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[environmental change] Migrating Alaskan pollock are creating the potential for a new dispute with Russia
Migrating Alaskan pollock are creating the potential for a new dispute with Russia By Kenneth R. Weiss The popular fish appear to be moving to higher latitudes as waters warm. A billion-dollar industry is at stake.
[emerging infections] Ad14 outbreak in Alaska kills one, impacts 34 to date
http://www.scottmcpherson.net/journal/2008/10/13/ad14-outbreak-in-alaska-kills-one-impacts-34-to-date.html Prince of Wales Island in Alaska is the home to the most recent outbreak of respiratory illness Adenovirus 14, otherwise known as Ad14. And true to form, it has sickened 34, caused severe illness enough to warrant mainland evacuation of seven, and killed one. It has also promoted rumors of quarantine, which are unfounded. But that is what happens when a mystery illness for which there is no treatment�
[Eskimo gurad] Alaska Territorial Guard Day celebrates WWII Native militia
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/558794.html Saturday is Alaska Territorial Guard Day, in honor of a largely Native militia formed to defend the state from the threat of a Japanese attack during World War II.
[rural] SNRAS grad picked for subsistence post
http://snras.blogspot.com/2008/10/snras-grad-picked-for-subsistence-post.html Craig Fleener, who earned a bachelor of science degree in natural resources management from UAF, has been named the new director for the state Division of Subsistence. Fleener, 41, was born and raised in Fort Yukon and has served on the Alaska Board of Game for the past eight months. He is former director of the the Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments and has worked as an environmental manager, project coordinator, wildlife
[hygiene] Hand study suggests commuter hygiene lacking
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/health/7667499.stm More than one in four commuters have bacteria which come from faeces on their hands, an investigation finds.
[Unorganized Borough] BBC Five Live, Newtok, Alaska
BBC Five Live, Newtok, Alaska BBC News – UK The only way in or out is by the tiny plane that flies daily from Bethel, 100 miles (160km) to the west. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7669143.stm http://hlthenvt.tumblr.com
[Katrina, preparedness] Help for People with Diabetes Affected by Natural Disasters
http://nnlm.gov/mcr/bhic/?p=3492 http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/news/docs/hurricanes.htm In the wake of recent hurricanes, people with diabetes face particular challenges to their health care. The CDC has compiled many hurricane health and safety resources in English, Spanish, and several other languages. posted on DISASTR-OUTREACH-LIB
[hygiene, watsan] Your mother was right! Wash your hands
http://feeds.lexblog.com/~r/WormsAndGermsBlog/~3/410404304/ Remember, the 10 most important sources of infection are the fingers on your hands!
[sciencing, epidemiology, disease ecology] Morgellons
http://drugresistantstaph.blogspot.com/2008/09/small-self-promotion.html I have a long story in the new (October) SELF Magazine: Morgellons mystery. It is not about MRSA; it�s about Morgellons, a syndrome which approximately 12,000 sufferers claim is a new, unrecognized disease, but which medical authorities say is a delusion. The story is a look at the experience of several people who identify themselves as having the disease, contrasted with the efforts of several researchers � including the head of a�
[water] session at World Water Forum 5, Istanbul
Dear E-Anth list, A while back I wrote to announce the formation of a new �water and cultural diversity� initiative at UNESCO-IHP. Since then an international/interdisciplinary advisory board has met twice and an initial brochure has been published: �Water and Cultural Diversity – Towards Sustainability of Water Resources and Cultures� UNESCO International Hydrological Programme, Division of Water Sciences, April 2008. To see the concept paper, brochure, and reports for both meetings:�
[aging] Cool photoblog: elders with style
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/416345753/cool-photoblog-elder.html Ari Cohen says: �We have started a blog of our own that documents street style and fashion of the mature and wizened. Our aim is to take photos of elders with a unique sense of personal style that has developed with age. We noticed so many amazingly dressed older people in New York and are having a great time getting to know them, hearing their stories and capturing a bit of their style to share with others.� Advanced�
[aging] Task Force Says Those Over 75 Don’t Need Colon Cancer Screening
Science in the News Task Force Says Those Over 75 Don�t Need Colon Cancer Screening from the Chicago Tribune (Registration Required) PHILADELPHIA (Associated Press)�Most people over 75 should stop getting routine colon cancer tests, according to a government health task force that also rejected the latest X-ray screening technology. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force�in a break with other medical and cancer organizations�opted not to give its stamp of approval to the newest tests: CT colonography,�
[Katrina, erosion, environmental health] Fuming Over Formaldehyde
Science in the News Fuming Over Formaldehyde from the Los Angeles Times (Registration Required) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention failed to act for at least a year on warnings that trailers housing refugees from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita contained dangerous levels of formaldehyde, according to a House subcommittee report released Monday. Instead, the CDC�s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry demoted the scientist who questioned its initial assessment that the trailers were safe�
[Katrina, preparedness] International Day for Disaster Reduction
http://info.scidev.net/t/488761/5899345/10572/0/ SciDev.Net marks International Day for Disaster Reduction with a spotlight on tropical cyclone mitigation Tropical cyclones give developing countries much needed rain for agriculture. But as the earth warms, they are set to become more intense and strong cyclones can cause great loss of life and property. This is especially true in South Asia, where the Bay of Bengal�s shallow coastal waters, high tides and densely populated low-lying areas make cyclones�
[environmental change] How White Roofs Shine Bright Green, Science in the News
How White Roofs Shine Bright Green from the Christian Science Monitor Can you help save the planet by painting your roof white? Hashem Akbari thinks so. Global warming�s complexity and momentum have led to a try-everything approach by scientists. In that spirit, Dr. Akbari offers his simple yet profound innovation for slowing that warming way down. It has long been known that a white roof makes a dwelling cooler. That saves energy and cuts carbon emissions. But until Akbari, a researcher at the Lawrence�
[aging, preparedness, Katrina] New Katrina death tally: Half of victims 75 and up
http://www.physorg.com/news139161322.html (AP) � As New Orleans residents warily track another threatening storm, a new report presents the clearest picture yet of deaths from Katrina in Louisiana. Of the nearly 1,000 who died, almost half were 75 or older, according to researchers.
