WeEarth

New Anime Film Tackles Human Trafficking

2009-06-11T11:43:00.000-07:00

A Chinese movie star is using his fame for a good cause by starring in an “adrenaline-fueled’ animated-short film about “human trafficking and sexual exploitation that have plagued the country, and for Asia, for decades.” (Ben Blanchard, Reuters) Zhang Hanyu, China’s newest critically acclaimed film star, who just won a Chinese Academy Award, lent his voice to the serious film “Intersection,” which will be shown on MTV China this weekend.

Thai and English versions will be broadcast on MTV’s Southeast Asia channels as well, and other versions are being planned. The film is from the perspective of 5 characters including a brothel owner, a trafficker and a victim. Designed in Anime style, filmmakers hope the format will be something young people can relate to.

“I hope the animation will stir meaningful conversations among youth about how we can fight against the tragic form of modern-day slavery,” Zhang told the press. “Intersection” is produced by MTV EXIT’s (End Exploitation and Trafficking) campaign, which is connected to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to raise awareness on the subject. “We’re using a different medium, animation, to alert young people about the risks of human trafficking,” Olivier Carduner, USAID’s Mission Director for Asia, said.

Drug and human trafficking is a massive problem in the region. The United Nations estimates that out of 2 million women and children who are trafficked every year, a whopping 30 percent are in Asia. The Chinese government has turned to harsh punishments for these crimes, including the death penalty. A recent high profile news case of the two American journalists, Euna Lee and Lisa Ling, were arrested after crossing the North Korean border into China to report on human trafficking.

Guns in Church?

2009-06-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

Despite the recent shooting in church of high-profile abortion doctor George Tiller, a Kentucky pastor is still inviting his flock to bring their firearms into church.

In dubious celebration of the Second Amendment and the Fourth of July, New Bethel Church in Kentucky has invited its congregants to wear their firearms inside the church on Saturday, June 27.

“We’re just going to celebrate the upcoming theme of the birth of our nation,” said pastor Ken Pagano. “And we’re not ashamed to say that there was a strong belief in God and firearms — without that this country wouldn’t be here.”

According to an ad, the arms-bearing event will also include a handgun raffle, patriotic music and information on gun safety. Pastor Pagono says that private security will check visitors at the door to ensure that the guns are unloaded.

In Kentucky, gun owners are permitted to openly carry guns in public with some restrictions. Concealed weapons must have permits and firearms can’t be taken into places like schools, jails or bars and some other exceptions.

The event at New Bethel Church was planned months before the recent shooting of Dr. Tiller, a tragic event Pagano condemns and says highlights the need to educate the public about gun safety.

For the event, Pagano has encouraged his 150-member congregation to bring a canned good and a friend. As a former marine and handgun instructor, Pagano has said that the event is to promote gun safety, not mix violence and worship.

“Firearms can be evil and they can be useful,” he said. “We’re just trying to promote responsible gun ownership and gun safety.”

Marian McClure Taylor, executive director of the Kentucky Council of Churches, an umbrella organization for 11 Christian denominations in Kentucky, including Pagano’s Protestant church said that while Christian churches promote peace, “most allow for arms to be taken up under certain conditions.”

She added that Pagano assured her that the event would promote responsible gun ownership and that proceeds would go to charity.

While Pagano’s sect tends to be proud gun owners, fearful of the Obama administration restricting gun ownerships, other pastors are less than thrilled to see churches embrace guns.

John Phillips is an Arkansas pastor who was shot twice by a church member for unknown reasons while leading a service in 1986. He still has a bullet lodged in his spine.

He spoke out against a bill in Arkansas that would have allowed guns to be carried in churches in the state.

“A church is designated as a safe haven, it’s a place of worship,” said Phillips, “It is unconscionable to me to think that a church would be a place that you would even want to bring a weapon.”

For more information on the guns in church event, read the original AP article on Yahoo!

International Trade: Answer to Food Crisis?

2009-05-13T11:05:00.001-07:00

The World Trade Organization believes the answer to the global food crisis is international trade, as stated on Sunday. WTO director General Pascal Lamy believes that “global integration representation by trade enabled food to be transported from where it could be produced efficiently to where there was demand.” (Jonathan Lynn, Reuters)

Due to geography, certain countries, like Egypt, could never be self-sufficient in the food marker, according to the International Food and Agriculture Trade Policy Council conference in Salzburg, Austria. “International trade was not the source of last year’s food crisis,” Lamy claims. “If anything, international trade has reduced the price of food over the years through greater competition, and enhanced consumer purchasing power.”

Many people suspected trade as the reason for rising food costs in 2007 and 2008. Prices have slowly come down since then but many experts argue that agricultural trade made the problem worse and wasn’t interested in the needs of poor farmers or consumers in third world countries.

Olivier De Schutter, the United Nations special rapporteur on the right to food, has condemned an ‘excessive’ reliance on trade in the pursuit of food security, while some farmers’ groups had also called for greater self-sufficiency.” (Reuters) Agriculture currently accounts for less than 10 percent of world trade, and only 25 percent of world farm output is traded globally, compared with 50 percent industrial goods, compared with 50 percent of industrial goods, according to Lamy.

“To suggest that less trade, and greater self-sufficiency, are the solutions to food security, would be to argue that trade was itself to blame for the crisis,” he told the press.

Farm trade is becoming more competitive amongst developing countries, with agricultural exports from developing to developed countries rising 11 percent a year between 2000 and 2007, “faster than the 9 percent growth in trade in the other direction.”

Global Warming Damages Tourist Destinations

2009-05-05T10:28:00.000-07:00

According to a travel article found on Yahoo!, some of the most popular travel destinations are disappearing, thanks to climate change and tourism.

The Maldives, a chain of islands in the Indian Ocean is about three feet above sea level. Despite an attempt to bolster the islands, scientists fear they could sink as soon as 2050. The failure of the $63 million repair has left the government of the Maldive Islands in talks to relocate its population of several hundred thousand to other countries: Sri Lanka, Australia, or India. The loss of the island would also be an end to the nation’s tourism, which brings in 30 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

The Great Barrier Reef is not only a natural treasure, it is also one of the premier tourist destinations in Australia. But thanks to heavy tourist traffic, ocean acidification, and rising water temperatures, the 135,000 square miles of live coral is growing smaller. Despite measures taken by the government to slow the reef’s loss, scientists still estimate that by 2050, the reef will have lost an estimated 95 percent of its living coral, thanks to an increase in water temperature.

Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is one of the world’s most popular climbs. But since 1912 the glacier-covered mountains have lost 84% of their ice and scientists estimate that the remaining glaciers could be entirely gone by the year 2020, making Tanzania’s tourist attraction more popular than ever.

The Swiss Alps are the most popular mountains to ski. But wi html_removed th rising temperatures from global warming, more and more resorts are looking to other attractions to cover up the lack of snow on the slopes. The official outlook is that 40 percent of the Alps’ skiing areas will disappear by 2100.

Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands may have inspired Darwin, but they’ve also inspired an influx of travel to visit the birthplace of evolutionary theory. With Darwin’s 200th birthday looming this year, more plant, marine and animal species are at risk than ever before.

To learn more about the effects of global warming on the world’s natural wonders, read the original article here.

Pic Source:TCNJ

Airlines to Cut Emissions by 8 Percent

2009-04-02T10:48:00.000-07:00

Tuesday's press announcement claims that airline executives worldwide are expected to cut their emissions by 8 percent this year in order to meet new economical demands for both passengers and cargo.

Not only will this cut costs for the airline companies but it's likely to make many an environmentalist happy, as planes have been blamed for contributing greatly to global warming. Planes burn fossil fuels such as oil, which is a much needed natural resource.

In recent years, airlines have attempted to stay afloat by charging heavily for cargo, and have been using this method, along with business class passengers and cargo to stay in business. Carriers in Asia and Europe, for example are making cuts due to the recent plummet in supply and demand for both travel and freight, and this could likely be hard to stomach for those used to reasonable and frequent flights.

But airports are determined to improve the system, not make it worse. Companies are looking to revamp "runway and taxiway designs, improving flight scheduling and reducing airfield congestion that causes wasteful fuel burning" according to Angela Gittens, who runs Airports Council International. (Laura MacInnis, Reuters) Over 100 European airports are also planning to change certain protocol such as "continuous descent approach" in order to cut carbon emissions.

6 percent of the forecast carbon cut will come from fewer planes being in the air, and a further 1.8 percent will reflect improvements in energy efficiency, according to the International Air Transport Association. (IATA)

Director-General Giovanni Bisignani reported that successful tests have been conducted using biofuels made from plants, increasing the possibility of powering flights by plants like algae and camelina, a "type of flax."(Reuters) Those who have tested such methods and succeeded include Virgin, Continental, Japan Airlines and Air New Zealand.

"Certification by 2010 or 2011 is a real possibility, and the potential benefits are enormous," Bisignani said at the aviation conference in Geneva. "A biofuel industry could be a big generator of employment and wealth for the developing world." These cutbacks are part of the new administration's larger plan to enforce carbon cuts in automobiles.

Vegetarian Pet Food

2009-03-27T10:24:00.000-07:00

If you’re living life as an eco-friendly vegetarian, get your pet in on the green lifestyle.

While many people either don’t eat meat or eat only organic meat products to avoid risk of disease, they may not consider that the meat that doesn’t pass inspection for human consumption goes into pet food.

The same problems that affect humans, including allergies, cancer, and kidney, heart, and bone problems also affect pets. The diseased animals in the food supply that cause mad cow disease can also cause the same illness in pets as they do in humans.

To avoid health problems and risks for your furry friends, change their diet to vegetarian. There are cookbooks, supplements, websites and other resources that ensure critters get all their nutritional needs without any meat.

Wild animals subsist a great deal on plant matter, so it is not unnatural to exclude animals from their diet. In fact, it may even help them live longer, as the 2002 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records cites Bramble, a 27-year-old border collie as the oldest dog in the world.

While rice, lentils, and organic vegetables can make up much of a pet’s vegan diet, it is also important that they get more nutrition in the form of supplements. L-carnitine and taurine are important to help dogs from developing heart disease and may not be sufficient in either a vegetarian or store-bought diet, but supplements can be found at a health food store.

While dogs are natural omnivores, making them perfect vegetarians, it can be a little more difficult to convert cats to a meatless diet. For recipes and ideas about getting your pets to eat green, visit this link, which also contains valuable information about the benefits of a vegetarian diet for furry friends.

Organic Products Safety Called into Question

2009-03-10T14:10:00.000-07:00

According to an article found at the NYTimes.com, organic products may not be safer than their conventional counterparts.

Organic products are generally purchased who think they are healthier and taste better than their conventional counterparts. But with the recent outbreak of salmonella in organic peanut butter, many organic buyers are beginning to have their doubts.

“Because there are some increased health benefits with organics, people extrapolate that it’s safer in terms of pathogens,” said Urvashi Rangan, a senior scientist and policy analyst with Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports. “I wouldn’t necessarily assume it is safer.”

However, organic certification processes do not include testing for safety, just health inspections and pest-management plans.

The Department of Agriculture has given permission to use the green and white “certified organic” seal to certain parties, but they aren’t directly testing for food safety standards.

Now, in light of the recent salmonella outbreak, Barbara C. Robinson, acting director of the agriculture department’s National Organic Program is sending directions to ensure that investigators look beyond pesticide levels and crop management techniques and report things like finding rodents and droppings to the proper agency.

“For example, while we do not expect organic inspectors to be able to detect salmonella or other pathogens,” Ms. Robinson wrote, “their potential sources should be obvious from such evidence as bird, rodent and other animal feces or other pest infestations.”

Organic foods and suppliers have long been in need of stricter regulations and it seems as though the recent outbreak of salmonella might prove a catalyst, as conventional brands are declared safe and organic brands remain ambiguous.

To learn more about the recent salmonella outbreak in peanut butter, as well as the possible changes in organic food regulation, read the original article here.

Help Timothy Leary Live In Cyberspace!

2009-02-27T10:27:00.000-08:00

Before 1960's counter-cultural icon Timothy Leary died in 1996, he knew that one of the tools that could keep him immortal to future generations was computer technology, or more specifically, the internet. It's a little over a decade later and it looks like his dream may come to fruition in a way that could make him even more influential than he ever was in life.

The Timothy Leary estate is currently seeking donations to have his archives completely digitized and uploaded to the world wide web. With over 500,000 typed documents, including hundreds of letters from luminaries such as Allan Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Aldous Huxley and Abbie Hoffman, as well as documents from his Harvard research and hundreds of hours worth of audio and video footage, the project is proving to be a huge undertaking, and probably the first of its kind. Not only will it please Leary fans who wish to know every possible known facet of his life, it would provide the history of the entire psychedelic movement.

According to the estate, the newly planned site would be completely searchable and indexed, and that "Dr. Leary had this dream before most people even knew what the internet was, or how important it would become."

Despite being known as a distinctly 60's figure, Leary was a leading proponent in moving people towards the future with technology. In a 1995 interview posted on EcoMall.com, Leary said, "In the 1980's, of course, an incredible event happened which changed American culture--a new media developed. Radio developed as a new media in the twenties and created the jazz age and a changed America and of course television changed America by bringing the world into our living room. But it was all passive. The problem with the sixties, the problem with television watching, is it's passive consumption... But in the 1980's an incredible technological advance happened in media--computers--YOU could change what's on your screen."

As the internet developed and became more mainstream in 90's, Leary took to it immediately, and may have even been one of the first bloggers as he documented his declining health nearly daily.

The amount of bandwidth needed for a massive Timothy Leary archive isn't cheap; however, and donations can be made here to actualize the groundbreaking project.

NASA To Seek Life On Other Planets

2009-02-25T11:18:00.000-08:00

NASA recently announced that the biggest camera to ever be launched into outer space will soon scour the Milky Way galaxy for warm, rocky, "Earth-like" planets that may host life. The Kepler spacecraft is scheduled to spend 3 1/2 years looking at more than 100,000 stars similar to our sun, with the rest of us hoping that some Star Wars-like universes actually exist.

"Kepler will push back the boundaries of the unknown in our patch of the Milky Way galaxy. And its discoveries may fundamentally alter humanity's view of itself," Jon Morse, director of NASA's astrophysics division, told reporters.

The spaceship will cruise around the "habitable" zones of stars--areas where a planet wouldn't be so close as to be burnt to a crisp, and not so far away as to be frozen. But to give some perspective on this issue, 300 some planets have been discovered orbiting stars other than our sun since 1995, but most are large gas planets unlikely able to host life. William Borucki of NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field in California remains optimistic; however, with Reuters reporting that he estimated Kepler could find as much as 50 rocky and water-containing planets.

Of course, nothing is guaranteed, and scientists could spend the next 3 1/2 years looking at grainy video images of barren planets instead. The mission starts March 5, and NASA says it will cost $591 million--let's hope it finds some needy extraterrestrials because there's plenty of life forms here on earth that could use such funds right now.

Dogs Help Fight Cancer and Other Deadly Diseases

2009-02-24T10:05:00.000-08:00

According to an article found at Health.com, the future of cancer prevention may be in the nasal passages of canines.

The Pine Street Foundation, a cancer education and research center in San Anselmo, Calif., is training dogs to literally sniff out early stage ovarian cancer. The Foundation now holds success in training dogs to identify patients with lung and breast cancer, but only in the late stages of the diseases.

Nicholas Broffman, executive director of the foundation, gave the following quote:

“Is there something about the breath of people with cancer that is different in people who do not have cancer?” Broffman wants to know. “Our goal is to identify what collection of molecules in the breath are unique to ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, and lung cancer, and develop a test to find those.”

The use of animals in disease detection is not new, and other animals have been used to detect disease.

Scientists are likely years from identifying exactly what the dogs detect in the difference between the breath of those with cancer and those without. Eventually, scientists hope to discover the type of cancer a patient suffers from and even use a mechanical device to do so.

“It would be great to have a Breathalyzer-type machine that could do this,” Broffman says. “Our goal is to identify what collection of molecules are unique to ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, or lung cancer, and can we develop a test to find those. Scientifically, this is very difficult.”

Dogs are able to detect nuances in scents that scientific devices cannot, allowing them to be the at the forefront of cancer prevention.

To read more about dogs and other animals used to fight disease, read the original article at Health.com.

Name A Cow, Get More Milk

2009-02-18T17:10:00.000-08:00

An article found on Discovery News describes a new study, published in January in the journal Anthrozoos that has found that cows with names produce more milk.

Call a cow by any name and it will be more productive according to cattle behaviorist Catherine Douglas, of Newcastle University in the United Kingdom. Cows like to feel good and not like they are just any cow.

Cows with names have more relaxed behavior, and previous studies have shown that elevated stress hormones like cortisol reduce milk production by interfering with the milk-boosting hormone oxytocin. Anxiety also makes cows more difficult to milk because they stomp and kick.

"If you call a cow by name, it indicates that perhaps you talk to her more, perhaps you consider her more of an individual, perhaps you have more of a one-to-one relationship," said Douglas, who has seen firsthand the consequences of stress in a cow. "Personally, I have had a black eye and broken ribs from milking."

For the study, Douglas and colleague Peter Rowlinson surveyed 500 farmers around the UK about their feelings on cows--both their own and others.

Of those surveyed, almost half of the farms named their cow. Of the named cows, they were reported to produce an average of 258 more liters of milk over the 10-month milking season, or about an extra liter a day than cows without names.

Although dairy cows don’t produce milk until their second year, the study also found that cows that were treated well between the ages of six months and 15 months produced more milk later on.

The study reflects findings of how other animals respond to stress and fear and also has implications about how farmers treat their animals, even as farming becomes increasingly industrialized.

Company Provides Memorial Space Flights

2009-01-29T11:21:00.000-08:00

It was considered eccentric and almost impossible to fathom when counter-cultural icon Timothy Leary did it, but now it's a service available to all. Celestis is a company that provides memorial funeral services for those who want their cremated remains to orbit in outer space--and it's even somewhat affordable.

Celestis, Inc. is an affiliate company of Space Services, Inc., a Houston, Texas-based aerospace company who helped popularize the notion of public participation space flights. They were responsible for launching Leary's ashes, and have since done the same for Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry in 1997, and most recently his wife Majel Barrett Roddenberry is scheduled for next year. But now the company offers various services for the entire public.

Ranging from $695 to $12,500, customers have the options to send their loved ones just above the earth and back, into Earth's orbit, into the lunar orbit or surface, or even into deep space.

Give the website a glance and see if somebody you knew could finally have a dream fulfilled.

Mike Duke: Man with a Green Plan

2009-01-28T09:58:00.000-08:00

Multi-billion corporation Wal-Mart has suddenly seemed to have grown a conscience. Wal-Mart, Inc. has vowed its new leadership plan to "expand efforts to reduce waste, use renewable energy and push suppliers to clean up their act," the company's incoming chief executive officer said Monday.

Mike Duke will become the company's new boss on the first of February, and claims he wants to "accelerate" Wal-Marts efforts in sustainability. The "Sustainability Milestone Meeting," which was broadcast over the Internet, was used to set the mood for the company to turn a new leaf. Duke says his plans are non-negotiable. "I am very serious about it. It's not something of the past. This is all about the future," he proclaimed.

Efforts to reduce waste by using renewable energy have been a strategy in improving Wal-Mart's reputation since 2005. The company is now holding more energy-efficient products, as well as selling only concentrated laundry detergent by eliminating phosphate in the product.

