Recycling not always an energy and resource saver, study finds

(NaturalNews) A recent study conducted by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has found that remanufacturing or recycling certain products actually uses more energy than simply using new products. Published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology , the findings cast doubt on the notion that remanufacturing things like old tires and used motor cores always helps to save energy and resources in the long run. Timothy Gutowski, professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT, and his colleagues conducted 25 case studies on products in eight different categories and found that for every remanufactured product that appeared to have a net energy savings, there was another that had a net energy loss. And even among those with net savings, the benefits were often minute or even negligible. The team calculated energy use not simply as it concerned the actual remanufacturing process, but also how the reused product performed over its lifetime compared to new products. In many cases, new technologies outperformed the remanufactured devices in terms of energy efficiency, meaning that over the course of their life, “new and improved” products actually saved more energy than reused products from an older generation. Even with used tires, which are often retreaded and reused, researchers found that rolling resistance was slightly higher than in new tires, which over the course of the reused tires’ life represents a net energy loss compared to new tires. In other words, more gas is needed to power a car using remanufactured tires than one using new tires, which to some defeats the point of even using remanufactured tires in the first place. “You think you’re doing the right thing, it sounds so simple,” said Gutowski, concerning the idea of recycling and reusing to save energy and resources. “[But] things are far more complicated than we expect.” Gutowski and his team noted that regardless of energy usage, remanufacturing still helps to save resources by lowering the impact of waste on landfills and the environment, in most cases. So even if a remanufactured device is not as energy-efficient as a new device, its reused parts can have a more beneficial impact on tangible resource. Sources for this story include: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-05/miot-mnw051611.php

Woman convicted of murder could face life in prison for trying to protect her autistic son from chemotherapy

(NaturalNews) The US justice system has turned over a new leaf in judicial insanity with the recent murder conviction of Kristen LaBrie, a 38-year-old woman whose autistic son died of cancer in 2009. According to Essex District Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts, LaBrie was found guilty on all charges made against her, including attempted murder, permitting serious bodily injury to a disabled person, permitting substantial injury to a child, and reckless endangerment of a child — all for making the personal medical choice to stop administering deadly chemotherapy drugs to her son (http://www.naturalnews.com/031989_chemotherapy_murder.html). “I was really scared that he just had had it. He was just not capable of getting through any more chemotherapy … he was very, very fragile,” LaBrie testified in court, referencing the fact that the chemotherapy drugs were essentially killing her son more than the actual cancer was. “I did not want to have to make him get any more sick. If he got any sicker than he was, I thought he would die, and I thought that he would die with me at home.” LaBrie faces up to 20 years in prison for “attempted murder,” up to ten years for “permitting serious bodily injury to a disabled person,” and up to five years each for “permitting substantial injury to a child” and “reckless endangerment of a child.” The case is a chilling indicator of just how out-of-control the medical-industrial complex has become. Chemotherapy, as many NaturalNews readers know, has a dismal success rate. The poison treatment more often than not kills cancer patients more quickly than they would otherwise die if given no treatment at all. And yet making the personal choice to avoid this fatal poison can get you convicted of murder. Interestingly, when 27-year-old Gary Foster of Essex, UK, died as a result of chemotherapy several years ago, those administering the drug trial he participated in were not convicted of murder. Instead, the courts merely agreed on a settlement (hush money) to reimburse the family for their loss (http://www.naturalnews.com/030966_chemotherapy_lawsuit.html). Essex Assistant District Attorney Kate B. MacDougall led the charges against LaBrie, and Superior Court Judge Richard Welch presided over the case. If you wish to contact the Essex District Attorney’s Office to express your thoughts, you can do so by calling (978) 745-6610. Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/12/us-crime-cancer-idUSTRE73B54V20110412 http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/beverly/2011/04/kristen_labrie_jurors_ask_judg.html http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=deaspressrelease&L=1&L0=Home&sid=Deas&b=pressrelease&f=july_09_labrie_indicted&csid=Deas

Japan radiation detected in at least 15 states and in milk samples in Washington state

