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Taking the Plunge: into the Commons of Ideas & Invention

April 23, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet

The digital age has brought the most potent test for the security of intellectual property, and thanks to the open source movement, has also shown that intellectual property is not always most productive or most valuable when kept under wraps. Increasing numbers of large firms and institutions are opting not only to use open source software —to avoid licensing fees—, but are also building their own products and services with open source code, meaning they cannot keep the contents safely secret.

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Ecosystem Services-Based Farming in Ethiopia Increases Crop Yields & Empowers Women

April 21, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet

The Tigray Project in northern Ethiopia sounds too good to be true. It is said to demonstrate how sustainable agriculture can lead to increased crop yields, raised water tables, improved soil fertility, increased incomes and empowering of women. The government has now adopted the project’s approach for combating land degradation and poverty in the whole country. SDU went there to check out if the project is as good as rumour has it.

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Canada to List Key Chemical in Common Plastics as Toxic

April 17, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet

A report in the New York Times cites an anonymous Canadian government source as saying Canada will soon declare bisphenol-a (BPA), a chemical found in some plastics, toxic. The move is prompted by concerns over observed effects on animals, potential environmental contamination, and fears of public health impact in the human population.

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Sinking Dollar Cripples American Travelers

April 11, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet

In the heart of Madrid, the dollar’s woes have reached fevered extremes. The euro at its worst, shortly after its introduction, could buy only $0.69; it is now worth $1.57, an appreciation of 127.5%, or 2.275 times its lowest value against the dollar. What’s worse, money changers advertising “no commission” do not adhere even loosely to the official rate of exchange…

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Food Riots in Haiti, Protests in El Salvador, as Corn Prices Skyrocket

April 9, 2008 :: admin :: One Comment

In a period of roughly 18 months, the price of corn across central American markets has doubled, making staple foodstuffs too expensive for many in the region. Today, what is described as an “angry mob” of protesters suffering food scarcity attacked the government palace in Port-au-Prince; UN peacekeepers responded by firing teargas, while food markets remained closed throughout.

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Zero-combustion Paradigm Approaching: Emissions Standards, Economics Will Push Research

April 5, 2008 :: jr3o :: No Comment Yet

As governments, businesses and scientists work toward creating cost-effective solutions for zero-emissions propulsion technologies, the possibility of a zero-combustion energy production and industrial fabrication model is emerging. Preservation of the natural environment and containment of emissions-induced global climate change both require new technologies that will allow full economic output, including industry and transport, that eliminate the need for combustible fuels.

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