Thursday April 2, 2009

LIFE EXTENSIONS, March 30, 2009
Oxidized plasma cysteine linked with inflammation
An article published on March 27, 2009 in the journal PLoS One reported the discovery of researchers at Emory University of a direct link between an indicator of oxidative stress and a marker of inflammation.
Emory School of Medicine professor Dean P. Jones, PhD and colleagues investigated the relationship of plasma oxidized cysteine to levels of interleukin-1 beta, a proinflammatory cytokine. Cysteine is an amino acid which has an antioxidant effect in its reduced state in the body, but can become oxidized under conditions of extracellular oxidative stress, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, illness, and malnutrition. Oxidized cysteine levels in the blood have been demonstrated to rise with age.
"Our research shows a direct mechanistic link between the oxidative stress biomarker (cysteine redox potential) and proinflammatory cytokines, which have been linked to multiple age-related and chronic diseases," Dr Jones stated. "Our group and others have already established that cysteine redox potential is oxidized with aging and with a number of health risk factors. This suggests that one could target cysteine redox potential as a means to decrease chronic proinflammatory signaling as an intervention for age-related diseases and for the acute inflammation of sepsis or lung injury."
When asked about the potential impact effect of orally ingested oxidized cysteine, Dr Jones informed Life Extension that consuming oxidized cysteine is not believed to negatively affect the balance in the blood, due a mechanism that occurs during digestion that exchanges the oxidized form for the reduced form in the intestines. “However, if that capability in the intestines declined with age or disease, then the dietary form would be expected to be an important determinant of the blood cysteine redox balance,” he noted.
The authors note that “Supplementation with cysteine or cysteine precursors during early sepsis may be a strategy to alleviate acute inflammation and associated tissue injury.”
http://www.lef.org/whatshot/2009_03.htm#Oxidized-plasma-cysteine-linked-inflammation

Diabetes-related stress may affect blood sugar
Last Updated: 2009-03-31 14:42:52 -0400 (Reuters Health)
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Adults with type 2 diabetes appear to have better blood sugar control when they report less diabetes-related stress and feel more satisfied with their treatment regimen, study findings suggest.
By contrast, men and women feeling greater diabetes-related distress had more complications and less optimal blood sugar control, Dr. Takehiro Nozaki and colleagues report in the journal BioPsychoSocial Medicine.
These findings highlight, for both patients and clinicians, the importance of understanding that "psychological aspects concerning diabetes treatment influence glycemic control," Nozaki told Reuters Health.
Nozaki, from Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan, and colleagues analyzed the responses on six self-reported questionnaires completed by 290 Japanese men and women who were an average of 61 years old and had type 2 diabetes for an average of nearly 12 years.
At the beginning of the study and 1 year later, Nozaki's team measured HbA1c blood levels to determine their level of glycemic control.
As noted, the investigators found that patients with poor scores on the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (DTSQ) and the Problem Areas in Diabetes Survey (PAIDS) survey had high blood sugar levels at the beginning and the end of the study. Similarly, more optimal blood sugar levels were seen among the diabetics who scored well on the PAIDS and DTSQ.
Among the other potential predictors of high blood sugar were age, diet treatment plan and number of vascular complications. But after the final multiple regression analysis, the only factor that remained significantly correlated with blood sugar was diabetes treatment.
Moreover, the associations between diabetes-related distress and satisfaction with diabetes treatment seemed to predict future glycemic control independently of current glycemic control, Nozaki said.
The investigators call for further research to determine whether improvement of glycemic control results in decreased distress and increased treatment satisfaction, or if improved psychosocial factors bring about better glycemic control.
SOURCE: BioPsychoSocial Medicine, March 2009.
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/03/31/eline/links/20090331elin005.html

Sebelius vows to bolster FDA food safety oversight
Last Updated: 2009-03-31 16:43:53 -0400 (Reuters Health)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius vowed on Tuesday to make the Food and Drug Administration a "world class" regulatory agency and to work with industry to improve food safety if she is confirmed as Health and Human Services Secretary.
Sebelius told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee that it was too soon to talk about splitting FDA's food and drug safety responsibilities into two agencies as some critics have suggested.
"I think step one is restoring FDA as a world-class regulatory agency," Sebelius said at the first of two Senate confirmation hearings scheduled for this week.
Sebelius was tapped by President Barack Obama to lead his push to revamp the $2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare industry to rein in exploding costs and provide coverage for an estimated 46 million Americans who lack health insurance.
Committee Chairman Edward Kennedy said he "strongly" supported her nomination. Other members of the committee also voiced their support. Sebelius will testify on Thursday before the Senate Finance Committee, which will vote on the nomination before it is taken up by the full Senate.
Sebelius is Obama's second choice to head the agency. Former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle withdrew from consideration after admitting he delayed paying some $140,000 in taxes and fines.
As Health and Human Services secretary, Sebelius would oversee the FDA, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the Medicare and Medicaid health programs for the elderly and poor.
INVOLVING INDUSTRY
Sebelius told the committee that improving the nation's food safety required industry involvement as well as beefing up the regulatory agency. A spate of product recalls because of salmonella contamination has undermined public confidence in the agency, sparking calls for revamping the FDA.
"We need to involve industry in making sure that we look at products as they move through the food chain and that there is some collaborative operation to make sure that those supply chains are also very involved in keeping our people safe," she said.
Sebelius, a former insurance commissioner in Kansas, told the committee she shared Obama's objectives in overhauling the U.S. healthcare system and that she would work to ensure that costs are addressed at the same time coverage is expanded to the uninsured.
"Inaction is not an option," she said. "The status quo is unacceptable and unsustainable."
U.S. healthcare costs doubled from 1996 to 2006 and now account for more than 16 percent of the economy, nearly twice the average of other developed nations.
Healthcare spending is projected to rise to 25 percent of the economy by 2025 and could reach 49 percent by 2082 if nothing changes, administration officials have said
http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/03/31/eline/links/20090331elin019.html

BBC NEWS
How infection may spark leukaemia
Scientists have shown how common infections might trigger childhood leukaemia.
They have identified a molecule, TGF, produced by the body in response to infection that stimulates development of the disease.
It triggers multiplication of pre-cancerous stem cells at the expense of healthy counterparts.
The Institute of Cancer Research study appears in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
“ While infection is clearly only one factor in triggering progression, this study greatly increases the strength of evidence for its role in the commonest form of childhood leukaemia ”
Dr Shabih Syed Leukaemia Research
Leukaemia occurs when large numbers of white blood cells take over the bone marrow, leaving the body unable to produce enough normal blood cells.
The researchers had already identified a genetic mutation - a fusion of two genes - occurring in the womb that creates pre-leukaemic cells.
These cells then grow in the bone marrow, effectively acting as a silent time bomb that can stay in the body for up to 15 years.
Evidence suggests the mutation may be present in as many as one in 100 newborn babies, but only about one in 100 of these children then go on to develop leukaemia.
This suggests that the cells will only complete the transformation to fully-fledged cancer cells if they exposed to an independent trigger.
The latest study suggests production of TGF in response to an infection could be that trigger.
Because the molecule hugely increases the rate at which the pre-leukaemic cells multiply, this significantly raises the the chance that some will become even further damaged in a way that results in the child developing leukaemia.
Preventative measures
Researcher Professor Mel Greaves said: "Identifying this step means we can determine how an unusual immune response to infection may trigger the development of the full leukaemia and eventually perhaps develop preventative measures such as a vaccine."
Dr Shabih Syed, scientific director at the charity Leukaemia Research, said: "Before this study, there had been only circumstantial evidence to implicate infections in the progression from a child carrying pre-leukaemic cells to actually having leukaemia.
"There was no evidence of the mechanism by which this might happen.
"While infection is clearly only one factor in triggering progression, this study greatly increases the strength of evidence for its role in the commonest form of childhood leukaemia."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7973678.stm

