Tackling water, sanitation, energy nexus key to future sustainable development. – UN officials

18 February 2014 – The water, sanitation and sustainable energy crises are the among the world’s pre-eminent development challenges, senior United Nations officials warned today, urging Member States to adopt coherent integrated policies and innovative strategies to tackle these issues, which take a tragic toll on the lives of millions of poor people, especially women and young girls.
“Lack of access to water, sanitation and sustainable energy services is a compound magnifier of poverty, ill-health and mortality, and gender inequality,” said General Assembly President John Ashe as he opened the 193-member body’s thematic debate on the issue.

Today’s gathering is the first in the series of such debates and high-level events he will host this year to provide a platform for Member States and other stakeholders to set the stage for the post-2015 development agenda.
Mr. Ashe has made the effort to achieve a new post-2015 agenda to succeed the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) the hallmark of his year-long Assembly presidency, which ends in September.
The MDGs, agreed by world leaders at a UN summit in 2000, aim to slash extreme hunger and poverty, cut maternal and infant mortality, combat disease and provide access to universal education and health care, all by the end of 2015. But these targets will likely not be reached in many countries and areas, and they will be incorporated in an even more ambitious post-2015 agenda.
“Addressing this nexus of water, sanitation and sustainable energy is not just a matter of grave concern, it is a matter of moral imperative for the entire international community,” said Mr. Ashe, explaining that the magnitude of the problem is great: 783 million people live without clean water; 2.5 billion have no adequate sanitation; and 1.4 billion people are without access to electricity.
He said the international community is already in agreement that energy, water and sanitation are essential to the achievement of many development goals. “They are inextricably linked to climate change, agriculture, food security, health, gender and education, among others,” said Mr. Ashe, adding: “So today, I ask you to consider how we can develop a more integrated approach to problem-solving so that we can best address this development nexus.”
“Let us not forget that we are working on behalf of countless millions who are currently consigned to eking out a living in the dark, who watch their infants die of dehydration, and who are mothers and wives, fathers and sons suffering the adverse effects of indoor air pollution that accrues from the use of inefficient energy services,” he said.
Tackling such “complex and self-reinforcing problems” will require Member States to “dig deep, to express your creativity, to share your experiences and to provide your guidance and inputs in collaborating to achieve these goals, and in creating a post-2015 world that allows every member of the global family to live in dignity,” said Mr. Ashe.
That call for diligent and creative action was echoed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who said access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene must feature prominently in the post-2015 development agenda. “We must improve water quality and the management of water resources and wastewater. This is a matter of justice and opportunity.”
With that in mind, he recalled the UN’s launch in 2007 of the CEO Water Mandate to engage the international business community in water and sanitation. In a similar vein, the Organization launched a “Call to Action on Sanitation” last year to drive progress on sanitation and water goals towards the 2015 target date and beyond.
“Affordable and reliable modern energy services are essential for alleviating poverty, improving health and raising living standards,” Mr. Ban continued, explaining that this is why he launched the Sustainable Energy for All initiative in 2011. The initiative has three goals: universal access by 2030; improve efficiency of energy and cut waste; and to increase the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
“We need clean efficient energy to combat climate change,” he said, noting that with the global population now at 7 billion and rising, “by 2030 we will need 35 per cent more food, 40 per cent more water and 50 per cent more energy.”
Climate change will also exacerbate water stress and scarcity in many regions. If the current global warming trend is allowed to continue, all the international community’s efforts to provide universal and equitable access to water and energy will be undermined.
As such, he intends to convene a climate summit on 23 September for global leaders from government, business, finance, and civil society. “I want to catalyze ambitious action on the ground and mobilize greater political will for a meaningful legal climate agreement in 2015.”
 un.org
18/2/14

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Venizelos’ statement following today’s EU General Affairs Council (Brussels, 11 February 2014). -Genetically modified organisms

MFA, Tuesday, 11 February 2014

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E. VENIZELOS: In the name of the Hellenic Presidency, I want to express warm thanks to Commissioner Sefcovic and all the member states who took the floor to welcome and support the Hellenic Presidency’s priorities. I also want to express thanks for the warm welcome of the practical results presented by the Hellenic Presidency after five weeks of exercising its duties.

I also want to thank the Council and the Commission for the solidarity they showed in the natural disaster that, unfortunately, is continuing to unfold with the ongoing earthquakes in Kefalonia. It is very important to the Hellenic Presidency, as well as to the Greek government, that the community mechanisms be mobilized – particularly the Solidarity Fund. And the same holds true, naturally, for the very serious natural disaster in Slovenia and on the border between Slovenia and Croatia.

Finally, allow me to clarify – speaking not as the Presidency of the Council, but as the Greek Foreign Minister – that on the issue of genetically modified organisms, and in this case, maize, the Greek position is absolutely opposed to granting permission and, even further, absolutely opposed to the potential for the cultivation of genetically modified organisms.

mfa.gr

12/2/14

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Related:

• EU allows cultivation of new US genetically modified corn

EU allows cultivation of new US genetically modified corn

BRUSSELS: EU ministers allowed the controversial cultivation of a new genetically modified crop, US firm Pioneer's TC1507 corn, after opponents failed on Tuesday to muster enough support against the move.
A meeting of European Affairs ministers could not establish a majority either way, Greek chairman Evangelos Venizelos said.
Accordingly, TC1507 was allowed through, after Venizelos asked for legal advice.
The rules require that "if the Council (of member states) does not take a decision, then the measure has to be adopted by the European Commission", a legal adviser said.

