October 23, 2015

Scientific American: Many Antidepressant Studies Found Tainted by Pharma Company Influence

A review of studies that assess clinical antidepressants shows hidden conflicts of interest and financial ties to corporate drugmakers

Scientific American | Roni Jacobson | October 21, 2015

After many lawsuits and a 2012 U.S. Department of Justice settlement, last month an independent review found that antidepressant drug Paxil (paroxetine) is not safe for teenagers. The finding contradicts the conclusions of the initial 2001 drug trial, which the manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline had funded, then used its results to market Paxil as safe for adolescents.



The original trial, known as Study 329, is but one high-profile example of pharmaceutical industry influence known to pervade scientific research, including clinical trials the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires pharma companies to fund in order to assess their products. For that reason, people who read scientific papers as part of their jobs have come to rely on meta-analyses, supposedly thorough reviews summarizing the evidence from multiple trials, rather than trust individual studies. But a new analysis casts doubt on that practice as well, finding that the vast majority of meta-analyses of antidepressants have some industry link, with a corresponding suppression of negative results.

The latest study, published in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, which evaluated 185 meta-analyses, found that one third of them were written by pharma industry employees. “We knew that the industry would fund studies to promote its products, but it’s very different to fund meta-analyses,” which “have traditionally been a bulwark of evidence-based medicine,” says John Ioannidis, an epidemiologist at Stanford University School of Medicine and co-author of the study. “It’s really amazing that there is such a massive influx of influence in this field.”

Almost 80 percent of meta-analyses in the review had some sort of industry tie, either through sponsorship, which the authors defined as direct industry funding of the study, or conflicts of interest, defined as any situation in which one or more authors were either industry employees or independent researchers receiving any type of industry support (including speaking fees and research grants). Especially troubling, the study showed about 7 percent of researchers had undisclosed conflicts of interest. “There’s a certain pecking order of papers,” says Erick Turner, a professor of psychiatry at Oregon Health & Science University who was not associated with the research. “Meta-analyses are at the top of the evidence pyramid.” Turner was “very concerned” by the results but did not find them surprising. “Industry influence is just massive. What’s really new is the level of attention people are now paying to it.” SNIP

MORE: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/many-antidepressant-studies-found-tainted-by-pharma-company-influence/

When they can't fudge the studies, they use bribes

Big Pharma's Pathetic Medical Bribes are Quite Profitable

Pharmaceutical companies are low-balling how much they pay doctors by misspelling the names of their drugs in their reports to the federal government.
http://www.alternet.org/drugs/big-pharma-simple-trick-obscuring-medical-bribes

Search "pharmaceutical + bribes"
https://www.google.com/search?q=pharmaceutical+bribes
About 281,000 results

Is there NO ONE that can stop this insanity?

October 21, 2015

First Fukushima worker diagnosed with radiation-linked cancer- "just the tip of the iceberg"

UK Telegraph 20 Oct 2015

A former Fukushima nuclear plant worker has been diagnosed with radiation-linked cancer, Japanese authorities said Tuesday, the first confirmed case since the 2011 accident that experts say could be just the "tip of the iceberg".

A health ministry official said the unnamed man, who was in his thirties while working at the plant following the 2011 crisis, has leukaemia. He is now 41 years old, local media reported.



The announcement will likely further inflame widespread public opposition to nuclear power, and could frustrate efforts to resettle evacuees in communities around the crippled Fukushima plant that have been deemed safe.

It also comes less than a week after the controversial restart of a second reactor in Japan following a shutdown of all reactors in the wake of the crisis.


They said this couldn't happen because...safety

"This person went to see a doctor because was not feeling well. That was when he was diagnosed with leukaemia," the health ministry official told a press briefing on condition of anonymity, adding that other possible causes had been ruled out...snip
MORE: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/11942611/First-Fukushima-worker-diagnosed-with-radiation-linked-cancer.html

Nuclear fission to boil water to turn turbines to power toasters. Absurd.

October 21, 2015

We Shouldn't Be Afraid of Hydrogen Fuel — The H2 Electric Bike Is Proof

Jack Smith IV | Mic.com | October 20, 2015

In 1937, the Hindenburg airship exploded over New Jersey, killing 36 people when, researchers believe, static ignited hydrogen leaking into the ship's ventilation shaft. It was a historical display of the dangers of hydrogen fuel. Eighty years later, technology has come a long way.

A new electric bicycle from energy mega-corporation the Linde Group will use a small tank of hydrogen and a tiny fuel cell to propel you. The Linde H2 bike will roll out over the next few months in a small, limited prototype trial to test the viability of a hydrogen-powered bike.



Using a small fuel cell that Linde says charges in five minutes, the Linde H2 provides electric power for assisted biking for over 62 miles. When the assisted biking mode is on, hydrogen pours into the fuel cell, which uses the air surrounding the bike to generate an electrical charge, according to a press release.

The Linde Group also said in that release that it has built about 100 hydrogen fueling stations throughout Europe, as auto manufacturers begin looking into hydrogen as a sustainable fuel...snip

"There's nothing special about hydrogen that sets it apart from any other flammable gas,"...
MORE: http://mic.com/articles/127067/linde-group-builds-hydrogen-powered-electric-bike

Related: World’s first: Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bicycle by Linde
Gas2.org Oct 17, 2015

German’s Linde Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of industrial gasses and that includes hydrogen. In Europe, the company is working to take the lead in building hydrogen refueling stations for fuel cell powered cars. It already has 100 operating in Germany, where BMW and Mercedes say they are working on hydrogen cars.

Linde likes the environmental advantages of using hydrogen power and has decided to promote its commitment to clean energy by building a fuel cell bicycle that has a range of 65 miles using just 34 grams of hydrogen. The battery usually found on electric bikes is replaced by a compact fuel cell which generates electric power from hydrogen and oxygen taken from the surrounding atmosphere. The H2 Bike uses a specially developed fueling system that can refill the cylinder in less than six minutes...
http://gas2.org/2015/10/17/linde-brings-us-fuel-cell-bicycle/

The Linde Group

In the past, Linde has proven its technology leadership with developments such as the ionic compressor – an innovative compressor concept enabling state-of-the-art hydrogen fuelling stations.
http://www.the-linde-group.com/
http://www.the-linde-group.com/en/clean_technology/clean_technology_portfolio/hydrogen_as_fuel/h2_bike/index.html

Linde knows- H2 is #1

October 17, 2015

Beware of Tesla Autopilot

Watch out for that passing Tesla

Tesla is rolling out an Autopilot update to approximately 60,000 cars around the world. While this doesn’t yet allow drivers to sit back and have a nap, it’s the first step on the road to fully automated driving. The problem is, for the time being at least, other drivers and pedestrians need to be a little wary of the Tesla driving past them.

The Autopilot feature allows the company’s cars to “automatically steer down the highway, change lanes, and adjust speed in response to traffic”. However, Tesla is very clear that drivers should keep their hands on the wheel at all times, because they’re still ultimately responsible for any accidents.

According to BBC News, Elon Musk stated, “It should not hit pedestrians, hopefully. It should handle them well. The driver cannot abdicate responsibility. That will come at some point in the future.” Which is both worrying and reassuring. Musk clearly cannot come out and say Autopilot will prevent accidents from occurring, but he wouldn’t be rolling it out if he thought it was putting people in extra danger. Would he?.

Tesla is pushing the Autopilot update out in North America this week,...snip
MORE: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/beware-tesla-autopilot-microsoft-old-pcs-tech-news-digest/

Published on Oct 15, 2015: Test of the new Tesla autopilot update on a curvy road on a beautiful fall morning

http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/55607-Autopilot-test-on-curvy-road

October 14, 2015

Toyota to Phase Out Gas-Powered Vehicles, Doubling Down on Hydrogen

NBC News | Paul A. Eisenstein | October 14, 2015



Toyota Motor Co. wants to virtually eliminate gasoline-powered vehicles from its fleet by 2050, and is betting that hydrogen cars, rather than electric vehicles, will be the long-term answer.

The Japanese maker recently introduced the Mirai, its first retail fuel-cell vehicle, and though sales have so far been measured in the hundreds, the target is to reach 30,000 annually by 2020, and even higher in the years beyond...

...Toyota has been openly skeptical of battery power other than limited use of nickel-metal technology in hybrids. It is grudgingly planning a new version of the Prius plug-in hybrid, primarily to meet California's demanding zero-emissions vehicle, or ZEV mandate. But the carmaker has made it clear it does not see a long-term future for plug-ins or pure battery-electric vehicles...

