Its a nasty word, isn’t it? But most of us face it sooner or later. When its not really a problem we tend to ignore it, but once it starts to get out of control its sooo difficult to rein it in. It becomes a disease, both physiological and psychological. Whether for interest or use, …
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Stress worse for health than disease (again)
As we’ve said before “Many health and happiness problems today are related to stress“. A World Health Organisation report (published in the Lancet) on the largest population-based worldwide study that explores the effect of depression in comparison with four other chronic diseases on health state found that depression is more damaging to everyday health than …
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Pocket money reinforces culture of consumption
A recent study by Hibernian Life in Ireland shows that children are given substantial amounts of pocket money – € 10 per week on average at primary and € 20 per week on average at secondary. More than half of the children spend all of their pocket money. This indicator, coupled with the continuous stream …
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EU rates held at 4%
The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged at 4% on 7 September, but it is not clear that they will not be increased to 4.25% soon. The ECB is reacting to the increase in perceived risk in financial markets, catalysed by the sub-prime meltdown. At the same time as the hold on rates increase, …
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Silent but deadly: livestock farming challenges transport system as top carbon producer
The UK Vegetarian Society has launched a great campaign to raise awareness of the link between diet and climate change. The society argues that farmed animals produce more greenhouse gas emissions than the world’s entire transport system. The ad campaign is backed up by a new report entitled Why it’s green to go vegetarian – …
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Green IT operations, contribute to profits
There are a range of ways enterprises of all sizes can bring down the energy use of their IT operations, and a new article points out the six best, from outsourcing IT operations to building green data centers. In Six Ways to a More Efficient Data Center, CIO magazine offers six ways to lower the …
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Costly payback for clerical abuse
The Catholic diocese of San Diego recently agreed to pay $198.1 million to settle 144 claims of sexual abuse by clergy, the second-largest payment by any diocese and over $ 1 million per claimant. The diocese had sought to shield its assets by declaring bankruptcy, but the judge threatened to dismiss the diocese’s case if …
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Modest eating, red wine and longevity
So long as there is adequate nutrition, cutting calories by 40pc prolongs lifespan by 50pc or more — in yeast, mice, rats and every other species so far tested. In 1999 David Sinclair, at Harvard, showed that a single gene, SIRT1, controlled the process of ageing. Subsequent work showed that resveratrol, found in red wine, …
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US executive tends to secularism
Religion can be a useful guide to morality, but history has shown that it should be separate from politics. This is more so today than ever before because there is such diversity of belief and there is no majority view, even on a nominal basis, let alone a practising one. The current US president has …
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US-Iran tension increasing
Tension over Iran’s nuclear programme is building. While Iran is obviously behaving badly, they have not been given the kind of out required to encourage more conciliatory behaviour. The US continues to pressure a halt to the nuclear programme but has not responded to Iran’s request for an equal policy (which is not actually written …
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