Do you have the 'right to be forgotten?' EU citizens may soon (Digital Trends)

The European Commission has outlined a proposal for reforming data protection laws in the European Union, touting the move as a way to both protect consumers? and individuals? privacy as well as save businesses billions every year by reducing the overhead needed to comply with current regulations. As outlined by EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding, the proposed laws would make data protection requirements uniform across the EU?s 27 member states, increase penalties for rule breaches, and would enshrine both a right for people to access and transfer their personal data as well as a ?right to be forgotten? ? that is, have data about them deleted it there are no legitimate reasons to keep it.

If enacted, the proposed regulations would be the first comprehensive reform of European data protection standards since 1995.

?The protection of personal data is a fundamental right for all Europeans, but citizens do not always feel in full control of their personal data,? said EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding in a prepared statement. ?My proposals will help build trust in online services because people will be better informed about their rights and in more control of their information. The reform will accomplish this while making life easier and less costly for businesses.?

EU Justice Commissioner Viviane RedingSetting standards

The EU?s 1995 Data Protection Directive guaranteed EU citizens a right to data protection, but the specifics have been difficult to manage, with different member states implementing the law in different ways. Similarly, the complexity of inter-jurisdictional cases (where, say, a user is in one country and a company with data about them is in another ? or outside Europe) created even more headaches. The result is that businesses looking to manage data responsibly have to deal with scores of different sets of regulations and enforcement agencies, and citizens often have little idea where to turn if they?re concerned about how their data is being used. And they are concerned: A recent Eurobarometer survey (PDF) found seven out of 10 Europeans are worried their personal data may be misused.

To keep businesses happy, the new regulations would impose a single set of data protection rules that would apply across the entire EU. And while businesses and individuals would still have to deal with individual data protection authorities in their respective countries, they can work with that single agency even then data is being processed by companies outside the EU. The idea here is to reduce paperwork, bureaucracy, and administrative costs: The European Commission estimates the changes will save businesses about ?2.3 billion a year. In exchange for lower regulatory burdens, companies also have some stiffer requirements: They have to report data breaches as soon as possible (like, within 24 hours) and can be penalized up to ?1 million or two percent of their global revenue for breaching data protection regulations.

The proposed regulations also include many tools to help everyday people manage their personal data and understand how it is being used. First of all, it defines personal data as essentially any information about an individual, whether it be their name, a photo, an email address, details of their private or professional life, medical information, posts on social networking sites, and even their IP address.

Companies would have to acquire explicit consent to collect and use personal data, rather using ?assumed consent? mechanisms such as continuing to use an account beyond a certain date. (Take note, Google!) Companies must also explicitly inform users if their personal data will be handled abroad.

The regulations also require users be able to transfer their data from one service provider to another. This is a bid to increase competition amongst services by preventing them from keeping users from leaving because their data is held hostage. For instance, if someone wants to switch from Facebook to Google+ right now, they?ll essentially be saying goodbye to most of the data (photos, videos, posts, comments, files, etc.) they?ve put on Facebook. The portability requirement would make such moves simpler, but it?s not clear what sort of technical solutions would satisfy the regulatory mandate.

The right to be forgotten

facebook-timeline-andrewPerhaps the highest-profile item in the proposal is the ?right to be forgotten,? that would require Internet companies to delete data about a user unless there are legitimate reasons to keep it around. In other words, if a Facebook user chose to delete his or her account, Facebook would actually have to delete it, not just put it in a kind of inaccessible limbo, where it?s information is still used to target advertising, tailor services, and (potentially) fall into the wrong hands. Consumer rights advocates note that a ?right to be forgotten? helps Internet users have confidence in their ability to manage their personal data; however, many industry watchers expect companies like Facebook to argue about what a ?legitimate? reason for retaining data might be. From Facebook?s point of view, keeping an account in limbo is a wonderful service, so they can restore the account if (no, when!) the user decides to come back.

The proposal also includes a new directive that will apply data protection principles to police and law enforcement matters, both domestically and internationally. The European Commission argues that having the same legal framework in all EU member states will enable police forced to more effectively battle online crime and fraud, and also ensures that personal data used by law enforcement is uniformly protected throughout the EU.

Broader implications

If the European Commission?s proposal is enacted and resonates with EU citizens, it could have significant repercussions in the rest of the world, since so many major Internet players ? from Amazon to Netflix to Google to Facebook to Twitter to Apple ? all operate in Europe. Most of those companies would not want to be in a position where they?re perceived to treat personal data with care?but only in Europe.

