Here’s a little animation on an unsung medical hero which I worked on for Al Jazeera’s medical show – see below.

It is 1847 and the death rate among pregnant women in the Viennese obstetric clinics where the  physician Ignaz Semmelweis works is high. Puerperal fever, which is an infection of the female reproductive organs following childbirth, is a common cause of death and is almost seen as inevitable by medics at the time.

However, a worrying trend in the clinics which Semmelweis supervises in Vienna catches his eye.

After dealing with women so desperate to avoid one clinic that they would rather give birth in the street, Semmelweis decided to look into mortality rates.

He found that the student-run clinic had a much higher mortality rate from puerperal fever than the clinic run by midwives; sometimes three times higher.

Semmelweis came to the conclusion that the students carried something from the mortuary where they carried out autopsies, to the women they later examined. He ordered the students to wash their hands with chlorinated lime solution before every examination. Almost immediately, the mortality rate fell from 18 percent to one percent.

Despite the successful hand-washing policy, Semmelweis could offer no acceptable medical explanation for its effectiveness. The idea that germs exist and cause infections was not developed at the time.

After struggling for years to promote his hand disinfection policies, Semmelweis was admitted to an insane asylum at the age of 47, and he died 14 days later.

In this animation for The Cure, we explore Semmelweis’s ground-breaking contribution to the field of medical hygiene.

Hat tip to Marc Hudson. 

Check out the show here: http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/earthrise/

Yes, I am biased but I think it’s god-damn-awesome!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AJearthrise

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ajearthrise

As part of my job, I also work on a medical show called ‘The Cure’ (points for the hat-tip to a great band ) which has been surprisingly good fun. I know more about tropical diseases than my little sister who is a final year medic. Whoop! 

Follow our show on: http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/thecure/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AJTheCure

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ajcure

Keep an eye out for updates from shows!

Please pass on and share with anyone you think might be interested. Here’s the full details:

Arabic Translation Internship Opportunity with Comma Press 

This autumn Comma Press is offering a unique three month internship for an Arabic translation graduate, to be based within the publisher’s Manchester office. With the support of CASAW, this will be a paid position and will provide the successful candidate with a unique introduction to the literary publishing industry. The intern will be charged with helping the press set up a permanent Arabic translation imprint, and will cover all aspects of the editorial process: commissioning, acquisition, production, digital production, sales, marketing and editorial. The role will also require a degree of research into creative writing activities across a range of countries, liaising with universities in the Middle East, developing contacts, and building links with authors and readers. Applicants must have a Masters degree, or the equivalent or higher, from a UK HEI, or be enrolled in a PhD programme at a UK HEI, and be able to secure a leave of studies for the period of the internship. Eligibility follows AHRC-PG studentship guidelines. (Applications from on-course MA students will also be considered providing they can get leave of absence from their course for the period of the internship).

The internship will run: 16 Sep – 13 Dec (flexible if necessary). Full time
Monthly stipend: £1132
Accommodation allowance if the intern is not based within commuting distance: £750 per month

Essential requirements:

• Proficiency in spoken and written Arabic (Standard Modern Arabic).
• Copy writing skills in English.
• Interest in (and some familiarity with) the literary/publishing scene in the UK.
• Excellent project management skills.

Ideal:

• Familiarity with at least one Arabic regional dialect (ameya). 
• Familiarity with the literary and cultural scene in the Arabic world.

More information about Comma Press here. 

For more information about the post email: Ra.Page (AT) commapress.co.uk
For a more detail job description see here. 
To apply email a CV and a letter of introduction to the above address, explaining in less than 500 words why you feel you would be suited to the internship.
Deadline for applications: 20th August.

In conjunction with the Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World, at Edinburgh University.
www.casaw.imes.ed.ac.uk   

As Jordan works on plans to build its first nuclear plant, protestors are still criticizing the country’s decision to go nuclear in the first place. They say it wastes water and ignores the nation’s renewables potential.

Safa Al Jayoussi, an activist with Greenpeace in Jordan, becomes concerned when she starts to explain why Jordan won’t be able to cope with the country’s impending turn towards nuclear power. She says Jordan is one of the five driest countries in the world and that the new power plans are just going to put the nation under even more pressure.

