Outdoor Industry Association Hires Meghan Clough as Corporate ...

Position Supports Sustainability Working Group Efforts.

Meghan Clough

Outdoor Industry Association Hires Meghan Clough as Corporate Responsibility Coordinator

Outdoor Industry Association

Outdoor Industry Association

Boulder, Colo. --(Ammoland.com)- Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) has hired Meghan Clough as corporate responsibility coordinator. She began her new position at the end of July.

This brings the corporate responsibility department to two full-time employees, reflecting OIA?s commitment to expand support of environmental and social responsibility efforts within the outdoor industry.

Clough comes to OIA with more than seven years of experience in the outdoor industry. She began her career in marketing and product at Burton Snowboards, then moved to The North Face to serve as product line manager of equipment. Most recently, Clough was a category manager for Thule Softgoods.

At OIA, Clough is responsible for supporting the initiatives and members of the Sustainability Working Group and their work on sustainability indexes, chemicals management, materials traceability and social/labor issues.

?We?re thrilled to have Meghan on board,? said Beth Jensen, OIA?s corporate responsibility director. ?Her experience working with product throughout the supply chain, and her familiarity with the outdoor industry, will be invaluable as she facilitates our sustainability efforts and interfaces with the many players who are involved.?

?This is a dream job for me,? said Clough. ?I love the outdoor industry, and I believe in the importance of the sustainability efforts. It is a privilege to be involved in this groundbreaking work.?

Clough grew up in New Hampshire and earned a bachelor?s degree in business administration from the University of Vermont. In 2011, she moved to Colorado, where she enjoys snowboarding, hiking, camping, trail running and spending time in the park with her pup.

To contact Clough, call 303.327.3516 or email mclough@outdoorindustry.org.

About Outdoor Industry Association
Based in Boulder, Colo., with offices in Washington, D.C., Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) is the leading trade association for the outdoor industry and the title sponsor of Outdoor Retailer. OIA supports the growth and success of more than 4,000 manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, sales representatives, and retailers of outdoor recreation apparel, footwear, equipment and services. For more information, go to outdoorindustry.org or call 303.444.3353.

Source: http://www.ammoland.com/2012/08/22/outdoor-industry-association-hires-meghan-clough-as-corporate-responsibility-coordinator/

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Ailing Egypt seeks $4.8 billion IMF loan

In this image released by the office of the Egyptian Presidency, International Monetary Fund Chief Christine Lagarde, second right, meets with Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, right, in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012. Egypt?s prime minister says his country has formally asked the International Monetary Fund for a $4.8 billion loan to help boost its battered economy, and that he expects to reach a deal by the end of the year. (AP Photo/Egyptian Presidency)

In this image released by the office of the Egyptian Presidency, International Monetary Fund Chief Christine Lagarde, second right, meets with Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, right, in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012. Egypt?s prime minister says his country has formally asked the International Monetary Fund for a $4.8 billion loan to help boost its battered economy, and that he expects to reach a deal by the end of the year. (AP Photo/Egyptian Presidency)

(AP) ? Egypt formally asked the International Monetary Fund for a $4.8 billion loan on Wednesday, seeking a desperately needed rescue package for its faltering economy but raising the possibility of painful restructuring in a country still reeling since its revolution more than 18 months ago.

The loan deal, which Egypt says it will reach by the end of the year, presents a major test to the Muslim Brotherhood-rooted president, Mohammed Morsi, the country's first ever freely elected leader, brought to power after the fall of Hosni Mubarak.

The IMF has avoided making specific conditions for a loan but it seeks a cohesive government plan for restarting economic growth and reducing a deficit that has grown to $23.6 billion, some 8.7 percent of gross domestic product.

A key part of that will likely be reducing subsidies that suck up a third of the government budget every year. Touching those subsidies, however, could bring social upheaval, since they keep commodities like fuel and bread cheap for a population of around 82 million, some 40 percent of whom live near or below the poverty line.

"The government will have to take urgent measures, at the top of them cutting energy subsidies," said Mohammed Abu Basha, a Cairo-based economist at investment bank EFG-Hermes Holding SAE. The biggest subsidies are those on fuel ? including gasoline and cooking gas ? costing the government some $16 billion a year.

Egypt's upheaval since the 18-day uprising that led to Mubarak's ouster on Feb. 11, 2011, has pushed its economy toward the brink. Amid near constant instability since, foreign investment has dried up. Revenues from tourism ? one of the country's biggest money makers and employers ? fell 30 percent to $9 billion in 2011 and the industry is only making a meager recovery.

Meanwhile, the government has been burning through its foreign currency reserves, which have plummeted by more than half, to prop up the Egyptian pound and prevent a devaluation that could spur inflation.

The government also faces mounting demands to increase salaries for the millions of civil servants and public sector workers and boost social spending. Infrastructure has crumbled, with electricity and water outages pervasive this summer, bringing angry complaints, some directed at Morsi.

Egypt's hope is that the IMF package ? its first loan from the organization in nearly 20 years ? would provide not only a cash boost but, more importantly, a seal of approval that will bring back international investment.

Morsi, his Prime Minister Hesham Kandil and other Egyptian officials met Wednesday with IMF chief Christine Lagarde in Cairo. State TV said Egypt requested a $4.8 billion loan, up from the $3.2 billion proposal discussed earlier this year. Finance Minister Momtaz el-Said told the state-run Al-Ahram newspaper that the increase was needed because the deficit had grown with the drop in income from investment and tourism.

Lagarde's visit "gives a positive message to Egypt and the whole world that Egypt is stabilizing and that the economy is heading to a recovery," Kandil said. He said he expects a final agreement by December.

Kandil said his government has drawn up a comprehensive economic recovery plan for the IMF that includes strategies to counter the deficit, encourage investment and ensure that subsidies reach those most in need. He did not provide details.

Lagarde said "Egypt faces considerable challenges." An IMF team would start talks in September with the government over its recovery plan and the loan, she said.

"Getting the country's economy back on track and raising the living standards for all will not be an easy task," she said. "The Egyptian people have legitimate expectations for a better life and greater social justice. We at the IMF, stand ready to help."

Abdel-Hafiz el-Sawy, a chief economist with the Muslim Brotherhood who met with earlier delegations from IMF, acknowledged that "the government is facing a mountain of problems, and whenever it gets out of one trap to fall in the next."

"The IMF loan is small but its impact is in the fact that it gives Egypt a certificate that improves the country's economic prospects," he said.

Initial talks over a $3.2 billion loan stalled earlier this year amid wrangling between the military generals who ruled the country since Mubarak's ouster and Islamists who won the majority in the now-dissolved parliament. The Brotherhood had opposed letting the interim, military-appointed government sign a deal putting financial burdens on the next government. The IMF insisted on political consensus before approving the loan.

Since then, Morsi was inaugurated in late June and a month later formed the Kandil-led Cabinet, and the military handed over authority.

The plan presented to the IMF appears to be more or less similar to the previous government's plan, which the Islamist-led parliament had opposed, according to el-Said, the finance minister who also served in the former government, in an interview with el-Shorouk daily.

Now Morsi faces the tough task of economic reform. Already, the government has reduced fuel subsidies to energy-intensive factories which were seen as giving a bonus to the wealthy and increased taxes on Egyptians whose income exceeds 10 million a year.

But still remaining is the question of how to deal with subsidies that keep prices dirt cheap for gasoline and for butane fuel that many rely on for cooking. The gasoline subsidies are widely seen as inefficient because wealthier drivers benefit from them as much as or more than the poor.

The government is studying alternatives, such as distributing to the poor coupons for gas and fuel, while restructuring the tax system.

El-Said, the finance minister, also ruled out a devaluation of the pound ? suggesting that the government hopes that an IMF will bring enough local liquidity to keep the currency strong without infusions from the state's reserves.

The IMF loan will not be enough to cover all Egypt's financing needs. IMF officials said earlier that the country needs a total of $10 billion to $12 billion in outside funding over the next 12 to 15 months.

Qatar has delivered around $500 million of $2 billion it has promised Egypt. Saudi Arabia promised to deposit $1.5 billion in Egypt's Central Bank. But other aid packages from the European Union, the oil-rich Arab Gulf states and other sources will heavily depend on Cairo's ability to secure the IMF loan.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-08-22-Egypt/id-e468dff01eb143f2a25d3779f33b7fd4

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High home prices in New Zealand causing anxiety

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) ? Rising home prices are often welcomed as a sign of a country's economic health and vigor. But in New Zealand, there is growing concern that prices have risen so high they are acting instead as an economic anchor, sucking resources from those who can afford a home and prompting those who can't to consider moving overseas.

While much of the world remains mired in a housing slump, median home prices in the South Pacific nation in June rose to an all-time high of 372,000 New Zealand dollars ($303,000). That's 6 percent above the peak reached before the global financial crisis and more than double the level of a decade ago, according to figures from the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand.

Median prices have now risen to about five times the median household income, well above the historic multiple of three. In the largest city of Auckland, which is driving the market, home prices have hit a median $500,000 New Zealand dollars ($407,500). Average annual wages, meanwhile, are languishing at $53,000 New Zealand dollars ($43,000).

High home prices represent an anomaly for a developed country of 4.4 million that, Auckland aside, is sparsely populated and where the quality of the housing stock remains marginal, often lacking adequate insulation or central heating. Part of the explanation lies in tradition ? owning a home with a yard holds enormous social and economic significance in New Zealand and has long been the investment of choice for the middle class, who have shied away from stocks and other financial assets. But high prices are forcing more people to rent ? home ownership levels have dropped from 75 percent in the early 1990s to 65 percent now.

The Economist magazine this month rated New Zealand's home prices as 66 percent overvalued when compared to rents, second only to Canada in the 21 markets measured. By comparison, the magazine concluded homes in China were 7 percent overvalued compared to rents, homes in the United States were 15 percent undervalued, and those in Japan were 37 percent undervalued. Using income as a measure, the magazine concluded New Zealand homes were 22 percent overvalued.

The Bank of New Zealand recently came to a similar conclusion, finding that homes were 25 percent overvalued when compared to long-term trends.

Record-low interest rates are helping fuel ever-larger mortgages, money that ultimately comes from offshore. New Zealand's household debt levels are now considered high by international standards, and are a big part of the reason why two major credit agencies last year downgraded the country's sovereign credit rating.

In some ways, however, the high home prices are a reflection of the country's relative economic health. Demand for New Zealand's agricultural exports remained strong throughout the global downturn. Unemployment, government debt and foreclosures have all remained low here when compared to most other developed nations. Many observers say that in the short-term, at least, a housing crash is unlikely and prices may in fact continue to rise, especially in Auckland, where demand remains high.

The situation hasn't alarmed the government or the country's Reserve Bank enough yet to prompt an intervention, unlike in Canada, where the government has recently tried to cool its housing market by imposing restrictions on mortgages.

Many worry, however, that the damage is already being done.

Economic commentator Bernard Hickey said young families who want to buy homes are delaying decisions like having children, while those who have purchased recently have saddled themselves with so much mortgage debt they are less willing to take on entrepreneurial risks, like starting a new business. He said that in turn stifles the country's productivity and dynamism.

"Because interest rates are low, and house prices are not falling, people feel justified in borrowing more than they can afford," said Hickey.

The greater mobility of renters may also be contributing to the record exodus of New Zealanders to Australia, where wages are higher and there are more career opportunities, even though housing there also remains expensive. Figures released this month by government agency Statistics New Zealand show that more than 1,000 New Zealanders are migrating to Australia every week. Even after taking account of Australians who move to New Zealand, the net loss remains more than 100 people every day. While those losses are being offset by immigrants from, among other places, China, India and the United Kingdom, Hickey contends New Zealand is losing irreplaceable intellectual and social knowledge.

Murray Sherwin, who chairs the government-funded Productivity Commission which this year wrote a comprehensive report on housing affordability, says there are many negatives to high housing prices.

"On any given income, it means that people are less well housed," he said. "They have a lower quality of housing, and they may not have home ownership. It affects social cohesiveness. And there's an intergenerational issue. There's been a big transfer of wealth toward those who were in the market earlier."

