Vardaman Virtual Forestry Company
FRIDAY REPORT OF 04/06/07
The Most Direct, Frequent Link to Knowledge Workers in the Eastern Forest Economy
“DIAGNOSING YOUR DEMISE
Would you want to know the exact day you die?”
Portions of 03/30/07 article by Ronald Bailey on reasononline
“At age 23, Katharine Moser took the genetic test for the Huntington’s disease (HD). The news was not good. She has the version of the HD gene that will eventually rob her of her ability to walk, talk, swallow and think. The gene that will cause Moser’s illness was inherited from grandfather through her mother. Everyone carries the gene, but only those who have a segment that repeats three bases of genetic code cytosine, adenine and guanine (CAG) many times will get it. People with fewer than 35 CAG repeats will not suffer the disease; however, people with more repeats will inevitably succumb to it. The more repeats, the sooner the onset of the disease. In Moser’s case, her HD gene has 47 CAG repeats which means that she is likely to begin experiencing symptoms by the time she reaches her mid-30s. In many ways, Moser is blazing a trail for the rest of us. Improved genetic testing will tell more and more of us about our future health and likely ends…
“Future tests, including genetic tests, could narrow the range of your specific life expectancy. In addition, such tests will be able to tell what your greatest risks are. Right now, tests look for disease risks based on specific genetic flaws. For example, altered BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes boost the chance that a woman will have breast cancer by 3 to 7 times. People with the APOE4 variant of a gene involved with cholesterol transport are at increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Unlike the HD gene, having the APOE4 variant is not a guarantee of future illness. The environment also plays a big role. One study suggests that drinking alcohol increases the risk of AD for carriers of the APOE4 allele. Recent research indicates that the herpes virus that causes cold sores may also interact with the APOE4 allele to increase the risk of AD…
“Of course, the new tests will also give you the options for stalling the arrival of the Grim Reaper. For example, if it turned out that you carry two copies of the APOE4 allele, you may choose to cut back on your drinking in order to postpone dementia. And if you carry the breast cancer enhancing variant of BRCA1, you will make sure to get frequent mammograms and MRIs and perhaps you will even choose to have prophylactic mastectomies. But what if the genetic tests give you information that amounts to a death sentence? That it turns out that there is nothing much you can do to avert your pre-ordained doom? In a sense, we all are already in that situation because right now sooner or later death is inevitable…
“Disclosure: Because of my robust thanatophobia I have already availed myself of whole batteries of modern biomedical tests (very few genetic) including a 64-slice heart scan, a whole body MRI scan, a variety of blood tests including ones for homocysteine. C-reactiveprotein, glucose resistance and prostate specific antigen, a sonogram to check for gall stones, and colonoscopies (during which a polyp was removed). I have asked my physician to let me know when tests for APIE alleles and Chagas’ disease become commercially available. And rather than let insurance companies decide what tests I can and cannot have, I paid out-of-pocket for many of them. I am happy to report that the 64-slice heart scan showed that, contrary to claims made by some critics, I actually do have a heart, and it’s in remarkably good shape. Rumors that I am in the pay of Big Testing are false. Finally, the death clock says that I will die on September 4, 2027.”
To read the entire article, click on http://www.reason.com/news/show/119410.html
“POLLUTION FROM U.S., EUROPE, OTHERS SPEEDING ARCTIC WARMING, STUDY SHOWS”
Portions of a 03/16/07 article by Kelly Hearn in National Geographic News
“Pollution from industrialized countries in heating the Arctic atmosphere faster than any region on Earth, a new study warns. European researchers writing in today’s issue of the journal Science report that temperature spikes in the Arctic are mainly caused by ‘human-induced emissions of long-lived greenhouse gases.’ Ship emissions, smoke from summer forest fires, and air pollutants such as aerosols and ozone coming from the lower latitudes are contributing to ‘significant warming trends,’ the report authors say.
“Surface air temperatures in the region have risen faster than the global average over the past few decades and ‘are predicted to warm by 5 degrees Celsius [9 degrees Fahrenheit] over a large part of the Arctic by the end of the 21st century,’ the authors note in their study… ‘The Arctic is at risk because global warming is proceeding fastest there,’ said study co-author Andreas Stohl of the Norwegian Institute for Air Research. ‘This is mainly a consequence of the increasing trends of long-lived greenhouse gases and feedbacks in the climate system, which are strongest in the Arctic…’
“Practically all pollution in the high Arctic arrives from southern latitudes, the authors said. But declining sea ice could lead to more local pollution sources. ‘If large portions of sea ice disappear, more pollution and stronger climate effects are predicted because of the increase in shipping and Arctic oil drilling,’ the researchers say.
“In addition, as northern high latitudes warm, boreal forest fires are increasing. The phenomenon could lead to ‘a feedback cycle where forest-fire emissions lead to earlier melting of Arctic snow and ice, and thus further warming…”
“HALF OF WILD MAGNOLIAS FACING EXTINCTION, REPORT SAYS”
Portions of 04/04/07 article on the report by Kaye Ravilious in National Geographic News
“They may be blooming in your garden, but magnolias are not faring so well in the wild.
“Across the globe, 131 of the 245 known species of wild magnolia trees are in danger of going extinct, according to a joint report from the nonprofits Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) and Fauna and Flora International (FFI).
“Having survived millions of years of geologic and climatic upheaval, these ancient plants are now suffering from rapid deforestation around the world, according to the report…”
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