Month: September 2005

A Bee Plus for Finding Landmines

- Adam Clare

Bees can now take the sting out of land mines – kinda. Bees can be trained to track down buried land mines without risking the lives of humans or trained dogs.

By making the bees associate the smell of explosives with food swarms of bees will be attracted to land mines. The bees hover around for a few seconds looking for food, then fly off disappointed. But by following swarms of bees land mines can be found.

Of course a human will have to defuse the device. Regardless, trained bees can help in the predicted 450 year time frame it will take to discover and diffuse all the land mines in the world today.

Going Somewhere? Take Someone With You

- Adam Clare

a good looking road, i think not
eRideShare.com is a site that allows people to coordinate efforts to go somewhere. It’s designed for travelers, commuters and mostly anything in-between.

Unfortunately the site is only available to those in North America. But a lot of driving is done on that continent so it’s for the best I guess.

By carpooling one can save money, the environment and meet new people all in one! There are other websites that offer the same service.

Puppy miraculously survives!

- Vanessa King

align= A 6 month old puppy from Florida somehow managed to swallow a 13 inch serrated knife! Whats most miraculous about this story is not that the dog just managed to get it down, but that she survived! The Saint Bernard puppy, named Elsie, had the blade between her esophagus and stomach for about FOUR DAYS before it was removed earlier this week in a 2-hour operation. With only an 8 inch scar left on her tummy the puppy is now home safe and sound with her family (who is now wrapping their sharp objects in towels and placing them in high places).

Afghan Women Learn

- Adam Clare

Learn, ladies, learnSchooling is very important for everyone, a better educated population makes for a better country. Afghanistan has opened up its school system to women and at first many were afraid to go since they were banned by the Taliban from schools previously. Many young women were worried about being beaten. Today women are attending schools and Afghan society is benefiting.

Recently women ran in the nation’s election. A giant step since they were banned from all but existing under the Taliban.

Canadian Government increasing support for Addicts

- Vanessa King

Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh announced yesturday that $851,000 in federal funding will be spent to help curb the crystal meth abuse by first nations across Canada. More than 340 aboriginal addictions counsellors and health workers will be trained in how to counsel addicts of methamphetamine. Measures to help prevent the use of crystal meth will also be part of the 30 hour certification program that the counsellors will learn at the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies.

“By training these skilled and experienced community workers in the prevention of crystal meth abuse, we are strengthening our response to this very serious health threat.” Dosanjh says.

Dosanjh has also reaffirmed Health Canada’s plan to spend, over the next three years, more than $6 million of its $29-million Drug Strategy Community Initiatives Fund on anti-drug programs geared to the West, considered to be one of the worst areas for meth and heroin addiction. Raising awareness and creating better support for users of meth and other debilitating drugs is a much needed step towards minimizing serious chemical dependancy in our communities.

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