(NaturalNews) Radioactive isotopes unique to the Fukushima disaster are now being detected in at least 15 US states, according to recent reports from CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/03/28/radiation.us/index.html). And the Associated Press (AP) has issued a report claiming that milk samples taken in Washington state have tested positive for low levels of the same radioactive component, Iodine-131, raising concerns about the true widespread effects of the Fukushima nuclear fallout (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/03/30/state/n145310D86.DTL&tsp=1). The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and various state and local authorities continue to repeat the same empty reassurances that all detected levels of radiation — whether they be in air, water, or food — are far below levels of concern, and that people do not need to worry or do anything in response. But is this sound advice? Earlier in the week, several nuclear facilities in North and South Carolina, as well as in Florida, reportedly detected low levels of Iodine-131 in the air (http://www.naturalnews.com/031881_radiation_Fukushima.html). That same radiation has also been detected across the West Coast, as well as in northeastern states like Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, which clearly indicates that Fukushima radiation has made its way throughout the US, at least in very low levels. But now, reports have been issued claiming that milk samples from Washington state have also turned up contaminated with Iodine-131. The levels were allegedly far lower than the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concern limits for the radioactive particles, but they are not necessarily safe even at the levels being detected. According to the FDA “Radiation Safety” website, the Derived Intervention Level (DIL) for Iodine-131 is 170 becquerels per kilogram (Bq/kg) (http://www.fda.gov/newsevents/publichealthfocus/ucm247403.htm). A Wall Street Journal report of the milk incident explains that the Washington samples contained only 0.8 picocuries per liter (pCi/l), or 0.03 Bq/kg. That level is clearly far lower than the FDA’s DIL for Iodine-131, but is any level of this radiation actually “safe”? And what about the other more serious types of radioactive particles being emitted from Fukushima that authorities appear to not even be looking for? Based on Japanese guidelines for radiation safety, Iodine-131 is the least of our worries. Cesium, uranium, and plutonium all have much lower maximum “concern” thresholds, with plutonium being the most serious. A Bloomberg report explains that just one Bq/kg of plutonium is enough to cause major concern if found in water or milk (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-21/japan-sets-safe-limits-for-consuming-radiation-contaminated-food-table-.html). Are authorities testing for plutonium and the other serious radioactive particles that we know have escaped from the Fukushima plant? The mainstream media has mostly abandoned the Fukushima incident in favor of the newly-instigated war in Libya. And yet reports are still continuing to trickle in — though mostly without much fanfare — concerning Japan radiation popping up across the US in air, water, and now food. But all the while, the EPA and others repeatedly dismiss the situation as being no big deal, despite the fact that conditions at Fukushima have basically reached a frightening dead end (http://www.naturalnews.com/031894_Fukushima_meltdown.html). As we keep saying here at NaturalNews, preparedness is key. And preparedness, of course, does not involve panic. It does, however, involve using your critical thinking skills to evaluate the seriousness of the situation, consider the anomalies surrounding the official US government position on it, and take appropriate steps to prepare you and your family for whatever may soon come as a result.

Organic dairy farmer Francis Thicke promotes House File 394, the Iowa raw milk bill

(NaturalNews) Iowa is one of only 11 states that prohibits any form of raw milk sales to the public. In fact, Iowa has one of the most oppressive anti-raw milk political climates in the US. But a new bill being spearheaded by former candidate for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Francis Thicke could change all that. If passed, House File 394 will allow direct-from-the-farm sales of raw milk to Iowans. Many NaturalNews readers may remember Francis Thicke’s bid for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture back in October when he lost to longtime Big Ag-lackey Bill Northey. Thicke’s platform aimed to strengthen Iowa’s economy by promoting small-scale and sustainable farming methods, phasing out the industrial agricultural practices that serve big business rather than the people of Iowa, and promoting food freedom ((http://www.naturalnews.com/030206_Francis_Thicke_Iowa.html). One of Thicke’s primary food freedom goals has been to restore the freedom to buy and sell raw milk in the state of Iowa. After all, legalizing raw milk sets a greater precedent of upholding freedom of food choice in general. So naturally, Thicke has been behind House File 394, which the Economic Growth/Rebuild Iowa Committee recently voted in favor of, and subsequently recommended for passage by the legislature. “People want it (raw milk), and it’s a matter of principal actually … giving people the freedom to that opportunity to buy what they want to buy,” Thicke is quoted as saying in Blog for Iowa . “(The bill) only would allow sales directly from farmers to consumers … the general public would not have access to it unless they sought it out.” But just like what has happened in several other states that have tried to pass new or expanded raw milk bills, industry lobbyists have come out in full force against the proposal. According to Blog for Iowa , 36 industry lobbyists representing industrial agriculture, government, medical groups, and even retailers, have signed on to fight the bill. Their baseless arguments range from the typical pseudo-science about the inherent “dangers” of raw milk, to fears that potential illness outbreaks could affect pasteurized milk sales. Other states with pending raw milk legislation as of this writing include Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming (http://www.farmtoconsumer.org/raw-milk-bills-031011.htm). Sources for this story include: http://www.blogforiowa.com/blog/_archives/2011/3/13/4769859.html

