Sunday, July 12, 2009
Scientists develop eco-, user-friendly solar powered rickshaw
Weary rickshaw pullers will no longer have to toil to pedal the vehicle as scientists of CSIR's Central Mechanical and Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) have developed a solar electric rickshaw. Named Soleckshaw, the solar electric rickshaw is a pollution-free, safe and economical solution to the woes of around 50 lakh rickshaw pullers in the country. "The goal was to develop an optimally-designed, pedal-operated and motor-assisted, zero-carbon emission, urban transport vehicle," Tech Review quotes Samir K Brahmachari, Director General of CSIR as saying. The new pedicab with a seating capacity for two to three passengers and a payload of 150-200 kgs, excluding the driver, will run at a speed of 15 km per hour. It can be driven for as much as 40 kms. The new rickshaw is motor-assisted and therefore is likely to be driven easily both in the plains and the hills. "One of the main aims of Soleckshaw is to reduce the effort required to pull a rickshaw. The 36V motor has been used to 'assist' the driver in pedaling. Even though it may not relieve him of pedaling, it will definitely make the task almost effortless for him," says Project Advisor Gopal Sinha. While the driver's seat is adjustable and a suspension system ensures smooth ride, all the three wheels have brakes. The new pedicab comes with features such as a head light, a tail lamp, and indicators. A lower foot board provides easy access for children, senior citizens and the disabled. The solar battery, weighing around 15 kg, is placed under the passenger seat. One battery takes 5-6 hours to charge using solar power. It can also be charged from a domestic 15 Amp power socket. Scientists, however, say it will no longer remain a green vehicle if charged with electricity. Therefore, they want the battery to be charged only at solar charging stations. The Central Electronics Limited (CEL) has built a solar charging station in Durgapur. The Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CECRI) is working on improving the battery. Body of the Soleckshaw, with two versions -- Mark I and Mark II, has also been customised to suit different terrains and purposes, with seven models currently on the road. A functional prototype of Mark I version, developed and prototyped by CMERI, was launched in Delhi in October 2008 for trial and test. The Mark II are being tested in Durgapur, Chandni Chowk in Delhi and Ghaziabad. The Mark I version is available in two series, 1 and 2. Series 2 is a slimmer and lighter version of Series 1, according to Amar Jyoti Banerjee, CMERI scientist and project leader (manufacturing). At present, Soleckshaws costs between Rs 30,000 and Rs 35,000. The CMERI team is working on ways to reduce the manufacturing cost. When the vehicle is mass produced the price is expected to come down to Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000.
Plan to simplify selling energy back to National Grid
Details were revealed amid claims that ministers' low-carbon strategy will put around £230 a year on the typical family's energy bill.
The government's "renewable energy strategy", to be announced on Wednesday by Ed Miliband, the Energy and Climate Change Secretary, will propose spending more than £100 billion on renewable sources by 2020 – including 7,000 wind turbines.
It is already legally bound to cut CO2 emissions by 34 per cent by 2020 and by 80 per cent by 2050. To achieve this it must increase the proportion generated from renewable sources from the current level of 2 per cent to 15 per cent in 2020.
The strategy is said to estimate that bills will have to rise by 20 per cent – which would put £230 a year on the current average household levy of £1,150 a year for electricity and gas.
However, ministers will also attempt to encourage people to manufacture their own energy through generators by simplifying the current cumbersome process of households selling excess electricity back to the grid.
At the moment, householders need to buy an export meter for around £75 and then register to sell supplies to the grid.
They must then negotiate a rate with their electricity supplier – almost always for much less money per unit than the supplier charges households.
A government source said: "At the moment the system is far too bureaucratic and can put the householder at a disadvantage. We aim to change that
The government's "renewable energy strategy", to be announced on Wednesday by Ed Miliband, the Energy and Climate Change Secretary, will propose spending more than £100 billion on renewable sources by 2020 – including 7,000 wind turbines.
It is already legally bound to cut CO2 emissions by 34 per cent by 2020 and by 80 per cent by 2050. To achieve this it must increase the proportion generated from renewable sources from the current level of 2 per cent to 15 per cent in 2020.
The strategy is said to estimate that bills will have to rise by 20 per cent – which would put £230 a year on the current average household levy of £1,150 a year for electricity and gas.
However, ministers will also attempt to encourage people to manufacture their own energy through generators by simplifying the current cumbersome process of households selling excess electricity back to the grid.
At the moment, householders need to buy an export meter for around £75 and then register to sell supplies to the grid.
They must then negotiate a rate with their electricity supplier – almost always for much less money per unit than the supplier charges households.
A government source said: "At the moment the system is far too bureaucratic and can put the householder at a disadvantage. We aim to change that
Fresh blueprint for the low carbon economy
MINISTERS will this week make their third attempt in five years to map out a low-carbon future for the UK by publishing detailed proposals to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
The low carbon transition plan will outline how the country will meet the legally binding limits on emissions set in the Climate Change Act 2008. The target is a 34% carbon reduction by 2020.
The most significant proposals in the plan will be a tenfold increase in renewable energy capacity over the next decade and the creation of 400,000 “green” jobs.
The renewable energy boom will be achieved in part by forcing electricity suppliers to buy more wind, solar and other green power. The current renewables obligation scheme, which requires power companies to buy certain amounts of renewable energy, is likely to be extended for 10 years past its 2027 expiry date.
There are expected to be additional incentives for building offshore wind farms. There will also be incentives for homeowners, including an assistance package to pay for energy efficiency improvements such as insulation, and new “feed-in” tariffs that will encourage the sale of energy from household solar panels and wind turbines to the national grid.
Ministers want to use the transition plan to shore up investor confidence in the sector and stimulate investment.
Several large energy groups, including BP and Royal Dutch Shell, have pulled back from putting money into wind and solar power because of uncertainties over likely returns.
There are already doubts about whether the government’s ambitious targets can be met. Britain has a patchy record for sticking to environmental targets. In 1999 Labour announced plans for a 20% emissions reduction and 10% renewables mix by 2010, both of which are likely to be missed.
One concern is that the UK will roll back on a recommendation by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), an independent body that advises the government. It has said the UK should achieve a near zero-carbon power sector by 2030. Greenpeace, the environmental campaign group, which has seen a draft of the new energy strategy, said the report instead “envisages a 50% emissions cut by 2025”.
This week’s plan will be followed by an energy bill, which will be included in the next Queen’s speech.
David Kennedy, who heads the CCC, said a separate plan to boost investment in clean coal and nuclear power would follow next year.
The CCC will submit a report to parliament in October outlining a number of additional “low carbon funding options”.
These will include a carbon tax on power generation, which would exempt nuclear and renewable energy; a low carbon obligation scheme, akin to the renewables obligation, which would include nuclear and clean coal; and a guaranteed government tender for low carbon power generation to provide security of demand and entice investors. The government is obligated to respond to the CCC report early next year.
Sir David King, the government’s former chief scientific adviser, is urging ministers to come up with a plan and stick to it.
“You can’t keep adjusting the energy policy,” said King. “Businesses need a clear signal that any investments they make now in low carbon technology and infrastructure in the UK will pay off in the future.”
Bringing more renewables online is critical if Britain is to fill the gap left by decommissioned coal and nuclear plants. Mark Spelman of Accenture, the business adviser, estimates a total loss of 15.5 GW of capacity by 2016 will need to be replaced by gas and wind. The current wind power capacity is only 2.4 GW.
“The government strategy must signal a big expansion of wind and transparency on true costs as well as investment in more gas plants,” said Spelman.
“A lot hangs on the new plan,” said Robert Bell of AEA, an energy and climate change consultancy. “We have to make deep emissions cuts soon, and even deeper ones later. So the plan needs to signpost a radically different world, but one that at the same time brings the opportunity for the creation of new jobs, and new wealth.”
Key points
- Jobs for 400,000 in new green industries
-Electricity suppliers forced to buy more power from renewable resources
-A new financing package to help to improve home energy efficiency
-Increased incentives for offshore wind farms
-“Feed-in” tariffs to encourage householders to sell energy they produce from solar panels or wind turbines back to the grid
The low carbon transition plan will outline how the country will meet the legally binding limits on emissions set in the Climate Change Act 2008. The target is a 34% carbon reduction by 2020.
The most significant proposals in the plan will be a tenfold increase in renewable energy capacity over the next decade and the creation of 400,000 “green” jobs.
The renewable energy boom will be achieved in part by forcing electricity suppliers to buy more wind, solar and other green power. The current renewables obligation scheme, which requires power companies to buy certain amounts of renewable energy, is likely to be extended for 10 years past its 2027 expiry date.
There are expected to be additional incentives for building offshore wind farms. There will also be incentives for homeowners, including an assistance package to pay for energy efficiency improvements such as insulation, and new “feed-in” tariffs that will encourage the sale of energy from household solar panels and wind turbines to the national grid.
