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POPSDestruction of Kenya Forest is National Emergency The problem of Kenya typifies a global problem of destroying the eco systems of the world and its far reaching effects. The Sons of David Foundation in Panama with its paulownia reforestation project is trying to reduce that problem there. You can read more about it at www.paulownianow.org or on their blog www. paulownianow.blogspot.com
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POPSInvesting in Obama
Last Friday’s Washington Post offered more information on Blackwell, a former partner in his father’s consulting firm, Blackwell Consulting. The brief Post piece, “Contracts Went to Longtime Donor,” mentions that the firm won contracts totaling nearly $650,000 from the University of Chicago Medical Center. It happened because of a minority-owned business outreach program started by the newly promoted Michelle Obama. The elder Blackwell says that without that program, “ hey might not have ever thought to include Blackwell Consulting.” It also didn’t hurt that the younger Blackwell had been underwriting Obama’s political and personal life. In early 2003, after one of the Killerspin ping-pong tournaments he had helped taxpayers subsidize, Obama was interviewed by the Chicago Sun-Times on the subject of the younger Blackwell’s entrepreneurship. “I would never bet against Robert on one of his ideas,” Obama said. “He’s extremely good at coming up with moneymaking ideas and implementing
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POPSMost Ethical Destinations? Worried about your travel footprint? Want to support tourism in a developing country but don't want to support bad environmental practices or human rights abuses? Check out this list of "most ethical destinations" compiled by ethicaltraveler.org.
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POPSFuture 'Top 10' Hot Careers in 2012 5) Simulation Engineering By 2012, an increase in processing power and rich data will make simulations more realistic, and user-friendly. Simulation engineers will be working on bringing us closer to “Star Trek’s” Holodecks—the ultimate total immersion simulation. Simulations will be in every industry and every engineering field, 6) Boomer Caregiving 7) Genetic Counseling 8) Brain Analysts 9) Space Tourism 10) Roboticists
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POPSStinging Tentacles Offer Hint of Oceans’ Decline The explosion of jellyfish populations, scientists say, reflects a combination of severe overfishing of natural predators, like tuna, sharks and swordfish; rising sea temperatures caused in part by global warming; and pollution that has depleted oxygen levels in coastal shallows. These problems are pronounced in the Mediterranean, a sea bounded by more than a dozen countries that rely on it for business and pleasure. Left unchecked in the Mediterranean and elsewhere, these problems could make the swarms of jellyfish menacing coastlines a grim vision of seas to come. “The problem on the beach is a social problem,” said Dr. Gili, who talks with admiration of the “beauty” of the globular jellyfish. “We need to take care of it for our tourism industry. But the big problem is not on the beach. It’s what’s happening in the seas.”
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POPSMore Galapagos Than The Galapagos Yemen's Socotra island is a Dr. Seuss land of plants and critters you won't find anywhere else. Now' it's been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Natural Site. I visited in 2004 and can confirm that it's wacky and wonderful...Iwrote about it on Forbes.com in a story about the most isolated places in the world (http://www.forbes.com/2007/05/01/escape-travel-communication-life_cx_ee_07networks_0501grid_slide_3.html?thisSpeed=15000)
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POPSAnything to grab a few more tourists....... With the oncoming Olympics, Beijing, Shanghai and other more developed and polluted ares of that vast nation are already certain of getting more than their fair share of the tourist trade.... obviously other provinces would hop on the band wagon... I just wonder why they need to make up fakes.... there are loads of breath-taking panoramas... but I guess the present day tourist from overseas is so spoilt, he can only be goade by pubblicity....
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POPSPrivate Space Project Rolls On White Knight Two will launch SpaceShipTwo, which will be the size of a corporate Gulfstream capable of carrying six passengers and two pilots. Both will be built wholly from ultra-light composite materials.
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POPSFlorida Gov.Crist Calls For End To Feds Moratorium On Drilling
Public opinion started to move in favor of oil drilling off Florida after Hurricane Jeanne in 2004 forced many Floridians to wait in long lines for gas, said David Mica, executive director of the Florida Petroleum Council, a lobbying group. Jeanne and other powerful hurricanes that battered Florida in 2004 and 2005 left millions of Floridians struggling to fill their gas tanks because of a lack of electricity to pump the fuel and difficulties getting fresh supplies into Florida. A business group that supports oil drilling release a survey on Thursday saying 61 percent of Florida respondents support increased exploration and production of oil and natural gas off the Florida coasts. "Public opinion is supportive .... t's time to give it a try (drilling) and watch it very closely,'" Mica said. Environment Florida, an anti-drilling advocacy group, said it got an unprecedented response from supporters to a write-in campaign after Crist changed his position.
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POPSAn Old Law Dies So Same-Sex Marriage Can Thrive Massachusetts has repealed it 1913 law that refused recognition of marriages performed in their state that would not be recognized in a couple's home state. New York, and California will also recognize same-sex marriages in this manner. This will probably result in many lawsuits in states that have banned gay marriage, by demanding that their marriages from Massachusetts and California be honoured at home, claiming that it is unconstitutional to refuse recognition of marriages from other states. Anyhoo, this is another step forward towards marriage equality in the U.S. and it is about time.
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POPSGoners We've all heard that coral reefs are in trouble, but this is one of the first major studies showing just how much trouble.
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