Inspirational and good news.
The European Union has banned the selling of cosmetics that have been tested on animals. This will make the lives of many animals better and may encourage innovations in cosmetic testing .
The ban applies to all new cosmetics and their ingredients sold in the EU, regardless of where in the world testing on animals was carried out.
The 27 EU countries have had a ban on such tests in place since 2009. But the EU Commission is now asking the EU’s trading partners to do the same.
Canada has a large pulp and paper industry and it produces tons of waste in the form of wastewater and greenhouse gas emissions. Collectively the industry spends hundreds of millions of dollars to lower their environmental damage, so even a marginal increase in environmental efficiency can have a large impact on their bottom line.
A study from Concordia University looked into using dynamic systems modelling to asses what the output of processing facilities to predict waste output.
“With dynamic modeling, we can better understand the behaviour of the treatment plant over time,†says senior author Fariborz Haghighat, professor in Concordia’s Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering and Concordia ResearchChair in Energy and Environment. “With this knowledge, we can then recommend a strategy to reduce the emission of greenhouse gas and also improve energy efficiency.â€
“Models such as this are used to simulate the behaviour of a particular management system either in the early stages of system design or in later development to incorporate changes,†adds Yerushalmi. “We want to make sure that we use the most accurate method possible and the dynamic model isbest predictor yet.â€
Often we hear that spending on experiences make for a happier life than buying into consumerism. In concept it sounds great, but many people think that it’s hard to rejig their life to be focused on doing things rather than consuming things. This TED talk is about breaking free of that passive normality and living life to its fullest.
Researchers in Toronto are looking into ways to help people who are suffering from Parkinson’s by altering diets. So far their research has shown that by embracing a low-protien diet some symptoms of Parkinson’s can be managed better.
“Diet is very important in Parkinson’s disease because the main medication called Levodopa may interact with protein,” says Kleiner-Fisman pointing out that in some people high protein may numb the effectiveness of the medication. “Food is a really important part of people’s social lives. If you now have this wacky diet, it makes it hard to enjoy food. A lot of people become quite isolated.”
…In total, the students developed 14 recipes: three for each major meal and five snacks. There’s the ginger and vegetable stir-fry chock full of veggies and rice noodles, but only three grams of protein. Or the hearty roasted breakfast potatoes with tomatoes salad also falling within the low-protein requirements. For heavier protein meals, the students came up with a southwestern-style chicken and quinoa dinner and some delicious salmon fishcakes. They also included a list of necessary equipment to make the meals and made sure the ingredients were easy to find in the average grocery store.
Read more at Yonge Street Media.
Heya TAG readers, it’s Band of the Month time!
Today’s band of the month is The Jessica Stewart Few. A Toronto folk-jazz fusion three piece with trans-continental instrumentation. With a rhythm section of drums and double-bass, and a singer/guitarist/koto player, JSF has a listen-ably diverse mix of progressive folk, jazz, and contemporary rock, with unique blend of instruments to uplift any mood your day may bring .
JSF has played in Canada’s biggest music festivals across the nation and has had two nominations in last years Toronto Independent Music Awards for Best Live Performance, and Best Recording and have been in regular rotation on the CBC. The band will be touring Canada and Japan this year in support of their upcoming album Two Sides To Every Story.
Catch them live soon and take a listen below!
Band of the Month by Greg O’Toole