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Academy calls for research plan to minimize environmental impact of Marcellus Shale gas drilling

The Academy of Natural Sciences is calling for a comprehensive research plan that would result in guidelines and an assessment tool for regulators and managers in order to minimize the environmental impact of Marcellus Shale gas drilling.

13 Oct 2010

Asian Development Bank conference addresses water, sanitation concerns

Water shortages that could reduce food production and worsen economic conditions in Asia are worsening, Arjun Thapan, an infrastructure advisor with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), said on Tuesday at the ADB's Water: Crisis and Choices conference in Manila, Philippines, Agence France-Presse reports.

13 Oct 2010

Nutrition for the aged

Experts believe nutrition in the aged needs to be a priority. They say that it should be ensured that the aged get access to good, nutritious food during the winter months.

12 Oct 2010

Trapped Chilean miners might be changed forever: Psychologists

The Chilean miners who have been trapped for more than two months may emerge with psychological problems say experts as the rescue approached. Rescue teams were set to start hoisting up the first of 33 miners, trapped down around 700 metres, to the surface around midnight on Tuesday (1400 AEDT Wednesday), Mines Minister Laurence Golborne said.

12 Oct 2010

Dr. Phil helps lose weight with meals from BistroMD

In its all-new season, Dr. Phil is tackling more challenges, and helping more guests achieve their personal dreams of losing weight with meals from BistroMD. On the show airing Tuesday, October 12th, the Dr. Phil housewives are opening up, getting real, and taking the first big steps towards living healthier and happier lives.

12 Oct 2010

Committee on World Food Security meeting begins in Rome

A high-level meeting of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) Committee on World Food Security aimed at addressing food insecurity, price rises and the purchase of large amounts of agricultural land in developing countries started in Rome on Monday, Agence France-Presse/Capital FM reports.

12 Oct 2010

Canada, U.S., International Finance Corporation agree to contribute $100M for private-sector agricultural program

An agreement to contribute $100 million for a private-sector program to increase agricultural output in poor countries was announced by Canada, the U.S. and the [World Bank's] International Finance Corp [IFC] on Friday, Reuters reports

12 Oct 2010

Non-GMO Day to raise awareness on genetically modified organisms in food supply

On Sunday, Oct. 10, Whole Foods Market and retailers across the country will celebrate Non-GMO Day to raise consumer awareness about the presence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the food supply. Driven by the nonprofit Non-GMO Project, this Sunday's events are designed to send a wakeup call to consumers across the country.

8 Oct 2010

Kaiser Permanente employees calls for new election

One year and seven months ago, an absolute majority of 43,500 Kaiser Permanente employees in California presented petitions to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), asking for a vote to leave the incumbent union SEIU and form their own union, the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW). When ballots were counted today, 11,364 were for NUHW, and 18,290 were for SEIU and workers are calling for a new election

8 Oct 2010

Experts explore issues in production and consumption of meat and dairy products

Join the authors of The Meat Crisis for an event that explores the issues surrounding the global growth in the production and consumption of meat and dairy animals and products.

8 Oct 2010

U.S. to provide $120M for Haitian rebuilding, rubble removal; Haiti Commission approves 18 projects worth $777M

The U.S. on Wednesday announced that it will contribute $120 million to the Haiti Recovery Fund, the New York Times reports. Cheryl Mills, chief of staff to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, announced the funding during the third meeting of the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC).

8 Oct 2010

New standards for bomb suits

When a bomb technician inspects a potential explosive device, the bulky protective suit might be the only defense he or she has. Bomb suit manufacturers run tests on their protective suits to ensure they can withstand an explosion, but there currently is no single set of requirements that the suits must meet before they can be sold.

8 Oct 2010

Speech impaired after stroke but can sing

A British professional singer and music and drama teacher, Ann Arscott who was left unable to speak after suffering a devastating stroke has discovered she can still sing. She is from Birmingham, central England and suffered a sudden stroke in April last year which left her speechless – a condition known as aphasia.

8 Oct 2010

U.S. 'among the lowest' in aid quality and effectiveness, report finds

The U.S. "ranks among the lowest in terms of the quality and effectiveness of its aid," according to a new Center for Global Development/Brookings Institution report, Foreign Policy's "The Cable" blog writes.

7 Oct 2010

Twenty-two countries face 'protracted crises,' increased likelihood of food insecurity, U.N. report says

Twenty-two countries "are facing enormous challenges like repeated food crises and an extremely high prevalence of hunger due to a combination of natural disasters, conflict and weak institutions," the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization's and the World Food Program said in the State of Food Insecurity in the World 2010 report on Wedensday, Xinhua News reports.

7 Oct 2010

Hygiene ‘scores on doors’ idea not wanted by SA restaurants

As an independent MP ‘eggs’ on the procedure to come down tough on eateries’ health standards across South Australia (SA), restaurants feel it is futile effort. Bob Such conducted research which found that 712 food outlets had been warned or fined for health breaches so far this year. As per current SA regulations, councils are prevented from highlighting offending outlets unless they have been convicted. Dr. Such feels differently.

5 Oct 2010

Religion fading in the eyes of Gen Y: Study

A new study by the Church of England including people born after 1982 shows that religion in its traditional form is largely irrelevant to the young Briton. Results show that less than one in five young people believes in a God “who created the world and hears my prayers”. Most adolescents were more likely to believe in the “nicer” parts of religious doctrine than the devil and punishment.

5 Oct 2010

Father of IVF acknowledged with a Nobel prize

Professor Robert Edwards who came to be known as the “father of In Vitro fertilization” (IVF) has won this year's Nobel prize in medicine. He is 85 and has won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine for his pioneering work on the in vitro fertilisation of human eggs that led to the birth of the world's first IVF baby, Louise Brown, in 1978. When he had started off initially his funding request for IVF research was turned down by Britain’s Medical Research Council (MRC) in the 1970s. His co-worker the gynaecologist Patrick Steptoe, died in 1988. Professor Edwards becomes the sole recipient of this award since it cannot be awarded posthumously.

4 Oct 2010

Health warning on iodine levels in food

After a health scare that involved consumption of Bonsoy milk, health experts have warned about iodine levels in food. Nearly twenty five people who developed illnesses because of high iodine levels in the soy milk filed a Supreme Court writ last week, seeking damages from Bonsoy's Australian distributors.

3 Oct 2010

World Bank President calls for new, more open approach to economic development

"World Bank President Robert Zoellick on Wednesday called on economists to rethink the way they look at issues affecting developing nations and said he was overhauling the way his institution approached research," Reuters reports (Wroughton, 9/29).

1 Oct 2010