“Nuclear power plants require large quantities of cooling water, usually from a large river or a large lake,” she told DW. “But, in Jordan, we don’t really have any sources of water.”

She’s also worried about a possible nuclear disaster, similar to what happened at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in March 2011.

“It is proposed that grey water be used from a waste water plant for cooling,” Al Jayoussi explains. “Any shortage in water from that facility, which is likely to happen, will cause a huge problem very much like what we saw in Fukushima.”

Plans taking shape

Back in 2009, Jordan’s newly formed Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) declared its plans to build five nuclear reactors for the country. The first would be operational by 2020, they said, and would generate 44 percent of Jordan’s energy mix.

A hot and arid country sandwiched between Israel and Syria, Jordan doesn’t boast substantial oil reserves of its own. In fact, according to government officials, in 2012 the country imported 95 percent of its energy. It’s this dependency that the country hopes to solve with nuclear reactors.

“Right now, we pay around $1.8 billion (1.35 billion euros) a year for the additional electricity Jordan imports,” explains Kamal Araj, Vice Chairman of the JAEC.

Araj argues that nuclear power will bring energy security to Jordan, something that it has struggled with in the past.

“Nuclear runs for 60 years and although there’s a lot of fluctuation in the oil pricing or gas and diesel pricing, for nuclear the price is fixed for a lifetime,” he said, in interview with DW. Araj says that, in his view, renewables aren’t viable as “they only run for 25 to 30 years.”

When the first plant opens, Jordan plans to buy the electricity from the plant’s operator at a fixed unit price, considerably cheaper than the price the state pays now for electricity.

What about solar?

But Safa Al Jayoussi and Basel Burgan from the environmental group, Jordanian Friends of the Environment, both disagree with Araj’s appraisal of renewables. Jordan has 330 days of sunshine a year and is, according to Burgan, the perfect candidate for solar.

“The European Union is hiring out land in North Africa for solar projects,” he said. “So why are we turning to nuclear without exploring the possibilities of using solar? For one, solar has become cheaper.”

Professor Steve Thomas, a nuclear policy expert from the University of Greenwich in London, also questions the argument that renewables aren’t a realistic option for Jordan.

“Although the government have been saying that they aren’t viable, what really isn’t viable is their nuclear plans,” he told DW.

Thomas doubts whether Jordan will be able to get finance for the nuclear project due to the country’s weak credit rating. And, he’s concerned about whether there will be proper design and safety reviews of the plants.

“They don’t have the slightest chance of achieving their 2020 deadline,” he said.

The rising need

In Jordan’s capital, Amman, ceiling fans whirr inside crowded shops, music blares and young men gather on corners talking on their mobile phones. The busy streets here are alive, and the energy bills of the country are growing every year.

Despite a recent parliamentary motion to halt all works on the nuclear reactors and the complaints of activists, the plans for nuclear power in Jordan seem to be forging ahead. The personal involvement of Jordan’s King Abdullah II has no doubt helped dampen any dissent.

Kamal Araj of JAEC says that construction on the first reactor won’t start until 2017 and admits his organization face lots of challenges before then.

“In those four years there will be discussion about contracts, location studies and a work agreement,” Araj said.

“A lot of countries have gone through this and decided not to build. We are not going to cancel. But, we want to make sure that all the conditions are conducive to building a safe and cost-effective nuclear plant before we start,” he said.

In no particular order:1. Senad Hadzic. The Bosnian man who walked 3,600 miles and crossed six borders over 314 days to get to Mekkah in time for Hajj. Putting aside the agonising blisters, seriously cold European weather and having to slum it for almost a year, this actually sounds like a lot of fun… wait a minute. Yep, you got to hand it to Senad Hadzic for the dedication.

2. Water Portraits by photographer Peter Holmes in which he basically dumps the amount of water a person uses in an hour on them based on the national rates of water use. And all in the name of water conservation too. The Moroccan guy above got splashed with 4.5 litres which is actually nothing compared to the literally eye-watering 32 litres the average person from California uses. There were however no second takes – which I am sure the subjects appreciated!