Ministers want to use the transition plan to shore up investor confidence in the sector and stimulate investment.
Several large energy groups, including BP and Royal Dutch Shell, have pulled back from putting money into wind and solar power because of uncertainties over likely returns.
There are already doubts about whether the government’s ambitious targets can be met. Britain has a patchy record for sticking to environmental targets. In 1999 Labour announced plans for a 20% emissions reduction and 10% renewables mix by 2010, both of which are likely to be missed.
One concern is that the UK will roll back on a recommendation by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), an independent body that advises the government. It has said the UK should achieve a near zero-carbon power sector by 2030. Greenpeace, the environmental campaign group, which has seen a draft of the new energy strategy, said the report instead “envisages a 50% emissions cut by 2025”.
This week’s plan will be followed by an energy bill, which will be included in the next Queen’s speech.
David Kennedy, who heads the CCC, said a separate plan to boost investment in clean coal and nuclear power would follow next year.
The CCC will submit a report to parliament in October outlining a number of additional “low carbon funding options”.
These will include a carbon tax on power generation, which would exempt nuclear and renewable energy; a low carbon obligation scheme, akin to the renewables obligation, which would include nuclear and clean coal; and a guaranteed government tender for low carbon power generation to provide security of demand and entice investors. The government is obligated to respond to the CCC report early next year.
Sir David King, the government’s former chief scientific adviser, is urging ministers to come up with a plan and stick to it.
“You can’t keep adjusting the energy policy,” said King. “Businesses need a clear signal that any investments they make now in low carbon technology and infrastructure in the UK will pay off in the future.”
Bringing more renewables online is critical if Britain is to fill the gap left by decommissioned coal and nuclear plants. Mark Spelman of Accenture, the business adviser, estimates a total loss of 15.5 GW of capacity by 2016 will need to be replaced by gas and wind. The current wind power capacity is only 2.4 GW.
“The government strategy must signal a big expansion of wind and transparency on true costs as well as investment in more gas plants,” said Spelman.
“A lot hangs on the new plan,” said Robert Bell of AEA, an energy and climate change consultancy. “We have to make deep emissions cuts soon, and even deeper ones later. So the plan needs to signpost a radically different world, but one that at the same time brings the opportunity for the creation of new jobs, and new wealth.”
Key points
- Jobs for 400,000 in new green industries
-Electricity suppliers forced to buy more power from renewable resources
-A new financing package to help to improve home energy efficiency
-Increased incentives for offshore wind farms
-“Feed-in” tariffs to encourage householders to sell energy they produce from solar panels or wind turbines back to the grid
Stadtwerke Munchen and RWE Innogy realise a parabolic trough power plant in Spain in conjunction with MAN Ferrostaal, RheinEnergie and Solar Millenniu
The power plant was developed by Erlangen-based Solar Millennium AG. Stadtwerke München has a 48.9% share in the project company Marquesado Solar S.L. RWE Innogy and RheinEnergie jointly hold 25.1% of the shares in this project via an investment holding company (RWE Innogy: 51%, RheinEnergie: 49%). The remaining 26% of the project company continue to be owned by an investment holding company of MAN Ferrostaal and Solar Millennium. Construction of the power plant has already commenced. The solar thermal power plant is expected to start operation in 2011 with an output of approximately 50 megawatts, and will be jointly operated by the project partners. * One of the largest solar thermal power plants in the world* Planned commissioning scheduled for 2011* Project development and solar technology from Solar Millennium GroupDr. Kurt Mühlhäuser, Chairman of the Executive Board of Stadtwerke München (SWM) emphasised: “We have an ambitious objective: Munich will be the first city in Germany where all private households can be supplied with electricity generated from renewable sources in SWM’s own power plants. We currently use hydroelectric power, wind energy, biomass and photovoltaic cells. With our investment in the Andasol 3 project, we have chosen another ground-breaking technology. The parabolic trough power plant in the south of Spain will bring us a great deal closer to our objective.”Prof. Fritz Vahrenholt, Chairman of the Executive Board of RWE Innogy said: “Parabolic trough technology sets new benchmarks for solar electricity generation. It can be deployed on a large scale and generates electricity in a reliable and power grid-friendly way even after sunset thanks to a huge molten salt thermal storage system. This allows the plant to generate electricity for almost twice the amount of hours as a solar power plant without the storage system. For us, this investment is therefore a further important step toward a sustainable and safe method of providing energy on the basis of renewable energies.”Christian Beltle, Chairman of the Executive Board of Solar Millennium said: “As a result of our early entry into the market, we have extensive expertise in the development and realisation of solar thermal power plants. We have supplied the solar technology for the first parabolic trough power plants in both Spain and Egypt. The fact that we are now joining forces with four leading German companies is a wonderful acknowledgement of our work to date.”Dr. Dieter Steinkamp, Chairman of the Executive Board of RheinEnergie said: “In the Rhine region, we have a responsibility towards around 2.5 million people. It is intended in the future that the basis for our own energy generation should increasingly come from renewable energy sources alongside the environmentally friendly combined heat and power generation. Just a few days ago we took over 19 wind farms across the country with an output of over 100 MW. With Andasol 3, we are now focusing on the future technology of solar energy.”Dr. Rainer Kistner, Head of Solar Power of MAN Ferrostaal, is excited about the new partnership for Andasol 3. “Solar thermal power plants have enormous future potential. They are environmentally friendly, reliable and predictable, since they are independent of fluctuating oil and gas prices. They ensure long-term security of energy supplies which, for us, is the most important argument to be involved in the project as an investor and as plant constructor. As a constructor of power plants and in conjunction with our technology partner Solar Millennium, we have created the best conditions for making the project a success.”With an electrical output of approximately 50 megawatts, Andasol 3 is the third solar thermal power plant that has been installed in the Spanish province of Granada by Solar Millennium. The neighbouring projects Andasol 1 and Andasol 2, which each have an electrical output of around 50 megawatts, are already connected to the grid or in the test phase. Andasol 1 was officially inaugurated a few days ago. The power plants, which are almost identical in their construction, will have a collector surface area of over 1.5 million square metres – equal to the surface area of approximately 210 football fields – thus making it the largest solar energy site in Europe. The expected gross energy production for each power plant is approximately 170 gigawatt hours a year. This means the power plants can collectively supply electricity to around half a million people each year and avoid the production of approximately 450,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide .Upon completion of the Andasol 3 power plant, around 210,000 parabolic mirrors will capture the sunlight. These gigantic, arched mirrors concentrate the sun’s rays. The heat generated by doing this is transferred to a heat transfer fluid. Trough heat exchanging devices the thermal energy is transferred the thermal energy to a water/steam circuit. As in a conventional power station, this steam drives a turbine. The generator, which is attached to it, generates electricity. By means of a thermal storage system, electricity can be provided in a planned way. This thermal storage system comprises 28,500 tonnes of a special salt mixture; its capacity can run the turbine for 7.5 hours at full load. Andasol 3 is therefore able to reliably generate electricity even after the sun has set.The construction of Andasol 3 is already at an advanced stage: the early works has been completed as far as possible. The foundations for the collector mountings in the solar park are currently being cast. The assembly of the collectors and their subsequent incorporation into the solar park will begin shortly. The construction of the Andasol 3 power plant is the responsibility of a joint venture company involving Solar Millennium and MAN Ferrostaal, as well as the Spanish company Duro Felguera S.A. Solar Millennium’s subsidiary, Flagsol, is providing the technology for the solar park – just as it did for the sister projects Andasol 1 and 2.###
Sunshine warnings over skin cancer risk 'overstated'
It's not sunlight but moles that have the highest role in increasing the risk of skin cancer, say scientists who have claimed that the perils of sunbathing are grossly 'overstated'.
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Scientists have said that sunshine is not the main cause of melanoma, but the number of moles on your skin is the most important factor in the risk of getting this dangerous form of skin cancer.The findings have re-ignited the debate over whether official health warnings about avoiding the sun are overstated. The scientists involved in the study maintain that sunshine causes only a small proportion of melanoma cases, but in their opinion health warnings would be more useful if they focused on people who have more than 100 moles, and taught them to check regularly the moles for changes in shape, size or colour. However, melanoma can be treated, for instance by the early removal of a suspicious mole, but it is the most serious type of skin cancer, as it can spread to other organs in the body. The cancer can start in an existing mole or on normal-looking skin, and can occur in people who have no moles but have fair skin and freckles. In a recent study, researchers from Queensland, Australia, Montreal, Canada and Philadelphia, America, led by King's College London, identified two genes, which dictate how many moles someone will have, and their risk of getting skin cancer. 'The number of moles you have is one of the strongest risk factors for melanoma - stronger than sunshine. This paper shows that we found two important genes that control the number of moles you have. Those genes also give you an extra risk of melanoma,' Times Online quoted Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College London, as saying.Dr Veronique Bataille, a researcher at King's College, London, and dermatologist at West Hertfordshire NHS Trust, argues that we have overemphasised the risk of sun exposure. She said: 'Let's keep sunshine in the picture because it does make you age and causes you wrinkles - we have never denied that. But let's move away from scaring people by saying they are going to die because they go in the sun.'
