Not All Kids Meals Created Equal
Just because it’s a kids meal doesn’t mean your kid should eat it. The Daily Beast examines the top 25 worst foods for children—from sodium levels to fat. Some contain half a day’s calories; others tack on sodas or ice cream to plump up the meal…and American youth. Even small meals are no guarantee; one of the meals under scrutiny weighs in at 1,240 calories. Read it at the Daily Beast.
Disaster Relief
Haiti’s $268 Million Debt Cancelled by IMF
Six months after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, there are still 1.5 million displaced people in overcrowded camps. The International Monetary Fund is stepping in to ease the country’s debt and aid in the long-term recovery plan by cancelling the country’s $268 million debt and agreeing to a $60 million loan. Read it at CNN.
Conservation
Shark Fin Soup Promotion Bites Citibank
Shark fin soup is a delicacy in many parts of Asia, considered a symbol of status and luxury. But in recent years, environmental activists have raised an outcry over the inhumane methods by which the famous fins are procured for the soup. Often the fins are cut off of live sharks, which are then dumped into the sea to die. So when Citibank offered customers a promotion where they could get a discount on a shark's fin dinner at chic Hong Kong restaurants, they got an earful. So how did the banking giant respond? Read it at the New York Times.
Climate Change
China to Have Domestic Carbon Trading by 2015
While the United States Senate continues to drag its feet on passing cap-and-trade legislation, it appears as though China will have a national carbon trading system by 2015. It's yet another example of how China has outpaced the U.S. in the clean energy race. In March, a Pew Research Center study said that China has emerged as the as the number one producer of solar cells for solar panels and also leads the world in wind turbine-making capacity. Read it at Treehugger.
Renewable Energy
Nuclear Power Plants in the Persian Gulf
Both oil-rich Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are set to join the nuclear power club, but in contrast to nearby Iran, their nuclear ambitions aren’t setting off warning bells in the West. Though located near the oil-rich Persian Gulf, the countries see a need for new energy resources, as demand in the region continues to grow. Unlike Iran, however, neither country is expected to pursue a nuclear weapons program. Read it at Yahoo News.
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