Nyalou’s mother and brother died in the crash. As of now, rescuers are attempting to contact other family members.

Getty Images

She is expected to make a full recovery.

(via Mashable)

This child truly is a tiny miracle. Officials and volunteers who responded to the crash signed on for the recovery mission with heavy hearts, but this discovery proved to be a glimmer of hope. We’re sending our thoughts to the people of South Sudan as they recover from this tragedy, and to little Nyalou as she heals.

Being a refugee isn’t easy — and it’s an experience most of us can’t even begin to relate to. Even if you can make it safely to your destination, there are so many challenges to face in your new life. Often, the journey to your destination can be fraught with roadblocks, disappointment, and suffering.

With the ongoing wars in Syria and Iraq, countless families attempting to flee to brighter and safer futures get stuck in foreign European countries due to complicated bureaucratic hurdles. Sometimes, governments work out the kinks in a reasonable amount of time. However, it’s common for refugees get stuck in limbo with no end in sight.

Hasan Abdul Ahmad’s family of six has been stuck at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport for almost two whole months.

ABC News

Both he and his wife are folk musicians, and they decided to flee their war-torn home to start all over again in a safer place.

ABC News

When they arrived in Russia, they were told that their passports and their visas were fake.

ABC News

Russian authorities accused them of illegally trying to cross the border and denied them asylum.

For 50 days, they’ve been living in an old smoking room, with all of their belongings stacked in piles.

ABC News

All they can do is wait for their appeal to be addressed.

ABC News

Until then, they’re relying on the kindness of passersby.

ABC News

Luckily, there are many sympathetic souls that give them money, food, and toys for the children. The UN also comes by every few days to drop off large jugs of drinking water.

Listening to 13-year-old Rinas speak about his family’s struggle is heartbreaking.

video-player-present

The Syrian government recently confirmed that their passports and visas are, in fact, real.

ABC News

But they are still confined to their airport prison until Russian officials consider the case sometime in the next few weeks.

ABC News

(source ABC News)

It’s important to remember that this is just one of thousands of families struggling with their freedom. You can donate to help Syrian children in refugee camps in bordering countries. But you can also help by raising awareness of this extremely pressing and heartbreaking problem.

We’ve heard about students speaking out against the dress code before and getting the support and attention that they deserve, which is amazing. But what happened to this girl is even more ridiculous than usual. When a student body president, junior marshall, and fellowship recipient gets busted for wearing a skirt she wore for a Teacher Cadet lesson — something that any normal person would deem totally professional — she took to social media.

On her Instagram, she very articulately expressed the problem with her school’s authority figures and leadership.

Meet Carey Burgess, a student at Beaufort High School in South Carolina.

She was sent home for wearing this completely reasonable outfit:

“So maybe I am in the wrong…”

“Maybe our society isn’t yet advanced enough to handle three inches of my thigh. This is a patriarchal society, and I am a woman. I have to be kept in my place, or I may do something that is so rarely seen in Beaufort High School — learn. You saved me, Beaufort High. As Student Body President, junior marshal, and a recipient of the Palmetto Fellowship, I was heading down the path of hard drugs (good thing you’re testing next year!), strip clubs, and sugar daddies.

I don’t know where I would be without your misogynistic views. How could I go on without a certain teacher making sexist jokes all class? How could I survive without my science professor letting me know that I am an inferior woman? Yes, I am a woman. I am woman with thighs, a butt, and a brain. I am bigger than Beaufort High School. All of us are. Maybe instead of worrying about my skirt, Beaufort High should take notice of its incompetent employees, and sexist leaders.”

Carey has received so much support since posting this message.

After a conversation with her principal, she’s glad that she has been able to bring light to this very real, very important problem.

Hopefully, the whole ordeal will be a stepping stone on the path to getting rid of misogynistic teachers at this school and beyond.

(via BuzzFeed)

Carey’s message is very clear, and she conveyed it with just the right combination of anger and poise. We can only hope that students like Carey continue to speak out against injustice. That’s the only way to inspire change.

