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Showing posts with label cnv. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cnv. Show all posts
swine flu has hit 20 countries
Doctors have confirmed 985 cases of the H1N1 flu virus in 20 countries and, for the first time, a sick farm worker has infected pigs, according to the World Health Organization. A farm worker who had recently traveled to Mexico has infected a herd of pigs in Alberta, Canada, said Peter Ben Embarek, a food safety scientist at the WHO at press conference Sunday morning. The worker returned to the farm in mid-April and the animals began getting sick eight to 10 days later, Embarek said. The infection was mild, however, and the farm worker and pigs have recovered. On another front, some aspects of the swine flu threat appeared to be leveling off on Monday, as Mexican Health Secretary Jose Cordoba announced most businesses there would reopen Wednesday. Cordoba said that an ebb in the number of cases in Mexico was responsible for the decision, which would end a five-day closure of nonessential businesses to stop the spread of the new virus. Cafes, museums and libraries were among the businesses that would open their doors back up, but health officials still need to inspect schools before children are allowed back in, Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard said. U.S. OFFICIALS: Try to gauge reach of outbreak INTERACTIVE MAP: Track the virus FULL COVERAGE: What you need to know PHOTOS: The global swine flu outbreak VIDEO:Swine flu news In the Alberta, Canada, case, the virus that infected the pigs is the same H1N1 virus in circulation among people and there is no indication that the transfer between species has caused the flu bug to mutate to a new or dangerous form, Embarek said. FIND MORE STORIES IN: United States | Texas | Mexico | China | Hong Kong | New Zealand | South America | World Health Organization | Colombia | El Salvador | Costa Rica | Central America | Alberta | Swine flu | Northern Hemisphere | Southern Hemisphere | Spanish Flu | Pan American Health Organization "This is not a big surprise," he said, noting that officials had expected that pigs could be infected in areas where the virus is circulating. While farm workers are at risk of contracting H1N1 from pigs, Embarek stressed that people cannot become infected from eating pork. Both heat and the curing process used to make ham kill the virus, and the virus doesn't live long on surfaces, Embarek said. "You can continue to safely eat your prosciutto," Embarek said. The USA has confirmed 244 in 34 states, including one death, a Mexican toddler who was treated at a Texas hospital. Mexico is now reporting 590 confirmed cases of H1N1, including 25 deaths, according to the WHO. Even as Mexican officials say the virus appears to have peaked, the number of confirmed cases is increasing as laboratories test previously collected specimens. Scientists at the WHO say they don't yet know whether the outbreak has truly peaked, however. Also in Mexico, officials have chartered a plane to bring back dozens of their citizens who were quarantined while visiting China, including some who were taken to isolation from arriving flights. "I think it's unfair that because we have been honest and transparent with the world some countries and places are taking repressive and discriminatory measures because of ignorance and disinformation," Mexican President Felipe Calderon said. China's foreign ministry denied it was discriminating against Mexicans. The infamous 1918 flu pandemic, which killed 50 million people worldwide, began in the spring, became dormant in the summer and roared back to life in the fall, said WHO spokesman Gregory Härtl. Of the 10 pandemics over the past 300 years, about half have begun in fall or winter, while the other half began in the spring or summer, says Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. Hartl noted that flu season usually ends in the Northern Hemisphere at this time of year, as the weather warms up. Flu season in the Southern Hemisphere often begins at this time of year, however, as temperatures drop. WHO has confirmed one case in Colombia, as well as cases in Central America — one in Costa Rica and two in El Salvador. New Zealand also has had one confirmed case. Contributing: The Associated Press
Global recession could worsen global warming
Hopes that humankind will deal with Earth's changing climate are in danger of being dashed by the ongoing " Great Recession."
Under the onslaught of the financial crisis, some European nations have turned skittish on forcing limits in heat-trapping "greenhouse" gas emissions. And stateside, House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, has complained that "middle-class families are struggling during this recession," in objecting to similar plans to cap emissions.
But the financial meltdown may make the case for addressing global warming stronger, says Eugene Linden, author of Winds of Change: Climate, Weather, and the Destruction of Civilizations. A former Time magazine science writer, Linden alternates authoring with a part-time job at a hedge fund, making him the rare environmental writer on Wall Street. He spoke in April at a University of Illinois conference called "Planet U." on "What the Financial Crisis has to teach us about Climate Change."
"Climate has been our long and moody companion," Linden says. "When it's nice, it's nice. When it's not, it's a serial killer." Anyone worried about pink slips these days could be forgiven for feeling the same way about the economy, he says.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has projected a roughly 7-degree Fahrenheit rise in average global atmospheric temperatures by 2100 under "business as usual" rates of greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gases, notably the carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels such as coal and oil, are transparent to sunlight, but trap heat in the atmosphere.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: United States | Illinois | Ohio | Wall Street | Earth | John Boehner | Linden | NASA | James Hansen | Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change | Nassim Taleb
"The continuing global economic crisis has once again shoved the climate crisis to the back burner," Linden notes. But "it provides a useful analogy that helps us understand the paralysis on climate change. It also provides a useful analogue to how things might play out."
Among the similarities, he sees:
•In the financial crisis, toxic assets on bank books — bum loans — were released into the financial system. In climate, greenhouse gases are piling up, raising the risks of abrupt climate change.
•Prior to the financial crisis, "decisions were made that made the crisis worse — regulations dropped." In climate, regulations have been avoided for two decades after they were first suggested in Congress.
•Prior to the financial crisis, belief in the efficiency of the financial market was touted as a security blanket, Linden says. "Alarmists" such as economist Nassim Nicholas Taleb who predicted that a " black swan" event would hit the economy, were ignored. In the climate arena, he notes, scientists such as James Hansen of NASA's Goddard Institute are now seen as similarly controversial.
In historical terms, Lindens suggests we are "incredibly leveraged" for an accommodating climate, similar to the reliance that financiers put on steady return from a system they knew couldn't last forever.
"I think the experience shows us we can't rely on the government on climate," Linden says. Consumers making more environmentally-friendly decisions, ironically easier when you have less money in your pocket to spend, will likely make the biggest difference, he thinks.
Linden faced a few friendly questions from the audience after the talk. What do USA TODAY readers make of his argument?
Traffic set to slow as stimulus gears up
WASHINGTON — Caution ahead: stimulus slowdowns.
Drivers across the country will have to contend with far more roadwork — and all the frustration that goes with it — as states prepare to launch a spate of new highway projects this summer. The work is part of President Obama's $787 billion economic stimulus package and is meant to create jobs by repairing roads and bridges.
"People will see more construction. There's no question about it," says Brian Blanchard, the chief engineer for Florida's Department of Transportation. That work will begin at the same time more cars will likely be vying to squeeze onto the roads, because gas prices are expected to be lower this summer than they were last year, AAA spokesman Troy Green says.
All told, the stimulus will give states an extra $27 billion to repair roads and bridges, on top of roughly $42 billion in annual aid. Much of that will be spent during this summer's construction season, and at least $200 million worth of work has already started, says John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
Exactly where all those bottlenecks will be or how long they'll last isn't clear because states haven't yet decided on all their stimulus projects. But transportation officials say the huge influx of federal money inevitably will mean more work zones across the country:
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Florida | Barack Obama | Philadelphia | New York | Miami | Pennsylvania | Missouri | David Paterson | Texas Department of Transportation
• In Florida, the stimulus will mean another $1.3 billion worth of roadwork over the next two years, about 25% more than normal, Blanchard says. Much of it will go to small improvements the state put off in recent years because it didn't have enough money, including rebuilding a busy interchange on Miami's Dolphin Expressway, he says.