New vitamin E form extracted from kiwifruit: Scientists

Nutraingredients.com, 01-Apr-2009

Italian scientists have identified a new member of the vitamin E family, extracted from kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa 'Hayward'), according to results of a new study.
Writing in the journal Food Chemistry, researchers from the two Neapolitan universities report the identification and characterisation of a compound called delta-tocomonoenol, which is an analogue of tocopherol.
There are eight forms of vitamin E: four tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta) and four tocotrienols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta). Alpha-tocopherol is the main source found in supplements and in the European diet, while gamma-tocopherol is the most common form in the American diet.
Studies of the tocomonoenol’s radical-scavenging and antioxidant capacities “showed its involvement in the total antioxidant activity generally attributed to this fruit”, wrote the researchers, led by Antonio Fiorentino from the Universita degli Studi di Napoli.
The unique kiwi
Commenting independently on the study, Dr Tony McGhie, research scientist from the New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research (formerly HortResearch) told NutraIngredients.com: “Finding a further source of vitamin E activity is important because fruit are generally not good sources of vitamin E with the exception of avocado and kiwifruit (1.5-2 mg/100g).
“Also, the role of the various forms of vitamin E is the subject of much debate and discussion, so adding a new compound to the vitamin E category, perhaps unique to kiwi, may confer a unique biological property for kiwifruit, and be something we might want to exploit.”
Study details
The Neapolitan researchers dried the peels of kiwi fruit at 45 Celsius overnight. Hexane was used as the extraction solvent, and the researchers identified three vitamin E compounds: alpha-tocopherol, delta-tocopherol, and “a new vitamin E, named delta-tocomonoenol”.
Various analytical techniques were used to elucidate the structure of the compound as 2,8-dimethyl-2-(4,8,12-trimethyltridec-11-enyl)chroman-6-ol, and it was predominantly present in the peel. On the other hand, alpha-tocopherol was found in both the peel and pulp of the fruit.
Results from the DPPH (2,2’-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical) assay showed that the delta-tocomonoenol and delta-tocopherol had similar radical scavenging, of about 24 per cent.
Measures of the compounds ability to prevent the auto-oxidation of lipid substrates, measured by the formation of conjugated diene hydroperoxides, showed that alpha-tocopherol performed the best (33 per cent inhibition), followed by delta-tocomonoenol (27 per cent), and the delta-tocopherol (25.5 per cent).
Results from the TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive species) assay, a measure of lipid oxidation, showed the same pattern, alpha-tocopherol performed the best (53 per cent inhibition), followed by delta-tocomonoenol (47 per cent), and the delta-tocopherol (43 per cent).
Who eats the skin?
Dr McGhie added a note of caution concerning the research, saying: “Vitamin E is often measured as specific compounds and often only a-tocopherol is measured. Including the delta-tocomonoenol form increases the concentration of vitamin E that can be reported for kiwifruit - further support of the nutrient-dense claim for kiwifruit.
“Unfortunately much of the delta-tocomonoenol is in the skin and so not relevant to green or gold, but could be very relevant when skin is consumed.”
Source: Food Chemistry
Volume 115, Issue 1, Pages 187-192
"delta-Tocomonoenol: A new vitamin E from kiwi (Actinidia chinensis) fruits"
Authors: Antonio Fiorentino, C. Mastellone, B. D’Abrosca, S. Pacifico, M. Scognamiglio, G. Cefarelli, R. Caputo, P. Monaco
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/New-vitamin-E-form-extracted-from-kiwifruit-Scientists

Seaweed extract promises polysaccharide immune benefits

Nutraingredients.com, 01-Apr-2009

Chinese supplier, Kangcare, has debuted a polysaccharide ingredient sourced from Laminaria japonica seaweed, it says is scientifically backed in animal testing to deliver immunity and liver benefits.
Kangcare has branded its version of the active seaweed constituent, fucoidan, and is targeting the ingredient called FucoVin at the food supplements and functional foods markets.
L.japonica-derived fucoidan has been approved for use in medicines since it won Chinese State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) validation in 2003, and has been used for centuries, commonly as a source of iodine, especially in China and Japan.
In the drug area it was used as a treatment of renal failure and uremia and had been shown to have a diuretic effect.
Kangcare sales manager, Joy Jin, said the ingredient was formulation neutral in most food matrices and was suitable for capsules, tablets and solutions.
The company employs a cascade filtration process using organic sulphate to extract fucoidan from the seaweed, to decolourate the ingredient, and remove heavy metals.
“In all of these processes, no organic solvent is used and this technology helps us to keep away from the harmful residue,” Jin said.
The company noted L. japonica had been linked with anti-radiation, anti-coagulation, anti-virus, anti-cancer and anti-oxidation and had kidney benefits.
“In the on-selling health products, fucoidan usually plays its role as an immune-stimulator,” the company said.
Kangcare’s other offerings include vitamin E, lutein and a range of herbal extracts.
Australian firm, Maritech has for several years been working in the area of seaweed fucoidan extraction and it previously claimed to be the only company to have developed a coldwater, ethanol-free process to extract fucoidans, which unlike ethanol based extraction does not degrade the product.
In 2007, Maritech developed the method, called Maritch, along with New Zealand Pharmaceuticals to use the extract in a range of nutraceutical, cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications.
Sulphated polysaccharides are large sugar polymers made up primarily of the sugar fucose, and have a number of nutritional uses, including acting as a prebiotic, but they have been shown to act as viral attachment inhibitors, enzyme inhibitors and receptor blockers.
Maritech said the ingredient could b used against metabolic syndrome, deep vein thrombosis, irritable bowel syndrome and osteoarthrisis.
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Industry/Seaweed-extract-promises-polysaccharide-immune-benefits

