Category: News

 

Just yesterday the FCC cleared a device that seems to have appeared out of nowhere in a display case at Google I/O – the Acer S110 Liquid Stream.  We don’t know a ton about it other than it’s expected to launch with Android 2.1 sometime in October, and is sporting a 5 megapixel camera capable of recording 720p quality video.  Today, the same device popped up on the Bluetooth SIG site having received Bluetooth certification.  The Bluetooth certification page describes the devices as follows: “This product is a 3.5G mobile phone with 5M auto focus camera and MP3 player, vedio recorder, Bluetooth connection functions, WLAN connection functions, GPS fixed functions and HDMI.”  So far so good, no?  I’m liking the thought of 3.5G and I’m assuming that means HSDPA+.  The Liquid Stream has now made it passed two of the hurdles necessary to come to market, so it’s interesting that it’s not expected to launch until October.  As usual, time will be the judge on this one.  Any thoughts?  Share them below!

Via Bluetooth

by Agence France-Presse.

Watch Philippe Cousteau Jr., grandson of legendary ocean
explorer Jacques Cousteau, dive into the oily Gulf of Mexico on ABC’s Good Morning America: 

Jacques Cousteau would have been “horrified” by the devastation being
wrought by a huge Gulf of Mexico oil spill, his grandson said after diving down
into the seas.

“There’s a
chemical dispersant/oil mixture that is now … over vast areas of the Gulf and
as we feared it’s not concentrated at the surface,” Philippe Cousteau Jr.
told CNN, adding “this absolutely is a nightmare.”

“We were
about 15 to 20 feet down and it was dispersed into smaller and smaller
particles throughout the water column in these billowing clouds that were just
circling us, encompassing us in this toxic soup. It was very, very
alarming.”

Oil has been
spewing into the seas since an April 20 explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig,
just off the Louisiana coast, and the spreading slick is seeping into the
state’s fragile marshlands.

“I know
that my father and grandfather would have been doing this if they were alive
and that they would have been just as horrified by what they saw as I
was,” Cousteau said in a post on his blog.

During the
“gruelling” dive, which required three weeks or preparation, Cousteau
and his team wore full hazmat diving suits and heavy hard-hat helmets weighing
some 30 pounds.

He said as the
team was underway, “wave after wave of oil/chemical dispersant mix washed
over us.”

“This was
one of the most terrible experiences of my life seeing first-hand what this oil
spill looks like under the water and knowing that this contamination is
spreading over hundreds of miles.”

And as BP on Wednesday readied a new bid to
cap the leak, Cousteau warned, “Even if they do manage to cut off the oil
tomorrow, the oil that has escaped will spread, following currents as far as
the Arctic Circle via the Gulf Stream, wreaking havoc along the way. I can only
hope that we learn from this and start to truly take the kind of drastic action
necessary to begin the decades-long road to recovery.”

Related Links:

Will BP take responsibility, or squeeze profits from Gulf spill?

Oil rig workers missed ‘very large abnormality’ before explosion

What if the oil spill just can’t be fixed?

Thomas Dunlap, the lawyer who set up US Copyright Group, which mimics European operations like ACS:Law in threatening to sue tens of thousands of people on flimsy evidence in mass automated lawsuits for alleged copyright infringement if they don’t pay up, sure has some interesting legal theories. We had already noted that at least Time Warner Cable was fighting the subpoenas, and in Dunlap’s response, he’s claiming that ISPs that don’t just roll over and hand over the info open themselves up to charges of contributory copyright infringement under the Grokster standard put forth by the Supreme Court.

I can’t see how anyone could possibly find Time Warner guilty of inducement for not handing over subscriber info — especially not under the standards in the Grokster ruling. Those include that the company had to promote that its service could be used for infringement, that they failed to filter out those infringing uses when possible and that the business plan depended on a high volume of infringement. I don’t see any of those three things applying to Time Warner and not handing over customer info on subpoenas. This seems like more bluster from Dunlap to try to get Time Warner Cable to just given in and hand over the names, so he can send out letters demanding payment.

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The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and the Environmental Working Group released the results of a study recently that may have perfume-lovers running from their fragrances. The commissioned study exposed hormone-disrupting chemicals and chemicals that could cause allergic reactions. Many were not on product labels, according to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

“Companies are allowed to put nearly any chemical into fragrances, with no required safety assessments, and they can keep the ingredients secret from consumers,” said Stacy Malkan, a spokesperson for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. (See her 10 natural beauty tips.)