Several states consider loosening raw milk restrictions as FDA tries to tighten them

(NaturalNews) As the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) evaluates ways to further restrict Americans’ access to raw milk and raw milk products, several US states are considering legislation to loosen the regulatory noose that limits freedom of food choice. Texas, Oregon, Minnesota, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin all have pending legislation to legalize raw milk sales, relax sale restrictions that make buying the product difficult, or for the first time decriminalize raw milk sales with restrictions. Recently, the FDA decided to target raw milk cheese, suggesting that it is more dangerous that pasteurized cheese and thus may require increased limitations. But the very data the FDA is using to make this claim clearly shows that contamination often happen after production, both in raw and pasteurized cheeses. In other words, both raw and pasteurized milk products can become contaminated after production (http://www.naturalnews.com/031471_raw_milk_cheese.html). Despite this and other propaganda efforts to falsely demonize raw milk, consumer demand for the unpasteurized, unhomogenized, farm-fresh food continues to rise. And the rhetoric coming from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the FDA, and various state health agencies and officials hellbent on telling people what they can and cannot drink, is losing ground to the simple grassroots efforts pushing for more raw milk freedom. In Texas, House Bill 75 and Senate Bill 237 would eliminate the restriction allowing raw milk sales only on the farm, and instead allow them to take place at “any other location where producers customarily sell their products directly to consumers including a farmers’ market, farm stand, flea market, food cooperative or fair.” The Minnesota legislature is set to have a similar bill presented before it. Oregon’s HB 2222, also known as the Family Farm Act, would expand the maximum herd limits for producers of raw milk in the state, and would offer some tax and other exemptions to local farmers. New Jersey’s bill A743, perhaps the most aggressive of all, would fully reverse the state’s current ban on raw milk. Farmers who obtain a valid raw milk permit under a new state program and comply with testing requirements would be permitted to sell raw milk both directly to consumers and in retail stores. Sources for this story include: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/02/24/raw-milk-debate-simmers-states-fda-mull-rules/ http://farmandranchfreedom.org/

Social networking leads to isolation, not more connections, say academics

(NaturalNews) Modern society seems convinced that social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter keep them connected and thriving socially with their friends and peers. But a new book called Alone Together by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor Sherry Turkle says otherwise, purporting that social networks are more like mutual isolation networks that detach people from meaningful interactions with one another and make them less human. “A behavior that has become typical may still express the problems that once caused us to see it as pathological,” says Turkle in her book, referring to the near-total obsession with the digital world in today’s society. She and others say that the online social world is destroying real communication, dumbing down society, and leading to a society of people that have no idea how to actually function in the real world. Turkle emphasizes her belief that more people need to put down their phones, turn off their computers, and learn to communicate with one another face-to-face. She writes, “We have invented inspiring and enhancing technologies, yet we have allowed them to diminish us.” And many others in research and academia share her views. One major indicator of the chilling decline in communication values is the case of Simone Back, a Brighton, U.K., woman who announced her suicide on her Facebook status. None of her more than 1,000 “friends” contacted her in response to the posting, and many simply argued with one another back and forth on her “Wall” about the legitimacy of her posting and whether or not Back had the freedom of choice to kill herself. This sick display of meaningless Facebook “friendship” is only fuel for the fire to the many who say it represents the “writing on the wall” of worse things to come. If individuals cannot learn to interact and develop meaningful relationships outside the narcissistic, soap opera-environment of the Facebook “News Feed,” then society is in for some major trouble down the road. Sources for this story include: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jan/22/social-networking-cyber-scepticism-twitter