..."You may think 35 years is a long time," Ise said Wednesday. "But for an automaker to envision all combustion engines as gone is pretty extraordinary".
Complete article: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/autos/toyota-phase-out-gas-powered-vehicles-doubling-down-hydrogen-n444406

Toyota deserves huge praise for this. Everyone concerned with Climate Change should be celebrating. Haven't many people here in this very forum called for the end of the ICE?

A hundred year plan-Japan Launch Event for Toyota Mirai Hydrogen Electric Fuel Cell Sedan (11/2014) Taped Live in Tokyo. With translation.

^ Anyone that doubts Toyota's resolve hasn't seen that press conference. Hydrogen- the Next Big Thing™

October 14, 2015

Germany to expand hydrogen-filling infrastructure to 400 stations by 2023

Autocar Pro News Desk Oct 14, 2015

Six industrial companies – Air Liquide, Daimler, Linde, OMV, Shell and Total – have formed a cross-sector joint venture, H2 MOBILITY Deutschland GmbH & Co KG. The creation of the limited partnership paves the way for a staged expansion of hydrogen (H2) filling stations across Germany, which will bring the total to around 400 by 2023.


Hydrogen station in Hamburg powered by Renewable Energy

The Berlin-based company has started operations and is working intensively in preparation for Stage One of the joint action plan. This envisages the accelerated set-up of 100 filling stations over the next few years. Senior representatives of the H2 MOBILITY venture partners met yesterday at launch talks held with the Federal Minister of Transport Alexander Dobrindt and discussed the next steps. The industry and government partners have reinforced their commitment by signing a memorandum of understanding on hydrogen filling stations for Germany.

Federal Minister Dobrindt said: “E-mobility must be emotional and shall arouse passion for the drive of the future. Electric vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells offer the best conditions: You have a long range and can refuel in some minutes. For the market ramp-up of this technology, we now need a comprehensive network of fueling stations for hydrogen. Therefore, I welcome the plans of H2 MOBILITY to build up 400 hydrogen fueling stations in Germany by 2023."

The H2 MOBILITY action plan envisages a Germany-wide network of H2 stations by 2023, which would make Germany the first country to offer an inter-regional network where fuel cell vehicles (FCEVs) can fill up with hydrogen. Therefore investments of around 400 million euros (Rs 3,057 crore) in total are planned...snip
MORE: http://www.autocarpro.in/news-international/germany-expand-hydrogen-filling-infrastructure-400-2023-9483

Build a Hydrogen Station in 48 hours

In Germany- and around the world- H2 is #1


Wasserstoff ?????ό??? hidrógeno водород hidrojen idrogeno מימן hydrogène väte waterstof

October 13, 2015

Mother Jones: The Meat Industry Is Licking Its Chops Over Obama's Massive Trade Deal

Tom Philpott | Wed Oct. 7, 2015

The US meat industry scored a big victory this week when world leaders hammered out an agreement that would reduce trade barriers across the Pacific: from the United Sates, Canada, Mexico, Peru, and Chile on this side to Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, and Singapore on the other.

President Barack Obama has made passing the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or the TPP, the signature goal of his second term. Now it goes to Capitol Hill for approval—which it will likely get, given that back in June, Congress granted the president "fast track" authority to negotiate trade deals, meaning that it will be considered in up-down, simple-majority votes in both chambers, with no chance of amendment or filibuster.



So how would the TPP affect Big Meat in the United States? The industry is currently facing stagnant domestic demand for its product as Americans eat less meat. The TPP would open markets in countries that currently protect domestic farmers with tariffs. Japan, for example, agreed to slash its tariff on imported beef from 38 percent to 9 percent over the next 15 years—likely making it much easier for American importers to gain a foothold. Because the pact has been negotiated in secret and few details about it have been released, it's impossible to estimate how big of a boost the TPP will provide to US meat purveyors. But it already has industry groups doing the money dance...snip

...Of course, when asked why they're eating less meat, Americans commonly cite a desire to reduce the environmental and social impacts of industrial-scale meat production: everything from animal cruelty to fouled water and air to labor abuses at slaughterhouses and pillaged local economies. An export boom will only intensify those trends...