Unlike food and drugs, cosmetics can make it to the counter without pre-approval, according to the FDA. These existing regulations predate public awareness on just how hazardous low-level toxins can be, said Malkin. Researchers found an average of 14 hidden chemicals, in group of popular fragrances that included Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue, Coco Mademoiselle Chanel, Calvin Klein Eternity, and American Eagle’s Seventy-Seven. The report highlights just how many chemicals have been both unstudied and unregulated.

Though commissioned by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and the Environmental Working Group, the research was conducted by Analytical Sciences, an independent lab in California. The report builds on the worries that consumers are not properly warned of toxins in their everyday products, following the recent release of the President’s Cancer Panel.

The products tested each contained an average of 10 “sensitizers” – chemicals that can cause allergic reactions, including asthma, wheezing, headaches, and contact dermatitis. Scientists also found 12 different potential hormone-disrupting chemicals with an average of four in each product. Halle by Halle Berry, Quicksilver, and Jennifer Lopez’s J.Lo Glow each had seven different chemicals that could disrupt an individual’s hormone system, six of which mimic estrogen and a seventh that affects the thyroid.

“We now have a mountain of scientific evidence showing that low-dose exposures to toxic chemicals can have serious long term health effects,” said Malkan. “It’s time to update the laws to require companies to disclose what’s in their products, phase out the most hazardous chemicals and assess chemicals for safety before putting them into products that get into our bodies.

The health effects of chemicals like these have been tested, but in many cases not conclusively. Lab animals may show worrisome results, for instance, but the effects expected of humans exposed to low levels is not always clear. Many scientists and doctors, however, are concerned enough to warn people – particularly pregnant women – to avoid exposure to known hormone-disrupting chemicals.

There are efforts to require more oversight of the cosmetics industry. “I’m working with colleagues in Congress on legislation that will overhaul our outdated cosmetics oversight and regulation,” said Rep. Tammy Baldwin, of Wisconsin, in another press release. “We all deserve to know our products are as safe as possible.”

In the meantime, consumers can protect themselves by selecting products with no added fragrance, using less of their favorite products, and by encouraging their representatives to take action, according to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. For a full list of all the fragrances tested, check out the report.

More from The Daily Green

• 21 of the Best Natural Sunscreens
• 10 Ways to Make Your Beauty Routine Safe
• Breast Cancer Risk Factors: 12 Ways to Reduce Risk
• 3 Cosmetics to Replace Now
• Interview with Josie Maran, Model and Safe Cosmetics Advocate

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc

from ainfos, 26 May 2010: “We should squat more houses and barricade them. We should show them what making squatting illegal really means. No more nice phonecalls to the Wijkagent so he can check the meters. No more waiting for a year for a building to be empty, no more agreements with the owners if they have no good plans with the buildings, no more nicely waiting to be evicted. No more fluffyness…” more

The implications for the oil industry from the ongoing Gulf of Mexico oil spill are already taking shape, with the administration calling for a Challenger-style investigation and rewriting the playbook for oil & gas leasing and the issuance of safety and environmental permits for offshore drilling.

It’s less clear how the spill might affect other aspects of energy, beyond boosting the public’s interest in pursuing clean energy options. However, it would be ironic if a problem perceived to have arisen because of a “cozy relationship” between oil companies and regulators resulted in an even cozier relationship between the government and the ethanol industry that depends on it for both financial support and the rules that mandate the use of its product.

Yet that’s exactly what could happen as the administration decides whether to increase the allowable percentage of ethanol in gasoline.

Perhaps you’ve seen the new ads from Growth Energy, an ethanol trade association: “No beaches have been closed due to spills”, with the word “ethanol” fading slowly into view. Then there’s “We won’t have to wait millions of years to replenish our reserves,” and other statements emphasizing ethanol’s employment and energy security benefits. It’s a clever campaign, and well-timed. On one level, using more ethanol in gasoline seems an obvious response to concerns about our dependence on oil. For all its many shortcomings, ethanol remains the most successful oil substitute in the US market, thanks to the combination of a $0.45 per gallon blenders’ tax credit and the steady ratcheting-up of the annual federal renewable fuels standard. Ethanol currently displaces the equivalent of approximately 500,000 barrels per day of gasoline that would otherwise be imported or refined here from imported crude oil. The problem is that the market penetration of ethanol is rapidly approaching the 10% blending limit that has been approved as safe for use in engines that haven’t been modified to run on higher-percentage ethanol blends, such as E85. And because E85 has so far failed dismally to take off–accounting for just 0.01% of US gasoline sales in 2008, based on EPA’s analysis–any additional ethanol would have to be squeezed into ordinary gasoline, at least in the near term.