We like to think that people grow out of being bullies, but humanity never ceases to disappoint. A woman in Michigan encountered this problem the other day while waiting to buy a coffee at her local Tim Hortons.

When you’re waiting for coffee, especially with a toddler, the last thing you need is two complete strangers insulting you for no reason.

WXYZ Detroit

Dianne Hoffmeyer of Fort Gratiot, Michigan, was out with her small child. She was there to pick up some donut holes as a treat, as well as some much-needed coffee after a few sleepless nights taking care of her teething baby. It was a pretty typical situation, but things quickly turned ugly.

Two middle-aged women behind her began to openly mock Hoffmeyer, insulting her appearance and weight. Hoffmeyer heard them say things like, “Oh look at her hair, it’s nasty looking and the roots are coming through.” They even said that “the whale needs to eat.” That one stung, as Hoffmeyer had recently lost 177 pounds and was trying to continue losing weight. She could feel the tears welling up as she approached the counter. “I don’t know the women,” Hoffmeyer says. “I don’t know why they would choose to say something like that.”

All these two wanted to do was go out for a few treats.

ABC Action News

After hearing those insults, what might you have done? Would you have ignored them and run away? Would you have turned and confronted the bullies? It’s a very awkward situation to be in, but Hoffmeyer handled it brilliantly — and effectively.

Instead of slinking out of the store or turning on the women, Hoffmeyer told the cashier that she would be paying for their coffees. The cashier, who had heard the insults, was shocked, but agreed to set up the transaction. After making the purchase, Hoffmeyer sat in her car and wept, but she doesn’t regret her decision.

Even recounting the incident is painful for Hoffmeyer, but she’s glad that she took the high road.

WXYZ Detroit

She said that she wanted to set a better example for her daughter. And her actions worked. The bullies shut right up, and they haven’t been seen in that restaurant since. Much to her surprise, Hoffmeyer has been gaining attention and support from all over.

So what would she do if she were to encounter the cruel women again? “I’d like to buy them another cup of coffee,” she says with a slight smile. She says she’d like to sit down and discuss how their words made her feel, and why they felt the need to be so senselessly mean to a stranger.

Watch Hoffmeyer tell her story:

video-player-present

Remember, dear readers, that words can hurt. Think about that the next time you want to say something mean for no reason, whether in person or online.

Leaving your pets behind can always be heartbreaking, even if it’s just for a quick trip to the store. They look at you with those sad eyes and you start to wish businesses would loosen their animal policies.

When the Harworth family said goodbye to their sweet rottweiler mix, Zeus, in 2012, they knew it would be for much longer than a trip to the store. Ben and Melody were relocating with their two sons to South Korea and decided to leave Zeus with friends rather than make him endure the stress of traveling so far.

A few short months later, they received a devastating call: Zeus was dead. But three years later, after returning to the states, they received a second shock: Zeus was actually alive and found wandering near a home in Raleigh, NC.

Laura Williams convinced Zeus to get in her car where she brought him to a vet who scanned his microchip, confirming he was in fact the Harworth’s pup.

Facebook / WNCN Sean Maroney

The family couldn’t wait to have their sweet boy back in their arms…but there were a few snags in getting him home.

Facebook / WNCN Sean Maroney

Zeus was diagnosed with heartworms and though he’s receiving the proper treatment, it means he can’t fly the 2,000+ miles from North Carolina to the family’s new home in Washington state.

Facebook / WNCN Sean Maroney

But thanks to a local news spot highlighting his situation, volunteers have organized a road trip to get him home, including free medical checkups donated by Banfield Pet Hospital at their locations along the way.

Facebook / WNCN Sean Maroney

The volunteers are using the hashtag #GetZeusHome across social media to rally more kind strangers along the way to help the cutie finally find his way back to his family. His incredible story deserves a happy ending and thankfully, he’ll have one soon!