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Scientists have said that sunshine is not the main cause of melanoma, but the number of moles on your skin is the most important factor in the risk of getting this dangerous form of skin cancer.The findings have re-ignited the debate over whether official health warnings about avoiding the sun are overstated. The scientists involved in the study maintain that sunshine causes only a small proportion of melanoma cases, but in their opinion health warnings would be more useful if they focused on people who have more than 100 moles, and taught them to check regularly the moles for changes in shape, size or colour. However, melanoma can be treated, for instance by the early removal of a suspicious mole, but it is the most serious type of skin cancer, as it can spread to other organs in the body. The cancer can start in an existing mole or on normal-looking skin, and can occur in people who have no moles but have fair skin and freckles. In a recent study, researchers from Queensland, Australia, Montreal, Canada and Philadelphia, America, led by King's College London, identified two genes, which dictate how many moles someone will have, and their risk of getting skin cancer. 'The number of moles you have is one of the strongest risk factors for melanoma - stronger than sunshine. This paper shows that we found two important genes that control the number of moles you have. Those genes also give you an extra risk of melanoma,' Times Online quoted Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College London, as saying.Dr Veronique Bataille, a researcher at King's College, London, and dermatologist at West Hertfordshire NHS Trust, argues that we have overemphasised the risk of sun exposure. She said: 'Let's keep sunshine in the picture because it does make you age and causes you wrinkles - we have never denied that. But let's move away from scaring people by saying they are going to die because they go in the sun.'
Researchers figure out why obesity triggers diabetes
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A team led by Matthew Watt, associate professor at Monash University, discovered that fat cells release a protein called PEDF (pigment epithelium-derived factor) which triggers a chain of events and interactions that lead to development of Type-2 (T-2) diabetes. 'When PEDF is released into the bloodstream, it causes the muscle and liver to become desensitised to insulin. The pancreas then produces more insulin to counteract these negative effects,' said Watt. 'This insulin release causes the pancreas to become overworked, eventually slowing or stopping insulin release from the pancreas leading to T-2 diabetes.' 'It appears that the more fat tissue a person has the less sensitive they become to insulin. Therefore a greater amount of insulin is required to maintain the body's regulation of blood-glucose,' Watt added. 'Our research was able to show that increasing PEDF not only causes T-2 diabetes like complications but that blocking PEDF reverses these effects. The body again returned to being insulin-sensitive and therefore did not need excess insulin to remain regulated.' Watt said identifying the link is a significant breakthrough in explaining the reasons why obesity triggers the onset of T-2 Diabetes, said a Monash University release. 'Until now scientists knew there was a very clear pattern and had strong suspicions that a link existed between the two conditions, but our understanding of the chain of events that are caused by the release of PEDF shows a link,' Watt said. 'We already know that weight-loss generally improves the management of blood glucose levels in diabetes patients. We can begin to design new drugs to improve the treatment of Type-2 diabetes,' Watt said.
A team led by Matthew Watt, associate professor at Monash University, discovered that fat cells release a protein called PEDF (pigment epithelium-derived factor) which triggers a chain of events and interactions that lead to development of Type-2 (T-2) diabetes. 'When PEDF is released into the bloodstream, it causes the muscle and liver to become desensitised to insulin. The pancreas then produces more insulin to counteract these negative effects,' said Watt. 'This insulin release causes the pancreas to become overworked, eventually slowing or stopping insulin release from the pancreas leading to T-2 diabetes.' 'It appears that the more fat tissue a person has the less sensitive they become to insulin. Therefore a greater amount of insulin is required to maintain the body's regulation of blood-glucose,' Watt added. 'Our research was able to show that increasing PEDF not only causes T-2 diabetes like complications but that blocking PEDF reverses these effects. The body again returned to being insulin-sensitive and therefore did not need excess insulin to remain regulated.' Watt said identifying the link is a significant breakthrough in explaining the reasons why obesity triggers the onset of T-2 Diabetes, said a Monash University release. 'Until now scientists knew there was a very clear pattern and had strong suspicions that a link existed between the two conditions, but our understanding of the chain of events that are caused by the release of PEDF shows a link,' Watt said. 'We already know that weight-loss generally improves the management of blood glucose levels in diabetes patients. We can begin to design new drugs to improve the treatment of Type-2 diabetes,' Watt said.
Why smoking increases heart disease, stroke risk
Researchers
at Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles and Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California have discovered why smoking increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
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They have found that nicotine promotes prediabetes, also known as insulin resistance, in smokers, which is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke.The study's lead author, Theodore Friedman, chief of the endocrinology division at Charles Drew University, suggests previous theory that nicotine and cigarette smoking induce high levels of the stress hormone cortisol was correct.Friedman said: 'As cortisol excess is known to induce insulin resistance, it has been suggested that glucocorticoids, such as cortisol, are the missing [causative] link between cigarette smoking and insulin resistance'.Experts found that nicotine induced prediabetes, a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease.The study authors were also able to undo some harmful effects of nicotine in mice to some extent by treating them with the nicotine antagonist mecamylamine, a drug that blunts the action of nicotine. Friedman said: 'Our results suggest that reducing tissue glucocorticoid levels or decreasing insulin resistance may reduce the heart disease seen in smokers. We anticipate that in the future there will be drugs to specifically block the effect of nicotine on glucocorticoids and insulin resistance.'
at Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles and Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California have discovered why smoking increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
google_protectAndRun("render_ads.js::google_render_ad", google_handleError, google_render_ad);
They have found that nicotine promotes prediabetes, also known as insulin resistance, in smokers, which is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke.The study's lead author, Theodore Friedman, chief of the endocrinology division at Charles Drew University, suggests previous theory that nicotine and cigarette smoking induce high levels of the stress hormone cortisol was correct.Friedman said: 'As cortisol excess is known to induce insulin resistance, it has been suggested that glucocorticoids, such as cortisol, are the missing [causative] link between cigarette smoking and insulin resistance'.Experts found that nicotine induced prediabetes, a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease.The study authors were also able to undo some harmful effects of nicotine in mice to some extent by treating them with the nicotine antagonist mecamylamine, a drug that blunts the action of nicotine. Friedman said: 'Our results suggest that reducing tissue glucocorticoid levels or decreasing insulin resistance may reduce the heart disease seen in smokers. We anticipate that in the future there will be drugs to specifically block the effect of nicotine on glucocorticoids and insulin resistance.'
Easy strength training exercise may help ease pain of tennis elbow
A simple exercise to strengthen the wrist may help alleviate the pain of tennis elbow, according to a new study.
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The exercise involves using an inexpensive rubber bar to perform isolated eccentric wrist extensor strengthening to treat the painful condition in the elbow or forearm that affects 3 percent of the general population, not just those who play tennis. 'Our study illustrated that a novel exercise, using an inexpensive rubber bar, may provide a practical and effective means of adding isolated wrist strengthening exercises to a treatment plan,' said lead author Timothy F. Tyler, PT, ATC, Clinical Research Associate, of the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma in New York City. The study randomized 21 patients with tennis elbow into two groups. Both received the wrist extensor stretching, ultrasound, cross-friction massage, heat and ice for treatment. The eccentric training group performed isolated eccentric wrist extensor strengthening using the rubber bar (Flexbar, Akron OH) while the standard treatment group performed isotonic wrist strengthening exercises. Three sets of 15 repetitions were performed daily as part of a home program with intensity increased progressively during the treatment period. A variety of pain and movement scales were utilized to determine progress. Patients using the rubber bar had vastly better results on all scales, especially related to strength. In fact, given the consistently poor outcomes for patients in the standard treatment group, it was deemed appropriate to terminate the randomization with 21 of the intended 30 patients having already completed the study.'Compared to other treatments for tennis elbow such as cortisone injections or topical nitric oxide which require direct medical supervision and often side effects, this treatment is not only cost effective but dosage is not limited by the patient having to come to a clinic,' said Tyler.