The Commission, the EU's executive arm, was on the spot after a European Court ruled late last year that the company's 2001 request for approval had to be dealt with without further delay.
Cultivation of Genetically Modified Organisms stokes widespread suspicion in the 28-nation EU on health and environmental grounds.
GM crops, however, have won repeated safety approvals and several ministers noted on Tuesday that they are imported into the EU in large amounts, and having been fed to animals, had by now entered the human food chain.
The General Affairs Council of ministers had to decide the issue on Tuesday under what is known as "qualified majority voting".

• This complex system weighs member states according to their size to ensure that it is a majority of the EU's 500 million population which decides an issue, not the simple number of countries for or against.

• In this instance, some 19 member states opposed, mustering 210 votes out of a required 260 to block the measure.

Britain, Finland, Estonia, Spain and Sweden were in favour but abstentions proved crucial.

• Germany, the EU's most powerful and biggest country with 19 votes, changed its position to abstain from against, thereby taking itself out of the balance.

• Also abstaining were Belgium, Portugal and the Czech Republic with 12 votes each.

France and Hungary led the opposition and the arguments, saying ministers would not be able to easily explain the outcome to the public.

- AFP/gn

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/international/eu-allows-cultivation-of/993838.html

11/2/14

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Related:

• Food safety: MEPs oppose authorising new genetically modified maize

• Σε αδιέξοδο η ΕΕ για το γενετικά τροποποιημένο αραβόσιτο

• Νέα νομοθεσία της Ε.Ε. για τους σπόρους: Απειλή για τις τοπικές ποικιλίες, ευνοϊκή για πατέντες & τεχνολογίες ελέγχου

• Μεταλλαγμένοι σπόροι ξανά στο προσκήνιο

• Έρευνα σοκ για το μεταλλαγμένο καλαμπόκι

• Ερώτηση Ν. Χουντή προς Κομισιόν για τη μελέτη που ενοχοποιεί τη Μονσάντο

Ξεκίνησε το πείραμα στον Bion-M1

© Φωτογραφία: Ρωσκόσμος

Ο επιστημονικός εξοπλισμός στον δορυφόρο «Bion-M1» ενεργοποιήθηκε και λειτουργεί κανονικά, ενώ οι «επιβάτες» της συσκευής – μογγολικοί γερβίλοι, ποντίκια – για πρώτη φορά μετά την εκτόξευση έλαβαν τροφή, ανέφερε ο αναπληρωτής του επιστημονικού διευθυντή της αποστολής καθηγητής Γιεβγκένι Ιλίν.

Ο δορυφόρος «Bion-M1», η πρώτη από το 2007 ρωσική συσκευή βιολογικών ερευνών στο διάστημα, εκτοξεύθηκε σήμερα Παρασκευή από το κοσμοδρόμιο του Μπαϊκονούρ. 

 

Στον δορυφόρο βρίσκονται περίπου εκατό διαφορετικοί ζωντανοί οργανισμοί και σπόροι φυτών. 

 

Στη διάρκεια της πτήσης διάρκειας ενός μήνα στον δορυφόρο θα πραγματοποιηθούν βιοτεχνολογικά πειράματα, για παράδειγμα, η ανάπτυξη κρυστάλλων πρωτεΐνης.

.greek.ruvr.ru

19/4/13

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• Russia Launches Animals Into Space on One-Month Journey

An intrepid critter crew of geckos, mice and gerbils and other animals launched into orbit Friday (April 19) to begin a month-long Russian experiment to study how space travel affects living creatures. The space mission, scientists assure, will return the animals to Earth alive.
The new animal astronauts launched into orbit at 6 a.m. EDT (1000 GMT) atop a Russian-built Soyuz 2 rocket that lifted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, in Central Asia.
The rocket carried the Bion-M1 space capsule, which is filled with enclosures for 45 mice, eight Mongolian gerbils, 15 geckos and numerous other species. They are expected to spend a month in orbit, flying 357 miles (575 kilometers) above Earth while scientists on the ground monitor the health of the capsule's passengers.  