[H5N1, history] Study: First flu wave in 1918 was vaccine for some
CIDRAP News Headlines Thursday, October 2, 2008 Study: First flu wave in 1918 was vaccine for some In the influenza pandemic of 1918, those who got sick in the first wave of illness were up to 94% less likely to fall ill when the second and much more severe wave struck, according to a new analysis of historical data. Read article�
[epidemiology, economics] link home foreclosures to West Nile virus outbreaks
CIDRAP News Headlines Monday, September 29, 2008 Researchers link home foreclosures to West Nile virus outbreaks Some public health officials have feared that one of the many miseries of rising home foreclosure�and the neglected water sources that follow�could be rising rates of human West Nile virus infections, and now California researchers who studied surveillance data for the Bakersfield area have confirmed the connection. Read article�
[alcohol, epidemiology] At-Risk Drinkers are at Higher Risk to Acquire a Bacterial Infection
At-Risk Drinkers are at Higher Risk to Acquire a Bacterial Infection During an Intensive Care Unit Stay Than Abstinent or Moderate Drinkers An astonishing 31% of patients in this study were identified as at-risk drinkers according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism criteria. Crit Care Med 36(6) 2008 http://mp.medscape.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBqny0LfhuS0Dyr0JZqy0E3&uac=54357BX
[sciencing] Bogus trend stories from the Times, the Post, and the Globe. Top
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/slate/~3/342896584/ The bogus trend story thrives thanks to the journalists who never let the facts get in the way when they think they�ve discovered some new social tendency. Take, for example, the story on Page One in today�s New York Times titled �A Locally Grown Diet With Fuss but No Muss.� Its first sentence declares, �Eating locally raised food is a growing trend.� [more �]
[toilets, soils, toxins] Scientists Solve Riddle of Toxic Algae Blooms Top
http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/342737297/article.pl An anonymous reader writes with an excerpt from the Victoria Times Colonist: �After a remarkable 37-year experiment, University of Alberta scientist David Schindler and his colleagues have finally nailed down the chemical triggers for a problem that plagues thousands of freshwater and coastal ecosystems around the world.� Punchline: �Phosphorus.� Read more of this story at Slashdot.
[hygiene] Dirty shoes? Don’t use the dishcloth Top
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10522983&ref=rss Despite the horrid things a sports shoe can squidge through, 27 per cent of us clean our sneakers with the kitchen sponge. Then that sponge is returned to the sink for use on dishes and benchtops, a survey of more than 1200 New�
[energy, environmental change] Is it better for the environment to drink cow’s milk or soy milk? Top
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/slate/~3/342882988/ You�ve already weighed in on the question of whether veganism or vegetarianism is better for the environment. But I want more specifics: Which is better for the environment, soy milk or cow�s milk? [more �]
[preparedness, Katrina] Disaster net to be launched Top
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=95984 Update: 3:17PM A Pacific regional data and information resource, the Pacific Disaster Net, will launch a web based portal that will become a tool to answer natural disaster questions
[sustainable, biocultural adaptation] Bigger fishes provide proof of tabu benefits Top
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=96136 BOUNTIFUL fish stocks of sizes unseen in many years has invigorated the desire of fishing ground owners in the districts of Mali, Sasa, Dreketi and Macuata to conserve their environment.
[watsan, hygiene] Event Handwashing by The Trickler Method Top
https://www.handwashingforlife.com/event_handwashing_by_the_trickler_method Event handwashing is often handicapped by the lack of running water. Summer fairs and church events are familar examples. Health departments around the country are contacted regularly by event planners looking to conform to local codes. Most local codes flow from the FDA�s Model Food Code where water, any amount of water, trumps the alternatives. This has evolved to what we now call The Trickler Method where a small amout of water is trickled out of a vessel to wet hands, wash and rinse. It is hard to capture the trickler method in actual use as it rarely is. Below are four examples of approved �handsinks� for The Trickler Method, photographed in late July 2008 in Illinois. read more http://hlthenvt.tumblr.com
[watsan, subsistence] Rapid Growth Found in Oxygen-Starved Ocean ‘Dead Zones’ Top
We have a shallow bay and tundra ponds which double as cess pits or garbage dumps. Fortunately, our temperatures stay on the cool side, although in spring one can watch the bottom muck in ponds rise to the surface as the dark pond warms. The muck then sinks back down (I�m guessing because the outgassing finishes.) We don�t have much if any water quality monitoring around our living areas so we could have micro-dead zones. mpb from Science in the News Rapid Growth Found in Oxygen-Starved Ocean �Dead Zones� from the New York Times (Registration Required) Many coastal areas of the world�s oceans are being starved of oxygen at an alarming rate, with vast stretches along the seafloor depleted of it to the point that they can barely sustain marine life, researchers are reporting. The main culprit, scientists say, is nitrogen-rich nutrients from crop fertilizers that spill into coastal waters by way of rivers and streams. A study to be published Friday in the journal Science says the number of these marine �dead zones� around the world has doubled about every 10 years since the 1960s. About 400 coastal areas now have periodically or perpetually oxygen-starved bottom waters, many of them growing in size and intensity. Combined, the zones are larger than Oregon. http://snipurl.com/3gbvl
[aging] Rural Assistance Center Health Update Top
Special Committee on Aging Holds Hearing on Rural Health Access Jul 31, 2008 � On July 31st, the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing on �Aging in Rural America: Preserving Seniors� Access to Health Care.� http://hlthenvt.tumblr.com
[SWMP, trash, energy] Warning on eco bulbs Top
While I have used a compact fluorescent bulb (with cover) outside during the Bethel winters (to light steps when returning from work), I have found two or three of the small ones that smoked or snapped at their bases after a year of use in the stove hood or a ceiling fixture. I never leave these on inside the house unattended. mpb Warning on eco bulbs The Government�s safety agency has warned the Fire Service about the potential hazard of energy-saving lightbulbs, a memorandum to firefighters reveals. – http://www.stuff.co.nz/4656248a11.html http://hlthenvt.tumblr.com for
[sustainability] Campaign to grow vegetable garden on White House lawn
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/355413730/campaign-to-grow-veg.html Several past U.S. presidents had vegetable gardens on the White House lawn. Eleanor Roosevelt started a victory garden on the White House lawn in 1943, which encouraged millions to do the same in their own front yards. When WWII ended, home gardeners were producing 40 percent of the United States� produce. Roger Doiron, founder of Kitchen Gardens International (an organization that promotes kitchen gardening and home-cooking) hopes to convince the next US president to make a small vegetable garden on the 19 acres of grass surrounding the White House. His video about making a garden in the front yard of his own �white house� is entertaining and inspiring. This Lawn is Your Lawn
[watsan] Child friendly schools in Sri Lanka: How children can learn the importance of safe drinking water Top
http://sanitationupdates.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/child-friendly-schools-in-sri-lanka-how-children-can-learn-the-importance-of-safe-drinking-water/ (
) The child friendly concept has been developed by Malteser International and UNICEF for 53 schools in Galle, Matara, Hambantota and Ampara Districts. Around 16,000 pupils have already or will soon get access to child friendly water and sanitation facilities. The need for this intervention has been identified by the Sri Lankan government, and thus Malteser International works closely with the Zonal Education Officers. According to Kelvin Shingles, the approach is based on the idea that children who participate in efforts to create a safer and more hygienic environment, learn about health and hygiene by doing: This is an effective way to help young people to acquire the knowledge, attitudes, values and skills needed to adopt healthy lifestyles. (
) Read all Reuters Alert Net Source: Malteser International – Germany Katrin Rehfuss, Website: http://www.malteser-international.org
[watsan] First Global Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) in Emergencies Survey Top
http://sanitationupdates.wordpress.com/2008/08/14/first-global-water-sanitation-hygiene-wash-in-emergencies-survey/ The first ever on-line global survey of the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector of humanitarian response is now open to all sector professionals. The survey seeks to identify gaps in WASH response during emergencies by asking respondents about their experience in emergencies. The survey is being conducted by the Global WASH Cluster, a grouping of some of the largest humanitarian agencies in the WASH sector. Once the survey results are collated, the Cluster will look at the identified areas of weakness to select priority areas for capacity building in the sector – beyond the current Global WASH Cluster capacity-building programme. The results will be posted on the WASH Cluster website. The survey will be open until the end of August 2008. The survey is available in three languages: English Español Français For further information, contact the WASH Cluster Advocacy and Support Team
[community] tax deductions for mileage Top
Gas Rates, Volunteers, and Justice: Reader OpEd By Susan J. Ellis – August 15, 2008 – Feature Articles Many people don�t realize that on their personal tax returns volunteers can deduct mileage expenses incurred as part of volunteering. For example, if a volunteer drives 30 miles to volunteer at an art school or drive a patient to chemotherapy, the volunteer can deduct $4.20 on her next tax return. Even fewer people realize that in contrast, if this same person drives 30 miles for her business, she can deduct $17.55! Clearly we need to help volunteers claim the deductions they can. And in this Blue Avocado Reader OpEd, activist Susan Ellis talks both about how we can change the law, and steps we can take now to support volunteerism in an era of high gas prices: You may know that the IRS just raised the rate for the business-related mileage deduction to 58.5 cents. But did you know that the charitable driving deduction remains at only 14 cents a mile? So volunteers, who often use their cars to provide life-or-death services to people in need, are deriving less tax benefits as their driving expenses rise. This issue is particularly important since, as the cost of gasoline soars, Americans are trying to drive less. The high cost of driving is already > Read more Board Cafe – Blue Avocado 8-15-08 short enough to read over coffee
[environment] China’s Olympic Pollution Efforts Paid Off, Expert Says Top
China�s Olympic Pollution Efforts Paid Off, Expert Says from National Geographic News Beijing�s air for the opening track-and-field events at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games is �better than expected,� said U.S. Olympic distance runner Amy Yoder Begley. �When I came to China to race in 2002,� Yoder Begly said in an e-mail earlier this week, �the air caused my lungs and nasal passages to burn.� She also described the sensation as �swallowing glass.� Although air pollution in China�s capital city is almost always worse than anywhere in the United States, Chinese efforts to clean up the air before the Games have paid off. The country shut down all nearby factories and ordered half the cars off the road, creating tangible improvements, scientists say. http://snipurl.com/3hi1n
[watsan, water] Summit Targets World Water Issues Top
Summit Targets World Water Issues from BBC News Online While global attention has recently focused on energy and food, a global summit this week in Stockholm, Sweden, will tackle the key issue of water. The World Water Week meeting starts on Sunday and will hear renewed calls to solve growing challenges of sanitation, climate change and drinkable supplies. Sanitation in particular is one of the most important global issues. The organisers say lack of adequate sanitation is a scandal that costs the lives of 1.4m children every year. Investing in this area, say scientists, is the most cost effective health intervention the world could make. http://snipurl.com/3hdfh>
National Preparedness Month Top
http://nnlm.gov/mcr/bhic/?p=3115 http://www.ready.gov/america/npm08/ September is National Preparedness Month. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security�s (DHS) Ready Campaign. This year the focus of NPM is to encourage citizens to take important preparedness steps: Get a Kit Make a Plan Be Informed Get Involved
This is Public Health Toolkit Top
http://nnlm.gov/mcr/bhic/?p=3121 US Association of Schools of Public Health [ASPH] – 2008 Toolkit: http://www.thisispublichealth.org/toolkit/
.Most people dont understand what public health is, much less how it impacts their daily lives. The This Is Public Health campaign was designed to let people know that public health affects them on a daily basis and that we are only as healthy as the world we live in. The campaign utilizes stickers with the slogan This is Public Health placed in strategic locations around communities to build awareness of the many ways in which public health impacts our well being. As part of the This is Public Healthcampaign, ASPH has developed the This is Public Health toolkit to which will serve as a resource for anyone who is interested in educating others about public health issues or the field of public health. The materials in the toolkit are suggestions or templates, which can either be used as is, or tailored to suit your specific audiences. The toolkit also includes links for other sources that can increase knowledge of public health both inside and outside of the classroom. Through the toolkit, we hope to provide a hub containing more information on both the This is Public Health campaign and the field as a whole. Materials will be provided that target a range of individuals, accommodating varying age groups and differing levels of familiarity with the field of public health. Website: http://www.whatispublichealth.org/ [posted on the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO/WHO Equity listserv
Public Health Preparedness Summit Top
http://nnlm.gov/mcr/bhic/?p=3124 Share your expertise at the nations largest gathering of public health preparedness and emergency management professionals being held February 18 - 20 2009 in San Diego. http://www.phprep.org/2009/ Showcase best practice training models, tools, and resources that illustrate proven results in building and sustaining public health preparedness at the local, state, or national level. Abstracts will be accepted for: Posters Roundtable discussions Interactive sessions Two, four, or eight hour workshops Abstracts may be submitted until Sunday, August 31, 11:59 P.M. EDT http://www.phprep.org/2009/Abstract.cfm
[bird flu, H5N1] Evidence of Infection by H5N2 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Viruses in Healthy Wild Waterfowl Top
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/plospathogens/NewArticles/~3/369436441/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.ppat.1000127 by Nicolas Gaidet, Giovanni Cattoli, Saliha Hammoumi, Scott H. Newman, Ward Hagemeijer, John Y. Takekawa, Julien Cappelle, Tim Dodman, Tony Joannis, Patricia Gil, Isabella Monne, Alice Fusaro, Ilaria Capua, Shiiwuua Manu, Pierfrancesco Micheloni, Ulf Ottosson, John H. Mshelbwala, Juan Lubroth, Joseph Domenech, François Monicat Author Summary Until recently, the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses responsible for high mortality in some domestic poultry were considered not to have a wild bird reservoir, but to emerge in domestic poultry populations from low pathogenic viruses perpetuated in wild waterbirds. The rapid spread of H5N1 HPAI virus in 20052006, with concurrent outbreaks reported in both domestic and wild birds over Asia, Europe, and Africa, has raised concerns about the potential role of migratory birds in the epidemiology of the HPAI infection. Wild birds were sampled in Africa and tested by molecular and virological methods in an attempt to trace the circulation of HPAI viruses. In addition, some of these wild birds were equipped with satellite transmitters to track their local and migratory movements in relation to the potential spread of avian diseases. Avian influenza viruses (H5N2) were detected in wild waterfowl in Nigeria, and were subsequently characterized as highly pathogenic by molecular sequencing (HPAI viral genotype). Movements of one infected bird tracked by satellite telemetry revealed that it survived infection by an HP viral genotype. This result constitutes a rare finding of infection by an AIV with an HPAI viral genotype in healthy wild birds.
