Prenatal Exposure to Pesticides Leads to Diminished IQ’s in Children

prenatal pesticides

The study found some of the risks that pesticides were already known to pose to children, including ADHD and learning difficulties.

It was reported this week by the Environmental Working Group that three studies published simultaneously all came to the same eye-opening conclusion.  The conclusion was prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticides leads to diminished IQs in children between the ages of 6 and 9.

 

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151 Materials in Food or Feed Have Been Blacklisted by China

blacklisted additives

China is waging a prolonged and stringent fight against the illegal use of additives in food.

151 materials forbidden or abusable in food and feed over the past nine years have been blacklisted by China, according to figures released by the food safety committee under the State Council, or China’s Cabinet.

 

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6 Trends Shaping The Smart Grid

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What makes the smart grid more efficient?

The smart grid is a complicated beast. While the concept is simple enough — make the energy grid intelligent so that we use electricity in the most efficient manner possible — the implementation is mind-numbingly intricate. That’s why progress is steady but slow, from developing technology to standards to systems. GigaOm has a new report detailing six areas that are important for the growth of the new grid, including improvements in home energy management, carbon management and electric vehicle technologies.

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My Weekend with the new All-Electric Nissan Leaf

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Me standing next to the all-electric Nissan Leaf in La Jolla, CA

Futurist Thomas Frey:  I looked over at my clock and saw that it was 3:19 am, a time when most people would normally just roll over and fall back to sleep, but I was wide awake. And from past experience, I wouldn’t get tired again for 2-3 hours, so this was one of those crazy middle-of-the-night periods of free time where I could get something done, and my body didn’t really know I was awake. (Pics)

 

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Having Trouble Remembering Things? Spring Clean Your Mind

forgetfulness

If you have trouble remembering things you probably need to declutter your mind.

Having trouble remembering names and numbers or can’t remember to follow the plot of a film?   Help could be at hand.   The problem is that you know too much – and you need to declutter, or spring-clean your mind, according to scientists.

 

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Music Lessons in Childhood Make You Smarter, More Intelligent

music lessons

Music lessons makes you smarter.

If you want your child to be smart and intelligent then, make sure your kid learns to play musical instruments, scientists say.  University of Kansas Medical Center researchers have found that practicing musical instruments as a child not only help him mastering the instrument, it also provides a boost to his brain decades later.

 

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Google Earth Maps Shows Population Size and Danger Threshold Surrounding Nuclear Power Plants

nuclear plants

Google Earth map that shows the different population sizes surrounding nuclear power plants.

Nature News along with Columbia University, has created a Google Earth map that shows the different population sizes surrounding nuclear power plants. They are trying to demonstrate the danger threshold of other nuclear plants worldwide, compared to the ongoing nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan.

 

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The 7-Stage Evolution of a Socially Responsible Brand

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Becoming a Socially Responsible Brand takes teamwork.

For decades, the decision to be an environmentally and socially responsible company has been based on the bottom line: Would it be profitable? In general, companies have crunched the numbers and chosen shareholder profits over a sufficient commitment to invest in greater social responsibility. In terms of traditional accounting and the legal requirements of corporations, costs always outweighed benefits.

But it now seems that this equation is starting to lean the other way as brands recognize the potential financial and reputational advantages they can gain by engaging with consumers around the shared ambition of building a better world…

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Age Your Own Whiskey Kit

whisky agyowhisk

Now you can do it yourself!

The magic that happens inside of a whiskey barrel has always intrigued whiskey drinkers. But unless you are a whiskey drinker who owns a distillery, it’s next to impossible to witness the transformation of the distillate from clear to brown, and the many flavor, aroma, and taste complexities that are added before finishing the journey as aged whiskey. But no longer…

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