Phosphate compounds are "a water pollutant that can damage aquatic ecosystems by stimulating the growth of algae," (Nicole Maestri, Reuters) which decreases oxygen for fish and plants. Phosphates are believed to be the main contributor to phosphate-based water pollution. The company is looking to eliminate the chemical entirely from detergent in the near future.

Duke's Wal-Mart will also cut back on packaging by 5 percent by the end of 2013 in American regions, which include stores in Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Central America, Brazil and Argentina. There are 2,300 store locations within the region.

Duke wishes to crack down on unacceptable products made in supplying countries such as China, and hold them to stricter regulations, including environmental ones. He reiterated the need for employees not to put these issues on "the backburner."

Wal-Mart's shares went up 10 cents at $48.45 on the New York Stock Exchange after the meeting took place.

People Can’t Help Smiling

2009-01-27T11:10:00.000-08:00

In an article by Jeanna Bryner of LiveScience.com, she describes the findings of a new study that shows facial expressions are in genes.

By comparing the facial expressions from more than 4,800 photographs of sighted and blind judo athletes at the 2004 Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games, researchers were able to determine that sighted and sightless form the same “social smile” when faced with the same social context--in this case, winning a medal.

Social smiles use only the mouth muscles, while true smiles, known as Duchenne smiles, cause the eyes to twinkle and narrow and the cheeks to rise.

Both sighted and sightless athletes in the photographs used social smiles during the medal ceremonies.

"Losers pushed their lower lip up as if to control the emotion on their face, and many produced social smiles," said researcher David Matsumoto, a psychologist at San Francisco State University.

The athletes also exhibited the same expressions when exhibiting sadness, which Matsumoto says is shown by a downturned mouth and the raising of the inner eyebrows.

One idea behind the study had been that people worldwide learn how to match facial configurations with certain emotional states by watching others. Using photos of the blind athletes disproved this theory, as they could not watch others making faces.

"Individuals blind from birth could not have learned to control their emotions in this way through visual learning, so there must be another mechanism," Matsumoto said. "It could be that our emotions, and the systems to regulate them, are vestiges of our evolutionary ancestry. It's possible that in response to negative emotions, humans have developed a system that closes the mouth so that they are prevented from yelling, biting or throwing insults."

The study is published in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Peace Games

2009-01-26T09:52:00.000-08:00

In an effort to combat violence with a “get ‘em while they’re young” strategy, Peace Games offers to teach children to resolve conflicts without violence.

Found at PeaceGames.org, Peace Games offers programs through elementary schools, families and volunteers, to help children grow and live in a safe, conflict-free environment.

Peace Games has many goals that they want to meet in their quest for peace at a childhood level, including building children’s knowledge, relationships and opportunities to be peacmakers, while involving the community at large. The other goals include inspiring new generations of educators and activists as well as removing the stigma of the connection between violence and youth.

For this last goal, Peace Games strives to show that youths are not just victims of violence, but also peacemakers. Not all young people are bullies or bullied, nor are all children likely to commit gun-related incidents in schools. Many children try to help others and avoid conflict and Peace Games want to help build that up through their various partnerships.

Since 1992, when Peace Games was founded by Dr. Francelia Butler, Peace Games has grown to be a national organization, with programs found in nearly every major city in the nation. The program model for Peace Games begins at the school level and then goes on to incorporate more people that can help make a positive impact. From the students, the program grows to include school staff, families, volunteers and eventually the community that supports the school.

If you are interested in becoming a part of Peace Games, the organization offers training programs to help teach and promote peace in a violence-free atmosphere.

Many talk about the need for social change and doing something about the schools, but Peace Games seems to really be getting involved and making peace a reality.

For more information, visit PeaceGames.org.

Continental Airlines Takes Flight with Biofuel

2009-01-23T09:40:00.000-08:00

Continental Flight No. 9990 recently became the first by a U.S. commercial airliner to test biofuel in flight.

"Nothing has been modified," Erik Bachelet, president of engine manufacturer CFM International, told Discovery News. "The aircraft is expected to resume its normal daily service after the operation."

During a two-hour flight, the aircraft burned a fuel made of algae and jatropha, a plant that grows in arid lands. The test flight, designed to find how the airplane performs with one of its engines burning a fuel that is 50 percent petroleum-based and 50 percent derived from plants, required special licensing from the FAA and had no passengers aboard.

"We're looking to see that the biofuel performs the same as traditional fuel," said Continental spokeswoman Susannah Thurston.

The biofuel was blended with standard airplane fuel to meet density requirements for optimal jet engine performance.

Jennifer Holmgren, general manager at UOP, a Honeywell company that develops and licenses technology to refineries explained that while it possible to meet the rigorous standards using just biofuel, it is still to expensive. The cost is expected to drop with growing demand.

UOP focused on using algae as alternative fuel so as not to interfere with land space that is used to grow food.

Holgrem says that biofuel licensing should happen later this year and that it may be used primarily within the next 10 to 15 years.

The pilots on the test reported that there was no discernible difference in the performance of biofuel from their regularly used jet fuel and that they actually used less biofuel than jet fuel when landing, an added bonus.

Continental Airlines follows on the heels of similar biofuel tests conducted by Virgin Atlantic and Air New Zealand and Japan Airlines is to conduct a biofuel test at the end of the month.

New Creatures Discovered in the Australian Deep

2009-01-22T10:32:00.000-08:00

In a recent search of unexplored Australian water, scientists have discovered several previously unknown species of marine life. In a joint US-Australian research project off the coast of the southern island of Tasmania, the team, led by lead researcher Ron Thresher, "search for life deeper than any previous voyage in Australian waters." A submerged robot named Jason was used to explore a rift in the earth's crust known as the Tasman Fracture Zone, a sheer two kilometer (1.24 mile) drop to 4,000 meters (13,200 feet) below the ocean's surface.

"Our sampling documented the deepest known Australian fauna, including a bizarre carnivorous sea squirt, sea spiders and giant sponges, and previously unknown marine communities dominated by gooseneck barnacles and millions of round, purple-spotted sea anemones," Thresher said.

The sea squirt, also known as an ascidian, stands 50 centimeters tall on the sea floor at a depth of just over 4,000 meters. It traps prey in its funnel-like front section if they touch it when they swim past. On ship blogger, Adam Subhas, described the sea squirt as "basically an underwater Venus fly trap, but much bigger."

They found not only new species, but also new evidence of global warming’s threat to sea life. Ancient coral fields, dating back more than 10,000 years, as well as modern-day deep-water coral reefs were found, and Thresher said samples taken would provide ancient climate data for use in global warming projections. Although more testing is needed, it is suspected that ocean acidification is behind the change.

"If our analysis identifies this phenomenon as the cause of the reef system's demise, then the impact we are seeing now below 1,300 meters might extend to the shallower portions of the deep-reefs over the next 50 years, threatening this entire community," Thresher said.

The rise of temperatures in the world’s oceans are blamed on global warming, which is caused by the build-up in the atmosphere of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. This is also blamed for higher acidity in seawater.

Climate change will also be responsible for the death of the Great Barrier Reef within decades if global warming is not stopped.

Paper Homes Provide New Hopes

2009-01-21T10:51:00.000-08:00

Weighing less than a Volkswagen Golf and designed as angular and modern deco as anything you'd find in the Hollywood Hills, the new paper house is an eco-friendly solution for the Third World's shantytowns, but I wouldn't be surprised to see them turn up in America eventually.

Invented by Gerd Niemoeller under the Swiss-based company The Wall AG, the 36 square meter home retails for roughly $5,000 and is made almost entirely out of paper--resin-soaked cellulose recovered from recycled cardboard and newspapers to be exact. The material is surprisingly durable and constructed in a way to provide excellent insulation. Each home comes with eight built-in single and double beds, book shelves, a kitchen table with benches, as well as a veranda and a sealed-off area housing a shower and a lavatory.

The 58-year-old engineer who invented the house designed it with refugees and the poorest people in mind. "People don't want to flee their countries, they've been driven to leave their homes out of the need to survive," he told Time Magazine. "The number of migrants, refugees living in improvised housing, is going to grow with climate change, and we offer an alternative." The alternative will provide a more affordable and environmentally conscious substitute to the iron sheds often seen in the slums of the developing world. Some are even excited by the aesthetics the paper homes will offer.

According to Time, more than 2,000 units have already been ordered by a Nigerian company, and inquiries have also been coming in from Angola, Zimbabwe, and South America. Interestingly enough, several Americans are leaving comments on the news site's message board asking how they can purchase the homes for themselves, even though Niemoeller is advertising them by claiming the home "has been designed so that a family can slaughter an animal on the veranda, wash it in the shower and hang it, along with fish, on an integrated washing line."

Rising Sea Levels Claim California Beaches

2009-01-06T00:35:00.000-08:00

Rising sea levels are probably three of the scariest words having to do with global warming, and according to the Los Angeles Times, California is now forced to pay attention to them. New research shows that Malibu's Broad Beach is shrinking at a faster rate than originally thought, and coastal development isn't helping matters either.

The LA Times writes:

Sandwiched between the advancing sea and coastal armor built to protect multimillion-dollar homes, the strip of sand is being swept away by waves and tides. Soon, oceanographers and coastal engineers contend, the rising ocean will eclipse the clash between the beach-going public and the private property owners: There will be no dry sand left to fight over.

"If the latest projections of sea level rise are right, you can kiss goodbye the idea of a white sandy beach," said Bill Patzert, a climatologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge. "You are going to be jumping off the sea wall onto the rocks below."

The rise of sea levels, which have swelled about eight inches in the last century, are projected to accelerate with global warming.

Depending on the slope of the beach, every inch of sea-level rise claims an average of 50 inches of land. Currently scientists among the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change are predicting that sea levels could expect to rise anywhere from two to four feet over the next century, making the prospects of California beaches all the more questionable.

Coastal development is also making it more difficult for the beaches to replenish their natural sand. Rivers and streams that ordinarily deposit sediment to the beaches are being continually dammed and channeled through concrete to send flooding waters safely out to sea.

As far as finding any hope in the situation, scientists are proposing that residential and commercial development retreat landward so waves and tides can naturally gnaw away at the back-beach dunes and hillsides as they have for millenniums, thus creating the beaches of the future.

Trying to tell Malibu home owners they'll have to give up their ocean-front views is a story for another day, however.

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Dubai Gets A Synthetic Beach

2008-12-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

Cool sand and gentle breezes will always be available in Dubai, but vacationers will have to pay extra. The renowned fashion house, Versace, is to create the world's first refrigerated beach in a plan that has environmentalists up in arms.

According to Times Online:

The beach will be next to the the new Palazzo Versace hotel which is being built in Dubai where summer temperatures average 40C and can reach 50C.

The beach will have a network of pipes beneath the sand containing a coolant that will absorb heat from the surface.

The swimming pool will be refrigerated and there are also proposals to install giant blowers to waft a gentle breeze over the beach.

The problem with the synthetic beach, however is that it's likely to draw on a lot of energy, which means a great deal of greenhouse gas emissions. Times Online quoted Rachel Noble of Tourism Concern, an organization catered to sustainable tourism:

"Dubai is like a bubble world where the things that are worrying the rest of the world, like climate change, are simply ignored so that people can continue their destructive lifestyles."

Dubai, which attracts roughly 800,000 British tourists a year, is competitive market place for businesses catering to the wealthy. Versace hopes its innovative beach will keep them on the cutting edge of luxury lifestyles, and believes it can even make it sustainable. While plans on how to do that, exactly, are vague, the company is hiring Hyder Consulting, a British construction consultancy, to oversee the engineering of the project.

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Happy Holidays Everyone!

Melamine Detection Program Launched

2008-12-17T10:04:00.000-08:00

In an effort to prevent contaminated milk products from China from harming American consumers, a new melamine detection program is being launched.

Melamine is toxic chemical used in plastics, and it is believed that it was deliberately placed in milk products to falsely increase protein levels. The tainted milk caused illness in over 50,000 infants, reaching the international marketplace and still may not be fully contained.

Humans and animals are unable to process melamine in their systems. It can lead to kidney stones, damage the reproductive system and cause cancer, and it also lead to the death of some infants in the recent contamination incident. Melamine has been found in eggs, chickens, produce and pet chow, in addition to the recent milk and formula products.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. recently launched a program that assists governments and companies in the detection of melamine in food products imported from China. Through a form of biochemical analysis known as liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry or TSQ Quantum LC-MS/MS System for short, the company plans to aid countries in detecting melamine in incoming products from China. Similar technologies are already being used to detect melamine in China.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. provides an array of scientific instruments and testing equipment to companies and governments in need of their services.

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Indigenous Tribe in Chile is on its Last Legs

2008-12-16T11:36:00.000-08:00

Since the introduction of disease by European settlers centuries ago, indigenous peoples in the Western world have begun facing extinction. Now, in southern Chile's Patagonia region, there are only an estimated 12-20 pure-blooded members of the nomadic Kawesqar tribe.

Francisco Arroyo, estimated to be around 66 years old by a state census, is one of the last survivors of the tribe. He remembers being a boy and wending the icy channels and fjords with his father, tending a fire lit on dried earth on the bottom of their canoe and diving naked for giant mussels to survive.

Now, Arroyo hawks sea lion skin souvenir canoes and other trinkets, earning about $10. He says "It ends with our generation. We are old now. We can't go out in the channels any more. I am not sad. Life is easier now.” The region where he lives sees very few tourists, as it is accessible only by boat or helicopter.

The youngest full-blooded tribe members are two brothers aged around 40.

Arroya lives a very different life from his ancestors’, who lived in their canoes, even sleeping and cooking in them, wearing nothing other than a piece of sea lion skin on their backs and smothering themselves in grease and fat when diving for food.

Eugenio Aspillaga, a bio-anthropologist at the University of Chile, seeks to preserve the culture and language of the Kawseqars, explains the decline of the tribe, and others like them. He says, “They are in decline because the historic causes (illnesses) have continued until relatively recently." "Another factor is restrictions on their movement," he added, referring to a program in the 1960s to settle survivors in Puerto Eden. "There is a lesson in survival and human adaptability that we are losing. It is a part of humanity we neither know nor understand. Their culture is becoming extinct, and their language is also in danger," said Aguilera, who has studied the tribe since 1975. "Once the few survivors in Puerto Eden disappear, the oldest ones, then the culture will be lost and the tongue will no longer be spoken," he added.

Many of the tribe have married outside and there are an estimated 200 people of Kawesqar descent living elsewhere in Chile.

To read more about the extinction of Chile’s indigenous peoples, read the original article here.

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Global Warming Adaptation Plans Begin

2008-12-15T10:16:00.000-08:00

Global warming is happening, and we better start preparing for it--so says new reports from the World Bank and Oxfam International. According to the World Bank study that was published in the journal Climatic Change, countries like Vietnam, Egypt, and the Bahamas are just some of the countries likely to face the most catastrophic results of rising sea levels.

The Bank says that a one-meter rise in seal level would flood more than 7% of Vietnam's agricultural land, and wreck nearly 30% of its wetlands--causing living and economic chaos. To make matters even more frightening, many climate experts think a one-meter rise by the year 2100 is a conservative estimate, and perhaps several more are to be expected at current levels of greenhouse gas emissions.

The study which also highlights how a one-meter rise could destroy more than a tenth of the Bahamas, as well as 13 percent of Egypt's Agricultural land, is part of a 50-page document published by the Bank last year. It's currently being used to support Oxfam International's request for at least $50 billion a year to be channeled from international carbon trading schemes into adaptation efforts.

The Guardian quoted Heather Coleman, a senior climate change policy adviser with Oxfam:

"Helping vulnerable people cope with the effects of climate change is desperately needed today because they already face increasingly severe and ever-worsening climate change impacts...

"With a global financial crisis unfolding, these mechanisms could raise enough money from polluters without governments having to dip into national treasuries," Coleman says. "Many negotiators agree that this is one of the more practical approaches. Billions of dollars can be raised and invested to prevent future climate change and to help poor people adapt to the negative impacts of global warming."

Oxfam suggests these countries could prepare themselves with upgraded national flood early-warning systems, plant mangrove "bio-shields," along coasts to diffuse storm waves, and grow drought-tolerant crops. The charity argues that there is little evidence that the international community has seriously considered the implications of sea level rise for population location and infrastructure planning in many developing countries. And since many of these countries cannot afford to fully help themselves, it should be a responsibility of rich countries to avoid catastrophic losses of life.

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Gifts for Guns

2008-12-12T11:12:00.000-08:00

Since 2005, Gifts for Guns has allowed residents of especially violent areas to trade in guns for gift cards, but this year, the most popular cards were for grocery stores, not retail stores, like in prior events.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department allows residents to anonymously relinquish firearms in return for $100 gift cards for Ralphs supermarkets, Target department stores or Best Buy electronics stores. Assault rifles double the amount

The event took place in a grocery store parking lot in the Compton neighborhood of Los Angeles, an area with a long and notorious history of violence and gang-related incidents. Although in the past, most guns were turned in for gift cards to Target and Best Buy, this year the cards of choice were to Ralphs. Sheriff's Sgt. Byron Woods explained, "People just don't have the money to buy the food these days.” "One guy said he had just got laid off from his job," Woods said. "He turned in five guns and said it would really help him to put food on the family's table."

About 1,000 weapons were expected to be collected and 590 guns and two hand grenades were handed in during the last weekend in November, more than the total collected in any year and eclipsing last year's 387 guns. The event also turns up antique weapons and one man brought in a Soviet-era semiautomatic carbine.

The drive was started after an increase in killings in 2005, which has since tapered off. After first checking to see if any weapons were used to commit crimes, the firearms were destroyed.

Similar events are held in New York and San Francisco.

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Look for a Green Gift at the Eco Gift Festival

2008-12-11T15:50:00.000-08:00

The Eco Gift Festival is the largest environmentally conscious consumer gift show in the world. Sponsored by the Los Angeles Times, this year’s event, held at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, will bring together more than 15,000 consumers and 200 environmentally conscious vendors under one roof from Dec. 12th- 14th from 11 am - 8 pm.

The Eco Gift Festival includes an array of eco-conscious gift options as well as live entertainment, socially conscious speakers, an organic food court and on-site eco gift-wrapping and shipping.

Notable speakers at this year’s event include Arianna Huffington, Shallom Berkman of the Urth Caffe in Los Angeles, Seane Corn, the "National Yoga Ambassador" for YouthAIDS as well as a multitude of other experts on sustainable and socially-conscious living. Exhibitors at the event are all companies and businesses with green or organic practices and range from cosmetics companies to coffee to clothing to companies with a message or green interest.

The event strives to be a zero-emissions event and employs green event experts to continue to achieve their goal. A percentage of the profits received goes to various charities.

Although the event is currently only held in Los Angeles, there are hopes to expand it so that similar events are held internationally, as early as next year.

Tickets are $10 per day/$20 per weekend pass and free for children under 12 and seniors over 65. More information about the unique event can be found at www.ecogift.com.

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Paralyzed Guitarist Gets Bionic Hand

2008-12-10T13:13:00.000-08:00

When guitarist Dorian Cox lost the feeling of his right arm, one of his first thoughts turned out to be the most crushing: "I might not be able to play anymore." The UK musician suffered from a stroke this previous summer, and when his body became partially paralyzed, it forced his band, the Long Blondes, to break-up.

Cox is about to rise again, however with the help of a new glove that works and resembles something like a "bionic hand." Made by the PhysioFunction center in York, England, the SaeboFlex glove is entirely mechanical and uses springs and levers instead of electricity. It works out the weakened muscles in the wrist, hand, and fingers--spurring Cox to remark, "It's almost like a gym for my hand."