[environmental change] Drier, warmer springs in US Southwest stem from human-caused changes in winds Top
http://www.physorg.com/news138338828.html Human-driven changes in the westerly winds are bringing hotter and drier springs to the American Southwest, according to new research from The University of Arizona in Tucson.
[aging] More than 10 percent of older Americans suffer mistreatment Top
http://www.physorg.com/news138373507.html About 13 percent of elderly Americans are mistreated, most commonly by someone who verbally mistreats or financially takes advantage of them, according to a University of Chicago study that is the first comprehensive look at elder mistreatment in the country.
[environmental change] Birds can’t keep up with climate change: study Top
http://www.physorg.com/news138437498.html The habitats of wild bird species are shifting in response to global warming, but not fast enough to keep pace with rising temperatures, according to a study released Wednesday.
[Katrina Alaska, environmental change, erosion] WaPo: Some harsh truths while remembering New Orleans Top
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/VoicesOfNewOrleans/~3/369726000/wapo_some_harsh_truths_while_r.html From last Friday�s anniversary editorial: But the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) reports that less than half of the $33.2 billion in allocated federal rebuilding funds has been spent. The Brookings report shows that fair-market rents have climbed 46 percent since Katrina. Disbursements from the state-run home rebuilding fund, the Road Home Program, have slowed. According to the LRA, 84 percent of active applications had been closed as of Wednesday. The average grant is down to $58,527 from $72,669 in July 2007. Despite an increase in ridership, Brookings notes, only 50 percent of public transportation routes and 19 percent of buses are operational in New Orleans.
[funding, environmental change, pollution] Assessing Exposure for School-Aged Children Top
Analysis of teeth and growth rates are a couple of still novel techniques. mpb Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:29:02 -0400 (EDT) From: NCER_listserver@saic.com Hi M Pamela Bumsted Welcome to the NCER mailing list, Wednesday August 20, 2008 Volume 10 Number 16. The following is a broadcast announcement listing of a new funding opportunity sponsored in whole or in part by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency�s National Center for Environmental Research (NCER). See the end of this message to obtain details on this and other NCER broadcast services as well as how to unsubscribe to this list.
[environment] China’s Olympic Pollution Efforts Paid Off, Expert Says Top
China�s Olympic Pollution Efforts Paid Off, Expert Says from National Geographic News Beijing�s air for the opening track-and-field events at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games is �better than expected,� said U.S. Olympic distance runner Amy Yoder Begley. �When I came to China to race in 2002,� Yoder Begly said in an e-mail earlier this week, �the air caused my lungs and nasal passages to burn.� She also described the sensation as �swallowing glass.� Although air pollution in China�s capital city is almost always worse than anywhere in the United States, Chinese efforts to clean up the air before the Games have paid off. The country shut down all nearby factories and ordered half the cars off the road, creating tangible improvements, scientists say. http://snipurl.com/3hi1n
[superlative thinking] Earthquakes may endanger New York more than thought Top
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-08/teia-eme082108.php Earthquakes may endanger New York more than thought A study by a group of prominent seismologists suggests that a pattern of subtle but active faults makes the risk of earthquakes to the New York City area substantially greater than formerly believed. Among other things, they say that the controversial Indian Point nuclear power plants, 24 miles north of the city, sit astride the previously unidentified intersection of two active seismic zones.
Public involvement usually leads to better environmental decision making Top
Told you so�.. mpb http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-08/naos-piu082208.php When done correctly, public participation improves the quality of federal agencies� decisions about the environment, says a new report from the National Research Council.
[watsan, organizational culture] India: Toilet seats: BMC eats its own words Top
http://sanitationupdates.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/india-toilet-seats-bmc-eats-its-own-words/ MUMBAI: When American talk show host Jay Leno quipped that Indians can send a rocket into space but cannot build a decent toilet, he probably had the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in mind. The BMCs tall claims of constructing 20,000 toilet seats in one year stands exposed after it was revealed that it managed only 120 new seats in the past 24 months. More shocking was the fact that these toilets were all constructed in just one area-Bhandup. Sources said it was not due to lack of funds, but political interference that was responsible for this state of affairs. This year, the BMC budgeted Rs 38 crore for construction of new toilets and Rs 20 crore for retrofitting existing toilets. The project is being taken up under the Slum Sanitation Programme (SSP). (
) Read all Times of India
[history, H5N1] CDC Releases 1918 Pandemic Flu Storybook Top
http://nnlm.gov/mcr/bhic/?p=3185 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released today an online storybook containing narratives from survivors, families, and friends about one of the largest scourges ever on human kind – the 1918 influenza pandemic that killed millions of people around the world. The storybook provides valuable insight for public health officials preparing for the possibility of another pandemic sometime in our future. This year marks the 90th anniversary of the 1918 influenza pandemic. The internet storybook contains about 50 stories from individuals from 24 states around the country as well as photos and narrative videos from the storytellers. �It�s an excellent resource, not only for public health professionals, but for people of all ages,� said Sharon KD Hoskins, a public affairs officer who coordinated the project for CDC. �It�s probably the closest to experiencing the real thing that many of us can imagine.� The storybook can be found at http://www.pandemicflu.gov/storybook/index.html [posted on the Medical Reserve Corps listerv
[ bird flu] Rhode Island reports H7N3 in swans Top
Rhode Island reports H7N3 in swans Wildlife officials in Rhode Island recently announced that during routine surveillance they detected the low-pathogenic form of H7N3 avian influenza in wild mute swans. Read article� CIDRAP News Headlines � Monday, August 25
[health] International Clean Hands Week 2008 Top
Announced by the Clean Hands Coalition, http://www.cleanhandscoalition.org/members.htm the week of September 21st-27th is this year�s official International Clean Hands Week. Heads up for� https://www.handwashingforlife.com/global_handwashing_day Start: Oct 15 2008 – 12:00am End: Oct 15 2008 – 11:59pm Timezone: Etc/GMT-6 The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared October 15th as Global Handwashing Day.
