Russian authorities order Stalin billboards removed

(BILLBOARDS, STALIN, PAPER, COMMUNIST, ADVERTISING, GREAT)

MOSCOW, June 25 (RIA Novosti) - Authorities in the central Russian city of Voronezh have ordered the removal of billboards bearing the image of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, a paper said on Thursday.
The authorities said the billboards, which were put up by the Communist Party and show Stalin wearing a military uniform next to the slogan "Victory will be ours!", violated advertising laws, Kommersant reported.
The city`s chief advertising official said on Wednesday billboards should be used for advertising purposes only, including "social" advertising.
And Vadim Nechui-Veter, a lawyer specializing in advertising, told the paper: "Adverts should portray objects - goods or services, i.e. something that can be sold." He added that politicians could only be shown on billboards during election campaigns.
The Communist Party countered that in this case images of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Voronezh`s mayor should also be removed from the city`s streets, the paper said.
The billboards were to commemorate the start on June 22 of the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War, the term Russia and other ex-Soviet states use to call WWII. This year also marks the 130th anniversary of Stalin`s birth.
The leader of Voronezh`s Communists said, as quoted by Russian media, that some advertising agencies in the city had refused to take the order for the ten Stalin billboards.
"We made preparations for June 22, the start of the war, where Stalin played an important role," Sergei Rudakov said.
"We wanted to underline, with the help of the billboards, that we support reforms, but we can only move forward with the positive things we had in Stalin`s time before and after the war...when the country became a great power," Rudakov said.
While Stalin`s personality cult and his purges have been officially condemned in Russia, many Russians still view the dictator as a great statesman.
The exact number of those killed or imprisoned during Stalin`s purges is not known, although estimates are as high as 20 million.
 
Original article

Queen Elizabeth faces wait for palace repairs

(MILLION, ROYAL, PALACE, POUNDS, GOVERNMENT, BUCKINGHAM, WOULD)

By Tim Castle
LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Queen Elizabeth faces a long wait for repairs to the roof of Buckingham Palace unless the government stumps up extra cash, royal accounts showed on Monday.
Her treasurer, Alan Reid, said a backlog of "essential" maintenance would reach 40 million pounds over the next decade if there is no increase in annual funding.
Key projects facing at least a 10-year wait include the 13 million pounds renewal of lead and slate roofs at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, and the 4.5 million pound refurbishment of state rooms at both properties.
Also facing a decade of delays are replacements to the palace`s heating and electricity services, as well as the replacement of aging cast iron and lead Victorian water mains at the castle.
Reid, known as the Keeper of the Privy Purse, said royal officials would continue to negotiate with the government "to improve the assessment of the additional funding required."
The government would have to increase support to 19 million pounds a year from 15 million to avoid the backlog, a senior Buckingham Palace source told Reuters.
But with Britain suffering its most severe economic downturn for 60 years, extra taxpayer funds for the royals may be hard for the government to justify.
A parliamentary committee said earlier this month the queen should open Buckingham Palace more often to tourists to help raise money for repairs, a recommendation royal officials are studying.
The government covers the cost of the royal family`s official duties in return for the queen surrendering the revenue from royal property held by Crown Estate and other hereditary sources, which reached 211 million pounds in 2007.
Royal expenditure rose 1.5 percent to 41.5 million pounds in the last financial year, after allowing for inflation.
Reid said this was equivalent to just 69 pence per person in Britain, a rise of 3 pence over the year before.
But anti-monarchist pressure group Republic said the comparison was meaningless, adding that the published expenditure did not include the cost of security.
"Every year the palace press office tries to justify the cost of the monarchy by dividing the official figure by 60 million," said Republic spokesman Graham Smith.
"With that sort of accounting you can justify pretty much anything."
(Editing by Steve Addison)
Original article

Centenarians show it`s never too late to tweet

(PERCENT, CENTENARIANS, NEW, EVERCARE, THEIR, WOULD, LONGEVITY)

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Celebrities and hip adults aren`t the only people flocking to Twitter, the social-networking site. Even centenarians have learned to tweet.
Three percent of U.S. centenarians questioned in a new survey said they use the service that allows users to send short text messages, or tweets, of up to 140 characters at least once a week to keep in touch with their friends and family.
Another 10 percent sent emails to stay connected, 12 percent shared photos on the Internet and four percent downloaded music from the web.
"They are using new technologies, staying abreast of news and current events, and engaging in social networking -- all of which help to prevent chronic illnesses and contribute to greater longevity," said Dr Mark Leenay, the senior medical director and vice president of clinical affairs at Evercare, said in a statement.
The results of the survey of 100 centenarians commissioned by Evercare, one of the nation`s largest care coordination programs, challenge the stereotypes of aging.
Forget passing the day in a rocking chair. Fifty percent of centenarians keep fit by walking or hiking, eight percent prefer cycling and three percent break into a jog or run. One percent said they have tried Nintendo`s Wii Fit.
More than a quarter said they chatted on a cell phone at least once a week.
To keep their minds as agile as their bodies, 19 percent played a musical instrument or turned to a musical video game for entertainment or a mental workout.
Nearly 65 percent would dine with comedian Bill Cosby if given the opportunity to invite a celebrity to dinner.
If stranded on a desert island, two percent said they would want an iPod with them.
Evercare said the findings support the belief that a person`s longevity is based primarily on a person`s lifestyle rather than genetics.
More than 84,000 centenarians are living in the United States today. The number is expected to increase to 580,000 by 2040, according to figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Original article

