UFO or IFI?
I read in the news and heard in the radio this morning about the release of Ministry of Defence (MoD) archive files, from 1994 to 2000, which contains reports on sightings of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and aliens around Britain. As I often do, whenever I read something unusual and interesting in the news, I…
Bring on the sunshine!
I have recently come across a number of interesting articles highlighting the health benefits of maintaining sufficient/high levels of vitamin D. The headlines grabbing my attention include: UK experts calling for milk to be fortified to halt a rise in rickets; high levels of vitamin D can reduce heart disease and diabetes in the middle…
Now wash your hands
Handwashing. So simple, so easy, and so effective at preventing the spread of diseases. Use soap and water, rub all surfaces of the hand while singing Happy Birthday twice! The result? Up to 50% reduced diarrhoea and respiratory infections. Handwashing is the most cost effective health activity there is, says the World Health Organization. Read…
Canada strikes gold, but Olympics given a bronze rating on climate change
Canada's gold medal winner – Picture by BBC Sport. Yesterday, Canada ended its 34 year wait for an Olympic gold medal won on home soil, with a win for Alexandre Bilodeau in the men's moguls event in Vancouver. But the 2010 Winter Olympics were given only a bronze medal for climate protection initiatives by the Vancouver-based David…
Could new rubber plantations cause malaria re-emergence in northeastern Thailand?
If you’ve been to Thailand recently you probably enjoyed a week or two in a stunningly beautiful country with great tropical weather and lots of interesting culture. What’s more you were probably relieved to be able to enjoy all this without the inconvenience of taking anti-malarial drugs every day unlike many other tropical destinations. However,…
Where now for GM food in India?
India has this week deferred commercial cultivation of what would have been its first genetically modified (GM) food crop. Production of Bt aubergine has been put on hold while further research is done. India has grown transgenic cotton since 2002, and GM varieties now account for 80% of plantings, but aubergine would have been the…
Can ecotourism help save the tiger?
Last week, fellow hand-picked blogger Vicki Bonham posted an article about the problems facing tigers in the wild. Coincidentally, a few days after reading this a set of news alerts on tigers hit my inbox. At the end of January, a high-level meeting in Thailand for the first time laid the groundwork for joint action…
Will Non-Transgenic GM Plants Win Favour with Regulators and the Public?
The creation of transgenic plants often involves the use of DNA sequences from bacteria and other non-plant organisms – in particular as vectors to introduce the desired genes. However, some people are concerned about the use of DNA from such distantly related sources, and regulators require separate rules to be complied with for transgenic plants…
2010: Chinese Year of the Tiger
If, like me, you were born in Year of the Tiger, you’ll be glad to know that tiger people are lively and brave, are well liked and always land on their feet. Unfortunately, for tigers in the wild the outlook for 2010 doesn’t look too good… Tigers are under a severe and growing threat from…
Can Haiti’s struggling agro-economy recover?
The earthquake that hit Haiti may have killed as many as 200,000, and delivering food to survivors is proving very difficult. However, Haiti was already suffering from major problems in trying to feed itself well before the earthquake struck, as detailed in many papers on CAB Abstracts. Haiti has a notable problem of food security, write…