Feb. 27, 2013 ? Amid efforts to expand production of biofuels, scientists are reporting new estimates that downgrade the amount of additional land available for growing fuel crops by almost 80 percent. Their report appears in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Steffen Fritz and colleagues explain that growing concern exists in the U.S. and the European Union on how production of biofuels will impact food security. This has led to a realization that increased production of biofuels must take place on so-called "marginal land," acreage not suitable for growing food crops, but capable of growing switch grass, Indian beech trees and Barbados nut trees. Concerned that previous estimates were targeting some areas where land is not marginal, the scientists did the calculations using data obtained through crowdsourcing, which were based on higher-resolution datasets.
They concluded that previous studies had overestimated the amount of arable land, had underestimated the amount of land already being cultivated and had not fully considered other competing uses for land other than farming. The revised estimates show that 140 million-2.6 billion acres of additional land could be cultivated for biofuel production. That compares with previous estimates of 800 million-3.5 billion acres. This study highlights the large uncertainties in estimating land availability and points out that such estimates should be used with caution.
The authors acknowledge funding from European Community's Framework Programme via the Project EuroGEOSS, EnerGEO, Pashmina and ASAP programme of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Chemical Society.
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Journal Reference:
Steffen Fritz, Linda See, Marijn van der Velde, Rachel A. Nalepa, Christoph Perger, Christian Schill, Ian McCallum, Dmitry Schepaschenko, Florian Kraxner, Ximing Cai, Xiao Zhang, Simone Ortner, Rubul Hazarika, Anna Cipriani, Carlos Di Bella, Ahmed H. Rabia, Alfredo Garcia, Mar?yana Vakolyuk, Kuleswar Singha, Maria E. Beget, Stefan Erasmi, Franziska Albrecht, Brian Shaw, Michael Obersteiner. Downgrading Recent Estimates of Land Available for Biofuel Production. Environmental Science & Technology, 2013; : 130128103203003 DOI: 10.1021/es303141h
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Brandeis University study finds public policy, institutional barriers are pushing racial wealth gapPublic release date: 27-Feb-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Charity Adams cadams1@brandeis.edu 781-736-8685 Brandeis University
Same gain in income produces far greater wealth for white households than black families
New research shows the dramatic gap in household wealth that now exists along racial lines in the United States cannot solely be attributed to personal ambition and behavioral choices, but rather reflects policies and institutional practices that create different opportunities for whites and African-Americans.
So powerful are these government policies and institutional practices that for typical families, a $1 increase in average income over the 25-year study period generates just $0.69 in additional wealth for an African-American household compared with $5.19 for a white household. Part of this equation results from black households having fewer opportunities to grow their savings beyond what's needed for emergencies.
"Public policies play a major role in widening the already massive racial wealth gap, and they must play a role in closing it," said Dr. Thomas Shapiro, director of the IASP and a principal author of the report "We should be investing in prosperity and equity, instead we are advancing toxic inequality. A U-turn is needed."
The study, "The Roots of the Widening Racial Wealth Gap: Explaining the Black-White Economic Divide," was conducted by the Institute on Assets and Social Policy (IASP) at Brandeis University.
"The gap presents an opportunity denied for many African American households and assures racial economic inequality for the next generation," said Tatjana Meschede, a co-author of the policy brief.
The research is unique in that it has followed nearly the same 1,700 working-age households over what is now a 25-year period from 1984 to 2009. Unlike standard statistical comparisons, the authors of the study say this approach offers a unique opportunity to understand what happens to the wealth gap over the course of a generation and the effect of policy and institutional decision-making on how average families accumulate wealth.
In gross terms, there is no question that the difference in median wealth between America's white and African- American households has grown stunningly large. The new study found the wealth gap almost tripled from 1984 to 2009, increasing from $85,000 to $236,500. The median net worth of white households in the study has grown to $265,000 over the 25-year period compared with just $28,500 for black households.
The dramatic increase in the racial wealth gap has accelerated despite the country's movement beyond the Civil Rights era into a period of legal equality and the election of the first African-American president. The resulting toxic inequality now threatens the U.S. economy and indeed, American society, the study concludes.
"All families need a financial cushion to be economically secure and create opportunities for the next generation," said Shapiro. "Wealth what we own minus what we owe allows families to move forward by moving to better and safer neighborhoods, investing in businesses, saving for retirement and supporting their children's college aspirations. Our economy cannot sustain its growth in the face of this type of extreme wealth inequality."
Setting out to determine what was driving the disparity today, researchers were able to statistically validate five fundamental factors that together account for two-thirds of the proportional increase in the racial wealth gap. Those five factors include the number of years of home ownership; average family income; employment stability, particularly through the Great Recession; college education, and family financial support and inheritance. While marriage is another factor, its impact is quite small, the study found.
"In the context of the social sciences, whenever you can isolate the factors that really explain what's happening, that's a huge step forward," said Shapiro. "And what these particular factors provide is compelling evidence that various government and institutional policies that shape where we live, where we learn and where we work propel the large majority of the widening racial wealth gap."