Confused about fitness regimens? Poll tracks trends

(FITNESS, TRAINING, ACSM, THOMPSON, SURVEY, PROFESSIONALS, ABOUT)

By Dorene Internicola
NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) Pilates or yoga? Kettlebells or free weights? Running or spinning?
If you are dizzy from trying to choose among all the fitness regimens out there a new survey of fitness and health experts, who were asked to identity the top trends, may help.
Experienced fitness professionals topped the list while strength training, core work, special fitness programs for older adults, pilates and balance training also made the top ten.
"We give the fitness professional some idea of what they`re going to see," said Dr. Walter Thompson, of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) which conducted the poll.
The ACSM, a nonprofit sports medicine and exercise science organization, tracks trends for the fitness industry and gives the public a heads-up about what they are likely to face at the gym, the doctor`s office and the workplace.
Thompson said 1,540 ACSM-certified fitness professionals from Asia, Europe, Australia, Africa, North America and South America took part in the online survey.
"We really wanted to look at trends," Thompson, a professor of Exercise Science at Georgia State University, explained. "We instructed the respondents to ignore fads, like the devices you see on late-night TV infomercials."
So you won`t discover anything about those contraptions that promise miracle abs for 30 minutes` work a week.
Thompson said it was no surprise that experienced fitness professionals and personal trainers captured the first and third spots in the survey.
"The fitness industry has increased exponentially," Thompson said, but at a price. "There has to be some policing. People are getting hurt by trainers who just don`t have the qualifications."
Personal training, introduced about 10 years ago and once a luxury for movie stars, is now provided by all gyms.
Children and obesity came in second in the poll, thanks largely to the development of more programs to attack the growing problem.
"For the first time in history the next generation of young people may not live as long as their parents or grandparents," the ACSM said in a statement.
Strength training, increasingly a part of most regimens, and core training, which strengthens and conditions the stabilizing muscles of the abdomen and back, rounded out the top five.
The stability ball, which came in at number eight, did not even make the top 20 in an ACSM survey in 2007.  Continued...
Original article

Pastor defends video of exorcism of gay man

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - A U.S. pastor defended a video posted on YouTube of an exorcism of a gay man, saying the Manifested Glory Ministries church does not hate gay people, it just does not believe in their lifestyle.
The video, which has sparked outrage among gay rights advocates, shows a young man writhing around on the floor at the Stamford, Connecticut, church.
The video, which was taken six or seven months ago, has been removed from the website. It is not clear who posted it.
Pastor Patricia McKinney said the man told the church "he did not want to live this way."
"Every Sunday we call people up to the altar who want to be delivered from any spirit that causes them to not be able to function," she told the CNN television network. "We were just beginning to worship the Lord and all of a sudden he hit the floor."
She described the unnamed man as very religious and spiritual.
"Manifested Glory Ministries is not against homosexuality. We do not hate them. We do not come up against them. We do just not believe in their lifestyle," McKinney explained.
One expert said he understood the man`s situation because he went through the same experience.
"(The Manifested Glory Ministries) were acting out of ignorance by equating homosexuality to demon possession," Rev. Roland Stringfellow, of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry of Berkeley, California, told Reuters in an interview.
Stringfellow said he was exorcised twice at a different church when he asked for help to deal with his own homosexuality.
"This young man who obviously went for help ended up being damaged I believe," he said. "I am concerned about the emotional and spiritual scars he has. I felt what they were doing was casting not a demon out, but casting shame."
The uproar over the video coincides with gay pride week, marking the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York City`s Greenwich Village that triggered the modern U.S. gay rights movement. The annual march through Manhattan is set for Sunday.
A push for gay marriage to be legalized has gathered momentum around the United States and is already allowed Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa. Gay couples will be allowed to marry in Vermont starting in September and New Hampshire in January.
Some states provide for same-sex unions that grant many of the same rights as marriage. Forty-two U.S. states explicitly prohibit gay marriage, including 29 with constitutional amendments, according to Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights advocacy group.
(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Patricia Reaney)
Original article