Vitamin D deficient newborns have high risk of infection, study finds

(NaturalNews) Newborns deficient in vitamin D are twice as likely as newborns with higher levels to develop respiratory infections, says a new study out of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Dr. Carlos Camargo and his team found that low blood levels of vitamin D are linked to markers of respiratory disease, indicating that increased sun exposure or supplementation with the vitamin by mothers during pregnancy may be the solution. “Our data suggest that the association between vitamin D and wheezing, which can be a symptom of many respiratory diseases and not just asthma, is largely due to respiratory infections,” explained Camargo in a statement. “Acute respiratory infections are a major health problem in children. For example, bronchiolitis — a viral illness that affects small airway passages in the lungs — is the leading cause of hospitalization in U.S. infants.” The team evaluated data from over 1,000 children in New Zealand. Researchers analyzed samples of umbilical cord blood taken from 922 of them and found that 20 percent were very deficient in vitamin D, with levels below 25 nmol/L. Average levels were 44 nmol/L, which is still considered low as many now consider levels as high as 100 nmol/L to be a healthy amount. After comparing the data, the team found that infants with vitamin D blood levels below 25 nmol/L were twice as likely as infants with levels above 75 nmol/L to develop respiratory infections. And incidentally, children with the highest blood levels of vitamin D had the lowest risk of developing wheezing or other respiratory illness by age five, and vice versa. Though the team did not observe a specific correlation between vitamin D and asthma risk, Camargo explained that vitamin D may actually play a very important role in mitigating asthma symptoms. “There’s a likely difference here between what causes asthma and what causes existing asthma to get worse,” he said. “Since respiratory infections are the most common cause of asthma exacerbations, vitamin D supplements may help to prevent those events, particularly during the fall and winter when vitamin D levels decline and exacerbations are more common. That idea needs to be tested in a randomized clinical trial, which we hope to do next year.” Sources for this story include: http://www.massgeneral.org/about/pressrelease.aspx?id=1320

Children around the world benefit from Consumer Wellness Center nutrition grants

(NaturalNews) The Consumer Wellness Center (CWC), a nonprofit organization devoted to empowering consumers with information on health and wellness issues, today announced the winners of its 2010 Nutritional Education Grant program . Seven organizations from around the world will receive $1,000 grants to initiate or expand programs designed to teach children and mothers about the importance of good nutrition in maintaining and improving health and well-being. “These are the kind of nutrition education programs our world desperately needs to restore health and create a promising future for our children,” said Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, the volunteer Executive Director of the non-profit Consumer Wellness Center. “Our goal is to put resources and funding into the hands of those who can teach our children how to save their health and feed themselves natural, health-supporting meals based on sound nutritional principles.” Adams is also the editor of NaturalNews.com, a natural health news site reaching millions of readers each month. Here are the CWC grant winners: Project Colors Project Colors, a children’s overseas learning opportunities and resources society, will use the $1,000 grant to purchase quality food and supplies for its Tiny Tummies program. Roughly 160 African children living in tuberculosis-ridden slums will benefit as the program’s coordinators teach them how to eat well and boost their immune systems through proper nutrition. http://www.projectcolors.com Jackson Teen Parent Program The Jackson Teen Parent Program, a lifestyle youth enhancement project in a low-income area of Mississippi, will use the $1,000 grant to buy a blender and food supplies for its educational seminars. The seminars teach youth and adults how to identify, prepare, and cook healthy foods; how to monitor blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol levels; and how to calculate body mass index (BMI). UnderMountain Elementary School UnderMountain Elementary School in Massachusetts plans to use the $1,000 grant to completely fund its Eat Well and Learn Program , a nutrition course that will teach 375 children about the importance of organic and locally-grown food, as well as how to prepare such foods for snacks and meals. http://www.sbrsd.org Neshaminy School District For the second year in a row, the Neshaminy School District in Pennsylvania has been awarded a $1,000 grant that it will use to further expand its Nutrition: Fitness for Life program. Last year, the district had hoped to implement a system-wide series of nutrition commercials to broadcast to its 3,000 students, but it lacked necessary funding. With this year’s grant, the district will now be able to air them as well as buy food and supplies for classes that will teach 200 children the science behind nutritional “superfoods”. http://www.neshaminy.k12.pa.us The C.A.R.E. Center The C.A.R.E. Center, a program of New Hope Elementary School in Alabama, will use its $1,000 grant to purchase nutritional videos, a refrigerator, an electric range, and various cookware and utensils needed for its healthy cooking club. New Hope is a Title I school where more than half the students participate in the Free and Reduced Lunch Assistance Program. And about 385 of them will now be able to participate in a nutrition course led by a certified dietician who will teach them about the importance of eating a well-balanced diet. http://www.thecarecenter.us Vida Charter School Vida Charter School, located in an ethnically, socio-economically, and culturally diverse Pennsylvania neighborhood where proper nutrition is lacking, will use the grant money to purchase food and cooking equipment for its Food is Elementary Program . A registered dietician will teach 86 students about the importance of integrating whole foods into their diet, and will lead them in cooking and preparation exercises designed to catalyze practical dietary changes. http://vidacharterschool.com Nurture Organization of Illinois And for the second year in a row, The Nurture Organization of Illinois will use the $1,000 grant to purchase food and cooking supplies for its prenatal nutrition program. Last year, the organization used the money to double the number of expectant mothers it was able to teach about how to feel better and improve health through better nutrition. This year, it plans to use the money to further expand the program. http://www.nurtureyourfamily.org To learn more about CWC and to track the progress of the grant winners throughout the upcoming year, visit: http://www.consumerwellness.org