[watsan, disinfectants] How Well Do Antimicrobial Products Kill Biofilms? Top
�How Well Do Antimicrobial Products Kill Biofilms? ScienceDaily (Aug. 24, 2008) Montana State University scientist Darla Goeres knows that there is more than one way to grow a biofilm, a fact that she uses to make sure that when a product claims it kills �99 percent� of bacteria, it really does the job. Biofilms are the extremely common communities of bacteria that form on most wet surfaces. They range from the plaque on teeth to the slime on streamside rocks to the sludge that clogs pipes.� [read the rest�] http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080822120142.htm
[health, epidemiology] Years of Potential Life Lost Among AI/AN Top
Alcohol-Attributable Deaths and Years of Potential Life Lost Among American Indians and Alaska Natives United States, 2001�2005 full text
[teaching] Sigma Xi SCIENCE IN THE NEWS CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY Top
SCIENCE IN THE NEWS CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY This year marks the 10th anniversary of Science in the News, Sigma Xi�s free daily and weekly e-newsletters that provide concise roundups of science and technology news from the mainstream media. Each weekday, we survey more than 30 media outlets to select 10 top news items for the daily e-mail bulletin. The weekly version presents highlights from the previous week. Subscribers say both are time-savers, helping them to keep up with the fast-paced world of discovery. Help us celebrate this 10-year milestone by spreading the word! Teachers say Science in the News is especially useful in the classroom. Anyone can sign up by creating a free account here: http://snipurl.com/2yi1l
[energy, environment, Palin] ten reasons for thinking the Russian economy will falter Top
A lot of Alaska�s government and economy rides on the price of oil which will be affected by what happens in Russia. mpb http://benmuse.typepad.com/arctic_economics/2008/09/anders-aslunds-ten-reasons-for-thinking-the-russian-economy-will-falter.html Åslund, of the Peterson Institute, in today�s Moscow Times: 10 Reasons Why the Economy Will Falter: 1. Internationally, one of the greatest booms of all times is finally coming to an end� 2. Russia�s main problem is its enormous corruption�. 3. Infrastructure, especially roads, has become an extraordinary bottleneck, and the sad fact is that Russia is unable to carry out major infrastructure projects� 4. Renationalization is continuing and leading to a decline in economic efficiency�. 5. The most successful transition countries have investment ratios exceeding 30 percent of GDP, as is also the case in East Asia. But in Russia, it is only 20 percent of GDP, and it is likely to fall in the current business environment�. 6. An immediate consequence of Russia�s transformation into a rogue state is that membership in the World Trade Organization is out of reach� 7. Minimal reforms in law enforcement, education and health care have been undertaken, and no new attempt is likely�. 8. Oil and commodity prices can only go down, and energy production is stagnant, which means that Russia�s external accounts are bound to deteriorate quickly. 9. Because Russia�s banking system is dominated by five state banks, it is inefficient and unreliable� 10. Inflation is now 15 percent because of a poor exchange rate and monetary policies, though the current capital outflow may ease that problem. Not encouraging for Russia�s ability to develop her Arctic oil and gas resources
[climate change, Palin too] Help Minimize the Disturbance of Walruses along the Chukchi Sea Coast Top
From: Catherine_Pearson AT fws.gov Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2008 11:12:34 -0800 For Immediate Release September 2, 2008 Contact : Joel Garlich-Miller (907) 786-3820 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is requesting your support and cooperation in minimizing disturbances to walrus herds along the Chukchi Sea coast. Walruses usually âhaul outâ onto sea ice to rest between feeding trips. When sea ice is not available, walruses must come to shore to rest. In late summer, large herds of walruses may be found hauled out on isolated beaches and barrier islands along the Chukchi Sea coast. Walruses are sensitive to the sight, sound, and odor of humans and machines, and may stampede back into the water when disturbed. Large-scale mortality events have occasionally resulted from herd stampedes, with calves being particularly vulnerable to trampling injuries. Frequent disturbances may also impact animal health and condition if walruses are unable to obtain sufficient rest between feeding excursions. GUIDELINES FOR PILOTS: The Service requests that pilots keep aircraft at least 1,000 feet above, and well to one side of, herds of resting walruses. Such activities as buzzing, circling, landing, taking off, and taxiing near walrus groups are likely to cause disturbances. When weather conditions allow, pilots should fly well inland from walrus groups to avoid flushing animals into the water. GUIDELINES FOR MARINE VESSELS: The Service recommends that marine vessels maintain a ½ mile buffer from shore when transiting past a walrus haul out. Vessels should also avoid excessive speed or sudden changes in speed or direction near walrus. GUIDELINES FOR LAND BASED-VIEWING: The Service asks that people approach walruses hauled out on land cautiously. Viewing the animals should be done is a manner that allows the animals to remain unaware of human presence. The use of binoculars can help to ensure a good view without causing disruptions to animals. Please remember that harassment of walruses or other marine mammals violates the Marine Mammal Protection Act and, if the disturbance involves an aircraft, the Federal Airborne Hunting Act. For more information about walrus conservation and management programs in Alaska visit http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/mmm/walrus/wmain.htm or call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management office at (800) 362-5148.
