For societies leveraged on ever increasing amounts of cheap oil, the consequences may be dire. Without significant successful cultural reform, economic and social decline seems inevitable.
Researchers have discovered that triclosan, a chemical in the products, can react with water to produce chloroform gas. If inhaled in large enough quantities, chloroform can cause depression, liver problems and, in some cases, cancer.
"Just as people traditionally started their day with coffee and a newspaper, in the future I hope that the way they start their day online will be with coffee and our Web site."
Florida's legislature has approved a bill that would give residents the right to open fire against anyone they perceive as a threat in public, instead of having to try to avoid a conflict as under prevailing law.
hooch
Republican Governor Jeb Bush, who has said he plans to sign the bill, says it is "a good, commonsense, anti-crime issue."
Baghdad is a city with a hole in the middle: the Green Zone may be the most heavily guarded patch of ground on the planet.
hooch
Most street-level reporting must be done by Iraqis because of the risk of kidnapping. Some Western reporters accept the risk and do their own interviews, and most reporters travel with a team that includes a chase car to provide extra eyes and ears.