While the musician still lacks the strength to play guitar at the moment, the glove is helping him regain the ability to grasp and release objects again. "I know things might never be the same again and nobody can give me a definite answer about whether I'll play guitar again but I'm getting back on track," Cox told the Guardian.

The Long Blondes were an up-and-coming band from England, who built a loyal fan base over the course of two albums. Cox's stroke came entirely unexpectedly, causing a major upset amongst indie rock fans across the globe. But hopefully, not for much longer.

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Hawaii Prepares For Electric Car Future

2008-12-09T11:22:00.000-08:00

Hawaii--when we hear the state mentioned, we tend to think of luaus, clear blue oceans, tropical plants, and hay skirts. But the state also wants electric cars to become a part of it's global image. Governor Linda Lingle unveiled a plan for the island to create an entire electric car network by the year 2012, in effect battling global warming and ending the state's heavy reliance on foreign oil.

Daily Tech writes:

Electric car company Better Place will be the company responsible for building the electric car network that will cost an estimated $200 million to $250 million in construction. Better Place has not signed any investors for the project, but will intensify its search in the immediate future...

Consumers who purchase or lease electric cars will be able to visit Better Place supply recharging service locations to switch out their lithium ion car battery for a full-charged new one. Better Place will then recharge the new battery during off-peak electricity hours.

I can't help but think of Hawaii as the ultimate island paradise when the plan is in full effect. Noisy, exhaust-spilling engines would be replaced by the quiet hum of electric vehicles, allowing the ocean waves to be heard from almost anywhere in the state. Any smog in the air would clear up, and instead of getting out of the car to pump gas, an assistant would come over and install a new battery instead.

Better Place anticipates it will build somewhere around 50,000 to 100,000 charge spots across Hawaii by 2011, with Governor Lingle hoping to cut at least 70 percent of the state's fossil fuel use by 2030. With Hawaii stepping up to be the U.S. pioneers of the green revolution, we may expect other electric car networks to start trickling their away across the rest of the states.

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L.A.’s Ambitious Solar Plan

2008-12-08T10:25:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has just unveiled an ambitious plan to install solar panels on house rooftops that he says will "meet 10 percent of the city's energy needs" by 2020. According to utility officials, the energy plan will cost each L.A. resident 2 more dollars a month once complete. Details of the cost breakdown will be established within the next 90 days.

"Our solar initiative is the largest of any kind anywhere in the world. When it takes full effect, L.A. will have 1,280 megawatts more capacity -more than exists in the entire United States today," Villaraigosa said. Not only will it improve the polluted metropolis's skies but L.A.'s mayor claims that with "every 10 megawatts" of solar power, 200 to 400 new jobs could be created.

At the moment, not even 1 percent of L.A.'s energy supply comes from solar sources, while the ASH (American Safety and Health) Institute claims 76 percent of the city's energy is still generated from coal and natural gas.

The city is known for its ghastly smog and California lawmakers have recently founded the South Coast Air Quality Management District in order to get it under control. Some of its controls include monitoring clean construction and eco-friendly paint products, as well as "inventing methods of recovering the vapors released when petroleum products are burned." (Encycomedia.com)

380 megawatts of power will be generated from the solar panels through the SunShares Program, and another 500 megawatts will come from "utility-scale solar power projects that would feed into two transmission stations run by the city's Department of Water and Power." (ENN)

The project will cost between 1.5 to 3 billion dollars, which is meant to be completed by 2014. "The L.A. solar plan represents the generation of renewable energy in Los Angeles, by Los Angeles and for Los Angeles," said David Nahai, general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Nahai also mentioned he has high hopes that more cities jump on the solar industry bandwagon since it will bring prices down, making the market both more competitive and affordable.

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Invest in the World This Christmas

2008-12-05T10:42:00.000-08:00

Looking for unique ideas on what to get loved ones and friends for Christmas this year who already have it all? Worried about the state of the world, and the flailing economy? Why not give a gift that would satisfy all of the above? Websites like Good Gifts, Oxfam and Solar Aid provide some excellent alternatives to gift giving that spread the wealth, help the economy and invest in people of the future.

Solar Aid reminds us that "there are nearly two billion people around the world with no access to power" so why not try to remedy that by spending £15 (25 dollars) on a solar lantern to go to a child in rural Africa so they can use it for their studies. The lamps will also allow families in Africa to cook indoors, which can prevent respiratory diseases caused by toxic smoke. It also creates jobs to the people in the region, as they make the lanterns from raw materials. To get more information on how to give a lantern as a gift, as well as ordering one, go to Solar-Aid.org.

Another good site that provides a plethora of goods, both expensive and inexpensive, is GoodGifts.org. Here you can purchase a variety of gifts that go directly to those in need or you can purchase things for yourself or family that go directly to charity. Products like 'peace oil' which combines Palestinian and West Bank oil, can be purchased for as little as £9. ($15)

Or if your funds are extremely limited, buy a stocking-filler for less than $10 such as a warm jumper, cooking pot, or a medical fund donation for street children. If you're looking to make a bigger contribution, and a way to support the world economy, you can set up a camel dairying business for under $500, or give the gift of sight by paying for a child's surgery for under $3,000 or start a village library for under $2,000. The website even offers a guarantee for your records.

Oxfam also has a great website where you can purchase animals, food, trees, school supplies, hygiene kits and even educational skills. (Teach a teacher for under $50)

These are a few websites out of many, so there are plenty of opportunities to give the gift of charity this Christmas. And in the meantime, you could be helping the economy and the environment both inland and overseas.

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Indonesia To "Tag" AIDS Patients

2008-12-04T12:12:00.000-08:00

Some are calling it the actions of a "Hitler wanna-be," but the government of Indonesia thinks it's a win-win solution: known HIV/AIDS patients in a specific region of the country will be tagged with radio frequency identification chips as an effort to combat the spreading disease.

Lawmakers in Indonesia's remote province of Papua are set to pass the controversial legislature that aims to track those with "sexually aggressive behavior." Authorities argue that the micro radio chips would put them in a better position to identify and track those who deliberately infect others, with punishment ranging from up to six months in jail or a $5,000 fine. The idea is to scare people into abstinence.

The Associated Press writes:

Indonesia is the world's fourth most populous country and has one of Asia's fastest growing HIV rates, with up to 290,000 infections out of 235 million people, fueled mainly by intravenous drug users and prostitution.

But Papua, the country's easternmost and poorest province with a population of about 2 million, has been hardest hit. Its case rate of almost 61 per 100,000 is 15 times the national average, according to internationally funded research, which blames lack of knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases.

According to Nancy Fee, the UNAIDS country coordinator, she was unaware of any other country in the world with initiatives to combat HIV/AIDS with microchips. Like many other health care workers and activists in Indonesia, she believes it will only push the problems further underground and off the radar.

Other activists have cited Indonesia as extremely poor when it comes to sexual education. Condom use is hardly promoted, birth control methods are barely available, and few resources exist providing education on STDs or even planned parenthood. Ritual "swinging," or group sex, also occurs fairly regularly amongst Papua tribes.

One columnist on the Gizmodo blog wonders if lawmaker's "Plan B" is to just put AIDS/HIV patients "in camps, or shoot them straight away."

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Gas Prices Lowering; Bus Riding Still Rising

2008-12-02T12:16:00.000-08:00

In dozens of cities across America, gas is lower than $2.00 per gallon, which is the lowest I've seen prices since I first started driving in 2000. A new study released this week shows Inter-city bus service jumped 9.8 percent between the fourth quarters of 2007 and 2008, the highest growth rate in more than 40 years. While it credits much of the spike to the higher gas prices felt earlier this year, it seems that the basic economic efficiencies of bus travel are still proving themselves more attractive, especially with younger generations that are finding more entertainment and job opportunities in reviving downtown districts.

Reuters writes:

The study, released by the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at DePaul University in Chicago, includes all arrivals and departures of all conventional intercity bus companies, such as Greyhound Lines and Continental Trailways, as well as curbside bus operators, but not commuter-bus operators.

Much of the growth was driven by two companies, Megabus and Boltbus, a joint venture of the Greyhound and Peter Pan bus companies, which started curbside pick-up service in northeastern states in spring 2007.

The two companies offer high-frequency service between major U.S. cities and wireless Internet service on board.

As somebody who rarely ever rides buses, I'm now turned on by the idea for free wi-fi access alone. But along with people's ability to check e-mail while they commute, it turns out the increased bus service has also made some headway in the battle against global warming. The study found that over the past year, reduced carbon dioxide emissions are estimated at about 36,000 tons . Air travel also dropped by about 8 percent in the same time period.

It seems more and more Americans are getting on the bus, both literally and metaphorically.

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Tips for a Green Thanksgiving

2008-11-25T14:04:00.000-08:00

Holidays are always a time of waste and plenty with raging parties and overflowing trash cans. This Thanksgiving, cut down on your carbon footprint and give thanks for greener options.

If Thanksgiving is at your house this year, consider the following:

Reduce paper waste by sending e-vites. At the party, further reduce paper waste by using cloth napkins and “real” dishes and silverware in place of plastic and paper and save the world from global warming.

Minimize your lights by dining before the sun goes down and using dimmers and candles (made of natural waxes) for a festive atmosphere.

Use real leaves that you collect from outside instead of plastic, artificial versions. If you’re big on decorating, buy pieces that will last, rather than paper decorations that will need to be tossed as soon as someone spills gravy on them.

Make sure that you provide a recycling bin in addition to the trash bag (preferably made of biodegradable plastic).

As for the food, buy local and organic foodstuffs, from yams to turkey. Try a sustainable brand of turkey, like Heritage. Check out your local natural foods store for more turkey. Also, make your dishes vegetarian, by subbing in vegetable or mushroom broth instead of trimmings.

Make it easy on yourself and have a potluck, and spread the green around by having your guests bring a sustainable dish as well.

And in the spirit of giving, give a little something to your local foodbank so that less fortunate families can feast as well. Local charities often offer Thanksgiving dinners and you can donate food and time to serve up a hot meal for the start of the holiday season.

When the guests go home, use natural cleaning solutions like vinegar and lemon juice or a green store-bought cleansing product to make your home sparkle.

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2008-11-24T10:52:00.000-08:00

Dr. Alan Bittner runs a liposculpture clinic in Beverly Hills that has recently been shut down due to his unorthodox practice of using his patients’ leftover fat as fuel for his car.

At the doctor’s site, http://lipodiesel.org/, you can read all about the Dr. Bittner’s interest in green activities as a long-time member of the Sierra Club. The site reports that starting last year, as part of his efforts to get off fossil fuels and use alternative energy, he began using some of the fat from his liposuction patients and turning into biodiesel for his SUV. He calls it LipoDiesel.

According to Dr. Bittner, "My patients universally love the idea of converting their unwanted fat into fuel. Not only do they get to lose their love handles or chubby belly, but they get to take part in saving the Earth. Patients really like the idea that the fat can be used for something helpful and good. The vast majority of my patients request that I use their fat for fuel - and I have more fat than I can use. In fact, some of my staff has begun to buy diesel vehicles so that they can use the fuel too."

Dr. Bittner estimates that he removes about 2000 gallons of fat from his patients every year, some of which he disposes of as medical waste and some of which he saves to process into fuel for his SUV. He reports that he gets 10 miles to the gallon.

He processes the fat in his own lab and tests it to make sure it works by testing it.

While lipodiesel may seem like a good idea on some levels, especially when you also take into consideration the nation’s rising rates of obesity, it also seems completely icky on other levels, like contamination.

It has been reported that Dr. Bittner’s Beverly Hills clinic has been shut down by the Medical Board. And as plastic surgeon Dr. John Di Saia, among others has pointed out, biodiesel likely violates laws about disposing of biological waste.

Although burning biowaste leaves a large carbon footprint, it seems that until laws are in place making fat into fuel will have to wait.

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Charlize Theron Becomes Messenger of Peace

2008-11-21T09:23:00.000-08:00

For actress Charlize Theron, art has begun to imitate life. After playing roles in films like North Country and Monster, (for which she won an Academy Award) films that both deal with the consequences of domestic violence and harassment, she has been named as a United Nations Messenger of Peace on Friday.

Theron will join the other 10 celebrities who have been named messengers of peace, from entertainment fields in film, music literature and sport. She will focus on ending violence against women through a media contract with the U.N. as well as public speeches and appearances. The 33 year old actress-turned activist played serial killer Aileen Wuornos, who was notoriously put to death after killing men who thought she was a prostitute. Wuornos came from an unfortunate background of violence and abuse and was executed in Florida back in 2002.

In 2005, the film North Country concentrated on a woman, Josey Aimes, who filed a sexual harassment charge while working in a male dominant mining field project, also based on a true story. She’s been involved in charitable causes in the past, such as “putting mobile health clinics in rural areas of her native South Africa where access to care is limited.” (Patrick Worsnip, Reuters)

Her eye witness experience of domestic violence has inspired her work. At the age of 15, she experienced the shooting of her alcoholic father by her mother’s hand when he threatened the family in “a drunken rage.” U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said, “You have used your voice, compassion and special relationship with the public to create a better world,” at the inauguration ceremony.

Other messengers of peace include actors George Clooney and Michael Douglas, musicians Daniel Barenboim, Midori Goto and cellist Yo-Yo Ma, author of The Alchemist Paul Coelho and equestrian Princess Haya Bint al-Hussein. As stated by the United Nations website, “The Messengers of Peace, through their public appearances, contacts with the international media and humanitarian work, help expand understanding of how the ideals and objectives of the Organization demand everyone’s attention.”

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Another Species Nears Extinction, Courtesy of Pollution

2008-11-19T09:23:00.000-08:00

According to an article on Treehugger, the bizarre, yet cute-looking Axolotl salamander, also known as the Mexican walking fish or Mexican water monster, is now considered endangered due to habitat destruction and water pollution.

The sea-living creature is remarkable not only for its smiling appearance, but also because of its ability to regenerate most body parts. Once an import part of Aztec legend and diet, the creature has managed to survive until recently in the polluted canals of Lake Xochimilco, part of Mexico City's urban sprawl.

In modern times, axolotls have been used extensively in laboratory studies on regeneration, embryology, fertilization and evolution.

"If the axolotl disappears, it would not only be a great loss to biodiversity but to Mexican culture, and would reflect the degeneration of a once-great lake system," says Luis Zambrano, a biologist at the Autonomous University of Mexico, or UNAM/

Scientists are trying to find ways to save the tiny creature, which some estimate may disappear in as few as five years. Some push for Axolotl sanctuaries in the canals, while others are pushing for breeding in captivity.

Once a population of millions, it was a regular part of the local diet. Now, the population has fallen from 1,500 per square mile in 1998 to a mere 25 per square mile this year, according to a survey by Zambrano's scientists using casting nets. Fishermen no longer find the creatures as often, so it is no longer eaten.

Without the presence of nonnative species, like carp, the water would clear, and plants the axolotl needs to breed could flourish again, said Bob Johnson, the curator of amphibians and reptiles at the Toronto Zoo.

"If you take the insults away, the lake has an amazing latent potential to heal itself," he said.

While there is yet no clear direction as to how to save the species, the race is on.

For pictures of the alien-looking animal, click here. To read the original article, click here.

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Carmakers Facing Harsh Reality

2008-11-18T08:38:00.000-08:00

Many of the world's leading CEOs in car manufacturing are learning a simple truth, perhaps for the first time: it ain't the 1950's anymore. While the automobile industry built a powerful empire in the post WWII economy, largely fueled by America's new obsession with personal mobility, today the only thing seeming to take a drive are profits--and they're heading southbound.

According to the Los Angeles Times, General Motors Corp., Chrysler, Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, Land Rover, and Suzuki Motor Corp are all withdrawing from the nation's premier auto show in Detroit, and several have pulled out of other leading shows in L.A., Chicago, and New York. The Times writes:

"'Clearly, we're affected,' said Andy Fuzesi, general manager and co-owner of the L.A. Auto Show, which has nearly 20% fewer exhibitors at this year's show compared with last year, when nearly 100 companies paid to show their wares to more than 1 million visitors at the Los Angeles Convention Center. 'Everybody is clearly reassessing where they spend their money.'"

Through October, US auto sales took an overall plummet of 15% compared with last year, with Subaru being the only manufacturer to actually sell more cars this year than last. Some manufacturers actually have some models to work up enthusiasm about, such as Chrysler with three new electric concept vehicles, but are instead unloading the price of running a display onto its network of local dealerships The Times also quoted Barry Toepke, a public relations executive at automotive firm RWB: "Corporate usually shoulders a big part of the expenses."

GM and Ford also lost a combined $30 billion in the first nine months of this year, spurring them and Chrysler to recently lobby for federal aid amidst the current bailout talks.

Obviously the auto industry is taking a hit like everyone else in the suffering global economy. It could be mostly temporary, but with greater enthusiasm for public transportation, and more awareness of global warming, it's difficult to say whether or not traditional, gas-fueld vehicles will ever return to the same profit status again. With GM recently announcing plans to lay off 55,000 employees, it's also difficult to say how the rest of us plan to deal with it.

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Great For The Country, Bad For Comedians

2008-11-17T12:11:00.000-08:00

There could be a small minority of dedicated liberals in the US trembling at the election of Barack Obama--comedians. With a new national leader looking to be the intelligent, anti-war, eco-minded, class act an overwhelming majority of Americans wanted, others fear the next four years could be the worst times for satire.

Reuters writes:

Whether because he was the favorite of left-leaning comics, the historic nature of his election or that so far he has made few gaffes, comedians are finding little to joke about so far.

"Obama's election is great for our country but bad for comedy," said Michael Musto, a columnist for New York City's Village Voice. "He is an earnest, intelligent person trying to rescue a country in crisis and that's not all that hilarious."

"Comedy thrives when there are buffoonish targets," he said. "Traditionally shows like 'Saturday Night Live' have done best when dealing with people like President (Gerald) Ford, who couldn't stand upright all the time, or (Bush) who couldn't say nuclear, or Sarah Palin who didn't know Africa's a continent."

Left-leaning comic Bill Maher of HBO's Real Time and the recent film Religulous admitted that jokes about Obama could be hard to come by. "Seriously, here's a guy who's not fat, not cheating on his wife, not stupid, not angry and not a phony. Who needs an asshole like that around for the next four years?" he recently, in fact, joked on his show. But to his credit, he was able slip in another one, riffing off Obama's middle name, Hussein. "Americans were so sick of Bush that seven years after 9-11, they said, 'You know what sounds good? A black guy with a Muslim name."

Jay Leno of NBC's The Tonight Show also lamented, "I've got to admit, as a comedian, I'm going to miss President Bush because Barack Obama is not easy to do jokes about, he doesn't give you a lot to go on," he said the day after the November 4 election. "See this is why God gave us (Vice President-elect) Joe Biden."

There's no question about it--satire works best under oppressive circumstances. It's the relief and truth we turn to when our inner voices can't hear confirmation else where. But as Obama even admitted, "I was not born in a manger." With many tough issues bound to come up over the next four years, and with a set of many advisors guiding his decisions, mistakes are bound to happen. And I guarantee people like Jon Stewart, Tina Fey, Chris Rock, and David Letterman will be sweeping in whenever possible.

Still, it could be funny to see the first episode of the Daily Show after Obama's inauguration in January featuring the the writers and cast just waving goodbye to the camera.

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Kidney Stones in Kids Becoming More Common

2008-11-14T09:06:00.000-08:00

Kidney stones, an ailment commonly associated with middle age have been found to be increasing in children, according to the New York Times.

