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What is Your Company Enterprise Risk Management IQ (ERM)? – Are You Solving Symptoms Or Problems?

what spiritual and invisible net income leaks are putting your company at danger? Even sophisticated business humans are amazed to learn that the current economic condition had its sources over a decade ago in the clinton era but were conveniently ignored until the recent meltdown.

then sec chairman arthur levitt described in his book, take on the street: in what manner to fight for your financial future, that one of the biggest fault he made was to persuade the financial accounting standards board (fasb) to back down. Some have linked the runaway stock option exercises spawned by this fault with the dot. Com era and the fallout thereafter. Says wanda wallace.

today, wanda wallace and others like her remind us that they wrote articles warning of the pending financial crisis and the government contribution to the modern crisis in 1999 or earlier. Her article, danger evaluation: just who is minding the store? Was published in august 1999 in accounting today. There she described the hot potato syndrome of financial instrumentation markets, along with an insatiable appetite for debt. (a google search will find her recent reminder of those clinton era affirmations, pressure from the government, and admittance to the unique and basic article. )

1. Think of the correspondings of a business and a ship: both have leaders – a president and a captain – and both encounter duties and problems seeing underneath their direct reports in the case of a business, or through or underneath the deck of the ship, in the case of the captain. In other words, both leaders may have leaks that are seemingly spiritual and invisible but in point of fact are right there underneath the surface. In the case of a ship, some may not that water always leaks into ships. The magical and confidential is to pump the leaking water out faster than new or bigger leaks grow. 
2. A good leader, like a good captain, will take the rudimentary and necessary precautions to stay clear from or denigrate risks by addressing the next. Recognise that risks do exist
3. Make a fair solution and venture to identify the risks your company is taking and measure their potential damage and/or consequences 
4. Explore and thoroughly question the likelihood that those identified risks could occur
5. Estimate what the costs would be to solve those risks
6. Make the conclusion to solve those risks that have a high chance of occurring and incurring the most eminent level of damage, even when that decision may be unpopular
7. Stay the course.

enterprise danger management (erm) is determined as the modes and methods and processes utilized by organizations to manage risks (or seize prospects) related to the achievement of their objectives. When these changes are going to be enforced is a tougher question. Understandably, companies have a swoop and range of reasons why they prefer delaying the time when erm components are going to be utilized.

however, the question is primarily when, not whether or not, some form of enterprise danger management necessaries are going to be utilized. Family-owned business, private companies, and nonprofits (not just populace companies) have been forewarned of the pending financial crisis in publications, speeches, and white papers over the last two years.

with business loans and credit drying up faster than you may blink, cash is king like never before. Even better than thinking in crisis mode, why not think strategically in regards to the cash ebb and flow of the business before a cash crunch becomes a unsmiling and critical problem that could endanger the growth, or worse, the survival of your company.

even worse than ignoring a problem and hoping it goes away, is not seeing the problem or its prominence and importance in your extremely busy business life. Extensive info on erm, corporate governance, board of managing directors, danger analysis, and liquidity are effortlessly available on the web.

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Posted by Criminal Defense Lawyer Tuesday, February 9, 2010 0 comments

NATO Ministers Endorse McChrystal Approach in Afghanistan

NATO defense ministers Friday endorsed the kind of broad counterinsurgency approach for Afghanistan that is the basis for the pending troop request by the NATO and the U.S. commander there, General Stanley McChrystal. The ministers, including U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, are meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia.

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen talks to reporters in Slovakia, 23 Oct 2009

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says the defense ministers have a "general shared view" that the alliance must make Afghanistan strong enough to defend itself against militant forces. And he said the ministers also agree on the approach for accomplishing that.

"There is the support of this counterinsurgency strategy, which means that ministers agree that it does not solve the problems in Afghanistan just to hunt down and kill individual terrorists," Rasmussein said. "What we need is a much broader strategy which stabilizes the whole Afghan society."

That has been the core of the debate in Washington, with President Barack Obama reviewing the counterinsurgency strategy for Afghanistan he announced in March. The review was prompted, in part, by a grim assessment from General McChrystal, who is here at the NATO meeting to provide a direct readout to the defense ministers. The general's secret assessment, leaked to the Washington Post (newspaper) several weeks ago, follows the president's basic approach, but says it could fail unless he gets more troops.