CoQ10 may cut pre-eclampsia in high-risk women

Nutraingredients.com, 01-Apr-2009

Supplements of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) may reduce the risk of developing pre-eclampsia in women at risk for the condition, suggests a new study from Ecuador.
Women receiving 200 mg of CoQ10 a day had a 10 per cent lower risk of developing pre-eclampsia than women on placebo, according to results of the randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Researchers from the Central University of Ecuador and the Hospital Gineco Obstetrico Isidro Ayora report their findings in the International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics.
“CoQ10 supplementation starting at 20 weeks of pregnancy appears to be a safe and well tolerated intervention, and resulted in a significant reduction in the rate of pre-eclampsia,” wrote the researchers.
False dawn for vitamins C and E
Pre-eclampsia, affecting two to three per cent of all pregnancies, occurs when a mother's blood pressure rises to the hypertensive range, and excretion of protein in the urine becomes too high. It is estimated to be responsible for about 60000 deaths worldwide.
It is not known why some expectant mothers develop pre-eclampsia, although oxidative stress has been proposed to play a part. The role of antioxidants to reduce oxidative stress had been supported by a small clinical trial that linked vitamin C and E intake to fewer biomarkers for pre-eclampsia for predominantly low-risk participants.
However, subsequent studies, including a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine (Vol. 354, pp. 1796-1806) and a Cochrane Systematic Review (2007, Issue 4), found that vitamins C and E had no effects on the risk of pre-eclampsia.
“The absence of benefit and evidence of unfavorable outcomes in those studies cannot be extrapolated to other antioxidants, including CoQ10,” wrote the Ecuadorian researchers. “These findings should not detract from the potential importance of oxidative stress in pre-eclampsia.”
The potential of CoQ10
The Ecuadorian researchers recruited 235 pregnant women at an increased risk of pre-eclampsia and randomly assigned them to receive CoQ10 supplements (Q-absorb, Jarrow Formulas) or placebo from 20 weeks of pregnancy until delivery.
One hundred and ninety-seven women completed the study, and the overall rate of pre-eclampsia was 20 per cent. For women receiving the placebo, 30 of them developed pre-eclampsia, equivalent to 25.6 of women in this group. On the other hand, only 17 women, or 14.4 per cent, in the CoQ10 group developed pre-eclampsia. The difference between the groups was statistically significant, added the researchers.
“The results of this study support the hypothesis that coenzyme Q10 (100 mg twice a day) supplementation given prophylactically from 20 weeks of pregnancy leads to a reduction in the rate of pre-eclampsia in women at risk for the condition,” wrote the researchers.
Commenting on the potential mechanism, the researchers noted that the benefits of CoQ10 were most probably linked to its “activity as an essential component of mitochondrial complexes I and III, in addition to its well-known antioxidant properties”.
“More clinical studies are needed to investigate this further,” they concluded.
Source: International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics
April 2009, Volume 105, Issue 1, Pages 43-45
“Coenzyme Q10 supplementation during pregnancy reduces the risk of pre-eclampsia”
Authors: E. Teran, I. Hernandez, B. Nieto, R. Tavara, J.E. Ocampo, A. Calle
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/CoQ10-may-cut-pre-eclampsia-in-high-risk-women

Codex agrees food supplement additive levels

Foodnavigator-USA.com, 30-Mar-2009

Codex Alimentrius, the World Health Organization’s food supplements regulations advisory body, has recommended usage levels for nine colours commonly employed in food supplements.
At a March meeting in Beijing, a Codex committee advised levels for allura red AC (300 mg/kg); caramel colour, class IV (20,000 mg/kg); carotenoids (300 mg/kg); chlorophylls, copper complexes (500 mg/kg); erythrosine (300 mg/kg); fast green FCF (600 mg/kg); grape skin extracts (500 mg/kg); indigotine (300 mg/kg) and iron oxides (7,500 mg/kg).
The recommendations will be reviewed by the Codex Commission in June and are consistent with recommendations of the International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplement Associations (IADSA).
“We are satisfied with the outcome,” said David Pineda, IADSA’s director of regulatory affairs. “The alternative of deleting key additives from the General Standard for Food Additives list or adopting very low levels would have created both considerable confusion in many countries and significant barriers to trade.”
The Codex Committee has approved levels for BHA, BHT, carnauba wax, castor oil, polysorbates, polyvinyl alcohol, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, cyclamates, neotame, saccharin, sucralose, ponceau 4R and sunset yellow FCF that have been consistent with IADSA’s own recommendations.
Further colours and additives remain under consideration and have been referred to the next Codex Committee on Food Additives meeting in 2010 for discussion.
Pineda added: “The establishment of a list of additives to be used freely in trade in food products has long been a goal for Codex, and we are pleased to help contribute to its work to improve the General Standard for Food Additives. Our aim is to ensure that the adopted levels are both safe for consumers and consistent with those widely used by the global food supplement industry.”
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Regulation/Codex-agrees-food-supplement-additive-levels

Vitamin K and prostate cancer – study supports benefits

Nutraingredients-USA.com, 31-Mar-2009

An improved vitamin K2 status may reduce the risk of prostate cancer, suggest results from German scientists that build the science linking the vitamin to improved prostate health.
Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center report that an improved status of the vitamin was linked to a lower risk of both advanced-stage prostate cancer and high-grade prostate cancer.
The authors, led by Katharina Nimptsch, published their findings in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
According to the European School of Oncology, over half a million news cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed every year world wide, and the cancer is the direct cause of over 200,000 deaths. More worryingly, the incidence of the disease is increasing with a rise of 1.7 per cent over 15 years.
Building the science
The study adds to a small but ever-growing body of science supporting the potential health benefits of vitamin K, most notable for bone and blood health, but also recently linked to improved skin health.
Last year, the same researchers reported that increased intakes of vitamin K2, but not K1, were associated with a 35 per cent reduction in prostate cancer risk. The potential benefits of K2 were more pronounced for advanced prostate cancer.
The findings were based on data from the 11,319 men taking part in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Heidelberg cohort, and were published in the April 2008 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Vol. 87, pp. 985-992).
Commenting on the new study, Nimptsch and her co-workers said: “In this nested case-control study including 250 prostate cancer cases and 494 matched controls, we aimed to confirm this cancer-protective effect using serum undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC), a biomarker of vitamin K status inversely associated with vitamin K intake.”
A higher ratio of undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC) to intact total osteocalcin (iOC) is indicative of poorer vitamin K status.
Study details
Nimptsch and her co-workers recruited 250 people with prostate cancer, and 494 healthy controls. Levels of ucOC and iOC were analysed from serum samples, and every 0.1 increment in the ratio was associated with a 38 per cent increase in advanced-stage prostate cancer, and a 21 per cent increase in high-grade prostate cancer.
No relationship between ucOC/iOC and total prostate cancer was observed, they said.
“The increased risks of advanced-stage and high-grade prostate cancer with higher serum ucOC/iOC ratio strengthen the findings for dietary menaquinone intake,” concluded Nimptsch and her co-workers.
K definitions
There are two main forms of vitamin K: phylloquinone (vitamin K1) and menaquinones (vitamins K2). K1 is found in green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli and spinach, and makes up about 90 per cent of the vitamin K in a typical Western diet.
K2 makes up about 10 per cent of consumption and can also be obtained from the diet. Menaquinone-4 (MK-4) can be found in animal meat, while MK-7, MK-8, and MK-9 are found in fermented food products like cheese, and natto is a rich source of MK-7.
A synthetic form of vitamin K, known as K3, does exist but is not recommended for human consumption.
The vitamin is less well known than vitamins A to E, but this increasing body of research, as well as increased marketing and advertising from supplement makers, is raising public awareness of vitamin K.
Source: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention
2009, Volume 18, Number 1, Pages 49-56"Serum undercarboxylated osteocalcin as biomarker of vitamin K intake and risk of prostate cancer: a nested case-control study in the Heidelberg cohort of the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition"
Authors: K. Nimptsch, S. Rohrmann, A. Nieters, J. Linseisen
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/Vitamin-K-and-prostate-cancer-study-supports-benefits

Irradiated Foods Cause Severe Neurological Damage
by Sherry Baker, NaturalNews.com

(NaturalNews) In a study just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) report on cats developing severe neurological symptoms due to a degradation of myelin, the fatty insulator of nerve fibers called axons. Because myelin facilitates the conduction of nerve signals, when it is lost or damaged there can be impairment of sensation, movement, thinking and other functions, depending on what particular nerves are affected. This loss of myelin is found in several disorders of the central nervous system in humans -- the best known being multiple sclerosis (MS).

