 City officials are hoping to harness the power of dog doo. San Franciscans already recycle more than 60 percent of their garbage, but in this dog-friendly town, animal feces make up nearly 4 percent of residential waste, or 6,500 tons a year — nearly as much as disposable diapers, according to the city.Within the next few months, Norcal Waste, a garbage hauling company that collects San Francisco’s trash, will begin a pilot program under which it will use biodegradable bags and dog-waste carts to pick up droppings at a popular dog park.The droppings will be tossed into a contraption called a methane digester, which is basically a tank in which bacteria feed on feces for weeks to create methane gas. The methane could then be piped directly to a gas stove, heater, turbine or anything else powered by natural gas. It can also be used to generate electricity....
http://www.msnbc.msn.com
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Editor - 23:20:00 02-21-06
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 Police: Trooper Was Speeding Before Fatal Crash on Nevada Freeway |
A state trooper was speeding when his cruiser slammed into a car on a freeway, killing four people, police said Tuesday. It was unclear whether the trooper was pursuing another vehicle or responding to a call when his cruiser crashed "pretty square" into the back of the car Sunday night on Interstate 15, police Capt. Tom Conlin said. "It doesn't appear that the Ford police car was using lights and siren at the time of the crash," said Conlin, whose department was handling the investigation to avoid having the Highway Patrol investigate a crash involving one of its own officers. The posted speed limit is 65 mph, but Conlin did not know how fast the cruiser was traveling. Besides the people killed, the trooper and a 16-year-old girl in the car were injured. She remained in critical condition Tuesday. ...
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1647588
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Editor - 23:16:00 02-21-06
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| Deadly floods hit east Indonesia |
At least 24 people have died in landslides and floods caused by heavy rains in eastern Indonesia. The most severe flooding happened in the city of Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province, on Tuesday. Parts of the city were inundated with floodwaters which reportedly reached one metre (three feet) high. According to Reuters news agency, most of the dead were buried in mud generated by landslides from hills around the city. Rescue teams are still searching for survivors. Floods and landslides are common in Indonesia, especially during the rainy season. In January, scores of people died after more than 100 homes were buried by a landslide in Sijeruk in Central Java, while more than 70 others died in flooding in Jember, East Java. ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4738364.stm
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Editor - 23:12:00 02-21-06
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| India Kills 223,000 Birds; Virus Spreads in Europe |
India killed more than 223,000 birds to prevent the spread of avian influenza as Germany, Hungary and Greece reported more infections among wild birds. The cull took place in the Indian states of Gujarat and Maharashtra, according to Indian officials, as the nation tries to prevent the spread of the deadly H5N1 virus to people in the world's second-most populous nation. Germany's infections among birds rose to 103 after 22 wild birds tested positive for the H5N1 virus, according to the Federal Research Institute for Animal Health. Hungary's government said yesterday European Union laboratory tests found H5N1 in three dead swans from within its borders. In Greece, seven wild swans tested positive for the H5 strain of bird flu, according to an Agence France-Presse report. ...
http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=aWfTbC6wGxdM&refer=home
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Editor - 23:07:00 02-21-06
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| 1 in 5 US dollars to be spent on health care: study |
Health-care spending is outpacing the growth of the American economy and will consume 20 percent of U.S. gross domestic product by 2015, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said on Wednesday. By comparison, health-care spending accounted for about 16 percent of U.S. GDP in 2004, the latest year for which data are available, according to a study by CMS economists published in the journal Health Affairs.National health care spending will grow by an average 7.2 percent annually over the coming decade, the study said. That would be slower than in recent years but still 2.1 percent faster than GDP growth, it said.Recent annual growth in American health care spending peaked at 9.1 percent in 2002....
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060222/pl_nm/economy_healthcare_dc
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Editor - 23:04:00 02-21-06
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| Rain hampers Philippines search |
Heavy rain is hampering rescue efforts after last Friday's mudslide in the Philippines, with overnight downpours prompting fears of further landslips. "Safety is an ongoing concern," said US Marine Capt Burrell Parmer, who is involved in the operation. Rescuers are now using seismic sensors in an effort to find survivors. But hopes of finding anyone alive are fading. Although more than 90 people were confirmed dead, officials say the final death toll could be about 1,000. The BBC's Andrew Harding, who is at the scene, says the spot where the village of Guinsaugon once stood is a total wasteland. Efforts have focused on the elementary school where 200 children and 40 teachers were thought to have been trapped. But despite constant digging for the last few days, the mud is so deep that the searchers have yet to reach it. ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4734746.stm
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Editor - 11:16:00 02-21-06
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