[mining, environment] Kuskokwim Top
Mantra to Acquire 100% Interest in Ambler VMS Deposit and � MarketWatch – USA The Tintina prospects consist of several claim blocks staked on reconnaissance geochemistry and geophysics in the Kuskokwim region of southwest Alaska south � http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/mantra-acquire-100-interest-ambler/story.aspx?guid=%7B2399B7E4-815F-4CAA-8C6B-35FC12FD9EC4%7D&dist=hppr
[aging] Respect for the Aged Day Top
Grandparents� Days or Respect for the Aged Day October 1 International September 23 UK Sept. 10 US Grandparents Day (first Sunday after Labor Day) Third Monday of September – Respect for the Aged Day (Keiro-no-hi), Japan (September 18, 2006) http://theelderlies.wordpress.com/2006/09/07/respect-aged-day/
[environment] Pebble Mine Top
�Here�s background reading for anyone keeping up with Pebble Mine. Jack Caldwell is a retired civil engineer who grew up with mining parents and grandparents in South Africa. He has a thoughtful blog post at I think mining, taking a close and personally informed look at Anglo American and its interests in Zimbabwe and Alaska. The investment in Alaska strikes me as a hearkening back to the same corporate culture that persisted through the bad days in South Africa and now the continued push in Zimbabwe. I am surely wrong, but it is tempting to speculate that in the minds of the corporate-culture gurus of Anglo, Alaska is just another dark place of people who have to be persuaded that mining is right for them and for their land if only they will let Anglo do it.� http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/newsreader/story/448624.html
[fish, environment] Adult Women’s Blood Mercury Concentrations Vary Regionally in USA Association with Patterns of Fish Consumption NHANES 1999-2004 Top
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ehpinpress/~3/374479529/abstract.html Mahaffey KR, Clickner RP, Jeffries RA. 2008. Environ Health Perspect: doi:10.1289/ehp.11674. [Online 25 August 2008]
[medical, evolution] Very few medical schools teach anything about evolution Science in the News Top
�Very few medical schools teach anything about evolution,� said Varki. �Doctors are taught how to care for a single species but nothing about the origin of that species.� It�s a real problem, he said – one that affects actual medical care today. �Evolutionary knowledge has practical implications. It affects how you treat specific diseases. You hear some physicians say they don�t need to know where a machine came from to fix it, just the blueprint. But it�s useful to know how that machine came to be built that way.� To read more: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/science/20080410-9999- 1c10origins.html Or: http://snipurl.com/24497
[h5n1, bird flu] A Single Universal Vaccine for the Flu? Top
A Single Universal Vaccine for the Flu? from Scientific American � For the past three decades, researchers and health workers have engaged in a � battle against one of the most cunning viruses to afflict humanity and much of the animal world: the dread influenza virus. This pathogen � continuously changes the appearance of � the proteins on its coat so that immune systems do not recognize the new disguise. � �The whole infrastructure required for the preparation of seasonal vaccines has enormous disadvantages,� remarks Walter Fiers, a molecular biologist at Ghent University in Belgium. �It is slow – sometimes we miss the strain that becomes predominant – and if a pandemic should arrive, we will not be prepared.� Fiers�s goal: a universal vaccine that, like some childhood immunizations, would confer lifelong immunity. Scientists have dreamed for decades of a one-shot approach to stop the flu – particularly influenza A, the most serious type. But the task is daunting. To read more: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=beating-the-flu Or: http://snipurl.com/29srj
[health] World AIDS Day Map Top
Fwd: The Scout Report � September 5, 2008 1. World AIDS Day Map [Macromedia Flash Player] http://vis.creatify.com/ Created by Lex Talkington Design, Inc. this visually stimulating and engaging website takes visitors into the AIDS pandemic and how it has affected children throughout the developing world. After a brief introduction, visitors will be presented with a rotating series of images that profile different children from Thailand, India, Kenya, and a host of other places. Upon clicking each icon, visitors can then read short narratives about young people like Fred in Uganda, who at age eight became the primary caregiver for his younger brother after his parents both succumbed to AIDS. All told, the site contains over two dozen profiles that offer unique, albeit troubling, portraits of the struggles faced by young people who are coping with the increasingly widespread effects of this disease. [KMG]
[Palin, energy, erosion] Answer to energy needs: “Drill, baby, drill!” Top
Answer to energy needs: �Drill, baby, drill!� Seattle Post Intelligencer – USA One of the climate-related questions Alaska�s senators are facing is what to do for villages like Shishmaref, which are suffering coastal erosion. � http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/environment/archives/147897.asp
[aging] Task Force Says Those Over 75 Don’t Need Colon Cancer Screening Top
Science in the News Task Force Says Those Over 75 Don�t Need Colon Cancer Screening from the Chicago Tribune (Registration Required) PHILADELPHIA (Associated Press)Most people over 75 should stop getting routine colon cancer tests, according to a government health task force that also rejected the latest X-ray screening technology. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Forcein a break with other medical and cancer organizationsopted not to give its stamp of approval to the newest tests: CT colonography, an X-ray test known as virtual colonoscopy, and a stool DNA test. The panel said more research is needed. The task force for the first time did endorse three tests and said everyone age 50 to 75 should get screened with one of them: a colonoscopy of the entire colon every 10 years; a sigmoidoscopy of the lower colon every 5 years, combined with a stool blood test every three years; a stool blood test every year. http://snipurl.com/45k72
[Katrina, erosion, environmental health] Fuming Over Formaldehyde Top
Science in the News Fuming Over Formaldehyde from the Los Angeles Times (Registration Required) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention failed to act for at least a year on warnings that trailers housing refugees from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita contained dangerous levels of formaldehyde, according to a House subcommittee report released Monday. Instead, the CDC�s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry demoted the scientist who questioned its initial assessment that the trailers were safe as long as residents opened a window or another vent, the report said. That appraisal was produced in February 2007 at the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which had received thousands of complaints about fumes since providing the trailers to families left homeless by the devastating 2005 hurricanes. One year later, FEMA and CDC reversed course and acknowledged that formaldehyde levels in the trailers were five times higher than are typically found in new housing. http://snipurl.com/45j0t
[Katrina, preparedness] International Day for Disaster Reduction Top
http://info.scidev.net/t/488761/5899345/10572/0/ SciDev.Net marks International Day for Disaster Reduction with a spotlight on tropical cyclone mitigation Tropical cyclones give developing countries much needed rain for agriculture. But as the earth warms, they are set to become more intense and strong cyclones can cause great loss of life and property. This is especially true in South Asia, where the Bay of Bengal�s shallow coastal waters, high tides and densely populated low-lying areas make cyclones particularly deadly. Today is International Day for Disaster Reduction, and to highlight the issues facing South Asia, SciDev.Net publishes a set of articles to inform policymakers, researchers and international donors about ways of improving cyclone management. >Read SciDev.Net�s new spotlight on tropical cyclones in the Indian Ocean
[environmental change] How White Roofs Shine Bright Green, Science in the News
How White Roofs Shine Bright Green from the Christian Science Monitor Can you help save the planet by painting your roof white? Hashem Akbari thinks so. Global warming�s complexity and momentum have led to a try-everything approach by scientists. In that spirit, Dr. Akbari offers his simple yet profound innovation for slowing that warming way down. It has long been known that a white roof makes a dwelling cooler. That saves energy and cuts carbon emissions. But until Akbari, a researcher at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, picked up a pencil to do the calculations, few realized the major climate effect that millions of white rooftops could have by reflecting sunlight back into space. It turns out that a 1,000 square foot area of rooftop painted white has about the same one-time impact on global warming as cutting 10 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, he and his colleagues write in a new study soon to be published in the journal Climatic Change. http://snipurl.com/4211m
[H5N1, history] Study: First flu wave in 1918 was vaccine for some
CIDRAP News Headlines Thursday, October 2, 2008 Study: First flu wave in 1918 was vaccine for some In the influenza pandemic of 1918, those who got sick in the first wave of illness were up to 94% less likely to fall ill when the second and much more severe wave struck, according to a new analysis of historical data. Read article�
[aging, preparedness, Katrina] New Katrina death tally: Half of victims 75 and up
http://www.physorg.com/news139161322.html (AP) � As New Orleans residents warily track another threatening storm, a new report presents the clearest picture yet of deaths from Katrina in Louisiana. Of the nearly 1,000 who died, almost half were 75 or older, according to researchers.
