TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2013
H E A LT H & S C I E N C E
China seen facing uphill struggle against pollution BEIJING: China’s newly announced measures to combat pollution by slashing emissions from major polluting industries and holding local officials responsible could take 18 years to bring air quality within acceptable standards, analysts said yesterday. The problem of air pollution has stoked popular discontent across the country, with levels of particulate matter in Beijing measured at 40 times above World Health Organization limits this year. The measures announced by the State Council, including holding local officials responsible for air quality, and reducing emissions from key polluting industries by 30 percent within five years, amount to a “milestone in the country’s anti-pollution campaign”, Deutsche Bank said in a report. But the bank
cautioned that efforts to improve air quality “could last for 18 years, before Chinese cities’ average PM2.5 falls to 30”. PM2.5 is a measure of tiny particulate matter which causes smog and breathing problems. Ma Jun, director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, one of China’s best-known environmental advocacy groups, said the measures announced late Friday were “a response to public concerns”, but cautioned that “it will be a huge challenge to put the measures into action”. “The main reason (for pollution) is that the local governments protect polluting industries for the sake of GDP,” he said. While China has long pledged to improve its environment, local officials are incentivized to rank economic growth above pollution
reduction. The new measures, which include a pledge to give local leaders targets for improving air quality, could provide them with “new motivation” to reduce pollution, Ma said, adding: “its not clear how important the environmental goals are in the overall system”. Ma praised a new requirement that heavy polluters such as power plants must release detailed environmental information to the general public. “This will change the dynamic,” Ma said. “It’s a big step forward for corporate disclosure, which has always lagged behind in China.” “I think that these measures are great, but the challenge is giving the government the motivation to enforce them,” he said. “The pressure needs to come from the public,
because the power of the public is large, and they can push forward air pollution control in China.” The China Daily, one of the country’s state-run newspapers which have grown increasingly outspoken on the issue of air pollution, said yesterday in an editorial that if local governments obeyed the new measures, “the day would not be too far away when we would be able to enjoy clean air”. Air pollution contributed to 1.2 million premature deaths and 25 million healthy years of life lost in China in 2010, the US-based Health Effects Institute reported in March, basing its figures on a global survey published in British medical journal The Lancet. China’s pollution problems are blamed on rapid urbanization and decades of dramatic economic development. — AFP
Improve your body alignment by adding some habits and losing others
W
e’ve been told to stand up straight as long as we’ve been able to stand, but sometimes it’s harder than it seems. We know why we should do it: Good posture looks good, feels good and makes us look slimmer. On the flip side, studies have linked poor posture with lower self-esteem, depression and back pain. But, sometimes, posture pointers are confusing. Remember when we were all supposed to use Pilates balls instead of office chairs? Well, claims that doing so improved posture were recently disputed by researchers at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. They found that it didn’t help-or hurtposture. But there are still some things you can do
SINGAPORE: People walk on a pier overlooking Marina Bay Sands hotels as it is blanketed by haze yesterday. — AP
Singapore chokes on haze from Indonesia forest fires SINGAPORE: Air pollution from forest fires in Indonesia’s Sumatra Island reached severe levels in Singapore yesterday, triggering a health alert in the densely populated city-state. Skyscrapers including the famous Marina Bay Sands casino towers were shrouded in haze and the acrid smell of burnt wood pervaded the central business district. The Pollutant Standards Index soared to 105 at mid-afternoon, past the “unhealthy” threshold of 100, according to the National Environment Agency (NEA) website. People with heart and lung disease, those over 65 and children are advised to “reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion” even in moderate conditions, defined as a reading of 51-100. Business and air transport have so far not been affected. Singapore schools are on holiday. Singapore is one of the world’s most densely populated countries. Most of
its 5.3 million people live in high-rise apartment blocks. Malaysia has also been affected by the haze problem, which occurs in the dry season as a result of forest fires in the sprawling Indonesian archipelago, some of them deliberately started to clear land for cultivation. Haze reached unhealthy levels in Malaysia over the weekend. Yesterday, the Malaysian pollutant index showed unhealthy levels of between 102 and 121 in parts of the states of Pahang, Terengganu and Malacca. In the capital Kuala Lumpur, the sky was also hazy with a reading of 82 at midday. Southeast Asia’s haze problem hit its worst level in 1997-1998, causing widespread health problems and costing the regional economy billions of dollars as a result of business and air transport disruptions. —AFP
