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Show Business and Science THE SIGNPOST MONDAY, MARCH 7,2011 Libya causes price rise at pump Students feel the effects of political uprise in Africa and Middle East By Paul Adams business reporter I The Signpost In the course of the past few months, protests advocating political revolution have sprung up all over Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and other areas of Africa and the Middle East. One of the most prominent lately has been the situation in Libya. As the protestors grow more and more determined in their efforts toward revolution, their current dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, becomes equally determined to refuse to step down from the government. This situation has begun to put a great deal of strain on the students at Weber State University, who, like most of the nation, have become more and more dependent on oil in today's world. "A lot of us are on fixed incomes, trying to get by as it is," said Brady Earl, WSU student. "Many students will be stuck between putting oil in their car or putting food on their table. If prices go up too high, many students will be stuck between a rock and a hard place." Despite this hardship on students, Earl said he believes that this situation in Libya is necessary and that the U.S. government is handling it as well as they possibly can. "We have a bus pass for a reason," Earl said. "If we can't afford to put gas in our cars, we can take a free bus ride. Students just have to plan accordingly." Kylie Lowe, a nursing student at WSU, is one of those students affected by the higher gas prices. "I fill up about three times a week," Lowe said. "With the prices rising, it's a lot out of my pocket. I have a long commute, so it's been rough." Lowe, who commutes from Bountiful to WSU every day, said that the price change has created a significant increase in money stress. This situation has affected the people of Libya, but it has begun to affect the U.S. and the world as a whole. Libya is a leading oil-producing country and, due to the crisis in Libya, the country's market on oil has been upturned. As a result, the global oil market has to make up the difference. Leah A. Murray, a political science professor at WSU, said the way the crisis affects the U.S. is very complicated. "When our government handles foreign policy," Murray said, "they take into consideration what is in the best interest of the nation's economic and national security, so they like to have stability and someone they can count on." Murray went on to explain how Egypt and Libya, despite having totalitarian governments, had been stable partners to the U.S. for a very long time. The current crisis in these countries has now destroyed that stability, she said. This could put the U.S. in a precarious position, Murray said. If they go in to get oil, Gaddafi has threatened them with a bloodbath, but if they don't, prices will continue to go up and up. At the same time, according to Murray, the Obama Administration wants to support the protestors, but at the same time they are trying to keep oil prices low and the American people happy. Comment on this story at wsusignpost. com. SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS Gadhafi's supporters wear green headbands as they attend an organized rally in Green Square, Tripoli, Libya on Friday, March 4, 2011. Breast milk taken off London shelves Does breast milk pose more health risks for society than cow's milk? Emily Hulse • Signpost business editor Lawmakers in London recently removed ice cream made from human breast milk from the shelves of an ice cream shop. Apparently, people have complained that the ice cream poses a health threat. Viruses, like hepatitis, can be transmitted through breast milk. However, owners of The Icecreamists, the company that has been selling the product, say that the milk has been screened for diseases before being pasteurized and churned to make ice cream. How weird would that be, to realize that you are eating ice cream created from a woman's breast milk, churned with vanilla pods and lemon zest, served in a martini glass? And Jo think you just paid $22.50 for it. Many people can complain that there are all sorts of health risks, but what about the health benefits? It's good enough for babies; why isn't it good enough for us? A single drop of breast milk contains about 1 million white blood cells, which are key factors in your bod/s ability to fight infection and germs. Breast milk fills the space between birth and me time that a baby's own immune system starts as a supplemental immune system. So why are so many people panicked about breast milk ice cream? How different is it going to taste, especially if they chum it with vanilla and lemon? When the company first came out with their initial batch of ice cream, they were sold out within the day. Is this a product of society's fascination with the obscene, or the realization of the true health benefits of going back to the way we began our lives? Criticism of the practice is widespread, but it begs the question of which is better for you - human breast milk, which kept you alive as a child, or milk from a cow grown with hormones and genetically altered to produce more? Yet, in 2008, PETA urged Ben & Jerry's to use human milk in their ice cream. Granted, their stance was to "lessen the suffering of dairy cows on factory farms," but the health benefits were also mentioned - well, more like the health impediments of cow's milk. My opinion: make your own choice. Whether your decision is to feed your children breast milk for longer periods of time, or you decide to forgo the practice altogether, it's up to you. I'm not saying you should start drinking your mother's breast milk again. I'm also not saying we need to ignore the benefits that come from it for infants. Take your pick. As for me, whatever your intentions, I think it's a little over-the-top. Comment on this column at wsusignp os t. com. SOURCE: MODELSANDMOCULS.COM Owners of The Icecreamists, an ice cream shop in London, produced a type of ice cream made from human breast milk, churned with lemon and vanilla. The new flavor has caused some controversy among consumers, leading to its removal from shelves by London officials.* ^ t |