The commission's report identified a number of supply problems driving up home prices. It found that restrictive regulations imposed by local councils have choked the supply of land and forced up construction costs. It also found that New Zealand builders simply aren't constructing large-scale cheap housing and instead are focusing on bespoke homes for the wealthy. Part of the problem is the small size of the market, which means builders can't get the same efficiencies of scale they can in larger countries.

Craig Ebert, a senior economist at the Bank of New Zealand, says there's a more fundamental problem: interest rates are too low.

"We've become highly dependent on low rates," he said. "This is the problem that got the world into this predicament."

Like many other countries, New Zealand slashed interest rates after the global downturn and has kept them low to encourage growth. But any hike in interest rates now would immediately squeeze thousands of homeowners. That's because most mortgages here come with interest rates that change with the market, or are fixed for a maximum of two years. That's unlike the U.S. where many homeowners enjoy a fixed rate for the full 30 year duration of their mortgage.

Even Alistair Helm, who runs a real estate website (www.realestate.co.nz) that is funded by the industry, acknowledges housing accounts for a disproportionate amount of investment in New Zealand. He said people are understandably wary of the country's stock market, which he says lacks depth and has burned many in the past due to its volatility.

"You can't help human nature," he said.

Even so, he said he's confident the home market will remain at current levels and produce steady returns.

"People talk about it being crazily overvalued," he said. "But it's only overvalued when the price you expect is not what someone will pay."

___

Follow Nick Perry on Twitter at http://twitter.com/nickgbperry

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/high-home-prices-zealand-causing-anxiety-035039028--finance.html

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Light-trapping aphids act like plants

A tiny insect called the pea aphid might be one of the only animals to turn sunlight into energy like a plant.

Scientists say they've found evidence suggesting that the insect (Acyrthosiphon pisum) traps light to produce adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, the cellular energy currency that powers biochemical reactions. (For animals, cells typically convert energy from food into ATP, while plants make ATP via photosynthesis.)

Aphids are already remarkable in the animal world, because they produce their own carotenoids, pigments usually produced by plants, fungi and microorganisms that can act as antioxidants when consumed by humans. Previous research found that aphids got this pigment-producing power after swapping genes with fungi, and now the new study suggests these carotenoids might be behind the aphid's apparent photosynthesis-like abilities.

Carotenoids contribute to pea aphids' body color, and a French research team from the Sophia Agrobiotech Institute found that the bugs' carotenoid production ? and thus, color ? varied depending on environmental conditions. Aphids in the cold produced high levels of carotenoids and were green, while optimal conditions resulted in orange aphids that made intermediate levels of carotenoids, and white aphids with almost no pigment appeared in large populations faced with limited resources.

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When researchers measured the ATP levels in the three groups of aphids, they found that the green ones made significantly more ATP than white aphids. What's more, orange aphids produced more ATP when exposed to sunlight than when moved into the dark, according to the study results detailed this month in the journal Scientific Reports. The researchers also crushed the orange aphids and purified their carotenoids to show that these extracts could absorb light and create energy.

The team said further investigation was needed to confirm their results and answer why these sap-sucking animals would need to make energy from sunlight.

A few years ago, researchers reported that a green sea slug was the first animal discovered to produce chlorophyll, the primary pigment plants use to capture sunlight, after stealing genes from algae that they ate. Scientists found that these slugs could survive on sunlight, converting it into energy like plants do and eliminating the need for food.

Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. ?We're also on Facebook? and Google+.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48740226/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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A Race For The WH That Spares The Change

By MICHAEL FALCONE ( @michaelpfalcone ) and AMY WALTER ( @amyewalter )

NOTABLES:

TODD AKIN TELLS GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS WHY HE'S STAYING IN - FOR NOW. ABC's George Stephanopoulos spoke with Missouri GOP Senate nominee Todd Akin live on "Good Morning America" today, asking the candidate why he's chosen to stay in the race despite unanimous calls for his withdrawal from top figures in the Republican Party. "Are you saying that you are in no matter what? You are not going to get out before that September 25th deadline, even if it appears you're going to lose and cost Republicans, possibly, control of the Senate?" Stephanopoulos asked. "Well George, I am never going to say everything that can possibly happen," Akin said. "I don't know the future, but I do know this: I knew that the party voters took a look at our hearts, understood who we were, had a chance to meet us in many, many different ways, and made a decision, and it makes me uncomfortable to think that the party bosses are going to dictate who runs, as opposed to the election process." More from George's "Good Morning America" interview with Akin: http://abcn.ws/ReILaw

MIND THE GENDER GAP: As Republicans continue to try and push Todd Akin out of the Missouri Senate race, Team Obama unveils a list of women speakers for the DNC Convention in Charlotte including Sandra Fluke and women's group leaders Nancy Keenan of NARAL and Cecile Richards of Planned Parenthood. Meanwhile, it's no coincidence that Team Obama is also pushing education on the trail and in television ads, like this new one today: http://bit.ly/QYw7Ip As we listen to groups of women voters, like those so-called "Wal-Mart Moms," we find that they are more worried than ever about the future for their own kids.

PAUL RYAN STALLS: An early advance in Paul Ryan's popularity fell flat in the latest ABC News-Washington Post poll, with views of the presumptive Republican vice presidential nominee stabilizing at essentially an even split, according to ABC News Pollster Gary Langer. Ryan's consolation: Vice President Joe Biden does no better overall - and worse among potentially swing-voting independents. The public divides by 41 to 37 percent in favorable vs. unfavorable views of Ryan. He had gained 15 percentage points in popularity immediately after Mitt Romney announced his selection on Aug. 11. That's slowed to a standstill since. http://abcn.ws/SOvYc8

TOO NEGATIVE? VOTERS SOUND OFF ON ADS: Election Day 2012 is only 76 days away. But it may feel like an eternity for voters in the battleground states eager to reclaim their TVs. Political ads are flooding the airwaves, making the bitter partisanship of this year's presidential race unbearable and impossible to escape. "They both have a danger of being too negative, and being over saturated. Living in Florida, that's all you see are the television ads," said Julie Petosa of Orlando, one of dozens of voters interviewed by ABC News over the past two months about the tone of campaign ads. "I don't know how we're going to live through three more months of it." Who's being more negative, and how are swing state voters responding? It's Your Voice, Your Vote with ABC's Devin Dwyer: WATCH: http://abcn.ws/PuZVjp BLOG: http://abcn.ws/SlMoge

THE NOTE:

Once again we have to ask: Is the 2012 election just a lot of sound and the fury signifying nothing?