Our proximity to this threshold, referred to as the “blend wall”, is determined by two factors, in addition to the federally-mandated ethanol blending volume: total US gasoline sales and US ethanol output. Last year Americans bought just under 138 billion gallons of gasoline (including the ethanol blended into it), a reduction of about 3% from the 2007 peak. Without further growth in demand, 10% of that would be 13.8 billion gallons per year (gpy). According to the Renewable Fuels Association, another ethanol trade association, the capacity of existing US ethanol facilities plus those under construction already totals 14.7 billion gpy. In other words, once all the ethanol plants now being built are finished, the industry could supply more than 10% of US gasoline demand without breaking a sweat. But without either a higher blending limit in gasoline or a sudden, unexpected surge in E85 sales, any additional ethanol beyond that level would have no home in the US fuels market. Nor is it obvious that corn ethanol exports represent a viable long-term outlet. Left unresolved, this is a guaranteed train-wreck.

Under the circumstances, it’s natural for the ethanol industry to ask its patron for help, in the form of a request for a waiver to blend more than 10% ethanol into each gallon of gas. Last winter, the Environmental Protection Agency told Growth Energy that it was studying their request and would respond by mid-2010. That deadline is nearly upon us, and with more oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico every day, the pressure on EPA to agree must be mounting. This can’t be an easy call to make, especially with the auto makers citing test results indicating that ethanol blends above 10% could harm some car engines. Saying no would call into question the nation’s entire long-term renewable fuels strategy, at a time when green jobs and green energy are being widely promoted as the key to a new, more competitive economy. Yet granting that request, either as a favor to the ethanol industry or as a hasty response to the Gulf Coast oil spill would be a mistake that could have serious repercussions, both for consumers and for the administration making such a call. Stay tuned.

This is a guest post by Geoffrey Styles from Energy Tribune.

Join the conversation about this story »

And you know what? They spent the whole conversation talking about Gossip Girl. Well, they would’ve done—had the super-rare, never-seen-before footage not been filmed in 1922. More »










Gossip Girl – David Cameron – Arts – Television – Programs

Vice President Joseph Biden, in speaking about Vietnam, said he didn’t want to make a “Blumenthal mistake.”

Biden jokes about avoiding ‘Blumenthal mistake’ in session with veterans

After Toyota being fined $16.4 million for notifying the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration too late when it comes to recalls, it seems like automakers aren’t wasting anytime in recalling vehicles with issues.

General Motors is recalling just 547 units of the 2010 Cadillac SRX models that are equipped with the 2.8L turbocharged V6 due to a potential engine failure if the owner uses regular gasoline instead of premium and drives in an aggressive manner.

Click here to get prices on the 2010 Cadillac SRX.

“The combination of regular fuel usage and aggressive driving maneuvers may induce pre-ignition,” according to NHTSA. “If pre-ignition occurs, you may hear a pinging or knocking sound from the engine. If the vehicle continues to be driven after the onset of this noise, a connecting rod or piston may break, resulting in engine damage, and perhaps engine failure, which would disable the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.”

The recall is expected to begin on June 11. Owners can contact Cadillac at 866-982-2339.

Click here for our review of the 2010 Cadillac SRX 2.8L V6 Turbo.

Review: 2010 Cadillac SRX 2.8L V6 Turbo:

All Photos Copyright © 2010 Omar Rana – egmCarTech.

– By: Omar Rana

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Ford, Celebrities

It was only a matter of time before Jay Leno got his hands on the new 2011 Ford Mustang GT. It’s no secret that the guy is a fan of Detroit ponies – he owns a minty 1965 Shelby GT350 that he claims is one of his favorite cars to drive. Now it looks like he’s added the newest generation 5.0 to the flock. As you might expect, he’s been so kind as to share his impressions with the interwebs via an episode of Jay Leno’s Garage.