“The older doctors would say in the ’70s and ’80s, they’d see a kid with a stone once every few months,” said Dr. Caleb P. Nelson, a urology instructor at Harvard Medical School who is co-director of the new kidney stone center at Children’s Hospital Boston. “Now we see kids once a week or less.”

In China, kidney stones have been reported in children who consumed milk products contaminated with melanine, a toxic chemical. But in the United States, the increase in kidney stones in children has been associated with over consumption of salt.

Excess amounts of salt and lack of fluids are often the reason behind adult kidney stones, so it stands to reason that they would also affect children.

“What we’ve really seen is an increase in the salt load in children’s diet,” said Dr. Bruce L. Slaughenhoupt, co-director of pediatric urology and of the pediatric kidney stone clinic at the University of Wisconsin.

Although some experts have blamed an increase in childhood obesity for the poor eating habits that contribute to the increase of childhood kidney stones, Dr. Caleb P. Nelson, a urology instructor at Harvard Medical School who is co-director of the new kidney stone center at Children’s Hospital Boston says, Of the school-age and adolescent kids we’ve seen, most of them appear to be reasonably fit, active kids. We’re not seeing a parade of overweight Nintendo players.”

Other doctors and clinics however, have been seeing more overweight children with kidney stones, leading them to suspect that a poor diet is, in fact, a large factor in the onslaught of kidney stones.

And, fifty to 60 percent of children with kidney stones have a family history of the disease. “If you have a family history, it’s important to recognize your kids are at risk at some point in their life,” Dr. Nelson said. “That means instilling lifelong habits of good hydration, balanced diet, and avoiding processed high-salt, high-fat foods.”

Children with kidney stones experience pain in their side or stomach, while younger children may have a harder time expressing what they’re feeling, making the condition harder to diagnose.

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Snakes at a Spa

2008-11-13T14:08:00.000-08:00

It seems the quest for beauty gets wackier every day, with spas serving up their elite clientele fabulous facials made with bird droppings and pedicures with tiny fish to munch away dead skin. Now, a spa in Israel promises to top all the wacky beauty treatments by offering spa-goers snake massages, according to an article in TIME.

In the tranquil orange groves of Northern Israel, is Ada Barak’s Carniverous Plant Farm. Barak makes a living showing off her assortment of plants that eat animals, everything from insects to schnitzel. She hit upon the idea for the snake massage when she passed around a snake to be held by audience members before it met its demise by plant.

Barak tells TIME, "Some people said that holding the snakes made them feel better, relaxed. One old lady said it was soothing, like a cold compress."

After some experimentation, she found the perfect assortment of snakes for the ultimate soothing experience: big snakes, king and corn for a deep massage along with little ones that produce a “fluttering sensation.” Like the size of the snakes, reactions to the massage are at both ends of the spectrum, “People either like it a lot or they hate it," says Barak.

For $80, the six snakes are placed on customers to wriggle and ease migraine pain and sooth muscle soreness, according to some fans.

Although more traditional spas can be found in the same area, there is only one snake massage available thus far.

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Lights Out for Otto the Octopus

2008-11-12T11:00:00.000-08:00

Otto the Octopus has been a known troublemaker in his home at the Sea Star Aquarium in Coburg, Germany, for some time. But when the lights began shorting out, the staff decided to investigate.

When the lights and electricity began to mysteriously go out, endangering life in the aquarium, the staff began to take turns sleeping on the aquarium floor to find out the cause.

It turns out that cause was Otto, who at 2 feet 7 inches, found he was big enough to climb onto the rim of his tank and turn out the bright light above him by spraying water at the offending bulb.

A spokesman said: "It was a serious matter because it shorted the electricity supply to the whole aquarium that threatened the lives of the other animals when water pumps ceased to work.

"We knew that he was bored as the aquarium is closed for winter, and at two feet, seven inches Otto had discovered he was big enough to swing onto the edge of his tank and shoot out the 2000 Watt spot light above him with a carefully directed jet of water."

Otto has put his multi-handedness to use before, juggling the hermit crabs that he co-habitats with and throwing rocks at the glass.

To prevent Otto from inadvertently harming his fellow aquarium dwellers, the light in question has been placed out of his range.

Director Elfriede Kummer who witnessed the act said: "We've put the light a bit higher now so he shouldn't be able to reach it. But Otto is constantly craving for attention and always comes up with new stunts so we have realised we will have to keep more careful eye on him - and also perhaps give him a few more toys to play with.

"Once we saw him juggling the hermit crabs in his tank, another time he threw stones against the glass damaging it. And from time to time he completely re-arranges his tank to make it suit his own taste better - much to the distress of his fellow tank inhabitants."

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Rooftop Wind

2008-11-10T13:51:00.001-08:00

As the cost of everything, from food to fuel rises, consider cutting down on your electricity by harnessing the power of the wind.

Wind turbines are often pictured as large, unwieldy, unsightly and noisy. But the Swift company has come up with a wind turbine that sits on the rooftop and is quiet.

Whether you are interested in installing a wind turbine on the rooftop of your private home place of business, Swift can help you decide if a wind turbine would be a good fit for your needs.

At the product’s website, www.swiftwindturbine.com, you can find more information about how wind can be channeled into usable energy, how wind turbines work, how the rooftop model differs from other models, how much they cost to install and how much energy they can generate (generally about 20% of a household’s energy use). They even offer advice about random fears, like birds getting caught in the blades (unlikely to happen).

To keep things quiet for neighborhoods, the Swift turbine uses a dual tail system to ensure that it constantly faces into the wind, reducing noise and vibration.

To find out whether or not the turbine is appropriate for your needs, you fill out an online form that then places your area in a wind class. In windy areas, the turbine pays for itself faster, whereas in areas with very little wind, it may not be as cost-effective.

The Swift wind turbine is one of the latest models of wind turbines that are popping up for smaller use.

To find out more about generating your own wind energy, EcoGeek has an article that explores and explains various models here

To find out more about the Swift model, click here.

Artificial Heart Uses Plane Technology

2008-11-07T12:22:00.000-08:00

French scientists have enlisted the same technology used in airplanes and satellites to build a better artificial heart than those currently available. So far, the heart has only been tested on animals, but scientists hope that it can one day be used in place of human heart transplants.

The heart maker is a subsidiary of the parent company of Airbus, the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co., or EADS. The heart functions in a similar manner to airplanes, able to anticipate the need of it’s patient and adjust to react accordingly. Although scientists in other countries, including South Korea and the United States, have been working on artificial hearts, the French company’s version is the first one able to adjust to different conditions. America-based company Abiomed already has an artificial heart on the market, which has been FDA approved.

"It's the same principle in the airplane as in the body," said Patrick Coulombier, chief operating officer of Carmat, the manufacturer. He explains that the same technology that measures altitude and pressure detect the heart's pumping speed and the pressure on its walls.

The Abiomed heart sells for up to $250,000 and has extended the lives of heart patients up to 5 months. The French heart is expected to sell for $192,140.

It is the first heart with two valves, like a natural heart, and the first that adjusts its pumping speed. Previous artificial hearts have been temporary measures designed for use before a transplant.

With the new version, there are hopes that it can be used longer-term. The heart is made of natural materials including polymer and pig tissue, which have already been used in heart valves implanted into people and have not had rejection problems.

"Virtually all devices that have been implanted in humans, no matter how well designed, have been associated with unforeseen complications," said Dr. Tim Gardner, president of the American Heart Association.

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2008-11-06T11:11:00.000-08:00

Nikita Ovsyanikov, a researcher from Wrangel Island natural park in Chukotka, a remote Artic region, has spent the past 18 years studying polar bears and says that more polar bears are dying as a result of melting ice and increased killings by humans.

Ovsyanikov says, "If this tendency continues, the population will disappear very quickly.”

According to Ovsyanikov , the rapidly melting ice sheet forces polar bears to live on land in the summer, where they have trouble finding food. The bears are then forced to scavenge in local villages, where they are likely to be shot.

He also says, "We need to create new protected areas in the Arctic.”

The International Fund for Animal Welfare, for which Ovsyanikov has done studies, estimates that around 100 polar bears are killed illegally in Russia every year, as polar fur has gained popularity in the country, although it against the law to shoot them, except as self-defense.

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Eco-friendly Fur

2008-11-05T09:58:00.000-08:00

Japanese designer Chie Imai showed her 2008-2009 Royal Chie Collection of eco-friendly fur designs.

Imai has been designing fur since 1982, but it’s the first time she’s made them eco-friendly. The coats are a conglomeration of international materials: high-grade chinchilla fur from Finland with a recycled fabric made from used polyester by Japanese chemical company Teijin Limited.

The Japanese factory partnered with Pagagonia to create a recycled fabric out of used polyester, but it is the first time the fabric has been used in a luxury product.

"I had heard about this advanced technology, and I wanted to see it for myself," said Imai. "Then I saw that it was something that was very interesting and new."

Imai was inspired by her customers who wanted to participate in the green movement, but wanted it to be luxurious, innovative and practical too. Notable audience members at her recent New York show included Spike Lee and Tonya Lee Lewis, Ivanka Trump and her brother Donald Trump.

As Imai points out, fur coats are investment pieces, worn and passed down through generations, getting plenty of use and with the waterproof polyester thrown into the mix, the color creations are sure to last.

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More Wonders Added to List

2008-10-31T12:56:00.000-07:00

8 Natural Wonders have been added to the list of natural wonders, called the World Heritage List, as designated by UNESCO.

“Natural World Heritage sites represent the best of what nature has to offer,” says native Australian David Sheppard, Head of the Protected Areas Program for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the organization which recommended the sites.

The UNESCO designation is meant to protect natural wonders from the encroachment of humanity, but the sites inevitably draw more attention when they are added to the list, from well-meaning tourists.

Sanqingshan National Park in China was designated by UNESCO for its"scenic quality, marked by the concentration of fantastically shaped pillars and peaks: 48 granite peaks and 89 granite pillars, many of which resemble human or animal silhouettes."

Lagoons of New Caledonia in the South Pacific are a highly diverse coral reef ecosystem, which some scientists believe have a high marine life population than Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

Joggins Fossil Cliffs in the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia is a series of rocks and cliffs in Eastern Canada contains fossils of reptiles and preserved upright fossil trees from the Coal Age 300 million years ago.

Surtsey is one of the Westman Islands found off the coast of Iceland. A nature preserve, Surtsey is currently closed to visitors, although interested travelers can investigate the nearby island of Heimaey, where archaeologists are digging up a town buried in 1973 by a volcanic eruption.

The Swiss Tectonic Area of Sardona is a treasure trove of jagged rock formations.

Saryarka is composed of two clusters of wetlands: Korgalzhyn Nature Reserve and Naurzum Nature Reserve, both in northern Kazakhstan and can only be reached with a special permit.

Socotra Archipelago is an island in the Indian Ocean sometimes known as the "Galapagos of the Indian Ocean." and largely untouched by tourism, although the industry is growing.

The Monarch Butterfly Reserve is only one hour north of Mexico City and is site dedicated to the preservation of the monarch butterfly by the World Wildlife Fund and ecotourism.

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Caffeine-Crazed Consumers

2008-10-30T11:08:00.000-07:00

Consumers have craved caffeine for centuries. Almost everyone is an addict or knows someone who can’t wake up without a morning cup of coffee. But now, marketers and scientists are cashing in on the caffeine craze and introducing it in everything from sunflower seeds to body lotions, according to an article on Time.com.

The caffeine trend began with the introduction of highly caffeinated energy drinks in the last part of the last century. But now, the caffeine craze is in full bloom, according to the market research giant Mintel. In the past five years, firms have launched at least 126 caffeinated food products for sale in the U.S., with twenty-nine such products introduced this year alone.

Although caffeine is considered a relatively safe drug, a 1998 study in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, found that 7% of caffeine users have experienced what is called caffeine intoxication. Caffeine intoxication is characterized by nervousness, insomnia, tachycardia and psychomotor agitation and has even led to death in rare instances. The symptoms abate when users stop consuming caffeine, but with the new prevalence of caffeinated products, consumers may no longer be aware of their limits and thus more likely to overuse.

Many of the new products don’t say how much caffeine is in their product on the label. Companies are even getting kids in on the craze, with products like Jelly Belly's Extreme Sport Beans, which the company calls "Energizing Jelly Beans." Sumseeds, a brand of caffeinated sunflower seeds, contain 120 mg of caffeine per packet, 16% more than in a typical 6-oz. serving of coffee. Shower Shock soap is designed to deliver a crackling 200 mg of caffeine when lathered into the skin, twice the amount in that same cup of coffee.

The FDA has not yet responded to petitions started by a Johns Hopkins neuroscience professor named Roland Griffiths, that ask that caffeinated products be labeled.

Although there is no definitive finding as of late that the new stream of caffeine has affected public health, it is definitely affecting the youth of the nation.

Doctors recommend that children not have any caffeine, caffeine is being put into traditional childhood junk food favorites, including candy, chips, gum and other snacks. It was reported that 4 middle school boys were sent to the emergency room after school officials thought they were suffering symptoms of a heart attack, including profuse sweating. It turns out that the boys had simply consumed energy drinks.

Because there is no official action on caffeine products, consumers should read labels carefully and factor in any additional caffeine consumption, beyond their coffee and tea, into their daily total.

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Make October 31 a Green Halloween

2008-10-22T10:48:00.000-07:00

Holidays can be amongst the most wasteful days of the year. With Halloween coming up at the end of the month, here are some tips to ensure that you celebrate a Green Halloween, from candy to costume.

When it comes to candy, China’s tainted milk problem has become a global affair, with tainted milk products being found in Asian candy sold in Britain and the US as well as Australia, choosing organic sweets are best. Look for candy that is labeled organic or natural and fair-trade. Products with these labels undergo a great deal of supervision during production and are thus less likely to be contaminated.

For trick or treating sized confections, check out Endangered Species Chocolate and Equal Exchange Chocolate Minis, which are organic and use ethically traded ingredients. For the rest of the year and especially the end of the year holiday season, also be sure to buy organic and fair-trade treats for yourself and others.

When it comes to the all-important Halloween costume, don’t rush out to buy the cheap, mass-produced at your local drugstore. Instead of being a naughty nurse or sending your kid out as the latest superhero, get creative and you might be surprised at the environmentally-friendly choices you can make.

Go to a thrift store. They can be chock full of old Halloween costumes just right for recycling. Power Ranger anyone?

Search the web for ideas on how to make your own costume, especially if you are handy with a needle and thread. Use stuff from around the house to create your own capes, swords crowns and other miscellaneous needed to make your costume come to life.

If you have a new, unused Halloween costume, donate it. Until October 26, participating Starwood hotels are ensuring that all children get a treat this year. Click here to find participating hotels that are collecting Halloween costumes for local kids in need.

Make this year’s Halloween Green, whether you are tricking or treating.

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Toyota Builds First 'Green' Dealership In Western USA

2008-10-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

It might seem like an oxymoron, but Toyota is at least trying to off-set some of its carbon footprint. The car manufacturer will be opening its first eco-conscious dealership to the public today in Salt Lake City, Utah. The new Mark Miller Toyota facility was built from the ground up with green initiatives in mind and expects to earn a Gold LEED Certification in the coming weeks.

While not using any major technological innovations such as hydrogen fuel cells or solar panels for power, the dealership was designed to conserve energy and water. It was also built with recycled materials, using much of the original building site in it's 're-construction.' Some of the environmentally friendly features include sun-tracking skylights to optimize natural daylight (to cut down on interior light use), low-flow faucets and toilets and waterless urinals, a cistern system to collect and store rainwater and air conditioning condensation for irrigation and for washing cars, and cool-roof system to lower the overall heat that comes off large buildings.

The facility can serve as an example of many of the small ways we can make an impact on global warming--something as simple as leaving light bulbs off for most of the hours of the day can go a long way in carbon savings.

Mark Miller, the dealer principal, said, "It wasn't a cheap proposition, but we think what we've done will have a payback both monetarily and in a reduced impact on the environment. In fact, we expect the facility's design to pay for itself within a decade. As buildings are the number one user of energy in the economy, our design will help reduce our energy use by about a third. We are pleased to help lead the way in Salt Lake City with an energy-efficient and environmental facility."

The dealership has applied and expects to win a Gold LEED certification in coming weeks. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a voluntary program designed to promote and validate environmental leadership in the building industry. It is awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council, and is coveted by business owners.

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New Way to Create Stem Cells

2008-10-20T10:20:00.000-07:00

Researchers have found a new way to transform "ordinary stem cells into powerful stem cells" by sprinkling a chemical onto the cells. This chemical allows a team of scientists at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute in Massachusetts to use a mixture of 2 genes to transform skin cells into "powerful induced pluripotent stem cells or 1PS cells." (Maggie Fox, Reuters)

Though these cells may prove difficult to make, however as they require the use of embryo or cloning technology and certain groups object to these practices in places like the US, making funding limited. In order to place these genes into the cells, the scientists have to place a retrovirus in order to get their material into the cells they infect. But this can prove dangerous and can cause tumors, among other things.

However, results of recent tests have proven promising, as doctors like Danwei Huangfu say the other 2 genes may not even be needed. The way the physical chromosomes are structured, scientist may be able to alter their DNA more easily. "These results support the possibility of reprogramming through purely chemical means, which would make therapeutic use of reprogrammed cells safer and more practical," Huangfu wrote in the group's report.

"This study demonstrates there's a possibility that instead of using genes and viruses to reprogram cells, one can use chemicals," said Dr. Doug Melton, who directed the study published in the journal Nature Biotechnology. Huangfu, a postdoctoral researcher in his lab, confirmed that this was the first time lab scientists feel they can actually make stem cells by inducing this chemical.

Stem cells are the body's main cells, which give rise to tissues, organs and blood. Embryonic stem cells are thought to be the most powerful kinds of stem cells, since they alone have the power to "give rise to any type of tissue." Doctors hope this find will be used to transform the way they use medicine.

Doctor Melton, for example wants to find a way to reuse the pancreatic cells destroyed in type 1 diabetes to hopefully cure the disease. "We may need two types of chemicals, 1 to loosen the chromatin structure, and one to reprogram. We are looking for that reprogramming chemical and it should be possible to find it eventually," Huangfu said.

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Scientists Develop "Synthetic Telepathy"

2008-10-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

Pretty soon it seems like time travel will be the only subject science fiction writers have left, and at the rate science is progressing, perhaps that will be outdated soon as well. Currently the army is financing technology that allows e-mail or voice mail to be sent by thought alone.

Known as "synthetic telepathy," the technology reads electrical activity in the brain using an electroencephalograph, or EEG. For what, the exact purpose other than 'convert operations' is still unknown according to MSNBC, but the researchers working on the project expect it to trickle down to consumer use eventually--perhaps for the video games of the future.

"I think that this will eventually become just another way of communicating," said Mike D'Zmura, from the University of California, Irvine and the lead scientist of the project. "It will take a lot of research, and a lot of time, but there are also a lot of commercial applications, not just military applications," he said.

Similar forms of the technology appeared in the 1960s to send morse code through brain waves, but sending complete thoughts is completely unprecedented. Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Maryland are also working on the project, and hope individuals will be able to use it to send thoughts to a radio or to a printable e-mail.

"The eventual application I see is for students sitting in the back of the lecture hall not paying attention because they are texting," added D'Zmura. "Instead, students could be back there, just thinking to each other."

The team is also hopeful the technology will be used in medical practice, such as with patients with Lou Gehrig's disease, or who are deaf or dumb.

One hopes that however the technology for synthetic telepathy works--it comes with an off switch too.