So what caused the cats to develop neurological problems? Although the researchers' statement to the media practically buries the fact, a close read shows the animals were fine until fed irradiated food. What's more, when they were taken off the irradiated diet, the animals' nervous systems began healing.

The new study took place when the researchers were faced with reports of a mysterious illness in pregnant cats. A commercial company had been testing various diets on the animals to see how the food impacted growth and development in the felines. The food used, it turns out, had been irradiated. Irradiation, which is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for many human as well as animal foods, involves exposing foods briefly to a radiant energy source such as gamma rays or electron beams in order to kill bacteria.

Some of the cats eating the irradiated cat food exhibited very severe neurological symptoms, including movement disorders, vision loss and even paralysis. "After being on the diet for three to four months, the pregnant cats started to develop progressive neurological disease," said Ian Duncan, a professor of medical sciences at the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine and an authority on demyelinating diseases, in a statement to the media.

The sick cats were shown to have widely distributed the very severe demyelization of the central nervous system. Their neurological symptoms were very much like those seen in people with MS and other demyelization disorders. When the felines were taken off the irradiated foods, they began to recover slowly. However, according to Dr. Duncan, the restored myelin sheaths were no longer as thick as normal myelin sheaths.

The finding is important, the scientists concluded in their study, because it shows the central nervous system retains the ability to reestablish myelin -- so strategies that could be developed to spur the growth of new myelin sheaths anywhere nerves themselves are preserved could be a possible therapy for treating a host of severe neurological diseases in humans. "The key thing is that it absolutely confirms the notion that remyelinating strategies are clinically important," Duncan stated.

Curiously, although the scientists' related their findings to possible human applications, they were quick to dismiss a possible connection between people, irradiated food and health risk. "We think it is extremely unlikely that (irradiated food) could become a human health problem," Duncan explained in the media statement. "We think it is species specific."

However, not everyone agrees irradiated food is fine for humans or animals. According to the Center for Food Safety, studies have shown irradiation produces volatile toxic chemicals such as benzene and toluene, which are known or suspected to cause cancer and birth defects. A 2001 study found an association between colon tumors and 2-alkylcyclobutanones (2-ACB's), a new chemical compound detected only in foods that have been irradiated.
http://www.naturalnews.com/025971.html

Broccoli Compound Found to Protect Against Lung Disease
by David Gutierrez, NaturalNews.com

(NaturalNews) A chemical that naturally occurs in broccoli may help protect the lungs against the damage that leads to lung disease, according to a study conducted by researchers from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

The researchers studied the lung cells of 39 humans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a condition in which the airways narrow and it becomes chronically difficult to breathe. They compared these to tissue samples from patients without COPD, which is particularly common among tobacco smokers.

The cells of lungs suffering from COPD were found to be deficient in a protein produced by a gene called NFR2, which regulates a variety of processes that clear out toxins and pollutants from the lungs. Perhaps for this reason, the lungs also had significantly lower levels of antioxidants and the proteins that prevent antioxidants from degrading. The more severe the COPD, the lower the levels of antioxidants and all these proteins.

Previous research in mice has shown that shutting off the NFR2 gene in mice leads to the development of early onset severe emphysema, a common symptom of COPD. In the current study, however, the researchers found that the NFR2 gene in the COPD-afflicted lungs was working fine, suggesting that the NFR2 protein was simply being degraded rapidly after production.

When they added the broccoli compound sulforapane to these cells, they found that all NFR2-mediated antioxidant lung defenses were returned to normal. This suggests that sulforapane and other strategies for restoring NFR2 activity may eventually be used as COPD treatments.

"Controlled restoration of NRF2 antioxidant defenses together with existing therapies, such as smoking cessation and use of anti-inflammatory agents, may greatly help in attenuating COPD progression as well as in preventing disease exacerbations," the researchers wrote.

Other studies have suggested that sulforapane can help protect blood vessels from the damage caused by diabetes, and that a diet high in vegetables from the same family as broccoli (brassica, or cruciferous) can protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer.
http://www.naturalnews.com/025970.html

Increasing Fruits and Vegetables Leads to Permanent Weight Loss
by Barbara Minton, NaturalNews.com

(NaturalNews) Although most Americans find their waistlines expanding with each year, a few manage to stay slender and trim throughout their lives. These are the ones who capture attention and never seem to look their ages. How they do it was the subject of a recent Consumer Reports investigation that sought to determine if these people were genetically gifted, or whether they were in possession of a magic secret resembling the fountain of youth. The study found that getting a large part of nutrition from fruits and vegetables played a big part in keeping these people trim and youthful.

Eat more fruits and vegetables to reach and maintain ideal weight

Consumer Reports National Research Center asked subscribers to their magazine about their lifetime weight history and their eating, dieting, and exercising habits. A total of 21,632 readers completed the survey which identified three key groups: people who were never overweight during their lives, people who were once overweight but have kept themselves at least ten percent lighter for the last three years, and people who were overweight and would like to lose but are still close to their heaviest weight. The always thin people made up 16% of the sample, and the successful losers were 15% of the sample. Failed dieters made up 42%, with the rest not fitting into any category.

The group that had always been thin included a tiny 3% who said they never exercised and ate whatever they wanted. The rest of the always thin group was a lot like those in the successful losers group. This statistic belies the notion that people who have always been thin have some sort of hereditary advantage.

An analysis of the data revealed six key behaviors shared by the always thin and successful losers groups. These behaviors were defined by Consumer Reports as correlating highly with a healthy body mass index (BMI). Leading the list was the eating of fruits and vegetables. 49% of the always thin and successful losers groups said they ate five or more servings a day of fruits and vegetables for at least five days out of a week.

What about fruits and vegetables allows people to achieve a healthy BMI? Fruits and vegetables are low in calories, high in volume, and high in critically important nutrients. They provide the feeling of satiety that goes with fullness. When the stomach is filled with high volume foods that are not high in calories, there is less room to pack in more calorie dense foods.