• Pennsylvania expects a "record building program" this summer, state transportation spokesman Rich Kirkpatrick says. Around Philadelphia, the volume of roadwork will be almost double what drivers have seen in recent years, including work on a bridge that carries I-95 near downtown. "We know there are going to be some challenges. We understand it's frustrating," he says.
• New York will increase spending by more than 60% this year, focusing on smaller road and bridge projects, says Tim Gilchrist, an adviser to Gov. David Paterson. "There will be an impact on the public, but it's creating jobs," Gilchrist says.
In other states, the extra money will make up for what could have been dramatic cutbacks. Missouri officials expected their construction spending to drop by nearly half over the next two years, but "the stimulus bought us another 12 to 18 months," says Transportation Director Pete Rahn.
States will try to minimize disruptions by requiring that work be done at night and not clumping projects too close together. "We know it's frustrating. We're drivers, too," says Texas Department of Transportation spokesman Chris Lippincott.
For Obama, the legal legacy begins with Souter replacement
WASHINGTON — As President Obama considers how to make the most of a rare opportunity to appoint a Supreme Court justice, he is getting advice from many fronts — including Senate Judiciary Committee leaders and law professors, women's advocates and Hispanic groups. On Sunday, Pennsylvania's just-turned-Democratic senator, Arlen Specter, weighed in as well.
And why not? Supreme Court justices are appointed for life, and they may help determine the law long after a president leaves office. So even as Obama wrestles with economic and foreign policy challenges that could lead to major changes in America, a court appointment could become one of the most significant acts of his tenure.
DAVID SOUTER: Timeline
SUPREME COURT QUIZ: Test your knowledge
The appointee who would succeed liberal Justice David Souter is unlikely to shift the ideological balance of the court, but she or he could help set a new tone or bring a different type of leadership to the divided bench.
As Obama and his aides screen candidates to make the first Democratic nomination in 15 years, well-established — and often overlapping — judicial models can guide his choices and shape public expectations.
Woman killed in motorcycle accident
GARRETT – A Lackey woman was killed Saturday in a motorcycle accident on Route 80 at Garrett.
According to police, Amber N. Hall, 24, was traveling west in Garrett just after 9 p.m. when she lost control of the motorcycle and ran off the road. Hall reportedly struck the side of the guardrail and was ejected from the motorcycle.
Hall was transported to St. Joseph of Martin and was pronounced dead by Dr. Ben Browning in the emergency room.
The accident is under investigation by Kentucky State Police Trooper Brad Austin, who was assisted on scene by Trooper Isaac Whitaker, Sgt. Ronald Peppi, Transtar Ambulance Service, the Floyd County Sheriff’s Department and the Garrett Fire Department.
According to police, Amber N. Hall, 24, was traveling west in Garrett just after 9 p.m. when she lost control of the motorcycle and ran off the road. Hall reportedly struck the side of the guardrail and was ejected from the motorcycle.
Hall was transported to St. Joseph of Martin and was pronounced dead by Dr. Ben Browning in the emergency room.
The accident is under investigation by Kentucky State Police Trooper Brad Austin, who was assisted on scene by Trooper Isaac Whitaker, Sgt. Ronald Peppi, Transtar Ambulance Service, the Floyd County Sheriff’s Department and the Garrett Fire Department.
State preparing for swine flu
FRANKFORT – Kentucky joined the rest of the nation in addressing concerns about the more than 60 Americans infected with swine flu during a media conference in Frankfort Monday afternoon.
Dr. William Hacker, commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health, spoke to reporters at the department’s emergency operations center, saying the situation was an “evolving” one.
“The situation is evolving and we’re in the early stage of this investigation,” Hacker said. “Those who have died in Mexico raise concerns, certainly. We’re not clear about whether ours is less severe or if we haven’t identified the more severe cases.”
Still, Hacker said there was no real cause for alarm at this point.
“I would be concerned, but not panicked,” he said.
