Wednesday, February 17, 2016

A World Without Chocolate - Intro



The countdown has started for chocolate lovers. Clocks are synchronized for the year 2020, when a possible lack of cocoa could embitter the palates of many, due to a combination of an increase in demand and a decrease in supply. The news broke at the end of 2014, when the results of a market trend analysis were released by the multinational company Barry Callebaut and picked up by several newspapers. 

But is the future of cocoa really so dark? According to Pamela Thornton, who analyses the cocoa market, "2020 has been a media fabrication; it is not taken seriously by people within the cocoa research community". But she does admit to having some concerns about chocolate's future. "The climatic phenomenon El Nino will take place in Ecuador and Indonesia and we have noticed drier than normal weather in West Africa. 2015 will see a shortage of cocoa and it will be quite substantial, probably of 250,000 tonnes, the biggest in several years. In the meantime the demand is growing 2-2.5 percent every year." 

The future of the fruit is a puzzle of many parts, including the consequences of climate change and El Nino's arrival in Ecuador, increased consumption in the populous arts of Asia, such as India, and the transition towards new models of production, as is already happening in Brazil.
Vi invitiamo a vedere questi tre prossimi clips su come la situazione dello stato del cacao nel mondo stia deteriorandosi. Tre ricercatori hanno svolto un lavoro di ricerca e Al Jazeera mostra, in separati filmati, quello che sta avvenendo.

INC News, 17/02/2016 - source: ©Al Jazeera

A World Without Chocolate - Brazil



Brazil was the second-largest exporter of cocoa until an act of bioterrorism destroyed the crop. Ninety percent of the cocoa plantations were lost. More than 250,000 rural workers became unemployed and moved to the cities, where they then built favelas. Nowadays, Brazil produces cocoa mainly to satisfy internal consumption.



INC News, 17/02/2016 - ©AlJazeera

A World Without Chocolate - Ecuador



Along the equator, the threat to the future of cocoa seems to come from the sea: El Nino, a cyclical atmospheric phenomenon generated by the warming of the oceans that causes rain and abnormal droughts. It is a situation that keeps a large number of Ecuadorian cocoa producers wondering what will become of their crop.

INC News, 17/02/2016 - ©AlJazeera

A World Without Chocolate - India



On the other side of the globe to where it is produced, cocoa's new consumers are to be found. In India consumption per capita has grown from 50g to 120g over the past five years.In the Mumbai neighbourhood of Colaba, chocolates and pastries have largely replaced more traditional Indian sweets as the after-dinner food of choice.

INC News, 17/02/2016 - source: ©AlJazeera

Candidates Chances of Winning Based on Facebook Likes | ABC News



INC News, 17/02/2016 - source: ©Abc News

Ottawa breaks 69 year old snowfall record



Nearly 50 centimetres of fresh snow was recorded at the Ottawa airport breaking a record for snowfall in a single day.

INC News, 17/02/2016 - source: ©CBC News

Numbers of missing and murdered



Canada's minister for the status of women suggests the number of missing and murdered indigenous women could be as high as 4,000, but a dearth of hard data means it's all but impossible to pinpoint an accurate figure. Patty Hajdu told reporters Tuesday that the government doesn't have an exact number, but pointed to research from the Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) that puts it at 4,000, much higher than a figure near 1,200 the RCMP has previously stated.
The comment comes after Hajdu and Carolyn Bennett, the minister for indigenous affairs and northern development, wrapped up cross-country talks Monday ahead of a formal national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women.
INC News, 17/02/2016 - source: ©CBC News

How do you keep mentally strong? BBC News



As part of the BBC's In The Mind series, people have been sharing their tips for coping with mental ill health. Former English professional footballer Clarke Carlisle, Tony Blair's ex-spokesman Alastair Campbell and actor Helen Lederer are among those who got involved.
There was also a huge response from the BBC audience via Twitter and Facebook.

INC News, 17/02/2016 - source: ©BBC News

Fault Lines - Survival Mode: Growing Up With Violence



Life in Chicago's poorest neighbourhoods can sometimes feel like a warzone. In 2015, an average of one person every three hours was shot in Chicago - more than in any other city in the US. Over the course of the calendar year, there were nearly 3,000 shooting victims in the so-called Windy City.According to a recent American Academy of Pediatrics study, 14 million, or one in five, children in the US are exposed to violence involving a weapon between the ages of six and 17.Chicago has struggled for years to stem the ongoing violence, but the impact goes far beyond the lives that are lost.Children are growing up without a baseline of safety, so what are the longterm impact of this continuous exposure to violence and trauma? How will the ever-present violence affect their health and outlook on life? Fault Lines went to Chicago to examine the psychological toll of violence on children growing up in Chicago's most dangerous and most neglected communities.

INC News, 17/02/2016 - source: ©AlJazeera

France probes Sarkozy over 2012 campaign funding



Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been put under investigation over alleged irregularities in his 2012 re-election campaign finances. The decision, which was announced on Tuesday, is seen as a blow to the 61-year-old politician's hopes of running for president again in 2017.

INC News, 17/02/2016 - source: ©AlJazeera

The Stream - Internet Saved?



Indian net neutrality activists are celebrating victory. In a landmark judgement last week regulators came down hard on Facebook, banning the Free Basics app, the company’s free, but stripped down version of the internet aimed at hundreds of millions of Indians. It also prohibited telecom service providers from charging different prices to consumers trying to access content on the internet. For activists the win was a culmination of an 11-month campaign on social media, creating hashtags, wildly popular YouTube videos and memes to break down the jargon and create a movement.

But not everyone is happy. Critics have said the fight for net neutrality in India is the cause of the urban, elite minority with commercial interests. Others disappointed in the judgement have called activists everything from hypocritical to biased against the nation’s poor. Facebook said “...we will continue our efforts to eliminate barriers and give the unconnected an easier path to the internet and the opportunities it brings.”



INC News, 17/02/2016 - source: ©AlJazeera

After 'Suicide Cluster' in Palo Alto, Students Share Stories of Anxiety,...



The situation in this world area seems the same in some area of Kazakhstan, where as well a lot of  young students suicide without apparent reasons.

INC News, 17/02/2016 - source: ©Abc News

Storms Pound Both Coasts



Violent tornadoes in the South, massive pile-ups and accidents and heavy snow make for harrowing travel.Tune into World News Tonight with David Muir weeknights at 6:30 | 5:30c on ABC for breaking news, world reports, Made In America segments and other extraordinary stories.

Non c'é tregua con il maltempo in America, e mai come in questi ultimi anni. L'effetto serra porta sempre piu' drammi e meno benefici.

INC News, 17/02/2016 - source: ©Abc

В Москве прошли горнолыжные соревнования детей с ограниченными возможнос...



INC News, 17/02/2016 - source: ©Russia 24