Each of the factors highlights a number of specific reasons that whites and African- Americans accumulate wealth at different rates. When it came to housing, for example, home equity rose dramatically faster for whites due to the following:
White families buy homes and start acquiring equity eight years earlier than black families. Due to historical wealth advantages, white families are far more likely to receive family assistance or an inheritance for down payments.
The ability to make larger up-front payments by white homeowners lowers interest rates.
Residential segregation places an artificial ceiling on home equity in non-white neighborhoods.
Based on these and other historical factors, the home ownership rate for white families is 28 percent higher.
"The report shows in stark terms that it's not just the last recession and implosion of the housing market that contributed to widening racial wealth disparities," said Anne Price, director of the Closing the Racial Wealth Gap Initiative at the Insight Center for Community Economic Development. "Past policies of exclusion, such as discriminatory mortgage lending, which continues today, ensure that certain groups reap a greater share of all America has to offer while others are left out." ?
The report recommends that policymakers take steps such as strengthening and enforcing fair housing, mortgage and lending policies; raising the minimum wage and enforcing equal pay provisions; investing in high- quality childcare and early childhood development, and overhauling preferential tax treatments for dividend and interest income and the home mortgage deduction.
"By disaggregating the factors that lead to the wealth gap, this research is informing leaders and helping them to focus their advocacy efforts toward policy solutions," said Angela Glover Blackwell, founder and CEO of PolicyLink, a national research and action institute advancing economic and social equity.
###
The Institute on Assets and Social Policy is a research institute at Brandeis University's Heller School for Social Policy and Management, dedicated to promoting a better understanding of how assets and asset-building opportunities improve the well-being of individuals and families left out of the economic mainstream.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Brandeis University study finds public policy, institutional barriers are pushing racial wealth gapPublic release date: 27-Feb-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Charity Adams cadams1@brandeis.edu 781-736-8685 Brandeis University
Same gain in income produces far greater wealth for white households than black families
New research shows the dramatic gap in household wealth that now exists along racial lines in the United States cannot solely be attributed to personal ambition and behavioral choices, but rather reflects policies and institutional practices that create different opportunities for whites and African-Americans.
So powerful are these government policies and institutional practices that for typical families, a $1 increase in average income over the 25-year study period generates just $0.69 in additional wealth for an African-American household compared with $5.19 for a white household. Part of this equation results from black households having fewer opportunities to grow their savings beyond what's needed for emergencies.
"Public policies play a major role in widening the already massive racial wealth gap, and they must play a role in closing it," said Dr. Thomas Shapiro, director of the IASP and a principal author of the report "We should be investing in prosperity and equity, instead we are advancing toxic inequality. A U-turn is needed."
The study, "The Roots of the Widening Racial Wealth Gap: Explaining the Black-White Economic Divide," was conducted by the Institute on Assets and Social Policy (IASP) at Brandeis University.
"The gap presents an opportunity denied for many African American households and assures racial economic inequality for the next generation," said Tatjana Meschede, a co-author of the policy brief.
The research is unique in that it has followed nearly the same 1,700 working-age households over what is now a 25-year period from 1984 to 2009. Unlike standard statistical comparisons, the authors of the study say this approach offers a unique opportunity to understand what happens to the wealth gap over the course of a generation and the effect of policy and institutional decision-making on how average families accumulate wealth.
In gross terms, there is no question that the difference in median wealth between America's white and African- American households has grown stunningly large. The new study found the wealth gap almost tripled from 1984 to 2009, increasing from $85,000 to $236,500. The median net worth of white households in the study has grown to $265,000 over the 25-year period compared with just $28,500 for black households.
The dramatic increase in the racial wealth gap has accelerated despite the country's movement beyond the Civil Rights era into a period of legal equality and the election of the first African-American president. The resulting toxic inequality now threatens the U.S. economy and indeed, American society, the study concludes.
"All families need a financial cushion to be economically secure and create opportunities for the next generation," said Shapiro. "Wealth what we own minus what we owe allows families to move forward by moving to better and safer neighborhoods, investing in businesses, saving for retirement and supporting their children's college aspirations. Our economy cannot sustain its growth in the face of this type of extreme wealth inequality."
Setting out to determine what was driving the disparity today, researchers were able to statistically validate five fundamental factors that together account for two-thirds of the proportional increase in the racial wealth gap. Those five factors include the number of years of home ownership; average family income; employment stability, particularly through the Great Recession; college education, and family financial support and inheritance. While marriage is another factor, its impact is quite small, the study found.
"In the context of the social sciences, whenever you can isolate the factors that really explain what's happening, that's a huge step forward," said Shapiro. "And what these particular factors provide is compelling evidence that various government and institutional policies that shape where we live, where we learn and where we work propel the large majority of the widening racial wealth gap."