A week after Mitt Romney's vice presidential pick, after volleys of attacks and counterattacks on the issue of Medicare and now, in the midst of a new debate over abortion, the presidential race remains deadlocked.

A new Associated Press/GfK poll shows President Obama at 47 percent and Romney at 46 percent. An NBC News-Wall Street Journal poll has the matchup nearly as close: Obama 48 percent to Romney's 44 percent. And in Gallup tracking polls, Romney stands at 47 percent while Obama comes up with 45 percent.

The NBC-WSJ poll shows an electorate that is as pessimistic about the economy as they were in the fall of 2008 - just 36 percent say they think the economy will get better compared to 38 percent who believed that in October of 2008. They continue to disapprove of the job Obama is doing on the economy by a 54 percent to 44 percent margin.

Yet, they aren't convinced that Romney will be much better. Asked if they think Obama will "bring the right kind of change" if re-elected, just 37 percent agreed. But, only 38 percent thought Romney would bring that change.

The convention in Tampa provides Romney the opportunity to make his case. And, while the Todd Akin story reminds us that no candidate can "control" the media narrative, at least Team Romney gets a couple hours every night for a week to try and shape it.

That is, of course, unless that pesky hurricane decides to drop by.

NOTE IT!

ABC NEWS POLITICAL ANALYST MATTHEW DOWD: The calls for Todd Akin's resignation by many Republican leaders likely had nothing to do with the substance of his remarks - keep in mind, the Republican platform has a call for a ban on abortion even in cases of rape. They had nothing to do with the fact that Akin has long held out-of-the-mainstream positions on many issues and made numerous extremely conservative statements. Akin's mistake was that by opening his mouth with crazy talk - as my nine-year old daughter says - made it much harder for Republicans to win a sure Senate seat pickup with him on the ballot. More on Dowd's blog, " Let's Not Block Akin's Bid, Let's Fix the System: Both Parties Need To End The Quest For Political Power At All Costs": http://abcn.ws/Sj78Ui

ABC's RICK KLEIN: Where does Mitt Romney go to get his campaign message back? The short answer is Tampa, hurricane-logged or not, but it's not going to be quite that simple. A Republican Senate candidate no one had heard of a week ago - and who no one in the party can get rid of - has veered the campaign back to the social and women's issues that Democrats have been pushing, with mixed success, for months. Even before that, with Paul Ryan's addition to the Romney ticket, Medicare began to eclipse jobs and the economy as central campaign points. It all means Republican divisions, on social and fiscal issues, are being highlighted at the very time the party needs and wants to come together.

VIDEO OF THE DAY. TOPLINE: THE WAR WITHIN- OBAMA CAMPAIGN INFIGHTING. The latest episode of ABC/Yahoo!'s "Top Line" takes a look at the infighting detailed in the newly released e-Book "Obama's Last Stand." ABC's Amy Walter and Rick Klein and Yahoo!'s David Chalian interview author and Politico scribe Glenn Thrush. "In the spring and early summer, there was a lot of disconnect between Chicago and Washington," says Thrush. So much so, Thrush added, that the president became very anxious, and on several occasions told aides to sort of "tighten it up." WATCH: http://yhoo.it/NH8aWs

ALL ABOUT AKIN:

with ABC's Chris Good ( @c_good)

-AKIN LETS THE SOFT DEADLINE PASS. From ABC's Gregory J. Krieg and Chris Good: Akin let a 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT) deadline pass without withdrawing his name from the ballot. "As of 5 p.m. there's been no withdrawal filed," the Missouri secretary of state's office told ABC News. "[Akin] would have to have a court order now to get off the ballot." Akin can still drop out of the race. Under Missouri law, he has until Sept. 25 to obtain a court order for his withdrawal, but it would require Akin to pay for a reprinting of ballots. abcn.ws/QpEY5p

-IS HE OPEN TO GETTING OUT? Akin still has until Sept. 25 to withdraw from the race, under Missouri law. ABC's George Stephanopoulos asked, pointedly: "You still are open to getting out?" Akin: "Well I have made the decision to stay in because I believe that we can win this race. There is such a strong contrast between me and my opponent ? I think that contrast gives us a basis to win this, and I'm planning to win it." http://gma.yahoo.com/

-AKIN WON'T ATTEND CONVENTION. ABC's George Stephanopoulos: "The chairman of the Republican National Committee does not want you to go to the convention. Are you going?" Akin: "No, I honor their particular wishes. My objective here is to be able to show the sharp contrast between myself and my Democrat opponent. She supported Obamacare, I voted thirty times against it, she is pro abortion, I am pro life, and we have other big differences ? That contrast, I think, will result in our winning this race in November." http://gma.yahoo.com/

-FALSE CLAIMS OF RAPE? ABC's George Stephanopoulos questioned Todd Akin about his original remark on "legitimate rape": "How does this issue of false claims of rape come up? How is this relevant to the case? Are you suggesting, are your allies suggesting, that babies are being killed because women make false claims of rape? You know, a lot of people believe the much bigger problem is women afraid to come forward after an incident because of shame or fear." Akin: "I believe that what you just said is true. I think there are many victims of rape, and it is extremely serious. As I said, it's a violent crime, it leaves permanent scares, and in that regard that's why I apologized because I said hurtful things. But I don't apologize for being pro life and standing up for the ones who are defenseless. ?" http://gma.yahoo.com/

-AKIN DEFIES ROMNEY, RYAN, GOP SENATORS. Reporting from ABC's Jonathan Karl, Sunlen Miller, and Gregory J. Krieg: The list of Republicans calling on Akin to withdraw grew on Tuesday, and it includes both Mitt Romney and his running mate, Paul Ryan. "Today, his fellow Missourians urged him to step aside," Romney said in a statement. "I think he should accept their counsel and exit the Senate race." On Monday, Ryan had a five minute phone call with Akin urging him to consider stepping down. "He didn't ask him to get out," a source said. "He said, basically, 'You need to reflect on this and think about what is best for you, your family and things you believe in.'" When that didn't work Ryan today endorsed Romney's suggestion that Akin quit the race. More than a dozen GOP senators, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn, and Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt have all called on Akin to resign. abcn.ws/QpEY5p

-WHO WANTS AKIN TO STAY? HIS OPPONENT. ABC's Jonathan Karl reports on "Good Morning America": "About the only person who says Akin should stay in the race is his Democratic opponent, Claire McCaskill, who recently said, "What's startling to me is that these party bigwigs are coming down on him and saying that he needs to kick sand in the face of Republican primary voters." McCaskill knows what Republicans know: Against Akin, she almost certainly wins."

