The majority of people recently polled by the BBC stated that they believed sacrifices would be necessary to combat climate change.

The recent poll involved over 22,000 participants from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, and the United States.

The US and China, the two largest producers of carbon emissions also showed a recognition of the necessity for steps to be taken.  read more »

I scored horribly on this test. I'd love to hear how you perform.

This quiz is a series of photos where you are asked to determine the persons race or ethnicity. As the author puts it:

Usually, mislabeling amounts to nothing more than an awkward experience for one or both individuals involved. But in some contexts, such as in the medical field - where exam results, dignoses, and treatment plans may depend on racial categories - the results of mislabeling can be much more signficant such as missed diagnoses, incorrect diagnoses and/or inappropriate treatment protocols.  read more »

Four JCPenney stores have become the first retail buildings in the US to earn the Energy Star label. The four stores save JCPenney's almost $250,000 per year in energy costs, and avoid over 3 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year.  read more »

Through personal experiences and story telling, Queen Rania of Jordan, speaking at the Women’s conference 2007, delivers her message of cross cultural understanding. “Because I am convinced that we are all much more alike than we are different... that the experiences that shape us, no matter where we grow up, bring out the same very human responses -- of tears and laughter, fear and courage, uncertainty and enlightenment. My hope is that you will see part of yourself in me, just as I have seen myself reflected in other women's lives around the world.”  read more »

For too many years, Washington has idled while the planet has warmed. Early action is vital, and so is the need to get it right. While a new Bill proposed by Senators Joe Lieberman and John Warner is encouraging, it falls short. It continues to give global polluters too much for too long. This bill proposes a 51-63% reduction in emissions by 2050 is proposed, but is not sufficient nor reflects the urgency of the crisis. Current science tells us that we must reduce our total greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050 if we are to avoid catastrophic impacts due to global warming.  read more »

Despite China's warning that U.S. plans to honor the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader could damage relations between Beijing and Washington, President George W. Bush hosted the Dalai Lama on Tuesday. H.H. The Dalai Lama was in Washington to receive the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of his advocacy of peace, tolerance, human rights, non-violence, and compassion throughout the world. In order to play down the symbolism of the talks, Bush met the Dalai Lama in the White House residence instead of the Oval Office where he normally welcomes visiting world leaders.  read more »

A new proactive self-care technology will help prevent and detect avoidable health complications. The idea is to develop an integrated health care system based on consumer-health technology These advancements will allow users to prevent crisis and better manage daily routines, and will enable people to better make their own health management decisions..This represents a new view of health care, moving away from that of crisis-management.

http://www.futurehealth.rochester.edu/news/

“I like your ponytail.” I said in a playful manner. “Ponytail?” he repeated in a thick French accent. There and then began the most extraordinary odyssey of my life. It was a warm spring Sunday afternoon, a perfect day to eat at an east village sidewalk restaurant. My friend and I were savoring the delicious, Yemenite food, basking in the glorious sun; engaged in a lively discussion; enjoying watching the myriad of colorful people passing by - we were drinking each moment of life.  read more »

Global economic expansion, particularly in China and India, has accelerated greenhouse gas emissions to a dangerous threshold not expected for a decade and could potentially cause irreversible climate change, said one of Australia's leading scientists, Tim Flannery. He explains that at this point, reducing greenhouse emissions may no longer be enough to prevent dangerous climate change.  read more »

Maude Barlow, one of the world's leading expert on water struggles, explains the leading causes threatening global water supply. Her primary concerns include private corporations polluting our waters, and government's relinquishing control over water supplies to same corporations. She emphasizes the need to develop better water laws to minimize corporate pollution and to insure the supply remains ids of governments rather than privatization.

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