Fruits and vegetables help weight loss by reducing energy density

A recent study from the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Pennsylvania State University studied the relationship of energy density to dietary outcome. They found that lowering the energy density by increasing the volume without changing nutrient content can enhance satiety and reduce energy intake at a meal. Satiation was shown to be influenced by energy density when the portions of macronutrients were constant. Since people tend to eat a consistent weight of food, when the energy density of the food is reduced, energy intake is also reduced. The effects of considering energy density have been seen across broad ranges of adults as well as in children. Both population based studies and long term clinical trials have shown that reducing the energy density of the diet by the addition of fruits and vegetables was associated with substantial weight loss even when people were not told to restrict calories. This study is from the March 19 edition of Physiology and Behavior.

Substituting beans and lentils for meat is a great way to lower the energy density of a meal. The calories are about the same, but beans and lentils are high in fiber. Beans and lentils are more filling than meat because a quarter pound of beans has a greater volume than a quarter pound of meat.

Fruits and vegetables are nutrient packed

Eating fruits and vegetables can turn off cravings for other types of foods and short circuit the food addiction cycle, helping to provide a boost to weight loss efforts. Nature has built into each of us the desire to eat because eating provides the body with the nutrition to function and maintain itself. If people choose to eat foods that do not contain the nutrients needed, the body will continue to send the signal that more eating is needed. Fruits and vegetables are nutrition powerhouses containing the vitamins, minerals, enzymes, fiber, antioxidants and protein needed for good health and avoidance of disease. When they are eaten, the body is satisfied and the signal to continue eating is extinguished.

The average person in American eats a diet containing only 8% fruits and vegetables. This does not provide nearly enough nutrition to extinguish the signal to eat more. If the other 92% of food eaten consists of nutrient poor processed foods or anything claiming to be low carb or low fat, the signal to keep on eating remains strong. To get real impact on weight and health, intake of fruits and vegetables must be drastically increased. Fruits and vegetables should make up the largest single block of food in the diet, with other foods added in small amounts. People increasing their fruit and vegetable intake while lowering the intake of foods deficient in nutrients will begin to see a difference in their weight and their energy levels.

Choose fruits and vegetables by their color

To gain full spectrum nutrition, eat a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables at every meal. Here are the superstars of nutrition in each color group:

Super greens: These vegetables should make up the foundation of your daily vegetable intake. Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, chard, turnip greens, mustard and collard greens, and deep green lettuces, are high in folate, a B vitamin that shows promising results in preventing heart disease. They are treasure chests of detoxifying chlorophyll. Broccoli and Brussels sprouts contain sulforaphane, a potent phytochemical found in all cruciferous vegetables that has been found able to detoxify carcinogens before they do damage to the body. Sulforaphane is also a potent antioxidant with a life in the body of up to three days, vastly surpassing many other antioxidants in staying power. Broccoli sprouts are the best source of supforaphane.

Super reds: Red fruits and vegetables are chocked full of lycopene, the carotenoid that offers high levels of protection against prostate cancer. Find lycopene in red bell peppers, watermelon, pink or red grapefruit, and tomatoes. Cooked tomatoes contain much greater levels of lycopene than tomatoes eaten raw. Red cabbage is full of vitamins and minerals. It is rich in Vitamins C and K, and has all the anti-cancer benefits of other cruciferous vegetables. And don't forget to include red beans. They are one of the best sources of molybdenum and are loaded with protein.

Super oranges: Orange fruits and vegetables are high in beta carotene, notable for its ability to prevent cancers of the lung, esophagus and stomach. They lower risk of heart disease and boost the immune system to keep infections away and make sure cancers don't get started. Carrots, sweet potatoes, mangos, pumpkins and oranges are the main representatives in this group. Each offers a unique profile of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Sweet potatoes are extremely rich in carotenoids and can be eaten by people allergic to nightshade alkaloids.

Super purples: Grapes, blueberries, prunes, and eggplant are the main representatives of the purples. They are known cancer fighters. The anthocyanins providing their distinctive color also give these foods the ability to ward off heart disease by preventing clot formation. Lutein, a carotenoid found in blueberries, reduces the risk of heart disease and stoke and guards against age-related macular degeneration. Prunes are packed with antioxidants. Antioxidants lead the fight against aging.

Super whites: Potatoes, white beans, cauliflower, mushrooms, bananas, onions and garlic are each unique in what they have to offer. Potatoes offer more potassium than just about any other food. Bananas provide energy boosting natural sugars along with Vitamins B6 and C. White beans offer lots of fiber and high quality protein along with a broad spectrum of minerals. Mushrooms are good vegetable source of Vitamin D. Onions and garlic are legendary for their ability to fight cancer, heart disease, and increase the overall antioxidant level of the body.

Super browns: This category is all about beans and lentils. These are foods with some of the highest levels of protein in the vegetable kingdom. Add some rice or corn and this protein is perfect for humans. Pintos and lentils are great sources of manganese, copper, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, potassium, and Vitamin B1. Their high fiber content keeps cholesterol levels right where they should be.

Upping the amount of fruits and vegetables in the diet is easy

Look at the list of super fruits and vegetables and pick out the ones you really like. Phase in your favorites at first and slowly phase out the processed foods and meat. You don't have to give them up entirely, because your goal is simply to make fruits and vegetables a greater part of your diet. Once you begin eating more of them, you will find that you no longer have cravings. Even the craving for sugar and other sweets will be stilled by the delicious sweet taste of the fruits you choose. Try visiting a salad bar for lunch or dinner and filling your plate with a multitude of colors. As you add more and more fruits and vegetables you will build up your nutrient reserves and start to feel really great. The extra energy you have may even increase your interest in exercise. Replacing many meat and dairy products with fruits and vegetables will help you quickly lose any unwanted pounds. After awhile it will be you who looks young and captures attention.

