Tsetse, the Poverty Fly

Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN), a news organization dedicated to reporting humanitarian issues, reports that the Tsetse fly is responsible yearly for $4B in agricultural losses in Africa. Sterilization of male flies has worked, most notably on the Island of Zanzibar, which is now a Tsetse fly free zone. Regardless of this success, money for Tsetse fly control is drying up or being diverted to combat other diseases. Read on ... AFRICA: Tsetse fly costs agriculture billions every year

Oldoinyo Lengai is Unique

The Maasai have known since their beginnings that the active volcano Oldoinyo Lengai was special. A team of scientists from the University of New Mexico, University of California at San Diego and Centre de Recherches Petrographiques et Geochimiques from France have confirmed that the motor oil-like lava flowing from this active Tanzanian volcano is very unique. The lava contains no silica and higher levels of carbonate minerals, which is unlike typical lava. Read on ... "New Research Study Reveals Origin of Volcano's Carbon-base Lavas".

Tobacco Makes Shift to Poor Countries

BMJ reports that by 2010, six million people worldwide will die of tobacco-related illness. Almost three quarters of those deaths will occur in poor countries. The Tobacco Atlas also shows that tobacco production has doubled since 1960 and that production has increased 300% in lower-income countries. The Tobacco Atlas is produced by the American Cancer Society and the World Lung Foundation.