This article was originally posted on Digital Trends

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/digitaltrends/20120125/tc_digitaltrends/doyouhavetherighttobeforgotteneucitizensmaysoon

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GOP using Obama's address to blame him for economy (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Republicans took the offensive Tuesday and cast President Barack Obama as the culprit for the economy's persistent frailty, hoping to shift the focus away from his State of the Union address' theme of economic fairness.

As they awaited the president's election season speech to the nation Tuesday night, Republicans in the Capitol and on the campaign trail accused Obama of three years of higher spending, bigger government and tax increases that have left the economy stuck in a ditch.

"If the president wants someone to blame for this economy, he should start with himself," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. "The fact is, any CEO in America with a record like this after three years on the job would be graciously shown the door."

White House officials argue that the economy has resumed growing and generating new jobs on Obama's watch, though growth has been generally listless and the jobless rate remains at a high 8.5 percent.

One of Obama's themes will be economic fairness, including protecting the middle class and making sure the wealthy pay an equitable share of taxes. Republicans seemed determined to blunt that message and prevent the president from making it the top issue of this year's presidential and congressional elections.

"This election is going to be a referendum on the president's economic policies," which have worsened the economy, said House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. "The politics of envy, the politics of dividing our country is not what America is all about."

Boehner said nearly 30 House-passed bills aimed at helping the economy have stalled in the Democratic-run Senate, most of them rolling back or blocking environmental, workplace and other regulations. He said he hoped Obama "will extend somewhat of an olive branch" to work with Republicans on boosting the economy.

Despite that plea, Boehner planned a symbolic move to underscore Obama's decision to put off, for now, work on the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline from western Canada to Texas' Gulf Coast. Republicans say the project would create thousands of jobs, a claim opponents say is overstated.

Boehner invited three officials from companies he said would be hurt by the pipeline's rejection to watch the speech in the House chamber as his guests, along with a Nebraska legislator who helped plan a new pipeline route through his state, where environmental concerns have been raised.

Poised to give the GOP's formal, televised response to Obama was Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, who flirted with running for his party's presidential nomination before deciding against it last May.

The first White House budget chief under President George W. Bush, Daniels has portrayed himself as a foe of budget deficits. He has described Obama's fiscal policies as "catastrophic."

Obama was delivering his State of the Union address during a rowdy battle for the GOP presidential nomination that has ended up playing directly into Obama's theme of economic fairness.

That fight has called attention to the wealth of one of the top contenders, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and the low ? but legal ? effective federal income tax rate of around 15 percent that the multi-millionaire has paid in the past two years. Romney, who is in Florida campaigned for that state's Jan. 31 primary, released his tax documents for that period on Tuesday.

"The president's agenda sounds less like "built to last" and more like doomed to fail," Romney said in remarks prepared for delivery Tuesday in Tampa, Fla. "What he's proposing is more of the same: more taxes, more spending, and more regulation."

Romney's chief rival so far, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, said in a written statement that the top question about Obama's speech was whether he "will show a willingness to put aside the extremist ideology of the far left and call for a new set of policies that could lead to dramatic private sector job creation and economic growth."

The Republican National Committee was airing a television commercial in North Carolina, Virginia, Michigan and Washington, D.C., blaming Obama for 13 million people out of work and citing the bankruptcy of California energy company Solyndra, which received more than $500 million in federally backed loans.

The ad shows an Obama interview from 2009, in which he said about the faltering economy, "If I don't have this done in three years, then this is going to be a one-term proposition," a reference to his presidency.

The chairman of the House GOP's campaign arm, Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, also used Obama's speech to reach out to supporters in an email.

"Unlike Democrats, House Republicans are fighting to strengthen our economy and allow small businesses to create jobs for hard working Americans," he wrote.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_state_of_union_gop_reaction

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ABBA to launch revamped final album, with new track (Reuters)

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) ? Swedish pop group ABBA are to release a new version of their last album, featuring a previously unreleased track for the first time since 1994, the group's website said on Wednesday.

ABBA remain one of the world's most popular bands and their music got a new lease of life with the "Mamma Mia" stage show and film. The band's website said a deluxe edition of their final album, "The Visitors," would be released in April.