Effort to revive Galapagos tortoises once thought extinct ECUADOR: Scientists will try to revive two species of giant Galapagos tortoises thought to have been extinct by breeding genetic relatives in captivity, experts leading the effort said. The Galapagos Islands, located 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) off Ecuador’s Pacific coast, are famed for the large number of species that have developed there in isolation. New research techniques have revealed that at Wolf volcano on Isabela Island, 17 hybrid giant tortoises have been found with genes from the extinct Pinta Island tortoise, and about 280 hybrids have been found with genes from the extinct Floreana Island tortoise. Among those with Pinta genes, at least one pair has 80 percent of the original species’ genes, while among the Floreana hybrids, many have up to 90 percent of the original species genes. “That gives us the possibility, literally, of bringing back these species which at the moment are considered extinct,” Galapagos National Park applied sciences chief Washington Tapia told AFP. Giant tortoises have life spans of up to 180 years, growing to 1.8 meters (five feet nine inches) long and nearly 400 kilograms (880 pounds) in weight. Last year the body of “Lonesome George,” a giant Galapagos tortoise once believed to be the last of its kind, was sent to New York after its death to be embalmed and then returned home. A rare Pinta Island giant tortoise discovered in 1971, George was estimated to be a century old when he died June 24, 2012. At the time, he was believed to be the last of his kind. The Floreana Island tortoise was widely thought to have been extinct for more than 100 years. One of their last sightings was by British naturalist Charles Darwin when he visited the Galapagos in 1835. Darwin studied the tortoises, which
evolved in isolation, as he developed his theory of natural selection. Now Tapia’s team is eyeing something of reverse natural selection: bringing back to life animals technically considered to have died out. He said that experts will soon start trying to get pairs in captivity to produce offspring close to their genetic origin. But due to the lengthy lifespan of the animals, Tapia said that he will not live to see the results: true to the slow pace tortoises are famous for, it should take about 120 years to get all the data in. The female tortoises reach sexual maturity at around 20-25 years, and males at around 25-30. Tapia said that mating a female and male with 80-90 percent Floreana genes should produce offspring with about 95 percent of the genes of the original species. With the Pintas, “there is a chance, albeit remote, that we could end up with a male being produced with only original-species genes,” Tapia said. For now, the future of the Floreana lies with about 92 animals born in captivity since 2012. More testing has to be done to determine which have the greatest original-species genetic content so that those males and females can be bred. Tapia said that one of the main goals is for the tortoises to be released back into their natural habitats as soon as possible, even as hybrids, so that they can help bring the ecosystems of the islands back into balance after they were disturbed by imported species, such as goats. The Wolf hybrids have a salty story of their own: park officials believe the tortoises were taken to Isabela Island in the 17th and 18th century by pirates who picked them up to eat, but then decided they were no longer needed as a source of meat and tossed them overboard. — AFP
INDIA: Indian Red Cross Society employee, Jasbir Kaur poses with an abandoned baby boy, found at the pictured ‘pangpura’ (cradle) drop off box at the entrance to the Red Cross House in Amritsar yesterday. The premises contains a drop off location for unwanted babies, built in 2008, in an attempt to curb female infanticide. An average of 15 babies a year have been saved, according to the society. — AFP
ILLINOIS: When sitting at a computer your monitor should be 1 to 2 feet away from your face, and your eyes should be level with the top of the monitor. turn to one side by lifting your left arm and stacking your body over your right leg, keeping your right arm extended on the ground. You may bend your right arm if necessary. Then switch sides. Hurts: High heels Heels higher than 1 inch increase your sway backward, which can lead to lower back discomfort, Novak said. Your foot slides to the front of the shoe, which puts too much pressure on the ball of the foot and your toes. High heels also shorten the muscles and tendons on the back of your ankle, and stretch and weaken the muscles on the front of your ankle, which can lead to shin splints. Heels on shoes also get in the way of the natural stride, which is to place your heel down first, then roll through the ball of your foot. If you must wear heels, don’t wear them for longer than four hours at a time.