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The exercise involves using an inexpensive rubber bar to perform isolated eccentric wrist extensor strengthening to treat the painful condition in the elbow or forearm that affects 3 percent of the general population, not just those who play tennis. 'Our study illustrated that a novel exercise, using an inexpensive rubber bar, may provide a practical and effective means of adding isolated wrist strengthening exercises to a treatment plan,' said lead author Timothy F. Tyler, PT, ATC, Clinical Research Associate, of the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma in New York City. The study randomized 21 patients with tennis elbow into two groups. Both received the wrist extensor stretching, ultrasound, cross-friction massage, heat and ice for treatment. The eccentric training group performed isolated eccentric wrist extensor strengthening using the rubber bar (Flexbar, Akron OH) while the standard treatment group performed isotonic wrist strengthening exercises. Three sets of 15 repetitions were performed daily as part of a home program with intensity increased progressively during the treatment period. A variety of pain and movement scales were utilized to determine progress. Patients using the rubber bar had vastly better results on all scales, especially related to strength. In fact, given the consistently poor outcomes for patients in the standard treatment group, it was deemed appropriate to terminate the randomization with 21 of the intended 30 patients having already completed the study.'Compared to other treatments for tennis elbow such as cortisone injections or topical nitric oxide which require direct medical supervision and often side effects, this treatment is not only cost effective but dosage is not limited by the patient having to come to a clinic,' said Tyler.
Global warming may increase dispersal of flora in Northern forests
new research has indicated that an increase in temperature of only a couple of degrees may increase the dispersal of plants in Northern forests and the spread of plant species into forest clearings after felling or forest fires.The research, in the impact of global warming on seed and pollen dispersal, was led by University of Helsinki researcher Anna Kuparinen. The goal was to learn whether global warming would accelerate the dispersal of plant populations in forests. The research group utilized the micrometeorological data gathered over a decade at the Hyytiälä Forestry Field Station. Seed and pollen dispersal profoundly affects the dynamics and genetic variation of plant populations. Spreading into more favourable areas will help them survive in the warming climate. Wind conditions play a key role, as turbulent vertical streams, in particular, spread seeds very efficiently, even over long distances. The researchers also discovered that a temperature that is only three degrees Celsius warmer increased the dispersal of seeds and the speed at which populations spread throughout the growth season. Particularly for those plants that have light seeds, the annual spreading speed increased dramatically, by approximately 30 meters. On the basis of these results, it seems that global warming accelerates the spread of plants, but it will not alone be sufficient to help plant populations to relocate to new vegetation zones. However, on a more local level, global warming may have a significant impact, as original and newly introduced species spread faster from one place to another and take over new patches of habitat.
Air travel and driving costs to soar under Labour plan to curb global warming
The cost of air travel and driving is set to soar to pay for the government’s plans to curb global warming due to be unveiled this week.
Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband warned of rising fuel prices as he outlined Labour’s bid to move Britain on to a low carbon economy.
He said people will have to enact ‘big changes’ in their lifestyle.
Labour is also planning to turn the screws on those who refuse to cooperate with the green push
Householders who refuse to take part in energy saving schemes could face higher council tax rates or the threat of higher stamp duty when they sell up.
Mr Miliband will unveil plans to boost renewable energy on Wednesday, which will see householders offered green mortgages to install solar panels and other energy saving devices.
Ministers will also make it easier for those with energy generating devices at home to sell electricity back to the national grid.
Mr Miliband disputed claims that rising fuel costs will add £230 a year to the average household fuel bills.
But he warned voters to prepare for a painful transition from polluting energy sources like coal fired power stations as Britain tried to hit legally binding targets to reduce carbon emissions by 34 per cent by 2020 and by 80 per cent by 2050.
‘I think there are upward pressures on energy prices whatever route we go down,’ he said. ‘I think that the price of flying will go up over time,’ he said.
Government estimates of the cost to consumers will be published on Wednesday.
Mr Miliband said the government would bring in more renewables like wind power, new nuclear power stations and clean fossil fuel energy through carbon capture and storage.
The government will spend £100 billion on renewable sources by 2020, including 7,000 wind turbines.
‘It does mean big changes in people's lives,’ he said. ‘That does mean some costs for transition. My job is to counter those effects as much as I possibly can, helping people with energy efficiency and having tough regulation.’
He insisted that failure to act would be even more costly as climate change produced more extreme weather conditions - from floods to heat waves.
‘We will have a lot more of those extremes of weather and that has got big human costs in Britain,’ he said. ‘It has also got massive financial costs as well, far outweighing any costs of making the transition.’
The green mortgage scheme will enable householders to take out low-interest loans to pay for double-glazing, loft insulation and heat pumps to extract energy from underground.
And under controversial plans, ministers may also relax planning rules, which could see wind turbines on roofs sprouting even in conservation areas and on listed buildings.
Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Greg Clark accused Mr Miliband of stealing ideas from the Tories.
He said: ‘Most of these announcements are taken directly from Conservative proposals launched by David Cameron in the past year.
‘Last year we set out plans for carbon capture projects, and our Low Carbon Economy green paper contained plans for a smart grid and an ambitious home energy efficiency scheme – all things it is speculated the Government is about to announce.
‘With Britain facing an energy crunch in the next ten years and having the third lowest contribution from renewable energy sources it is clear that the last decade has been a scandalously wasted opportunity.'
Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband warned of rising fuel prices as he outlined Labour’s bid to move Britain on to a low carbon economy.
He said people will have to enact ‘big changes’ in their lifestyle.
Labour is also planning to turn the screws on those who refuse to cooperate with the green push
Householders who refuse to take part in energy saving schemes could face higher council tax rates or the threat of higher stamp duty when they sell up.
Mr Miliband will unveil plans to boost renewable energy on Wednesday, which will see householders offered green mortgages to install solar panels and other energy saving devices.
Ministers will also make it easier for those with energy generating devices at home to sell electricity back to the national grid.
Mr Miliband disputed claims that rising fuel costs will add £230 a year to the average household fuel bills.
But he warned voters to prepare for a painful transition from polluting energy sources like coal fired power stations as Britain tried to hit legally binding targets to reduce carbon emissions by 34 per cent by 2020 and by 80 per cent by 2050.
‘I think there are upward pressures on energy prices whatever route we go down,’ he said. ‘I think that the price of flying will go up over time,’ he said.
Government estimates of the cost to consumers will be published on Wednesday.
Mr Miliband said the government would bring in more renewables like wind power, new nuclear power stations and clean fossil fuel energy through carbon capture and storage.
The government will spend £100 billion on renewable sources by 2020, including 7,000 wind turbines.
‘It does mean big changes in people's lives,’ he said. ‘That does mean some costs for transition. My job is to counter those effects as much as I possibly can, helping people with energy efficiency and having tough regulation.’
He insisted that failure to act would be even more costly as climate change produced more extreme weather conditions - from floods to heat waves.
‘We will have a lot more of those extremes of weather and that has got big human costs in Britain,’ he said. ‘It has also got massive financial costs as well, far outweighing any costs of making the transition.’
The green mortgage scheme will enable householders to take out low-interest loans to pay for double-glazing, loft insulation and heat pumps to extract energy from underground.
And under controversial plans, ministers may also relax planning rules, which could see wind turbines on roofs sprouting even in conservation areas and on listed buildings.
Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Greg Clark accused Mr Miliband of stealing ideas from the Tories.
He said: ‘Most of these announcements are taken directly from Conservative proposals launched by David Cameron in the past year.
‘Last year we set out plans for carbon capture projects, and our Low Carbon Economy green paper contained plans for a smart grid and an ambitious home energy efficiency scheme – all things it is speculated the Government is about to announce.
‘With Britain facing an energy crunch in the next ten years and having the third lowest contribution from renewable energy sources it is clear that the last decade has been a scandalously wasted opportunity.'
G8 agrees to limit global warming; China, India resist
The G8 agreed on Wednesday to try to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius and cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent,
With only five months until a new UN climate pact is due to be agreed in Copenhagen, climate change organisations said the G8 had left much work to be done and ducked key issues. China and India resisted signing up for a global goal of halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Developing economies demanded rich nations commit to steeper short term reductions. And while the 2 Celsius goal was adopted for the first time by the United States, Russia, Japan and Canada, it had already been agreed in 1996 by the European Union and its G8 members Germany, Britain, France and Italy. The G8 statement also failed to pinpoint a base year for the 80 percent reduction -- saying it should be "compared to 1990 or more recent years" -- meaning the target was open to interpretation. "The world will recognise that today in Italy we have laid the foundations for a Copenhagen deal that is ambitious, fair and effective," said British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the 2 Celsius (3.6 Farenheit) target, since pre-industrial times, was "clear progress" for the G8. The G8 backed the creation of a global carbon trading market and a fund financed by rich nations to pay for technological change, but it fell short of the $100 billion a year advocated by Britain's Brown and non-governmental groups. "While agreeing to keep temperature rise to below 2 degrees rise Celsius, without a clear plan, money and targets on how to do this the G8 leaders will not have helped to break the deadlock in the UN climate negotiations," said Tobias Muenchmeyer, Greenpeace International political adviser. China's absence key Temperatures have already risen by about 0.7 Celsius since the start of the Industrial Revolution ushered in widespread burning of fossil fuels, the main cause of warming according to the UN Climate Panel. Many developing nations also view two degrees as the threshold beyond which climate change will reach danger levels, with rising seas and more heatwaves, floods and droughts. The temperature target was due to be included in a statement from the 17-member Major Economies Forum (MEF), which groups the G8 plus major developing economies, which will meet on Thursday. Last minute talks to convince MEF members to sign up to the goal of cutting world greenhouse gases by at least 50 percent by 2050 -- adopted by the G8 last year -- unravelled on Tuesday. Delegates said the absence of Chinese leader Hu Jintao, who flew home to deal with an outbreak of ethnic violence in western China, dashed hopes of an eleventh hour breakthrough. "China's not here so they cannot move anywhere: there will be no agreement tomorrow in the MEF text on 50 percent. We will take this up again at the G20 when China is present," said a senior European G8 source involved in the talks. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said emerging countries appeared willing to sign up to long-term emissions goals if rich nations would agree to tough targets by 2020. The G8 statement called for "robust" medium-target cutbacks, but gave no details.