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Venus Flytraps Threatened in Own Habitat

2008-10-16T12:32:00.000-07:00

The delicate yet deadly flower, most popularly known as the venus flytrap which sits atop a long stem is now in danger in a green swamp reserve in North Carolina. Laura Gadd, a nature preserve specialist, marks them as she walks by, finding them hidden beneath wisps of wire grass. She finds a half a dozen a day, which is enough to “warrant a spray of glue and inconspicuous powder used to identify the plants and track down poachers who pluck them.” (Mike Baker, Associated Press)

One of nature’s most popular obscure plants, the venus flytrap’s ability to snatch living prey makes it a favourite of school children and plant enthusiasts alike. The flytrap’s natural habitat exists only within a few hundred miles of South Carolina’s coast, where larger more dominating plants have taken over the area. Building development and commercial growth along the North and South Carolina coast has threatened the few “sensitive and thin populations of venus flytraps that still exist in the wild.”

An AP review of state botany records found that nearly 80 percent of the 117 identified wild populations of flytraps in North Carolina have little to no chance of surviving and have either been scarce or wiped out. Most of the large clusters are in nature preserves, but most experts think the dwindling has to do with “encroaching humans.” Wildfires and logging along the Savannah are also responsible for their demise as well as poaching, since flytraps have been popular for various medical procedures around the world. Repeated poachers face misdemeanour charges and are usually only fined less than 200 dollars. Rarely do they face jail time, so it happens more than it should. The traps were once found in as many as 4 counties in South Carolina, and have now narrowed down to only one.

"When you go out looking for these populations that have been recorded, you find you're either in a golf course or a subdivision, or a road or a shopping center," James Luken, a professor at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C., who studies wetland ecology, said. "It's a biological hotspot, but it's a development hotspot. These areas are being transformed as fast as the bulldozers can roll."

Due to the dwindling supply of flytraps they still aren’t actually considered endangered, since there are so many other plants ahead of them “on the waiting list.” Representative Carolyn Justice, a Republican who represents the Wilmington area, has pushed to begin regulating flytraps in the same fashion as ginseng in the past, a plant used for a variety of herbal needs in Eastern medicines. But legislation has stalled to take action for now. "Our population down here is exploding," Justice said. "And as we encroach on these forests, we encroach on (the flytrap). We just need to be real careful monitoring how these are harvested and sold."

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Global Warming Already Producing Refugees

2008-10-15T11:33:00.000-07:00

In Bangladesh, climate change is creating climate refugees as increasing numbers of people are moving inland, away from rising sea levels that are already submerging coastlines. Despite the fact that the country’s major rivers, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra, carry enough sediment to create new sand bars and extend the coastline by a rate of about 8 square miles per year, the number of climate change refugees continues to climb.

According to The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says there will be 20 million people internally displaced people within Bangladesh by 2050 as a result of climate change, while James Hansen of the NASA Goddard Institute predicts that the country's entire population of 144 million are at risk of becoming environmental refugees by the end of the century.

However, some don’t believe that climate change is eroding the land because of visible new land. The Dhaka-based Centre for Environment and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS) has studied 32 years of satellite images and says the country's landmass has increased by 20 square kilometers (eight square miles) annually. In the past 30 years, CEGIS says that 1,000 square kilometers of land have risen from the sea.

But according to one of Bangladesh’s leading climate change experts, Atiq Rahman, the number of refugees is still increasing, despite evidence of new land. He says, "Yes, the new land is forming, but because sea levels are rising so fast that millions of people will still be climate refugees.”

Bangladesh diplomats plan to plea for international support to help fight the consequences of climate change.

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Google Introduces Mail Goggles

2008-10-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

Just as friends don’t let friends date through beer goggles, Google doesn’t want you emailing through them either. To further this end, Google is introducing Mail Goggles, to prevent drunken emailers from regretting what they write in the morning.

Jon Perlow, Gmail engineer writes on the official Gmail Blog about his introduction of Mail Goggles to prevent you sending a message you might later regret.

Perlow’s inspiration for the helpful feature comes from personal experience: telling a girl he had a crush on her via text message and telling an ex-girlfriend that they should get back together.

Mail Goggles requires the sender to solve some simple math problems as a sobriety test to see whether or not you are sober enough to click send. By default, the feature is active late on weekend evenings, the time most are most likely to need the service. You can reset the settings to help them accommodate your needs.

To set up Mail Goggles, go to the Gmail Settings Menu and select “Labs.”

Mail Goggles won’t prevent you from drunk dialing; but it might save you some embarrassment from an especially debauchery-filled night. Seems like it might be an especially good feature for the college crowd.

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Study Shows Cell Phones Shaping Romantic Relationships

2008-10-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

AT&T recently conducted a survey to see how text messaging is affecting the modern dating realm, and the results are complex. At least forty percent of texters between the ages of 18-55 who are dating or in relationships believe that text messaging plays a significant or very significant role in their relationships, and not all of it necessarily positive.

"People have discovered that there are moments when just the right text, sent at just the right time, can go a long way to keeping romance alive," said Alecia Bridgwater, director of Messaging for AT&T Wireless. "We wanted to understand more deeply how our customers were using text messaging in this way, and our study turned up some interesting insights."

While AT&T conducted the study for marketing purposes, they acknowledge the results aren't entirely in their favor. It found that in some ways text messaging provides an easier approach to making--and keeping--a love connection. One 26-year-old who participated said, "I spend a ton of time texting every day. I think it's much easier to flirt via text message than in person because you have a moment to think of a cute, flirty, creative response without being embarrassed about what the other person will think."

According to the survey, roughly sixty-eight percent of texters admitted to sending a "love note" or "flirty" message. Twenty-eight percent indicated that they text at least three times a day with a significant other. Both of which suggest a great deal of people send out "sweet nothings" on their cell phones just about whenever the mood strikes.

Also found was that twenty-six percent agreed that someone would be more likely to accept a first date with them if they have exchanged text messages first. Thirty-four percent agreed they would feel more comfortable if they received a text from a romantic interest shortly prior to the first date.

The inverse of these findings, however, show that texting can create a great deal of uncertainty and frustration. Eighty-four percent agreed that text messages can sometimes be misunderstood by a date or suitor. Twenty-four percent said the biggest turnoff when texting with a date is a slow response; however, eighty-two percent said they answer a text message immediately or as quickly as possible. As common as the cell phone may seem as a "tool of love," about a third of texters who are dating or in relationships said they would get upset if their romantic interest would respond to a wireless call while on a date, although fourty-four percent admitted to answering their cell phones while on a date.

Age played a huge role in the findings as well. Thirty-seven percent of respondents who are 18-35 years old said they text at least three times a day with their significant other compared with twenty-two percent of those who are 36-55. Seventy-four percent of those surveyed who are 18-35 have

flirted via text messaging compared with sixty percent of those who are 36-55.

Text messaging is still a recent phenomena in human evolution. While it is certainly changing how relationships and dating function today, at this point texting still hasn't replaced the basic human need to communicate directly as much as possible. Eighty-four percent of cell phone users agree that text messages can be misunderstood, and just under the majority (forty percent) say text messages play a role in their relationships. Where these numbers will be in ten years from now will be very fascinating to see.

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Google Unveils Massive National Energy Plan

2008-10-10T11:39:00.000-07:00

As part of Google's philanthropic arm, Google.org, the company recently unveiled a 4.4-trillion-dollar national energy plan that it said would largely wean the country of fossil fuels by 2030.

Called "Clean Energy 2030," the plan predicts it could reap a net savings of 1 trillion dollars over the idea's 22-year term. It relies on halting the generation of electricity from coal and oil by 2030 and instead relying on power from wind, nuclear, and geothermal sources. It also entails cutting oil use for cars by 40%.

Jeffrey Greenblatt, Google.org's climate and energy technology manager says it works by tapping geothermal energy as key technologies mature during the next few years. It also calls for heavy investments in transmission capacity for wind and solar power in the Great Plains and southwest to help cut 88% of fossil fuel use and 95% of carbon-dioxide emissions by 2030.

Google essentially laid down the work lawmakers have not done yet. At this point it sits as a proposal for consideration, and the company hopes more will listen and plan on adopting it once they see how 1 trillion dollars can be saved in energy profits.

"With a new administration and Congress--and multiple energy-related imperatives--this is an opportune, perhaps unprecedented, moment to move from plan to action," Greenblatt said. "We see a huge opportunity for the nation to confront our energy challenges. In the process we will stimulate investment, create jobs, empower consumers and, by the way, help address climate change."

More details on the plan can be read on the Google.org Blog.

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Phoenix Lander Gathers Useful Information About Mars

2008-10-03T14:46:00.000-07:00

NASA has decided to extend its Phoenix mission on Mars due to the snowfall on the red planet Monday. The space programs claims it will operate the lander there “until it dies in the cold and dark of the Martian winter.” (Maggie Fox, Reuters)

The explorer found evidence that the dust on the surface of Mars apparently resembles seawater in its chemical makeup, adding to previous studies that support the theory that liquid water may have once flowed on the planet’s surface. The Phoenix lander has lasted far longer than anticipated when it began its mission on Mars back in May and its controllers are intending to “squeeze every drop of life they could” of the solar-powered machine. The machine has already lasted over 40 days past what was expected by its makers at NASA.

“We are literally trying to may hay as the sun shines,” Barry Goldstein, the Phoenix project manager in Pasadena, California said to reporters concerning the lander; however, the lander has already begun to lose power since the sun has slowly begun to dip below the horizon. Mars weatherman Jim Whiteway, based in Toronto, Canada at York University, confirmed that the lander has experienced “snow, frost and clouds forming as the atmosphere cools,” though the snow will vaporize before it reaches the ground.

Scientists knew it had snowed on Mars, but the lander was able to construct unique measurements that showed it happening in real time. The lander has also managed to gather information about the planet’s water supply at one point. It also detected red Martian dust, not unlike seawater, taken through its “atomic force microscope.” Latest analysis of Mars also shows limestone exists on its surface. This information supports the idea further that there’s a high possibility that life exists, or could have existed, on the red planet.

Mars apparently wobbles more than Earth does as it spins, according to Peter Smith, a Phoenix principal investigator at the University of Arizona. This means the poles are sometimes pointed directly at the sun, which would make them warmer. “If you were to sweep away this thin soil layer on what looks like this flat plain you would find it is more like a skating rink,” Smith says. He and his team plan to record the lander’s descent with a live microphone recording, which will be the first time anyone’s been able to actually listen to Mars.

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Bill Gates Helps Combat Malaria

2008-10-02T09:48:00.000-07:00

There are fewer positive news stories than when rich men do good things. Billionare and active philanthropist Bill Gates recently announced he and his wife's foundation will donate $168.7 million to develop vaccines for malaria.

Worldwide the disease targets 300-500 million people a year, with over one million cases resulting in death--primarily among African children. Malaria is transmitted through the bites of parasites like mosquitos, who breed in less than sanitary waters.

A slew of other multi-million dollar companies recently donated funds to prevention efforts, but Gates' contribution is largely going to a specific vaccine, known as RTS,S. According to studies it shows to be the most promising combatant to malaria, as attacking the root of the problem by ridding the world of unsanitary conditions proves to be a next to impossible dream.

Originally developed in 1987, RTS,S induces the production of antibodies and white blood cells that are believed to diminish the capacity of malaria parasite to infect, survive, and develop in the human liver. In it's current state it only provides partial protection against malaria, but it also stimulates a protective immune response to hepatitis B.

"I'm very hopeful that the malaria vaccine currently in advanced testing will be proven effective, but that will just be the first step," said Gates at a press conference. "Now it's time to develop a new generation of vaccines that are even more effective, and could someday help eradicate malaria altogether."

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant will go to the Malaria Vaccine Initiative towards projects raning from early-stage laboratory research to advanced clinical testing.

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Bill Clinton Quits Washington to Help Save the World

2008-10-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

The end of George Bush’s reign as two-term American president will soon be coming to a close, but what do presidents do when they’re out of a job? Most of them try to use their name for the greater good. Like former president Bill Clinton; however, he has gone beyond what most presidents before him have done once they’ve retired from the highest political job in the land. He’s left politics.

Bill Clinton has not only started his own foundation, which funds AIDS projects in 25 different countries, funds health care projects, sells medicine in 69 countries, and funds a childhood obesity project in America, he has also gotten the global warming bug from Vice President and friend Al Gore and has begun to fund climate change initiatives as well. And, whereas he got involved with his wife’s campaign and toured with her around America, for the past 8 years he’s been heavily involved outside of Washington.

His Global Initiative is a project that brings together a community of global leaders, university students, and private citizens to identify and implement innovative solutions to the world’s “most pressing challenges.” (William J. Clinton Foundation) Talks between leaders include subjects such as poverty control, global health and education.

His Climate Change Initiative works with 40 of the world’s largest cities to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. CCI assists in “making energy-savings improvements to buildings, transit systems, lighting and waste management.” Along with these his foundation also has an HIV/AIDS Initiative, which works with governments and communities to increase awareness, lower the cost of medicines needed and find treatment for those not receiving it.

Clinton has also started economic initiatives and opportunities by helping families and individuals keep more of the money they make “by supporting state and city efforts to promote access to basic financial services.” The program also matches inner-city entrepreneurs to business leaders in order to help them achieve their goals. His Hunter Development helps people in Rwanda and Malawi launch projects that generate agricultural productivity and help to alleviate poverty.

In fact President Clinton may be making even more of a global difference than he did when he was in office. The job allowed him the clout, however, to pull something like this off. And I have tremendous admiration for someone who uses his powers and resources to bring people together for the greater good. And let’s face it; the greater good doesn’t often involve politics.

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Rubber Duckies Help Scientists Study Glacier

2008-09-30T11:54:00.000-07:00

Who ever said rubber duckies couldn’t be useful? A U.S. rocket scientist has decided to use them in order to find out why glaciers speed up in the summer in their “march to sea.” Scientist Alberto Behar of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab in California currently creates robotic rovers. He and other scientists hope this experiment will help figure out what’s been going on inside “the fastest-moving Greenland glacier.” (Deborah Zabarenko, Reuters)

Behar and a small team have placed 90 rubber ducks inside the glacier, relying on someone finding them if they emerge in Baffin Bay. The Jakobshavn Glacier is thought to have been the source of the iceberg that sank the Titanic back in 1912. Researchers have been focusing on it because it discharges almost 7 percent of all ice coming off Greenland. And as global warming occurs, its “melting ice sheet” could make oceans rise at a massive rate this century.

“It’s a beautiful place to visit,’ Behar said. “You can watch these icebergs continuously march across and fall into the ocean.” But what he can’t see is “how melting water moves through the ice.” Behar added that it’s understood now what causes the glaciers to surge during the summer season. Some believe the summer sun melts ice on the top glacial surface, creating pools of water. These pools carry water all the way to the underside of the glacier, where it “acts as a lubricant to speed up the movement of the ice toward the coast.” (Reuters) But since it can’t be seen, scientists are clueless as to what actually occurs.

This is where the rubber ducks come in, along with a probe loaded with a GPS device and instruments that can decipher the glacier’s interior. Back in August, Behar flew over a place on the glacier by helicopter and his team lowered the probe into one of its pools by rope. At this time they also placed the rubber duck figures, labeled with the words “science experiment” and “reward” in three different languages, along with a contact email address.

If and when they are found, scientists will know where the ducks ended up. The probe could supply further information by gauging specific pressure and temperature changes, including the direction of the glaciers migration thanks to that handy GPS. But so far, scientists haven’t heard from anyone. Behar admits it could take some time until anyone finds what they planted since the land out there is so remote.

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Green Jobs Re-Shaping The Economy

2008-09-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

A new report from the United Nations says efforts to curb global warming are resulting in the creation of millions of new jobs around the world. The same efforts however, also put many current jobs at risk. Both are signs of a slowly evolving, new global economy.

"Imagine for a moment if some of the stimulus packages that are now being developed could be targeted towards not maintaining and sustaining the old economy of the 20th century but investing in the new economy of the 21st century," said Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme.

To say much of the world is experiencing something of a "green revolution" is an understatement. Older renewable energy technology that incorporates solar and wind power continues to grow and develop, and hydrogen fuel cells, turning waste to energy, and various forms of biofuels continue to sprout new companies at an astounding rate. Untill, or even if a few selected renewable sources dominate the market (like oil already has) the room for growth seems virtually limitless at this point.

The UN Report entitled, "Green Jobs: Towards Decent Work in a Sustainable Low-Carbon World," implies that the new greener economy will naturally evolve as the climate becomes warmer. Already workers in agriculture and tourism are experiencing difficulty, and more green jobs are likely to develop as the problem worsens. We are in a similar state as the computer explosion in the 1980s, and the startup internet businesses of the 90s, which are still continuing to expand. Only now the new opportunities are coming from fear of a bleak future.

The report highlights that in China, 600,000 people are already employed in solar thermal making and installing products such as solar water heaters. In South Africa, 25,000 previously unemployed people are now employed in conservation as part of the Working for Water initiative. Countries like Nigeria and India are also seeing exponential growth from emerging biofuels and biomass gas industries.

A greener economy isn't completely ideal at the moment, however. The report warns that current jobs available to the working poor are still scarce, as many of the technology fields require the most up-to-date college training. The jobs that are available, such as in recycling, are often low pay and expose workers to a great deal of hazardous, unhealthy materials.

International Labor Organization Director-General Juan Somavia said, "We need to make sure that green jobs are decent jobs. As the report makes clear, building a low-carbon economy is not only about technology or finances, it's about peoples and societies. It's about a cultural change to a greater environmental consciousness and opportunities for decent work."

"New jobs will be created, others adapted, and some will fade out," he added. "In order to keep the political will and the public support, we will have to put policies in place that have to focus from the beginning on those at the receiving end of this transition."

Just to give an illustration of how big the market is currently, and how rapidly it will grow, the report says environmental products and services will double from $1.37 trillion per year today to $2.47 trillion by 2020.

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Another Use for Stonehenge

2008-09-26T14:03:00.000-07:00

Through the years, experts have contemplated the idea of Stonehenge, Britain’s most ancient monument, and why it was there. Some say it was used as a calendar, others say it was a burial ground. Those who tend to think outside the box even claim it could have been used as a middleman between earthlings and aliens. I say it could have been all these things and more.

Since Stonehenge has been around for thousands of years since the days of the Vikings, it has prevailed through centuries of change, both culturally and geographically. The crusades came and went, Pagans did their thing, and it slowly became an obscurity and the enlightenment era enlightened. So why is it so hard to believe that Stonehenge could have been used for many different purposes?

Archaeologists now believe the significant rock formation could have also been used as a pilgrimage for the sick “who believed its stones had healing qualities.” (Reuters) Part of the mystery of Stonehenge has always lied in its bluestones (the smaller stones that form part of the circle) that were transported from the Preseli Hills in Wales to the south of England. Archaeologists from Bournemouth University, revealed Monday they believe these bluestones were used as healing stones. The group conducted a dig on location in April.

“It was the magical qualities of these stones which…transformed the monument and made it a place of pilgrimage for the sick and injured of the Neolithic world,” the team’s report stated. Geoffrey Wainwright, president of the Society of Antiquaries of London and one of the experts leading the team at Stonehenge told BBC radio that a big reason they came to this conclusion “was because a number of the burials around Stonehenge showed signs of trauma and deformity.”

Radio carbon dating puts the construction of the bluestone circles between 2,400 B.C. and 2,200 B.C, a few centuries later than what experts originally anticipated. The team found pieces of bluestone that had been “deliberately broken off” and coupled with pieces of holly, ivy and yew for accompanying rituals.