Former TSA workers arrested on child pornography charges

(NaturalNews) The very same U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents that grope and naked body scan you and your children when you fly may also be illegally accessing and sharing child pornography. A recent report by WCVB-TV Boston explains that Andrew Cheever, 33, a former TSA agent from Massachusetts, was recently arrested on child pornography charges — and he is not the only one. Investigators found that Cheever had been storing and sharing over 10,000 pornographic videos and images involving children on multiple computers, hard drives and external media storage devices. Authorities charged him on two counts of child pornography possession and restricted him from contacting or working at jobs that involve children under the age of 18. But the Cheever case is just the tip of the iceberg. Earlier this year, former TSA agent Sean Shanahan from Boston Logan International Airport was charged with multiple sex crimes against an underage girl (http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1238602). And in November, Charles Henry Bennett, a former TSA screener at Orlando International Airport, was arrested and charged for molesting a six-year-old girl and planning to make her his “sex slave” (http://beyondthecurtain.wordpress.com/2010/11/10/tsa-worker-arrested-for-molesting-12-year-old-girl/). These are the types of people that TSA jobs attract these days, especially now that “enhanced” pat downs and naked body scans give perverts access to an unlimited stream of duties that feed their deviant behavior. And even though TSA officials insist that employees must undergo criminal background and credit checks before being hired, the process is obviously not working to keep sexual deviants from molesting both adults and children at U.S. airports. Current TSA security requirements for passengers actually encourage sexual deviants to fill TSA agent positions because passengers must either submit to a full naked body image scan that, despite what TSA officials say, can be downloaded and saved by agents (http://www.naturalnews.com/027914_TSA_full-body_scanners.html), or undergo an invasive full-body pat down that involves agents’ “palms and fingers” probing their bodies. Sources for this story include: http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/26165594/detail.html

Scientists develop GMO plant that produces pharmaceutical drugs

(NaturalNews) Splicing and dicing natural plant compounds and patenting them for profit may be a thing of the past for drug companies, at least in terms of them having to do it manually in a laboratory. It might seem like something out of a science fiction movie, but a team of scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has actually developed a way to genetically engineer plants that are programmed to create pharmaceutical drugs instead of their natural healing compounds. You read that right. Sarah O’Connor and her colleagues from MIT added bacterial genes to periwinkle plants that altered their natural alkaloid production system, causing them to accept external chemical additions. Chemists then added halogens like chlorine and bromine to the plants’ biosynthetic mechanisms, which altered the composition of the final alkaloids. So instead of producing their natural alkaloids, the altered periwinkles literally started producing synthetic pharmaceutical drug versions of those alkaloids instead. The process is similar to the type of genetic engineering that takes place with food crops, except this process goes a step further. Dubbed “metabolic engineering”, the process of altering the actual molecular output of plants shapes the very compounds they produce. And by manipulating these expressions, scientists can induce plants to grow a variety of different synthetic compounds that can be patented by drug companies. The work is highly disturbing because periwinkles and other plants already produce natural, safe compounds that serve a therapeutic purpose. Vinblastine, the alkaloid naturally produced by periwinkles that was manipulated as part of the study, is already effective at treating cancer, for instance. Why some scientists feel the need to tamper with natural compounds that already work effectively by adding toxic halogens like chlorine and bromine is beyond all reasonable logic — except that it finally creates a way for Big Pharma to control plants and prevent the growth of natural, competing compounds that cannot be patented. Sources for this story include: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-11/miot-mce110210.php

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