His specific request is still secret, but it is believed to involve tens of thousands more troops.

Speaking to reporters Friday, Secretary Gates would not be drawn publicly into the debate over whether the troop-intensive counterinsur! gency st rategy is best or whether a more limited commitment involving air strikes and Special Forces operations would be better. He called any conclusions on that issue "vastly premature," and said key presidential decisions are two or three weeks away.

But the secretary stressed that the United States has "no intention" of withdrawing from Afghanistan, and said even a U.S. troop reduction is "very unlikely."

"The question is do we have the strategy right in light of the situation we face? Does it need refinement in some way?" Gates noted. "And if it does need some adjustment in light of the events that have taken place over the last number of months, including the election and so on, and then what are the implications of that in terms of General McChrystal's resource request?"

The secretary said the United States will not abandon its core mission in Afghanistan, which President Obama described as the destruction of the al-Qaida terrorist network, because it is "critical" to U.S. national security. And he said he received indications other NATO nations may be thinking about sending additional forces to help.

Also on Friday, Secretary General Rasmussen said the NATO defense ministers agreed to begin a process of identifying criteria for an eventual handover of security responsibility to Afghan forces.

"Let me be clear, we have not agreed to start handing over the lead," Rasmussen said. "The conditions are not yet right. The Afghan security forces are not yet strong enough. And I must also stress that transition, when it happens, doesn't mean NATO forces leave. It means they go into a supporting role."

The secretary general would not say when the transition might start, how long it will take, or when it might be possible to start reducing the NATO troop commitment.

Rasmussen and Gates also reported that the NATO defense ministers endorsed the Obama Administration's approach to European missile defense. The president is abandoning a Bush Administrati! on plan to put anti-missile installations in Poland and the Czech Republic. He is replacing it with a plan that would provide a combined land- and sea-based capability more quickly, focused on shorter range missiles Iran could use to threaten Europe, with the option of expanding later to cover longer range missiles if necessary.

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Posted by Criminal Defense Lawyer Sunday, October 25, 2009 0 comments

Afghanistan Prepares for Presidential Runoff

Afghanistan is getting ready for a second-round presidential election between President Hamid Karzai and former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, after a fraud investigation brought Mr. Karzai's totals to below 50 percent.

The United Nations has begun delivering ballots across Afghanistan to prepare for the November 7 runoff between President Hamid Karzai and former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah.

The second round comes after the election commission nullified nearly one million votes cast in August presidential polls. The investigation brought Mr. Karzai's vote count below 50 percent, enough to trigger a runoff.

President Barack Obama has said the runoff reflects the will of the Afghan people and he may withhold his decision on U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan until after the new polls.

The remarks followed his meeting with Senator John Kerry, who has just returned from the Afghan capital, Kabul.

"I think you really want to know that this has worked and you want to know what kind of government is coming out of it," he said.

An analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, Haseeb Humayoon, says Mr. Karzai may win again.

Haseeb Humayoon

"If we look at the numbers and how they have turned out, President Karzai has a much stronger base than D! r. Abdul lah Abdullah and that may play a role in the second round as well," he explained.

But questions remain about the deals Mr. Karzai struck with local powers of remote Afghan regions to win their support.

"I think one has to look at that with a lot of caution, because while electorally those deals might have returns, in terms of government efficiency down the line they are questionable," he added.

But Rick Nelson at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington says it is wrong to look at the Afghan political landscape through a Western lens.

Rick Nelson

"President Karzai has been very aggressive in trying to cut deals and trying to build partnerships," he noted. "But given the circumstances in which he is trying to operate, if he can cut deals with rival factions and it results in a stable Afghanistan, that is something we may want to support."

Another scenario presented by some experts is one in which the August election runner up, Mr. Abdullah, wins this time around. Nelson says he may not belong to the Pashtun majority tribe, but he is not that different politically than Mr. Karzai.

"Obviously, he is not a full Pashtun, he is a little bit Tajik as well, and that may change the dynamics with the United States," Mr. Nelson added. "But it probably is not going to change the overall U.S. policy too much."

There is also the chance that the two contenders will come up with some sort of an agreement to share power and avoid the runoff. While some analysts say this is unlikely, Nelson is optimistic.

