Category: Big Problems

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India takes Monsanto to court for biopiracy over development of GM eggplant

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Biopiracy a Sensitive Issue in India.

Agri-giant Monsanto may be forced to take one on the chin in India: The nation’s first genetically modified food crop, a variety of eggplant known at Bt brinjal, has sucked its Big Ag developers into court. Monsanto, Mahyco, and “collaborators” have been accused of biopiracy by the National Biodiversity Authority of India.

NBA says the developers of Bt brinjal (the introduction of which was halted in 2010 by then environment minister Jairam Ramesh on the grounds that more tests were needed to prove its safety) used local varieties of eggplant in developing the GM crop “without prior approval of the competent authorities.”

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Analysis, Big Problems, Science & Technology News

Five ways technology is getting worse

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Our technological world has plenty of pitfalls.

If you feel like you’re scrambling to keep up with technology, you’ve got plenty of company as technology has been moving forward in leaps and bounds. There’s not a gadget on the market that doesn’t aim to make our lives easier, but now we’re tangled up in a strange new world. It’s a complex web of tweets and roaming charges in which we we hunt for open power outlets with the urgency of our ancestors foraging for their next meal.

 

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Big Problems, Economy, Latest Trend, Science & Technology News

Growing number of Americans struggle to keep their cars on the road

mechanic

“Many Americans rely on their cars for their livelihood, and losing access to them could be financially devastating.”

Margaret McCormick’s 2001 Toyota Celica has been sitting in the parking lot of her condo complex for the past four months.  She can’t afford to fix the flat tire and broken transmission.

 

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Analysis, Big Problems, Economy, Latest Trend

U.S. economic uncertainty is the new normal

economic uncertainty

Many Americans are focused on bargains and careful to spend money only when they need.

Financial fears of most Americans seem to be adding to the nation’s economic woes.  The recession. The financial crisis. The housing crisis. The persistently high unemployment rate. And now, the debt debacle.  No wonder American’s feel uncertain about the U.S. economy.

 

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Analysis, Big Problems, Business, Human Behavior, Latest Trend, Science & Technology News

‘Workplace incivility’ a growing problem: study

workplace incivility

Workplace incivility is on the rise.

Are you stressed on the job? Do rude,  inconsiderate, or unpleasant coworkers add to your list of headaches? “Workplace incivility” is on the rise,  said researchers at the American Psychological Association annual meeting on Sunday.

 

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Analysis, Big Problems, Breakthrough Thinking, Crazy Stuff, Current Events, Globalism, Historical Perspectives

Melting Islands

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World of Islands as it is now.

Seems like we’ve flown too close to the sun on this one–Dubai’s ambitious World of Islands that were built as part of a luxurious resort are now eroding back into the sea from which they came. Millions of tons of sand were pumped in to form the islands to mimic the world, and as you can see no longer resemble the world so much as… suggesting it. Property assessments are grim…

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Analysis, Big Problems, Breakthrough Thinking, Business, Corporate Manipulation, Crazy Stuff, Education, Historical Perspectives

10 most notorious money laundering cases of the 20th century

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Have you heard of these money laundering cases?

Money laundering is the process by which illegally obtained cash is made to appear as if it has been obtained by legal means. The funds are moved into valid accounts or businesses in order to hide or disguise the financial trail that leads back to the criminal activity. In 1996, it was estimated that between 2 and 5 percent of the world’s gross domestic product consisted of laundered money…

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Big Problems, Crazy Stuff, Current Events, Global Warming, Globalism, Health & Fitness, Historical Perspectives, Hot Issues, Latest News

July 2011 Heat Records Double Those Of Last Year

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July was REALLY hot in a lot of places.

With July just behind us the National Weather Service confirms what you probably already knew: It was really seriously totally sweatily hot over the majority of the United States. In fact there were 2,676 tied or broken heat records across the nation, doubling last year’s stats. All told about 60 people died from the heat last month…

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Analysis, Big Problems, Breakthrough Thinking, Health & Fitness, Historical Perspectives, Medical Breakthrough

Is Cancer a new parasite species?

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Have we been approaching cancer from the wrong perspective?

According to a new scientific paper, cancer might actually be a newly evolved species of parasite based on the fact that the cells depend on their hosts for food, but otherwise act independently and to the detriment of their host…

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