-MISSOURI POOH-BAHS CALL ON AKIN TO DROP. Missouri's most revered Republicans released a joint statement on Tuesday calling on Todd Akin to withdraw from the race. From Sen. Roy Blunt, former U.S. attorney general John Ashcroft, and former senators Kit Bond, John Danforth, and Jim Talent: "We do not believe it serves the national interest for Congressman Todd Akin to stay in this race. The issues at stake are too big, and this election is simply too important. The right decision is to step aside."

-FUNDRAISING E-MAIL: AKIN ASKS DONORS TO BACK HIM UP. ABC's John Santucci points out that Akin sent a fundraising e-mail to supporters last night asking for donations in support of his decision to stay in the race. Akin's e-mail reads: "When you make a mistake you tell people you're sorry, you don't try and hide it. I made a mistake and I'm sorry. Unlike Claire McCaskill, I believe that working to protect the most vulnerable in our society is one of my most important responsibilities, and that includes protecting both the unborn and victims of sexual assault. We must move forward and work together to replace Claire McCaskill in the Senate. This is a crucial time and every dollar is needed. Liberals and pundits want to write me off and hand this Senate seat back to Claire. I need your help to respond."

-GOP PASSES ABORTION PLATFORM PLANK. With Akin's comment on "legitimate rape" driving national discussion, the Platform Committee of the Republican National Committee met in Tampa on Tuesday as scheduled, approving (among many platform "planks") an amendment opposing abortion, essentially reproducing RNC platform language from 2008 and 2004-and highlighting a potential divide between Mitt Romney and some in his party on the issue. As in previous years, the platform does not mention cases of rape, incest or danger to the life of the mother. Romney supports the legality of abortion in those cases, and reiterated that stance this week in response to Akin's comments, but Republicans disagree on the point. By remaining silent on the issue, the platform leaves room for disagreement within Republican ranks. abcn.ws/PFbxzK

ABC NEWS AT THE CONVENTIONS: FOLLOWING THE 'MONEY TRAIL.' ABC News investigates the behind-the-scenes intersections of money and politics at the Republican and Democratic national conventions with its "Money Trail" series. The award-winning series of reports led by ABC's chief investigative correspondent Brian Ross tracks how the powerful and wealthy do business in what has been called the engine of corruption in American politics. Reports from both the RNC and DNC will appear across all ABC News broadcasts and platforms including "Good Morning America," "World News with Diane Sawyer," and "Nightline" as well as on ABCNews.com and Yahoo! News Ross and the ABC investigative team first launched the Emmy award-winning "Money Trail" series at the 1996 conventions. Check out the first report "Secret 'Menu' Details Perks for Big Democratic Donors": http://abcn.ws/N8t7Io

ABC NEWS AND YOUTUBE CONNECT. Today, ABC News Digital joins forces with YouTube to launch the YouTube Election Hub ( youtube.com/politics), a one-stop destination for the latest political highlights, videos and campaign news. This all-access YouTube channel brings ABC News, Al Jazeera English, BuzzFeed, Larry King, The New York Times, Phil DeFranco, Univision and the Wall Street Journal together, in one place, to share political news coverage and highlight key moments that will shape the 2012 election cycle. As the only U.S. English-language broadcast partner, ABC News Digital will also produce live stream coverage of the 2012 Presidential and Vice Presidential Debates, which will be featured on the YouTube Election Hub in October.

THE BUZZ:

with ABC's Elizabeth Hartfield ( @LizHartfield)

DEMOCRATS BEGIN AKIN-IZING THE TICKET. ABC's Jake Tapper reports, the Obama campaign wants to use Akin to paint Romney and Ryan as extremists, at the very least using him to raise divisive social issues that Republicans don't particularly want to talk about. On Tuesday the Republican party platform reaffirmed a plank opposing abortion, with no mention of exceptions such as for rape- Democrats called it the Akin amendment. WATCH: http://abcn.ws/OXtDim

AIKEN TWEETS: @ToddAkin: I apologized but the liberal media is trying to make me drop out. Please stand w/ me tonight by signing my petition at http://www.akin.org/still-standing

HURRICANE ISAAC BECOMES A CONCERN FOR THE RNC. The Tampa Bay Times' Marissa Lang and Richard Danielson report: "The prospect of a hurricane bearing down on next week's Republican National Convention became a genuine concern Tuesday as Tropical Storm Isaac formed in the Atlantic Ocean and loomed as a threat to Florida. Expected to become a hurricane within two days, Isaac could be at or near Cuba by Sunday. From there, several forecasters expect it to head north. It is too early to predict whether Isaac could hit Tampa head on." http://bit.ly/OLEgiv

NOTED: ABC's Amy Bingham explains, as a coastal city, Tampa is vulnerable to storms spinning west from the coast of Africa, coming north through the Caribbean or swirling east from the Gulf of Mexico. "They are quite vulnerable to storms from any direction literally," said Dennis Feltgen, spokesman for the National Hurricane Center in Miami. "The worst case scenario is a hurricane approaching from the southwest with the center crossing north of Tampa because it would push the water in Tampa Bay into Tampa and you would have horrific flooding." http://abcn.ws/NG711C