3. Rafea – Solar Mama.  An award-winning documentary has being made about the inspiring  woman from Jordan who travelled to India to learn to become a solar engineer. Back in 2011, I spoke to Rafea Abdul Hamid who is the focus of the film, so you may recall that she is in fact still struggling to establish solar power in her village. But you can help by donating via the Barefoot College website. Seriously, you have to consider it for an Xmas present or an new year’s gift (‘cos they really do exist), or maybe for someone’s  birthday…

4. Easkey Britton, a surfing champion and passionate environmentalist, became the first women to surf the Iranian waves. That’s all you need to know. Apart from maybe check out the video which has a GREAT soundtrack (C2C – ‘Down the road’ in case it gets you googling too).

Muslim beekeepers keep a watchful eye on those pesky honey poachers after prayers are over…

5. Muslim Beekeepers Start Project in London Mosque. When Kingston mosque in London introduced between 10,000 and 15,000 bees onto its premises last summer, the congregation was naturally quite concerned. Would it be safe? Would bee swarms gather at the mosque? Would it be dangerous for children? However, once local beekeeper Munir Ravalia explained that the beehive wouldn’t be a health and safety risk on the roof, they were pretty eager to find out more…

My top five shout out to some  truly inspiring people goes out to: Mario Cucinella and all those working on Gaza’s green schools, the newly formed Arab Youth Climate Movement, the award-winning Iraqi mud architect Selma Samar Damluji, the Jordanian campaigners who worked to stop nuclear power and also Comet-ME for all their hard work under very difficult circumstances. Keep your heads held high.

Related articles

• Bosnian Walks 3,600 Miles to Mekkah (greenprophet.com)
• Gulf News: Middle East needs to pitch in for the world (arwafreelance.com)

Reblogged from manchester climate monthly:

What is Steady State Economics and why does it matter?  What is a "low carbon hub" when it's at home? What does Sue Murphy, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council have to say about climate change, transparency and democracy?  What is "collaborative consumption?"

All this and much more in a bumper-sized 12 page Manchester Climate Monthly.  Tell your friends!!  This picture to the right is a link through to downloading the pdf (9M!).

Read more… 90 more words

Climate change is not a problem that can be solved by governments and authorities – it’s far too wide reaching for that. It needs local solutions and local actions to go hand in hand with government support and policy. The problem can’t wait for governments to wake up and smell the carbon coffee. So, if we are serious about building up an environmental movement in the Middle East, then we need to be serious about building up a strong and independent civil society first.

Jordan – A Security State or Nation eager for Reform?

Whilst Jordan may not have seen the flurry of protests that lots of other Arab countries witnessed during the Arab Spring, that doesn’t mean Jordanians are not desperate for reform. In fact, they are and to a certain extent the government has been eager to show they are happy to make changes. In the last two years alone there have been amendments to over 42 articles of the Jordanian Constitution. But, for many, these reforms aren’t having a real impact and there are growing concerns that the authorities are becoming more draconian.

First, there were efforts to censor the internet and last month, protestors gathered to demand the release of activists charged with opposing the regime and slandering the royal family. It seems that becoming a campaigner and a genuine member of Jordan’s civil society just got a little more difficult.

“Although Jordan is a security state – if a less extreme, less openly repressive version of one than Egypt was – it continues to be held up as an example of one of the more progressive and democratic Arab states. Jordan’s path to reform has been a carefully managed top-down process which has all the trappings of democracy while lacking substance. Despite its failure to take meaningful steps towards democracy, donors continue to laud Jordan as a democratizer.” 

That was the damning conclusion that researchers Ana Echagüe and Hélène Michou at the Foundation for the Future came to in a report released in May 2011 exploring Jordan’s civil society. For full article see here.

The State of Palestine’s Green Civil Society

The lovely people at Heinrich Böll Stiftung had done something that I have been procrastinating about for almost lifetime (well, not quite a lifetime but a good couple of years at least). They have mapped out the important actors and organisations on the environmental scene in Palestine. Exciting, right!? They have painstakingly gone through all those websites, NGOs and institutes with an environmental focus to bring us a clear image of the state of the environmental movement in Palestine. They found that out of 2,245 NGOs registered in the oPt only 104 were environmentally-focused and of these, just 56 were actually still active.

