March 09, 2012

A Most Interesting Debate About Japan's Nuclear Energy Industry

This morning, I came across a most interesting debate about Japan's nuclear energy industry in  The New York Times by Martin Fackler - Japan’s Nuclear Energy Industry Nears Shutdown, at Least for Now.

Reporting from Ohi, Martin said:

All but two of Japan’s 54 commercial reactors have gone off line since the nuclear disaster a year ago, following the earthquake and tsunami, and it is not clear when they can be restarted. With the last operating reactor scheduled to be idled as soon as next month, Japan — once one of the world’s leaders in atomic energy — will have at least temporarily shut down an industry that once generated a third of its electricity.

Please CLICK HERE to read the rest of the entry and the many insightful comments shared by NYT readers. Have a great day!

March 04, 2012

How Recession Makes You Thin

People are not only tightening their belts financially – obesity figures have fallen since the start of the recession.

A study has found that the number of people who have become dangerously overweight halved in the three years after the financial crisis of 2007.

The results have baffled researchers because they had expected waistlines to expand as the economic downturn affected family incomes. Previous studies have found that people with less money tend to buy foods which are cheaper but higher in calories – such as takeaways and pre-packaged meals – which is why poorer families are more likely to gain weight.

Academics do not yet know why the most recent research appears to suggest that having less money reduces the number of people becoming fat.

Read more AT THIS LINK.