Tim Darvill of Bournemouth University admits he thinks the stones could have been used for more than one purpose. Both he and Wainwright have written many books and articles on the subject, including Stonehenge: the Biography of a Landscape, written by Darvill.

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52nd London Film Festival Schedule Announced

2008-09-25T10:59:00.000-07:00

The British Film Institute’s 52nd Annual London Film Festival has announced its line-up for this year and will premiere 20 new films to the world.

Special screenings will include Steven Soderbergh’s long awaited finished version of Che, starring Benicio Del Toro in a chronicle of Che Guevara’s role in the successful uprising of Cuba, and a “riveting depiction of the realities of the struggle. It will be shown in 2 parts. Other featured films this year will be The Brothers Bloom, directed by Brick filmmaker Rian Johnson, starring Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody as brothers who live out their own stories. Woody Allen’s Vicky Christina Barcelona and the Anne Hathaway drama Rachel Getting Married will also be featured in Galas.

Long awaited stage play turned film Frost/Nixon, written and directed by Peter Morgan (The Queen, The Last King of Scotland) will premiere at this year’s festival, along with the newest edition of bond films Quantum of Solace, starring Mr. Craig for the second time. Easy Virtue, directed by Australian Stephan Elliot, is an adaptation of Noel Coward’s 20’s culture clash between the English and the Americans. Slumdog Millionaire, directed by Danny Boyle (one of Britain’s most well renowned directors) is about a young man from the Bombay slums whose success on India’s ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’ changes his life and “reveals his true desire.” (BFI) Oliver Stone’s take on the life of George W. Bush, called W., will also premiere at the festival, starring Josh Brolin as the current U.S. President.

The Other Man, featured at the Hewlett-Packard Gala, stars Laura Linney, Liam Neeson and Antonio Bandaras in a “sophisticated drama capturing the subtle nuances of love, betrayal and forgiveness.” (BFI) Documentary Gala’s include Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson, capturing Thompson’s influence in the journalism industry, directed by Alex Gibney. Johnny Depp, who played Thompson in semi-autobiographical Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, narrates.

The Time Out Special Screening will premiere Hunger, directed and written by Steve McQueen (artist not the actor) whose tale, set in Belfast, takes place during the 1981 IRS Hunger Strike. The film is nominated for the Festival’s Southerland Trophy.

The Festival will take place from the 15-30th of October. To book tickets and find a full listing of this year’s films, visit the BFI website.

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How Do We Remain Objective In Discussing The Election?

2008-09-24T11:04:00.000-07:00

When it comes to covering politics in the media, as well all know the goal should always be to remain fair and balanced. It's also crucial for the media to serve as a watchdog for those in positions of power who determine how the rest of us live. With that in mind, each presidential candidate running in this year's election deserves the same amount of scrutiny and healthy skepticism. But how exactly do we remain fair and balanced when discussing the credentials of vice presidential nominees Senator Joseph Biden and Governor Sarah Palin?

For one thing, it would not be unfair to say Palin has less experience than Biden. That is a fact when we compare their times in government offices (all information taken from Wikipedia.com, which has no doubt been scrutinized by the candidates themselves by now):

Joe Biden became a senator in 1973 at the minimum age of 30, and in his time has served as a member on the Foreign Relations Committee and worked on resolutions regarding the Yugoslav wars and Iraq War. Over thirty years in government has allowed him to serve time as the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, as well help lead the creation of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, along with the Violence Against Women Act.

Sarah Palin served two terms on the Wasilla, Alaska city council from 1992 to 1996, and then won two terms as mayor of Wasilla from 1996 to 2002. She also chaired the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission from 2003 to 2004. Elected governor of Alaska in 2006, she was then chosen as the Republican vice presidential candidate two years later.

Based on this information, a journalist would not be unfair to say Biden has more experience than Palin working within both local and federal levels of government. The Republicans may denounce a journalist for doing so right now, claiming "liberal bias" towards such a statement, but as the record shows this would be the truth.

Truth is going to be the hardest thing we find as the election intensifies this fall, and it would be a shame for us to lose clarity of our sight under some guise of being "fair and balanced." We cannot merely put all faults between the candidates on the same level when they don't deserve to be. Our goal is to find the truth. I'm not saying, "Don't route for Palin because she has less experience," nor do I believe in supporting Biden merely because he has more experience. But when debating these two VP nominees, strengthen your arguments in acknowledging the facts and realizing the truth.

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Nigerian 'Oil War' Persists

2008-09-23T15:43:00.000-07:00

Nigerian armed militants have recently declared an “oil war” in the south of the country. Yesterday the group claimed to have “blown up a major pipeline in their latest attack on oil installations in the region.” (Agence France-Presse)

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) says it blew up a pipeline thought to be operated by Royal Dutch Shell and Italian company Agip and made a statement about their activities, claiming the bombs were planted at 9:30 am at Rumuekpe, in Rivers state. MEND is the most powerful of groups operating in the Nigerian Delta area.

A couple hours before the attacks, MEND claims they worked with a recent ally, the NDVF, to destroy Royal Dutch Shell in Africa’s main producing region. “The rebels moved in with speed boats, dynamite and hand grenades in their attack on the Orubiri flow station,” the army said. This reportedly happened around 10 pm Tuesday. This attack was the third on a Shell in 48 hours. US Chevron has also been sensitive to recent vandalism and demolition.

MEND claims they killed all the soldiers on guard at the Orubiri facility and took their weapons, but the army denies such proclamations, saying, “None of the 10 naval personnel or guards on duty died or sustained injuries.” The group warned the soldiers and oil workers to abandon the oil properties, including deep offshore. They are calling their latest offense “Hurricane Barbarossa.” The group attacked Shell’s flagship back in June and have affected pipelines offshore.

Lieutenant-Colonel Rabe Abubaker, spokesman of the special military unit policing two other neighboring oil states of Bayelsa and Delta, has warned the group that any attacks on these oil facilities will follow with “grave consequences.” He added that the unit “will not fold its hands and watch the senseless destruction of national economic assets” committed by unpatriotic civilians.

But MEND says they’re fighting for the people to get a greater share of their large oil revenues. The group has also taken many hostages and just 2 were seized only last week. This oil war has been going on since 2006 and shows no signs of stopping.

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The Northern Lights

2008-09-17T09:51:00.000-07:00

If you’re on the lookout for a unique winter holiday adventure, why not go in search of the majestic and otherworldly Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis. The large swivels and curtains of colorful light can only be found in the harshest of weather, but if you’re brave enough to stand the cold, this astronomical phenomenon will be more than worth it.

What exactly are the Northern Lights you might ask? There’s still some mystery attached but scientists generally believe the lights occur when large numbers of electrically charged particles (electrons) “stream in towards the Earth along its magnetic field and collide with the highest air particles” at high speed. (tgo.uit.no) When the air lights up the sky, the lights have been compared to a fluorescent light tube, filled with yellows, greens and whites. A violet edge of the aurora is from the nitrogen filling the sky.

Back in the day, the Denes and other hunting civilizations used the Northern Lights to make their way through forests in the dark. They also read the lights as good or bad omens, considering unusual patterns or colors within the aurora. Many tribes and hunters believed that the lights were attracted to noise and would change or dance if whistled at.

In order to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights for yourself, your best bet is to head to the polar regions, though some have rarely seen them in other cold places such as Canada and Siberia. The most frequent occurrences are “centered on the magnetic north pole.” (Truls Lynne Hansen, tgo.uit.no) If you stand directly under a belt of radius 2500 km, which is considered an aural zone, you’re most likely in for a treat. The zone stretches over northern Scandinavia to the southern tip of Greenland and continuing over northern Canada and Alaska, along the northern coast of Siberia. The greatest possible odds would have to be in the Norwegian counties of Troms and Finmark. Similar Southern Lights can be seen from Antarctica, Tasmania or southern New Zealand.

Both Northern and Southern Lights occur side by side each other, creating a mirror effect. Sightings are quite rare, however, so you must plan your trip carefully, guided by scientific predictions. A good site to start with is Today’s Space Weather, which will provide on the goings on edging the Earth’s atmosphere for the next few days.

Northern and Southern Lights are usually spotted only a few times a month in Toms and Finmark. If you’re game enough to brave even harsher weather north of the auroral zone, light sightings in Spitzbergen and north Norway are a very common event. The sky should be pitch black and dry in order to improve chances of spotting them.

So pack twenty layers or so of clothing and head to the poles this winter holiday in search of the beautiful world wonder people have been in awe of for centuries.

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Mythical Unicorn Photographed on Film for First Time

2008-09-15T15:04:00.000-07:00

The okapi is an African animal that once believed to be the mythical unicorn, due to its elusive nature. But now the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) has reported that they have captured the African creature in the wild, on film, for the first time.

The ZSL and the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN) set camera traps to get a glimpse of the okapi in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The photographs have dispelled worries that the species had become extinct as a casualty of the civil war.

The photographs also revealed previously unknown okapi population on the east side of the river. The creatures were last spotted in the Virunga National Park nearly 50 years ago on the west bank of the Semliki River.

Dr Noelle Kumpel, ZSL's Bushmeat and Forests Conservation Programme Manager, said: "To have captured the first-ever photographs of such a charismatic creature is amazing, and particularly special for ZSL given that the species was originally described here over a century ago.

"Okapi are very shy and rare animals, which is why conventional surveys only tend to record droppings and other signs of their presence."

Thierry Lusenge, a member of ZSL's Democratic Republic of Congo survey team, said: "The photographs clearly show the stripes on their rear, which act like unique fingerprints.

"We have already identified three individuals, and further survey work will enable us to estimate population numbers and distribution in and around the park, which is a critical first step in targeting conservation efforts."

The okapi have a black, giraffe-like tongue and zebra-like stripes on their behind. ZSL warns that okapi, including the newly found population are under threat of poachers. Okapi meat, which is likely from one of the Virunga Park populations, is on sale in a nearby town. ZSL warned that if hunting continues at the current rate, okapi could become extinct in the park within a few years.

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New Afghan Reality Show Creates Business

2008-09-10T09:50:00.000-07:00

A new reality TV show has begun airing in Afghanistan for the purpose of encouraging its citizens to start their own enterprises. The show, “Fikr wa Talash” (translated as “Dream and Achieve”) is based on the British “Dragon’s Den” series where contestants pitch their business ideas to a panel of loaded tycoons looking to invest their money in a fresh entrepreneurial thought.

The program is merely the latest in a line of reality television shows that have become quite popular in the Middle Eastern country. This particular show is aimed to be “more than entertainment,” however. It is suspected to help the country’s economy become more self-reliant. After decades of war have thrashed the country’s infrastructure, Afghanistan has become one of the world’s poorest countries, despite billions of dollars in aid money since 2001. At present, the country relies 90 percent on aid for its total budget. Unemployment is around 40 percent, and 80 percent of Afghanistan’s labor force is employed in agriculture.

“Small and medium-sized businesses, which are by far the largest employer, be it small self-employed farmers selling a surplus or a shop-keeper, trader…are the key to achieving such self-reliance,” said David Elliot, a development consultant for the program.

The show combines business savvy, financial planning, marketing, and competitive strategy--all of which a successful candidate must have to make a deal with the judges. It’s first season ended last month with the final contestant, Faizulhaq Moshkani, winning 20,000 dollars to use towards his plastic recycling business.

Moshkani shut down his factory due to the high cost of fuel to power generators. The prize money will allow him to “move the business to Kabul where he plans to build a mini hydroelectric plant to power the new recycling factory.” (Reuters) The program airs on Tolo TV, the most popular channel in Afghanistan, which also airs Afghan Star. (National version of American Idol)

In the past, Afghan broadcasting has been partially banned by the Taliban, and women have had little to no rights for over 30 years. The show’s five contestants included an ex-warlord who had “laid down his guns to start up a diary.” When the contestant walked in, three women sat in front of cameras asking him questions. Mariam Al Ahmadi, a 25-year old mother of five, won the runner up money of 10,000 dollars. She can now make her fresh produce business bigger. Women who appear on the program still wear their veil in regards to their Muslim religion. “Every Afghan woman can work under Islamic law,” Mariam says, so they are not looked down upon for appearing on such a show.

Because of the show’s balance between modern and traditional worlds, the show’s producers believe it could quite possibly change the Afghan community’s outlook. Tolo is working on a second season and also plans to track the winners of this season’s progress.

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Ranchita Rocks Benefit Concert

2008-09-09T16:06:00.001-07:00

Hello Again Friends,

The WeEarth Team is gearing up for another fun filled weekend with Music, Art, and Activism! This weekend our family will be going down to Ranchita Rocks just outside of San Diego to raise awareness about the power link they are trying to put up through the middle of the Anza Borrego Desert State Park.

Ranchita will be rocking with artists such as Yonder Mountain String Band, Bassnectar, Particle, Melvin Seals & JGB, On The One, Delta Nove, Cubensis, and many more.

Come out and show your support for the Beautiful Anza Borrego Desert!

Hope to see you there!

Gratefully,

The WeEarth Family

CG Company Provides Eerily Life-Like Facial Animation

2008-09-08T12:23:00.000-07:00

Special effects are about to to reach a pinnacle in realism for Hollywood movies. Image Metrics, a huge company in the realm of facial animation, just created the most photo-realistic computer-generated (CG) face yet known.

At the Siggraph Expo in Los Angeles, they recently demonstrated an animation of actress Emily O'Brien that has entertainment industry types in a joyous uproar. The video, available here, depicts a short a video clip of O'Brien sitting and engaging in a dialogue that, in my opinion, looks just like an HD image of the real deal.

According to an Image Works press release, the animation was created with a patented high-resolution image scanning process:

This newest process from the ICT Graphics Lab places the actor inside a sphere of LED lights, illuminating the talent with a set of polarized spherical gradient illumination patterns while a pair of high-resolution digital cameras takes around 15 photographs in under three seconds.

These patterns allow the shine of the skin to be photographed independently from the main skin tone so that precise colors and characteristics can be calculated at hundreds of measurements per square millimeter. The resulting CG models provide unprecedented detail of natural facial expressions - down to skin pores and fine wrinkles - with perfectly aligned shading information that allows photo-real faces to be rendered under any illumination and viewpoint with standard rendering packages.

David Barton, Image Metrics' producer said, "Out goal was to create a completely convincing, animated computer-generated face...Given the caliber of creative work and talent in our industry, it was a challenging goal, but one we were confident we could accomplish..." Currently ICT's scanning method is the only one capable of acquiring such high-definition images.

Expect James Cameron, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg to make some jaw-dropping films in the coming years.

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Politician/Dolphin Activist Beaten By Mysterious Thugs

2008-09-05T13:29:00.001-07:00

Lawrence Makili, City Councilor of the Solomon Islands, Honiara, is current recuperating after fending himself off from eight unknown assailants. Makili is an outspoken dolphin activist who has tried to stop illegal trafficking of the creatures for several years now.

He was abducted from his home at about 8:30 PM this past Tuesday. The thugs arrived in two cars and drove him a few kilometers out of town where he was beaten with the aim to kill. Makili fought back and escaped, but not unscatched, receiving a broken right arm, fractured ribs, fractured facial bone, and several other injuries.

The identities and motivations of the attackers are still unknown, but most likely pertain to Maliki's work with dolphins. Last year Maliki hit a nerve with non-supporters by tying dolphin protection with economic issues in the Solomon Islands. The Solomon Times quoted him: "There are huge implications if these dolphins are allowed to leave the country...In fact, the ban on the export of dolphins has not been lifted, so it would also be illegal." He also warned, "that if we allow these dolphins to be exported, traditional trading partners such as the EU may ban the importation of our tuna."

Along with carefully monitoring the tuna industry on behalf of Earth Island Institute, he is also an active campaigner to protect forests. Despite growing hostility by his opponents, he plans to continue his work once his injuries are healed.

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2008-09-05T13:29:00.000-07:00

New Afghan Reality Show Creates Business

2008-09-03T14:43:00.000-07:00

Power To The Peaceful Music Festival

2008-09-02T17:03:00.000-07:00

Hello Again Friends,

All of us here at WeEarth are excited to announce that we will be attending the 10th Annual Power To The Peaceful Music Festival in Golden Gate Park this weekend. We feel honored to take part in this event to help promote a peaceful and sustainable future for all.

We hope to see some of our Blogger family there =)

If your coming out to this awesome festival please come by our booth for free heady vibes, smiles, and hugs =)

We will also be encouraging a sustainable future by selling our environmentally friendly apparel and accessories!

Hope to see you there!

Gratefully,

The WeEarth Family

A New York Earthquake?

2008-09-02T11:31:00.000-07:00

Could an earthquake hit New York City? Recent analysis by scientists proves the fear is real. A study conducted by Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Observatory revealed many small faults believed to be inactive, which could eventually contribute to a “major, disastrous earthquake,” reports Jim Fitzgerald of the Associated Press.

Though most earthquakes happen out west in states like California, Washington, Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon, recent studies point to the island metropolis as a possibility. The study also found that a “line of seismic activity comes within two miles of the Indian Point nuclear power plant, about 25 miles north of New York City.”

Studies suggest that Indian Point is at an “intersection of faults.” The city doesn’t have a single great fault like the San Andreas fault in California, instead, Columbia scientist Leonardo Seeber pointed out, the east coast’s faults are separated within minor and subtle faults, which can “contribute to the severity of an earthquake.” This is because one fault can jump to another.

Though an earthquake of magnitude 7 happens in the area around once every 3,400 years, researchers are clueless as to when the last one hit. Because of this uncertainty, and because of the hundreds of buildings on the island, as well as the American financial market, many lives and billions of dollars are at risk. The study, which has been published in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, analyzed 383 known earthquakes over the past 330 years “in or near New York City.” The most effective were in 1737, 1783 and 1884. The report reveals there is a seismic zone running west from the southwest tip of Connecticut and “intersecting with the large, well-known Ramapo fault near Indian Point.”

Lynn Sykes, the lead author of the report, admits the risks are greater than he originally thought, especially because of the fact that there are nuclear plants nearby. But others consider the findings “purely circumstantial” and speculative. It is unclear by report standards to tell if further investigation will follow these findings.

Read More Articles At WeEarth.com

Insects Contribute to Climate Change

2008-08-28T13:26:00.000-07:00

Humans are often at the center of the climate change debate. But bugs do their part to warm the planet as well.

In Bangkok, experts met to discuss new ways of controlling 100 kinds of pests, which they say are a major contributor to global warming.

"Each cockroach produces 600 babies in their lifetime and we have more than 100 entrants, so our success to date is that we are reducing 60,000 cockroaches without using any chemicals at all and that's the beauty of it," Suchart Leelayuthyotin, director of the Thailand Pest Management Association, told Agence France Press (AFP).

The event usually discusses new methods of pest control, but this year's summit brought with it a global message -- insects cause climate change.

Suchart said bugs are one of the main contributors to global warming because of the CO2 they emit when passing wind.

"Every termite will emit CO2 from their gut because when they consume the wood and digest it they get wind," Suchart explained.

The summit says that by killing the queens of colonies, they prevent thousands of climate changing insects from being born.

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Australia's New Conservation Discovery

2008-08-26T11:42:00.000-07:00

Australian scientists are hoping to put their new discovery of untapped geothermal energy to use. Reports came out today that claim the unused geothermal energy could produce 26,000 years worth of clean electricity. The government announced Wednesday they would spend 50 million Australian dollars to help develop this new potential goldmine.