New Insights Into How Brain Responds To Viral Infection
ScienceDaily (Apr. 1, 2009) — Scientists at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health have discovered that astrocytes, supportive cells in the brain that are not derived from an immune cell lineage, respond to a molecule that mimics a viral infection using cellular machinery similar to that used by classical immune cells in the blood.
While scientists have been aware of the capacity of astrocytes to trigger an innate immune response when encountering a foreign agent, this work provides a new understanding of the complex mechanisms responsible for induction and regulation of inflammation in the brain and has significant implications for both the diagnosis and treatment of brain infections.
The study is published as the cover article in the April 2009 issue of The FASEB Journal.
In the course of trying to contain and neutralize a virus that has breached the protective barrier of the central nervous system, immune mediators secreted by astrocytes may injure other cells and tissues in the vicinity and cause additional life-threatening inflammation.
By defining the nature of inflammatory responses by brain astrocytes, this study has implications for both the diagnosis of chronic infections of the central nervous system, as well as the treatment of acute and chronic brain infections. Viral infections of the brain are associated with extremely high morbidity and mortality; in most cases, the specific microbial cause is unknown. Even when a viral cause is clear, the specific antiviral tools at our disposal remain limited. This work provides a means for implementation of a more general therapeutic approach to viral brain infections that may be effective across a wide range of viruses, or even where a virus is suspected but the offending agent cannot be identified.
"Studies such as this take us one step closer to understanding both the risk and benefit associated with antiviral immune response and may lead to new treatment strategies," said W. Ian Lipkin, MD, senior author of the paper, director of the Mailman School of Public Health's Center for Infection and Immunity, John Snow Professor of Epidemiology, and professor of Neurology and Pathology.
The researchers compared two methods of exposing a cell to this virus-like challenge—one from outside the cell and the other by direct delivery into the cell's cytoplasm. By culturing the supportive cells known as astrocytes obtained from the brains of newborn mice and exposing them to a virus-like molecule (called Poly I:C) from the outside and the inside, the scientists were able to show for the first time the differences between extracellular and intracellular immune response in these supportive brain cells.
Depending on whether the virus-like challenge was introduced extracellularly or intracellularly, the astrocytes produced different levels of inflammatory mediators (cytokines). The researchers were also able to show that a sensor protein known as MDA-5 is critical for astrocytes to be able to recognize viral molecules appearing in a cell's cytoplasm, and when astrocytes were engineered to express dysfunctional MDA-5, this immune response was selectively blocked.
"These findings create an opportunity for targeted design of drugs that may help to curb infection-induced brain inflammation and restrict the extent of damage," said Joari De Miranda, MD, PhD, lead author of the paper and postdoctoral research scientist at the Mailman School of Public Health's Center for Infection and Immunity.
There are a number of diseases that this work can impact in terms of diagnosis and treatment: viral encephalitis; brain disorders associated with congenital viral infections; and neurological or neurodevelopmental disorders suspected of having an immune or inflammatory trigger, such as schizophrenia and autism. There also may be broader implications for the treatment of a wide range of immune-mediated neurologic diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease.
Other members of the research team at the Mailman School of Public Health include Mady Hornig, MD, associate professor of Epidemiology and director of translational research at the Center for Infection and Immunity, and Kavitha Yaddanapudi, PhD, postdoctoral research scientist.
This work was supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and Google.org.
Joari De Miranda, Kavitha Yaddanapudi, Mady Hornig, and W. Ian Lipkin. Astrocytes recognize intracellular polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid via MDA-5. The FASEB Journal, 2008; 23 (4): 1064 DOI: 10.1096/fj.08-121434
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090331133341.htm

Diabetics On High-fiber Diets Might Need Extra Calcium
ScienceDaily (Mar. 31, 2009) — The amount of calcium your body absorbs might depend, in part, on the amount of dietary fiber you consume.
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center report that patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes (type 2) excreted less calcium through their urine when they consumed 50 grams of fiber a day than when they ate 24 grams a day. Excreting less calcium indicates that they absorbed less of the mineral.
"We already know that fiber helps improve your cholesterol and glucose control and improves your bowel regularity. Our new findings suggest that dietary fiber reduces the body's capacity to absorb calcium," said Dr. Abhimanyu Garg, professor of internal medicine and an investigator in the Center for Human Nutrition at UT Southwestern. He is senior author of a study appearing online in Diabetes Care. "Because more calcium equals better bone health, we recommend that people on high-fiber diets talk to their physician about increasing their dietary calcium as well, in order to get the most benefit from both."
Dr. Garg said it's important to speak with a physician or a registered dietitian before increasing your calcium intake because excessive levels may cause kidney stones.
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends a daily intake of 24 grams of dietary fiber, but the average American consumes about 14 to 15 grams of fiber a day.
Sometimes called "roughage," dietary fiber is the indigestible portion of plant foods that pushes food through the digestive system, absorbing water and easing defecation. Calcium is a nutrient found in food that is absorbed by the body and then excreted in urine, feces or sweat. It is the most abundant mineral in the human body.
Prior research at UT Southwestern has shown that a high intake of dietary fiber, mostly from fruits and vegetables, lowers blood glucose levels and leads to decreased insulin levels in the blood, as well as lowering blood lipid concentrations in patients with type 2 diabetes, the most prevalent type of diabetes.
For the current study, 13 patients with type 2 diabetes ate either a high-fiber diet (50 grams per day) or the moderate-fiber diet (24 grams per day) recommended by the ADA for six weeks, then switched to the other diet for six weeks. All participants stayed at UT Southwestern's Clinical and Translational Research Center (CTRC) for the final week of each six-week period.
CTRC staff prepared both diets so that they contained the same number and proportion of calories from carbohydrates, fats and proteins, as well as an equal amount of minerals such as calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, sodium and potassium. The high-fiber diet included numerous fiber-rich foods including cantaloupe, grapefruit, papaya, okra, winter and zucchini squash, granola and oatmeal. No supplements were used.
"The reduction of urinary calcium excretion on high-fiber diets tells us that the amount of dietary fiber has a direct impact on calcium absorption," Dr. Garg said. "In other words, the participants excreted less calcium on the high-fiber diet because the additional fiber caused their bodies to absorb less calcium."
Though most of the additional fiber in the high-fiber diet was soluble fiber, Dr. Garg said he cannot say for sure whether soluble or insoluble fiber affects calcium absorption.
"Generally, more fiber of either type is beneficial," he said. "We should encourage people to try food sources rich in fiber and calcium such as spinach, broccoli, figs, papaya, artichoke, okra, beans, mustard and turnip greens, and cactus pads."
Other UT Southwestern researchers involved in the study were Dr. Meena Shah, lead author and clinical associate professor of clinical nutrition; Dr. Manisha Chandalia, clinical associate professor of internal medicine with the Center for Human Nutrition; Beverley Adams-Huet, assistant professor of clinical sciences; Linda Brinkley, former research dietitian; Dr. Khashayar Sakhaee, chief of mineral metabolism; and Dr. Scott Grundy, director of the Center for Human Nutrition.
The work was funded by the National Institutes of Health and Southwestern Medical Foundation.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090324081427.htm