With only five months until a new UN climate pact is due to be agreed in Copenhagen, climate change organisations said the G8 had left much work to be done and ducked key issues. China and India resisted signing up for a global goal of halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Developing economies demanded rich nations commit to steeper short term reductions. And while the 2 Celsius goal was adopted for the first time by the United States, Russia, Japan and Canada, it had already been agreed in 1996 by the European Union and its G8 members Germany, Britain, France and Italy. The G8 statement also failed to pinpoint a base year for the 80 percent reduction -- saying it should be "compared to 1990 or more recent years" -- meaning the target was open to interpretation. "The world will recognise that today in Italy we have laid the foundations for a Copenhagen deal that is ambitious, fair and effective," said British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the 2 Celsius (3.6 Farenheit) target, since pre-industrial times, was "clear progress" for the G8. The G8 backed the creation of a global carbon trading market and a fund financed by rich nations to pay for technological change, but it fell short of the $100 billion a year advocated by Britain's Brown and non-governmental groups. "While agreeing to keep temperature rise to below 2 degrees rise Celsius, without a clear plan, money and targets on how to do this the G8 leaders will not have helped to break the deadlock in the UN climate negotiations," said Tobias Muenchmeyer, Greenpeace International political adviser. China's absence key Temperatures have already risen by about 0.7 Celsius since the start of the Industrial Revolution ushered in widespread burning of fossil fuels, the main cause of warming according to the UN Climate Panel. Many developing nations also view two degrees as the threshold beyond which climate change will reach danger levels, with rising seas and more heatwaves, floods and droughts. The temperature target was due to be included in a statement from the 17-member Major Economies Forum (MEF), which groups the G8 plus major developing economies, which will meet on Thursday. Last minute talks to convince MEF members to sign up to the goal of cutting world greenhouse gases by at least 50 percent by 2050 -- adopted by the G8 last year -- unravelled on Tuesday. Delegates said the absence of Chinese leader Hu Jintao, who flew home to deal with an outbreak of ethnic violence in western China, dashed hopes of an eleventh hour breakthrough. "China's not here so they cannot move anywhere: there will be no agreement tomorrow in the MEF text on 50 percent. We will take this up again at the G20 when China is present," said a senior European G8 source involved in the talks. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said emerging countries appeared willing to sign up to long-term emissions goals if rich nations would agree to tough targets by 2020. The G8 statement called for "robust" medium-target cutbacks, but gave no details.
Global warming no myth
John Peterson on July 4 (Letters) argued that global warming was a hoax. The counter-evidence is convincing.
Google lists about 37.6 million articles on global warming, including articles both pro and con. Obviously not all articles are credible. The purpose of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, created in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization and the U.N. Environmental Programme, is to evaluate the state of climate science primarily on the basis of peer-reviewed and published scientific literature. The IPCC publishes its report only about every five years, as it responds to comments from over 50,000 scientists worldwide, so the process is tedious.
The conservative IPCC reports have gradually gone from being tentative on global warming to being positive. Peer review is the process of giving credibility to scientific reports by requiring experts in the area of the report to critically evaluate, in writing, the candidate report.
Prior to publication, such a report must satisfy the reviewers or it is not published. At last count, 928 global warming reports agreed that global warming is real: Zero peer-reviewed published reports stated that mankind was not causing global warming.
Julian Powers
Google lists about 37.6 million articles on global warming, including articles both pro and con. Obviously not all articles are credible. The purpose of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, created in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization and the U.N. Environmental Programme, is to evaluate the state of climate science primarily on the basis of peer-reviewed and published scientific literature. The IPCC publishes its report only about every five years, as it responds to comments from over 50,000 scientists worldwide, so the process is tedious.
The conservative IPCC reports have gradually gone from being tentative on global warming to being positive. Peer review is the process of giving credibility to scientific reports by requiring experts in the area of the report to critically evaluate, in writing, the candidate report.
Prior to publication, such a report must satisfy the reviewers or it is not published. At last count, 928 global warming reports agreed that global warming is real: Zero peer-reviewed published reports stated that mankind was not causing global warming.
Julian Powers
Global warming no myth
John Peterson on July 4 (Letters) argued that global warming was a hoax. The counter-evidence is convincing.
Google lists about 37.6 million articles on global warming, including articles both pro and con. Obviously not all articles are credible. The purpose of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, created in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization and the U.N. Environmental Programme, is to evaluate the state of climate science primarily on the basis of peer-reviewed and published scientific literature. The IPCC publishes its report only about every five years, as it responds to comments from over 50,000 scientists worldwide, so the process is tedious.
The conservative IPCC reports have gradually gone from being tentative on global warming to being positive. Peer review is the process of giving credibility to scientific reports by requiring experts in the area of the report to critically evaluate, in writing, the candidate report.
Prior to publication, such a report must satisfy the reviewers or it is not published. At last count, 928 global warming reports agreed that global warming is real: Zero peer-reviewed published reports stated that mankind was not causing global warming.
Google lists about 37.6 million articles on global warming, including articles both pro and con. Obviously not all articles are credible. The purpose of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, created in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization and the U.N. Environmental Programme, is to evaluate the state of climate science primarily on the basis of peer-reviewed and published scientific literature. The IPCC publishes its report only about every five years, as it responds to comments from over 50,000 scientists worldwide, so the process is tedious.
The conservative IPCC reports have gradually gone from being tentative on global warming to being positive. Peer review is the process of giving credibility to scientific reports by requiring experts in the area of the report to critically evaluate, in writing, the candidate report.
Prior to publication, such a report must satisfy the reviewers or it is not published. At last count, 928 global warming reports agreed that global warming is real: Zero peer-reviewed published reports stated that mankind was not causing global warming.
HOT-AIR 'CONSENSUS'
Memo to the cap-and-taxers on Capitol Hill, who want the United States to cripple its economy by "leading the way" on curbing carbon-gas emissions to halt global warming, or climate change, or whatever the term du jour is:
That's the message that came out of the latest G-8 summit in Italy, where President Obama hoped to reach a comprehensive international agreement on capping heat-trapping gases by mid-century.
Seems developing nations like China, Mexico, Brazil and India -- which are responsible for an increasingly greater share of global carbon emissions -- refused to endorse a proposal that would have them cut such emissions in half by 2050, with industrialized countries cutting theirs by 80%.
China, India, et al. understand that placing severe restrictions on their industrial output would bring their rise out of poverty to a shuddering halt -- and they have no intention of committing economic suicide.
No reasonable person would expect otherwise.
Still, without their support, any comprehensive climate deal would effectively be worthless.
Which is what the US Senate understood back during the Clinton administration when it unanimously rejected the Kyoto Protocol -- which placed binding emission-reduction targets only on developed countries like the United States.
True, the developing nations signed on to a statement recognizing that average global temperatures should not rise more than 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit -- but without committing themselves to reducing emissions to pursue that outcome.
As far as President Obama is concerned, that's a historic, actionable consensus on global warming.
But the Senate needs to read the fine print before signing on to a program that threatens to bankrupt our economy -- especially since so much of the rest of the world is unwilling to go along.
That's the message that came out of the latest G-8 summit in Italy, where President Obama hoped to reach a comprehensive international agreement on capping heat-trapping gases by mid-century.
Seems developing nations like China, Mexico, Brazil and India -- which are responsible for an increasingly greater share of global carbon emissions -- refused to endorse a proposal that would have them cut such emissions in half by 2050, with industrialized countries cutting theirs by 80%.
China, India, et al. understand that placing severe restrictions on their industrial output would bring their rise out of poverty to a shuddering halt -- and they have no intention of committing economic suicide.
No reasonable person would expect otherwise.
Still, without their support, any comprehensive climate deal would effectively be worthless.
Which is what the US Senate understood back during the Clinton administration when it unanimously rejected the Kyoto Protocol -- which placed binding emission-reduction targets only on developed countries like the United States.