"If there is a unity government in advance, it certainly puts the whole election legitima! cy quest ion aside, and will enable the United States and NATO to move forward in their partnership with Afghanistan," he said.

In Washington, U.S. officials have said a power-sharing arrangement between the two leaders would be totally up to the Afghans.

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Challenges Remain Before Global Climate Meeting In Copenhagen

With less than 50 days until the Copenhagen Climate Conference, officials have been meeting in London to work out the details of an agreement. While there is universal consensus that there needs to be a deal at Copenhagen, there are still many challenges to hammering out an agreement.

Climate change could bring significant threat to food production in many regions of the world

Britain hosted a meeting of officials from the 17 major economies this week, focusing on narrowing differences about how to tackle climate change ahead of December's Copenhagen Conference. British Energy and Climate Secretary Ed Miliband says there's one area that's not in doubt.

"The universal view that we need to get an agreement in Copenhagen, not an agreement at any price, but that we have come a long way and we need to convert the distance that we have traveled into an agreement in December of this year," he said.

Miliband said he was encouraged by this week's meeting and the general agreement among the participants that hard decisions have to be made at Copenhagen in December.

"There is a spirit of engagement, a spirit of willingness and actually a spirit of determination that having come so far, now is not the time to falter. Now there is significantly further to go, this is absolutely not a done deal. It remains in the balance in my view," Miliband said.

It will be a complex deal. Developing nations are worried about the cost of making changes, and whether reducing carbon emissions might hinder their growth, developed nations don't want to slow their economies or change the lifestyles of their citizens. Miliband says everyone's concerns need to be addressed.

"We are trying to do something very tough, we are trying to turn around the inex! orable r ise in global carbon emissions and that's never been done before and it certainly wasn't done at Kyoto. So the difficulty stems from the fact that in every country there are compelling constraints and difficulties that need to be overcome. Whether it's developing countries that need to take people out of poverty, whether its the situation in some developed countries where the debate on climate change has been slower to move than in other countries, we need to understand those constraints and overcome them," Miliband said.

Denmark's foreign minister was also in London this week. Per Stig Moeller says the European Union will have to take the lead on financing. One of the bigger challenges is finding the funds that will help developing nations make the changes they need to reduce carbon emissions.

"Without funds for transfer of technology and money for adaptation, the developing world will not strike a deal in Copenhagen, you can forget it," Moeller said.

He says it's not just the developing world that faces changes, the United States does too.

"It's obvious that the United States is in a difficult position. We know that while the United States recognizes the need, and the president not the least, for swift action, the domestic political situation complicates matters. But I think that the United States will demonstrate the necessary leadership once the show gets going," Moeller said.

The United States Senate still has to pass legislation that would cut emissions by 20 percent in just over a decade. If the legislature doesn't approve the bill before December, that could send a message that the U.S. is not committed to change. Washington's climate envoy, Todd Stearn, says the substance of the bill shows America's commitment.

"The kind of number that's in the Senate bill, frankly the kind of number that's in the House bill, those are strong numbers for the United States, that would involve a shift, really a seismic shift in the US economy," Stearn said.

Develop! ing coun tries such as China and India have not clearly laid out plans to cut their emissions. Both have indicated they intend to make cuts. Stearn says nations may do different things, but actions will be important.

Image by oxfam international via Flickr

"The view of the United States on this point is that there is differentiation in what countries need to do. But in terms of the willingness of countries to stand behind whatever it is that they're doing, there can't be differentiation there. It can't be that the developed countries say we'll stand behind what we're doing and the developing countries say we'll tell you what we're doing but we won't stand behind it. So on that point, we've still got work to do," Stearn said.

With less than 50 days to go, there are still a lot of details to be hammered out before there's a deal in Copenhagen that everyone can live with.

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Posted by Criminal Defense Lawyer Thursday, October 22, 2009 0 comments

Attention Intensifies on Afghan War Strategy

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Now that Afghan election officials have agreed to a presidential runoff vote on November 7, attention will intensify on U.S. President Barack Obama's difficult decision about whether to send more American troops to Afghanistan. Mr. Obama has been waiting for the election dispute to be resolved before announcing his new war strategy.

As the fighting continues to rage, U.S. officials stated repeatedly the election process had to be settled before President Barack Obama could make a reasoned decision about sending additional troops and resources to Afghanistan.