Each of the factors highlights a number of specific reasons that whites and African- Americans accumulate wealth at different rates. When it came to housing, for example, home equity rose dramatically faster for whites due to the following:
White families buy homes and start acquiring equity eight years earlier than black families. Due to historical wealth advantages, white families are far more likely to receive family assistance or an inheritance for down payments.
The ability to make larger up-front payments by white homeowners lowers interest rates.
Residential segregation places an artificial ceiling on home equity in non-white neighborhoods.
Based on these and other historical factors, the home ownership rate for white families is 28 percent higher.
"The report shows in stark terms that it's not just the last recession and implosion of the housing market that contributed to widening racial wealth disparities," said Anne Price, director of the Closing the Racial Wealth Gap Initiative at the Insight Center for Community Economic Development. "Past policies of exclusion, such as discriminatory mortgage lending, which continues today, ensure that certain groups reap a greater share of all America has to offer while others are left out." ?
The report recommends that policymakers take steps such as strengthening and enforcing fair housing, mortgage and lending policies; raising the minimum wage and enforcing equal pay provisions; investing in high- quality childcare and early childhood development, and overhauling preferential tax treatments for dividend and interest income and the home mortgage deduction.
"By disaggregating the factors that lead to the wealth gap, this research is informing leaders and helping them to focus their advocacy efforts toward policy solutions," said Angela Glover Blackwell, founder and CEO of PolicyLink, a national research and action institute advancing economic and social equity.
###
The Institute on Assets and Social Policy is a research institute at Brandeis University's Heller School for Social Policy and Management, dedicated to promoting a better understanding of how assets and asset-building opportunities improve the well-being of individuals and families left out of the economic mainstream.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
TUESDAY, Feb. 26 (HealthDay News) ? Obesity increases a person?s risk for a certain type of colorectal cancer, while exercise lowers the risk, according to a new study.
Researchers analyzed data from women in the U.S. Nurses? Health Study and men in the Health Professionals Study to determine if there was a link between weight, exercise and the risk for CTNNB1-positive or CTNNB1-negative colorectal cancer.
CTNNB1 is a molecule implicated in cancer and obesity.
A higher body-mass index, or BMI (a measurement of body fat based on height and weight), was associated with an increased risk of CTNNB1-negative colorectal cancer, while physical activity was associated with a lower risk.
BMI and physical activity had no effect on the risk for CTNNB1-positive colorectal cancer, according to the study appearing Feb. 26 in the journal Cancer Research.
?Our results provide additional evidence for a causal role of obesity and a physically inactive lifestyle in a specific molecular subtype of colorectal cancer,? Dr. Shuji Ogino, an associate professor of pathology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and an associate professor in the department of epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health, said in a journal news release.
?If physicians are able to identify individuals who are prone to develop CTNNB1-negative cancer, then it would be possible to strongly recommend physical activity,? Ogino added.
The findings also suggest that CTNNB1 could be a potential target for drugs to prevent and treat colorectal cancer in certain patients, Ogino said.
More information
The American Cancer Society has more about colorectal cancer.
While stateside users might complain that we get all the good stuff in Europe first, Apple's iTunes in the Cloud for movies and TV shows has finally got around to rolling in to France and other parts of Europe, eons after it came out in the US. We confirmed that the new functionality works in France, which lets you buy films and TV shows from a computer, Apple TV or iOS device, then download it for free from the cloud on another. Others have reported by Twitter that it's working in Holland and Sweden as well, making it the first big move for the service since it rolled into the UK, Australia and Canada last summer. Until now, users in those nations were only able to download books, apps and music purchased in iTunes from the cloud. There's still no word from Apple about the move, however, and the list of supported countries hasn't been updated for those features -- so we'll enjoy it for now and hope Cupertino doesn't change its mind.
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (R - La.) accused President Obama of playing "political theater" by warning that looming across-the-board spending cuts set to go into effect on Friday will have a devastating impact on the government's ability to function and provide for the nation's most vulnerable, saying the cuts can be made in ways that are less damaging.
"The reality is that this is just part of political theater, part of the campaign," Jindal told Politics Confidential following a luncheon at the White House for the National Governors Association. "He's trying to scare the American people. He's trying to distort the impact."
The White House released a report Sunday night detailing the state-by-state impact of the cuts known as 'the sequester'; the report says that just in Jindal's state of Louisina, 1,730 fewer children will receive vaccines, while $488,000 will be cut from a nutrition assistance programs that provides meals to seniors, among other cuts.
But Jindal says the president could cut the $85 billion required by sequestration without impacting programs like these.
"Your job as the chief executive is to outline to Congress how you would prioritize these reductions, and you can cut $85 billion and protect critical services," says Jindal, calling on the president. "Every governor has done that. Since I've been a governor, I've done that."
Jindal continued on to say that the president could save tens of billions of dollars by delaying the implementation of new programs that haven't gone into effect yet instead of the cuts outlined in the White House's Sunday report.