You might be surprised to hear what the comedian has to say about the car. On more than one occasion, he compares the new Mustang to high-end metal from Mercedes-Benz and BMW. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen that connection drawn. Hop the jump to see the video.

[Source: Jay Leno’s Garage]

Continue reading Video: Jay Leno’s Garage welcomes 2011 Ford Mustang GT

Video: Jay Leno’s Garage welcomes 2011 Ford Mustang GT originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 May 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With multiple carriers raising their early termination fees as of late, the Federal Communications Commission has decided that it would be good to educate consumers on ETFs and how to avoid paying the outrageous prices.  The FCC explains that customers should talk to the sales people about how and when the ETFs are applied, as well as how much the fee goes down each month.  Consumers should also consider purchasing a device for the full retail price to avoid incurring an ETF.  The FCC went on to say that customers should be aware of the trial period that carriers offer at the beginning of a contract as well as any changes made to plans that could possibly reset the ETF.  Finally, the FCC tells us to consider signing up for a pre-paid service if we don’t necessarily need full on unlimited talk, text, and web plans, although most pre-paid carriers offer unlimited options for a reasonable price lately.  Have any of you had to pay an early termination fee in the past?  Share your ETF experience with us!

Via Phone Scoop

A color version of Amazon’s Kindle e-reader may come eventually, but it won’t be soon. Adding color to the Kindle’s “electronic ink” display is a difficult technical challenge and a color screen is “still a long way out,” said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO, at Amazon’s annual shareholder meeting in Seattle.

[Source: USA Today]

With fifteen days to go before the world will come together to witness history, as the 2010 FIFA World Cup will take place for the first time in Africa. Celebrations are in motions, and one of the latest celebration is the “Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Album” titled “LISTEN UP”.

The album scheduled is said to be schedule for release on June 10, only 10 days before the big games begin. Although there has been major controversy surrounding this album, I’m glade that the team behind it was able to come to an agreement and in the process incorporate a vast line up of global artist.

Here is the “LISTEAN UP” artist and track line up:

1.R.Kelly featuring Soweto Spiritual Singers – “Signs of a Victory” ( The official 2010 FIFA World Cup Anthem)

2.Shakira featuring Freshlyground – Waka Waka” ( The official 2010 FIFA World Cup Song)

3.Nneka -”Viva Africa”

4.Matisyahu featuring Nameless – “One Day”

5.Ternielle Nelson, Jason Hartman, UJU, Louise Carver, Aya and Deep Level – “Shosholoza 2010″

6.J Pre, Wyclef, Jazmine Sullivan and B Howard – ” Ke Nako”

7. Angelique Kidjo and John Legend – “Move on Up”

8.Judy Bailey featuring UJU – “Spirit of Freedom”

9.Pitbull, TKZee and Dario G – ” Game on” (Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Mascot Song)

10.MISIA featuring M2J and Francis Jocky – “Maware Maware”

11.ClaudiaLeitte and Lira – “Mascaras”

12.Siphiwo featuring Message of Hope from Nelson Mandela – “Hope”

13.Soweto String Quartet – “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrica (God Bless Africa) ”

Here is a sneak peak at the offical anthem: R.Kelly featuring Soweto Spiritual Singers – \”Sign of a Victory\”

The National Institutes of Health has proposed new guidelines to prevent financial conflicts of interest (COI) among researchers who receive federal funding. The move, which will affect more than 40,000 researchers, comes amid rising concern about the influence of the pharmaceutical industry and other private-sector interests on scientific research. Among other changes, the guidelines will reduce from $10,000 to $5,000 the minimum payment that researchers will be required to report. It also mandates that universities, colleges, research institutes, businesses, and other entities that employ researchers who receive NIH funding monitor compliance with the new reporting requirement. Funding information would have to be posted on a publicly accessible website, and violators could lose their grants.

Although partnerships between NIH-funded researchers and industry are essential, “in order to preserve the public trust in the objectivity of biomedical and behavioral research, all research has to be conducted without bias and with the highest scientific and ethical standards,” NIH Director Francis S. Collins said in announcing the guidelines, which will be subject to 60 days of public comment and possible revision before they become final. Collins stressed that, in most cases, the integrity of scientific research has not been compromised by outside funding. But even the appearance of a conflict can undermine public trust, he said. Universities and professional organizations have been tightening their policies concerning outside funding in recent years to prevent conflicts of interests.