 

http://www.space.com/20732-russia-launches-animals-space-bion-m1.html

19/4/13

«Χωματερή» πλοίων το Μπαγκλαντές (2 VIDEOS)

Παλιά ευρωπαϊκά πλοία που δεν μπορούν να ταξιδέψουν πια μεταφέρονται και διαλύονται στην Νοτιανατολική Ασία. Συχνά κάτω από απάνθρωπες συνθήκες. Η Ε.Ε. επιχειρεί να βελτιώσει την κατάσταση.
Σε μια παραλιακή έκταση εφτά χιλιομέτρων κοντά στην πόλη Σιταγκόνγκ στο Μπαγκλαντές υπάρχει δουλειά για 150.000 ανθρώπους. Εδώ και σαράντα χρόνια στην περιοχή αυτή βρίσκεται το μεγαλύτερο νεκροταφείο πλοίων στον κόσμο. Εκεί διαλύεται το 40% των πλοίων σε όλο τον κόσμο, τα οποία πλέον δεν ταξιδεύουν. Από τα πλοία αυτά ξεχωρίζουν πόρτες, παράθυρα, κρεβάτια και οτιδήποτε μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί και στη συνέχεια πωλούνται.


Παρόμοιες επιχειρήσεις υπάρχουν και σε άλλες χώρες της Νοτιανατολικής Ασίας όπως το Πακιστάν και η Ινδία. Υπάρχει όμως και μια σκοτεινή πλευρά γύρω από αυτό το θέμα. Οι εργάτες συχνά δουλεύουν κάτω από άθλιες συνθήκες εργασίας: χαμηλά μεροκάματα, κακές συνθήκες ασφαλείας και μεγάλη επιβάρυνση για το περιβάλλον. Ο σκηνοθέτης Σαχίν Ντιλ Ριάζ βρέθηκε σε αυτές τις περιοχές το 2008 και γύρισε μια ταινία.
Όπως λέει, «υπάρχουν πολλοί τραυματισμοί όταν αποκόπτονται κομμάτια από το πλοίο ή σπάνε τα σχοινιά. Σε αυτές τις περιπτώσεις χάνουν το χέρι τους ή το πόδι τους. Και αυτό είναι καθημερινότητα».
Στην ταινία του με τίτλο «Ο σιδηροφάγος» διηγείται τις δύσκολες συνθήκες εργασίες αυτών των ανθρώπων. Και ο ίδιος είναι από το Μπαγκλαντές, αλλά από το 1992 βρίσκεται στη Γερμανία.

Δεν υπάρχει προθυμία από τους πλοιοκτήτες

Κατά τη γνώμη του, το χειρότερο είναι ότι τα ευρωπαϊκά εφοπλιστικά γραφεία στέλνουν σε ποσοστό 75% τα παλιά τους πλοία στη Νοτιανατολική Ασία, γνωρίζοντας τις συνθήκες που επικρατούν αλλά δεν κάνουν τίποτα.
«Δεν μπορούμε απλά να αφήσουμε ένα αυτοκίνητο έτσι στο δρόμο, αλλά θα πρέπει να αναλάβουμε και τα έξοδα για την απόσυρσή του. Γιατί δεν μπορεί να συμβαίνει το ίδιο με τα παλιά πλοία»;
Η Ε.Ε. θέλει τώρα να αλλάξει αυτή την κατάσταση και να θέσει τα εφοπλιστικά γραφεία προ των ευθυνών τους. Μέχρι σήμερα η νομοθεσία προέβλεπε ότι μετά από 8 χρόνια ταξιδιών στην Ε.Ε. τα πλοία θα μπορούσαν να πουληθούν εκτός Ε.Ε. και πολλά χρόνια αργότερα θα μπορούσαν να αποσυρθούν. Τα έξοδα της απόσυρσης βάρυναν τον τελευταίο πλοιοκτήτη. Μετά από πρωτοβουλία ορισμένων ευρωβουλευτών, στο εξής κάθε ευρωπαίος πλοιοκτήτης θα πρέπει να πληρώνει σε ένα ειδικό ταμείο επιπλέον τρία σεντ ανά τόνο, έτσι ώστε τα χρήματα αυτά να χρησιμοποιούνται για την ορθή απόσυρση των πλοίων. Για ένα πλοίο 100.000 τόνων θα έπρεπε να πληρώσει κανείς 3.000 ευρώ. Η προθυμία των ευρωπαίων πλοιοκτητών δεν είναι ιδιαίτερα μεγάλη.
«Το γεγονός ότι ένα πλοίο, ανήκει καταρχάς σε έναν γερμανό πλοιοκτήτη και μετά από πολλά χρόνια πρέπει να αποσυρθεί, δεν σημαίνει ότι ο πρώτος πλοιοκτήτης ευθύνεται για τον τρόπο που ο τελευταίος θέλει να αποσύρει το πλοίο του» λέει ο Ραλφ Νάγκελ από το σύνδεσμο Γερμανών Πλοιοκτητών. Εκτός αυτού εκφράζει τις αμφιβολίες του εάν πράγματι τα χρήματα του ειδικού ταμείου θα καταλήξουν στα χέρια των ανθρώπων που έχουν ανάγκη στη Νοτιανατολική Ασία.
Friedel Taube / Μαρία Ρηγούτσου
Υπεύθ. σύνταξης: Άρης Καλτιριμτζής

http://www.dw.de/χωματερή-πλοίων-το-μπαγκλαντές/a-16714823
3/4/13 
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VIDEO ΣΧΕΤΙΚΟ:-Shipwreck is the story of Jahur, Lamu and Rubel, men that work at the ship yards breaking vessels in Chittagong, a coastal province of Bangladesh. This is the story of ordinary Bengali men struggling to raise their families against a backdrop of labor uncertainty, health hazards unknown to us, and salaries that make them the most competitive labor force in the world. Jahur is a cutter, a crafted worker that slices down the ships day and night. He sits at the top of the job positions in the yard. Rubel is younger, one of the many helpers assisting the cutters. He knows that if he misses a day, another youngster will replace him immediately: they are the bottom of the job pyramid. Lamu is older but strong, he is one of those workers that lift and carry steel planks all day. The three of them represent the whole of the man power assembled in the yards. This is their story.