The number of people who have died from the strain of swine flu in Mexico since April 13 was 149 as of Tuesday afternoon.
But, as Hacker said during the media conference, Mexico has a six-week head start on the U.S.
In the meantime, officials are saying that “common sense” approaches to safeguard against becoming infected are the best method at this time.
“Use common sense,” said Hacker. “It’s appropriate to take precautionary steps and wash your hands, cover your cough and practice good hygiene.”
There are currently researchers working to develop a vaccine for the new strain, said Hacker. That vaccine would be several months in the making, he added.
“We don’t know where this virus came from,” he said. “This is a new combination we have not seen before, but it’s not like this has never happened before.”
Currently, Hacker and his staff have been stockpiling backup medicine to treat against the virus. The federal government has been releasing supplies, of which Kentucky has received enough to treat a little over 100,000 people.
“Flu virus has a tendency to evolve and is highly unpredictable,” Hacker said Tuesday. “We don’t want to get caught unprepared if it does become a bigger threat because changes will be taking place on a daily basis.”
Swine influenza is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were a total of 64 verified cases in the U.S. as of Tuesday afternoon.
The highest number of those appeared in New York, which has 45 confirmed cases. The nearest to Kentucky was Ohio, which had reported one case. In California, 10 people have contracted the virus, with two others in Kansas and another six in Texas.
Dr. William Hacker, commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health, spoke to reporters at the department’s emergency operations center, saying the situation was an “evolving” one.
“The situation is evolving and we’re in the early stage of this investigation,” Hacker said. “Those who have died in Mexico raise concerns, certainly. We’re not clear about whether ours is less severe or if we haven’t identified the more severe cases.”
Still, Hacker said there was no real cause for alarm at this point.
“I would be concerned, but not panicked,” he said.
The number of people who have died from the strain of swine flu in Mexico since April 13 was 149 as of Tuesday afternoon.
But, as Hacker said during the media conference, Mexico has a six-week head start on the U.S.
In the meantime, officials are saying that “common sense” approaches to safeguard against becoming infected are the best method at this time.
“Use common sense,” said Hacker. “It’s appropriate to take precautionary steps and wash your hands, cover your cough and practice good hygiene.”
There are currently researchers working to develop a vaccine for the new strain, said Hacker. That vaccine would be several months in the making, he added.
“We don’t know where this virus came from,” he said. “This is a new combination we have not seen before, but it’s not like this has never happened before.”
Currently, Hacker and his staff have been stockpiling backup medicine to treat against the virus. The federal government has been releasing supplies, of which Kentucky has received enough to treat a little over 100,000 people.
“Flu virus has a tendency to evolve and is highly unpredictable,” Hacker said Tuesday. “We don’t want to get caught unprepared if it does become a bigger threat because changes will be taking place on a daily basis.”
Swine influenza is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were a total of 64 verified cases in the U.S. as of Tuesday afternoon.
The highest number of those appeared in New York, which has 45 confirmed cases. The nearest to Kentucky was Ohio, which had reported one case. In California, 10 people have contracted the virus, with two others in Kansas and another six in Texas.
Diverging views of coal mining emerge from conference
University of Kentucky professor Ron Eller stirred up the proceedings of the Eastern kentucky Leadership Conference last week by calling for an end to surface mining.
Eller was the keynote speaker at this year’s Eastern Kentucky Leadership Conference awards ceremony in Hazard. He began his speech noting a need to build an “alternative future for our children,” and later called for an all-out end to the practice of surface coal mining, especially the controversial method of mountaintop removal mining, saying that perhaps there needs to be a “revolution in our thinking in the mountains.”
Eller, a West Virginia native and past Pulitzer nominee, said ending surface mining serves as a way to push the regional economy past an economy based on coal.
“We must look beyond an extractive based economy to one that values and enhances the landscape and resources that it holds,” said Eller. “One that connects our own sustainability and future to that of the mountains themselves. We must begin, I think, by abolishing surface mining, including the radically destructive practice of mountaintop removal.”