Common Fragrance Ingredients In Shampoos And Conditioners Are Frequent Causes Of Eczema
ScienceDaily (Mar. 31, 2009) — Considerably more people than previously believed are allergic to the most common fragrance ingredient used in shampoos, conditioners and soap. A thesis presented at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden found that over 5% of those who underwent patch testing were allergic to the air oxidized form of the fragrance ingredient linalool.
"I would suspect that about 2% of the complete population of Sweden are allergic to air oxidized linalool. That may not sound very much, but it is serious since linalool is so widely used as a fragrance ingredient. Linalool is found in 60-80 percent of the perfumed hygiene products, washing up liquids and household cleaning agents that can be bought in the nearest supermarket, and it can be difficult for people who are allergic to avoid these products", says dermatologist Johanna Bråred Christensson, author of the thesis.
Around one person in five in Sweden has some form of contact allergy. Nickel is by far the most common substance that causes eczema, but the thesis shows that oxidized linalool occupies third place in the list, after nickel and cobalt.
In the study, oxidized linalool was added at patch testing for more than 3,000 patients who wanted to find out what was causing their eczema. Between 5% and 7% proved to be allergic to the oxidized form of the fragrance ingredient.
"Linalool is present in many products around us, and this is probably the reason that contact allergy to this material is so common. Some people can shower with shower cream that contains linalool but never develop contact allergy, but we know that the risk increases as the exposure to t! he substance increases", says Johanna Bråred Christensson.
Linalool is a fragrance ingredient found naturally in lavender, mint, and other plants. Linalool breaks down when it comes into contact with oxygen, it becomes oxidized and can cause allergy. Manufacturers do include other substances in the products to delay this oxidation process, but allergenic substances can st! ill be formed from linalool when it is stored.
"One way of trying to minimize exposure to oxidized linalool is to avoid buying large packs of soap and shower cream, and always to replace the top after using a bottle", says Johanna Bråred Christensson.!
EU legislation states that manufacturers must specify on the labels of hygiene products whether they contain linalool. Previous studies have shown that oxidized linalool may cause contact allergy in about 1% of patients with eczema.
Common Contact Allergens
Around 10-15% of all Swedes are allergic to nickel, and this is the ! most common form of contact allergy. Another substance that may be present in imitation jewellery is cobalt, to which around 2 3% of the population is allergic. Linalool occupies third place in the list after nickel and cobalt. It has been estimated that 2% of all Swedes are allergic to linalool. Other substances that can cause contact allergy include various perfumes and preservatives.
This thesis is based on the following papers:
I. Air oxidation increases skin irritation from fragrance terpenes Bråred Christensson J, Forsström P, Wennberg A-M, Karlberg A-T, Matura M. Contact Dermatitis: 2009: 60: 32-40.
II. Oxidized linalool - a significant contact sensitizer Bråred Christensson J, Matura M, Gruvberger B, Bruze M, Karlberg A-T. Manuscript.
III. Hydroperoxides form specific antigens in contact allergy. Bråred Christensson J, Matura M, Bäcktorp C, Börje A, Nilsson JLG, Karlberg A-T. Contact Dermatitis: 2006; 55(4): 230-7.
IV. Limonene hydroperoxide analogues differ in allergenic activity. Bråred Christensson J, Johansson S, Hagvall L, Jonsson C, Börje A, Karlberg A-T. Contact Dermatitis: 2008; 59(6): 344-52.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090327112543.htm

Forests could undermine carbon market: Greenpeace
REUTERS, Mon Mar 30, 2009 12:50pm EDT
BONN, Germany (Reuters) - Carbon market prices could tumble by 75 percent if credits for safeguarding forests are added to markets for industrial emissions, environmental group Greenpeace said on Monday.
A report issued on the sidelines of U.N. talks in Bonn working on a climate treaty said that a flood of forest carbon credits could also slow the fight against global warming and divert billions of dollars from investments in clean technology.
"Cheap forest credits sound attractive but a closer examination shows they are a dangerous option," Roman Czebiniak, Greenpeace International political adviser on forests, said of estimates by Kea 3 economic modeling group in New Zealand.
About 175 nations are meeting in Bonn from March 29-April 8 to discuss measures for fighting global warming. Among them are ways to slow tropical deforestation, which accounts for a fifth of all greenhouse gas emissions from human activities.
Trees soak up carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, as they grow and release it when they are burned or rot. Placing a price on intact trees could help save forests from the Amazon to the Congo basin from logging and land clearance by farmers.
"Including forest protection measures in carbon markets would crash the price of carbon by up to 75 percent and derail global efforts to tackle global warming," Greenpeace said.
The report projected the 75 percent fall in prices, to 3.9 euros ($5.16) per tonne by 2020 from a baseline of 16.05 used in the report, under current national policies for limiting emissions.
CLEAN ENERGY INVESTMENTS
"Countries like China, India and Brazil could lose tens of billions of dollars for clean energy investments if forest protection measures are included in an unrestricted carbon market," it added.
There is so far no agreement on how to put a price on forest carbon under a new treaty. Suggestions range from carbon trading to new taxes in developed nations to raise cash. Governments aim to agree a new U.N. climate treaty in Copenhagen in December.
A European Commission report last year also said the European Union should not let industry meet its climate goals by funding forest conservation in tropical nations before 2020.
"Allowing companies to buy avoided deforestation credits would result in serious imbalances between supply and demand," it said. It said deforestation emissions were three times bigger than emissions regulated by the EU emissions trading scheme.
And New Carbon Finance analyst Aimie Parpia estimated in a report earlier this month that unlimited use of forestry could cut carbon offset prices by 40 percent by 2020.
Greenpeace's own forest proposal is to allow industrialized countries to meet a part of their emissions reduction goals by buying cheaper "tropical deforestation units" as an addition to deep cuts in domestic emissions.
These units, however, would not be tradeable on markets for industrial emissions.

Climate change experts call on G20 members to commit to action
The Guardian, Tuesday 31 March 2009
A last-ditch effort is being made to insert clearer green commitments into the global economic recovery package. The move comes amid fears amongst some British government officials that the G20 summit is in danger of missing a unique opportunity to prevent the world from being locked into irreversible and catastrophic climate change.
Gordon Brown yesterday promised that a commitment to tackle the environment will be one of the five tests of the communique due to be released following the summit on Thursday, adding "there were long hours of hard negotiations ahead".
Number 10 counselled caution insisting that the main climate change event of the year will be at Copenhagen in December, when the UN hopes to reach a global deal to replace the Kyoto agreement.
The draft G20 communique leaked at the weekend makes only the smallest reference to climate change, and appears to be vague on the subject of how green the $2tn (£1.4tn) stimulus package agreed by world leaders should be.
This provoked the eminent climatologist James Hansen, director of Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, to tell the Guardian: "If this is the best they can do, then their 'planet in peril' rhetoric is probably just that - empty rhetoric."
Professor Robert Watson, chief scientific adviser for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, also voiced concern about the limited commitment to a low-carbon economy: "I think it [low-carbon recovery] deserves a higher profile. Everybody seems to be focusing on short-term recovery and getting long-term regulation of the banks right. I haven't heard anything that suggests the green recovery and climate change are a major part of the [G20] agenda."
He added: "It would be a missed opportunity while they're talking about the economy not to talk about how to transform it to low carbon."
Steve Howard, CEO of The Climate Group, which works with major businesses and governments to promote a low-carbon economy, said: "What is lacking from the statement as a whole is timetables, targets and amounts. It lacks specifics on anything."
Some senior British officials privately believe the framing of the G20 stimulus package to ensure it has a large green element will be as decisive in the battle against climate change as the outcome of the UN talks on climate change in Copenhagen.
British ministerial sources insisted last night that there will be no mention in the communique of what proportion of the new jobs stimulated by the economic recovery package will be low-carbon roles. They suggested that any mention of green jobs might be seen as a form of covert protectionism by some members of the G20.
British officials said yesterday they regard it as essential that during the summit China gets a clear message from countries such as South Africa, Mexico, France, Germany, Britain and the US that they are all committed to tackling climate change and that China will not be put at a disadvantage if it shapes a low-carbon recovery.
Lord Stern, the government's former climate change adviser, yesterday tried to increase the pressure on the G20 by arguing that the worst recession since the 1930s gave the world the opportunity to lay the foundations for growth over several decades, based on low-carbon technology and energy efficiency.
He said the argument that the first priority was to deal with the current economic crisis and postpone action on climate change was "wrong and should be confronted".
He called for the G20 leaders to send out a signal that the "difficult" work of getting the specifics of a deal in place needed to be done. "This is an opportunity to have a green recovery that lays the foundations of growth for the next two to three decades."
A report by HSBC found that the US, Europe, China and South Korea lead global "green" spending plans after committing $300bn-$500bn to boost low-carbon technologies under wider plans to boost the global economy.
Green spend accounts for about 15% of the total economic spending of $2tn-$3tn.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/31/g20-summit-climate-change