Air pollution champion: China burns more coal than rest of world combined

China burns almost as much coal as the rest of the world combined, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) has reported. China’s coal use is poised to continue rising, despite the country's rapidly deteriorating environment, experts predicted.
­The latest EIA report revealed that China's coal consumption grew more than 9 percent in 2011, continuing its upward trend for a 12th consecutive year. Since 2000, the country has accounted for more than 80 percent of the global increase in coal use, the EIA reported. China currently accounts for 47 percent of global coal consumption, nearly totaling the rest of the world combined.

Image from eia.gov

­
Coal remains the most widely used energy source in China due to its low cost – the country is the largest user of coal electricity in the world. Along with its own vast coal resources – about 114 billion tons produced as of 2011 according to the World Coal Association – China also imports large quantities of coal, since the country's coal-mining regions are often far from the areas where it is in demand. "The Asian market is the fastest-growing coal market in the world," Brookings Institution energy analyst Charles Ebinger told Mother Jones magazine. 
China's heavy use of coal is believed to be one of the reasons the capital Beijing recently witnessed its worst air pollution in years. For two weeks, Beijing's air was labeled worse than “very unhealthy” and “hazardous.” Authorities have closed 103 factories and taken 30 percent of government vehicles off the roads, but with little effect.
Air pollution in China hit a record high earlier this month: 30 to 45 times above recommended safety levels. Beijing itself became blanketed in a thick, toxic cloud that grounded flights and forced people indoors.

Vehicles drive through the Guomao Bridge on a heavy haze day in Beijing's central business district January 29, 2013.(Reuters / Jason Lee)

The report is the highest-level acknowledgment to date of the hazardous air quality levels across much of China.
"We should take effective measures to speed up the enhancement of our industrial structure, push for energy conservation and build an ecological civilization," Chinese premier Wen Jiabao announced on state television.
However, the measures undertaken by the Chinese government do not include replacing coal production and consumption with more environmentally friendly sources of energy. Rather, the IEA predicted the opposite: Coal consumption will grow not only in China, but also in India and other developing economies, and this trend will prevail until clean energy prices can compete with coal.
Notably, wind power recently surpassed nuclear power production in China, and is now the country’s third-biggest source of electricity, second to hydropower, according to a recent report by the China Wind Energy Association.

.rt.com
30/01/13
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Related:

• Heavy smog shrouds Beijing for 3rd day

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Buildings and cars are pictured on a heavy hazy day during winter in Beijing's central business district, January 30, 2013.(Reuters / Jason Lee)

Visitors take pictures on Tiananmen Square during a foggy day in central Beijing, January 29, 2013.(Reuters / China Daily)

A combination photograph shows people wearing masks on a heavy haze day during winter in Beijing January 29, 2013.(Reuters / Jason Lee)

Heavy smog shrouds Beijing for 3rd day

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Air pollution in Beijing has reached dangerous levels for a third day. On Sunday, the municipal government issued a warning on its website for PM 2.5 readings. 

Real-time monitoring data shows the air quality index was as high as 500 in most parts of the city, with some above 900. An AQI reading below 50 indicates excellent air quality; above 100 is light pollution.


 The smog is expected to last another three days, as weather conditions are preventing the pollutants from dispersing. The public are advised to stay indoors and to avoid strenuous exercise.
 .cntv.cn
13/1/13
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Related post:

• Air pollution in Beijing reaches 'health hazard' levels (VIDEO, PHOTOS RT)

Air pollution in Beijing reaches 'health hazard' levels (VIDEO, PHOTOS RT)

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Air pollution in the Chinese capital has hit dangerous marks, reaching beyond the permissible level of pollution on the local environmental center’s scale. Beijing residents are recommended to stay indoors by local authorities.
The Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center has reported the rising of air-quality indices since Friday in many parts of the city.