Source:  The Washington Post

Five associations, including the Association of American Universities (AAU), have submitted detailed comments to the White House on ways to address challenges and barriers to the commercialization of university-based research. The comments came in response to a request for information issued March 25 by the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Economic Council. The comment letter — signed by AAU, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, the American Council on Education, the Association of American Medical Colleges, and the Council on Governmental Relations — stresses the importance of balancing knowledge creation with increased commercialization and described the ways universities contribute to economic development beyond technology licensing.

The letter focuses on the importance of maintaining the Bayh-Dole Act as the legal framework for university technology commercialization. The associations also suggested that policymakers reconsider government restrictions on the reimbursement of university research administrative costs, provide supplemental grants to support the translation of research with a high potential for commercialization, and expand federal tax credits to better promote research commercialization. The letter also called for university and industry representatives to “engage in a robust dialogue” to identify key factors in successful university-industry collaborations.

Source: AAU Weekly Wrap-Up

The coal mine that exploded last month in West Virginia — killing 29 workers and all but killing a 30th — may be shuttered in the wake of the blast, but federal regulators continue to find safety problems there. As The Charleston Gazette’s Ken Ward Jr. reports today, the Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued dozens of safety violations at the Upper Big Branch in the last two weeks alone.

Most of the citations related to violations MSHA inspectors found in the mine’s electrical systems — presumably problems that could be discovered without going underground — or to surface facilities at the Raleigh County operation.

Ward counts 23 new violations since May 14; we count 30. Regardless of the number, the mine is still seen as a safety threat, and it’s not yet clear how or why.

We’ve got calls in to MSHA. Hopefully we’ll have an update shortly.

Want to know what a 1,600-plus-calorie meal looks like? It’s not what you think.

It could be covered with lettuce or served with a side of veggies. It’s lurking in many chain restaurants, waiting to sabotage your diet, raise your blood pressure, or worse.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has just released its 2010 “Xtreme Eating Awards” – their annual review of entrees with the most calories, fat, and sodium served at American restaurant chains. (See the 2009 ‘Winners’.) The full 2010 list will be featured in the June issue of Nutrition Action.

We took a closer look at some of the most surprising offenders. We suggest you read this before you tuck into your next meal.

The Daily Green wants to remind you that the recommended limit for daily maximum intake is 2,000 calories, 20 grams of saturated fat and 2,300 milligrams of sodium.

P.F. Chang’s Double Pan-Fried Noodles Combo
CSPI: You could eat 10 egg rolls and not top the 1,820 calories in this dish. “They fry these noodles to make them hard and crunchy, while you end up soft and flabby,” says CSPI nutrition director Bonnie Liebman. If this noodle dish does indeed have the 7,690 milligrams of sodium to which the chain confesses, that would be about three teaspoons of salt – a five-day supply.

The Nutrition Action HealthLetter article quips, “It’s always possible that you’re stopping at Chang’s before starting a three-hour bicycle ride or four-hour hike. But on the off chance that you’re not going to burn off the dish’s 1,820 calories after dinner, you’re going to need some place to store them. How does your belly sound?”

“Healthy” menu alternatives include anything that’s comes without noodles and is not fried, and keep in mind many of these dishes are meant to be split. If you’re craving a noodle dish try these Sesame Noodles. You can live with the 630 calories they’ll set you back.

California Pizza Kitchen Tostada Pizza With Grilled Steak
CSPI: With 1,680 calories, 1 1/2 days’ worth (32 grams) of saturated fat, and more than two days’ worth (3,300 mg) of sodium, ordering the single-serve pizza is like eating a Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pepperoni Pizza topped with six Taco Bell Crunchy beef Tacos.

Don’t be fooled by this lettuce-covered monstrosity. It’s packed with nearly your entire day’s worth of calories. We looked around for alternative entrees at California Pizza Kitchen, but we found little for the under-1,000-calorie set.

And don’t think you’re saving tons of calories by ordering the honey-wheat crust for your pizza – you’ll be saving 12 calories. Yes, only 12, and that’s not going to put much of a dent in your 1,680 calorie meal. Still craving a tostada? Try this Grilled Vegetable Tostada, with only 580 calories.