To hear more of Jindal?s interview, including why he won?t compromise on tax increases, check out this week?s Politics Confidential.
ABC's Alexandra Dukakis contributed to this episode.
Home prices posted their biggest gain since July 2006, while new home sales surged 15.6 percent month-over-month.
However, the already tight housing supply is getting even tighter.
Bank of America economist Michelle Meyer tells us that while we are seeing an improvement in new home sales, today's data could be revised in coming months and that monthly data should be interpreted with caution since it can be very volatile.
She also says that housing supply is very tight and if we don't see a greater supply in the housing market, it will have an upward pressure on home prices.
BAML expects home prices to rise by 4.7 percent in 2013.
----------------------------------------------
BI:New home sales spiked 15.6 percent in January. What's behind those numbers?
Michelle Meyer: The 15.6 percent increase was certainly above expectations, and it is an outsized gain even for this series which tends to be volatile. So we have to put that percentage gain into perspective and realize that with the data being quite volatile, particularly at this time of the year, we could see a revision or a partial payback in coming months. But that said, I do believe that the trend is still higher for new home sales and I think we should expect to see continued improvement, given the fact that inventory is low not just for new construction properties but also for existing properties, and that creates opportunities for building.
BI: Can the rise be attributed to just a weaker base?
Michelle Meyer: So December was down three percent but November was up eight percent. If you look at a monthly pattern it is very, very noisy ? it's what's called mean reverting. I tend to like to look at three- or six-month moving average; I think it moves out some of the noise, and when you do look at it on a moving-average basis we're certainly still seeing improvement.
BI: In terms of the supply, the actual number of homes is flat on a monthly and annual basis. It's the spike in sales that is changing supply ...
Michelle Meyer: I think what it's showing is that the number of homes in the market for sale ? that's remained as you've said pretty constant ? which means builders are looking, seemingly as of now, at keeping stocks low. As home sales continue to rise we'll bring down that months' supply figure which means that the current stock of homes for sale will be cleared even more quickly and that's really what months' supply is capturing. It's saying how many months does it take to clear inventory at the current sales pace, so the lower it is, obviously the faster the inventory will move through the system, which means that there's greater ability for builders to add to the housing stock and increase construction.
BI:Is the market too tight at the moment? Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
Michelle Meyer: I think the market is tight, clearly by looking at these numbers, and again it's not just the new market which has arguably been tight for some time, it's also the existing market. So, if we don't see greater supply come into the market, it will continue to put upward pressure on home prices and limit the amount of turnover we see in the market. So, I think it would very much be appropriate in the environment to see inventory pick up, see building pick up.
BI: You have previously said you're not concerned about overbuilding (see article here). One of the reasons you gave, was large homebuilders had downsized during the crisis and it would take time for projects to pick up again.Does that then worry you considering supply is already tight and homebuilding might not pick up at a fast enough pace?
Michelle Meyer: I maintain the view that there's little reason to be concerned about overbuilding this year. We're starting from low inventory levels and I think there's some limit on capacity in the homebuilder space. The large public builders are gearing up for further increase in construction and we've seen it.
The numbers coming out from the public builders have outpaced the Census Bureau numbers for some time now. So it means that either they're outperforming the rest of the market, which is possible, or it means that we're going to see a revision to the official data which is also quite possible. And we get that revision in a month or two, so that's something that could be interesting actually.
... Presumably, the inventory numbers, the month supply figures we're seeing, suggest that homebuilding is already lagging a bit relative to demand. But I think that builders are going to be reactive, and you can see from homebuilder sentiment ? homebuilder sentiment is quite strong, much stronger than what we're seeing from actual production.
So builders are feeling more confident, and I think they're looking for opportunities, and if demand continues to do well and if prices continue to improve, I think builders will respond appropriately to increases in sales.
BI: Is there anything else our readers should know?
Michelle Meyer: I think the other factor you always want to think about is regional differences. And not only in terms of new home sales, but also it ties into pricing. One of the things that was clear from this report is home construction has increased, certainly in January the biggest gain was in the West, but that was off of low levels in December. But even if you look at a longer trend, the West has seen more considerable gains in housing construction and that also is consistent with the fact that the market there just simply looks better, inventory is lower, and home prices are rising there. So the turn seems to be happening a bit more quickly in the West than in other regions.
BI: And what are you seeing in the East Coast, specifically in New York?
Michelle Meyer: That's probably the slowest market to turn. In terms of the Case-Shiller numbers [see here] the New York metro area was the only one of the 20 cities surveyed that is still contracting on a year-over-year basis. And in terms of construction there has been some improvement but it has been pretty modest, so I think the Northeast is lagging a bit relative to other parts of the nation.
BI: And do you expect it to continue to do so for a while?