Eller said mountaintop removal is not a necessary component of the local or national economy. He called for employment in underground coal mines to be protected, while those jobs on surface mines in the coalfields could be replaced by jobs that “enhance the environment” such as forest management or localized energy production such as wind and solar.
“Jobs displaced by the loss of strip mining could be replaced by federally supported programs of reforestation and land reclamation for alternative energy production,” he continued, adding that reclaimed mine sites could also be added to the national forest and managed as national energy trusts.
Eller argued that restoring the lands and managing them would employ many more people than those jobs that would be lost by ending surface coal mining.
Reaction to Eller’s speech was quick, with many pointing out the development of shopping centers, hospitals, and other businesses on land once used as surface mining sites as indicators of how important surface coal mining is to the region.
In what was seen by some as a rebuttal to Eller’s keynote speech Thursday, Kentucky House Speaker Greg Stumbo, in a speech made between conference sessions Friday afternoon in Hazard, announced support for new reclamation techniques and pointed to the progress being made on former surface mining sites, including the Stonecrest development in his hometown of Prestonsburg in Floyd County.
“I led a 10-year effort to reclaim this former mine site,” he said. “Now it is home to an industrial site, a public golf course, a beautiful residential area, a horse show facility, as well as baseball, football and soccer fields.”
Stumbo added that there has been a balance between responsible coal mining and the natural beauty of Eastern Kentucky, and that balance should continue.
“Kentucky is blessed with abundant coal reserves and beautiful land. We can enjoy the jobs and cheap energy provided by coal, while protecting our heritage of natural beauty,” he said.
Heating program pumps $5 million into economy
PAINTSVILLE – The Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) program has closed its doors now that the cold weather season has passed. But the program leaves behind a considerable impression on the local economy.
According to James Michael Howell, the agency’s executive director, the Big Sandy Area Community Action Program provided $5 million to local families for heating assistance.
The program provided assistance to families in the five-county region, which includes Floyd, Pike, Johnson, Magoffin and Martin counties.
“Our agency’s goal is to help those in the community who are in need,” Howell said. “The help LIHEAP provides makes a difference between a family staying warm or suffering from the cold.”
The agency began taking LIHEAP applications in November 2008 and by the time the program closed its doors on March 31 had processed more than 27,000 applicants.
“The $5 million injected by LIHEAP into our local communities has a significant impact,” Howell said. “In addition to helping customers, the money has a ripple effect by supporting local energy providers and their employees and families. By helping the less fortunate, everyone benefits.”
In total, the program distributed $5,064,241 to help heat homes throughout the region.
The program is funded through the U.S. Department for Health and Human Services through the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services and Community Action Kentucky.
According to James Michael Howell, the agency’s executive director, the Big Sandy Area Community Action Program provided $5 million to local families for heating assistance.
The program provided assistance to families in the five-county region, which includes Floyd, Pike, Johnson, Magoffin and Martin counties.
“Our agency’s goal is to help those in the community who are in need,” Howell said. “The help LIHEAP provides makes a difference between a family staying warm or suffering from the cold.”
The agency began taking LIHEAP applications in November 2008 and by the time the program closed its doors on March 31 had processed more than 27,000 applicants.
“The $5 million injected by LIHEAP into our local communities has a significant impact,” Howell said. “In addition to helping customers, the money has a ripple effect by supporting local energy providers and their employees and families. By helping the less fortunate, everyone benefits.”
In total, the program distributed $5,064,241 to help heat homes throughout the region.
The program is funded through the U.S. Department for Health and Human Services through the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services and Community Action Kentucky.
Weird Dancing Dog
Billions of dollars in Bailouts, a Swine Flu Pandemic, and Perez Hilton is popular. The END OF TIMES IS NIGH! NIGGGGGHHHHH! So heres a dancing Dog.