The project involves converting geothermal energy into base-load electricity. Water would be pumped out of the ground, where it would be heated. The heated energy would be used to generate power. Geoscience Australia has mapped out the nation’s geothermal energy by using “temperature recordings from decades of drilling by energy and exploration firms, sometimes a depth of five kms.” (Three miles) Over 5,000 petroleum boreholes across the continent were used to conduct the map.

Australia, being the world’s largest coal exporter, uses it to generate about 77 percent of its electricity. The Australian government has plans to bring up the Aussie country’s renewable energy target to 20 percent by the year 2020.

“Geothermal energy which is sometimes known as hot rocks has got huge potential for Australia, both as a solution to climate change and in terms of national energy security,” Resource Minister Martin Ferguson said. (Michael Perry, Reuters)

Geoscience’s Anthony Budd told Reuters that “hot rocks” need to be 150 degrees Celsius to produce electricity. An Australian Geothermal Energy Association report forecasted this week claims the company could produce 2,200 megawatts of base-load power by 2020, bringing Australia’s renewable energy goal up to 40 percent. “Geothermal energy provides clean base-load power and is potentially a very important contributor to Australia’s energy mix in a carbon-constrained world,” Minister Ferguson said.

Since last November, Australia’s elected Prime Minister Kevin Rudd won by promising to include the country in the Kyoto Protocol, whose goal is to “cut emissions by 60 percent of 2000 levels by 2050.”

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Pond Scum Solves Biofuel Dilemma

2008-08-25T09:28:00.000-07:00

Scientists at the University of Virginia believe that algae may be the best answer to alternative fuel methods. Algae, otherwise known as pond scum, are comprised of little tiny “biological factories that use photosynthesis to transform carbon dioxide and sunlight into energy so efficiently that they can double their weight several times a day.” (ENN)

Algae can produce 15 times more oil per acre than other plants used for biofuels. It can grow in salt water, freshwater, and contaminated water, at sea or on ponds, and even on land not usually suitable for food production. The fungus can grow even better when fed too much carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas. It also grows better when fed sewage. “If so,” University of Virginia report writes, “algae could produce biofuels while cleaning up other problems.”

Lisa Colosi, who is a professor of civil and environmental engineering, is part of the University of Virginia’s research team, which has been funded by a 3,000 dollar grant given from the new U.Va. Collaborative Sustainable Energy Seed. The team will try to decipher the true value of algae biofuel production. They hypothesize that by feeding the algae more carbon dioxide they could tentatively boost oil yield production by as much as 40 percent by weight. “The main principle of industrial ecology is to try and use our waste products to produce something of value,” Colosi said.

The U.Va team will experiment with only a few liters of algae to begin with. They will attempt to optimize the oil output by testing basic issues like whether or not it’s beneficial to grind up materials before feeding them to the algae.

If algae can indeed thrive within these means, a door will open to all kinds of ecological possibilities. For example, the new technology would help with wastewater treatment, “where dealing with solids is one of the most expensive challenges.” (ENN) It could even help reduce emissions of CO2, such as coal power-plant flue gas, “which contains 10-30 times as much carbon dioxide as normal air.”

If the team’s efforts prove successful, the group of three, including Mark White and Andreas Clarens, may be looking at even more grants from agencies like the U.S. Department of Energy.

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Elephant Seals Help Global Warming Scientists

2008-08-22T10:50:00.000-07:00

By strapping sensors onto elephant seals, scientists are able to see what lies beneath sea ice.

"They have made it possible for us to observe large areas of the ocean under the sea ice in winter for the first time," said co-author Steve Rintoul from Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO).

Sea ice reflects sunlight back into space, so less sea ice means that the earth is absorbing more energy, causing more warming.

Sea ice also affects the amount of dense around the Antarctic, which in turn drives ocean currents that transports heat around the globe, in addition to providing a critical habitat for krill, penguins and seals.

The seals have already increased the available information by 30-fold, allowing scientists to more accurately calculate how rapidly sea ice forms during the winter months than by topical devices like monitoring from ships, satellites and drifting buoys alone.

"If we want to understand what's going to happen to climate in the future we need to know what the sea ice is going to do. Will there be more or less and will it form more or less rapidly?" Rintoul told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio.

Both Polar Regions play an important role in controlling the earth’s climate, which is why it is critical to find out why the Southern Ocean is warming faster than the rest of the world’s oceans.

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Amazon Dispute Yet to be Solved

2008-08-21T08:33:00.000-07:00

A recent debate has arisen in the Amazon recently, where construction was approved to build one of two dams planned within the giant rainforest. Environmentalists are worried the dams, Jirau and Santo Antonio, will flood up to 494,200 acres of land, “dramatically changing the ecosystem.” (Stuart Grudgings, Reuters)

But the Brazilian government sees the dams on the Madeira River as “crucial to prevent energy shortages in its fast growing economy over the next decade.” The Madeira river, which is the Amazon’s biggest tributary, would have 2 dams built within it for millions of dollars, allowing Brazil’s agriculture exports easier to manage. Brazil’s environmental minister, Carlos Minc, attached 40 provisions onto Monday’s approval of the installation of the Santo Antonio dam, which slowed the process down.

Environmentalists claim the government has not provided enough safeguards for this type of work. They claim that Minc is bluffing in his provisions act, “pretending his agency is demanding a lot of rigorous measures” Glenn Switkes said, Director for a California-based group that protects rivers and communities around them. Activists claim the dams violate the Equator Principles on project financing.

But the government has threatened to reopen the auctions or take over the two projects through “state-controlled generator Electrobas” if no agreement is reached soon. Conservationists at this point have failed to hold up licensing on their part, creating more friction between the two opposing parties.

But Erasto Almeida, an energy analyst at Eurasia Group in New York, played down threats of delay. “The Brazilian government really wants to get these projects done because of concerns about potential power shortages,” he said. He says there may be legal action but the two dueling sides will come to an agreement.

The Amazon has the highest biodiversity of fish and among the highest of birds in the world.

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EPA Says Biofuels Not Risky To Food Or Environment

2008-08-20T10:23:00.000-07:00

The fight against global warming has taken several complex turns in recent months. Biofuels made from ethanol-based crops like corn emit zero carbon when burned, but compete with food supply already in crisis levels in many areas of the globe. Most recently the Environmental Protection Agency rejected a request to cut the quota for the use of ethanol in cars, boldly declaring that for the time being, the nation's reliance on oil outweighs any effect on food prices.

According to CNET news, EPA administrator, Stephen Johnson, said that the mandate was "strengthening our nation's energy security and supporting American farming communities," and that it was not causing "severe harm to the economy or the environment." The EPA may have formed their reasoning after concluding that 'only' 3.5 billion gallons of renewable fuel was used in 2004--mostly from ethanol, and that patterns over the past three years project a goal of 5.4 billion gallons by the end of 2008.

But are the EPA's claims entirely accurate? For right now it's difficult to say, but there is a lot of evidence coming from all sides offering a contrary view. Corn prices have risen steadily in recent years. Many farmers have attributed the rise to growing global demand for grain-fed meat, with many Asian countries like India and China consuming more meat products than ever before in history. Another study recently reported in the Guardian found that claim to be false. The World Bank conducted a confidential, and very damning assertion that studied the rises in global food costs on a month by month basis. Claimed as the first, in-depth study of the situation, it concluded that ethanol based biofuels were responsible for rising food prices up to 75%.

The Guardian wrote, "Senior development sources believe the report, completed in April, has not been published to avoid embarrassing President George Bush."

America and several other wealthy European nations have downplayed the negative factors of biofuels, and rarely ever mentioned is the fact that harvesting them may actually create enough carbon emissions to negate their benefits as a clean fuel. The Searchinger study that appeared in the February 7, 2008 issue of Sciencexpress made one such claim. The study calculated it's findings based on an approximation of what would happen if corn ethanol production was six times greater that of today. It states that land converted to farming will release 25% of its soil carbon, an average of 351 metric tones per hectare. Based on this, researchers calculated that it would take 167 years to pay back soil carbon losses. This means that corn-thanol would emit double the greenhouse gases of gasoline over the first 30 years of production.

Even though the Searchinger study bases its findings on a hypothetical reality, it makes sense that ethanol production would increase by six times as it would most likely be necessary for biofuel mass-production.

It seems strange to me that the EPA would be ignorant of such studies. They might be catering to the private interests of the renewable energy industry, or they are gathering data from their own scientists who have yet to publish findings. Either way, the global food crisis is a serious issue, stirring violence in some of the poorest nations of the world and even affecting wealthier countries in subtle but growing ways. There's also the simple fact that technology, while it can create efficiency and wealth, is not detrimental to human survival, or even the quality of life--just ask the Amish, or even those who prefer books to video games. The day our cars become more important than our food will be the darkest day we've ever known.

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Ecoliteracy Brings Nutrition Back to the School Lunch Room

2008-08-19T08:13:00.000-07:00

Alice Waters is a California culinary fixture. Back in 1994, she helped found a garden program at a Berkley area middle school, called the Edible Schoolyard.

The Edible Schoolyard program provides an educational connection for students to learn more about where there food comes from. They also learn about nutrition and how to make healthy choices as well as eat healthy food in the school’s lunchroom, which are grown right on campus, all of which are important tools for students to know in the growing fight against childhood obesity all over the nation.

The Center for Ecoliteracy has played an important role in developing a curriculum for children to learn more about their ecological impact and how it relates to their health and well-being. Core concepts of the program include: Networks, Nested Systems, Cycles, Flows, Development, and Dynamic Balance.

The Edible Schoolyard Program has grown exponentially from it start over a decade ago, which involved the collaborative efforts of one celebrity chef and the principal of a school. Since then, the school has built a full-time staff and the program has been replicated in schools around the country.

At the edibleschoolyard.org, you can find resources to start your own garden and ecoliteracy program at your local school.

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U.S. Cities Will Measure Carbon Footprint

2008-08-18T09:37:00.000-07:00

21 U.S. cities have announced this week that they will be measuring and sharing their carbon footprints with the public, including New York, Las Vegas, Denver, West Palm Beach, St. Paul and New Orleans. The cities will gather emissions data for their “municipal functions” (Reuters) such as fire and police departments, government buildings and waste services. They will also look at the city’s footprint as a whole.

“If you don’t measure these emissions, you cannot manage them,” Paul Dickinson, the chief executive of the UK-based Carbon Disclosure Project, said, who joined forces with these select cities. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has also expressed his wishes for a fully collaborative process. “Working together, and with the best data, we can manage this problem,” he said in a release on Monday.

The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) will be conducting the measurements, and have gathered emissions date since the year 2000. The company represents “385 global institutional investors that manage a total of more than 57 trillion in assets,” reports Timothy Gardner for Reuters. The CDP claim they have conduced the most greenhouse gas data in the world, as well as climate change data. The company has also successfully disclosed secret information from large corporations like Wal-Mart Inc., who have just recently agreed to cooperate with their carbon findings.

All 21 cities will report their measurements to CDP by the last day of October and the results will be published by January of next year. At least 9 more cities are expected to jump on the bandwagon before then.

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Invisibility Becomes Reality

2008-08-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

In our age of technological gain, we seem to be creeping closer to Science Fiction every day. Soon, scientists may be able to make a working invisibility cloak like the one used in stories like J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter. According to scientists at the University of California Berkeley, certain materials have been developed “that could render people and objects invisible.” (Associated Press) Research is funded by the U.S. Army Research Office and the National Science Foundation’s Nano-Scale Science and Engineering Center.

A demonstration successfully proved they were able to cloak three-dimensional objects “using artificially engineered materials that redirect light around the objects.” The experiment has only been done so far on two-dimensional objects. Xiang Zhang, the founder of this new revelation, will release the details in journals Nature and Science.

This technique could be used for a number of different things, including military control. Scientists are now very close to hiding people and objects from any visible light. Cloaking works by using metamaterials to deflect radar, light or waves around any given object. People see objects because of a certain light that strikes them, “reflecting some of it back to the eye.” The metamaterials are made of metal and circuit board, similar to ceramic, or a fiber composite. It is the only material that can bend visible light to the naked eye by diminishing reflections or shadows.

The sort of geeky playful undertone of the experiment is diminished when you seriously think about the power this device could hold in military and spy warfare. Not to mention if private individuals got their hands on it. There are obvious broad implications to what this “invisible cloak” would be capable of achieving or destroying.

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Loved Elephant’s Relocation Stirs Controversy

2008-08-14T09:50:00.000-07:00

African Elephant Jenny may be leaving her longtime home at the Dallas Zoo and relocated to a drive-through wildlife park in Mexico and the subject is generating controversy.

9,000 pound Jenny has lived in the Zoo for 22 years, but now that all her companions have died, zoo officials believe she should be transferred because "African elephants become unhappy when left alone." (Ana Ley, Associated Press) But activists consider the idea cruel, mentioning that Jenny is nervous by nature, fears cars and would be miserable in her new, strange environment. Margaret Morin, leader of a group called Concerned Citizens for Jenny, says, "We've grown up with Jenny. She's our family. She deserves better than getting sent to a drive-through tourist attraction in Mexico."

The activists all gathered in front of the zoo last weekend in protest. City Councilwoman Angela Hunt expressed her personal concern because "the Mexican facility is not subjected to annual inspections and regulations by the U.S. Department of Agriculture." She added that elephants aren't protected by the U.S. Animal Welfare Act there.

But famed zoo keeper Jack Hanna, along with the Africam Safari Park near the drive in zoo in Mexico all claim she would be well cared for. "We know she is a nervous elephant, and with protected contact, she can approach people if she wants to and we can monitor her stress levels easily," Africam owner Amy Carnacho said. The plan would involve Jenny sharing a 5-acre piece of land with a female elephant named Shanty at the new African exhibit in the park near Mexico City.

Activists still claim she would be more comfortable at the Elephant sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee, which inhabits 17 elephants and is known for being "a haven for troubled ones." Jenny would share a 300-acre area with 3 other elephants.

Her current home is only one-sixth of an acre. For now Jenny will stay in Texas as Dallas zoo executives have a difficult decision to make on Jenny's behalf, as well as her many fans and say they will continue to inspect Africam's program.

Read more Great Articles at www.WeEarth.com

Let It Go Green; Don't Force It

2008-08-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

In Marburg, Germany, some are wondering if there's such a thing as too much eco-consciousness. The town council recently ruled some mandatory laws regarding solar panels, and it has some believing a "green dictatorship" hurts rather than helps the fight in global warming.

The ordinance, the first of its kind in Germany, requires that solar panels must not only be fixed to new buildings (few oppose this part) but must also be applied to existing homes that undergo renovations or get new heating systems or roof repairs. If citizens don't think the council is serious, it's a $1500 fine to those who fail to comply.

Critics are complaining the rule violates a host of property owners rights, and the regional government in Giessen is warning it might overturn the rule. Some of the critics include renowned town environmentalists too.

The Herald Tribune wrote about Götz Schönherr, a resident who uses solar power to heat his water, allowing him to turn off the high-energy consumption of his water boiler for six months out of the year. He opposes the new ordinance, thinking it's self-defeating. To reinsulate his home as he originally desired, he would now have to install a larger, $8000 solar panel to be in compliance.

"That leads, in my case, and I would think in other cases as well, that people say, 'Well, let's just not reinsulate the roof,"' Schönherr said. "So it's absolutely counterproductive."

Germany is currently one of the world's leaders when it comes to green technology and battling global warming, but many feel victory can only be achieved when the desire of the larger population is true and voluntary--not when it's guided under the views of a select, controlling few.

www.WeEarth.com

1% Of Americans Are In Jails And Prisons

2008-08-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

I came across an article in The Correctional News that reported on a law enforcement expo, but it touched on some surprising findings on current US prison data. According to a recent Pew Center study, for the first time in history slightly more than 1% of United States citizens--one in 99.1 persons is held in jail or prison.

Currently the US leads the rest of the world in the number of inmates per capita, with "750 inmates per 100,000 residents." In 2007 the total prison population jumped by more than 25,000 inmates to almost 1.6 million.

At the American Jail Association's 27th Annual Training Conference and Jail Expo, over 2,000 attendees and 230 exhibitors gathered in sunny trenches of Sacramento, CA to address the latest issues facing our growing, overcrowded prison system. Robert Lamkey, director of the Sedgwick County Division of Public Safety discussed issues of overcrowding, re-entry, and recidivism (the act of a person repeating an undesirable behavior after experiencing negative consequences from it). Citing the Pew study, he told attendees at a conference that the increasing inmate population is "saddling cash-strapped states with soaring costs they can ill afford and failing to have a clear impact on recidivism or overall crime."

According to the Correctional News, "Since 1987 collective spending on state corrections systems has increased from less than $11 billion to more than $49 billion in fiscal year 2007." Approximately 67 percent of state inmates are returning felons who commit another crime within three years of release.

With a growing convict culture and billions of dollars being invested into such programs--just about anyone can put two and two together and conclude something is seriously wrong with America's criminal justice system.

The recent expo wasn't a call-to-arms for a revolution, but it addressed issues that could provide agents of change. Members of the architecture firm Ricci Greene Associates discussed the benefits--for owners, staff, inmates, visitors, and the local community--of pursuing a progressive design approach in the construction of a new jail or facility addition. They believe elements of interior lighting and exterior design can have a subtle impact. A slightly less clinical environment with more emphasis on comfort and artistry can evoke some much needed imagination and humanity.

The firm also touched on environmental considerations such as off-setting carbon footprints. According to their website, "Responsible stewardship of limited natural resources is a key part of our design approach. Focus on life-cycle analysis of costs, human factors, and the “big picture” of how our buildings affect their communities and the planet drive this commitment to sustainability."

Correctional authorities from Lexington, Kentucky and Fort Lauderdale, Florida also held a conference on getting to know the inmates better, or more specifically managing special populations like gangs. Closer identification, classification, and unique housing for managing gang members can prevent radicalization of inmate populations.

America's Criminal Justice system is far from perfect, but there might be hope if such expos can continue to bring thousands together with the interest of improving it.

www.WeEarth.com

Federal Agents Can Now Seize Laptops At The Border

2008-08-11T07:48:00.000-07:00

New policies recently disclosed by the Department of Homeland Security allow federal agents to seize travelers' laptops and other electronic devices when traveling to and from the border. Currently the policies only pertain to U.S. Citizens, with DHS officials saying it's a necessary to step to "prevent terrorism."

Apparently the measures have already been in place for some time, but were only disclosed recently after applied pressure from civil liberties and business travel groups. An increasing number of reports were showing up saying international travelers had their laptops, cellphones, and other devices removed and examined for lengthy periods of time. The policies also make hard drives, falsh drives, iPods, pagers, video, and audio tapes--as well as books, pamphlets, and other written materials fair game for seizure.

The policies in place require federal agents to take measures that would protect business information and attorney-client privileged material, and probable cause must be proven to exist for agents to keep materials. But the amount of time for these paperwork procedures to go through is anyone's guess.

Next time you travel out of the country, it might be easier to just forget your luggage and resist the urge to document anything. Although greater numbers of people at airports with no other belongings besides jeans, sandals, and a t-shirt is bound to raise suspicion at some point too.

www.WeEarth.com

Monkeys And Apes Threatened--Tourism Might Help

2008-08-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

Deforestation and hunting for food are threatening the world's monkey and ape population. Russell Mittermeier, president of Conservation International and head of the INternational Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) primate specialist group issued a statement saying, "We Have solid data to show that the situation is far more severe than we imagined."

According to the latest IUCN assessment, 48% of the 634 known species and sub-species of primates are at risk of extinction. Five years ago the percentage was at 39, and the organization ruled that it appears a lot more people are eating monkeys for dinner these days--no joke.