True, the developing nations signed on to a statement recognizing that average global temperatures should not rise more than 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit -- but without committing themselves to reducing emissions to pursue that outcome.
As far as President Obama is concerned, that's a historic, actionable consensus on global warming.
But the Senate needs to read the fine print before signing on to a program that threatens to bankrupt our economy -- especially since so much of the rest of the world is unwilling to go along.
Leading brain researcher explains how Transcendental Meditation supports success in life
'Whatever you want to do and be you can do and be.' This was the message of Dr Fred Travis*, one of the world's leading researchers into the connection of brain functioning and higher states of consciousness, when he spoke to top educators and business people during his recent highly successful tour of Great Britain. Please also see Part I and Part II of this series. In his presentations, Dr Travis described with great clarity how the Transcendental Meditation Programme benefits brain functioning and every area of life. Dr Travis explained that in order to increase 'the power output of any system, you need to increase the connection between the elements of the system. In terms of the brain it's the frontal lobes—the frontal lobes actually connect all other parts of the brain. 'When the frontal lobes are more connected, the brain works as one. That means the brain can be more creative, it can be more successful, performance can be higher. 'When you solve a problem by creative insight, you find that the frontal lobes are more active. When you have to make a decision with incomplete information—which is what all businesses need to do—frontal areas are more activated. 'The good news is you can actually increase the integration of the frontal areas of your brain. Transcendental Meditation practice does this. What you see is increased activation of the frontal areas while the mind is completely quiet. And with regular practice this deep silence and heightened alertness during meditation practice is seen afterwards in activity. 'Your brain changes throughout your life. Your brain is not a rock; it's a river. Every time you see or hear something it creates a wave of electrical activity that goes to the left, to the right, to the back, to the front, and it leaves its impressions in the brain in terms of greater connections between specific circuits. 'That means every time you do something today, you're strengthening circuits so you can do it better tomorrow. So the reality of life is we create our own destiny in a very physical way. If we want to be good at tennis, we just need to put in the hours and we'll be great at tennis. Whatever you want to do or be you can do and be. 'Transcendental Meditation leads to a new experience, an experience where your alert attentional circuits are more active, the frontal areas are more integrated, at the same time you're more quiet—''restful alertness''. And this state of restful alertness has its own associated brain circuits with it. 'What you see is that the brain patterns during meditation begin to be seen during activity. That means that when you're in a very turbulent, trying time, you've added something new to your experience—inner stability, inner rest, inner expansion. 'This is the value of adding Transcendental Meditation to your life. You begin to change those brain circuits so you can have fullness and alertness, inner stability, happiness in whatever situation you're in,' Dr Travis concluded. *Dr Fred Travis is the Director of the Center for Brain, Consciousness, and Cognition at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, USA
Potato famine disease striking home gardens in US
Late blight, which caused the Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s and 1850s, is killing potato and tomato plants in home gardens from Maine to Ohio and threatening commercial and organic farms, U.S. plant scientists said on Friday. 'Late blight has never occurred this early and this widespread in the United States,' said Meg McGrath, a plant pathologist at Cornell University's extension center in Riverhead, New York. She said the fungal disease, spread by spores carried in the air, has made its way into the garden centers of large retail chains in the Northeastern United States. 'Wal-mart, Home Depot, Sears, Kmart, and Lowe's are some of the stores the plants have been seen in,' McGrath said in a telephone interview. The disease, known officially as Phytophthora infestans, causes large mold-ringed olive-green or brown spots on plant leaves, blackened stems, and can quickly wipe out weeks of tender care in a home garden. McGrath said in her 21 years of research, she has only seen five outbreaks in the United States. The destructive disease can spread rapidly in cooler, moist weather, infecting an entire field within days. 'What's unique about it this year is we have never seen plants affected in garden centers being sold to home gardeners,' she said. This year's cool, wet weather created perfect conditions for the disease. 'Hopefully, it will turn sunny,' McGrath said. 'If we get into our real summer hot dry weather, this disease is going to slow way down.' FUNGICIDES WILL CONTROL BLIGHT According to its website, the University Maryland's Plant Diagnostic Lab got a suspect tomato sample as early as June 12, very early in the tomato growing season, which runs from April-September. McGrath said the risk is that many gardeners will not recognize it, putting commercial farms and especially organic growers at risk. 'My concern is for growers. They are going to have to put a lot more time and effort in trying to control the disease. It's going to be a very tough year,' she said. 'This pathogen can move great distances in the air. It often does little jumps, but it can make some big leaps.' McGrath said the impact on the farmer will depend on how much the pathogen is spread. 'Eastern New York is seeing a lot of disease,' she said. She said commercial farmers will be able to use fungicides containing chlorothalonil to control the blight. And while some sprays have also been approved for organic use, many organic farmers do not use them, making it much harder to control. 'If they are not on top of this right from the very beginning, it can go very fast,' she said.
A beautiful vision of the Maharishi Light Therapy with Gems Practitioner Training Course
Speaking at the recent graduation ceremony for participants in the international Maharishi Light Therapy with Gems Practitioners Training Course, Dr Joachim Roller, department head for the new therapy, said that gems are a modality of Maharishi Ayur-Veda designed to help realize higher states of consciousness. 'Human beings are designed and constructed in harmony with the design of the whole universe,' he said. 'Gemstones can give us the same experience of great expansion and wholeness that comes from the reverberation of the Self, Atma, within itself [experienced during the Transcendental Meditation Programme] and they help re-establish the connection between us and the cosmos.' Dr Iris Roller explained that the training course has intellectual, experiential, and practical aspects and includes study of principles, practice, and application of Maharishi Light Therapy with Gems as developed under the direct guidance of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. This is a programme of Vedic Medicine (Consciousness-Based Health Care), she said, which combines the ancient knowledge of gems in Ayurveda with modern technology. Through the application of light, the orderly and intelligent quality of gems is harnessed to awaken the inner intelligence of the physiology of the person receiving treatment, helping to improve health and bring balance to body and mind. 'Maharishi Light Therapy with Gems also helps to refine perception, leading to the development of higher states of consciousness,' she said. 'This is a gentle and very profound method for developing invincibility for the individual. Experience shows not only that is it a very blissful experience to have Maharishi Light Therapy with Gems treatment, but also that to give this treatment to others is like bathing in light!' 'It is such a beautiful vision that Dr Joachim Roller and Dr Iris Roller have given us—of the orderly and nourishing qualities of gems being harnessed by the light, and then transferred to the physiology and consciousness of the person receiving treatment,' commented Dr Peter Swan, Minister of Communication for the Global Country of World Peace. 'Now, with the graduation of the students, Maharishi Light Therapy with Gems treatment will be offered in twelve countries.'
Canadian farmers opposed to GM wheat: survey
Canadian farmers oppose the introduction of genetically modified wheat until market conditions change, a Canadian Wheat Board survey has found. In the CWB's annual survey of 1,300 Western Canadian farmers, only 9 percent said GMO wheat should be grown as soon as it's available, with the majority saying it shouldn't be grown until conditions are met such as proving benefits to farmers and demonstrating market demand. Nineteen percent said it should not be grown in Canada. Farmers were close to evenly split when asked how interested they are in growing GM wheat. Fifty-one percent said they're not interested, with 46 percent very or somewhat interested. 'My sense is that farmers are mostly taking an economic look at it,' said CWB chairman Larry Hill, a farmer in the western province of Saskatchewan. 'They're pretty aware that there's not major acceptance by customers and if it's going to be introduced they want to be sure it's going to make them money.' Canadian farmers grow other GMO crops, particularly canola, but there's greater sensitivity around wheat because it's a direct human food ingredient unlike canola which is crushed for vegetable oil or biofuel, Hill said. Debate about genetically modified wheat resurfaced in May when farmer groups in the top wheat-exporting countries of Canada, the United States and Australia jointly called for synchronized production of GMO wheat. Other farm and environmental groups later issued a joint statement of opposition. A new publicly funded academic study, to be published this week in the journal Environmental Science and Pollution Research, shows Canadian farmers were overwhelmingly opposed in 2004 to Monsanto's aborted proposal for herbicide-resistant genetically modified wheat. That study surveyed 1,566 Prairie farmers five years ago and found 83 percent disagreed Roundup-Ready wheat should be commercially developed. Farmers felt the benefits of Roundup-Ready wheat outweighed the risks of losing markets, increasing corporate control of the food supply and contamination of non-GMO crops, said Ian Mauro, the lead author and a post-doctoral fellow at University of Victoria in British Columbia. 'All of the research indicates that the marketplace is very sensitive to any GM trait and what we found is farmers are concerned about market risks,' Mauro said. 'Although we've identified the risks specific to Roundup-Ready wheat, I can definitely see that many of them could apply to other GM wheat.' The Roundup-Ready wheat survey is irrelevant today because five years have passed and Monsanto is no longer pursuing that or any GMO wheat, said Trish Jordan, the company's spokeswoman in Canada. The CWB's results aren't surprising because no private companies are known to be developing GMO wheat, she said. 'In the absence of having that information (on potential GMO benefits) it's very difficult for a farmer to decide,' Jordan said, adding that market acceptance would also be critical. Syngenta AG, the world's largest agrochemical group, said in February it's not actively pursuing genetically modified wheat because of consumer resistance.
Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture at the centre of France
The Transcendental Meditation organization in France owns nine hectares of land at the Brahma-Sthan* (geographical centre) of France where three years ago, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi asked Dr Dominique Lemoine, National Director of France for the Global Country of World Peace, and a team of Transcendental Meditation Teachers to begin a project to create a Maharishi Peace Colony** there. They have been cultivating the land and are now selling beautiful flowers and organic vegetables. They also have honey bees and gather their honey for use by the organization. Dr Lemoine said there is also a possibility for 67 hectares of beautiful land near the Brahma-Sthan, with a lake, rivers, hills, meadows, and forests, for which the zoning has been changed from agricultural to residential. This land would offer the potential to build about 200-300 houses, so about 800 people could live there in different types of houses and apartments. There could also be a possibility of building a Maharishi Spa, Maharishi School and facilities for a university and for Maharishi Vedic Pandits. Everything is possible there, Dr Lemoine said. Town officials are supportive of the project. Because it is a rural area, it has a very deep silence, 'no pollution or industry, no noise except a few tractors, so it's a very beautiful place for creating a peace colony,' Dr Lemoine said. * Brahma-Sthan: Dr Eike Hartmann, Minister of Global Reconstruction for the Global Country of World Peace, has explained that the centre point of a country has a very special and precious quality of balance and unifying wholeness. In the Vedic language, this central place is called Brahma-Sthan, and from here, the wholeness of life can be administered according to the Constitution of the Universe, the Will of God, which silently administers the ever-expanding universe in perfect order and harmony. ** Peace Colony: A community founded to help create invincibility for a nation, based on Maharishi's Vedic Science and its practical applications for living perfection in all areas of life—featuring a Maharishi Peace Palace, Maharishi School, Maharishi Ayur-Veda Health Centre, homes, and buildings for group practice of Yogic Flying—all built according to Vedic Architecture, Maharishi Sthapatya Veda.
Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture at the centre of France
The Transcendental Meditation organization in France owns nine hectares of land at the Brahma-Sthan* (geographical centre) of France where three years ago, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi asked Dr Dominique Lemoine, National Director of France for the Global Country of World Peace, and a team of Transcendental Meditation Teachers to begin a project to create a Maharishi Peace Colony** there. They have been cultivating the land and are now selling beautiful flowers and organic vegetables. They also have honey bees and gather their honey for use by the organization. Dr Lemoine said there is also a possibility for 67 hectares of beautiful land near the Brahma-Sthan, with a lake, rivers, hills, meadows, and forests, for which the zoning has been changed from agricultural to residential. This land would offer the potential to build about 200-300 houses, so about 800 people could live there in different types of houses and apartments. There could also be a possibility of building a Maharishi Spa, Maharishi School and facilities for a university and for Maharishi Vedic Pandits. Everything is possible there, Dr Lemoine said. Town officials are supportive of the project. Because it is a rural area, it has a very deep silence, 'no pollution or industry, no noise except a few tractors, so it's a very beautiful place for creating a peace colony,' Dr Lemoine said. * Brahma-Sthan: Dr Eike Hartmann, Minister of Global Reconstruction for the Global Country of World Peace, has explained that the centre point of a country has a very special and precious quality of balance and unifying wholeness. In the Vedic language, this central place is called Brahma-Sthan, and from here, the wholeness of life can be administered according to the Constitution of the Universe, the Will of God, which silently administers the ever-expanding universe in perfect order and harmony. ** Peace Colony: A community founded to help create invincibility for a nation, based on Maharishi's Vedic Science and its practical applications for living perfection in all areas of life—featuring a Maharishi Peace Palace, Maharishi School, Maharishi Ayur-Veda Health Centre, homes, and buildings for group practice of Yogic Flying—all built according to Vedic Architecture, Maharishi Sthapatya Veda.
Rising coherence leads to a greener world: Trends in gardening and sustainable agriculture
Coherence-creating groups in a few countries are lifting the collective consciousness globally. These groups of Yogic Flyers—practitioners of the Transcendental Meditation Technique and Transcendental Meditation Sidhi Programme—are dedicated to creating peace for their nations and the world. When the number of Yogic Flyers reaches the square root of one percent of a nation's population, that country is said to be invincible, according to the Global Country of World Peace, the educational organization established by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Founder of the Transcendental Meditation Programme. As a result of the continuing Invincible America Assembly, the Invincible Holland Assembly, school groups in Invincible Latin America, and the Maharishi Vedic Pandits in India, positivity is rising worldwide. This article highlights examples of increased coherence reflected in the trend toward the greening of urban areas, sustainable agriculture, and organic gardening. An interest in healthy eating, self-sufficiency, and a desire to reduce carbon emissions caused by food imports is motivating a 'green revolution' in thinking, said a spokesperson for the Global Country of World Peace. • The BBC reports, 'Queen goes green with veg patch'. Her Majesty, the Queen of England has established The Royal Sustainable Vegetable Patch inside the 40-acre grounds of Buckingham Palace. The garden will provide vegetables for the palace and guests. The manager of the garden said the aim is to inspire people to grow more of their own food, and to get families and children involved in the wholesome activity of gardening. • The First Lady of the USA, Michelle Obama, has planted an organic vegetable garden at the White House. • A crime-ridden district of Tokyo, with a population of 500,000, has turned to planting flowers as part of its efforts to reduce crime. Neighborhood watch groups noticed there were fewer burglaries on streets lined with flowers; a city leader commented that the increased attractiveness may have caused people to pay more attention to their neighborhood. 'Operation Flower' began three years ago as part of a wider crime prevention campaign, and since then burglaries have decreased from 1,700 in 2002, to 390 incidents in 2008. • 'Guerrilla gardening' is taking root in many countries. The term, first used in Australia in the 1970s, describes activists who, often at night, transform trash-ridden, unused urban land into attractive green spaces with flowers, vegetables and trees. • Poor farmers are encouraged 'to guard earth's crop riches', reported the New Scientist magazine. A global fund was established last week to pay small-scale farmers to act as custodians of the world's threatened crops. Crop diversity is essential to ensure against food crises that could result from climate change or plant diseases. Among the first of the fund recipients, 'Peruvian farmers will be paid to look after the most diverse collection of potatoes in the world', experimenting with growing conditions at different elevations and climatic zones. The fund is a key element of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Also part of the treaty, a seed vault with over one million seed varieties has been established in Norway to ensure against loss of the genetic diversity of the world's food heritage.
Beauty Products Get Fairtrade Makeover
public from hereafter will be able to buy products including lip balms, face masks, body butters and shower gels from 5 companies including Boots, Bubble & Balm, Essential Care, Lush and Neal's Yard. Each beauty product contains one or more Fairtrade certified ingredient such as cocoa butter, shea nut butter, sugar or brazil nut oil, benefitting disadvantaged producers from countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. To date, 57 beauty products have been licensed by the Fairtrade Foundation and it is expected that many more will follow.
Fearne Cotton, TV presenter and long-standing Fairtrade supporter, says: "I am really excited about this new opportunity to transform trade through the way I shop. I've tried out several of the new beauty products for myself and love them. Not only are they great quality, but they make me feel good using them because I know that the farmers who grew the ingredients that went into them are now able to improve their lives."
Beauty products, toiletries and fragrance products play an important part in our lives. In Europe at least 5 billion units of cosmetics[1] are sold each year[2] using around 1.5 million tonnes of ingredients.[3] Increasingly, people are keen to lead a Fairtrade lifestyle and expect sustainable attributes to be an inherent part of the products and services that they buy. In a recent survey by Globescan, 31% of people in the UK said they are interested in purchasing cosmetics carrying the FAIRTRADE Mark. There is huge potential within the beauty and cosmetics sector for producers of existing Fairtrade certified ingredients and also of potential new ingredients or their derivatives to benefit from this new market opportunity.
Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation says: "It's great news that now the beauty industry will get a Fairtrade makeover and the farmers who grow the natural ingredients will get a fairer deal because we think they're worth it. This exciting launch brings much needed positive change for producers who need Fairtrade now more than ever. The public has said they want to lead a sustainable lifestyle and this is the next step along the path to looking good and feeling great. So go out and treat yourself to these great new products!"
Introducing Fairtrade labelling to beauty products will increase the overall number of Fairtrade products in UK shops and the volumes of ingredients which producers are able to sell under Fairtrade terms, which in turn increases the benefits back to farmers.