Michelle Meyer: The challenge in the Northeast is the foreclosure process. It has a very slow judicial process which means that foreclosures and distressed inventory are leaking into the market only gradually. That means we'll continue to see this pressure on the housing market and there's certainly areas for opportunity. I think multi-family construction has picked up if you listen to what Toll Brothers just said, there's opportunities for apartment construction obviously in parts of New York, so when you look at Manhattan you get a very different picture than when you look elsewhere in the New York metro area. Overall it seems like its a little bit slower to turn.?
While you might be excited to start your new business, you should pause and take a look at your internet marketing strategy first. You may find one or more effective tips to use in the article below.
To drive traffic to your site, hold special events and promotions. Possibly, you could offer a particular e-book for $1 for one or two days. Your site will attract more visitors, who will see your other products and services while they are stopping by to pick up their promo item. It is not unusual for such visitors to purchase other things that you have for sale on your website in addition to the e-book.
Offer customers a freebie that features your brand name and that can be transmitted electronically. It can be submitted to various websites where the item can be listed and provided to customers at no charge. If you have an e-book, give it to free e-book websites. There are many websites that offer articles, e-zines, e-books, and general freebies that you can submit to.
Always include a limited time frame to order as an incentive to make a purchase now. Free shipping or giveaways can increase the traffic that comes onto your page. But it is important that urgency is created to get the people to act right away.
You could get more people to share a link to your content or feature it if you openly encourage them to do so. Anyone who likes your site will be more than happy to provide a link back to your site, just as long as you provide a link to their site, too.
Give yourself an impressive title so that people will show you respect. For example, make yourself the CEO if you are running your own company. If you are not owner, try finding a good title that shows power and authority. Using this title as your signature gives you the perfect chance to display your importance.
It is both a science and art to do internet marketing. True, you need to understand the technical aspects of marketing, but you also have to feel your way through the realistic side of things. Make sure you think it through when you are considering what your customer wants to experience.
You should think about mobile marketing. Offer customers the chance to sign up for texts alerting them to sales, product launches, or other happenings on your site. This has become one of the freshest ways to promote your business.
Take advantage of the many cost effective resources on the internet as a means to improve your marketing campaign. You can join online business communities, read marketing blogs, attend local business development seminars and conferences, and download and study e-books.
Your website should be well made and have content people want to see! Your site is the most essential part of your online marketing strategy. You want your visitors to stay around awhile, so you need to make the website eye-catching and interesting. The site?s design should be engaging to the visitors and make them want to visit and stay there long enough to maybe purchase something.
Consider using positive words such as ?guarantee? whenever you are writing ad descriptions. The value of a guarantee varies greatly depending on the company offering it, but the mere offer of a guarantee seem to allay many concerns. A guarantee makes people feel more comfortable when making a purchase.
You should give your customer an option of either buying in bulk or retail. Selling wholesale items at a small amount of profit is one way to boost the amount of items you sell.
Give rewards to your customers for referring others to your site. You can achieve multiple sales from just a few persons if you incorporate a referral program with freebies into your website. People love free gifts, and this can increase sales!
It is optimal to be able to run pages on numerous social networking sites, but consider the time that would need to be invested to keep them up-to-date and functioning. Stagnant profiles are useless and are often seen as spam.
Grade the effectiveness of your efforts in online marketing by making use of tech tools that determine how many of your visitors become paying customers. Statistics that show the quantity of visitors and sales can be useful in showing how a website is doing. One way to find statistic is the use of web trackers.
By placing surveys and polls throughout your website, you can solicit feedback from site users. This will make your customers feel included in the business, and it will assure that your site will have plenty of content that they will find very appealing.
It is important that your customers feel special. To make them feel valued, personalize all correspondence. Your visitors and customers are fed up with bulk emails that are impersonal and fake. Aren?t you sick of bulk emails? Make sure your info is personalized and targeted to keep people interested.
To encourage people to visit your site over others, work to offer something unique. Try drawing cartoons that relate to your website or product, or providing an e-book full of useful information. Having an item that is exclusive to your site is great at attracting plenty of customers to your website.
A good way to attract visitors to your website is to offer them some sort of free course. This is great marketing strategy for the Internet since you can bundle the course along with a complimentary product which will attract customers to purchase. You can use your ad campaign to detail your customers about the contest.
How good is your service or product? You can have the best internet marketing around, though if what you are selling is below average, you will not see any changes to your bottom line. A first-rate product will go a long way towards increasing your sales profits.
When it comes to Internet marketing, it can be hard to learn everything. But everyone needs to start somewhere. In fact, the learning process never stops in this field, and even the experts and professionals are constantly refining their knowledge.
