During the sniper shootings of 13 people in the Washington, D.C., area last October, police initially uncovered only a sparse trail of evidence--often just the bullet itself. As tension mounted over several weeks, newscasts repeatedly reported that examinations of bullet fragments were linking the shootings. That coverage brought the science and technology of bullet identification onto center stage. It also drew attention to a system still under development, in which images of bullets, bullet fragments, and bullet cases collected from crime scenes are matched against a database of previously recorded images.

Known as the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), the system is already giving police a hew way to ferret out links between crimes. Law enforcement officers have used the system many times to establish connections. However, officials won't say whether it served this purpose in the Washington sniper case.

Government and industry scientists are now working on ways to fine-tune this bullet-matching system. One critical component of this effort is the creation of unfired bullet replicas that look, even on a microscopic level, like they've been shot from a gun.

Such replica bullets are needed, their developers say, to ensure consistent performance and use of bullet-identification equipment across a national network. These bullets provide, in the parlance of analysts, a reference material akin to a standard weight that can be placed on any scale. Because the bullet replicas can be duplicated with extreme fidelity and distributed to bullet-matching analysts across the country, they'll offer a uniform standard against which the analysts can calibrate their equipment and their image-recording practices.

To check the uniformity of those replicas, their developers at the National Institute of Standard and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, Md., have also devised a new way to compare bullet surfaces mathematically. This method may ultimately enable forensic scientists to numerically score the degree of similarity between two bullet samples--as is already done in comparisons of DNA samples--rather than rely solely on the judgment of experts.

BULLET MUG SHOTS When forensic scientists talk about bullets, they are referring to the metal slugs that zoom through gun barrels, not the gunpowder-packed cases that hold the projectiles before the shots are fired.

Bullets are intentionally made a bit too wide to fit easily through gun barrels. That way the hard barrel compresses the relatively soft metal of the bullet as the exploding gunpowder hurls the projectile down the barrel. The compression squashes the bullet slightly, enabling about a half-dozen spiral grooves cut along the barrel's inner wall to grab the bullet and make it spin. That spin stabilizes the bullet's imminent flight.

Between the spiral grooves are the so-called lands where the barrel is thickest. Those areas, which typically have unintentional microscopic scratches on them from their manufacture, squeeze the bullet the most and leave a signature of their scratches on its surface.

To cheek whether a bullet from a crime scene was fired from a specific gun, firearms examiners typically test-fire a bullet from the suspect gun and then compare the scratches on its land impressions to those on the crime-scene bullet. Bullet cases also get nicked and dinged by a gun, so examiners often scrutinize them, too.

The technology for making such comparisons hasn't changed much since the 1920s, when firearms examiners started using so-called comparison microscopes. Those devices optically present in one eyepiece side-by-side views of two different bullets, and an examiner judges their similarity for the court report.

However, in the past decade, technology developers have created automated bullet-matching workstations that meld traditional comparison microscopes with digital cameras, lasers, computers, huge databases, and image-analysis techniques. The result: an unprecedented tool for investigators that links crimes by automatically finding similarities among images of bullets or bullet eases from crime scenes or victims. However, courts don't accept as evidence the results of an automated search without verification by a firearms examiner looking at the actual bullets or cases with a comparison microscope.

In the early 1990s, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) each began installing different commercial versions of such systems in their crime labs. They also started electronically linking these systems via high-speed networks to serve wider regions. Ultimately, the two agencies opted to unite their systems and equip all the labs with the same type of workstation, called the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS).

In today's systems environments, there are only two Constants: change and growth. Applications are expanding at a dramatic rate, and systems are evolving to keep pace. A key driver behind this constant, rapid change is the explosive impact of the World Wide Web and other media-intensive applications. The Web is emerging as the source of first resort for information, entertainment and even communications, placing tremendous demands on the systems that store and serve up that data to hundreds, thousands or even millions of users. As rich media content-- including streaming audio and video--becomes commonplace on the Web, these demands are compounded at an incredible rate.

In the corporate environment, enterprise-wide information access via company intranets and the rise of new "ebusiness" models is driving a proliferation of media-intensive, server-based applications-- from imaging to data warehousing. The deployment of these types of applications is driving companies to increase their demand for storage each year.

