The BA Science News Digest - 17 February 2006
In the news today, avian flu makes headway into Europe, insurers seek to increase policies for women susceptible to cancer and MPs ban smoking in pubs and bars. Plus, beware – an elephant NEVER forgets...
The deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu continued its spread into Europe this week. Last week it emerged that the virus had reached Nigeria and now it has been confirmed that it has arrived in Germany and Austria. As the Guardian reports, a number of European countries have ordered poultry flocks to be brought indoors as a result.
The Times reports on emergency measures designed to protect poultry from infection by wild birds, including establishing one-mile exclusion zones in Britain to protect humans if a wild bird is found to be infected. The measures, says the article, ‘recall the spectre of the foot-and-mouth outbreak of five years ago.’
The Daily Telegraph this week revealed that the Association of British Insurers is seeking permission to charge women who had genetic mutations making them susceptible to breast or ovarian cancer more for some policies.
In response, the paper reports that Sir John Sulston, vice-chairman of the Human Genetics Commission, has called for legislation to prevent insurance companies discriminating against someone on the grounds of their genetic background.
MPs this week finally agreed a blanket ban on smoking in pubs and bars across England. Well, perhaps ‘blanket ban’ is too strong a word. Smoking will no longer be allowed in pubs and bars (even in private members’ clubs), but as David Charter writes in the Times, there will still be a number of places exempt from the ban (not the least of which is in bars in the Houses of Parliament)...
‘[The smoking ban] is unlikely to help Prince Harry to give up his habit,’ he writes. ‘A range of exemptions will include royal palaces, army barracks and certain sports venues.’ Curiously, he explains that stadiums with retractable roofs, such as the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, will not allow smoking if the roof is closed but will if it is open.
One of the potentially surprising downsides of the ban may be the damage to the environment, as BBC News Online reports...
‘As campaigners cheer a total smoking ban, there are fears sending smokers outside will lead to a huge increase in greenhouse gas-emitting patio heaters.’
But could greenhouse gases already be pushing us past a 'tipping point, beyond which climate change becomes unstoppable? National Geographic reports this week that glaciers on Greenland are slipping into the ocean twice as fast as they were just five years ago. Current estimates already suggest that Greenland is contributing to rising seas. Now it seems that those estimates may have underestimated the melting island's effect.
The trend for drinking bottled water is also having a detrimental effect on the environment according to the Earth Policy Institute. Edie.net reports that ‘the increase is a global phenomenon... leading to unnecessary packaging waste and huge amounts of energy used in the extraction, bottling and transport of the water.’
In other news this week...
‘Saints preserved, Joan's bones under microscope’, exclaims Australian newspaper The Age (always one for the best headlines). The web site reports that skin and bone believed to belong to Joan of Arc, allegedly burnt at the stake by the English, will be tested to establish their authenticity and discover more about her life.
And finally, a warning: Do not cross an elephant. It seems not only do they never forget – nor do they forgive...
Experts now believe that a generation of elephants may be taking revenge on humans for the breakdown of elephant society, reports the New Scientist. Elephants appear to be attacking human settlements as vengeance for years of abuse by people.
The deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu continued its spread into Europe this week. Last week it emerged that the virus had reached Nigeria and now it has been confirmed that it has arrived in Germany and Austria. As the Guardian reports, a number of European countries have ordered poultry flocks to be brought indoors as a result.
The Times reports on emergency measures designed to protect poultry from infection by wild birds, including establishing one-mile exclusion zones in Britain to protect humans if a wild bird is found to be infected. The measures, says the article, ‘recall the spectre of the foot-and-mouth outbreak of five years ago.’
The Daily Telegraph this week revealed that the Association of British Insurers is seeking permission to charge women who had genetic mutations making them susceptible to breast or ovarian cancer more for some policies.
In response, the paper reports that Sir John Sulston, vice-chairman of the Human Genetics Commission, has called for legislation to prevent insurance companies discriminating against someone on the grounds of their genetic background.
MPs this week finally agreed a blanket ban on smoking in pubs and bars across England. Well, perhaps ‘blanket ban’ is too strong a word. Smoking will no longer be allowed in pubs and bars (even in private members’ clubs), but as David Charter writes in the Times, there will still be a number of places exempt from the ban (not the least of which is in bars in the Houses of Parliament)...
‘[The smoking ban] is unlikely to help Prince Harry to give up his habit,’ he writes. ‘A range of exemptions will include royal palaces, army barracks and certain sports venues.’ Curiously, he explains that stadiums with retractable roofs, such as the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, will not allow smoking if the roof is closed but will if it is open.
One of the potentially surprising downsides of the ban may be the damage to the environment, as BBC News Online reports...
‘As campaigners cheer a total smoking ban, there are fears sending smokers outside will lead to a huge increase in greenhouse gas-emitting patio heaters.’
But could greenhouse gases already be pushing us past a 'tipping point, beyond which climate change becomes unstoppable? National Geographic reports this week that glaciers on Greenland are slipping into the ocean twice as fast as they were just five years ago. Current estimates already suggest that Greenland is contributing to rising seas. Now it seems that those estimates may have underestimated the melting island's effect.
The trend for drinking bottled water is also having a detrimental effect on the environment according to the Earth Policy Institute. Edie.net reports that ‘the increase is a global phenomenon... leading to unnecessary packaging waste and huge amounts of energy used in the extraction, bottling and transport of the water.’
In other news this week...
‘Saints preserved, Joan's bones under microscope’, exclaims Australian newspaper The Age (always one for the best headlines). The web site reports that skin and bone believed to belong to Joan of Arc, allegedly burnt at the stake by the English, will be tested to establish their authenticity and discover more about her life.
And finally, a warning: Do not cross an elephant. It seems not only do they never forget – nor do they forgive...
Experts now believe that a generation of elephants may be taking revenge on humans for the breakdown of elephant society, reports the New Scientist. Elephants appear to be attacking human settlements as vengeance for years of abuse by people.
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