Bits n' pieces from east, west and beyond
East, west or beyond, sooner or later events elsewhere may have a local impact.
A recent sampling:
- A severe allergy to products such as meat, dairy, wool and gelatin has been linked to tick bites. It’s becoming more widespread in the nation’s southeast, according to MosaicScience.com. The little-known condition can result in doctors testing for asthma, heart conditions and tumors, when they should be ordering a blood test that checks the immune system’s reaction to mammal meat.
- U.K.’s Swansea University studied people from Eastern and Western societies about what they want in a lifetime mate. Top pick: kindness.
- Last year, at age 8, a girl from Mexico, Xochitle Guadalupe Cruz Lopez, was honored for inventing a solar water heater from all recycled parts. Only this year is her accomplishment being reported in U.S. media. Lopez said she was inspired to create her water heater since people in her region are vulnerable to respiratory illnesses when they have to shower in cold water.
- Some 80% of dogs have oral distress by age three, according to the American Veterinary Dental Association. To ward off dental-related health problems: Brush teeth, get dental cleanings and invest in high quality dental chew-bones that scrape canine teeth and remove built-up waste.
- By 2030 if we do nothing 80% of the planet’s fisheries will be in deep trouble, says Environmental Defense Fund. Almost half the Earth’s people rely on fish for protein. But peer-reviewed research shows using the right fish management policies can result in an increase in fish populations by nearly a third by 2100, despite ocean warming.
- Update for the stethoscope: it looks like a small TV remote but it can record heart sounds as well as electrical signals. The $349 Duo also records data to a mobile app, The Wall Street Journal reports.
- Carbon pricing is gaining popularity in the business sector, according to Ceres, a non-profit that promotes sustainable economies. This year over 75 businesses, including eBay, General Mills, Gap, Levi’s, Nike, Mars Inc., Microsoft and PepsiCo advocated for climate legislation in the nation’s capital. It has not escaped CEO notice that climate change has led to disasters like wildfires, drought, floods and storms that impacts infrastructure and creates $300 billion a year in unnecessary costs. Ceres explains carbon pricing: it’s a government fee that increases over time on carbon pollution and greenhouse gases; it’s intended to provide incentive for bringing down emissions, and to also address costs from emissions that emitters don’t pay for. A Gallup poll found 71% surveyed favor a carbon tax on fossil fuel companies and want the revenue generated to reduce other taxes.
- The world’s four largest garment exporters are China, India, Bangladesh and Vietnam. Oxfam reports that wages for Vietnamese laborers, who work six days a week, are often less than $1 an hour (U.S.) Reward work, not wealth, an Oxfam report, explains that Vietnamese parents typically move to industrial areas without their children, send money home to them, but rarely can afford to visit them.
- Over 3.5 hours a day of TV can lead to memory loss in older people, according to a U.K study. Tests were conducted with two different groups on 3,662 adults 50 and older. Those who watched their sets over 3.5 hours daily showed an eight to 10% decline in verbal memory; those who watched less than that showed a 5% decline. Speculation as to causes of the decline included the TV distracting them from activities that preserve mental function (like reading), or cognitive stress from show content.
- Ditch the poisons: a California study found that 90% of cougar and 88% of bobcats, as well as other wildlife, all had contamination from rat poison. In lieu of rat poison: create a nesting box for barn owls, which can eat 3,000 rodents annually. See hungryowl.org.
- The Farm Journal says support for Donald Trump has gone from 53% before July to 43% now.
- After suspending bee data collection, the Dept. of Agriculture has resumed their research, according to CNN. Data tracked: colony collapse disorder, impacts of climate change and toxic pesticides.
- Make a deal? Newsweek says Donald Trump may want to resign rather than face indictment and impeachment. That resignation would likely include a deal to protect himself, his wealth and his family from legal action. Trump has tweeted that if he’s impeached it could trigger civil war conditions. Harvard law professor John Coates’ comment: “A sitting president threatening civil war if Congress exercises it’s constitutionally authorized power” is cause for impeachment by itself.
Blast from the past: “Before the Freedom of Information Act I used to say ‘the illegal we do immediately. The unconstitutional takes a bit longer.’ ” Attributed to Henry Kissinger, who said it was spoken in jest, in March of 1975. Kissinger served as U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under President Richard Nixon, and as Secretary of State under President Gerald Ford. The FOIA was enacted July 4, 1966 and required the release of previously unreleased federal information, with the intent that decisions made by the government could be evaluated by citizens.