Jude: Get That Song Out My Head!

Posted on: Wednesday, 26 May 2010, 10:25 CDT

University of Montreal study on those pesky earworms

Some 98 to 99 percent of the population has, at some point, been "infected" with a song they just can't seem to shake off. This common phenomenon has rarely been researched, until Andréane McNally-Gagnon, a PhD student at the University of Montreal Department of Psychology, decided to examine the issue in an ongoing investigation.

In most cases, earworms will disappear after a few minutes. In some cases, earworms can last hours or even days. McNally-Gagnon is also a musician, who is often infected, which is why she wanted to better understand how and why it occurs.

For starters, she asked French-speaking Internet users to rank 100 pop songs according to their ability to be compulsively repeated within one's mind. The top five were: Singing in the Rain (Gene Kelly), Live Is Life (Opus), Don't Worry, Be Happy (Bobby McFerrin), I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor) and, in first place, Ça fait rire les oiseaux by Caribbean sensation La Compagnie Créole. (A complete list is published at www.brams.org).

See more at: http://www.redorbit.com/news/entertainment/1870885/hey_jude_get_that_song_out_my_head/index.html

More Americans Exercising, But Obesity Still An Issue

Posted on: Thursday, 17 June 2010, 06:30 CDT

More Americans may be exercising, but obesity rates have not changed, according to the latest data by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A survey by the CDC released Wednesday found that obesity rates for 2009 were at about 28 percent, no change from 2008. But 34.7 percent claimed that they engaged in regular leisurely physical activity in 2009, up from 31.9 percent in 2008.

Health experts recommend people get an average of one hour per day of moderate exercise for most adults -- to keep weight down and prevent heart disease and diabetes.

See more at: http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1880816/more_americans_exercising_but_obesity_still_an_issue/index.html

Lowering The Speed Limit To 50 MPH Could Reduce CO2 By 30%

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06.10.10

CARS & TRANSPORTATION

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image via Wired

TreeHugger previously suggested six good reasons for lowering the speed limit; now, Wired points us to a new Dutch study that adds a seventh: Lowering the speed limit to 50 MPH can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 30%. They appropriately title their postSlow Down and Spare the Planet

Part of the reduction comes from the direct correlation between speed and fuel consumption, but the real impact would come from behavioural changes; people would tend to shift to other, faster modes of travel, and will probably tend to move closer to where they work.

Wired questions their logic, particularly as it applies to America

See more at: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/06/slow-down-save-planet.php?campaign=weekly_nl

U.S. Consumers Lag Others in Sustainable Choices

By Ford Cochran

Results of the Greendex survey of sustainable consumption patterns reveal that consumers in most of the 17 countries profiled have adopted more environmentally friendly behaviors over the past year. All but one of the countries polled in both 2008 and 2010 showed improvement over the past two years.

National Geographic and the worldwide polling firm GlobeScan released results of the third annual Greendex survey today. The Greendex tracks behavior across a broad spectrum of areas relating to housing, transportation, food, and consumer goods.

Compared to the attitude of the average consumer in other countries surveyed, Americans express less concern about environmental problems, and they increasingly consider the seriousness of environmental issues to be exaggerated (31 percent, up from 25 percent). American consumers' behavior still ranks least sustainable among all countries polled--as it has since the inception of the Greendex--followed by that of Canadian and French consumers. There were, however, some improvements in these countries.

See more at: http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/news/chiefeditor/2010/06/greendex-points-to-better-cons.html

Coca-Cola System in Japan Installing Vending Machines with Solar Panels

Copyright Coca-Cola Japan

In March 2010, Coca-Cola System in Japan, which consists of Coca-Cola Japan and 12 bottling partners, began to install vending machines equipped with a solar panel mounted on top. This new model, called "ecoru/Solar", can provide night time lighting with no energy consumption with its function of solar panel.

See more at: http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/029986.html

2010 LOHAS Journal Available

Source:
Published: Thursday, June 17, 2010

print version

The 2010 LOHAS Journal is now available and packed with valuable data and information for you to better understand the LOHAS marketplace. This is a must have for anyone interested in LOHAS.

Content includes:
- The latest LOHAS Market Size - now almost $300B in size

- Global LOHAS Consumer Trends - how current circumstances are changing spending behaviours and outlooks internationally

- LOHAS vs. LOHOE - health and sustainability complemented by hedonics and economics

- Where Are The Green Jobs? - are they available for all?

- Communicating Using Social Media - is there a solution for businesses to solve the ever changing puzzle?

See more at: http://www.lohas.com/articles/102802.html

Leaving The Trash Behind: Airlines Recycle Litter

JUNE 14, 2010 · 0 COMMENTS

in RECYCLING

The aviation industry is often criticized for contributing to global warming through airplane exhaust. But waste of a different kind also has the potential to create environmental problems.

Even before they board, air travelers throw away trash of all sorts — including paper, plastic and food waste — and airports and airlines recycle only a small portion of it.

An estimated 7.5 million pounds of trash is generated every day. While the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group, says that 75 percent of that trash is recyclable, it has found that only 20 percent reaches arecycling center.

“It does not make sense to acquire oil from the Middle East or the north slope of Alaska and turn it into a plastic bottle, use it once and throw it away,” said Allen Hershkowitz, a scientist at the council.

The council’s figures are from 2006, but are the most recent. The lack of current data was one concern of the Air Transport Association and the Airports Council International. They persuaded the Transportation Research Board, an adviser to the federal government, last November to determine what prevented airports from embracing recycling since travelers seemed to want it.

Recycling procedures vary by airline and airport. Environmental programs involve many entities: airports, municipalities, private waste companies and federal security agencies. As a result, each of the nation’s 552 commercial airports has its own way of handling waste.

See more at: http://www.green-life-magazine.com/recycling/leaving-the-trash-behind-airlines-recycle-litter/