Louisiana Father-Son Team Rescues 120 From Flooding

Residents of Plaquemines Parish in Louisiana were shocked by Hurricane Isaac Wednesday morning when ocean water burst over the Mississippi River levee, covering their town and leaving thousands trapped in attics and on roofs.

Jesse Shaffer, 25, and his father, also named Jesse Shaffer, 53, both of Braithwaite, La., stayed behind in their town to rescue their friends.

While police and the fire department were unable to reach some stranded people using their vehicles, the Shaffers were able to save lives using boats.

"We rescued a lot of people, saw a lot of things you never thought you'd see," the older Shaffer told ABC News, beginning to cry.

Each Shaffer controlled a boat, in which the pair saved a combined 120 people in 12 hours, as well as animals.

Bolivia gives legal rights to the Earth

Bolivia is to become the first country in the world to give nature comprehensive legal rights in an effort to halt climate change and the exploitation of the natural world, and to improve quality of life for the Bolivian people.

Developed by grassroots social groups and agreed by politicians, the Law of Mother Earth recognises the rights of all living things, giving the natural world equal status to human beings. Once fully approved, the legislation will provide the Earth with rights to: life and regeneration; biodiversity and freedom from genetic modification; pure water; clean air; naturally balanced systems; restoration from the effects of human activity; and freedom from contamination. The legislation is based on broader principles of living in harmony with the Earth and prioritising the “collective good.” At its heart is an understanding that the Earth is sacred, which arises from the indigenous Andean worldview of ‘Pachamama’ (meaning Mother Earth) as a living being.

The multipurpose plane that would make James Bond green with envy

It is a vehicle best-suited to the realms of a James Bond movie, but instead this plane can soon be in the hands of buyers.

The Lisa Akoya is a plane which is just as comfortable on water - and even snow - as it is in the air.
The two-seater plane is soon to go on sale in the U.S. following more than 70 test-flights, although if you want one, you might need the salary of a Bond villain, as it comes with a $350,000 price tag.

It even comes with foldable wings, allowing it to be kept in a garage, and in publicity stills the creators imagine the boat perched on the edge of superyachts, ready to be deploys for a quick getaway.
Meanwhile the insides are decked out with luxurious leather seats.

The clever design has a safety feature which means that if the plane does take an unfortunate turn in the water and ends up upside down, the heavy engine will raise the cockpit out of the water, keeping the pilots above the water line.

Bicycle Transports Mini Library to Homeless

A bicycle that carries a small library through the city of São Paulo, Brazil encourages reading among people who live on the streets and cannot otherwise access libraries typically requiring ID and proof of residency.