China’s Water Plight: Confronting Water Scarcity and Energy Demand in the World’s Largest Country
February 16, 2011 No Comment
Circle of Blue has an absolutely fantastic write-up of China’s looming water problems . “Over the last decade alone, 70 million new jobs emerged from an economy that this year…Yet, like a tectonic fault line, underlying China’s new standing in the world is an increasingly fierce competition between energy and water that threatens to upend China’s progress. Simply put, according to Chinese authorities and government reports, China’s demand for energy, pa… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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Over 1,000 disgruntled Nokistas walked off the job last week and, while presumably all of them showed up punctually on Monday morning, it remains to be seen how many will get proverbial pink slips as Elop starts making cuts . When that time comes Skype is happy to say that they’d like to hire as many as possible. CEO Tony Bates has no qualms about making the best of this situation, saying the following to Reuters: There is going to be tremendous talent out there… “Our primary engineering focus just so happens to be somewhere between Finland, Estonia and Stockholm, so you can imagine that’s a great opportunity and we’re hiring. Hear that, shunned Nokia elite? Now turn that frown upside down. Skype happy to offer jobs to any Finns who might be in need originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 11:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …A journalist who’s written on foreign policy for the New Yorker , Time , and the New York Times is under fire after making light of Lara Logan’s assault in Egypt. Nir Rosen, who also once contributed footage to an Oscar-nominated documentary about the Middle East, tweeted , then apparently deleted, “Lara Logan…
Continue reading …The Pentagon moved quickly today to quash reports that it’s looking to replace David Petraeus by the end of the year. “Despite some sensational speculation by one of the London papers, I can assure you General Petraeus is not quitting,” a Pentagon spokesman said in a statement. “Obviously he will…
Continue reading …Time’s Sullivan Corrects Colleague But Echoes Fear of Violence Against Abortionists in South Dakota
February 16, 2011 No CommentYesterday I rebuked Time's Jay Newton-Small for falsely characterizing a bill before South Dakota's state legislature that would make it legal to use lethal force against a person attempting to kill an unborn child in the commission of a crime. “South Dakota is apparently considering legalizing the murder of doctors who perform abortions,” Newton-Small complained. Later yesterday afternoon, Time magazine staffer Amy Sullivan corrected her colleague about the purpose and scope of the legislation, but feared that extremist violence might be encouraged by the state's relatively restrictive abortion laws: Of course, that's an awfully thin semantic line preventing a pro-life extremist from legally going after one of South Dakota's two abortion providers. Especially given the increasing array of restrictions that surround abortion in the state. South Dakota has a parental notification law. Does that mean if a doctor performs an abortion on a teenager who has not obtained her parent's consent, that abortion is illegal and the doc is fair game? It's unclear. And that's a problem–even if the bill isn't quite as inflammatory as it first appeared.
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Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, has made his first appearance since being ordered to stand trial over allegations he paid for sex with an underage girl, nicknamed Ruby the Heart Stealer. Despite coming under mounting pressure over the scandals, the premier told journalists on Wednesday that he was not worried about the prosecution, and vowed to stay in office. Sonia Gallego reports.
Continue reading …Being a freshman is tough: Making friends, figuring out where the bathroom is, partying without packing on the pounds. Such are the trials and tribulations of the newest crop of lawmakers, who report that weight gain—thanks in part to frequent cocktail parties—is no joke. “At every event, they…
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Photo: CleanT echnica It’s well-known that the coal-fired power plants that provide the US with 50% of its electricity also inflict significant damage on the environment and citizens’ health. Coal plants spew particulate emissions that cause asthma and other respiratory woes — and they’re responsible for tens of thousands of deaths every year. And then there’s the environmental damage inflicted during the process of extracting, transporting, and processing the stuff. And then , there’s coal’s contribution to climate change. All told, it costs the nation up … Read the full story on TreeHugger
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New home construction jumped by the largest amount in 20 months in January, and a Chicago homebuilder thinks he’s found a way to keep selling new homes. (Feb. 16)
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