Administration officials say the United States needs to make sure it has a credible partner in the Afghan government before any change in strategy.

President Barack Obama (file photo)

Analysts say the runoff election will add credibility to the new government and Mr. Obama applauded the move.

"President Karzai, as well as the other candidates, I think, have shown that they have the interests of the Afghan people at heart, that this is a reflection of a commitment to rule of law and an insistence that the Afghan people's will should be done," said the president.

Election officials are scrambling to organize the new ballot as the fierce Afghan winter approaches and the country faces a growing threat from the Taliban.

Former CIA officer Bruce Riedel has advised President Obama on Afghan policy. "We have got to make sure that this second round is not marred by fraud and corruption like the first round," he said.

Riedel says U.S. and NATO troops are facing a syndicate of terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan consisting of different groups like the Taliban and al-Qaida.

"The status quo in Afghanistan right now is not sustainable. We are losing this war. It is not yet lost but we are losing this war," he said.

Many members of the U.S. Congress that have expressed concern about sending additional troops to Afghanistan are, like President Obama, Democrats.

Some argue the widespread corruption in Afghanistan is undermining support in the United States for the war and the proposal to send more soldiers.

"At least the question that should be put to Congress is not about troop levels and I do not think Congress right now would be very receptive, the majority of Congress, to a request for more troops," said California Congresswoman Jane Harman. "The question that should be put to Congress is how we can partner with this administration to reduce the rampant levels of corruption in Afghanistan."

A US Marine (R) walks with an Afghan National Army local commander in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, 05 Oct 2009

The United States has nearly 68,000 troops in Afghanistan and there are about 40,000 from NATO and other allied countries.

The top NATO and American commander there, General Stanley McChrystal, has warned the United States could lose the conflict if additional military forces are not deployed.

Analysts arguing against an increase say a larger troop presence would lead to a drop in support from the Afghan people.

CIA veteran Paul Pillar, who is now a professor of security studies at Georgetown University, says public opinion in Afghanistan is already eroding.

"Why is this happening? I think it is number one, the perception that we have become occupiers, like the Soviets were, rather than liberators or protectors of Afghanistan. And number two because of the inevitable collateral damage that occurs from even the most carefully planned and skillfully executed military operations," he said.

The debate about strategy and troop strength is occurring as 30,000 Pakistani troops are launching a massive military operation in South Waziristan, along the border with Afghanistan.

The remote and rugged tribal region is a global hub for militants, who are staging suicide attacks in Pakistan and frequently cross the border to fight NATO and American soldiers in Afghanistan.

Michael O'Hanlon specializes in U.S. national security policy at the Brookings Institution.

"For the first time ever we have the chance to put al-Qaida and related groups between a hammer and an anvil," he said. "We have a chance to go after them in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. I want to do that."

Administration officials say it has not been determined whether the president will decide on a new strategy before the Afghan runoff election. They say the strategy is to be determined in the coming weeks.

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Watchdog Says Media Freedom in Europe Plummeting

The media watchdog Reporters Without Borders has released its annual press freedom index. Several prominent European countries have slid down the ranking while the United States has made significant moves forward. Some African countries are also shooting up the rankings.

Vincent Brossel from Reporters Without Borders says Europe should be setting an example of strong civil liberties around the world, but in many European countries press freedom is moving backwards.

"Important countries in Europe like Italy or France or Spain have really, have lost all their ranks especially because of intervention by the chief of states, like [Italian Prime Minister] Berlusconi or [French President] Mr. Sarkozy but also because of different attitudes by the police on the interference of work on the journalists," Brossel said.

France is in 43rd (place) in this year's index and Italy has finished 49th. Slovakia, in Central Europe, has fallen 37 places coming in at 44th place.

The index is compiled on the basis of questionnaires completed by hundreds of journalists and media experts around the world. This is the eighth such index the watchdog has published and covers the period between September 1, 2008 and August 31, 2009.

The United States has climbed 20 places in the ranking. Brossel says this seems to be a result of United States President Barack Obama's leadership.

"There is already a Barack Obama affect on the U.S. ranking. It means that several decisions by the new administration made possible that the United States has recovered twenty places in the index," Brossel said.

But he says the U.S. attitude towards press freedom outside its own borders is still worrying. Reporters Without Borders data sh! ows that several journalists were injured or arrested by the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan.

