Ben Murray | 20 minutes ago | Comments (0)
Vacationers march chemicals into the water. Oops. (Photo: Christian Charisius/Reuters)
If the Labor Day weekend has you headed to the beach for one last summer frolic, here’s something to keep in mind: the suntan lotion you use may be harmful, nay, deadly to some marine creatures.
You know the scenario.
You slather on the Coppertone and bake for a while.
Then, when you take a dip for a cool-down, you find yourself standing in a greasy slick of your own UV protection. More
Jenny Inglee | 1 hour ago | Comments (0)
Crowded metro stations in Washington D.C. are not a rarity. (Photo: Larry Downing/Reuters)
The word mosquito typically describes a small, pesky varmint that causes itching and scratching and spreads deadly diseases.
Recently, a beeping device used to keep troublemakers away from crowded train stops and schools has been given the lovely name Mosquito.
Passersby claim the device is just as annoying as the bug.
The high-pitched sound emitted from the Mosquito is meant to be heard by a target group aged 13 to 25 years old
Prolonged exposure to the sound may cause a headache. More
Jenny Inglee | 15 hours ago | Comments (0)
With this app, kids with special needs can feel heard for maybe the first time. (Photo: kev_hickey_uk/Creative Commons)
Many kids with autism, cerebral palsy and other special needs lack the ability to speak.
But more of these kids will now be able to express themselves, thanks to an iPhone app created by Proloquo2Go.
The app utilizes a text-to-speech technology.
With a touch of the screen, kids can share a little about themselves, communicate what they need, ask questions, say how they feel and basically talk about whatever they like.
Streamlined apps like the Proloquo2Go are taking over the expensive and clunky communicative devices of the past. More
Melanie Smollin | 16 hours ago | Comments (0)
Education is key to rebuilding the island nation. (Photo: Chris Denbow/Creative Commons)
It’s been almost eight months since a deadly earthquake rocked Haiti. Efforts to clear away the rubble, provide adequate care for the homeless, and rebuild the country remain frustratingly slow.
To date, little has been done to tackle Haiti’s broken school system, which by all accounts needed a major overhaul long before the January 12 disaster.
Since most primary schools were private, families could barely afford tuition for one child let alone several. Dropout rates were high, and illiteracy rates reached almost 60 percent.
A recent editorial in The New York Times shed light on what’s being done to rebuild Haiti’s school system.
Thankfully, the leaders of the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission have agreed to make education reform an urgent priority. More
Megan Bedard | 16 hours ago | Comments (0)
The enviropig? Mad cow-resistant cattle?
These beasts sound like something out of a Margaret Atwood novel, but the reality is not as futuristic. In fact, these animals, among others, are examples of genetically engineered livestock that the Food and Drug Administration is considering condoning for the American food supply, according to Reuters.
The engineered animals stand to provide environmental and health-related benefits—pigs altered to produce less toxic manure, for example, or goats that, with genetic changes to their milk protein, could provide anti-clotting therapy for people with a rare disorder called hereditary antithrombin deficiency. More
Ben Murray | 17 hours ago | Comments (0)
Flood victims receive much needed food at a relief camp in Pakistan. (Athar Hussain/Reuters)
The image says it all: people are desperate for basic supplies in Pakistan.
Waters from the heavy monsoons may be receding, but the need for aid has hardly slackened.
Hunger, dehydration and disease are ever-present threats in the country, aid workers say, and current efforts are not meeting demands.
With more than 17 million people directly affected by the flooding, a lot is still to be done.
Find out how you can help in Pakistan. More
Perspectives | 17 hours ago | Comments (9)
By Ric O'Barry
Today is the first day of the dolphin hunting season in Japan. Over the next six months the dolphin hunts may go on, but we will not rest—Japanese and Westerners alike—until the dolphin hunts end once and for all.
Not so very long ago, a small group of us stood alone on the beach at the dolphin-killing cove, standing up for an end to the brutal slaughter and a ban on sale of poisonous dolphin meat. Tomorrow—despite many obstacles—we’ll present 1.7 million signatures from 151 countries to government officials in Tokyo. In addition to our new Japanese supporters, we have been joined by caring people from all over the world—the U.S., England, Hong Kong, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland and Australia. I am moved beyond words that these people traveled so far and with such great commitment. Many are from this Cause list!
For those of you who couldn't join us in Japan, you can still take action:
1. While we’re at the U.S. Embassy in Japan, you can call the Japanese Embassy in Washington D.C. and let them know you want an end to the dolphin hunts in Japan. The number is 202-238-6700.
2. Donate. This is a pivotal moment and it is crucial that we step it up and keep the pressure on. A small but resolute group is digging their heels in, refusing to even meet in private to discuss these issues. It’s clear that while we're making progress our work isn’t done. Donations have made it possible for us to stage these events in Japan and your continued support is essential.
Please donate through Save Japan Dolphins here or below.
Thanks for your support!
Ric O’Barry
Campaign Director
Save Japan Dolphins More
Jenny Inglee | 18 hours ago | Comments (0)
Like Samsur and Puran, this child works under harsh conditions and is not attending school. (Photo: Jayanta Shaw/Reuters)
Samsur Mohamad is 13 years old and was once a victim of child labor in India. He, along with his brothers, worked collecting garbage.
Puran Banjara is 14 years old and worked in forced labor at a stone quarry.
Their one wish?
Samsur says, "If children don’t get a proper education, many poor people will remain poor and their children will be used as bondage laborers. I want all the bondage laborers to be freed and provided with an education."
There are 218 million child laborers in the world today. More
Megan Bedard | 18 hours ago | Comments (0)
Could flashy packaging sell these carrots? (Photo: mattieb/Creative Commons)
Take a look at a kindergartener who's allowed to dress herself, and you'll probably see stripes paired with polka dots, neons mixed with pastels. Kids like color. They're drawn to visual stimulation like moths to a lamp.
And that's what the baby-carrot industry is banking on with its first-ever marketing campaign that'll package carrots in flashy, hip bags.
Taking a cue from the junk food industry, nearly 50 carrot growers are committing to a $25 million effort that will put carrots in bags that look better suited to serve Doritos.
The carrot coalition is also planning for catchy slogans, vending machine placement, seasonal themes in ad campaigns, and television spots that will boost street cred for the little veggies.
Will it work? More