While these trends are driving rapid evolution throughout the IT environment, nowhere are they being felt more than in the area of network storage. In some applications, demand for storage capacity is doubling every few months. Once a "peripheral" concern, storage is today an issue of strategic importance.

To address this critical issue, many companies are taming to new, network storage topologies, from Storage Area Networks (SANs) to Network Attached Storage (NAS) to IP-SAN storage appliances. They are looking to these topologies to help them reduce the burden on the server network created by the tremendous increase in data volumes, while helping them to access data information faster and more reliably. They are looking for solutions that enable them to expand as their storage requirements grow without affecting the existing systems or application processes. At the same time, companies are looking to centralize the management of their storage network and reduce the overall cost of managing their storage resources.

A New Approach

Regardless of the storage topology they choose, to keep pace with their rapidly changing storage requirements, companies need a new, more flexible storage architecture that addresses scalability in multiple dimensions. They need networked storage solutions that are versatile enough to change rapidly in response to changing business requirements-solutions that drive down the immense cost of managing complex storage infrastructures, while enabling cost-effective growth and expansion. Flexibility is even more critical for OEMs, channel partners, VARs, and other third-party distributors. To compete effectively, they need a common storage solution that can be configured to meet a variety of application requirements, minimizing the number of specialized components required to meet the diverse needs of their customers.

To respond to this need, subsystem vendors are focusing on modular, flexible storage frameworks that increase flexibility, while reducing cost and technology risk. Storage solutions are created from flexible, modular "building blocks" based on open standards. This approach is fundamentally different than some existing storage architectures, which are based on application-specific designs that limit their flexibility.

The modular architecture enables network storage solutions that are scalable in all four key dimensions: functionality, interface, capacity, and performance. The result is a highly cost-effective, "all-in-one" solution that meets the full range of storage needs of today--while enabling rapid scaling or reconfiguration to meet the needs of tomorrow.

Functional Flexibility

The modular architecture provides an unprecedented degree of configuration flexibility. Control functionality is provided by hot-swappable modules based on a compact, industry leading form factor such as 2U. The platforms can be configured for virtually any storage configuration--including JBOD, RAID, SAN, and other network storage topologies (i.e., iSCSI)--simply by sliding in the appropriate module(s). This modular design also provides a cost-effective, "single card" migration path to the best-of-breed technologies in the future--including emerging intelligent networking technologies that place application intelligence within the storage platform.

This design offers the tremendous advantage of a single, modular platform able to satisfy virtually any network storage need. This dramatically simplifies stocking and sparing for OEMs--reducing their overall costs, while greatly increasing their responsiveness to customers' needs. For end users, modular functionality enables companies to reconfigure existing storage platforms as their needs change, without costly "forklift" upgrades. For example, a JBOD platform can be transformed into a RAID platform by swapping a single module. The JBOD module can be retained for use in another platform or as a spare, protecting the entire technology investment. This modular approach also enables cost-effective redundancy with hot-swappable components to meet the availability requirements of demanding enterprise, transaction processing, and Web commerce environments.

UK-based MONTERRICO METALS PLC is currently gearing-up to develop its Rio Blanco copper mine in Peru. As things currently stand, the company is involved in the completion of a project feasibility study that is scheduled for conclusion by March 2005.

According to Ray Angus, MONTERRICO Chief Operating Officer, the total cost to build the Rio Blanco mine has been estimated at $400,000,000. In so doing, the company anticipates raising $100,000,000 in equity and the remaining $300,000,000 is expected to be covered by a syndicate of 4 banks.

The local MINA CONGAS is currently gearing-up to develop a very large, low-grade, gold-copper mine in Peru. According to Thomas de Mull, MINA CONGAS General Manager, the project is expected to require an investment of $900,000,000 to complete.

The initial resource estimate, contained in 2 ore bodies, has been established at 399 million tons grading 0.86 grams per ton of gold and 0.31% copper. Operating plans envision an annual throughput of 30 million tons per year. However, a project feasibility study is currently under way and is scheduled for completion some time during .

We assessed gastrointestinal effects in 1,365 adults exposed to either < rr =" 1.9;"> 6 mg Cu/L. We conclude that exposure to Cu in drinking water results in gastrointestinal symptoms, which are modulated by Cu concentration, time, and sex.

Copper is relevant to human nutrition because it is both essential and toxic depending on the dose and duration of exposure. Ingestion of high Cu doses induces acute effects in the gastrointestinal tract, mainly in the stomach (Furukawa and Hatano 1998; Kayashima et al. 1978; Niijima et al. 1987; Wang and Borison 1951), whereas chronic effects from long-term overexposure results mainly on Cu accumulation in the liver and liver damage (Bremmer 1998). Reports of acute Cu intoxication in humans are infrequent (National Research Council 2000; Ross 1955; Spitalny et al. 1984; Wyllie 1957); the possibility that low Cu concentrations, such as those contained in drinking water, may induce acute adverse effects in humans was raised in the early 1980s and 1990s and quickly became a concern of health authorities and regulators. Most natural drinking waters have Cu concentrations not exceeding a few milligrams per liter; however, soft, acidic waters, especially when going through new Cu pipes, may deliver higher amounts of Cu (National Research Council 1980). Anecdotal and accidental random events where variable concentrations of Cu was related to acute gastrointestinal symptoms have appeared in the literature (National Research Council 2000; Ross 1955; Spitalny et al. 1984; Wyllie 1957), but the exact responses and their distribution at a given dose within a population were unknown. The current World Health Organization (WHO) provisional guideline value for drinking water of 2 mg Cu/L is based on acute gastrointestinal symptoms that are reversible in nature (WHO 1993, 2003).

Over the past decade, systematic controlled randomized studies have characterized the full response to acute Cu exposure in drinking water, defining the first adverse effect rather than toxic effects (Araya et al. 2001; Olivares et al. 2001; Pizarro et al. 1999). In these studies, clinical assays using controlled exposure were performed including asymptomatic participants 18-60 years of age, balanced by sex, who were exposed to a single bolus of different waters containing Cu sulfate in concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 12 mg Cu/L. The first and most frequent symptom reported was nausea, which was transient, appearing mainly within 15 min after ingestion (Araya et al. 2001; Gotteland et al. 2001; Olivares et al. 2001; Pizarro et al. 1999). The no observed effect level (NOEL) was 2 mg Cu/L, and the lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL) for nausea was 4 mg Cu/L (Olivares et al. 2001). At testing concentrations of up to 12 mg Cu/L, the authors reported that nearly one-third of the subjects remained asymptomatic. Vomiting was observed in 11.5% of the study subjects and was first reported at 6 mg/L, showing a 2-fold increase when the Cu concentration reached 10-12 mg Cu/L. Diarrhea and abdominal cramps were rare within the range of concentrations studied (Araya et al. 2001; Gotteland et al. 2001; Olivares et al. 2001; Pizarro et al. 1999). Using these dose-response curves and the 95% confidence intervals (CI), the Cu concentration at which 5% of the population would experience nausea was 2.0 mg Cu/L for the crude initial response and 4.2 mg Cu/L for the nausea response confirmed by repeat testing (Olivares et al. 2001). Another study emphasizing the interindividual variability of responses across countries included volunteers from the United States, Northern Ireland, and Chile. Using the pooled data obtained in the three countries and statistical significance to define a level, the NOEL and LOAEL for water were determined to be 4 and 6 mg Cu/L (Araya et al. 2001).

Because an epidemiologic study using natural exposure to Cu in water would be difficult to carry out, we decided to conduct a controlled exposure study in a community whose members maintained living conditions as close to real life as possible.

Watch out, cable and DSL--there's a new option for broadband in some towns. Verizon's (www.verizon.com) FiOS Internet Service for Business is available in parts of California, Florida and Texas, with a 14-state expansion expected by the end of the year. The fiber-to-the-premises service uses fiber optics rather than copper wire and is aimed at businesses with 50 employees or fewer.

There are several levels of service available. The basic package offers 15Mbps downstream and 2Mbps upstream at a very affordable price of $60 per month with a dynamic IP address, or $100 per month with a static IP address. The highest tier gets you 30Mbps downstream and 5Mbps upstream at $350 (dynamic IP) or $390 (static IP). Some of the perks with any of the packages are professional installation, 24-hour technical support and remote dial-up access for employees on the go.--A.C.K.

ll over

* Chanel Coromandels De Chanel ($55; gloss.com) contains gold (to highlight), coppery red (for the apples of cheeks) and black powder (used wet as an eyeliner) in a pattern inspired by Coco Chanel's own collection of antique Imperial Chinese room screens.

* DiorGlam Face and Eyes Highlighting Powder in Iridescent Satin #001 ($50; at department stores). Inspired by Dior Couture Rock Star Fashion, this chic silver palette and attached brush house an iridescent yellow eye shadow that can be used to highlight lids and a shimmery pink blush that provides a healthy glow to all skin tones.

on lips

* Clinique Colour Surge Butter Shine Lipstick ($14 each; gloss.com) replaces some of the waxes found in traditional formulas with gels to better saturate lips with shine. Your body's warmth melts the mix of waxes and gels, creating a butter-soft texture. It's available in 14 shades.

on eyes

* L'Oreal Paris Illumination Loose Eye Colour ($7; at drugstores) is a line of eight luminous shades available in spill-proof containers with a built-in brush for precise--and easy--application.

* Maybelline New York Intense XXL Volume+Length Microfiber Mascara ($8; at drugstores) is a two-in-one system that gives you lush lashes without clumps. On one end is a lengthening primer to extend your lashes; on the other, a fibrous mascara to add volume (available in Very Black and Brownish Black).

The mining giant Phelps Dodge Morenci, Inc., has pled guilty to a single misdemeanor count of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in federal district court in Phoenix for exposing migratory birds to acidic mine waste water. The company will spend more than $100,000 in penalties and remediation to settle the charge.

Information presented in court alleges that more than 60 birds were found dead on the Morenci Mine Site between October 2000 and March 2001. Since then, additional dead birds were found on the site in eastern Arizona.

Phelps Dodge Morenci is charged with the deaths of 43 birds identified as being migratory species protected under the act.

Phelps Dodge Morenci, Inc., is the largest copper producing operation in North America. Active operations include an open-pit mine, numerous leach stockpiles, four solution extraction plants and three electrowinning tankhouses.

Open bidding for the Las Bambas copper project in Peru is set to begin July 2, one week later than originally planned.

More than a dozen companies, including Anglo American Plc., Cambior Inc., Cia. Vale do Rio Doce SA, Phelps Dodge Corp., Rio Tinto Ltd., Southern Peru Copper Corp. and Teck Cominco Ltd., have pre-qualified to participate in the auction.

The Agencia de Promocion de la Inversion Privada Paseo de la Republica (ProInversion) is overseeing the privatization process.

News reports attributed the change in dates to negotiations with officials from the Apurimac region, where the mine is located, but information on ProInversion's Web site, as well as a source involved in the process, indicated that agreements with local officials had already been established.

Estimated proven reserves at Las Bambas are 40.5 million tons with grades exceeding 2-percent copper. Additional exploration could delineate a deposit of more than 500 million tons containing both copper and gold. Initial investment is estimated at $700 million to $1.4 billion.

The copper mines in the Okiep district of Namaqualand are steeped in the history of South African mining and geology. The most famous mineral specimen-producing copper mine in the district was the Jan Coetzee mine, where several thousand quartz specimens were collected in 1966. Excellent specimens of chalcopyrite, fluorite, calcite, gypsum and chalcocite have been collected from other mines in the district such as Nababeep West and Okiep.

INTRODUCTION

Dutch colonialists discovered the Okiep deposits in 1685, although the indigenous Africans may have previously worked copper there for several hundred years. The first mine to be opened by Europeans in South Africa is located in the Okiep district, and the first South African mining company was formed there in 1852 to mine copper from the deposits. Other notable "firsts" for the region include the first South African geological report and the first geological map produced in this country, both of which describe and depict the Namaqualand copper fields.

Fluctuating copper prices, coupled with a remote and hostile setting, have resulted in varying degrees of success and failure in the 150-year ("modern") history of the mines. Derelict and abandoned mining apparatus, some imported from Cornwall, can still be seen scattered around at a few of the old mines.

LOCATION

The Okiep copper district covers an area of approximately 3000 km^sup 2^ in the Northern Cape Province and includes the towns of Springbok, Nababeep, Okiep, Concordia and Carolusberg. The geographic region is referred to as Namaqualand.

The greater part of the copper district consists of a highly dissected mountainous terrain that flattens eastward, merging with the Bushmanland plain. The average elevation is 900 meters above sea level, rising in places to about 1300 meters. The area has an average annual rainfall of only 17.5 cm.

HISTORY

Copper! It is a malleable, enduring metal that has served man for untold centuries. Certainly it has served Namaqualand well. More than anything else it has made Namaqualand what it is, and to mention the one without the other is to censor history. (Steenkamp, 1975, p. 37)

PRE-EUROPEAN COPPER MINING

Copper was mined for centuries in southern Africa, the most noteworthy localities being in Zimbabwe, eastern Botswana and the northeastern parts of South Africa (Miller, 1995). Two localities, at Palabora and Messina, were later discovered by Europeans and developed into significant copper mines. Radiocarbon testing of charcoal samples from the former site date it back to 770 AD, making it the oldest known site for pre-European mining anywhere in southern Africa (Mason, 1982).

There is, therefore, well-documented evidence for pre-European copper mining in some parts of southern Africa, but the Namaqualand region is somewhat problematical. The local Namaqua people were wearing copper bands on their arms and ankles when they first met the Dutch explorers in the 1660's, and it was this fact that prompted the first expeditions to find the "copper mountain." Even earlier, when the Portuguese explorer Bartholomew Diaz landed on the western shores of the southern African continent on route to the East Indies, he too encountered Africans wearing copper ornaments. The copper may have been traded from other regions, perhaps from Namibia to the north or from the Transvaal and eastern Botswana-no unequivocal archaeological evidence has been found in Namaqualand to prove that the copper worn by the locals was in fact mined there. The Dutch explorers found oxidized copper ore well-exposed on the surface in several places, so the lack of proven African mining in this region is somewhat perplexing (Miller, 1995). Moreover, despite the absence of archaeological evidence, other historical documents clearly show "Hottentots" working and smelting iron (Kolbe, 1727) and possibly copper as well.

EUROPEAN EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT

17th Century

The Okiep copper district's history is almost as old as European colonization in South Africa; its beginning postdates Jan van Riebeck's landing and occupation of the Cape in 1652 by only a few years. The first European exploration parties that were sent forth into the interior of Namaqualand started out from the Cape of Good Hope, dispatched to find the "legendary" golden wealth of King Monomotapa (Dapper, 1676; Steenkamp, 1975). In 1660, van Riebeck sent the first exploratory team into the interior of northwestern South Africa. Between 1660 and 1664, a total of six expeditions were undertaken, although none found either the gold or copper; these discoveries were to come later. Nonetheless, these early travelers did return to the Cape settlement with geographic information that was to be an invaluable aid to later investigators. They also amassed valuable data on the flora and fauna of the region.

The last of these early expeditions was led by Sergeant Jonas de la Guerre, who, with a party of 14 men, set out from the Dutch fort on October 11, 1663. His directive was still to seek out the Monomotapa kingdom, a challenge he was not to fulfill. Unlike the parties before him, Guerre did not even reach the Orange River. Yet he ventured close to the outcrop of copper deposits that were later located in the northern region of the Kamiesberg.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- An initial review of U.S. copper trade with China indicates there has been unfair trade in some products, according to a senior Commerce Department official.

He would not say much more, however, because it is likely his office soon will be involved in an official fast-track investigation of copper scrap trade with Asia.

Robert C. Reiley, director of the Commerce Department's office of metals, materials and chemicals, told attendees at the annual meeting of the Wayne, Pa.,-based Copper & Brass Servicenter Association that his agency's initial tallies of data from the past two years showed sharp increases in U.S. exports of copper scrap.

On average, exports had increased 55 percent during the period, he said, with exports to China up 84 percent and exports to South Korea up 71 percent. "Does the data lead to a conclusion that maybe there is a problem with exports of scrap from the United States?" Reiley asked. "We have to investigate that, but it certainly looks that way to me."

Reiley said the Copper and Brass Fabricators Council, Washington, and the Non-Ferrous Founders' Society, Park Ridge, Ill., were expected to file a petition soon under the Export Administration Act to seek export controls on copper scrap.

Such a petition would be the first attempt to pursue export controls in about 30 years, Reiley said. A separate petition for use of the act to control ferrous scrap exports was being prepared by the Emergency Steel Scrap Coalition, whose members include the Steel Founders' Society of America, Crystal Lake, Ill., and the Steel Manufacturers Association, Washington.

Reiley said he was unable to comment in depth about the planned litigation since he was expecting to be part of the investigating team, which will be under a tight deadline of about 90 days to investigate and make a decision on the filing.

The export law limits investigations to only 30 days and sets short deadlines for decisions, which is one of the reasons the law was being revived and other trade remedies were not being pursued, Reiley explained.

The Commerce Department official said the U.S. copper industry had been aggressively pursuing the steps necessary to be competitive in world trade, but the problems the industry was facing appeared to be coming from outside.

"You're in a transparent industry, you've decreased your costs, you've increased your productivity and you've got an aggressive marketing program," he said. "Is there unfair trade in copper? I would submit that the evidence is yes, there is."

Reiley said the Commerce Department also was reviewing information on China's value-added tax (VAT) rebate system "that leads us to believe that maybe it is not being administered in the way that it is supposed to."

He said the department also was looking into copper pricing on the Shanghai Futures Exchange. "We note that over the past several years the price of copper on the Shanghai exchange has been consistently about 40 percent above the price of copper on the London Metal Exchange and the Comex," Reiley said. "We've asked the Chinese about that and they've explained to us that that price includes freight, the value-added tax and a number of other things which have been in the industry for years.

"One has to wonder how that kind of a price differential can be sustained and why it's there in the first place."

Reiley said senior officials had met with the Chinese on the issues in an attempt to gain better understanding of the situation, which had been under review by the Commerce Department for more than a year.

Joseph D. Rupp, chairman of the Copper and Brass Fabricators Council and the president and chief executive officer of Norwalk, Conn.,-based Olin Corp., made similar unfair-trade charges regarding Chinese copper activities at a congressional hearing Thursday.

Rupp mentioned the undervalued yuan, the suspected refund to Chinese importers of copper-based scrap of most of the VAT when downstream products made from that scrap are subsequently exported from China, and other reported subsidies as key factors in creating the alleged unfair trade situation.

"It is also possible that imports of copper-based scrap into China are not being properly classified and valued and are consequently not paying full import duties and other taxes," Rupp told lawmakers at a House Small Business Committee hearing called to look into metal pricing spikes.

Rupp also testified that there were reports of counterfeiting involving copper tube, in which products manufactured in China were labeled as being of U.S. origin and then sold in third-country markets that council members traditionally had supplied.

China Demand for Uranium, World Growth in Electricity Demand to Drive Uranium Price Higher

Industry expert says all new production already factored in uranium price “We are consuming far more uranium than we are producing worldwide,” explained David Miller, Wyoming legislator and recently appointed president of Strathmore Resources (TSX-V: STM; OTC: STHJF.PK). “All the new production is already factored into the future market for uranium. We’re underwater right now without building one more nuclear power plant.” Nuclear reactor requirements have far outstripped current mining production for the past two decades. Current worldwide production is more than 80 million pounds, but the demand for uranium, which fuels nuclear reactors, is running an annual deficit of approximately 60 million pounds.

Electricity: Uranium’s Supply and Demand Problem

“We’re not going to run out of uranium, but where will the price go to encourage new production?” asked David Miller. “We are around over $33/pound now. Could it double again? It wouldn’t surprise me at all.” Kevin Bambrough, a research analyst for Sprott Asset Management, heartily agreed with Mr. Miller, saying, “We have just started a long term uranium bull market that will end in a ‘uranium mania’ as utilities and countries drive uranium prices to unbelievable highs as they compete to secure supplies."

