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The Property Rights Newsletter
March 23, 2012 - Issue #656
"A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety."
- Aesop |
 Red meat is blamed for one in 10 early deaths. The Department of Health was last night urged to review its guidance on red meat after a study found that eating almost half the daily recommended amount can significantly increase the risk of dying early from cancer and heart disease. It was found that for every serving of red meat - equivalent to 3 ounces (85 grams) - eaten each day there was an 18 per cent increased risk of dying from heart disease and a 10 per cent increased risk of dying from cancer. For each serving of processed meat, equivalent to two slices of bacon or one hot dog, the risk of dying from heart disease rose by a 21 per cent and from cancer by 16 per cent. Scientists added that people who eat a diet high in red meat were also likely to be generally unhealthier because they were more likely to smoke, be overweight and not exercise. In an accompanying editorial Dr Dean Ornish, of the University of California, San Francisco, said that eating less red meat could also help tackle climate change.
 Billboard Warns Chicago of Hot Dog - Butt Cancer Link. The billboard's blunt language was prompted by a recent survey showing that a surprising number - 39 percent - of Americans do not know what the colon is. The Chicago area is home to leading hot dog manufacturers like Kraft Foods, which produces Oscar Mayer franks, Sara Lee, producer of Ball Park Franks, and Vienna Beef.
 How Engineering the Human Body Could Combat Climate Change. Some of the proposed modifications are simple and noninvasive. For instance, many people wish to give up meat for ecological reasons, but lack the willpower to do so on their own. The paper suggests that such individuals could take a pill that would trigger mild nausea upon the ingestion of meat, which would then lead to a lasting aversion to meat-eating. Other techniques are bound to be more controversial. For instance, the paper suggests that parents could make use of genetic engineering or hormone therapy in order to birth smaller, less resource-intensive children.
 NY Food Police? Mayor Bloomberg Bans Food Donations to Homeless Shelters. Apparently going without is more nutritious than having food that is not nutritionally perfect. At least in Michael Bloomberg's eyes it is. In conjunction with a mayoral task force and the Health Department, the Department of Homeless Services recently started enforcing new nutritional rules for food served at city shelters. Since DHS can't assess the nutritional content of donated food, shelters have to turn away good Samaritans. What this boils down to is criminalizing poverty.
Niemoller Quote: "First they came for..." Read the original, the translation, and various new versions.
SC: Simpsonville split on plan to ban smoking in restaurants. Marc Moisa, an opponent, said he sees the proposal as government meddling in private property and choices. He said he has counted more than 50 restaurants in Simpsonville and that eight allow smoking. "Given that so very few places in Simpsonville actually allow smoking, this ordinance is unnecessary," he said.
Canada: Alberta to ban smoking in cars carrying children. The government is currently working on such a strategy, which could include higher tobacco taxes, tougher restrictions on flavoured tobacco products that appeal to minors, and a crackdown on sales to minors. One Tory MLA, David Xiao, suggested broadening the bill to include people with mental disabilities who might not understand the dangers of second-hand smoke.
UK: Forest slams increase in tobacco duty. Simon Clark, director of Forest, said: "This is a smugglers' charter. More and more consumers will turn to the black market or buy their tobacco abroad. The elderly, the low paid and the unemployed will be hit the hardest but this is an attack on all law-abiding smokers who support Britain's retailers by purchasing their cigarettes at home."
World: Smokers Blogs. Watch instant postings to your favorite blogs.
I Believe: I believe in the supreme worth of the individual and in his right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Read more from John D. Rockefeller, Jr. |
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Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
I Won't Back Down |
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