A warning scrolled across the monitoring center's website says that the density of PM 2.5 had reached 700 micrograms per cubic meter in many parts of Beijing and that the polluted air was expected to linger for the next three days.
The index indicates the level of airborne PM 2.5 particulates, at which particle matters are considered the most harmful to health. Air is considered good when the index is at 50 or below, but hazardous with a reading between 301 and 500, when people are warned to avoid outdoor physical activities.
The city’s authorities have blamed a lack of wind and foggy conditions for the high concentration of air pollutants.
“It is expected that air pollution in Beijing will remain heavy during the daytime today… people are advised to stay indoors as much as possible,” China’s state TV quoted Beijing’s environmental protection center as saying on Friday.
According to rules issued by the city’s government in December, all outdoor sports activities are to stop and factories have to reduce production if Beijing's official air-quality reading goes over 500.
Meanwhile, according to a Twitter account run by the US embassy in Beijing,air quality ratings for the city have ranged between “very unhealthy” and “hazardous” since Thursday, and reached the “beyond index” mark during Saturday afternoon. Monitors there recorded off-the-chart air-quality readings as high as 845 at 8pm on Saturday.
Readings are often different in different parts of Beijing. Chinese authorities and the United States also have different ways to calculate the air quality index, although their indices are "highly similar" at the two ends of the spectrum, according to the founder of the nongovernmental Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs in Beijing, Ma Jun.
For comparison, on Friday the 9pm readings for PM2.5 and ozone in Hong Kong’s Central and Western districts, among the most polluted on the island, were around 60 and 20 respectively, according to the website of Hong Kong’s Environmental Protection Department.
Air pollution is believed to be one of the major problems in China with its fast pace of industrialization, reliance on coal power and quick growth in car ownership. Due to polluted air Beijing is often covered with dense smog, while its many residents suffer from respiratory problems.
Several other cities, including Tianjin on the coast east of Beijing and southern China's Wuhan city also reported severe pollution over the last several days.
.rt.com
12/1/13

A man walks along trees on a heavy haze winter day in central Beijing, January 12, 2013 (Reuters / Jason Lee)

A woman wearing a mask walks on a street during severe pollution in Beijing on January 12, 2013 (AFP Photo / Ed Jones)

A woman wearing a mask crosses a street during severe pollution in Beijing on January 12, 2013 (AFP Photo / Ed Jones)

Severe pollution clouds the Beijing skyline on January 12, 2013 (AFP Photo / Ed Jones)

An infant wearing a mask (C) is carried along a street in severe pollution in Beijing on January 12, 2013 (AFP Photo / Ed Jones)

A cyclist wearing a mask prepares to cross a road during severe pollution in Beijing on January 12, 2013 (AFP Photo / Ed Jones)

People walk during a heavily hazy winter day in central Beijing, January 12, 2013 (Reuters / Jason Lee)

Pedestrians wearing masks wait to cross a road during severe pollution in Beijing on January 12, 2013 (AFP Photo / Ed Jones)

People walk on a pedestrian bridge on a very hazy winter day in Beijing January 12, 2013 (Reuters / Jason Lee)

Vehicles drive on the Third Ring Road on a very hazy winter day in Beijing January 12, 2013 (Reuters / Jason Lee)

Selenium, an antioxidant chemical element and enemy of human cancer/Σελήνιο Το Μοναδικό

Selenium is an important chemical that may protect cells against chemicals, pollution and the negative effects that the environment may have on human health, as indicated by Mohamadian Shahzad, a Persian specialist in nutrition and dietetics.

"Selenium is considered a substance with high antioxidant properties and is important in preventing human cancer," said Mohamadian.

Similarly, he added that "this supplement prevents the absorption of some heavy metals and their potential toxicity as well as environmental radiation such as mercury, silver and thallium, reducing the potential damage they may have on the health of the human body."

The walnut, salmon, brown rice, chicken meat and beef, whole wheat bread, skim milk and most nuts are the main dietary sources of selenium according to the  Iranian nutritionist.

Referring to the importance of this element for intake from childhood, Mohamadian explained that "consumption of selenium is very important for the proper function of the immune system, the thyroid, the layout of enzyme activities and the development of the fetus during pregnancy."

"Selenium deficiency has been associated with an increased risk of heart disease, cancer and poor immune function," added the Persian specialist.

However, he also warned of the serious consequences that come with excessive consumption of selenium in the human body, noting that "chronic over-consumption of selenium may cause undesirable effects on human health.

Identification of the signs of selenium toxicity include brittle hair, hair loss, brittle nails, gastrointestinal disorders, skin lesions accompanied by secondary infections, nervous system disorders and fatigue."

Finally, in recommending appropriate consumption of this chemical element, Mohamadian recommended to avoid arbitrary consumption of this supplement, given that it is necessary to consume it at certain doses, about 55 micrograms per day, according to the Dietary Reference Intake ( DRI) for selenium in adults.

Selenium is a chemical element with symbol Se and atomic number 34. Selenium (Greek selene meaning "Moon") was discovered in 1817 by Jöns Jakob Berzelius.

As a warning note, taking too much of this element can contribute to the development of diabetes.

Translated from the Spanish version by:

Lisa Karpova

Pravda.Ru

30/12/12 
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 ΣΧΕΤΙΚΟ:

• Σελήνιο Το Μοναδικό

Σελήνιο, το Μοναδικό μεταλλικό στοιχείο που κρατά τον άνθρωπο νέο, υγιή, δυνατό. Γιατί χρειαζόμαστε Σελήνιο για να σταματήσουμε τη γήρανση και την κατάρρευση του ανοσοποιητικού συστήματος: Αν δεν παίρνουμε αρκετό Σελήνιο, τα κύτταρα μας είναι ευάλωτα στους ιούς, στον καρκίνο, στις καρδιοπάθειες και άλλα συμπτώματα επιταχυνόμενης γήρανσης. Για να διατηρήσουμε τη νεότητα μας πρέπει να παίρνουμε χαμηλής συγκέντρωσης συμπληρώματα Σεληνίου, όπως κάνουν πολλοί ερευνητές, γνώστες και έξυπνοι άνθρωποι, που ξέρουν να αναλαμβάνουν ΕΥΘΥΝΗ.