[aging] Cool photoblog: elders with style
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/416345753/cool-photoblog-elder.html Ari Cohen says: �We have started a blog of our own that documents street style and fashion of the mature and wizened. Our aim is to take photos of elders with a unique sense of personal style that has developed with age. We noticed so many amazingly dressed older people in New York and are having a great time getting to know them, hearing their stories and capturing a bit of their style to share with others.� Advanced Style
[water] session at World Water Forum 5, Istanbul
Dear E-Anth list, A while back I wrote to announce the formation of a new �water and cultural diversity� initiative at UNESCO-IHP. Since then an international/interdisciplinary advisory board has met twice and an initial brochure has been published: �Water and Cultural Diversity – Towards Sustainability of Water Resources and Cultures� UNESCO International Hydrological Programme, Division of Water Sciences, April 2008. To see the concept paper, brochure, and reports for both meetings: http://typo38.unesco.org/en/themes/ihp-water-society/water-and-cultural-diversity.html. One of the goals of the water and cultural diversity initiative is to increase awareness of the intersect between water and cultural diversity especially in policy and planning forums. Towards this end, the advisory board developed session proposals for the Fifth World Water Forum �Bridging Divides for Water� (TOPIC 6.5 session 1, 3, 4) pasted below. The World Water Forum will be held in Istanbul, Turkey March 16 – 22, 2009.
[sciencing, epidemiology, disease ecology] Morgellons
http://drugresistantstaph.blogspot.com/2008/09/small-self-promotion.html I have a long story in the new (October) SELF Magazine: Morgellons mystery. It is not about MRSA; it�s about Morgellons, a syndrome which approximately 12,000 sufferers claim is a new, unrecognized disease, but which medical authorities say is a delusion. The story is a look at the experience of several people who identify themselves as having the disease, contrasted with the efforts of several researchers including the head of a new CDC investigation to figure out what exactly is going on. It�s a medical mystery story, and a meditation on the nature of evidence and belief. And it raises the question: When something arises that fits no past pattern, how do we recognize it, describe it and prove its existence to others? It�s a question that should resonate with advocates for MRSA – especially community MRSA infection.
[hygiene, watsan] Your mother was right! Wash your hands
http://feeds.lexblog.com/~r/WormsAndGermsBlog/~3/410404304/ Remember, the 10 most important sources of infection are the fingers on your hands!
[Katrina, preparedness] Help for People with Diabetes Affected by Natural Disasters
http://nnlm.gov/mcr/bhic/?p=3492 http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/news/docs/hurricanes.htm In the wake of recent hurricanes, people with diabetes face particular challenges to their health care. The CDC has compiled many hurricane health and safety resources in English, Spanish, and several other languages. [posted on DISASTR-OUTREACH-LIB
[environmental change] Migrating Alaskan pollock are creating the potential for a new dispute with Russia
Migrating Alaskan pollock are creating the potential for a new dispute with Russia By Kenneth R. Weiss The popular fish appear to be moving to higher latitudes as waters warm. A billion-dollar industry is at stake.
[emerging infections] Ad14 outbreak in Alaska kills one, impacts 34 to date
http://www.scottmcpherson.net/journal/2008/10/13/ad14-outbreak-in-alaska-kills-one-impacts-34-to-date.html Prince of Wales Island in Alaska is the home to the most recent outbreak of respiratory illness Adenovirus 14, otherwise known as Ad14. And true to form, it has sickened 34, caused severe illness enough to warrant mainland evacuation of seven, and killed one. It has also promoted rumors of quarantine, which are unfounded. But that is what happens when a mystery illness for which there is no treatment happens to a community. No one is sure how the disease made its way to the island, but the virus has appeared time and again in the Pacific Northwest, so perhaps it is not surprising that it would eventually find its way to an Alaskan island. Longtime readers of this blogsite know I have been sounding the alarm bells on Ad14 for over a year. This virus is the �hidden epidemic� of respiratory illnesses, in my opinion. It is everywhere. It is pervasive. And we are not testing for it. So we don�t know what we don�t know, and doctors will continue to misdiagnose it as �a cold� until such time as we take it for what it is: A new variant of an old virus that can kill if not taken seriously. Where is the research into Ad14? While avian flu gets all the glamour, Ad14 continues to spread and to inflict disease and, in several cases, death. While we (necessarily) prepare for a pandemic of influenza, we must also concern ourselves with this new and developing threat. For a quick primer on adenovirus, simply search my blogsite, key word adenovirus.
[Eskimo gurad] Alaska Territorial Guard Day celebrates WWII Native militia
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/558794.html Saturday is Alaska Territorial Guard Day, in honor of a largely Native militia formed to defend the state from the threat of a Japanese attack during World War II.
[rural] SNRAS grad picked for subsistence post
http://snras.blogspot.com/2008/10/snras-grad-picked-for-subsistence-post.html Craig Fleener, who earned a bachelor of science degree in natural resources management from UAF, has been named the new director for the state Division of Subsistence. Fleener, 41, was born and raised in Fort Yukon and has served on the Alaska Board of Game for the past eight months. He is former director of the the Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments and has worked as an environmental manager, project coordinator, wildlife biologist, and natural resources director. He has served in the military for more than 21 years and is an intelligence officer in the Alaska Air National Guard. Fleener replaces Elizabeth Andrews who retired in July. For his senior thesis at UAF, Fleener researched the reintroduction of wood bison. Read the Oct. 15, 2008 Fairbanks Daily News-Miner article, �Fort Yukon man to lead Division of Subsistence.�
[hygiene] Hand study suggests commuter hygiene lacking
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/health/7667499.stm More than one in four commuters have bacteria which come from faeces on their hands, an investigation finds.
[Unorganized Borough] BBC Five Live, Newtok, Alaska
BBC Five Live, Newtok, Alaska BBC News – UK The only way in or out is by the tiny plane that flies daily from Bethel, 100 miles (160km) to the west. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7669143.stm
[Katrina, preparedness] Help for People with Diabetes Affected by Natural Disasters
http://nnlm.gov/mcr/bhic/?p=3492 http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/news/docs/hurricanes.htm In the wake of recent hurricanes, people with diabetes face particular challenges to their health care. The CDC has compiled many hurricane health and safety resources in English, Spanish, and several other languages. [posted on DISASTR-OUTREACH-LIB
[hygiene, watsan] Your mother was right! Wash your hands
http://feeds.lexblog.com/~r/WormsAndGermsBlog/~3/410404304/ Remember, the 10 most important sources of infection are the fingers on your hands!