The Facts on Green Palestine

- 104 registered environmental civil society organisation in the West Bank and Gaza

- 56 civil society organisations are actually still active

- Over 70% of environmental civil society organisations feel that their relationship with other organisations is competitive rather than co-operative

- Limited funding and efforts to raise their grassroots presence are two main reasons for the competitiveness between organisations

Most organisations complained that international donors attempted to remain neutral by focusing in practical action and lacked the political will to enforce real changes by addressing Palestinians’ rights to natural resources. As such many organisations felt their projects were simply ‘coping mechanisms’. Even so, the relationship between NGOs and funders was generally described as co-operative if highly dependent.

:: Full details of Palestine’s Green Civil Society here.

by ARWA ABURAWA

Information overload may not be a modern phenomenon, but the internet age has certainly elevated it to new heights. Just about anything and everything you could think of can be found at the tap of laptop button. You no longer have to search through archives, libraries and encyclopedias for answers to obscure questions. You can just google it.

The only downside to this plethora of information is that it can all be a bit too much sometimes. Making decisions when you have too much information is also one of the most difficult things to do. However, new research has found that hard-working ants may have a unique solution to this modern problem.

Stephen Pratt, an associate professor at Arizona State University, and researcher Takao Sasaki found that ants were able to overcome information overload by simply making decisions collectively. In the experiment carried out, ants were forced to choose a nest in a site with two nests and another site with eight nests. Half of the nests were unsuitable and damaged. The researchers looked into how individual ants chose their nests and compared it to the decisions made collectively by the ant colony.

They found that, collectively, the ants were able to make better decisions when faced with information overload at the sites with 8 potential nests. In contrast, individual ants made worse decisions when faced with the 8 nests. “By sharing the burden of decision-making, colonies avoid the mistakes that a solitary animal makes when taking on too much information,” explains Professor Pratt. “What’s great about these ants is that we can see exactly how they do this, by making sure that no ant has to process more information than it is able to.”

In the experiment, most ants visit only one potential nest. This limits the possibility of information overload and the final decision is made collectively by bringing together the information.

As Sasaki explained to OnIslam.net, “In other words, by having each [ant] worker assess only a subset of available options, they could in turn share the burden of information processing. Indeed many cognitive overload experiments have shown, we often make better decisions when we limit the number of options.” In the research paper, the scientists write that any irrationality by individual ants is therefore overwhelmed by the rationality of the group.

However rationality in groups is not as common as you would think. Over the last couple of decades, the notion of ‘groupthink’ amongst human has gained a lot of credit within the scientific community. The term refers to the collective bad decisions that humans make in groups due to social pressures to avoid conflict or follow norms.

As such, individuals are often better at making decisions alone rather than while being in a group and being influenced by factors such as misplaced confidence, social norms and behaviours. This recent study by Pratt and Sasaki, however, suggests that the animal world is a lot more rational in groups than humans are.

“Groupthink occurs because of social pressure—group members avoid social conflicts. In ant colonies, as far as we know, colony members are not afraid of disagreeing with others,” Sasaki told OnIslam.net. “Social insects, such as ants and honeybees, have a longer history of social life than humans (and most other animals), so we believe that natural selection has shaped this very elaborate group cognition.”

He also added that: “From an outside standpoint, it looks like some central authority is giving them [ants] orders, but in actuality, their complex, coordinated behavior emerges from just local interactions among group members. This decentralized organization is fascinating in its own right, but it is also a source of inspiration for designing better computer programs or control strategies for collective robotics.”

So we humans have a lot to learn from ants and the way they make decisions. As Sasaki remarks, the lesson from their experiment is that it is sometimes better to evaluate a small number of options when making a decision rather than trying to look at everything.

Sites such as Amazon with their ratings and suggestions may hold useful information, but they are also likely to lead to information overload and therefore wrong decisions. As Sasaki also points out, “don’t simply follow the majority; they might be wrong themselves.”

References

Sasaki, T & Pratt, S.C. Groups have a larger cognitive capacity than individuals. Current Biology. 2012.

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• Coding for the community: techie-style philanthropy comes to Manchester (guardian.co.uk)
• Event Report: “Good for Nothing” (manchesterclimatemonthly.net)