Japan's demand for whale meat declining
TOKYO, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- Whale meat, a cheap source of protein that helped Japan ward off malnutrition after World War II, has dropped in popularity.
Commercial freezers that store whale meat in Japan have 2,700 tons of uneaten stock, while whale burgers and whale spaghetti bologna are being served in school lunch cafeterias, distributed to old people's homes and -- in some cases -- ending up in pet food, the Times of London reported Friday.
Despite the lack of demand, Japanese whaling interests say they hope to bring in a haul of almost 1,000 minke whales, a 40 percent increase from last year, when they return this spring.
The Japanese government, which has endured international condemnation for its whale fishing, has begun a campaign to promote the gastronomic delights of the "scrumptious whale."
Japanese officials have argued that the government allows killing whales for scientific, not cultural or commercial, reasons.
No stem-cell misconduct by Pa. researcher
PITTSBURGH, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- A University of Pittsburgh panel has ruled that a biologist committed no scientific misconduct involving fraudulent South Korean cloning research.
A statement by the six-member investigatory panel released Thursday said: "Dr. (Gerald) Schatten did not commit scientific misconduct and was not involved in any falsification of data." However, the panel did identify "shortcomings in Schatten's fulfillment of the responsibilities as co-author for one article," the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported Friday.
Schatten, who heads the Pittsburgh Development Center at the Pittsburgh-affiliated Magee-Womens Research Institute, served as senior author on a paper published last June in which South Korean cloning researcher Hwang Woo-Suk claimed to have made patient-matched embryonic stem cells from cloned human embryos.
Schatten severed ties with Hwang last November after charging him with unethical practices in human egg procurement.
Last month, two of Hwang's research papers were retracted after a panel from Seoul National University concluded the landmark studies had been fabricated.
E-waste in trash prohibited in California
SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 10 (UPI) -- It is illegal in California to place most consumer electronics, such as computers and televisions, as well as fluorescent bulbs and batteries, in the trash.
New state rules that took effect Thursday require that residents no longer dispose of printers, videocassette recorders, microwave ovens, fluorescent lighting, glass thermometers and old thermostats in the trash, the San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News reported Friday.
Residents must dispose of so-called e-waste at a household hazardous waste collection center where recyclers can pick up the items, solid waste officials said.
The measure is intended to reduce the amount of lead, mercury, copper and other heavy metals that can leach out when electronic devices are crushed in landfills and pollute groundwater, streams and wildlife.
The state Department of Toxic Substances Control said it will rely on voluntary compliance, the Mercury News said.
Solar plant to be built in Nevada
LAS VEGAS, Nev., Feb. 10 (UPI) -- Construction of a 300-acre solar power plant, believed to be the largest in the world, is expected to begin in Nevada.
Nevada Solar One, developed by Solargenix Energy of North Carolina, is expected to spark the emergence of a renewable energy industry in Southern Nevada, state officials told the Las Vegas Sun.
"It's extremely important," said state Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno, one of the chief architects of the state's renewable energy mandate. "You have to be able to show the public, as well as various companies, the industry overall and, especially, the financial markets, that you're for real."
Solargenix is scheduled to have a groundbreaking ceremony for the plant Saturday. The first phase of construction will begin next week.
The plant, which will cost $100 million, is scheduled to be operational by March 2007, said Gary Bailey, regional managing director for Solargenix.
Nevada state law requires that 20 percent of the state's power production come from renewable resources by 2015.
