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Daily Archives: October 28, 2013

France initiates plan to fight light pollution and save energy

A Fight Against Light Pollution – As evidence mounts that excessive use of light is harming wildlife and adversely affecting human health, new initiatives in France and elsewhere are seeking to turn down the lights that flood an ever-growing part of the planetby Paul Bogard
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“Last month, France — including the City of Light — grew darker late at night as one of the world’s most comprehensive lighting ordinances went into effect. From 1 a.m. to 7 a.m., shop lights are being turned off, and lights inside office buildings must be extinguished within an hour of workers leaving the premises. The lighting on France’s building facades cannot be turned on before sunset. Over the next two years, regulations restricting lighting on billboards will go into effect. These rules are designed to eventually cut carbon dioxide emissions by 250,000 tons per year, save the equivalent of the annual energy consumption of 750,000 households, and slash the country’s overall energy bill by 200 million Euros ($266 million).”

Guide on Good Practices for University Open-Access Policies

Berkman Center for Internet & Society: “Since 2011, with input and feedback from colleagues around the world, Stuart Shieber and Peter Suber have been developing recommendations for university policies on open access to faculty research. They released the first edition of their guide during Open Access Week 2012, and they’ve spent the year since then… Continue Reading

Advocacy Group releases DOD database on defense industry post employment

“The Pentagon’s revolving door is still spinning, according to information from a Department of Defense (DoD) database released to CREW in the wake of a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The database includes information about ethics opinions sought by senior defense officials between January 2012 and May 2013, including the names of… Continue Reading

The ‘next cool thing’ – Snapchat offers welcome degree of privacy

Matt McFarland – Washington Post editor of Innovations: “All of the positive news for Snapchat lately indicates it is on to something. A study found that 9 percent of cellphone owners use Snapchat. About 350 million snaps are shared every day. AllThingsD reported Snapchat is mulling a round of financing that values it at $3.5 billion. For… Continue Reading

Pew – Photo and Video Sharing Grow Online

“A new study by the Pew Research Center’s Internet Project [by Maeve Duggan] shows that 54% of internet users have posted original photos or videos to websites and 47% share photos or videos they found elsewhere online. The mobile landscape has also added to photo- and video-sharing. Apps like Snapchat and Instagram have capitalized on… Continue Reading

The High Cost of Cancer Drugs

New drugs could extend cancer patients’ lives—by days. At a cost of thousands and thousands of dollars. Prompting some doctors to refuse to use them – by Stephen S. Hall, New York Magazine, October 20, 2013 “Cancer drugs have become a very big business, even though they serve what one expert has described as a… Continue Reading

November 1 SNAP Cuts Will Affect Millions of Children, Seniors, and People With Disabilities

Report By Dottie Rosenbaum and Brynne Keith-Jenning – October 24, 2013 “The 2009 Recovery Act’s temporary boost in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits ends on November 1, 2013, which will mean a benefit cut for each of the nearly 48 million SNAP recipients — 87 percent of whom live in households with children, seniors,… Continue Reading

Cultures of the Internet: The Internet in Britain

Cultures of the Internet: The Internet in Britain. William H. Dutton and Grant Blank with assistance from Darja Groselj, Oxford Internet Survey 2013 Report. Key findings of the 2013 OxIS survey include the following: The use of the Internet is Britain has risen substantially over the last two years, reaching 78% of the population 14… Continue Reading