Ms Nana Yago, a Fairtrade shea nut producer from Burkina Faso says: "When we work together, we can help many people out of poverty. Most importantly, Fairtrade enables us to help ourselves and to support each other. The premium allows us to offer training courses to the women in our group. They learn to write and can see how important it is to have their independence in life. The status of women in our society has now increased."
Landlocked Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world. Ms Yago is a member of the Union of Women Producers of Shea Products of the Sissili and Ziro provinces, a group representing 2,000 women. The group was set up to improve the position of women involved in shea butter production, most of whom are illiterate, and reduce poverty in the villages. Traditional shea butter processing is done by village women who gather, boil and sun-dry the nuts before they are pounded and ground to a paste. The paste is mixed with water to separate the fat, which is then manually churned into creamy butter.
Through Fairtrade labelled beauty products, producers will benefit in three ways.
1. Producers will get the Fairtrade minimum price plus a premium, a bit extra to invest in community projects such as schools and healthcare.2. The companies behind the products will have a partnership plan in place showing how they will additionally support producers to develop their businesses and communities.3. The Fairtrade Foundation has worked hard to set minimum thresholds of Fairtrade ingredients at levels which allow best selling volume lines of beauty products containing natural ingredients to be certified.
Notes to Editors
1. The FAIRTRADE Mark is a certification mark and a registered trademark of Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO) of which the Fairtrade Foundation is the UK member. The Fairtrade Foundation is an independent certification body which licenses the use of the FAIRTRADE Mark on products which meet international Fairtrade standards. This independent consumer label is now recognised by 70% of UK consumers and appears on products as a guarantee that disadvantaged producers are getting a better deal. Today, more than 7.5 million people - farmers, workers and their families - across 58 developing countries benefit from the international Fairtrade system.
2. Thresholds defined within the Cosmetics policy for a product to be eligible for Fairtrade labelling have been set at the following wet weight formulation levels:
Minimum 2% for ‘wash off' products (on a whole product
Minimum 5% for ‘leave on' products (on a whole product basis) e.g. face masks and scrubs
These thresholds open up the potential market for Fairtrade labelling to 53% of the total cosmetics market because they are applicable to the best selling volume lines (where higher thresholds would not) and permit a wide range of cosmetics products to be formulated containing Fairtrade ingredients and their derivatives.
3. Over 4,500 products have been licensed to carry the FAIRTRADE Mark including coffee, tea, herbal teas, chocolate, cocoa, sugar, bananas, grapes, pineapples, mangoes, avocados, apples, pears, plums, grapefruit, lemons, oranges, satsumas, clementines, mandarins, lychees, coconuts, dried fruit, juices, smoothies, biscuits, cakes & snacks, honey, jams & preserves, chutney & sauces, rice, quinoa, herbs & spices, seeds, nuts & nut oil, wines, beers, rum, confectionary, muesli, cereal bars, yoghurt, ice-cream, flowers, sports balls, sugar body scrub and cotton products including clothing, homeware, cloth toys, cotton wool, olive oil and beauty products.
4. Seven in 10 households purchase Fairtrade goods, including an extra 1.3 million more households in 2008, helping Fairtrade sales reach an estimated £700m in 2008, a 43% increase on the previous year. There are over 460 producer organisations selling to the UK and 746 to the global Fairtrade system, representing more than 1.5 million farmers and workers.
[1] Cosmetics defined as all toiletries, skin care, hair care, make up, perfumes and fragrances
[2] Source: European Commission and COLIPA
[3] Figures are extrapolated from Euromonitor data 2005 and from COLIPA data. UK market share is ~17% of EU market. The combined market share for cosmetics in Germany, France and UK is 57% of the EU market.
Fearne Cotton, TV presenter and long-standing Fairtrade supporter, says: "I am really excited about this new opportunity to transform trade through the way I shop. I've tried out several of the new beauty products for myself and love them. Not only are they great quality, but they make me feel good using them because I know that the farmers who grew the ingredients that went into them are now able to improve their lives."
Beauty products, toiletries and fragrance products play an important part in our lives. In Europe at least 5 billion units of cosmetics[1] are sold each year[2] using around 1.5 million tonnes of ingredients.[3] Increasingly, people are keen to lead a Fairtrade lifestyle and expect sustainable attributes to be an inherent part of the products and services that they buy. In a recent survey by Globescan, 31% of people in the UK said they are interested in purchasing cosmetics carrying the FAIRTRADE Mark. There is huge potential within the beauty and cosmetics sector for producers of existing Fairtrade certified ingredients and also of potential new ingredients or their derivatives to benefit from this new market opportunity.
Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation says: "It's great news that now the beauty industry will get a Fairtrade makeover and the farmers who grow the natural ingredients will get a fairer deal because we think they're worth it. This exciting launch brings much needed positive change for producers who need Fairtrade now more than ever. The public has said they want to lead a sustainable lifestyle and this is the next step along the path to looking good and feeling great. So go out and treat yourself to these great new products!"
Introducing Fairtrade labelling to beauty products will increase the overall number of Fairtrade products in UK shops and the volumes of ingredients which producers are able to sell under Fairtrade terms, which in turn increases the benefits back to farmers.
Ms Nana Yago, a Fairtrade shea nut producer from Burkina Faso says: "When we work together, we can help many people out of poverty. Most importantly, Fairtrade enables us to help ourselves and to support each other. The premium allows us to offer training courses to the women in our group. They learn to write and can see how important it is to have their independence in life. The status of women in our society has now increased."
Landlocked Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world. Ms Yago is a member of the Union of Women Producers of Shea Products of the Sissili and Ziro provinces, a group representing 2,000 women. The group was set up to improve the position of women involved in shea butter production, most of whom are illiterate, and reduce poverty in the villages. Traditional shea butter processing is done by village women who gather, boil and sun-dry the nuts before they are pounded and ground to a paste. The paste is mixed with water to separate the fat, which is then manually churned into creamy butter.
Through Fairtrade labelled beauty products, producers will benefit in three ways.
1. Producers will get the Fairtrade minimum price plus a premium, a bit extra to invest in community projects such as schools and healthcare.2. The companies behind the products will have a partnership plan in place showing how they will additionally support producers to develop their businesses and communities.3. The Fairtrade Foundation has worked hard to set minimum thresholds of Fairtrade ingredients at levels which allow best selling volume lines of beauty products containing natural ingredients to be certified.
Notes to Editors
1. The FAIRTRADE Mark is a certification mark and a registered trademark of Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO) of which the Fairtrade Foundation is the UK member. The Fairtrade Foundation is an independent certification body which licenses the use of the FAIRTRADE Mark on products which meet international Fairtrade standards. This independent consumer label is now recognised by 70% of UK consumers and appears on products as a guarantee that disadvantaged producers are getting a better deal. Today, more than 7.5 million people - farmers, workers and their families - across 58 developing countries benefit from the international Fairtrade system.
2. Thresholds defined within the Cosmetics policy for a product to be eligible for Fairtrade labelling have been set at the following wet weight formulation levels:
Minimum 2% for ‘wash off' products (on a whole product
Minimum 5% for ‘leave on' products (on a whole product basis) e.g. face masks and scrubs
These thresholds open up the potential market for Fairtrade labelling to 53% of the total cosmetics market because they are applicable to the best selling volume lines (where higher thresholds would not) and permit a wide range of cosmetics products to be formulated containing Fairtrade ingredients and their derivatives.
3. Over 4,500 products have been licensed to carry the FAIRTRADE Mark including coffee, tea, herbal teas, chocolate, cocoa, sugar, bananas, grapes, pineapples, mangoes, avocados, apples, pears, plums, grapefruit, lemons, oranges, satsumas, clementines, mandarins, lychees, coconuts, dried fruit, juices, smoothies, biscuits, cakes & snacks, honey, jams & preserves, chutney & sauces, rice, quinoa, herbs & spices, seeds, nuts & nut oil, wines, beers, rum, confectionary, muesli, cereal bars, yoghurt, ice-cream, flowers, sports balls, sugar body scrub and cotton products including clothing, homeware, cloth toys, cotton wool, olive oil and beauty products.
4. Seven in 10 households purchase Fairtrade goods, including an extra 1.3 million more households in 2008, helping Fairtrade sales reach an estimated £700m in 2008, a 43% increase on the previous year. There are over 460 producer organisations selling to the UK and 746 to the global Fairtrade system, representing more than 1.5 million farmers and workers.
[1] Cosmetics defined as all toiletries, skin care, hair care, make up, perfumes and fragrances
[2] Source: European Commission and COLIPA
[3] Figures are extrapolated from Euromonitor data 2005 and from COLIPA data. UK market share is ~17% of EU market. The combined market share for cosmetics in Germany, France and UK is 57% of the EU market.
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