The Cheesecake Factory Chocolate Tower Truffle Cake
CSPI: A tower of any food is rarely a good idea. This six-inch-long, three-quarter-pound slab of cake has 1,670 calories and two-and-a-half days’ worth (48 grams) of artery-clogging saturated fat. Feel like eating 14 Hostess Ho-Hos for dessert?

Okay, so we didn’t think a restaurant called the Cheesecake Factory was serving health food. But what scared us was how one splurge could leave such a huge dent in your diet.

When we looked for alternative dessert options we found Tiramisu and Fresh Strawberry Shortcake, but at 932 and 878 calories respectively we suggest sharing.

Another option is heading home for dinner, it will save you money and calories. Try making yourself this Rich Chocolate Layer Cake. It comes in at a slightly more respectable 618 calories with no saturated fat – this should still be an infrequent indulgence for sure.

More from The Daily Green

• 10 Foods With More Potassium Than Bananas
• 6 Food Scandals
• The Dirty Dozen: 12 Foods to Eat Organic
• Eat Right: 18 Tips That Really Matter
• 6 Surprising Facts About Organic Foods

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc

by Randy Rieland.

Here’s
something to fill you with confidence on the eve of BP’s risky “Top Kill”
gambit: Workers on the Deepwater Horizon
rig missed warnings that something was seriously wrong before the rig exploded.
BP itself, in a memo to a House committee, reveals that crewmen failed to heed signs
of a “very large abnormality” underwater. In fact, they apparently missed one warning
sign after another that day.

Third time’s the charm?

Or will it be three strikes you’re out? Later today, BP will try, try, try
again to—as the president put it—“plug the damn hole.” This latest attempt is the “top kill,” in which a mix of
heavy mud and cement is shot into the well to counteract the upward pressure of leaking oil and gas. If the top kill fails,
BP will move on to the “junk shot,” in which a gumbo of rope, tires, and golf balls
gets pumped into the leak. If the junk shot doesn’t work, it’s “top hat” time—the
smaller of the two containment domes will be lowered over the well to hopefully
capture leaking oil and pump it to the surface. 

And if that doesn’t work, well, we’re pretty much screwed.

Now that the oil giant relented to pressure from
the feds, we can watch it all go down on the BP webcam.

That’ll
show ‘em

A criminal investigation of BP is gaining
traction. The Justice Department now says
it will give “due consideration” to charges by a group of Senate Democrats that
BP misled the feds about its ability to respond to oil spills in the Gulf of
Mexico.

And in a ratcheted-up
campaign to show he’s pissed, President Obama will announce tomorrow that federal regulators
will stop being soft touches when they inspect offshore oil rigs.

Fox, henhouse … henhouse, fox

All of which raises more
stink about a system in which regulators don’t regulate. Maureen Dowd, writing in The New York Times, draws parallels with the
recent banking fiasco:

As when derivatives
experts had to help unravel the derivatives debacle, now the White House is
dependent on BP to find a solution to the horror it created. The financial
crisis and the oil spill are both man-made disasters brought on by hubris and
avarice.

And The Washington Post’s Steve Pearlstein says, “It’s time for the business community to give up its jihad against regulation.”

It
hardly captures the breadth and depth of these regulatory failures to say that
during the Bush administration the pendulum swung a bit too far in the
direction of deregulation and lax enforcement. What it misses is just how
dramatically the regulatory agencies have been shrunken in size, stripped of
talent and resources, demoralized by lousy leadership, captured by the
industries they were meant to oversee and undermined by political interference
and relentless attacks on their competence and purpose.

How bad is it?

You can now
place bets on which species will be the first to go extinct thanks to the BP
spill. According to gambling
website PaddyPower.com, the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle is the odds-on favorite.

Related Links:

Will BP take responsibility, or squeeze profits from Gulf spill?

Cousteau dives into ‘nightmare’ U.S. oil slick [VIDEO]

What if the oil spill just can’t be fixed?

Travel broadens the mind. MIT students are recognized with Fulbright scholarships to further their studies abroad. A number of the students are pursuing the renewable energy challenge. …

… “Ian Rousseau, a native of South Hero, Vt., who is completing undergraduate studies in physics, will study Novel Solar Energy Conversion via Terahertz Rectification in Germany. ” …

Via MIT: Fulbright scholarships (Link).

US Dept of State, Fulbright Program: “Fulbright is the most widely recognized and prestigious international exchange program in the world … ”

Solar power rectification technology on the horizon plan, NREL (PDF).