| EU faces deadline on GM food ban
In November 2007, the World Trade Organization (WTO) gave the EU an extra two months to comply with its ruling. The United States, Argentina and Canada brought the case, arguing their farmers lost money because of GM bans, and may now call for WTO sanctions. The EU has difficulty complying with the ruling, chiefly because of a ban on GM products by Austria. The European Commission says it has imposed a regulatory framework but acknowledges there are problems enforcing it. 'Protectionism' In 1998, the EU introduced a moratorium on new biotech authorisations that lasted six years. The three countries behind the complaint to the WTO argued that the ban was about protectionism rather than science. There are continuing concerns in France about the safety of GM crops.
Tough Carbon Plan Could Hurt EU Industry
A plan to tighten the European Union's greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme is likely to cause the loss of some heavy industries to global competition, EU officials have acknowledged ahead of the publication of the new legislation. The new rules on the bloc's Emissions Trading System (ETS) are expected as part of a post-2012 climate change policy package due to be unveiled by the European Commission on 23 January. Brussels is planning to set an EU-wide cap on emissions from 2013 and change the current practice whereby member states propose their own quotas and the commission assesses them, according to a report in the Financial Times. The revised scheme should also eliminate free emissions allocations for the energy sector and refineries and instead put to auction "at least two-thirds of the total quantity of allowances in 2013", compared to the current level of less than 10 percent.
LogMeIn plans initial public offering
The company's customer base has grown to about 92,000 premium accounts as of November 2007 from 48,000 premium accounts in November 2006. The company also offers two free services. Chairman, President and Chief Executive Michael K. Simon, who founded LogMeIn in February 2003, has a history of leading technology firms. Prior to founding LogMeIn, Simon served as chairman of Red Dot Ltd., a digital content provider, and Fathom Technology ApS, a software outsourcing company that was sold to EPAM Systems Inc. in 2004. Simon also founded online and interactive game creator Uproar Inc., which was acquired by Vivendi Universal Games Inc. in 2001. For the nine months ended Sept. 30, the company reported a loss of $6.5 million, compared with a loss of $4.4 million in the year-ago period.
Schools abuzz with contests
Bee season is taking off at area schools, at least when it comes to competitions called bees. From December to January, most elementary and middle schools host spelling bees in preparation for the upcoming county bee. Also, some schools are now participating in geography bees sponsored by the National Geographic Society. At least three schools in Fayetteville - Holt Middle School, Ramay Junior High and Leverett Elementary - held spelling bees this week, their students' first week back from winter break. Schools that hosted spelling bees in December included Asbell Elementary. The winners of the school-level spelling competitions advance to the Washington County Spelling Bee, scheduled for Feb. 9 at the Fayetteville Public Library. The competition is generally open to students from third through eighth grades.
Radio & TV Talk
Makes you wonder why all the road rage. Oh…for those young ones who don't know what I'm talking about (this includes the station executives): MUSIC (myoo'zik) n. Vocal or instrumental sounds having some degree of melody, harmony, or rythm. (hee hee hee) Notice that the definition mentions nothing about nonsensical ramblings of an egotist? .
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