Monday February 25, 2013, 9:05 am Environmental risks contribute to 28 percent of Africa?s diseases
WNN Breaking
A woman in the Horn of Africa cooks in a smoke-filled room
A woman in the Horn of Africa cooks for her family in a smoke-filled room. Working to find a new way to help save women?s lives who are being exposed to a lifetime of smoke from cooking, photojournalist Rodney Rascona went into the region to document the amount of exposure many women face today without clean cookstoves, an exposure that can cost them their lives. The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves released Igniting Change: A Strategy for Universal Adoption of Clean Cookstoves and Fuels, a plan to reduce the four million annual deaths caused by toxic cook smoke from burning solid fuels in rudimentary cookstoves and open fires ? the primary means of cooking for nearly three billion people every day. Image: rascona.com
(WNN/UN) United Nations, Geneva, SWITZERLAND, EUROPE: Unless Africa?s leaders prioritize environmental and health issues, and prevent the degradation of health-promoting food and medicinal plants, people?s health and productivity will continue to suffer, warns a new report released this week by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
?Africa?s population is growing at the fastest rate in the world and its economy is expanding at a commensurate rate, yet not enough focus has been placed on the role environmental concerns play in ensuring the well-being of this expanding, dynamic continent?s citizens,? said UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.
Environmental risks contribute to 28 percent of Africa?s diseases, according to the African Environment Outlook-3 (AEO-3). Diarrhoea, respiratory infections and malaria account for 60 per cent of known environmental health impacts in Africa.
Commissioned by the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), a permanent forum that meets every two years, the report highlights emerging issues and trends related to the environment, and proposes policy changes at the national, regional and global levels.
Among its finding, the air pollutant ?particulate matter? is a threat in poor rural areas, where little access to cleaner stoves and fuels causes significant health impacts through indoor pollution. Air pollution throughout the continent can be up to 30 times higher than World Health Organization (WHO) limits.
Health-related risks in Africa come from agrochemicals, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), chemical stockpiles, e-waste and petroleum waste, according to the report.
In C?te d?Ivoire, for example, the National Centre for Agronomical Research in Abidjan estimates that 65 per cent of the illnesses suffered by market gardeners, cotton growers, mango producers and consumers are due to pesticides.
The report also spotlights a lack of capacity to deal with the growing effects of climate change; inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene ? in 2010, only 60 per cent of the sub-Saharan Africa population had access to safe water; and poor waste disposal practices.
Other issues highlighted include the negative impact of degradation of health-promoting goods and services such as food and medicinal plants made possible by land and marine biodiversity. For example, 80 per cent of Africa?s rural population depends on traditional medicines harvested from nature.
Climate change and variability impact human health because of Africa?s underdeveloped capacity to cope with the negative impacts. The report issued today provides policy changes that include incorporating climate-related scientific findings into decision making; building adaptive capacity; and strengthening early warning systems, preparedness and response.
The report ?gives policy-makers a clear pathway to a sustainable and healthy future,? Mr. Steiner said.
?Africa is moving into a new phase that could see the continent become a major player in the transition to a global inclusive Green Economy, but to do that it needs a healthy population with guaranteed access to well-managed natural resources,? he added.
The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) recently signed an agreement with the East African Development Bank to increase participation in clean development projects. The agreement establishes a regional collaboration centre in Kampala, Uganda, that will support the identification of projects under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), provide assistance for their design, and offer opportunities to reduce transaction costs.
According to UNFCCC, there are more than 6,000 projects already registered in 83 developing countries.
However, today?s report cautions that in addition to new projects, there are already many good policies to address environmental change on the books; the challenge lies in their implementation.
?These policies must be strongly implemented to have an impact, and enforcement mechanisms should be put in place and strengthened to reduce the negative consequences,? said Terezya Huvisa, Minister of State ? Environment of Tanzania and President of AMCEN.
?If the recommendations in AEO-3 are followed, our citizens can look forward to healthier, and ultimately more productive, lives.?
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It?s late February.? The Combine is unfolding.? And that means it?s time for scouts to rip or praise players under the cloak of anonymity.
Plenty of writers who publish assessments made by unnamed scouts are now ridiculed when doing so.? The pedigree and accomplishments of Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tend to insulate him from scrutiny, even when his unnamed scouts swing and miss on players like Robert Griffin III.? (Heck, McGinn can even publish Wonderlic numbers without being vilified.)
McGinn assesses the players who could be available when the Packers use their first-round pick, and he shares the insights of a pair of unnamed scouts regarding Florida State defensive end Bjoern Werner, a German-born-and-bred prospect who is now poised to fulfill the very unlikely dream of being a first-round draft pick in the NFL.
?He?s good, but I don?t see the special in him,? one unnamed scout said. ?Kind of a try-hard, good football player but nothing special.?
Said another:? ?He?s not a dynamic pass rusher but he seems to get sacks.? He comes off the ball hard but he?s not special.?
Without knowing anything about the team(s) for which these scouts work, there?s no way of knowing whether they?re badmouthing Werner in the hopes that he?ll be available when their team(s) pick.? That?s how it works.? Teams that love a player say bad things about him, wishing for a free fall.? Teams that hate a guy say great things about him, hopeful he?ll be taken early ? pushing down the board players in which the team is actually interested.
With more and more media swarming around the pre-draft process, there?s always someone ready to publish these anonymous assessments.