ILLINOIS: Competitive bodybuilder and fitness trainer Cornell Walker in this 2001 file photo in Chicago. —MCT photos to help your stance, as well as some things you can avoid to keep it from getting worse. Helps: Reposition your monitor Your monitor should be 1 to 2 feet away from your face, and your eyes should be level with the top of the monitor, said Janice Novak, author of “Posture, Get It Straight! Look Ten Years Younger, Ten Pounds Thinner and Feel Better Than Ever.” This will prevent your head from leaning forward and away from your shoulders. Lumbar rolls Place a lumbar roll behind the small of your back when you’re sitting in a chair, according to Dr. Richard Guyer, orthopedic surgeon and co-founder of the Texas Back Institute. “It helps to maintain the normal curvature in the back when sitting,” he said. “There is a tendency for the lower curve to flatten, which can cause fatiguing with prolonged sitting.” Reposition yourself in your car while driving Move your seat close enough to the pedals so that your knees are bent. A 90-degree angle would be too bent, and anything more than 130 degrees would be too straight. (Make sure your body is at least 13 inches away from the steering wheel in
ILLINOIS: For proper posture while driving, move your seat close enough to the pedals so that your knees are bent. case your air bag deploys.) Your lower back should be against the back of the seat. Sit in an upright or slightly reclining position. Adjust the headrest so your head is actually resting against it. This position places your head directly over your spine and allows your neck and upper back muscles to relax while you drive, Novak said. Finally, when holding the steering wheel, your elbows should be bent at 120 degrees. Strengthen your core muscles through exercise Do three sets of basic and side planks daily, holding each pose for 30 seconds, said Dr. Levi Harrison, orthopedic surgeon in Los Angeles and author of “The Art of Fitness: A Journey to Self Enhancement.” Start in a pushup position with your arms directly under your shoulders (you may bend your arms if necessary) for the center plank. Keep your head aligned with your neck. After 30 seconds,
Ottomans When you’re resting your legs in a straight extension you’re placing stress on your lower back, said Mary Ann Wilmarth, chief of physical therapy at Harvard University. Sitting this way can stress your sciatic nerve and may put you in a slouched position without supporting your back. A better alternative would be to rest with both knees bent. Soft couches You should not be able to sink into a couch, Wilmarth said. “It needs to be firm enough to give you support.” If your couch doesn’t support your lower back, you can use extra pillows to assist it. Obliviousness Notice where your head is at this very moment. “Is it completely focused on the page or the screen? What’s going on with your shoulders right now? Any tension there? Is your chin jutting forward?” said Lindsay Newitter, spokeswoman for the Alexander Technique and certified in teaching the Alexander Technique, an educational method studied by musicians, actors and athletes aimed at improving posture that’s been in practice for more than 100 years. “There’s a learning process involved in unlearning habits, but a great first step is to start developing an awareness of yourself in the midst of activity,” she said. — MCT
Final curtain for Europe’s deep-space telescope FRANCE: The deep-space telescope Herschel took its final bow yesterday, climaxing a successful four-year mission to observe the birth of stars and galaxies, the European Space Agency (ESA) said. The largest and most powerful infrared telescope in space, Herschel made over 35,000 scientific observations and amassed more than 25,000 hours of science data, it said. “Herschel has been turned off,” ESA director general Jean-Jacques Dordain told journalists at the Paris Air Show. “It is not a surprise, it was expected, it was scheduled,” he added. Herschel has run out of a supply of liquid helium required to cool its instruments to near absolute zero (minus 273.15 degrees Celsius or minus 459.67 degrees Fahrenheit) in order to make its observations. “As it heats up it becomes unusable,” said Dordain, explaining why the data link with Herschel was shut down at 1225 GMT Monday. Its mission officially ended on April 29, but the satellite was used in its dying weeks as an “orbiting test bed”, said an ESA statement. “We had a sophisticated spacecraft at our disposal on which we could conduct technical testing and validate techniques, software and the functionality of systems that are going to be reused on future spacecraft,” said Herschel’s spacecraft operations manager, Micha Schmidt. “This was a major bonus for us.” The satellite has now been placed in a safe, “disposal” orbit around the Sun. “The last thruster burn came today, ensuring that all fuel is depleted,” said the ESA statement. Launched in May 2009, Herschel carried 2,300 liters of liquid helium coolant, which evaporated over time. Its expected lifetime had been 3.5 years. At 7.5 meters (24.3 feet) high and four meters wide, Herschel had a launch mass of 3.4 tons. —AFP
This NASA illustration obtained yesterday shows a newfound reservoir of stellar fuel discovered by the Herschel space observatory (red). Stars are formed out of pools of gaseous hydrogen molecules. To locate these pools, astronomers have historically looked for carbon monoxide (CO), which is co-located with the hydrogen gas (orange). But this tracer molecule does not lead astronomers to all of the star-making material in our galaxy. By using Herschel to map ionized carbon (C+), scientists were able to find additional reservoirs of the hydrogen gas. — AFP
NASA picks 8 new astronauts, 4 of them women CAPE CANAVERAL: NASA has eight new astronauts - its first new batch in four years. The space agency announced its newest astronaut class yesterday. Among the lucky candidates: the first female fighter pilot to become an astronaut in nearly two decades. A female helicopter pilot also is in the group. In fact, four of the eight are women, the highest percentage of female astro-
naut candidates ever selected by NASA. The eight were chosen from more than 6,000 applications, the second largest number ever received. They will report for duty in August at Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden says these new candidates will help lead the first human mission to an asteroid, and then Mars. — AP