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Feature stories dealing with fitness, diet, and nutrition

This is the latest in a series of topical feature packages PRN will carry as part of its regular Feature News Service. Coming up in 2012 are features on: Fitness, Diet and Nutrition Feature Package

10 Dec 2012

Global CO2 emissions have increased by 58% since 1990

Carbon dioxide emission reductions required to limit global warming to 2-C are becoming a receding goal based on new figures reported today in the latest Global Carbon Project (GCP) calculations published today in the advanced online edition of Nature Climate Change. "A shift to a 2-C pathway requires an immediate, large, and sustained global mitigation effort" says GCP executive-director and CSIRO co-author of the paper, Dr Pep Canadell.

3 Dec 2012

Global food prices remain stable but high, World Bank reports

"Global food prices remained stable, though close to 2008 record levels, the World Bank said on Thursday, as it warned that a 'new norm' of costlier food was setting in and threatening to increase hunger and malnutrition in the world's poorer regions," Reuters reports.

1 Dec 2012

Smoking and tobacco-cessation campaign to be launched by Texas and Mexico institutions

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, the National Institute of Cancer of the United Mexican States, and the Commission of National Institutes and High Specialty Hospitals joined forces today in Mexico City, signing an agreement to develop prevention and control programs to reduce tobacco use in the United States and Mexico, with a focus on Mexican and Mexican-American youth.

30 Nov 2012

Financial Times examines demographic, economic, policy changes affecting global food security

The Financial Times examines "a complex cocktail of demographic, economic, and policy changes that can be blamed for increased pressure on the food supply."

27 Nov 2012

Many microorganisms have ability to combat nitrous oxide

The environment has a more formidable opponent than carbon dioxide. Another greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide, is 300 times more potent and also destroys the ozone layer each time it is released into the atmosphere through agricultural practices, sewage treatment and fossil fuel combustion.

22 Nov 2012

IPS reports on World Toilet Day, observed November 19

Inter Press Service reports on World Toilet Day, observed on November 19, noting, "Currently, over 800 million people have no access to safe drinking water and over 2.5 billion people are living without adequate sanitation."

17 Nov 2012

U.S. announces additional $30M for food aid to Syrians

"The United States announced an extra $30 million in aid to those affected by the war in Syria on Wednesday and called the formation of a new opposition coalition an important step that would help Washington better target its help," Reuters reports.

17 Nov 2012

Lab research can explain how city pollution ends up in Arctic

Pollution from fossil fuel burning and forest fires reaches all the way to the Arctic, even though it should decay long before it travels that far. Now, lab research can explain how pollution makes its lofty journey: rather than ride on the surface of airborne particles, pollutants snuggle inside, protected from the elements on the way. The results will help scientists improve atmospheric air-quality and pollution transport models.

16 Nov 2012

EU Tobacco Products Directive: an interview with Professor John Britton

The EU Products Directive is intended to regulate tobacco products to protect consumers and reduce harms to health that come from using tobacco.

14 Nov 2012

Frist, Richardson emphasize importance of foreign aid in moderated discussion

The Global Washington blog summarizes a discussion about the role of U.S. foreign aid that took place last week in Columbus, Ohio, between former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and former Gov. Bill Richardson (D-N.M.).

3 Nov 2012

Red Cross provides aid and comfort to thousands affected by Sandy's wrath

The American Red Cross has a massive response to Superstorm Sandy underway to help people across multiple states.

3 Nov 2012

Hurricane Sandy’s impact on home care: an interview with Joanne Cunningham

Home care agencies, like all health providers, have only a matter of days to prepare for a specific weather event like Hurricane Sandy. However, disaster preparedness planning is a core function of home care service providers.

2 Nov 2012

EU Tobacco Products Directive further delayed

The EU’s revised Tobacco Products Directive – which was set to place substantial new restrictions on tobacco companies’ promotion of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, including banning “e-cigarettes” – is dangerously close to stalling, and “further delay will raise serious questions about whose interest the EU Commission is promoting”, according to the authors of a Comment, published in The Lancet.

26 Oct 2012

U.N. SG Ban says hunger fight needs political will, innovation at World Food Prize ceremony

"Innovative approaches and technologies as well as a strong political will from countries are essential to combat hunger," according to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who spoke Thursday night in Des Moines, Iowa, at an event to recognize the winner of the World Food Prize, the U.N. News Centre reports.

20 Oct 2012

Concordia-France research collaboration appeals to emotions to heal the world

Einstein said that we can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking used when we created them. Wise words, except few people heed them when it comes to sustainable solutions for our ailing planet.

20 Oct 2012

Multi-system exposure related illness (MERI)

The Global Health Network has released a new paper titled “Common Toxins in our Homes, Schools and Workplaces.” According to an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) spokesman, indoor air pollution causes 50% of illnesses globally. This statistic should catch the attention of every physician, every lawmaker and every layperson reading this paper. That’s more than all the cancers and all the heart disease combined. It is time we started to pay more attention to the indoor air we breathe. It is staggering to comprehend the enormous impact on our global society as literally millions of individuals and families are harmed by contaminants inside our homes, schools and workplaces.

16 Oct 2012