But citing an ?unnamed scout? tells the audience nothing about the skills or credentials of the scout.? As the late George Carlin used to say (as Carlin himself would say, he?s saying nothing now), there?s a worst doctor in the world ? and someone has an appointment with him tomorrow.? Similarly, there are plenty of scouts who aren?t as skilled as others.? Any time an unnamed scout is being quoted, there?s a chance that he?s the worst of them all.
You know, like the ones who told McGinn last year that, as to RG3, ?[e]verybody is just assuming because of the Heisman and the socks and all that bs. . . . they are ignoring a lot of bad tape that he?s had,? that ?I don?t think he has vision or pocket feel, which to me are the two most important components of quarterbacking,? that ?[h]e?s just running around winging it,? that ?[h]e?s [Michael] Vick, but not as good a thrower,? that ?he?s not as good as Cam Newton,? that ?[a]s much as is written about his athleticism, his athleticism under duress in the pocket isn?t even close to Cam Newton?s,? that ?the only way he gets big plays with his feet is if he?s got a wide-open field and the sea opens for him,? that ?[h]e?s got a little bit of a selfish streak, too,? and that ?[h]e doesn?t treat anybody good.?
Or maybe these unnamed scouts are just good enough to know how to push lies in the hopes of advancing agendas.
JERUSALEM (AP) ? Israel's Defense Ministry says a joint exercise with U.S. forces has successfully tested the Arrow anti-missile system for the first time. The system is meant to defend Israel from the threat of an Iranian strike.
The ministry said Monday the test was "a major milestone in the development of the Arrow 3 Weapon System."
The Arrow is produced jointly by Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. and Chicago-based Boeing Co.
It detects an incoming missile and destroys it with a second missile. Iran's Shahab ballistic missile can carry a nuclear warhead and has a range of 1,250 miles (2,000 kilometers), putting Israel well within range.
The Arrow is part of Israel's multilayered shield designed to intercept rockets and missiles. Israel sees Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program as an existential threat.
Huddle Up? Teammates of Bang Bang take a timeout during a blowout game against Sigma Chi. Both teams are in the intramural A-league. Photo by Connor Wheeler.
Even IM basketball gets intense
With former NCAA basketball players, the intramural leagues are more competitive than students might imagine.
?You gotta call it both ways!?
Such exclamations were a recurring theme last Monday night in the Fieldhouse. The refs took a (verbal) beating, the players were some of the best on campus and the will to win was alive and well. Did I mention this was the intramural league?
Intramural basketball at Pepperdine occurs rather inconspicuously on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights in the Fieldhouse from January to mid-March, with three leagues competing for championships titles and trophy t-shirts to show for it. Any Pepperdine student (undergraduate or graduate) can start an intramural team in one of three leagues.
A-league, the most competitive and intense league, consists of (but is not restricted to) all-male teams and plays on Mondays. B-league, which is also very competitive, plays on Wednesdays and boasts female players on a few teams. The C-league is less competitive and more social, which attracts more relaxed crews. C-league teams require that at least two females be on the court at all times.
Students from all over campus come to support intramural teams comprised of fraternity brothers, freshmen dorm-mates, apartment-mates, fellow law school students and international program classmates, just to name a few. Some Heidelberg 2011?2012 classmates joined up to form Die blode Zeigen, while several undergrad Washington, D.C., natives make up the Posse Crew (so named for the scholarship program they represent) ? not to mention the ageless faculty and staff members of Staff Infection.
Another notable squad is Bang Bang, whose best players are members of the men?s basketball coaching staff. Captained by senior and Student Manager Patrick Flesher, the team is one of the strongest in A-league, thanks to the talents of student athletic trainer Dominic Redix (a junior who played on the team last year) and Graduate Managers Ricky Fois and Jon Pastorek, the latter being a 6-feet-10 former Division I basketball player at UC Santa Barbara (?11).
Jordan Baker, Lorne Jackson, Niko Skouen and several members of the men?s basketball team hung out courtside to watch Bang Bang play Rep SigEp, one of several fraternity-based teams. The Waves were vocal fans, exchanging words with referee (and copyeditor for the Graphic) Nate Tinner throughout the contest (all in good fun, of course).
Jackson, a senior shooting guard, said he cheers for his team?s staff because they have been there to support the Waves at every game.
?They do so much for us, and it might not seem like much because it?s an intramural game, but we want to thank them,? Jackson said. ?They?re going to go all the way!?
Rep SigEp, a longstanding A-league contender, gave Bang Bang quite a scare in a very close game. After the first 20-minute half, the score was tied at 27-27. SigEp brothers freshman Matt Vander Woude, freshman James McCutchen and junior Reid Stewart all posted hefty point totals and won the affection of the playfully equivocal Waves with every three-pointer they sank and ?and-1? they drew. At the final buzzer, however, Bang Bang stood on top, 68-56.