"For ABBA fans, the most sensational inclusion in the package will be the previously unreleased track, 'From A Twinkling Star To A Passing Angel (demos)'," a statement said.

"This is the first time since the 'Thank You For The Music' box set in 1994 that ABBA have opened the doors to the tape vaults to release previously unheard music from the group's heyday," it added.

The release will also feature bonus selections along with a DVD of rare and previously unreleased material from the archives.

The Visitors album was originally released in 1981.

ABBA, made up of Agnetha Faltskog, Anna-Frid Lyngstad, Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, racked up a string of hits in the 1970s and '80s, and their cult following has transformed them into some of Sweden's most recognizable figures.

(Reporting by Patrick Lannin, editing by Paul Casciato)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/music/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120125/music_nm/us_sweden_abba

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Like it or Not, Romney Will Be GOP Nominee (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | It started out as a whole crop of candidates, but now there are only four: Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, and Rick Santorum. This primary process has held political pundits in suspense, as the leaders atop the polls have interchanged regularly. Yet, in spite of this, one name has been circulating continuously:

Mitt Romney.

The former governor of Massachusetts had tried for the presidency in '08, but lost out on the GOP nomination. Now, it seems, he is doubly determined to secure the White House.

On one hand, Romney certainly seems to always be in possession of the coveted media coverage. Even when he's behind in the polls, it seems that his screen time doesn't diminish. And, according to thestate.com, Romney has been picking up numerous endorsements.

Still, the irony is that Romney continues to be a figure of division within his own party; there's a looming sense of distrust in his values, which explains why conservative candidates like Santorum sometimes enjoy a temporary boost; also, he's been suspiciously mum with regards to his Mormon faith. Even 2008 candidate Mike Huckabee, according to huffingtonpost.com, suggested that Romney needs to address his faith. The longer he stays mum on his faith, the more people wonder what he may have to hide. And that's the worst possible impression a presidential candidate can make.

Now, after all this, you may be wondering how I can still say that Romney will win. The answer is simple: He's the only one who stands a chance at beating President Barack Obama this November. If a staunch Republican sat back and looked at the bigger picture, they would know that Romney's moderate stances on some issues could help sway key undecided voters to his side. Let's face it, many Americans are disenchanted with President Obama, as the promised change did not come overnight. According to nytimes.com, Obama is particularly vulnerable with the coveted swing voters. Yet, because of his liberal policies, many may still give him their vote if his opponent is a staunch right-wing conservative.

At some point in the very near future, the GOP will have to decide if they want to hold to their party's conservative principles and risk losing the election by choosing a traditional candidate, or if they are willing to sacrifice some of their principles in order to have a plausible chance of regaining the White House from the Democrats.

Something tells me that they will choose the latter.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120124/pl_ac/10876535_like_it_or_not_romney_will_be_gop_nominee

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Avastin, Sutent increase breast cancer stem cells, U-M study shows

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 25-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Nicole Fawcett
nfawcett@umich.edu
734-764-2220
University of Michigan Health System

Finding could explain limited success of anti-angiogenesis treatments in breast cancer

ANN ARBOR, Mich. Cancer treatments designed to block the growth of blood vessels were found to increase the number of cancer stem cells in breast tumors in mice, suggesting a possible explanation for why these drugs don't lead to longer survival, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The drugs Avastin and Sutent have been looked at as potential breast cancer treatments. But while they do shrink tumors and slow the time till the cancer progresses, the effect does not last, and the cancer eventually regrows and spreads.

"This study provides an explanation for the clinical trial results demonstrating that in women with breast cancer antiangiogenic agents such as Avastin delay the time to tumor recurrence but do not affect patient survival. If our results apply to the clinic, it suggests that in order to be effective, these agents will need to be combined with cancer stem cell inhibitors, an approach now being explored in the laboratory," says study author Max S. Wicha, M.D., director of the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The researchers treated mice with breast cancer using Avastin (bevacizumab) and Sutent (sunitinib), both of which work by stopping the growth and formation of blood vessels, a process called angiogenesis. The researchers found that tumors treated with these drugs developed more cancer stem cells, the small number of cells within a tumor that fuel a cancer's growth and spread and that are often resistant to standard treatment. Both the number of cancer stem cells and the percentage of cancer stem cells that make up the tumor increased after being treated with each of these therapies.

The researchers found that the cancer stem cells increased because of a cellular response to low oxygen, a condition called hypoxia. And they were able to determine the specific pathways involved in hypoxia that activate the cancer stem cells.