According to the index, the African country Eritrea is, for the third year running, the worst country in the world for press freedom. Reporters Without Borders says right now 30 journalists are in prison in the country.

Somalia also came in the bottom 20. Brossel says Somalia is the most dangerous country in the world for journalists, with six journalists killed last year.

"Somalia has private media and is still generally trying to inform the people but there is a huge violence and chaos that is creating [a] very dramatic situation for the journalist," Brossel said.

Image by Rafael Millan via Flickr

But some African countries are moving up the list. Brossel says following a power sharing deal in Zimbabwe, the country's press freedom has improved sharply.

"That is very encouraging because it means that when there is political will to improve the situation it is absolutely possible to get developing countries with a good ranking," Brossel said.

The European countries Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Norway and Sweden have all tied for first place in the index.

Iran came in fourth from the bottom. Reporters Without Borders says journalists in the country are suffering more than ever this year. It says after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed reelection the regime has become paranoid about journalists and bloggers.

At the bottom following Eritrea is Turkmenistan and North Korea.

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Posted by Criminal Defense Lawyer Wednesday, October 21, 2009 0 comments

Gates: 'No Alternatives' to US-Japan Security Accord

Image by US Army Africa via Flickr

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Japan's new leaders, Tuesday, the Obama administration is committed to implementing a wide-ranging defense agreement reached by the previous American and Japanese governments, which some in Japan's new ruling party would like to change. Gates says there are "no alternatives" to the complex agreement.

Like the Obama Administration, Japan's new government ran hard against its predecessor's policies and put many of them under review, when it took office. Secretary Gates says he understands that. Still, he says the new government in Tokyo needs to proceed with the existing, complex agreement to realign U.S. forces in Japan.

"We in President Obama's administration understand what it is like to go through a transition period. And, as your government exercises its new responsibilities, I want you to know the United States stands with you and we are committed to advancing and implementing our agreed alliance transformation agenda," he said.

Secretary Gates says all possible alternatives were explored during the long negotiation, and all are either "politically untenable or operationally unworkable." And, although small adjustments may be possible, he doubts the U.S. Congress would agree to significant changes in the agreement - particularly if it would cost the United States more money.

The newly ruling Democratic Party of Japan ran in part on a platform that advocated a more assertive policy toward the United States. One of its first acts was to announce it would end Japan's naval operation that refuels coalition supply ships heading to and from Afghanistan, a move seen by some in Japan as an expression of independence from U.S. policies.

U.S. Defense Se! cretary Robert Gates, right, shakes hands with Japan's Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada at the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo, 20 Oct 2009

But Secretary Gates says he will remind the new Japanese leaders that Afghanistan is a NATO and coalition effort, and that Japan's refueling mission did more to help other countries than it did to help the United States, directly.

"A number of countries benefit more from the refueling than the United States does," said Gates. "And, so I don't see the refueling as being a favor to the United States but rather a contribution that the Japanese have made that is commensurate with its standing as in the world as the second-wealthiest country and one of the great powers."

Still, Secretary Gates says he went to Japan with a "menu" of options for how the country can be helpful by, among other things, providing trainers for the Afghan security forces and donating money for development projects.

American officials say, in addition to the refueling operation, Japan has contributed $2 billion worth of aid to Afghanistan, during the last eight years. This fiscal year, alone, the United States will spend $68 billion in Afghanistan.

The secretary says he will also discuss options for increased involvement in Afghanistan during a visit to South Korea, starting Wednesday. He says missile defense will be on the agenda, in both Tokyo and Seoul, in the wake of increased missile test launches by North Korea.

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Posted by Criminal Defense Lawyer Tuesday, October 20, 2009 0 comments

IAEA Discussing Uranium-Enrichment Plan with Iran

Iranian Ambassador to International Atomic Energy Agency, Ali Asghar Soltanieh (R) arrives at Vienna meeting, 19 Oct 2009

The International Atomic Energy Agency is hosting a meeting in Vienna to discuss plans to enrich Iranian uranium outside Iran, and then ship it back to Tehran. If the talks are successful, they may mark a breakthrough for Iran's controversial nuclear program.

The Vienna talks gather officials from the United States, Russia, France and Iran - along with those from the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is hosting the meeting.

