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WHO Issues Guidelines for Herbal Medicines

Provider: Reuters GENEVA The World Health Organization issued guidelines on Tuesday for ensuring the safety and efficacy of the multibillion dollar herbal medicines market amid reports that some products are tainted with toxic substances. The guidelines, intended for national regulatory bodies, lay out the best techniques for growing and harvesting medicinal plants used for various ailments or weight loss, as well as the clear labeling of the contents of any product. Herbal medicines represent an estimated US$60 billion a year global market, some 20 percent of the overall drug market, according to the U.N. agency. Yet only China, Japan, and the European Union have regulations for medicinal plants. "It is not a binding guideline for any country, but it is a model or sort of checklist which they can use to make their own national regulations," Hans Hogerzeil, acting director of WHO's essential drugs and medicines department, told a news briefing. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last December issued a consumer alert on the safety of dietary supplements containing ephedra, also called Ma huang, a natural substance. The adrenalinelike stimulant, used for weight loss or to boost sports performance, can have dangerous effects on the heart. In Africa, up […]

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Pittsburgh Ranked as America's 'Greenest' City

Provider: Green Building Alliance Once described by journalist James Parton as "hell with the lid off," Pittsburgh today reached a milestone in its continued environmental renaissance. The Green Building Alliance (GBA) announced that Pittsburgh is currently the greenest city in America, based on the number of Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) rated commercial/industrial buildings and square-footage within the city limits. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the LEED Green Building Rating System is a national standard to assess building environmental performance. Buildings qualify for one of four levels of LEED certification – Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Pittsburgh leads the nation with four LEED-certified projects totaling approximately 2.24 million square feet. Mayor Tom Murphy commented, "We are delighted to have Pittsburgh leading the country in this area because it reflects our economic and environmental transition from rust belt to green belt. These successes are only the beginning, as green building becomes a key component of our economic development strategy." Rebecca Flora, executive director of the GBA, said of Pittsburgh's accomplishment, "Pittsburgh's foundation community, most notably the Heinz Endowments, has partnered with business and government leaders to create an unprecedented infrastructure of green development organizations. As a […]

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Dow, GM Cooperate On Significant Fuel Cell Application

Provider: Dow The world's largest fuel cell transaction between Dow and GM is now a reality. With the pull of a lever by Secretary of Energy, Spencer Abraham, and Texas Governor, Rick Perry, The Dow Chemical Company and General Motors Corp. began the Phase 1 installation operations of a single fuel cell that will convert hydrogen into electricity. Dow and GM intend to prove the viability of hydrogen fuel cells for a large industrial power system. Operation of the first cell will last four to six months with more fuel cells and electrical generating capacity added during the summer months. Freeport is the home of Dow's largest chemical manufacturing installation in the world. Fuel Cell Unit Capacity The initial GM fuel cell will generate 75 kilowatts of power. This is enough electricity for fifty average homes. Dow and GM plan to ultimately install up to 400 fuel cells to generate 35 megawatts of electricity. That would be enough power for 25,000 average sized American homes. While this is a lot of electrical capacity, it represents two percent of the total Dow needs at its Texas Operations site. "This is a significant milestone from a business, technology, and environmental perspective," said […]

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Highway Bill May Be Way To Overhaul U.S. Energy Plan

Provider: Reuters WASHINGTON Senate Republicans plan a new push this week to pass a stalled energy bill through Congress by hitching a ride on legislation on highway spending moving toward approval, a Republican aide said on Monday. Republican Sen. Pete Domenici, the chairman of the U.S. Senate Energy Committee, will likely try to tack a pared-down energy bill onto a $318 billion package to pay for highway projects that could face a Senate vote this week, the lawmaker's aide said on Monday. "Senator Domenici is looking to move the energy package as part of the highway bill," spokeswoman Marnie Funk said. The cost of the energy legislation has been nearly cut in half from its original price tag of $31 billion to appease some budget hawks who are worried about the federal budget deficit. Domenici has not yet revealed which energy bill subsidies and incentives are likely to be attached to the highway bill. The original energy bill aimed to double the production of corn-distilled ethanol to be used as a gasoline additive, impose nationwide electric reliability standards, and spend $3 billion on new ways to generate electricity from coal. Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona criticized a move to […]

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