Results of the study appear online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently revoked approval of Avastin for treating breast cancer, although the drug is approved for use in other types of cancer. The reversal was in response to clinical trials showing that the drug's benefit was short-lived, with breast cancer patients quickly relapsing and the cancer becoming more invasive and spreading further throughout the body. Overall, the drug did not help patients live any longer.

The current study suggests the possibility of combining anti-angiogenesis drugs with a cancer stem cell inhibitor to enhance the benefit of this treatment. The researchers are testing this approach in mice and preliminary data looks promising.

Breast cancer statistics: 209,060 Americans will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and 40,230 will die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society

###

Additional authors: Sarah J. Conley, Elizabeth Gheordunescu, Pramod Kakarala, Bryan Newman, Hasan Korkaya, Amber N. Heath and Shawn G. Clouthier, all from U-M

Funding: Breast Cancer Research Foundation, National Institutes of Health and the U-M Taubman Institute

Disclosure: Wicha is a consultant for Pfizer and OncoMed Pharmaceuticals and holds equity in OncoMed Pharmaceuticals.

Reference: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1018866109

Resources:
U-M Cancer AnswerLine, 800-865-1125
U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center, www.mcancer.org
Clinical trials at U-M, www.UMClinicalStudies.org/cancer
About cancer stem cells, www.mcancer.org/stemcells


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 25-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Nicole Fawcett
nfawcett@umich.edu
734-764-2220
University of Michigan Health System

Finding could explain limited success of anti-angiogenesis treatments in breast cancer

ANN ARBOR, Mich. Cancer treatments designed to block the growth of blood vessels were found to increase the number of cancer stem cells in breast tumors in mice, suggesting a possible explanation for why these drugs don't lead to longer survival, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The drugs Avastin and Sutent have been looked at as potential breast cancer treatments. But while they do shrink tumors and slow the time till the cancer progresses, the effect does not last, and the cancer eventually regrows and spreads.

"This study provides an explanation for the clinical trial results demonstrating that in women with breast cancer antiangiogenic agents such as Avastin delay the time to tumor recurrence but do not affect patient survival. If our results apply to the clinic, it suggests that in order to be effective, these agents will need to be combined with cancer stem cell inhibitors, an approach now being explored in the laboratory," says study author Max S. Wicha, M.D., director of the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The researchers treated mice with breast cancer using Avastin (bevacizumab) and Sutent (sunitinib), both of which work by stopping the growth and formation of blood vessels, a process called angiogenesis. The researchers found that tumors treated with these drugs developed more cancer stem cells, the small number of cells within a tumor that fuel a cancer's growth and spread and that are often resistant to standard treatment. Both the number of cancer stem cells and the percentage of cancer stem cells that make up the tumor increased after being treated with each of these therapies.

The researchers found that the cancer stem cells increased because of a cellular response to low oxygen, a condition called hypoxia. And they were able to determine the specific pathways involved in hypoxia that activate the cancer stem cells.

Results of the study appear online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently revoked approval of Avastin for treating breast cancer, although the drug is approved for use in other types of cancer. The reversal was in response to clinical trials showing that the drug's benefit was short-lived, with breast cancer patients quickly relapsing and the cancer becoming more invasive and spreading further throughout the body. Overall, the drug did not help patients live any longer.

The current study suggests the possibility of combining anti-angiogenesis drugs with a cancer stem cell inhibitor to enhance the benefit of this treatment. The researchers are testing this approach in mice and preliminary data looks promising.

Breast cancer statistics: 209,060 Americans will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and 40,230 will die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society

###

Additional authors: Sarah J. Conley, Elizabeth Gheordunescu, Pramod Kakarala, Bryan Newman, Hasan Korkaya, Amber N. Heath and Shawn G. Clouthier, all from U-M

Funding: Breast Cancer Research Foundation, National Institutes of Health and the U-M Taubman Institute

Disclosure: Wicha is a consultant for Pfizer and OncoMed Pharmaceuticals and holds equity in OncoMed Pharmaceuticals.

