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A SERVICE OF OHIO'S PUBLIC BROADCASTING STATIONS
A SERVICE OF OHIO'S PUBLIC BROADCASTING STATIONS
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More than one thousand miles southeast of Ohio, the communist country of Cuba held its assembly elections this week. Their election process is a bit different from the United States, as only candidates of the communist political party can participate. For the 614 open seats, there are 614 candidates. There is no other choice. Next month the new assembly will vote for the president of council, a position Fidel Castro has held for decades.
Iraq is another country that has experienced political turmoil, as well as religious turmoil.
Despite major re-structuring, and assistance from the U.S., some people feel situations there are not getting better; or that the process is too slow. Arwa Damon tells us about teenager Taha Nawaf, who is trying to send an inspiring message of peace - a message in a bottle tossed into the Euphrates River - amid the chaos and fighting.
There is only so much space, only a certain number of places where people can live, and where their trash can go. As researchers raise concerns about U.S. landfill space, a city in Italy has reached its trash limit. Alessio Vinci has more on the garbage piling up in Naples because the landfills there are filled.
Kate Bolduan tells us how the 2009 digital broadcast conversion will affect our homes and our landfills. TV owners can buy a digital converter to make their older TVs usable, but many will buy new digital TVs, sending the older models to the landfill. However, TVs and computers contain large amounts of lead as well as mercury that can be dangerous to our health and the environment. Efforts are under way to recycle these projects safely.
Can you imagine a parent being so busy they forget to take the baby out of the back seat? Well, it's been known to happen, and Sue Sloan of Columbus is a grandmother who wants to make sure it doesn't happen again. She invented "Cecelia's safety seat," which includes a pressure pad that fits any car seat. When the child sits on the pad, it triggers an indicator on the dashboard. Sue says, just like car seats, seat belts and air bags, Cecelia's safety seat should be mandatory. She has a patent on her invention and will contact auto makers about her idea.
January 24, 2008