Two foreign companies—Brazil's JBS and China's Shuanghui—now control nearly half of US pork production...
snip
MORE: http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2015/10/trans-pacific-partnership-tpp-meat-and-gmo-industries-shuanghui-china

NPPC Confident TPP Deal Good For U.S. Pork

WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 5, 2015 – The National Pork Producers Council expressed confidence that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement negotiators concluded in Atlanta will benefit all sectors of the U.S. economy and will provide enormous new market opportunities for high-quality American pork products...
http://www.nppc.org/2015/10/nppc-confident-tpp-deal-good-for-u-s-pork/

Related: Bacon Is About to Get More Expensive

—By Tom Philpott | Wed Jul. 8, 2015 | Mother Jones

While Americans celebrated Independence Day last weekend, the meat industry was partaking of another time-tested tradition: concentration. That's the economists' term for when one big company buys another, resulting in an industry dominated by just a handful of players. And that's what happened when Brazilian meat giant JBS plunked down $1.45 billion to buy the US pork interests of global agribusiness behemoth Cargill...
http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2015/07/bacon-jbs-cargill-pork

October 12, 2015

Energy Storage Needs to Think Bigger Than Batteries to Beat Fossil Fuels

Batteries won't be the answer for running renewable energy 24/7.

Travis Holum Oct 11, 2015

Wind and solar energy have been gaining ground on fossil fuel competitors like coal and natural gas for a few years now, and in 2014 more new renewable energy capacity was built than all fossil fuel plants combined. But the renewable energy industry is starting to run into some headwinds that could last for years if it doesn't innovate fast enough.

In locations where renewable energy makes financial sense, like sunny southern California or the windy Texas plains, renewable energy has brought on so much supply that the grid can't handle it. The fear is that when the sun goes down or the wind stops blowing it will put a huge stress on the grid, the kind of stress that will be costly to overcome...



Energy storage on a massive scale

Batteries are a great energy storage medium for seconds, minutes, or even a few hours of storage, and those are necessary technologies for keeping the grid running. But for wind or solar energy to play a major role in the grid, the industry needs to find a way to save energy for days, weeks, and months at a time. Maybe hydrogen is the answer to this problem?

There are options out there, like a wind-to-hydrogen project that I thought could show a path forward for turning renewable energy into a usable fuel and an energy we could use year-round. And the answer to the problem might be easier than we think...snip
MORE: http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/10/11/energy-storage-needs-to-think-bigger-than-batterie.aspx

October 11, 2015

Berlin anti-TTIP trade deal protest attracts hundreds of thousands

Hundreds of thousands of people marched in Berlin on Saturday to oppose a planned free trade deal between the European Union and the United States that is claimed to be anti-democratic and to threaten food safety and environmental standards.

The environmental groups, charities and opposition parties that organised the protest claimed 250,000 people took part, while a police spokesman said 100,000 attended. Smaller protests were also held in other cities, including Amsterdam, with a rally due to be held in London on Saturday night at which shadow chancellor John McDonnell is scheduled to speak.

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) would create the world’s largest free-trade zone, encompassing some 800 million consumers, and harmonise regulation between the EU and North America in areas ranging from food safety law to environmental rules and banking regulations. It would mean that cars made in Britain could be sold in the US, for example, but opponents say it would water down important EU regulations...
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/10/berlin-anti-ttip-trade-deal-rally-hundreds-thousands-protesters


Protesters gather to demonstrate against the TTIP trade agreement in Berlin on Saturday. Photograph: Axel Schmidt/Getty Images

October 8, 2015

Toyota Fuel Cell Plus Concept Comes From A Future Hydrogen-Based Society

Carscoops.com | Dan Mihalascu | October 8, 2015

With the FCV Plus Concept, Toyota is fast-forwarding to a future where hydrogen fuel cell cars will be as common as vehicles powered by internal combustion engines are today.

Scheduled to have its world debut at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month, the Toyota FCV Plus study is said to embody a society in which hydrogen energy is in widespread use. In that society, fuel cell cars will be more than just vehicles that will take people from A to B.



Toyota says clean generation of hydrogen from a wide range of primary energy sources will make local, self-sufficient power generation a global reality, and fuel cell vehicles will take on a new role as power sources within their communities. The automaker’s goal is to turn fuel cell vehicles from eco-cars into energy-cars.


What if every car on the road could produce power?
A parking lot becomes an energy plant.

This is exemplified by the FCV Plus, which can generate electricity directly from hydrogen stored outside the vehicle, in addition to its own hydrogen tank. As a result, the vehicle can be transformed into a stable source of electric power for use at home or away...snip
MORE: http://www.carscoops.com/2015/10/toyota-fcv-plus-concept-comes-from.html



Toyota is the Number 1 Vehicle Manufacturer in the world, building ~10 million cars per year. That's almost 200,000 per week. (192,307)