[sciencing, epidemiology, disease ecology] Morgellons
http://drugresistantstaph.blogspot.com/2008/09/small-self-promotion.html I have a long story in the new (October) SELF Magazine: Morgellons mystery. It is not about MRSA; it�s about Morgellons, a syndrome which approximately 12,000 sufferers claim is a new, unrecognized disease, but which medical authorities say is a delusion. The story is a look at the experience of several people who identify themselves as having the disease, contrasted with the efforts of several researchers � including the head of a new CDC investigation � to figure out what exactly is going on. It�s a medical mystery story, and a meditation on the nature of evidence and belief. And it raises the question: When something arises that fits no past pattern, how do we recognize it, describe it and prove its existence to others? It�s a question that should resonate with advocates for MRSA – especially community MRSA infection.
[water] session at World Water Forum 5, Istanbul
Dear E-Anth list, A while back I wrote to announce the formation of a new �water and cultural diversity� initiative at UNESCO-IHP. Since then an international/interdisciplinary advisory board has met twice and an initial brochure has been published: �Water and Cultural Diversity – Towards Sustainability of Water Resources and Cultures� UNESCO International Hydrological Programme, Division of Water Sciences, April 2008. To see the concept paper, brochure, and reports for both meetings: http://typo38.unesco.org/en/themes/ihp-water-society/water-and-cultural-diversity.html. One of the goals of the water and cultural diversity initiative is to increase awareness of the intersect between water and cultural diversity especially in policy and planning forums. Towards this end, the advisory board developed session proposals for the Fifth World Water Forum �Bridging Divides for Water� (TOPIC 6.5 session 1, 3, 4) pasted below. The World Water Forum will be held in Istanbul, Turkey March 16 – 22, 2009.
[aging] Cool photoblog: elders with style
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/416345753/cool-photoblog-elder.html Ari Cohen says: �We have started a blog of our own that documents street style and fashion of the mature and wizened. Our aim is to take photos of elders with a unique sense of personal style that has developed with age. We noticed so many amazingly dressed older people in New York and are having a great time getting to know them, hearing their stories and capturing a bit of their style to share with others.� Advanced Style
[aging] Task Force Says Those Over 75 Don’t Need Colon Cancer Screening
Science in the News Task Force Says Those Over 75 Don�t Need Colon Cancer Screening from the Chicago Tribune (Registration Required) PHILADELPHIA (Associated Press)�Most people over 75 should stop getting routine colon cancer tests, according to a government health task force that also rejected the latest X-ray screening technology. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force�in a break with other medical and cancer organizations�opted not to give its stamp of approval to the newest tests: CT colonography, an X-ray test known as virtual colonoscopy, and a stool DNA test. The panel said more research is needed. The task force for the first time did endorse three tests and said everyone age 50 to 75 should get screened with one of them: a colonoscopy of the entire colon every 10 years; a sigmoidoscopy of the lower colon every 5 years, combined with a stool blood test every three years; a stool blood test every year. http://snipurl.com/45k72
[Katrina, erosion, environmental health] Fuming Over Formaldehyde
Science in the News Fuming Over Formaldehyde from the Los Angeles Times (Registration Required) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention failed to act for at least a year on warnings that trailers housing refugees from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita contained dangerous levels of formaldehyde, according to a House subcommittee report released Monday. Instead, the CDC�s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry demoted the scientist who questioned its initial assessment that the trailers were safe as long as residents opened a window or another vent, the report said. That appraisal was produced in February 2007 at the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which had received thousands of complaints about fumes since providing the trailers to families left homeless by the devastating 2005 hurricanes. One year later, FEMA and CDC reversed course and acknowledged that formaldehyde levels in the trailers were five times higher than are typically found in new housing. http://snipurl.com/45j0t
[Katrina, preparedness] International Day for Disaster Reduction
http://info.scidev.net/t/488761/5899345/10572/0/ SciDev.Net marks International Day for Disaster Reduction with a spotlight on tropical cyclone mitigation Tropical cyclones give developing countries much needed rain for agriculture. But as the earth warms, they are set to become more intense and strong cyclones can cause great loss of life and property. This is especially true in South Asia, where the Bay of Bengal�s shallow coastal waters, high tides and densely populated low-lying areas make cyclones particularly deadly. Today is International Day for Disaster Reduction, and to highlight the issues facing South Asia, SciDev.Net publishes a set of articles to inform policymakers, researchers and international donors about ways of improving cyclone management. >Read SciDev.Net�s new spotlight on tropical cyclones in the Indian Ocean
[environmental change] How White Roofs Shine Bright Green, Science in the News
How White Roofs Shine Bright Green from the Christian Science Monitor Can you help save the planet by painting your roof white? Hashem Akbari thinks so. Global warming�s complexity and momentum have led to a try-everything approach by scientists. In that spirit, Dr. Akbari offers his simple yet profound innovation for slowing that warming way down. It has long been known that a white roof makes a dwelling cooler. That saves energy and cuts carbon emissions. But until Akbari, a researcher at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, picked up a pencil to do the calculations, few realized the major climate effect that millions of white rooftops could have by reflecting sunlight back into space. It turns out that a 1,000 square foot area of rooftop painted white has about the same one-time impact on global warming as cutting 10 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, he and his colleagues write in a new study soon to be published in the journal Climatic Change. http://snipurl.com/4211m
[aging, preparedness, Katrina] New Katrina death tally: Half of victims 75 and up
http://www.physorg.com/news139161322.html (AP) � As New Orleans residents warily track another threatening storm, a new report presents the clearest picture yet of deaths from Katrina in Louisiana. Of the nearly 1,000 who died, almost half were 75 or older, according to researchers.
[H5N1, history] Study: First flu wave in 1918 was vaccine for some
CIDRAP News Headlines Thursday, October 2, 2008 Study: First flu wave in 1918 was vaccine for some In the influenza pandemic of 1918, those who got sick in the first wave of illness were up to 94% less likely to fall ill when the second and much more severe wave struck, according to a new analysis of historical data. Read article�
[epidemiology, economics] link home foreclosures to West Nile virus outbreaks
CIDRAP News Headlines Monday, September 29, 2008 Researchers link home foreclosures to West Nile virus outbreaks Some public health officials have feared that one of the many miseries of rising home foreclosure�and the neglected water sources that follow�could be rising rates of human West Nile virus infections, and now California researchers who studied surveillance data for the Bakersfield area have confirmed the connection. Read article�
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Stable carbon isotopes do not date but nevertheless lead full lives. mpb