Reference: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1018866109

Resources:
U-M Cancer AnswerLine, 800-865-1125
U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center, www.mcancer.org
Clinical trials at U-M, www.UMClinicalStudies.org/cancer
About cancer stem cells, www.mcancer.org/stemcells


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/uomh-asi012512.php

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Obama honors Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins

President Barak Obama honors the 2010-2011Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins hockey team, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

President Barak Obama honors the 2010-2011Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins hockey team, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

President Barak Obama holds up a Boston Bruins hockey jersey during a ceremony where he honored the 2010-2011 Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins hockey team, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

President Barak Obama honors the 2010-2011 Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins hockey team, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

President Barack Obama honors the 2010-2011 Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins hockey team, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Team owner Jeremy Jacobs is at left.(AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

President Barack Obama honors the 2010-2011Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins hockey team, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

(AP) ? President Barack Obama saluted the NHL's Boston Bruins for their 2011 Stanley Cup championship on Monday, citing the city's run of professional team championships in recent years.

The Bruins won their first Stanley Cup title in 39 years last June after a bruising seven-game final series against the Vancouver Canucks.

It was the latest in a string of Boston sports championships, including the Celtics in 2008, the Red Sox in 2007 and the New England Patriots in 2005. The Patriots play in next month's Super Bowl.

"The Bruins, the Sox, the Celtics, now the Patriots. Enough already, Boston," Obama said during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House. "What's going on, huh?"

Obama also jokingly invoked some New England slang in welcoming the Bruins, along with the Stanley Cup, to the White House.

"I know you are all wicked happy to be here," he said.

The president said there was no better image of the Bruins' dominance than when Zdeno Chara, the team's 6-foot-9 defenseman, hoisted the Stanley Cup above his head in Vancouver in celebration last spring.

"Which is, I'm sure, the highest that the Stanley Cup had ever been," he said.

Obama drew laughter from the crowd when he cited the scrappy play of Bruins forward Brad Marchand, who emerged as a star with five goals in the last five games of the finals against Vancouver.

"'The 'Little Ball of Hate' shrugged off the rookie jitters," said Obama, adding "What's up with that nickname, man?"

There was a notable no-show. Goalie Tim Thomas, who was the playoff MVP last year, chose not to attend the event, a team spokesman said.

Obama praised the teamwork of the six-time champions.

"Together, these players proved that teamwork is everything," he said. "It can overcome injuries, it can overcome long odds."

Obama praised the team for its work off the ice as well, noting the Boston Bruins Foundation has donated more than $7 million to charities in New England.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-23-Obama-Bruins/id-a4c1676755b140b8ac26b8a25168bd54

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Investing in bio diesel: Add to an enviromentally friendly world as ...

There?s been greater attention in this issue in latest years, however would it be well worth investing in bio diesel? There is certainly no hesitation that will governing bodies and people about the world are under better pressure than in the past to generate clean energy, that?s, energy that?s not produced from non-renewable fuels since of the damaging influence they?ve on the setting.

Predictions conclude in which the demand for energy will have risen through Sixty five per dime between now as well as The year 2030 and so it is clear which alternative sources will need to be created. Bio diesel is actually proving to become one of people alternative sources so the requirement for the idea will simply boost.

To these sceptics which feel that bio diesel just isn?t way up to the job, it?s worthy of jotting it was utilized in the The Mans 24-hour strength ethnic background by the Lola access, knowning that a number of main airline carriers are choosing that in a selection of recipes in test plane tickets that they?re expecting will enable for more affordable air travel in which will have got a much lowered as well as foot print.

Interestingly, the source of this bio-diesel will be the Jatropha tree, that?s what?s making so much exhilaration when considering to investing in bio diesel. This is not a new source of green oil; it?s already getting used for transfer along with in a few countries it?s also utilised to produce energy manufacturing on a large level. The beauty of it?s that it is almost carbon neutral when it?s employed along with, of course, it soaks in fractional co2 if it is increasing.

The fruit that will the Jatropha makes presents an organic oil in which can be converted into bio diesel; the husk of the fruit can also be squashed along with burnt for heat, as well as used as a fertilizer, in medicines and also the creation of latex. It takes one tree to create a liter of oil as well as a 500 trees (consequently a 500 litres) can become grown on one acre.

Clearly, financial worries should be deemed whenever thinking about investing in bio diesel: it will require three years for a Jatropha tree to attain their optimum productiveness, yet this kind of does certainly not imply that it cannot supply a very good return prior to this kind of. In fact, cautious projections appraisal in which the newbie will provide a return of 5%; the second 12 months will twice to provide a return of 12 per penny; and also thereon for way up to Forty five years presently there will become a return of 20 per penny.

