April in Paris
globalbriefs
News and resources to inspire concerned citizens to work together in building a healthier, stronger society that benefi ts all.
Safer Cells Mobile Phones Becoming Less Toxic
The Ecology Center, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in conjunction with technicians at
IFixIt.com, has published a list of toxic chemicals found in 36 cell phones from a range of manufacturers. The good news is that companies are responding to consumer and regulatory pressure and these troublesome components are on the decline. The Motorola Citrus, Apple iPhone 4S
and LE Remarq were the least toxic cell phones in the analysis. Two of the bestselling models, the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S III, ranked fi fth and ninth, respectively. Among earlier models, the 2007 iPhone 2G was found to contain the most toxic materials. Jeff Gearhart, research director at the Ecology Center, concludes, “The takeaway is that mobile phones are chemically intensive and full of chemical hazards, but they’ve been getting a lot better.” The center reported that every phone sampled in the study contained lead, bromine, chlorine, mercury or cadmium.
April 13-20
Just $2,995/person double occupancy, INCLUDES
Round-trip air fare Orlando-Paris Accommodations at Four- Star Mercure Tour Eiffel Paris Central during our entire stay (no packing and moving) Guided tours with all admission paid (no waiting in lines) Breakfast every morning Two exquisite wine dinners and a day trip to Champagne with a full Grand Cru tasting All group transportation, airport transfers, etc. and much more—please see website for details.
Info: 352-286-1779
www.naturalawakeningsncfl. com/
paris.html
16 Source:
Tinyurl.com/MobileRisk
Parasite Protection Animals’ Native Remedies Offer Insights
We can learn much from animal species that self- medicate naturally. Some have developed the ability to alter their diets and behavior in ways that provide protection from lethal, microscopic parasites. Chimpanzees held captive often succumb to
infection by a parasitic worm, which can lead to lethal intestinal blockages or secondary bacterial infections. But chimps in the wild rarely experience such deadly ailments. More than 30 years ago, Michael Huffman, who studies evolution of social systems at the University of Kyoto, in Japan, noticed that wild chimps treated themselves by ingesting foods with special properties that fi ght intestinal worm infections.
Scientists recently discovered why monarch butterfl ies are so picky in choosing the milkweed plants on which to lay their eggs. “The females often taste a plant, reject it and fl y away,” explains Jacobus de Roode, Ph.D., of Emory University, in Atlanta, Georgia. His research team found that butterfl ies infected with a certain protozoan parasite seek out milkweeds containing high levels of cardenolide, a plant steroid that interferes with parasite growth in monarch caterpillars. Scientists have identifi ed many other species that partake in self-medicating
practices, including macaques and sheep. Recognition that various insects such as honey bees and fruit fl ies share this trait is enabling scientists to rigorously examine the phenomenon in the laboratory, with hopes of fi nding applications in animal husbandry and even human medicine.
Source: The Scientist magazine Central Florida natural awakenings
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