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Getting my genes mapped...

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

We all know I'm a big fan of technologies and gadgets... so when I read last week in the New York Times that one of the more innovative genetic mapping companies (23andme) had reduced the price of its Genetic Mapping service (which many companies sell for up to $2-3,000) from $999 to only a few hundred dollars, I decided it was an amazing amount of information and education to be able to get access to for that amount, so I took the plunge and signed up.

A day later, FedEx delivered a Spit Kit to my house, which requires about 10 minutes of spitting into and mixing together with a solution, and your DNA sample is ready to send back! And off it went to Los Angeles, California to a laboratory today. Funny enough, the FedEx Pak they provide specifically says "do not send liquids" on it :)

So in 6-8 weeks, I'll know where my ancestors are from, whether I'm genetically lactose intolerant, whether or not I love broccoli because I can't taste the bitterness in it, and whether or not I'm a bit more likely than average to get certain diseases or be susceptible to certain conditions in my lifetime, along with dozens of other interesting facts. For less than the price of a university course in genetics, I can view and learn much of the world's most up-to-date knowledge on the relationships between genes and personal/medical conditions personalized to my specific genetic data. How cool is that?

You can make a case against "messing with your life" this way (I had an interesting discussion about this with someone just the other night), but I think that given the great power we have as humans to be intelligent and understand life in a way that no other species can, we then have a responsibility to use it to maximize the potential of our lives. Right? I guess it's also just a bit of an extra motivation knowing that you're slightly more at risk than average to do something about it! (from 1-2 times more or less likely than the generally population, in most cases)

I'll check back in with the results in a few months!

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Will you make your first car/next car a hybrid?

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

I'm very serious about it myself, and I think any car company not investing heavily in environmentally responsible technology is being incredibly short-sighted. Look at the combination of these news bits:

In Fortune this week:

In an industry where others are sputtering, Toyota is a juggernaut. It is producing nearly 50 percent more cars than in 2001 and this year it will almost certainly pass General Motors to become the world's largest auto company.

Toyota (Research) alone earned more than all the rest of the world's 12 largest auto manufacturers combined -- $11.4 billion. And it is pioneering a new technology for the 21st century that will shrink gasoline consumption and limit greenhouse gases.

And this from Auto Spectator:

Billboard tracks gasoline saved by Toyota hybrids: 100,000,000+ gallons

Toyota estimates that drivers of Toyota and Lexus hybrids have saved more than 110,000,000 gallons of gasoline as of January 31, 2006. An electronic billboard counter alongside the 405 Freeway in El Segundo, California updates the running total every four seconds. Toyota and Lexus hybrid drivers have also avoided emitting an estimated 900,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide and more than 3,000,000 pounds of smog-forming gases.

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You know, I'm pretty disappointed in Nissan... the car company I've supported to date. According to Fortune, Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Japanese rival Nissan, likes to poke fun at Toyota's supposed social responsibility. "Some of our competitors say they are doing things for the benefit of humanity," he says. "Well, we are in a business, and the company has a mission of creating value."

Value for who? For what? Shareholders? How about value for humanity! In the future companies will increasingly be judged by the value they contribute back to the world, not only the value of their products to consumers.

Why not start now? Kudos to Toyota for their success, they deserve it for being amongst the first to take many big steps in the right direction. Now it's up to everyone else to catch up, or fall behind.

Who can disagree with this copy from Toyota's site - and I wouldn't usually quote advertising:

"Life is full of truths. That cleaner air is better for all of us. That more power from less gas is smarter. That looking after our planet is not just a choice, it's a necessity."

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Toronto will give you $50 to save energy!

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Toronto Hydro is running a brilliant campaign: they are giving away two free energy-saving bulbs to all Toronto residents to pick up at any Home Depot (Details here). Over the life of the bulbs, they will save you over $50, but more importantly, they will reduce energy use by 75% assuming they replace normal bulbs.

I've been keen to buy energy saving bulbs over the last few years especially after seeing them even in much simpler residences in Ghana, which got me thinking... it is a higher up-front cost, but it's a good investment that pays off financially (they last 6-10 times as long for 2-3 times the price) and environmentally!

Isn't this such a brilliant initiative? I'm glad our power company (although deregulated) is thinking innovatively!

Did you know? According to the Clean Air Foundation (CAF) if every household and business in Toronto replaced just two bulbs, we could eliminate 17,667 tonnes of green house gas emissions annually.

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