BIDEN TO TAMPA. ABC's Devin Dwyer reports that Vice President Joe Biden will be in Florida Monday and Tuesday, including a visit to the Tampa area, site of the 2012 Republican National Convention, the Obama campaign said today. "Any of you going to be in Florida?" Biden joked to reporters Tuesday on a campaign stop in Minneapolis. "Well, I'm the speaker at the convention. I'm gonna be down there." http://abcn.ws/O1Ev9J

NOTED: COACH BIDEN'S PEP TALK: Biden popped into football practice at Minneapolis South High School, the home of the Tigers, Tuesday afternoon. And as ABC's Arlette Saenz reports, the Veep's pep talk about how quarterbacks should treat their offensive linemen sure sounds a lot like his relationship with President Obama. "You want to continue to score and play well? Just make sure after every good play you walk back and thank the offensive lineman, and tell him you appreciate the man, and occasionally when you score, take the ball and throw it to the linemen after you score in the end zone. Because you guys in the 'O' line, you get the living hell kicked out of you. Your name never gets put up in the lights, no one ever pays attention to that play and the only time you really get mentioned in the game is if you make a mistake and miss a block right?"

PAUL RYAN BLASTS THE PRESIDENT FOR DEFENSE CUTS. Standing next to two Sikorski helicopters, Paul Ryan had the perfect setting to talk about the looming issue of $500 billion in defense cuts, also known as sequestration, blaming the president for the cuts, ABC's Shushannah Walshe notes. "President Obama's reckless defense cuts that are hanging over our cloud, hanging over the horizon, could put almost 44,000 jobs at stake right here in Pennsylvania. We are not going to let that happen," Ryan said to thousands of people at the American Helicopter Museum. http://abcn.ws/RAHBIL

More from the campaign trail: Is the Running Mate Conversation Like a Proposal? Ryan Says 'Yes' http://abcn.ws/OO2lFy

RON PAUL STRIKES DEAL WITH RNC OVER DELEGATES. Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul will enter the GOP convention next week with more delegates after a deal was reached avoiding a potentially embarrassing standoff with Mitt Romney reports ABC's Jason Volack. The compromise settled a dispute over delegates from Louisiana. "Paul will be awarded 17 of the state's 46 delegates in the compromise," Paul campaign chairman Jesse Benton told ABC News in an email. "The rest of the state's delegates are expected to support Mitt Romney, the party's presumptive nominee." http://abcn.ws/QnSkPq

SECRET SERVICE ARRESTS ARMED MAN FOR ALLEGED P THREAT. ABC's Devin Dwyer and Pierre Thomas report: Federal agents in Washington State have arrested an armed man accused of making threats against President Obama. U.S. Secret Service agents and local law enforcement officers descended on the suspect's apartment complex in Federal Way, Wash., on Tuesday afternoon, sources said. The man, armed with at least two weapons, confronted the officers, who swiftly subdued him and took him into custody. Secret Service Assistant Special Agent in Charge Bob Kierstead told local ABC News affiliate KOMO that suspicious items found in the man's apartment -potential explosive devices - prompted a sweep of the entire complex by a bomb squad. No bombs were found. http://abcn.ws/O2yTw3

COSTS SEEN IN ROMNEY'S MEDICARE PLAN. The New York Times' Jackie Calmes reports: "Mitt Romney's promise to restore $716 billion that he says President Obama 'robbed' from Medicare has some health care experts puzzled, and not just because his running mate, Representative Paul D. Ryan, included the same savings in his House budgets? While Republicans have raised legitimate questions about the long-term feasibility of the reimbursement cuts, analysts say, to restore them in the short term would immediately add hundreds of dollars a year to out-of-pocket Medicare expenses for beneficiaries. That would violate Mr. Romney's vow that neither current beneficiaries nor Americans within 10 years of eligibility would be affected by his proposal to shift Medicare to a voucherlike system in which recipients are given a lump sum to buy coverage from competing insurers." http://nyti.ms/OQKOMT

NANCY PELOSI EYES OLD POST. "Pelosi, 72, the history-making first female speaker of the House who was downgraded to minority leader in the 2010 Republican wave, is waging an uphill fight to make history again this November in a two-fold effort to return her party to the majority and to become the first member of Congress since Sam Rayburn to reclaim the speaker's gavel after a party defeat," writes USA Today's Susan Davis. "Independent election forecasters say the House of Representatives remains out of reach for Democrats in 2012, and Pelosi can't say it's a guarantee. "It's never a sure thing. That's why we have elections. But I think it's a sure thing that we have a chance to win," Pelosi told USA TODAY in an interview last week." http://usat.ly/PDLg4X

SUPER PAC SUPER DONORS FAMILIAR. "Super-political action committees are relying upon a familiar roster of super-donors as they spend money on the presidential race," according to Bloomberg's Julie Bykowicz. "Heading into this month, the super-PACs supporting Republican Mitt Romney, American Crossroads and Restore Our Future had more than a ten-fold cash advantage over Priorities USA Action, which is helping President Barack Obama?Big, repeat donors are driving the super-PAC part of the equation." http://bit.ly/QWG60S

IN THE NOTE'S INBOX:

-MONTANA 'JET' PAC LAUNCHES NEW AD. Montana Jobs, Education and Technology (JET) PAC, a political action committee affiliated with the Democratic Governors Association that is supporting Democratic Gubernatorial nominee Steve Bullock releases its second ad today. The 30-second spot, titled "Complicated" hits Republican candidate and former Montana Congressman Rick Hill on having "out-of-touch" priorities. "Lobbyist, Congressman, insurance executive?Rick Hill is wrong for Montana" the ad says. WATCH: http://bit.ly/SSbpLP

WHO'S TWEETING?