Φανταστείτε μια ουσία η οποία θα μπορεί να συγκρατεί τους επικίνδυνους ιούς, μεταξύ των οποίων και τον ιό του AIDS, έτσι ώστε να μην μπορούν να εκδηλωθούν, να ξεφύγουν από τα κύτταρα και να εξαπλωθούν, σκορπώντας την καταστροφή και το θάνατο. Αυτή η ουσία είναι το Σελήνιο –ένα πανίσχυρο αντιοξειδωτικό και ουσιαστικό μεταλλικό ιχνοστοιχείο με ποικίλες αντιγηραντικές ιδιότητες. Όταν τα κύτταρα σας έχουν χαμηλά επίπεδα σεληνίου, όπως συμβαίνει καθώς αυξάνεται η ηλικία – η λειτουργιά του ανοσοποιητικού συστήματος εξασθενεί και έχετε περισσότερες πιθανότητες να προσβληθείτε από διάφορες λοιμώξεις, καρκίνο και καρδιοπάθειες.

Το Σελήνιο δεν είναι μόνο ένα αυτοδύναμο αντιοξειδωτικό, αλλά επιπλέον συμμετέχει ενεργά, ως δομικό στοιχείο, στο σχηματισμό της Γλουταθειόνης Περοξειδάσης, ενός από τα σημαντικότερα ενζυμα του σώματος μας, που εξουδετερώνει τις ελεύθερες ρίζες και ιδιαίτερα αυτές που επιτίθενται στα λιπαρά μόρια και τα οξειδώνουν. Ορισμένοι ερευνητές πιστεύουν ότι ένα μεγάλο μέρος της αντιγηραντικης δύναμης του σεληνίου οφείλεται στην ικανότητα του να αυξάνει την παραγωγή αυτού του ενζύμου, που καταπολεμά τις ελεύθερες ρίζες, της Γλουταθειόνης Περοξειδάσης.

ΤΑ ΑΝΗΣΥΧΗΤΙΚΑ ΣΤΟΙΧΕΙΑ: Καθώς αυξάνεται η ηλικία μας τα επίπεδα του Σεληνίου μειώνονται. Σύμφωνα με μια ιταλική έρευνα, η συγκέντρωση του Σεληνίου στο αίμα μειώνεται κατά 7% μετά την ηλικία των εξήντα και κατά 24% μετά την ηλικία των εβδομήντα πέντε.

Τα χαμηλότερα επίπεδα Σεληνίου υποδηλώνουν χαμηλότερα επίπεδα αντιοξειδωτικής δράσης στο αίμα και στα κύτταρα μας. Οι άνθρωποι που έχουν χαμηλά επίπεδα Σεληνίου έχουν μεγαλύτερα ποσοστά καρδιακών νοσημάτων, καρκίνου και αρθρίτιδας........http://karpoi.blogspot.gr/2012/12/blog-post.html

Low iron levels increase the risk of H. pylori-associated gastric cancer

H. pylori frequently causes gastric ulcers and is also one of the greatest risk factors for gastric cancer. H. pylori infection is also associated with another gastric cancer risk factor, iron deficiency. 

In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation[1], researchers led by Richard Peek at Vanderbilt University investigated the influence of iron on H. pylori-induced gastric cancer.

Peek and colleagues found that low iron accelerated the development of H. pylori-associated cancerous lesions in gerbils. 
Further, H. pylori strains isolated from a human population at high risk for gastric cancer were more virulent and produced greater inflammation if they came from patients with low iron levels. 


In an accompanying article, El-Omar Emad of Aberdeen University discusses how iron levels could be used to identify patients that are at a higher risk for gastric cancer after H. pylori infection.

TITLE: Iron deficiency accelerates Helicobacter pylori-induced carcinogenesis in rodents and humans

• [1] Journal of Clinical Investigation

White Christmas in Rio. Health alert?

Under a torrid 40 degrees Celsius, the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro woke up on December 25 under a white blanket. Only it was not snow - it was a mysterious white soot-like dust which entered people's apartments and caused allergies. The authorities still do not know what caused it... could there be a serious health risk?

The official data available can be summarized by a white soot-like dust which descended on several areas of the city of Rio de Janeiro early on the morning of Christmas Day. Eye witnesses described the phenomenon as being like snowflakes falling. The dust settled mainly in the southern areas of the city such as Lagoa, Copacabana, Ipanema, Botafogo, Laranjeiras, Largo do Machado and Glória, in the Centre, Tijuca (North) and Recreio (West).