These kinds of numbers are actually determined on a careful price of oil, so it is protected to think that must the price of oil go up considerably, thus will the requirement for bio diesel and also, as a result, the results.

Investing in bio diesel because an alternative investment would make a very good equilibrium to a portfolio, and possesses many additional bonuses; not least the economic dividends and also the rewards it will deliver to the surroundings and to the growers and their local economies.

For more information, check out Investing in bio diesel and also Alternative Investments

Source: http://www.articlepodcat.com/2012/01/22/investing-in-bio-diesel-add-to-an-enviromentally-friendly-world-as-well-as-make-money/

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Romney earned $42.5M, will pay $6.2M tax bill

Watch the full NBC News/National Journal/Tampa Bay Times GOP presidential debate as Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney set a combative ahead of Florida's Jan. 31 primary.

By msnbc.com news services

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney released tax records on Tuesday indicating he will pay $6.2 million in taxes on a total of $42.5 million in income over the years 2010 and 2011.

Bowing to increasing political pressure to provide more detail about his vast wealth, the former private equity executive released tax returns indicating he and his wife, Ann, paid an effective tax rate of 13.9 percent in 2010. They expect to pay a 15.4 percent rate when they file their returns for 2011.

Romney's 2010 returns show the candidate is among the top 1 percent of taxpayers.


Romney's tax rate is below that of most wage-earning Americans because most of his income, as outlined in more than 500 pages of tax documents, flows from capital gains on investments.

Under the U.S. tax code, capital gains are taxed at 15 percent, compared with a top tax rate of 35 percent for wage earners.

Rival Newt Gingrich made public his returns on Saturday, showing he paid almost $1 million in income taxes ? a tax rate of about 31 percent.

'Not a dollar more'
Romney released the tax returns after a week in which?Gingrich questioned whether Romney was hiding information about his finances and cast him as being out of touch with most Americans.

Romney's campaign confirmed the details of his tax information after several news organizations saw a preview of the documents. He had said planned to release his returns in full Tuesday morning, and campaign officials would be prepared to discuss them in detail with reporters.

NBC's Andrea Mitchell, David Gregory and Chuck Todd provide analysis following tonight's GOP debate.

"You'll see my income, how much taxes I've paid, how much I've paid to charity," Romney said during Monday night's debate in Tampa. "I pay all the taxes that are legally required and not a dollar more. I don't think you want someone as the candidate for president who pays more taxes than he owes."

Gingrich's attacks on Romney helped him upset the former Massachusetts governor in the South Carolina primary on Saturday.

Since then, Romney has vowed to be more aggressive in returning fire.

He has launched a series of attacks questioning Gingrich's character, judgment and lucrative work as a Washington consultant, and released his tax returns to try to nullify Gingrich's criticisms on that front.

The tax rates Romney reported paying could add fuel to a national debate over the fairness of the tax code, and coincides with broader concerns about income inequality symbolized by the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Swiss bank account closed in '10
Romney's campaign officials stressed that his tax rate is based mostly on income from investments. His holdings include an undisclosed amount in funds based in the Grand Cayman Islands and other overseas entities.

Romney advisers stressed that the holdings in the Caymans -- along with those in a Swiss bank account that was closed in 2010 after an investment adviser decided it could be politically embarrassing to Romney -- were reported on tax returns and were not vehicles to avoid taxes.

They also stressed that Romney, whose holdings are in three blind trusts, makes no decisions as to how his money is invested.

Regardless, the emerging picture was of a man of great means who contributes mightily to charity. The documents showed he and his wife contributed $7 million in charity over the two years, much of it going to his Mormon church. That represents more than 15 percent of the Romneys' income for those years.

Romney, whose estimated net worth is $190 million to $250 million, is among the wealthiest Americans ever to seek the presidency.

Top campaign officials and the director of Romney's blind trust, Brad Malt, briefed Reuters on the details ahead of a more general release of the information Tuesday morning.

'We're proud of it'
Campaign counsel Ben Ginsberg, asked why Romney was not releasing tax records for the years in the 1980s and 1990s in which Romney made his fortune at private equity firm Bain Capital, said the two years covered by the tax returns should give a broad picture of Romney's financial situation.

"We're not going to get into the game of once you give them something, they demand more," Ginsberg said. "This is a fulsome release and we're proud of it."

