AVMA has now partnered with Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc. to provide a 24/7 hotline to assist our member veterinarians and clinics who face attacks and cyberbullying. Members calling the hotline will receive up to 30 minutes of actionable consultation with an experienced crisis management team at no charge to you. [node:read-more:link]
EDP Renewables says the need to build new transmission lines and the loss of a power-purchase agreement with utilities in Connecticut contributed to the company's decision to withdraw its application. The project was proposed three years ago for ridges west of Bridgewater, but needed new transmission lines to connect it with the New England grid. That has taken longer than expected, and last summer, the project lost a power-purchase agreement with utilities in Connecticut. [node:read-more:link]
As we conclude the Thanksgiving holiday and head into the season of Christmas, it’s important to remind folks of the American chestnut tree blight. In the early 1900s, the eastern United States chestnut tree population was hit with a pathogenic fungus called Cryphonectria parasitica. This fungus is the main cause of chestnut blight, a disease that wiped out 3 to 4 billion trees in just a couple of decades and nearly devastated the entire chestnut tree population. The chestnut blight was first spotted in 1904 and is believed to have arrived here in Asian chestnut trees. [node:read-more:link]
People in power often have a poor grasp of science. If journalists and advocates don't speak up for good science, cranks and quacks will take over. As part of our ongoing effort to eradicate pseudoscience, here is a list of the top 16 junk science stories we debunked in 2016. #10. The New York Times published an anti-GMO propaganda piece. #9. March Against Monsanto reveals itself to be an anti-vaccine conspiracy movement. #8. JAMA goes political. #7. Several cities pass a soda tax. #6. Pre-diabetes is not a real medical condition. #5. [node:read-more:link]
Why are there so few constructive responses to America’s unemployment and underemployment problems? Many individuals who were once members of the middle class or who grew up in solidly middle-class families are justifiably dissatisfied with current political and economic realities. This dissatisfaction partly accounts for Donald Trump’s election. Although corporations are creating jobs for robots, computers and offshore employees, little is being done to create well-paying jobs for Americans. The private sector either is no longer able or no longer willing to do so. [node:read-more:link]
There are more than 120,000 people in the U.S. waiting for an organ transplant and not enough donors. The dire shortage has led some researchers to consider an unusual solution: They are breeding genetically modified pigs whose organs could be compatible for human transplant. Researchers have been trying for decades to make animal-to-human transplants work, a process known as xenotransplantation. Pigs are a particularly promising source of organs. They produce big litters. Organs such as the kidney and liver are similar in size to those of humans. [node:read-more:link]
Despite the political rancor of the election season just past, 2016 has turned out to be one of the most peaceful and positive years ever when it comes to the discussion and science around GMOs. Consider this: The debate over labeling foods produced through biotechnology has raged for some 15 years. But this year, with the implementation of a new, nationwide standard, we now turn the page to educating consumers about the implications. No longer will consumers and food producers face the nightmare of a patchwork of labeling laws at the state level. [node:read-more:link]
There was plenty of controversy leading up to the federal 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines issued last January, much of it surrounding the recommendations by an advisory panel around meat consumption. Prior to the guidelines being published, Nina Teicholz, author of “The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Die”, published an article in the BMJ (formerly The British Medical Journal) questioning the scientific rigor of the expert panel recommendations. [node:read-more:link]
The revelation that tallow was used in the manufacturing process for new British five-pound notes that went into circulation in September has prompted an outcry from vegans, vegetarians and members of certain religious groups. [node:read-more:link]
New North American nitrogen production is beginning to hit the world market in 2016 during a time of oversupply, and it could take the global market a few years to balance out this new production. New capacity, lower energy prices and currency devaluations have all combined to put significant pressure on nitrogen fertilizer prices, according to a fertilizer industry consultant. Hoadley said world nitrogen production for 2015/2016 is expected to be just over 165 million tons, which is up from closer to 143 million tons in 2009/2010. [node:read-more:link]