"Gorilla meat, chimpanzee meat and meat of other apes fetches a higher price than beef, chicken or fish" in some African countries Mittermeier told Reuters. He says some species are "literally being eaten into extinction."

A large part of why hunters have been able to persevere is because of deforestation. The burning and clearing of tropical forests not only destroys the creatures' habitats, but newly forming farmlands and roads cut to help loggers are opening up previously inaccessible regions to poachers.

Primates are feeling the most heat in Asia, with 71% of all species at risk, versus Africa where the rate sits at 37%.

Mittermeier believes the trends can "absolutely" be reversed, however. Pushing global warming legislation that would regulate deforestation is certainly a helpful measure, but he also believes "eco-tourism" can play a hefty role. According to his logic, local people will have a greater stake in conservation if their income from tourism is higher than from hunting--saving the planet through straight economics. The only difficulty is trying to generate greater interest in nature-based tourism. Mittermeier plans to do his part by helping to promote a new trend in "primate watching." Bird watching is already extremely popular around the globe, and believes primates can be just as fascinating if not more so to look out for.

He himself has seen 350 out of the 634 known species and sub-species of primate in the wild, making him one of, if not the world's greatest record-holder. He plans to launch a website that lists the the top experts' sightings in hopes of making the hobby more popular. Of course, monkeys and apes aren't nearly as common to spot as birds, and will require expensive plane tickets to exotic lands, so whether or not this becomes a viable method to save endangered primates has yet to be seen.

www.WeEarth.com

Hit Movie Theme Songs a Thing of the Past

2008-08-07T08:53:00.000-07:00

Remember the days when a film’s theme song would help sell the movie, not to mention help sell the soundtrack? Never since 1997, when the epic, record breaking Titanic arrived in theatres has there been such campaigning for movie theme songs. There simply aren’t songs for blockbuster films like “My Heart Will Go On,” sung by Celine Dion and written by songwriting pro Diane Warren. Why is this? Why don’t films like the newly released Dark Knight have a song people can subconsciously link to the film? It mainly has to do with money.

Back in the day, the success of a film’s theme song used to be able to gauge the success of the film before release. Bryan Adams delivered the melodramatic tune “Everything I Do (I Do it For You) for the Kevin Costner version of Robin Hood in the 90’s, Whitney Houston sang her heart out in The Bodyguard theme song “I Will Always Love You,” and Aerosmith practically carried the film Armageddon’s success by their mega hit “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing.” But where are the hit songs for franchises like X-Men or Pirates of the Caribbean?

They’re simply too expensive. “Artists want a ton of money now,” Kathy Nelson, president of film music for Universal Pictures, told Billboard Magazine. “I remember the days when I would spend 300,000 dollars for a soundtrack like Pulp Fiction and I thought the cost would put the label under. Now artists want 300,00 just to show up.” Which is particularly why the Spiderman 3 soundtrack was so expensive, as soundtrack producers paid for an original theme song from band Snow Patrol. Another reason why hit theme songs aren’t helping to sell films is because record sales are also at an all time low.

This is why the trend made by writer/actor/director Zach Braff is starting to become successful. His quirky 2004 film Garden State basically compiled a lot of hip, Indie songs on the soundtrack by bands like Remy Zero and Coldplay, selling 1.2 million copies in the states alone. More recent films like Juno and Little Miss Sunshine have been benefiting from the same idea.

Another trend of avoiding the bank-breaking theme song as well as not dating the film is to create an original tune with an original artist that fits “the fabric of the movie.” (Mark Savage, BBC News) For example, Annie Lennox teamed up with Howard Shore to create the Lord of the Rings: Return of the King theme song, “conceived as an Elvish lament for those who have sailed across the Sundering Sea.” Now obviously these types of songs may not make it to the top 40 list, but nonetheless, they compliment the film directly. The new Chronicles of Narnia installment Prince Caspian composer Harry Gregson-Williams had a similar idea, collaborating with quirky Indie singer Regina Spektor to create its theme song.

Hans Zimmer, who co-wrote the score for The Dark Knight, says “there was never any doubt that we were going to be songless, and trust me, we were flooded with requests from every band in the world. I actually had to say no to some really interesting people.” But his reasoning, along with writer/director Chris Nolan’s, wasn’t much about the money. The film’s budget would have been able to yield a pretty hefty soundtrack with big hitters in the music industry. But Zimmer points out that in the first Batman film, Prince songs were added onto the soundtrack, which “really dates the movie.” Directors like Nolan and composers like Zimmer, who are hardly rookies in the entertainment industry, have been following the trends of pairing music with film, and wish for their collaborations to remain timeless.

Scientists Develop Exercise In A Pill

2008-08-06T07:54:00.000-07:00

Scientists are currently developing wonder drugs that could theoretically allow people to gain muscles without lifting a finger. The new "lazy man's exercise pill" is found in two drugs tested at the Salk Institute in San Diego: Aicar and GW1516. So far both substances have already excited and frightened enough people to start wondering how to keep it out of the hands of athletes.

Dr. Ronald Evans, leader of the Salk group, tested the drugs on inactive mice. Aicar increased the mice's endurance on a treadmill by 44 percent after just four weeks of treatment. Mice who received GW1516 experienced a 75 percent increase in endurance, but only if they combined it with some exercise. The drugs basically trick the muscles into thinking they went through an intense workout.

According to the Herald Tribune Evans is sure the pills would have the same affect on humans as we have the same underlying genes as mice. If proven safe, he imagines them doing wonders for those enduring physical therapy sessions, and being especially helpful to health problems like diabetes.

On the front page of the article; however, the Tribune writes:

But such muscle-enhancing drugs would also have obvious appeal to athletes seeking to gain an edge in performance. With funds from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Chevy Chase, Maryland, Evans has devised a test to detect whether an athlete has taken the drugs, and has made it available to the World Anti-Doping Agency, which prepares a list of forbidden substances. Officials at the anti-doping agency confirmed that they were collaborating with Evans on testing procedures but could not say when they would start using them.

Personally, I find it extremely fascinating that tests are already being devised to see if a person is on the drugs--before anyone has even tried them. Aicar is a well known drug that was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for a heart condition, but neither Aicar nor GW1516 have been tested in people for muscle endurance, meaning long term health effects are still unknown.

With a culture obsessed with body image, it can almost go without saying that pharmaceutical companies are keeping a close eye on the pills as they're bound to make big money. It really wouldn't surprise me if the FDA approves them for over-the-counter sale as soon as possible.

www.WeEarth.com

Battling it Out for the Planet

2008-08-04T09:21:00.000-07:00

In attempts to stomp the rumor that they're the world's biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, The U.S. Army is looking to cut their emissions to reduce their "bootprint", and in doing so, will save the lives of soldiers in Iraq. Ted Davis, deputy assistant secretary for the environment, safety and occupational health in the Army said, "The goal is to bring Army emissions of climate-warming carbon dioxide down by 30 percent by 2015." (Deborah Zabarenko, Reuters) Davis's goal is to first gauge how much emissions are processed by the army, then work to reduce that number.

The Army has previously worked to environmentally sustain its bases, starting with the massive Fort Brag in North Carolina back in 2001. This involved changing the way training ranges were incorporated for combat. "Each village used to cost up to 400,000 dollars to build. Now they are made of recycled truck-sized shipping containers at a cost of about 25,000 dollars," Davis added. The shipping containers are separated from the solid waste stream.

In the first couple years of the Iraq War, long supply chains stretching from Kuwait to the battlefield put convoys at risk from "makeshift bombs called IEDs." Most of that cargo was fuel. When there's less fuel involved, there's less risk for those soldiers on the frontline. Davis's idea to replace fuel consumption and diesel generators by wind or solar could reduce supply convoys that are being attacked by IEDs.

Poorly insulated Army tents on location in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait and Djibouti showed 85 of the energy going towards air conditioning units. But keeping the tents cool by alternatively placing foam insulation sprayed directly on the tents "cut the loss of energy by 45 percent."

Limiting greenhouse emissions from Army vehicles proves to be a more difficult challenge. But Davis said emerging technology is allowing for lighter-weight armor, as well as hybrid vehicles being designed for large military fleet vehicles.

Mainly, once the Army tackles exactly the magnitude of emissions they are putting out there, people like Davis will be able to better assess their needs. But he admits there is lots of work to be done. For example, Fort Carson in Colorado emits 205,000 tons of carbon dioxide a year, which equals the same as a town of 25,000 people.

Save Some Money With the $5 Bill Plan

2008-08-01T09:46:00.000-07:00

Today’s economy is rough and it seems to feel worse every day. Even though I’m young enough that I should still have quite a few working years ahead of me, I’m still always interested in trying to save a few bucks. Which is why I found the $5 bill plan so interesting.

Marie C. Franklin of the Boston Globe recounts in an article how she managed to save a little over $12,000 in three years. She admits that she was always a habitual saver, but that saving became more difficult when she was simultaneously putting two daughters through college. So when she came across an Internet posting with '10 Tips for saving money,' she was especially interested.

Although the advice rather skeptically claimed that there are less $5 bills in circulation than other bills, the author still decided to go ahead and follow the plan: save your $5 bills and put them in a separate bank account. It worked. It is now three years later and Franklin is ahead $12,000.

Franklin admits that she was very disciplined and quite literally saved every $5 bill she had. When she had $50, she would make a deposit. When the account reached $2,000, she would then put it in a CD to earn higher interest.

Sounds good to me. Like a more elaborate piggy bank, with greater results.

P.E. for Grown-Ups

2008-07-31T08:59:00.000-07:00

I’m not terribly athletic and back in school, Physical Education was the most dreaded hour of the day for me. But I know a lot of kids looked forward to the hour out of the classroom, so it was with much amusement, but less surprise when I read that adults are getting a second chance to experience all the joy of P.E.

Across the country, adults are getting out on Friday night and hitting the gym. The school gym that is, for a chance to get fit and relive their childhood at the same time. At Oldschool P.E. in Newport, NH, the intention is very clear: have the fun of childhood, without all the rules. Couples play on opposing teams, there is no score-keeping and the commissioner, who changes each day, gets to pick the game and how it’s played.

Co-founder Mike Pettinicchio explains, “From the very beginning, we decided on a very small set of rules because we didn't want it to get that 'league' kind of feel. You want to go out, have some fun, be a little competitive, but we all have lives. There are not going to be any scouts in the stands."

In Portland, Ore., adult P.E. is in the form of Urban Recess, which has become so popular that people have been turned away for classes due to space constraints.

Part of the fun is in the social aspect. You get to meet people and workout, without feeling like the goal is working out.

Karin Schmidt got the idea for Urban Recess when talking with a fellow personal trainer, "We said, 'Well, you didn't have to twist a kid's arm to play at recess, why can't we do that as adults?'"

If P.E. was your favorite ‘subject’ in school, look out for a class near you. Or start your own. All the cool kids are doing it.

San Francisco Tops List of U.S.’s Most Walkable Cities

2008-07-30T12:15:00.000-07:00

According to Walkscore.com, a website which uses an algorithm to figure out which of the nation’s cities and neighborhoods are easiest to navigate without a car.

San Francisco was dubbed the most walkable city, with a "Walk Score" of 86 out of 100. New York received a score of 83 and Boston a score of 79.

Scores greater than 70 indicate neighborhoods where it's possible to get by without owning a car, while scores greater than 90 qualify communities as a "Walker's Paradise," according to an article found on Reuters.

The site’s goal is to see an area’s walkability score included in the property’s listing. Mike Mathieu, founder of the company that created the site's software explains, “What we see is someone calling up a broker and saying 'I want three bedrooms, two baths, a walkability score of 85, what've you got?"'

To find out if your city is walkable, simply type in an address and watch as the site generates a map, complete with symbols for nearby grocery stores, cafes, movie theaters, schools and parks.

The site seems like it fits in with many of the nation’s new goals, like eliminating obesity and lowering oil use and gas dependency.

Chimps Possess Empathy Gene

2008-07-29T10:51:00.001-07:00

Darwin’s theories on evolution have the human species paired with monkeys in many ways, and new evidence proves they may be more like us than we originally thought--through acts of physical affection.

There’s no question that a hug, kiss or pat on the back can help a human’s emotional pain and suffering. It turns out chimpanzees feel the same way, and are equally enamored with the outcome. Researchers found that stress was reduced in chimps if a fellow member of their species gave them some consolation.

Chimps are set apart form other similar species like monkeys, who don’t show the same affection.

“Consolation usually took the form of a kiss or embrace,” said Dr. Orlaith N. Frasier, who conducts research at the Evolutionary Anthropology and Paleoecology Center in Liverpool. Frasier and his team studied a group of chimps at the Chester Zoo in England for a year and a half, recording instances that prove his theory.

The reason this new finding holds such importance has to do with when the chimps offer the consolation, which is “rarely seen other than after a conflict,” Orlaith adds. The hugging or wrapping their arms around each other always resulted in a significant reduction in stress for the recipient.

The study also holds particular importance because there was once doubt that physical affection caused any reaction at all in chimps. Dr. Frans de Waal who works for Emory University in Atlanta says this new discovery proves those theories wrong. “This study removes doubt that consolation really does what the term suggests: provide relief to distressed parties after conflict,” he states. (AP)

Researchers compare the chimp’s behavior to those of human children, which de Waal says, “Is in fact identical to that of apes.” And like children, the chimps only appeared to calm aggression for those they already have loyal relationships with of some kind.

Not only is there evidence that chimps give affection, but in other animals as well, such as birds and dogs. Though more tests need to be conducted to show those species have the same effects.

Garbage to Gas

2008-07-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

The biofuel debate is fierce, with some saying crops for biofuel use up food crop space and others saying that biofuel is the only way to get around reliance on oil. But within the next two years, two different companies are getting around the argument, introducing another biofuel option, which would turn garbage into gas.

Two companies, INEOS bio of Lyndhurst, U.K., and Coskata of Warrenville, Ill. have announced that they will soon be able to produce ethanol from garbage on a commercial scale.

INEOS bio has a two year plan for being able to commercially produce biofuel from waste, while Coskata is working on having a facility ready for demonstration by the middle of next year.

Both companies have similar plans for turning garbage into gas, beginning with gasification. Gasification occurs by heating the waste with limited amounts of oxygen to create carbon monoxide and hydrogen.

Incinerating garbage completely produces carbon dioxide and water, explains INEOS bio's Graham Rice, with the gasification, "We're trying to go halfway and produce carbon monoxide, which still has a lot of chemical energy."

The carbon monoxide and hydrogen mixture is then fed to bacteria, which convert the mixture into ethanol. The ethanol is then purified and blended with fuel.

The process uses any form of carbon waste, from tires to biomass, which gets around the controversial matter of using crops for biofuel instead of food.

Coskata’s Wes Bolsen also says the process uses less than half of the water used to convert corn into ethanol. Both companies say the cost is less than other biofuel methods that have been explored thus far.

"Wherever there are people, wastes are generated," Rice said. "What I'd like to see is every community converting its waste into renewable transport fuel."

www.WeEarth.com

'Snowy' River of Crystals Found in New Mexico

2008-07-25T09:44:00.000-07:00

A wondrous underground river of crystals resembling a trail of snow was recently discovered in New Mexico, but don't think for a second you'll be able to see it for yourself. A seemingly endless cave in the region is to be closed off to the public and studied for scientific research. So far the cave is an estimated 4 miles long, with plenty more to discover.

Scientists have already found some three dozen species of microbes in the Fort Stanton Cave and have dubbed the majestical looking floor of it "Snowy River." The minerals making up the river of crystals are believed to be created by microorganisms that live in the water that mysteriously flows through the cave from time to time. Last summer scientists were surprised to see running water, which had not been the case when it was first discovered in 2001. So far no scientists can figure out how water permeates it, or where it ultimately ends up.

Penny Boston, a New Mexico Tech professor told the following to the Associated Press:

"The idea is that we're practicing to go to Mars, we're practicing to go to Europa (a moon of Jupiter) and all of these other places," she said. "It's very difficult to even prove some of the things we've studied here on this planet are alive. Imagine how much harder that is when you translate that to a robotic mission millions of miles from Earth."

Helping Baby Turtles Find Their Way

2008-07-24T10:29:00.000-07:00

In Florida, “sand saviors” are helping baby turtles find their way back to sea. A video on Pet Sugar http://www.petsugar.com/1772120 shows volunteers walking along Palm Beach Shores in Florida, uncovering sea turtle nests and clearing a bath for the tiny turtles to find their way back to the sea.

Although the video is as cute as can be, I tended to agree with one of the comments posted that the volunteer aid seems like it may interfere with nature’s survival of the fittest. If the turtles can’t find their own way to the water, maybe they should be weeded out. But then again, another commenter justified the actions of the sand saviors, figuring that their efforts offset human encroachment on the environment that interferes with the survival of the turtles. I liked that better because it means the turtles get to be saved and I don’t have to feel guilty about human interference in a bigger plan.

Everybody Stresses, Even Octopuses

2008-07-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

Did you know that your pet has a dominant hand? According to tests at the Institute for the Study of Animal Problems in Washington, DC, dogs and cats were shown to favor one paw over the other. I guess that’s just another way pets resemble their owners. Now, scientists in the UK are observing octopuses in captivity to see if they have a dominant arm too.

If octopuses are found to have a dominant arm, scientists are hoping that by giving octopuses objects to pick up with that arm, they will be able to reduce the stress of octopuses in captivity.

Claire Little, a marine life expert at the Sea Life Center in the UK explains:

We hope the study will help the overall well-being of octopuses. They are very susceptible to stress so if they do have a favorite side to be fed on, it could reduce risk to them.

In a month-long observational project, scientists will record which arm octopuses use to pick up objects.

The cool part is that visitors to the center will also get to participate in the study; by marking on a chart which arm the octopuses used to pick up the objects, including Rubik’s cubes, balls and Lego’s, that will be dropped into the tanks. According to The Mail Online, visitors will be asked to note:

Which arm was closest to the object when it landed and which arm picked it up.

If the octopus uses several arms to pick up the object, then visitors will be asked to note which arms touched the object and in what order.

During feeding times, staff will be asked to make the same observations.

Little says that the study will also help clarify the overall mystery of handiness in the Animal Kingdom.

The study will take place in the 23 centers found in the United Kingdom and the results will be analyzed and announced by scientists in the fall.

Earth911.org Makes Everyday Earth Day

2008-07-22T10:28:00.001-07:00

Earth911.org Makes Everyday Earth Day

Living Green can be difficult in a world of easy disposable products and hidden chemicals. Earth911.org “makes everyday Earth Day” by providing resources and ideas about how you can break free from environmentally hazardous products and use green options.

Browsing through the site I discovered that I apparently have a lot more household hazardous waste than just my lightbulbs and electronic devices. And they are lurking in my medicine cabinet.

I’m not an especially sick person. I hate going to the doctor because I’m convinced that I’ll need a shot or a bloodtest or they’ll find some other need for me to be poked with a long, shiny needle. But even with my careful avoidance, I have still managed to amass a collection of old prescription medications over the years.

My first inclination would be to toss the pills in the trash and recycle the container. But according to Earth911, that would be the wrong way to dispose of an old prescription.

Drugs should be disposed of by taking them to a collection event. Take back programs are periodically put on by pharmacies. You can find such an event by using Earth911’s recycling locator. Remember to remove labels from bottles so that you don’t accidentally give out personal information.

Earth911 is a great resource to find out how to safely and easily get rid of your household hazardous waste, from batteries to anything else.
www.weearth.com