They will discuss a tentative agreement, reached earlier this month in Geneva, for uranium from Iran to be enriched outside that country. The uranium would then be returned to Tehran for use by a small research reactor making medical isotopes.

According to reports, the deal would have Russia taking in partially enriched Iranian uranium for further enrichment. France would then convert the material into metal rods to be used by the Tehran reactor.

The plan follows months of deadlock over Iran's nuclear program and the recent discovery of a previously unknown nuclear-enrichment plant near the Iranian city of Qom.

Speaking at a press conference in Tehran earlier this month, IAEA chief Mohammed ElBaradei said the agency's inspectors would also be visiting the Qom facility on October 25.

"This is a positive development," ElBaradei said. "I have alw! ays been of the view that the Iranian nuclear issue is an issue that can only be resolved through dialogue, through diplomacy. I have been saying for a number of years that we need transparency on the part of Iran, we need cooperation on the part of the international community. I see that we are at a critical moment. I see that we are shifting gears, from confrontation into transparency and cooperation."

But observers say there are plenty of unknowns, including whether Iran will cooperate with the tentative deal and to what extent the IAEA will be able to monitor Iran's nuclear efforts.

Tehran claims it is enriching uranium for purely peaceful purposes. Western nations fear Iran is trying to make a nuclear bomb.

Claire Spencer heads Middle East and North Africa programs at Chatham House, in London.

"The idea is to prevent the Iranians from enriching beyond a certain level and anywhere near weaponization," Spencer explained. "But the hitch is now news coming out of Tehran, which suggests they may be actually looking to purchase at more highly enriched levels - up to 20 percent. The threshold for weapons is 90 percent enrichment."

An Iranian official told the Reuters news agency that Tehran would produce the highly enriched uranium at home if the Vienna talks fail.

But Spencer says the discussions could also lead to broader talks with Iran over a host of other subjects, including neighboring Iraq and Afghanistan.

"I think there are many who realize that constantly imposing demands on the Iranians which they either have no intention or the capacity to fulfill for domestic political reasons has not gotten us very far over the last three or four years," Spencer said. "So this could be, certainly it was heralded at the time of the Geneva meeting, as a breakthrough in terms of opening channels more widely with the Iranians."

The U.N. Security Council has imposed three rounds of sanctions on Iran for refusing to stop enriching uranium at home. But Security C! ouncil m embers Russia and China have shown little appetite for another round of sanctions.

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Safety of H1N1 Vaccine, Hospital Readiness Worry Americans

A girl receives an H1N1 vaccination

Countries in the northern hemisphere are starting to distribute the H1N1 flu vaccine as part of a massive immunization program against the viral pandemic. Parents and some professionals are concerned about the safety of the vaccine, while some doctors question the ability of hospitals to handle serious cases.

Demand for the H1N1 flu vaccine has drawn scores of people to vaccination clinics in the U.S.

Michelle Lowrey has three young children and one on the way. "I have every reason to be here today," she said.

Pregnant women have a higher risk of complications from the H1N1. And at least 86 American children have died from the new virus.

Katherine Blake is concerned about her young son. "He's high risk, he had open heart surgery as a baby so I've been very nervous for him," she said.

The US Centers for Disease Control reports this new flu virus has spread throughout most of the United States.

Still, some Americans say they will not get vaccinated.

"We live in Sacramento," said one man. "There's some cases of the swine flu there, but not a lot, so [it] just hasn't really affected us."

Some are concerned about the safety of the vaccine because it has been produced so fast, and because it contains a preservative that some parents say can cause autism.

Dr. Anne Schuchat from the Centers for Disease Control says the vaccine is safe and is also available without the preservative.

"We are not cutting any corners in the safety of the production of this vaccine or in the testing and oversight of this vaccine," she said. "And it's very important that this process be done carefully and safely."

Public health officials and doctors are redoubling efforts to promote vaccination as the best protection against H1N1.

Dr. Peter Holbrook

Dr. Peter Holbrook at Children's National Medical Center in Washington says people are mistaken if they think the flu is similar to a cold.

"It's very important to think very clearly about the vaccination and the disease we're preventing," he said. "This is not a mild disease, it's a significant disease."

Dr. Holbrook says even mild cases cause serious illness and severe cases can worsen rapidly.