Stern message for G20 summit
30 March 2009 | Nature |
Stimulus packages must focus more resources on clean energy and averting climate change, report says.
The global economic recession will probably cost tens of millions of jobs this year, but the crisis could also boost the transition towards cleaner and more efficient energy and transport systems.
That's the message of a report delivered to the leaders of the world's largest national economies, who will meet at the G20 summit in London on 2 April.
'Towards a Global Green Recovery', produced on behalf of the German Foreign Office, was written by Ottmar Edenhofer, co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and Nicholas Stern, chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK.
Some G20 nations are devoting huge amounts of their economic stimulus packages to green measures.Source:Towards a Global Green Recovery
They set out key measures, such as improving energy efficiency and developing carbon capture and storage technologies, which they say G20 countries must take to tackle the economic crisis and to facilitate low-carbon growth.
The report also includes the first comprehensive, if tentative, analysis of how economic stimulus money is being spent by the G20 nations. They estimate that almost US$400 billion of the total $2,610 billion in economic stimulus packages unveiled so far by the G20 nations have been earmarked for green measures such as renewable power generation, improved electricity grids and cleaner cars (see chart).
That green stimulus spending is at roughly the same level that would be needed to be invested every year to set the world on a low-carbon path, according to a recent analysis by global business consultancy McKinsey & Company. But green investment must outlast the current boom in public expenditure, warns Edenhofer. "Without the transition towards a low-carbon global energy system, the next economic crisis is pre-programmed," he says.
Edenhofer and Stern say that China, often perceived as the world's biggest polluter, is set to spend about $200 billion on green stimulus in 2009 and 2010, representing 4.8% of its gross domestic product in 2008.
That compares with $112.2 billion of investment in green projects by the United States, representing 0.8% of its gross domestic product in 2008, and 11.5% of its total stimulus package. Meanwhile, South Korea plans to spend more than 80% of its $38-billion stimulus package on green measures in the next four years.
In contrast, the UK government has been criticized by a London-based think-tank, the New Economics Foundation, for spending too little of its stimulus package on efforts that would benefit the environment.
Meanwhile, on 28 March, President Barack Obama invited the world's 16 largest economies and the European Union to participate in a forum on energy and climate, to be held on 27–28 April in Washington DC. The meeting will "help generate the political leadership necessary to achieve a successful outcome at the UN climate change negotiations that will convene this December in Copenhagen", according to a White House news release.
And government leaders are due to meet again in July in La Maddalana, Italy, to discuss joint ventures in clean energy and cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090330/full/news.2009.206.html

Obama signs bill protecting wilderness acreage

09:58 PM PDT on Monday, March 30, 2009

By KING5.com Staff and Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Barack Obama has signed legislation that sets aside more than 2 million acres as protected wilderness.
Obama said Monday the most valuable things in life are those already possessed as he signed a massive public lands management act at the White House. The law protects land from California's Sierra Nevada mountains to the Jefferson National Forest in Virginia, as well as expands wilderness protection efforts.
The president says the legislation protects the land, lakes and shorelines for future generation.
The law -- a collection of nearly 170 separate measures -- represents one of the largest expansions of wilderness protection in a quarter-century. It confers the government's highest level of protection on land in nine states.
In Oregon, the measure would protect about 204,000 acres -- 128,000 at Mount Hood, 31,000 acres in the Badlands just east of Bend, 23,000 acres in southwestern Oregon's Soda Mountain region, 13,700 acres of old-growth forest in the Siskiyou National Forest, and 8,600 acres overlooking the John Day Wild and Scenic River.
In Idaho, 517,000 acres in the Owyhee Canyonlands will be protected.
Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell's office said the package includes many provisions that will benefit Washington state:
- Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act: Creates a comprehensive national ocean acidification research and monitoring program that will take a hard look at the devastating impacts greenhouse gas emissions are having on our oceans. The world's oceans are absorbing roughly 22 million tons of carbon dioxide every day, causing seawater chemistry to become more acidic - possibly withholding the basic chemical building blocks needed by many marine organisms. Warmer, more acidic oceans can destroy important fisheries and food chains in the Pacific Ocean, impacting Pacific Northwest icons like Pacific Salmon. Understanding ocean acidification is critical to Washington state's marine life and economy that depends on it.
- Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act: Develops and maintains an integrated system of ocean and coastal observations for the nation's coasts, oceans and Great Lakes. This system could help improve warnings of tsunamis and other natural hazards, enhance homeland security, support maritime operations, and help scientists understand more about our fragile ocean environment.
- Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Act: Establishes a coastal and estuarine land protection program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to protect coastal areas with significant ecological, recreational, or watershed protection values that are threatened by human development, and administers grants to coastal states for acquiring coastal land for conservation and recreational purposes.
- Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail Act: Designates the 1,200 mile Pacific Northwest Scenic Trail as a National Scenic Trail and will promote its protection and maintenance. National Scenic Trails provide recreation, conservation, and delight of significant scenic, historic, natural, or cultural qualities. The 1,200 mile Trail, running from the Continental Divide to the Pacific Ocean, ranks among the most scenic trails in the world. The trail includes the Rocky Mountains, Selkirk Mountains, Pasayten Wilderness, North Cascades, Olympic Mountains, and Wilderness Coast and crosses three national parks and seven national forests. The Trail has received National Recreation Trail status in the three national parks it crosses (Olympic, North Cascades, and Glacier) and has also received Millennium status from the Clinton Administration.
- Snoqualmie Pass Land Conveyance Act: Allows the Snoqualmie Pass Fire District to acquire an acre and a half of Forest Service land to build a new fire station that will support neighboring communities and address safety and security needs, while helping to preserve the environment. For decades, the Fire District has operated out of an aging building that was not originally designed to be a fire station and is structurally inadequate to meet the growing emergency response needs at the Pass.
- Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail Designation Act: Creates an Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail through portions of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana to tell the story of how a series of monumental floods created the unique geology of Central and Eastern Washington and boost regional tourism. The trail would be managed by the National Park Service in partnership with the Ice Age Floods Institute, participating states, tribes, and other local entities. Interpretive centers, signs and markers, exhibits, waysides, and roadside pullouts would be used to tell the story of the floods, provide educational opportunities, and help enhance regional tourism.
- Wildland Firefighter Safety: To improve the accountability of the federal agencies that administer safety and training programs, Cantwell's legislation would require the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture to jointly submit a report on the implementation and efficacy of these programs. The report must describe steps federal firefighting agencies are taking to make sure contract firefighters receive the same training as federal firefighters. The legislation would also require a system to track the money spent on wildland firefighter safety and training.

http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_033009ENB-wilderness-bill-SW.87d999ce.html