Eye witnesses declare that it is a fine white powder which entered apartments and in some cases caused allergies. The Brazilian environmental authorities are still investigating the causes of the event.

Some commentators postulate that the microparticles could have come from the volcanic eruption in Chile.

In 2010, the States of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo set up stations to monitor a similar phenomenon of white microparticles which invaded the cities and which at the time considered as a serious health risk. At the time the blame was placed on the incomplete burning process of fossil fuels used by vehicles and which were, in 2010, declared to be responsible for 77% of the air pollution in the Metropolitan Area of Rio de Janeiro.

The nature of this substance was of particular concern to the authorities because it was four times smaller (at 0.0025 mm.) than the size of microparticles which were considered dangerous and for this reason the particles penetrate very deeply into the human respiratory system. Such particles have been linked by some experts also to heart attacks and cancer.

If the microparticles which spread out over Rio de Janeiro on Christmas Day are of the same origin, then a public health alert may be in order.

Juan Blanco

Pravda.Ru

26/12/12

Η πυρηνική «κληρονομιά» της ΕΣΣΔ μολύνει ακόμα το Τατζικιστάν

Δεκάδες εκατομμύρια τόνοι ραδιενεργών αποβλήτων από ορυχεία ουρανίου της σοβιετικής εποχής παραμένουν εκτεθειμένα κοντά σε μεγάλες πόλεις του Τατζικιστάν, προειδοποιεί έκθεση του ΟΗΕ. Πρόκειται μάλιστα για ένα «από τα μεγαλύτερα προβλήματα της χώρας», το οποίο όμως είναι «απίθανο να επιλυθεί στο προσεχές μέλλον».

Η πρώτη πυρηνική βόμβα της Σοβιετικής Ένωσης, η οποία δοκιμάστηκε επί Στάλιν στις 29 Αυγούστου 1949, περιείχε ουράνιο από το βόρειο Τατζικιστάν, το οποίο ήταν τότε μέρος της ΕΣΣΔ.


Εξήντα και πλέον χρόνια μετά, σχεδόν 55 εκατομμύρια τόνοι ραδιενεργού υλικού παραμένουν σε ανοιχτούς χώρους χωρίς να έχουν υποστεί καμία επεξεργασία, προειδοποιεί η Οικονομική Επιτροπή για την Ευρώπη των Ηνωμένων Εθνών (UNECE).
Στη δεύτερη έκθεσή της για την προστασία του περιβάλλοντος στην πρώην σοβιετική δημοκρατία, η UNECE διαπιστώνει ότι οι τεράστιες ποσότητες αποβλήτων παραμένουν σήμερα στα επίπεδα όπου βρίσκονταν το 1990.
«Η αποθήκευση των πυρηνικών αποβλήτων είναι ένα από τα κυριότερα προβλήματα του Τατζικιστάν» εκτιμούν οι συντάκτες της έκθεσης.
Αρκετά από τα εγκαταλειμμένα ορυχεία βρίσκονται κοντά στο Κουτζάντ, τη δεύτερη μεγαλύτερη πόλη, η οποία φιλοξενούσε κέντρο επεξεργασίας στο οποίο κατέφθανε μετάλλευμα ουρανίου και από την Κιργιζία και το Ουζμπεκιστάν. Σύμφωνα με την UNECE, στην εγκατάσταση αυτή είχαν συσσωρευτεί 35.000 κυβικά μέτρα αποβλήτων με χαμηλά επίπεδα ραδιενέργειας.
Η υπηρεσία του ΟΗΕ συγχαίρει τις πρωτοβουλίες της Διεθνούς Υπηρεσίας Ατομικής Ενέργειας για την αντιμετώπιση της κατάστασης, εκτιμά ωστόσο ότι «λόγω της έκτασης του προβλήματος, είναι δύσκολο να φανταστεί κανείς ότι το ζήτημα θα επιλυθεί στο προσεχές μέλλον.
Η χρόνια έκθεση σε υψηλές συγκεντρώσεις ουρανίου είναι επικίνδυνη για την υγεία καθώς μπορεί να προκαλέσει βλάβες στους νεφρούς και αύξηση του κινδύνου εμφάνισης καρκίνου. 
.tanea gr
16/12/12
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• Second Environmental Performance Review of Tajikistan highlights lack of access to clean water and sanitation and need for improved waste management

Access to clean water and improved sanitation and waste management remain some of the most pressing environmental challenges for Tajikistan according to the second Environmental Performance Review of Tajikistan published today. The Review, performed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), takes stock of progress made by the country in the management of its environment since the country was first reviewed in 2004.

The Review covers 10 issues of importance to the country related to policymaking, planning and implementation, the financing of environmental policies, climate change, water management, waste management, human health and the environment and biodiversity conservation. It notes a series of improvements, including significant changes to the legal and policy framework in the area of the environment, as well as challenges that the country is still facing.