Intramural basketball is a community within Pepperdine that requires a lot of behind-the-scenes work from Campus Recreation employee and Program Manager Janae LaGroue, Head Referee Rmani Crawford, event supervisors and the staff referees and scorekeepers who work each game. ?It?s been a joy and a challenge organizing the league,? said Rmani Crawford, referee and? captain of an A-league and B-league team. ?Everyone really enjoys the league, and it?s by far the most popular intramural sport. There are a lot of good teams in this league, and I?m hoping my team Django Unchained can make a run deep in the playoffs!?
Django Unchained is? one of the few undefeated teams in the A-league and features students Grayson Kennedy, Kendrick ?KennyBPoppin? Roberson and staff writer for the Graphic Ben Holcomb; they are a good team to watch.
The players? jerseys may be smelly after they?ve been passed on to the fourth team of the night (one-hour games run from 8 p.m. until midnight on Mondays), and there may not be music or free t-shirts, but intramural basketball is quality sports entertainment and a great way to have fun, get exercise and watch some b-ball.
IM soccer displays talent
A great man by the name of Stafford Heginbotham ? former Bradford City FC chairman ? once said: ?Football [soccer] is the opera of the people.?
At Pepperdine, that statement is most certainly applicable. The league, organized by Campus Recreation, started the first week of February. The nine participating coed squads play each other in a round robin league format, with the top four teams advancing to the playoffs.
The teams participating in this year?s league are Futbolers, Jamaican Hopscotch, JPEN United, Sig Ep, Sigma Chi, Silver Panthers, Striking Vikings, Team Legendary and the Gunners. Although the league is well underway, players can still join participating teams on IMLeagues.com.
Casey Gillam, director of Campus Recreation, pointed out that intramural soccer stands out over other sports due to the fact that it?s not a solo sport.
?You have to rely on other people to make it happen,? Gillam said. ?It?s all about seeing teamwork, about people coming together to accomplish a task.?
The league, which lasts up to six or seven weeks, hosts games on Friday afternoons, with starting times ranging from 2 to 6 p.m. Matches can become surprisingly competitive because many players have had previous NCAA or club experience.
?There?s good talent for sure,? Gillam said. ?Some law school teams have players that used to play NCAA Division I soccer, while other teams have players that participate in club soccer.?
The winners of the league will get commemorative t-shirts that read: ?Intramural Sports Champion? on one side and ?Number 1. Greater. Intramural Champions? on the other.
When the intramural soccer season is over, students will have another chance to be a part of the Kick Tournament. The tournament, organized by the Office of International Student Services, is a campus-wide event that will begin either in the final week of March or the first week of April.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Barnes & Noble Inc Chairman Leonard Riggio is considering a bid for the company's bookstore business, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the situation.
Riggio is the company's largest shareholder with a nearly 30 percent stake. He pioneered the book superstore format in the 1980s and 1990s.
According to the Journal, Riggio would take the company's 689 retail stores private, splitting that business from its Nook e-reader and tablet business and its college store chain.
Riggio's interest so far has been tentative, the report said. One person told the Journal that Riggio would make his interest formal this week and publicly disclose it.
A Barnes & Noble spokeswoman declined to comment on the report. She said Riggio also had no comment.
Barnes & Noble's retail business has struggled in recent years as more book buyers have switched to digital formats.
The company saw a short-lived rise in sales after the September 2011 liquidation of rival Borders Group.
But Barnes & Noble reported poor holiday sales at all its divisions in 2012. The company posted a 10.9 percent decrease in sales at its bookstores and on its website over the year-end holiday period.
The bookseller said in January last year that it might spin off its digital and e-reader business. It created a separate unit for its Nook and college bookstore chains called Nook Media. That unit has drawn investments from Microsoft Corp and British education and media publisher Pearson Plc .
The Nook, launched in 2009 to compete with Amazon.com Inc's market-leading Kindle, has been the cornerstone of Barnes & Noble's strategy to counter the shift by many readers to digital books.
The company has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the unit, but questions about its value have swirled after the disappointing holiday season.
Earlier this month, Barnes & Noble said its 2013 loss for Nook would be deeper than expected and sales at the unit would fall short of the $3 billion the company had forecast.
(Reporting by Michael Erman and Phil Wahba; Editing by Dale Hudson)
12:00pm - 1:30pm Political Behaviour Research Group, PBRG, presents Jeffrey Mondak, University of Illinois
4:00pm - 5:00pm Department of Physiology and Pharmacology Special Seminar Dr. Penny MacDonald
12:00pm - 1:00pm
2:00pm Education's Faculty Seminar Series - Dr. Alan Edmunds presents "Behaviour and Classroom Management Resurrected: The Behaviour Management Network"
2:30pm - 4:30pm
4:00pm - 5:00pm
4:00pm - 8:00pm
4:30pm
4:30pm - 5:30pm
6:30pm - 9:00pm
11:30pm - 1:00pm Local Governance Seminar presents Leonid Kosals
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Public release date: 27-Feb-2013
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