Doctors are concerned that many hospitals may not have enough doctors or staff to handle a major outbreak. Dr. Arthur Kellermann at Emory School of Medicine is concerned about where to put patients who need intensive care.

"We need [to] prepare our critical care units and our healthcare systems for the possibility of making very tough choices about who gets into an intensive care unit and who does not get into an intensive care unit," he said.

If the H1N1 virus follows the course it took when it broke out last March, the disease will peak and then fall off in roughly seven weeks. If that is the case, Dr. Holbrook says it may already be near the peak in the United States.

"But that's only with the understanding that there could easily be another wave that comes in the winter time," he said.

One thing all specialists agree on is a novel flu is unpredictable.

And there is not enough H1N1 vaccine to go around, even in the United States.

The World Health Organization says international donations of the vaccine should arrive in developing countries in a few weeks.

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Posted by Criminal Defense Lawyer Monday, October 19, 2009 0 comments

Fish Kills Linked to Water Pollutants

Scientists dissect fish from a river near Washington, DC

Since 2002 thousands of fish in the United States have died and continue to die in many rivers, most in the rivers of the southern east coast. Researchers have found what they call "the feminization of fish" or the presence of immature eggs in male fish. They have also found different levels of water contamination all related to human activity. The government says twenty percent of male black bass in river basins across the country have immature egg cells in their sexual organs.

This is a different way of fishing. With electric shocks delivered in the water, all fish nearby rise to the surface, belly up.

Rick Router is with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. "We are applaying about 300 volts to the water at 6 amps. It doesn't kill the fish, it just stuns them momentarily," he says.

The fish recover in a minute or two. But they don't live much longer, because the scientists test their blood and then dissect them.

Here on the Potomac River, south of the U.S. capital, fish are being caught for complex analyses. It's part of a joint study between the states and federal government.

It began seven years ago when thousands of fish were found dead in rivers of the Shenandoah region on the US east coast.

The frequent fish kills are triggering questions - but there are few answers.

Fish pathologist Vicki Blazer, of the U.S. Geological Survey, has been studying both the fishkills and the live fish. She says, so far, there are two major findings: deadly external lesions and another condition called intersex, also known as feminization. Scientists say both findings are related to contaminants in the ! water.&n bsp; "Intersex as we see it in the smallmouth bass is the presence of immature oocytes (immature eggs) in the testes of the male bass. So far the females look fairly normal although it is not just the males that are dying in the fish kills. The females also die in the fish kills," she says.

Blazer and the scientists on her team are studying smallmouth bass in this region of the Potomac. "This is a blood sample which when we get back to the lab we'll centrifuge and get the plasma," she says.

The plasma is analyzed to determine what is killing the fish. Blazer also checks for lesions and other abnormalities that could kill them. On this fish, one eye is abnormal, while this one has defects on its fin. "These are pale discolor areas on the gills that is not normal," she says.

Research biologist Luke Iwanowicz removes some of the vital organs for further study. "This is a male. That's the testy. Many of the changes we can't see with the naked eye just looking at the testy itself. We need to fix the tissue and look at the cells under a microscope," he says.

Blazer says a national study also found intersex characteristics and lesions.

She and other scientists agree the cause is related to water quality.

Scientists have found contaminants such as herbicides, pesticides, estrogen and birth control chemicals in the river. Higher concentrations were found where farming is intense and human population dense. In general, water treatment plants do not remove all chemicals before dumping water back into rivers.

So called endocrine disruptors are especially worrisome because they can change sexual behavior. "One of the concerns is if you have a less aggressive male, they may be less able to protect their nest and do what they are supposed to do. We have done some studies to look at the quantity and quality of the sperm, and intersex bass did have somewhat lower sperm count as well as less motor sperm," s! he says.

Environmental biologist Fred Pinkney is with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He is studying another area -- the Chesapeake Bay. "I think these fish are sort of swimming in a mixture of low level concentrations of pesticides, of hormones that are released either from waste water plants or from failing septic systems," he says.

He believes the problems are related to hormones, whether from human medical treatments or from farms with large numbers of animals. "People excrete hormones, including things like birth control pills, that largely go untreated through the waste water plants and into the rivers," he says.

Pinkney is also concerned about drinking water. He says fish all over the planet could be developing similar problems because of pollution.

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Posted by Criminal Defense Lawyer Sunday, October 18, 2009 0 comments

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