globalbriefs Power Walking
Shoe Insert Generates Electricity
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Life Threat GMO Dangers: Evidence Mounts
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he nonprofit Non-GMO Project, committed to preserving and building sources of non-GMO (genetically modified organism) products and educating consumers on such verified choices, is focusing on Bt corn and Bt soy, which make up 90 percent of America’s total crop. Its scientists explain, “These crops have genes from a bacteria called bacillus thuringiensis spliced into their natural genetic code. This causes the plant to produce Bt-toxin—a pesticide that bursts the stomach of insects that eat it, killing them.” Monsanto and Syngenta, which manufacture genetically engineered seeds, claim that genetically modified (GE, GM or GMO) crops are safe for humans because the Bt-toxin is completely destroyed in the human digestive system and doesn’t have any impact on animals and humans. But Norwegian scientists’ decadelong study of rats, mice, pigs and salmon raised on GE feed published in 2012 found that due to alterations in their digestive tracts, the animals ate more, got fatter, and were less able to digest proteins; they also suffered from diminished immune systems. There is also mounting evidence that the spread of such crops is responsible for the dramatic decline of the monarch butterfly, the near annihilation of bats, and the spread of honeybee colony collapse syndrome. To get involved, visit NonGMOProject.
www.GoNaturalAwakenings.com
wo Carnegie Mellon graduates, Matt Stanton and Hahna Alexander, are the founders of SolePower, a company making a shoe insert that stores the power generated by walking and running into a battery that can be instantly accessed via a USB port. Beta testing on the prototype has begun, with release expected next summer. The insert can be paired with any shoe type and feels like a regular, cushy insole, according to Stanton. The battery attaches to the ankle or the top of the shoe, and is charged after 2.5 miles of footsteps with enough power to run an iPhone. Runners needing to power heat-producing mittens in the winter could also benefit. Another application is emergency charging of cell phones and radios during power outages. People in developing nations likewise will have a reliable power source for mobile phones and other essential small electronics. Source: SolePowerTech.com
Start 2014 off with Broadway’s most highly anticipated production of the year. GOOD PEOPLE is full humor, heart, wisdom, and shocking revelations. It’s a story of two childhood friends, who whether by chance - or by choice - follow very different paths in life. When they reunite decades later, long held secrets are finally exposed, leaving you to decide: What makes a “good person?”
GOOD
PEOPLE directed by LAUREN CALDWELL
On stage at the Hippodrome Theatre January 8-February 2
thehipp.org | 352-375-HIPP | 25 SE 2nd Place | Downtown Gainesville
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire, comes one of the most talked about productions of the year. Reserve tickets now at the Hipp Box Office 352.375.4477 or online at thehipp.org.
Starring Sara Morsey, Felecia Harrelson, Matthew Lindsay, Cristine McMurdo-Wallis, Nell Page and Kevin Rainsberger.
HIPPODROME THEATRE
(352) 375-4477 and thehipp.org
January 2014
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