Tip: Help kids get fit. School should consider having salad bar to promote Healthy Eating and urge kids to Avoid chips and soda

"Some doctors and public health officials have questioned how valuable body mass index is as a predictor of an individual child's overall fitness. Yet studies have shown in general that people with more body fat or greater body mass tend to have more long-term health risks. The test requires students to perform different activities and perform at a certain level, which varies by age, height, weight and gender. To be considered fit, for example, a 5-foot-6, 150-pound, 15-year-old ninth-grade boy would need to run a mile in nine minutes, perform at least 16 pushups, and do at least 24 sit-ups, among other requirements."

'via Blog this'Study finds one-third of children are too plump:

Update: If not stop, additional Coal-Fired Power Plants Projects will emit CO2 equivalent to CO2 emitted since the beginning of industrialization

""In Europe over 100 new coal-fired power plants are in a planning stage or under construction," according to the report. "Last year, 173 coal-fired power plants were approved for construction in India -- that is one power plant every two days." "All told, India has enough plants in the pipeline to expand its coal-fired capacity by 600% over the next two decades. "In China, two new coal plants are being completed per week," it says. "If China's carbon usage keeps up this pace, the country's CO2 emissions in 2030 will equal the entire world's CO2 production today." South Africa is singled out in the report as the 11th largest CO2 emitter worldwide, with particular attention devoted to Eskom's new coal-fired power plants Medupi and Kusile. "Eskom's newest projects are gargantuan," the report said. "The Medupi and Kusile power plants, 4 800MW each, will be six times as big as typical coal-fired power plants in Germany and will produce estimated emissions of over 60-million metric tonnes of CO2 annually." "It is estimated that some 40 new coal mines will be needed to supply both plants with fuel," says the report."

'via Blog this'Dirty energy financiers shamed - Newspaper - Mail & Guardian Online:

Update: Scientists studying grey wolves in Yellowstone national park have developed a method to predict how animals will respond to Climate Change

""We now have the tools to determine how wolves would react to climate change," said Tim Coulson, a professor of life sciences at Imperial College London, who led the study. "With any luck, in the future we can apply the methods developed from the wolves down to small mites or to large herbivores." The study used data that is already routinely collected on radio-collared wolves to get a glimpse of some basic responses to a changing environment – population numbers, genetics, body size, and the timing of key events in the wolf life cycle, such as when they first have pups. It also took account of changing genetics in the wolves' coats. Unlike in Europe, the grey wolves of Yellowstone actually have black or grey coats. Research scientists from the US department of the interior, Utah State University and the University of California travelled over the park by helicopter, tracking wolf packs. They shot the wolves from the air with darts, before descending to weigh them and take blood samples. The scientists collected more than a decade's worth of data from the 280 wolves living in the park."

'via Blog this'Climate change insight gleaned from Yellowstone wolves | Environment | The Guardian: