03/01/2007 Selling 25 x 25 & Narcissistic Students

Leaders from a broad alliance of agricultural, energy, environmental, business and labor groups yesterday presented policymakers with a set of specific recommendations for reaching an ambitious renewable energy goal: 25 percent of the nation's energy supply from renewable sources by 2025. The 25x`25 Action Plan: Charting America`s Energy Future was written by the 28-member 25x'25 Steering Committee based on the consensus reviews and policy recommendations of the more than 400 organizations that have endorsed the 25x'25 vision. The Action Plan, which accelerates the transition to America's renewable energy future, is the result of a months-long process involving some of the largest and most influential voices in the energy debate, ranging from the American Farm Bureau Federation to the National Wildlife Federation to General Motors. Today`s college students are more narcissistic and self-centered than their predecessors, according to a comprehensive new study by five psychologists who worry that the trend could be harmful to personal relationships and American society. The findings examined the responses of 16,475 college students nationwide who completed an evaluation called the Narcissistic Personality Inventory between 1982 and 2006. The study asserts that narcissists "are more likely to have romantic relationships that are short-lived, at risk for infidelity, lack emotional warmth, and to exhibit game-playing, dishonesty, and over-controlling and violent behaviors." Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Susan Allen. Thumb through virtually any woman's health fitness or fashion magazine and you will find an article touting a vegetarian diet. What isn't being conveyed to the reader is the damaging effect a total vegetarian lifestyle has on children, even those in the womb. A famous study in Cambridge involving nearly 8,000 British subjects determined that children born to vegetarian mothers were five time more likely to be born with birth defects than those who included meat in their diets. Five times! What loving parent would ever put their child at even twice the risk. Swedish scientist also reported that children who were not given animal products including dairy and eggs were deficient in levels of riboflavin, vitamin B-12, vitamin D, calcium and selenium, important physical and mental building blocks. Childhood obesity is constantly in the spotlight as it should be, yet at the other end of the spectrum we have parents forcing vegetarian diets on young children, it is time they were held accountable as well. Thanks Susan. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.