That driving force is demand for more electricity. Over the past 25 years, total world energy use expanded by almost 50 percent, with stronger growth in electricity usage. Demand for electricity is increasing far more rapidly than overall energy use. Electricity demand has been projected to grow 2.8 percent annually through 2010, and substantially more between then and 2020. About 2 billion people currently have no electricity access, and with United Nations forecasts of world population growth by 1.5 billion people in 2020, electricity demand will continue to grow.

As an interim solution to the greenhouse gas problem and climate changes, a growing number of countries are investigating nuclear energy to solve their burden of a soaring electrical demand. Presently, there is as much electricity generated by nuclear power as was provided by all sources worldwide in 1960.

Nuclear power generates more than 16 percent of the world’s electricity, nearly 24 percent of the OECD and 34 percent of the European Union’s electricity needs. In an April 2005 speech to the National Small Business Conference in Washington, President Bush announced, “Nuclear power is now providing about 20 percent of America's electricity, with no air pollution or greenhouse gas emissions. Nuclear power is one of the safest, cleanest sources of power in the world, and we need more of it here in America.”

Demand for electricity is projected to impact other commodities as well, not just the price of uranium. In the Energy Information Agency’s Annual Energy Outlook 2005, U.S. electricity demand will bring about increases in natural gas consumption. By 2025, the electric power sector will account for 31 percent of total demand for natural gas, as consumption increases from 5.0 trillion cubic feet in 2003 to 9.4 trillion cubic feet in 2025.

Get ready to experience a volume of information of the healthiest foods in the world. Here is a list of the top ten super foods that most health experts agree on. You should tell everyone you know about these foods and enjoy them at your next meal. From fruits and vegetables, to whole grains, nuts, beans and legumes, this power-packed nutritional inventory will take you into the best years of your life and beyond.

Fruits

1. Cantaloupe Only a quarter of cantaloupe provides almost all the vitamin A needed in one day. Since the beta-carotene in a cantaloupe converts to vitamin A, you get both nutrients at once. These vision-strengthening nutrients may help reduce the risk of developing cataracts. Like an orange, cantaloupe is also an excellent source of vitamin C, which helps our immune system. It is also is a good source of vitamin B6, dietary fiber, folate, niacin, and potassium, which helps maintain good blood sugar levels and metabolism. This pale orange power fruit may help reduce our risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

2. Blueberries These mildly sweet (and sometimes tangy) berries offer a high capacity to destroy free radicals that can cause cancer. Low in calories, they offer antioxidant phytonutrients called anthocyanidins, which enhance the effects of vitamin C. These antioxidants may help prevent cataracts, glaucoma, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, peptic ulcers, heart disease and cancer.

Vegetables

3: Tomatoes Tomatoes help us fight against heart disease and cancers such as colorectal, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and cancer of the pancreas. Tomatoes are also good sources of vitamin C, A, and K. In a 2004 study, it was found that tomato juice alone can help reduce blood clotting.

Fresh, organic tomatoes deliver three times as much of the cancer-fighting carotenoid lycopene. Even organic ketchup is better for you than regular ketchup! Look for tomato pastes and sauces that contain the whole tomato (including peels) because you will absorb 75% more lycopene and almost two times the amount of beta-carotene.

4: Sweet Potatoes As an excellent source of vitamin A, C, and manganese, sweet potatoes are also a good source of copper, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium and iron. Those who are smokers or prone to second-hand smoke may benefit greatly from this root vegetable that helps protect us against emphysema.

For a unique dessert, cube a cooked sweet potato and slice a banana. Then lightly pour maple syrup over the top and add a dash or two of cinnamon. Add chopped walnuts for an even healthier kick.

5: Spinach and Kale

A cancer-fighter and cardio-helper, spinach and kale top the list as far as green leafy vegetables are concerned. Much like broccoli, they provide an excellent source of vitamin A and C. Kale is a surprisingly good source of calcium at 25% per cup, boiled. Vitamin K is abundantly found in spinach as well, with almost 200% of the Daily Value available, to help reduce bone loss.