Check out more amazing animal stories in the links below:

Lovers from all around the world travel to Paris and meet on the Pont des Arts to further cement their love with these famous locks.

Flickr / Dirk Haun

Paris is filled with history and romance. The city’s buildings and structures have stood the test of time and military conflict, and the French city has also been known as a place of romance for centuries.

One structure has quite literally bridged these two aspects of Paris together. The Pont des Arts, a bridge over the Seine river, has long been a meeting place for lovers, as well as the home of a well-known tradition. Unfortunately, it appears that this tradition has met its end.

The locks, symbolic of strong bonds, are traditionally affixed to the sides of the bridge.

Flickr / David McSpadden

Since 2008, couples have placed their locks on the side of the bridge and tossed the keys into the river below.

Flickr / Dennis Jarvis

However, because of the weight of the locks, parts of the bridge have actually collapsed into the river below, presenting an obvious safety hazard.

Flickr / JD

Many locks are cut off after their addition to the bridge, yet thousands remain.

Locals also find the mass of metal unsightly.

Flickr / UpSticksNGo Crew

Mayor Anne Hidalgo and other local officials have tried to persuade tourists to take selfies on the bridge instead of adding their locks.

Flickr / Eric Chan

All remaining locks on the bridge were removed this week, and the city continues to campaign for an alternative to the love locks on the Pont des Arts. Over one million locks, weighing in at an astounding 45 tons, have been removed from the bridge to date. The city has also experimented with new materials on the bridge that prevent any locks from being hooked into placed, while also repairing the damage they’ve already caused.

This is what the Pont des Arts looks like now.

Vous l’attendiez depuis des années, le voilà : le #PontdesArts débarrassé de ses #cadenas pic.twitter.com/iI7xIdEHai

— Ilan (@i_car) June 1, 2015

Twitter / i_car

(via The Guardian, Buzzfeed)

Hopefully the city will come up with a viable alternative to the locks that both tourists and citizens can agree on. Until then, the lovers’ locks will be cast away forever.

Lovers from all around the world travel to Paris and meet on the Pont des Arts to further cement their love with these famous locks.

Flickr / Dirk Haun

Paris is filled with history and romance. The city’s buildings and structures have stood the test of time and military conflict, and the French city has also been known as a place of romance for centuries.

One structure has quite literally bridged these two aspects of Paris together. The Pont des Arts, a bridge over the Seine river, has long been a meeting place for lovers, as well as the home of a well-known tradition. Unfortunately, it appears that this tradition has met its end.

The locks, symbolic of strong bonds, are traditionally affixed to the sides of the bridge.

Flickr / David McSpadden

Since 2008, couples have placed their locks on the side of the bridge and tossed the keys into the river below.

Flickr / Dennis Jarvis

However, because of the weight of the locks, parts of the bridge have actually collapsed into the river below, presenting an obvious safety hazard.

Flickr / JD

Many locks are cut off after their addition to the bridge, yet thousands remain.

Locals also find the mass of metal unsightly.

Flickr / UpSticksNGo Crew

Mayor Anne Hidalgo and other local officials have tried to persuade tourists to take selfies on the bridge instead of adding their locks.

Flickr / Eric Chan

All remaining locks on the bridge were removed this week, and the city continues to campaign for an alternative to the love locks on the Pont des Arts. Over one million locks, weighing in at an astounding 45 tons, have been removed from the bridge to date. The city has also experimented with new materials on the bridge that prevent any locks from being hooked into placed, while also repairing the damage they’ve already caused.

This is what the Pont des Arts looks like now.

Vous l’attendiez depuis des années, le voilà : le #PontdesArts débarrassé de ses #cadenas pic.twitter.com/iI7xIdEHai

— Ilan (@i_car) June 1, 2015

Twitter / i_car

(via The Guardian, Buzzfeed)

Hopefully the city will come up with a viable alternative to the locks that both tourists and citizens can agree on. Until then, the lovers’ locks will be cast away forever.