The tax issue may have been a factor in Romney's loss to Gingrich in South Carolina. It became a distraction to Romney's campaign, and Romney's fuzzy answers on when and if he would release his records aggravated the problem.

First he said he might release them, or might not. When the questions kept coming, he said he would put them out in April, after his 2011 forms were completed. Only after he was defeated in South Carolina did his aides say he would release them this week. Gingrich has released his returns for 2010, but has not released an estimate for last year, as Romney did.

Long considered the front-runner for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, Romney was staggered by Gingrich's lopsided win in South Carolina, and is looking to regain enough momentum to defeat Gingrich in Florida, which votes on January 31.

Before the tax records were released, Romney's old investments in two controversial government-backed housing lenders stirred up new questions at the same time his campaign targeted Gingrich for his work for Freddie Mac.

Gingrich earned $1.6 million in consulting fees from Freddie Mac even though Romney has as much as $500,000 invested in the U.S.-backed lender and its sister entity, Fannie Mae.

Tax experts?told The Associated Press that?Romney's income tax returns may contain other charity structures and tax strategies designed to both boost his income and charity donations, while minimizing his involvement because of his presidential ambitions.

?Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/24/10221567-mitt-romneys-tax-returns-he-earned-425-million-will-pay-62-million-in-taxes

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The Communications Network ? A Quick Word With?

A Quick Word With??is our ongoing series?in which?people from foundations of all sizes and types?tell us about themselves, their work and where they draw their inspiration. ?This installment features?Stefan Lanfer, Knowledge Officer, Barr Foundation


Last big improvement to your website?
We launched a new site in 2011, which took Barr to a new level of transparency and clarity about our work. It also gave us new ways to feature grantees.

An interesting communications project you?re working on?
One of Barr?s major focus areas is climate change. Even though this is a global challenge, Barr is focused on Boston and Massachusetts. We believe what happens locally can push the national conversation. So, we are starting conversations about what it would take to raise the national media profile of the local work.

Last nonfiction book you read?? The take-away?
Half the Sky. The takeaway? That the world is a brutal, exploitative, limiting place for far too many women. Investments in setting that right have about the highest ROI imaginable.

?Networks? is a word that comes up frequently on your site. What role do networks play in your communications?
Barr has been focused on networks for a long time and communications not long at all, so the question I am actually trying to answer is what role communications plays in our network efforts. We are increasingly looking at ways to embed communications from the beginning and throughout network efforts.

Are you engaging with social media?
Barr does not have any social media profiles ? though I have a few personally. I like Twitter best as a listening tool. I devote 5% of my time at most.

Favorite communications tool more foundation folks should take advantage of?
The telephone.

Do you evaluate communications?
Not yet, though we intend to begin in 2012. I?d love to hear from Communications Network members what methods they use.

When you were 13, what did you want to be when you grew up?
An English teacher.

What aspect of Barr?s work has received greater public attention than any other, and how did that happen?
The Barr Fellowship. It happened because these are amazing people with amazing stories.

Do you do an annual communications plan?
Not a communications plan, per se, but detailed work plans for every program staff. As we pull these together, we flesh out where communications opportunities are in their portfolios, and I make sure I understand any major initiatives where they?ll be depending on me.

Has the foundation ever talked publicly about a failure?
Yes. Our Executive Director recently spoke to a group of Massachusetts education leaders. She started the talk with reflections on a failed strategy. It is on our site here.

Does your foundation blog?
We don?t have a blog, though the ?News and Knowledge? area of our site is blog-like in look and feel ? short posts, regular updates, organized by topics, etc., all shareable on social media.

Another foundation whose communications work you admire?
The Boston Foundation. They are as aggressive and out front communicating on issues as Barr is not. Even if we don?t always agree with the positions they take, I appreciate the role they play in fueling a robust public discourse.

Most memorable take-away from the Communications Network?s Fall conference in Boston last September?
Swanee Hunt?s challenge to ?fall in love with your audience.?

Biggest complaint about how the media covers your issues?
In general, the media hasn?t helped get us past confusion and policy gridlock?on climate.

Got a novel deep down inside you?
No, but I have a play.


A Quick Word With? is edited by Michael Hamill Remaley, Vice President of Communications & Public Policy,?Philanthropy New York, and a frequent Communications Network contributor.

If you?d like to suggest someone for a future profile, please use?this form.

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Source: http://www.comnetwork.org/stefanlanfer/

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