A global plan to save coral reefs from complete eradication caused by climate change, pollution and poor fishing practices launched today at The Economist World Ocean Summit in Bali. The initiative, called 50 Reefs, brings together leading ocean, climate and marine scientists as well as conservation practitioners from around the world to develop a list of the 50 most critical coral reefs to protect.
50 Reefs will be the first global plan to save the most biodiverse ecosystem on the planet. The final list and corresponding initiatives, to be announced later this year, will raise awareness of the increasing severity of climate change impacts on the ocean and catalyze the global action and investment required to protect these important reef systems for the future.
The launch comes at a perilous moment for coral reefs, as current estimates indicate that 90 percent will disappear by 2050. A unique philanthropic coalition of innovators in business, technology and government are supporting 50 Reefs, led by Bloomberg Philanthropies with The Tiffany & Co. Foundation and The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, with the aim of preventing the worst economic, social, and environmental impacts of this enormous crisis.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8043751-the-ocean-agency-50-reefs-initiative-coral-conservation/
On World Cancer Day, new independent evidence confirms that the increasing global trend of unhealthy and sedentary lifestyles is responsible for putting millions at an unnecessarily high risk of cancer.
New estimates released today by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) global network suggest that across a range of countries, making lifestyle changes including maintaining a healthy weight, eating a healthy diet and taking regular physical activity can reduce the risk of common cancers by up to a third.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/prne/worldcancerday/47592/
For today’s busy families, getting sick is no fun. With cough, cold and flu season here, many parents are taking precautions to help keep their children healthy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),¹ one of the best ways to protect against getting sick is to wash hands often. To help teach families about the importance of clean hands and preventing the spread of germs, Wet Ones® Antibacterial Hand Wipes has launched the Wet Ones Healthy Hands Zone™ website, an educational resource developed by Bill Nye, renowned science educator and author of Bill Nye the Science Guy's Great Big Book of Tiny Germs.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/playtex/47307/
According to Congress’ “Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite” Act of 2009, bed bug populations have grown by 500 percent in the United States in recent years, primarily due to increased travel and antique merchandise. Bed bugs are creepy, crawly and hard to kill – an emotional topic that literally and figuratively keeps people up at night. Becoming educated on the bug, its habits, detecting, treating and preventing an infestation is an effective first step to control. Luckily, there is a solution: Ortho Home Defense Max BEDBUG Killer. Take back your bed and keep the critters from turning bedtime into bite time.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/47692-Ortho-Home-Defense-Max-BEDBUG-Killer/
adidas today unveiled the new adipure Trainer in India, the first barefoot training shoe designed specifically for the gym. Promoting pure and natural movement by harnessing the body’s natural mechanics, the adipure Trainer activates and strengthens muscles, builds balance and promotes dexter-ity.
The adiPure Trainer has been developed by combining the benefits of barefoot training with path breaking design innovations to activate and strengthen muscles in the lower body. Unlike regular training footwear, the minimalistic design of the adiPure Trainer allows unrestricted natural motion and builds balance, foot strength and dexterity preventing chances of injury in the long run.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/prne/adidas/52799/
The fight against youth tobacco use was accelerated today by Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin, with the release of the Surgeon General’s Report, Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults. This report details the scope, health consequences and influences that lead to youth tobacco use and proven strategies that prevent its use.
In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office on Smoking and Health will launch the Surgeon General’s Video Challenge to engage youth and young adults in developing original videos that feature one or more of the report’s findings. More information can be found at www.Challenge.gov.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/54916-surgeon-general-releases-new-report-on-teen-smoking-tobacco-prevention
Mandy Moore, the voice of Rapunzel in the Oscar-nominated Disney film “Tangled,” lends her voice to another animated film project. As Ambassador for the global health organization Population Services International (PSI), Moore narrates a video in which she tells the story of a mother and her daughter on the road to better health. Along the way they find the many places in their community where PSI delivers a dignified approach to preventing malaria and HIV/AIDS, offers family planning for women and couples, and addresses the top killers of kids in the developing world.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/55260-mandy-moore-best-kept-secret-global-health-organization-psi
An early crop of advanced crash avoidance technologies includes some clear success stories when it comes to preventing crashes, insurance claim analyses by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) show.
Forward collision avoidance systems, particularly those that can brake autonomously, along with adaptive headlights, which shift direction as the driver steers, show the biggest crash reductions. Lane departure warning appears to hurt, rather than help, though it’s not clear why, and other systems, such as blind spot detection and park assist, aren’t showing clear effects on crash patterns yet.
HLDI analysts looked at how each feature affected claim frequency under a variety of insurance coverages for damage and injuries. Clear patterns were seen in claims under property damage liability (PDL) insurance, which covers damage caused by the insured vehicle to another vehicle, and collision insurance, which covers damage to the insured vehicle. Frequency is measured as the number of claims relative to the number of insured vehicle years. An insured vehicle year is one vehicle insured for one year, two vehicles for six months, etc. The model years of the vehicles included ranged from 2000 to 2011, depending on when an automaker introduced a feature. Insurance data through August 2011 were used.
Elephant seals equipped with antennas on their heads to map the oceans; satellites being used to target mosquitoes; an SMS system preventing the sale of counterfeit medicines in Ghana; smartphones that can predict you’re going to get depressed; credit cards that know two years before you do that you’re headed toward divorce; pills that transmit information directly from your body to your physician.
These and other stories are being told through “The Human Face of Big Data,” the latest groundbreaking, globally crowdsourced initiative from Rick Smolan, the creator of the “Day in the Life” series. The project, made possible through primary sponsorship from EMC® (NYSE:EMC), is based on the premise that the real-time visualization of data collected by satellites, and by billions of sensors, RFID tags, and GPS-enabled cameras and smartphones around the world, is enabling humanity to sense, measure, understand and affect aspects of our existence in ways our ancestors could never have imagined in their wildest dreams.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/58095-rick-smolan-human-face-of-big-data-project-globally-crowdsourced
With the ultimate goal of preventing half a million teens from abusing medicine within five years, The Partnership at Drugfree.org will launch The Medicine Abuse Project during the week of September 23-29, 2012. The launch week will kick start a multi-year effort to help educate parents, teens and the public about the dangers of medicine abuse and unite parents, educators, health care providers, coaches, government officials, law enforcement officers and other partners to help save lives.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/54143-the-partnership-at-drugfree-org-medicine-abuse-project-teen-education
