A Sampling of Clips for May 6, 2011

* UCSD faculty and staff may obtain a copy of an article by e-mailing the University Communications Office

Green Smoke is Sighted as Vatican Releases Glacier Report
The New York Times, May 5 -- Climate change is shrinking the world's mountain glaciers, whose retreat creates new risks for humans and sensitive ecosystems alike, warns a new report commissioned by the Roman Catholic Church. Atmospheric chemist V. Ramanathan of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography -- a member of the Pontifical Academy since 2004 -- said he hopes the new report will have a lasting impact. More

Similar story in
Forbes
San Diego Union-Tribune

Will Gas Prices Trigger Another Recession?
CNN, Opinion, May 5 -- We have recently been witnessing political unrest and military conflict in North Africa and the Middle East and a surge in world oil prices. If you have the feeling you've seen this story before, you're right. (Written by UC San Diego economist James Hamilton) More

How Obesity Spreads in Social Networks
Scientific American, May 5 -- The people we associate with can have a powerful
effect on our behavior—for better or for worse. This holds true for human health and body mass, too. The heavier our close friends and family, the heavier we are likely to be.  This correlation, described in 2007 by a team co-led by UC San Diego researcher James Fowler, that analyzed data from the longitudinal Framingham Heart Study, is well established. But just how this transpires—whether via shared norms, common behavior or just similar environments—has been the subject of much debate. More

Bay Water Levels are Expected to Rise
The New York Times, May 5 -- Researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego reported this week that they had detected dramatic changes in ocean winds that are believed to be a harbinger of a cold phase in the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, or P.D.O., a decades-long cycle of variation in ocean temperatures. More

Combatants in California Pension Battle Trade Blows
Reuters, May 5 -- California's largest companies spend less than a third of what the state government spends on pensions and other benefits for retired workers, a study released on Thursday concluded as a fight over the costs of public-sector pensions intensified. (Quotes UC San Diego political scientist Thad Kousser) More

Similar story on
CNBC

Ford Foundation Honors UCSD’s Teddy Cruz
San Diego Union-Tribune, May 6 -- The Ford Foundation has honored San Diego architect and UC San Diego professor Teddy Cruz with one of its 12 Visionaries Awards. The awards, which each carry a $100,000 cash prize, aim to recognize “leaders whose innovative efforts on the frontlines of key social issues offer pathways to improved economic opportunities and expanded political and social participation for millions of marginalized people worldwide.” More

Clean Innovation Conference Back at UCSD
La Jolla Light, May 5 -- Investors, entrepreneurs, managers and academics interested in exploring current clean technology trends and innovations showed up Thursday for the fifth annual California Clean Innovation Conference at UC San Diego’s Price Center. More

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