goEco News
Heinz Redesigns Ketchup Package. Landfills Groan.
In case you’ve been under a rock, the big news on the street is the incredible new Heinz Ketchup Packet which will apparently revolutionize french fry enjoyment for the 21st century. The packet contains a larger amount of ketchup than the traditional sachet and opens in two ways – the traditional "squeeze" and the newfangled "dip." Blogs and other media are aflutter with excitement, and Heinz's corporate communications department is no doubt popping the champagne at a veritable coup d'etat of publicity.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EnvironmentalNewsNetwork/~4/co8-9WpdLkw" height="1" width="1"/>
Earthquakes Move the World
When there is a large earthquake, it basically means that a major geological stress was released. When that happens the earth will literally move. It may not be as dramatic as some motion pictures may show but it does happen.The massive magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck the west coast of Chile last month moved the entire city of Concepcion at least 10 feet to the west, and shifted other parts of South America as far apart as the Falkland Islands and Fortaleza, Brazil.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EnvironmentalNewsNetwork/~4/QAmMG9wqKJQ" height="1" width="1"/>
Compact fluorescents - Recycle them?
An investigation by The Ecologist reveals that three-quarters of London councils giving out wrong advice on the safe disposal of mercury-containing compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs)The majority of local authorities in London are advising residents to throw compact fluorescent lightbulbs in their general waste, despite the hazard posed by their mercury content.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EnvironmentalNewsNetwork/~4/vY-i8E6EOZ0" height="1" width="1"/>
Natural Gas drilling chemicals a concern
President Barack Obama's top environmental adviser urged the natural gas industry on Tuesday to disclose the chemicals it uses in drilling, warning that the development of massive U.S. shale gas reserves could be held back otherwise.Joseph Aldy, special assistant to the president for energy and the environment, said concerns about water contamination from drilling chemicals could lead to states requiring disclosure and that could deter additional investment.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EnvironmentalNewsNetwork/~4/vpPJpUYVsN0" height="1" width="1"/>
Staying Young by Learning
An old proverb states that to stayyoung is to keep alert and active or: "An idle mind is the devil's workshop."University of California neurobiologists are providing the first visual evidence that learning promotes brain health — and, therefore, that mental stimulation could limit the debilitating effects of aging on memory and the mind.Using a novel visualization technique they devised to study memory, a research team found that everyday forms of learning animate neuron receptors that help keep brain cells functioning at optimum levels. These receptors are activated by a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which facilitates the growth and differentiation of the connections, or synapses, responsible for communication among neurons. BDNF is key in the formation of memories.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EnvironmentalNewsNetwork/~4/pqiD13x8Ll4" height="1" width="1"/>
Hydrocarbon development threatens the Amazon
Because hydrocarbons are now being exploited at a rate 7 times higher than in 2003, the impacts of oil and gas activities need to be scientifically studied.These studies should rigorously identify and measure the effects on biodiversity, indigenous groups and wilderness areas in this region.This view was expressed to SciDev.Net by Martí Orta-Martinez from the Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB) and co-author of a study on the predation of the Peruvian Amazon in this century by the granting of land for gas exploration and oil.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EnvironmentalNewsNetwork/~4/6a1CEWFmMhE" height="1" width="1"/>
Attention Bikers - Google Maps is for you!
At long last, Google Maps has routes specifically for bikes.With the click of a mouse, the new feature allows you to plot the best (and flattest!) ride from Point A to Point B. Several cities, including New York, Minneapolis, San Francisco and Portland, Oregon, have bike-specific mapping sites. But Google is rolling it out in 150 cities nationwide and announcing it Wednesday at the 10th Annual Bike Summit in Washington, D.C."This has been a top-requested feature from Google Maps users for the last couple years," says Shannon Guymon, product manager for Google Maps. "There are over 50,000 signatures on a petition."<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EnvironmentalNewsNetwork/~4/rze-Ani2L1k" height="1" width="1"/>