@JenniferJJacobs : In Iowa, Obama campaign aides have done a frenzy of office openings - they're up to 46, while Romney backers have 13. http://dmreg.co/PbSEC4

@Timodc : Republicans see Upper Midwest coming into play. http://goo.gl/y3rWs via @ErinMcpike

@CPHeinze : Be skeptical about poll showing Nevada tied? Poll also shows Obama beating Romney by only 1% with Hispanics. http://bit.ly/NH1ZSu

@DavidMDrucker : Republicans' path to Senate majority made more difficult by 'it's not about me' @ToddAkin. @jm_dc lays it out: http://bit.ly/O3XxfS

@GMA : "In the end it's always about the journey? the journey was thrilling," Diana Nyad tells @RobinRoberts

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/race-white-house-spares-change-note-124315657--abc-news-politics.html

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Bitcoin credit card to let users withdraw cash

Gilead Amit, contributor

rexfeatures_1141816a.jpg

(Image: OJO Images/Rex Features)

Those with funds in the online peer-to-peer currency Bitcoin may soon be able to withdraw real-world cash directly from an ATM. Charlie Shrem, the co-founder of BitInstant, which lets users convert Bitcoins (BTC) into cash, appears to have confirmed today that a standard credit or debit card will be made available to Bitcoin users at some point in the next two months.

BitInstant is well known for facilitating transactions between virtual Bitcoin and government-approved currencies, but an ATM-withdrawal mechanism would be an unprecedented step towards bridging the two worlds.

In an online chat with the technology blog Coding in my Sleep, Shrem revealed that BitInstant would be partnering with an unnamed international bank to make the card usable worldwide. Although the first 1000 cards will reportedly be given away for free, Shrem estimated that the subsequent price would be around $10 (?6.34) - roughly the going rate for 1 BTC. Those looking to register their interest for a card have been asked to do so by filling in a Google Docs form.

Before the cards can be issued, however, applicants will have to comply with the same legal regulations banks impose on ordinary credit card users. Given that this includes formal identification as well as proof of address, many may shy away from the new service. The anonymity provided by Bitcoin has long proved one of its most attractive features, allowing users to trade in black-market goods and bypass government restrictions. Shrem may well find that these virtual freedoms are not for sale.

Subscribe to New Scientist Magazine

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Why Women Choose Abortion

Understanding why a woman gets an abortion may help to prevent unintended pregnancies in the first place, say scientists who have dug into this complex, and often controversial, matter.

Their new research suggests a not-insignificant percentage of abortion-seeking women are in the midst of a disruptive life event, such as job loss, relationship breakdown or lack of funds for rent/mortgage payments around the time they made their abortion decision.

The study results, detailed in the Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care, cannot suggest a cause-effect link between life stressors and abortion. However, the researchers say the results have practical implications regarding access to birth control.

Abortion decision

The study, by researchers from the Guttmacher Institute in New York, relied on data from nearly 9,500 American women who had an abortion in 2008; the women indicated whether they had experienced any of 11 disruptive life events at the time, as well as socioeconomic factors and contraceptive use. The researchers also conducted in-depth interviews with 49 women, ages 18 and older, from June to October 2008.

Of the women who reported having an abortion, more than 57 percent noted they'd faced at least one major life stressor in the preceding year. For instance, nearly 20 percent had lost their job; 16 percent had separated from a partner; 14 percent had fallen behind on rent or mortgage; and nearly 12 percent had moved several times.

In addition, 10 percent had experienced the death of a close friend; 10 percent had had a baby; and 7 percent had experienced domestic violence. [10 Most Destructive Human Behaviors]

Poor women were more likely than affluent women to have experienced multiple life stressors, "perhaps because a lack of financial resources prevents them from dealing with the fallout from one disruption and, in turn, a 'chain effect' is initiated," the researchers write.

(The researchers noted that in 2008 in the United States, women in poverty made up 42 percent of the 1.2 million abortions that year.)

Multiple life stressors

Regardless of poverty, the researchers found the fallout from one disruptive event could set a woman up for other life stressors, some of which led to an unintended pregnancy.

For instance, during the in-depth interviews, a married woman considered poor described the difficulty she had leaving an abusive partner after her mother died: "I mean, I was actually seeing a counselor for depression. I was put on antidepressants and anxiety medications, and it just ? I should have left before, and I just didn't. I mean, through therapy, through everything, I know I should have left sooner and, you know, my mom got sick all of a sudden [and subsequently died], and all this happened, so I just didn't get out when I should have."

Another married, poor woman noted: "I have two babies, so I have an 18-month and a 6-month old ... so I can't have another one right now. ... I just know I am not strong enough for it; some women are stronger than others. I am just not strong enough to take care of three kids. ... they both cry at the same time, and I am sick [from this pregnancy]. Oh no; I can't do it, I am sorry."

Though not too common in the survey, the researchers found contraceptive sabotage explained some unintended pregnancies. Six of those interviewed said their partner had tried to get them pregnant against their will, usually by refusing to withdraw during intercourse.

The researchers say the study results have political implications, for instance, suggesting easier access to birth control could help to prevent some unintended pregnancies. They point to free birth control, the availability of getting multiple refills at once and over-the-counter availability as potential solutions.

"Increased access to long-acting contraceptive methods such as the intrauterine device could also reduce the ability of disruptive events to interfere with contraceptive use as these methods do not require refills or maintenance costs," they write.

Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. We're also on Facebook?& Google+.

Copyright 2012 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/why-women-choose-abortion-225111071.html

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Health insurance: Private Health Insurance - Health Insurance ...

Those of you who are looking for extra health insurance coverage in Australia can opt for private health insurance that can end up saving you money, especially if you happen to go to hospital.? You can save yourself money and get expedient care if you have private health insurance that you can easily obtain.?

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There are many ways that you can protect yourself and your family when it comes to getting the health care that you need when you need it.? This can also end up saving you money when it comes to your taxes as well.? The money that you save when it comes to taxes when you use private health insurance can be very high.? For this reason, many people in Australia are taking a look at health insurance options by companies that can give them this type of coverage.?

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In addition, some health insurance will cover you if you are traveling.

You can get travel care insurance that can pay for medical treatment should you be abroad and unable to get health care in Australia.? If you are looking for a way to protect yourself as well as your family with the best type of health coverage, then you can opt to get private health insurance.? This can cut your waiting time down if you want to see a doctor and enable you a bit more freedom when it comes to choosing the right health care for yourself.?

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It is easier and more affordable than you think to get health insurance in Australia.? You just have to take a look at the different packages that are available and then choose one that will suit both the needs of your family or yourself.? There are individual plans as well as plans that can cover an entire family.? The amount that you pay for private health insurance depends upon your age.? Many people feel that this is worth it? so that they can have more choices when it comes to their health care as well as reduce the amount that they have to pay on taxes should they have to go to hospital.?