Tajikistan has abundant water resources. However, due to institutional weaknesses as well as inadequate funding and outdated infrastructure in the water sector, there are multiple challenges in the use and protection of water resources. Only one third of Tajikistan’s 7.2 million inhabitants have access to chlorinated piped water. Some 30% rely on spring water and the remainder of the population depend on river and ditch water sources. Only 5% of the population are connected to public sewerage. The functioning of the water supply and sewerage systems is, moreover, frequently interrupted by power outages, which is also a source of water contamination. Frequent power cuts limit water supply to a few hours per day. Although there has been an overall improvement since 2004 in the quality of drinking water, 15% of samples do not meet bacteriological standards today.

Waste management has been receiving more attention since 2004. Nevertheless, today municipal solid waste collection services are only provided for the urban population, which represents about 26% of the total population. Waste disposal practices require urgent improvement as even in the capital, Dushanbe, the city’s single disposal site does not meet sanitary norms and standards.

Tailing ponds from mining activities also pose a threat to human health in the country. Approximately 54.8 million tons of waste from past uranium mining operations are still located in unsecured sites in northern Tajikistan, a number of them close to Khujand, the country's second-largest city.

The Review concludes with a set of 47 recommendations to the country to improve management of its environment, to better integrate the goals of sustainable development into sectoral policies, to promote greater accountability to the public and to strengthen cooperation with the international community. The recommendations were approved by the UNECE Committee on Environmental Policy.

The Review is available at: http://www.unece.org/env/epr/publications.html
For more information on the EPR Programme, please visit: http://www.unece.org/env/epr or contact info.epr@unece.org. 
---------------------------------
 
Note to editors

In 1993, at the Second “Environment for Europe” Ministerial Conference, ministers requested UNECE to undertake Environmental Performance Reviews in countries that were not Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development members. By 2004, the first cycle of Reviews was completed (with the exception of Turkmenistan). UNECE is now finalizing the second round of reviews, taking stock of the progress made since the first review, and putting particular emphasis on implementation, integration, financing and the socio-economic interface with the environment.

At the seventh “Environment for Europe” Ministerial Conference in Astana in September 2011, ministers invited UNECE to conduct the third cycle of EPRs, which may additionally look at environmental governance and financing in a green economy context, countries’ cooperation with the international community and environmental mainstreaming in priority sectors.

.unece.org

14/12/12

Florida scientists prepare to release hundreds of thousands of genetically modified mosquitoes

Hundreds of thousands of mutated mosquitoes could soon be unleashed in Florida, but don’t worry: scientists say they have a plan.
It might sound like something out of a low-budget horror film, but the US Food and Drug Administration really is considering whether or not they should allow scientists to send thousands upon thousands of genetically altered insects into the wild.
If all goes as planned, mosquitos modified by some serious Frankenstein treatment will be introduced into the Florida Keys and ideally mate with skeeters that carry the deadly dengue fever, passing along in the process a fatal birth defect that will hopefully eradicate the offspring before birth. From there, scientists say they expect the population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes infected with the dangerous disease will be decimated in only a few generations without causing any major implications for the native ecosystem.

"The science of it, I think, looks fine. It's straight from setting up experiments and collecting data," Michael Doyle of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District tells the Associated Press.
No vaccination against dengue fever is currently available in any part of the world, and although the mortality rate associated with it is low, it’s still a serious concern. In the Florida Keys where the economy relies on tourism, an epidemic of any sort could be catastrophic. Some fear that sending mutated mosquitos into the environment could have grave implications as well, though, and are asking for more thorough testing before the FDA makes a decision. Of course, it doesn’t help the scientists’ case that it will take several rounds of releasing genetically modified mosquitos in order for their plan to work.
"The public resistance and the need to reach some agreement between mosquito control and the public, I see that as a very significant issue, outside of the (operating) costs, since this is not just a one-time thing," Phil Lounibos of the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory tells the AP.
The plan to put lab-altered insects into the ecosystem is expected to not harm any humans since the female mosquitos that bite won’t become infected. Real estate agent Mila de Mier tells the AP that she’s still concerned, though, and clearly isn’t the only one: her petition on Change.org, “Say No to Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Release in the Florida Keys,” has garnered over 117,000 signatures.
“Even though the local community in the Florida Keys has spoken – we even passed an ordinance demanding more testing – Oxitec is trying to use a loophole by applying to the FDA for an ‘animal bug’ patent,” reads the petition. “This could mean these mutant mosquitoes could be released at any point against the wishes of locals and the scientific community. We need to make sure the FDA does not approve Oxitec's patent.”
“Nearly all experiments with genetically-modified crops have eventually resulted in unintended consequences: superweeds more resistant to herbicides, mutated and resistant insects also collateral damage to ecosystems. A recent news story reported that the monarch butterfly population is down by half in areas where Roundup Ready GM crops are doused with ultra-high levels of herbicides that wipe out the monarch's favorite milkweed plant.”
“There are more questions than answers and we need more testing to be done,” it continues.
Health officials believed that dengue fever was eradicated entirely years ago, but a handful of cases have been discovered in the Florida Keys in 2009 and 2010. If humans are infected, they can experience extremely high body temperatures, swollen nodes, full-on rashes, vomiting and, in some cases, death.
http://rt.com/usa/news/florida-mosquitos-disease-fever-472/
7/12/12