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There are several companies in Australia that offer health insurance.? If you are looking for private health insurance, you should take a look at the premiums that they are offering as well as the different packages so that you can choose the right option for you.? You are better off to compare rates from different companies so that you can not only get the best health care plan, but also the best rates that will save you the most money.? You can have an added sense of security when it comes to your health care if you take the time to look into private health insurance options that are available in Australia and choose one that will be most beneficial to yourself and your family.? Take a look at the packages offered by the companies and also how much they will cost you for the premiums and get an insurance package that is tailor made for your needs.?

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More Health Insurance Articles

Source: http://moulahazat.blogspot.com/2012/08/private-health-insurance-health.html

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New role for drones - wildlife, eco conservation

PRANBURI, Thailand (AP) ? They're better known as stealthy killing machines to take out suspected terrorists with pinpoint accuracy. But drones are also being put to more benign use in skies across several continents to track endangered wildlife, spot poachers and chart forest loss.

Although it's still the "dawn of drone ecology," as one innovator calls it, these unmanned aerial vehicles are already skimming over Indonesia's jungle canopy to photograph orangutans, protecting rhinos in Nepal and studying invasive aquatic plants in Florida.

Activists launched a long-range drone in December to locate and photograph a Japanese whaling ship as the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society attempted to block Japan's annual whale hunt in Antarctic waters.

Relatively cheap, portable and earth-hugging, they fill a gap between satellite and manned aircraft imagery and on-the-ground observations, says Percival Franklin at the University of Florida, which has been developing such drones for more than a decade.

"The potential uses are almost unlimited," says Ian Singleton, director of the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Program, testing drones this year over Indonesia's Tripa peat forest where fires set by palm oil growers are threatening the world's highest density habitat of the great apes.

Conservation is one of the latest roles for these multi-taskers, either autonomously controlled by on-board computers or under remote guidance of a navigator. Ranging in size from less than half a kilogram (pound) to more than 18 metric tons (20 tons), drones have been used for firefighting, road patrols, hurricane tracking and other jobs too dull, dirty or dangerous for piloted craft.

Most prominently, they have been harnessed by the U.S. military in recent years, often to detect and kill opponents in America's "war on terror" in Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere.

A conservation drone pioneer, Lian Pin Koh of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, says the idea came to him after another sweaty, jungle slog in Sabah, Malaysia, hauling heavy equipment for his field work.

"I told my assistant, who happened to be my wife, 'How wonderful it would be if we could fly over that area rather than walk there again tomorrow,'" recalled the Singaporean expert on tropical deforestation, and a model plane hobbyist.

Unlike eco-drones in the United States, mostly custom-built or commercial models, Koh last year cobbled together a far cheaper, off-the-shelf version that poorer organizations and governments in the developing world can better afford.

He and partner Serge Wich bought a model plane ? some are available in China for as little as $100 ? added an autopilot system, open source software to program missions, and still and video cameras. All for less than $2,000, or ten times cheaper than some commercial vehicles with similar capabilities.

This year, they have flown more than 200 mostly test runs in Asia using an improved version with a 2-meter (6.5 foot) wing span, air time of 45 minutes and a 25-kilometer (15.5-mile) range.

The drones were flown over rough terrain in Malaysia where GPS-collared elephants are difficult to monitor from the ground. In Nepal's Chitwan National Park, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Nepal Army conducted trials on detecting rhino and elephant poachers. The duo also assisted the Ugalla Primate Project to head count chimpanzees in western Tanzania.

"Counting orangutan nests is the main way of surveying orangutan populations," says Graham Usher of the Sumatran project, which captured one of the apes atop a palm tree feeding on palm heart in a sharp photograph. From higher altitudes the drones, he said, also provide high-resolution, real-time images showing where forests are being cleared and set ablaze.

By contrast ground expeditions are time-consuming, logistically cumbersome and expensive. A conventional orangutan census in Sumatra, which may also involve helicopters and aircraft, costs some $250,000. Surveying land use by satellite is likewise costly and hampered by frequent cloud cover over tropical areas.

But there are drawbacks with drones, including landing them in often thickly vegetated areas since they need clear touch-down zones of about 100 by 100 meters (yards). Koh said he was working to rig the vehicle with a parachute to allow landing in confined space.

Franklin says the hardware and image interpretation are still being developed as more missions are planned in the United States, ranging from counting pygmy rabbit burrows in Idaho to monitoring salmon-eating seabirds off the Oregon coast.

The University of Florida is testing another "war on terror" weapon, thermal imaging, to hunt for Burmese pythons invading the state's Everglades, having found the snakes regulate temperatures of their nests in a way that makes them visible through such technology.

Other eyes-in-the-sky increasingly used for conservation tasks are ultralights, birdlike craft with a major advantage over drones ? the human touch.

"It's the closest thing we have come to flying like birds 30,000 years after coming out of caves," says Mark Silverberg, preparing to take a reporter up in a para-motor ultralight, one earlier hired by conservation groups to photograph and video Mekong River dolphins, tiger habitat in Myanmar and denuded hills in northern Thailand.

Taking off from a fallow rice field in Pranburi district, south of the Thai capital Bangkok, we nearly brush branches as our two-seater ultralight craft needles through stands of trees, follows a flock of water fowl just below us, then soars to 300 meters (980 feet) for an all-horizons view. Where humanity intersects with nature is clearly evident, and beyond loom limestone cliffs of a national park invaded by polluting shrimp farms.

"I can really craft a shoot, a sequence, show scenes better than drones because there is a human being who can take in and react to the whole environment more immediately and make adjustments," says Silverberg, an American who runs Paramotor Thailand.

The ultralight, he explains, has other advantages over most eco-drones: it can remain airborne for up to 3 hours, cover 70 kilometers (43 miles) and carry heavier payloads. But ultralights are rather noisy and pilots are reluctant to fly over water or thick vegetation in event of an emergency landing.

"All in all, there's really no competition with drones," says Silverberg after the flight over south of Bangkok. "Both are really great tools for conservation."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/role-drones-wildlife-eco-conservation-060727498.html

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