Portugal village worth its salt with the tourists

By Andrei Khalip
SALINAS, Portugal (Reuters Life!) - Shoveling drying salt in a pit under scorching sun while tourists and fellow villagers drink beer and look on from above may sound like a miserable experience, but not in Salinas, Portugal.
The presence of tourists in the cafes on the ancient wall above the salt pit in this tiny Portuguese village some 100 km (62.14 miles) north of Portugal`s capital Lisbon is more than welcome and causes no consternation.
"One thing works with the other. Without tourism, the salt business would probably collapse, and vice versa," said Casimiro Froes Ferreira, 82, and the head of the Salinas cooperative.
The village has been extracting salt since at least 1170, when the local ruler sold part of the pit to the Knights Templar -- the first known record of Salinas.
In the middle of a pool in the salt pit lies a deep well of water heavily laden with salt -- Portugal`s only natural saltworks. The water is pumped to shallow cells in the pool where it dries up over a few days, leaving a layer of salt.
"We work seven days a week between May and October when the weather is good and when salt needs to be dried and removed -- practically the same way our ancestors did. After work everyone just joins the crowd in the bars overhead," Froes Ferreira said.
Most of the village`s old salt depots and stores -- made entirely of wood, including door locks to avoid corrosion from salt -- have been transformed into souvenir shops and bars, where one can try a local cheese baked in salt.
Even the local bikers club is headquartered in such a hut.
"It`s really cool, it`s kind of like one of those medieval fairs, but you know it`s for real, and the people are real," said Eliza Castro from Lisbon, who stopped in Salinas with her two children for a meal and some sightseeing after visiting the ancient castle of Obidos nearby.
Some larger, newer depots are also made of wood, as cement and metals are easily corroded by the mineral.
Maria Luisa Santos Dias, 74, who like most workers here is a member of the cooperative and owns a plot in the huge 28,000 square meter (301,400 sq ft) pit, swaps periods of work in the sun with rest in the diner. Here she grabs a snack, chats to neighbors and helpfully provides directions to visitors.
"I feel good here in the pit, I started at seven in the morning today, before anyone got here," said the woman, who is wearing heavy rubber shoes to protect her feet from salt. "I married a salter many years back and got to liking this work." Her son, Jose Antonio, 37, and 16-year-old granddaughter Ines often work alongside her.
"When I was six I started coming here and played with a wooden shovel. I`m no longer a little girl, but I still like coming here to work," said Ines, who is a student.
The cooperative was formed in 1979 after a crisis caused by growing imports, which nearly killed off the salt industry in Salinas and put an end to small private salt depots.
Although hardly prospering, it now makes ends meet thanks to its "all-natural" salt production, including manual collection and cleaning, which have attracted eco-conscious consumers in Germany. Only a small part of the work is done with the help of machinery, mainly lifting the salt from the pit.  Continued...
Original article

Sri Lanka arrests astrologer over political prediction

By Ranga Sirilal
COLOMBO (Reuters) - A popular Sri Lankan astrologer was unable to foresee his own arrest after his family said on Friday he had been taken into custody by police for making an unfavorable political prediction against the president.
The police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested astrologer Chandrasiri Bandara after he predicted political changes unfavorable to President Mahinda Rajapaksa at a meeting of the main opposition United National Party.
"He is being questioned over a political statement he made," police spokesman Ranjith Gunasekara said, without elaborating.
Given that many Sri Lankans give credence to astrological predictions, astrologers can play a role in influencing decisions at the voting booth and have done so in the past.
Sri Lankans from all walks of life follow astrology very closely, and politicians frequently consult personal astrologers to help them decide the most auspicious day, hour and minute to do anything from facing elections to assuming office.
Bandara writes a popular astrology column, hosts TV and radio shows discussing horoscopes and gives private readings for a fee.
"He has been questioned for the last three days and he was taken into custody by the CID," a family member told Reuters, asking not to be named out of fear of reprisal.
Rajapaksa`s opponents say his administration has been intolerant of criticism, and has not stopped assaults and murders of journalists critical of his government. Rajapaksa has vowed to catch those responsible.
This week, a coalition of media and rights groups urged him to reconsider a decision to reinstate the long-unused Press Council, which has the power to jail and fine journalists.
"A media culture cannot be based on slapping charges against journalists, fining them or sending them to jail," the group said in a statement.
The government said the move was made on a parliamentary committee recommendation that it should be reinstated since the council`s staff and office rent was still being paid despite the fact it was doing no work.
"It was a directive by a parliamentary committee which some opposition members are also on," said A. Dissanayake, secretary of the Ministry of Mass Media and Information.
Sri Lanka has a decades-long history of violence against journalists, with killings, abductions and assaults being carried out and the perpetrators rarely being captured.
Dozens of journalists have fled Sri Lanka after receiving threats by unidentified groups since the end of the 25-year war against the Tamil Tiger separatists last month.
Security officials have warned they will arrest and prosecute for treason journalists they say have been on the Tigers` payroll in the last few years of the war.
(Writing by Bryson Hull; Editing by Sugita Katyal)
Original article

Travel Postcard: 48 hours in Jakarta for history buffs

By Jennifer Henderson
JAKARTA (Reuters Life!) - Got 48 hours to explore the history of Jakarta? Reuters correspondents with local knowledge help visitors with a penchant for the past enjoy Indonesia`s bustling capital.
FRIDAY
6 p.m. - Step back in time to 1800s Indonesia at Bunga Rampai Restaurant, Menteng. Let your tastebuds tingle with some spicy nasi buketan -- pandan-flavored rice, served with meat, shredded omelet and chilli -- as you dine in elegant, white surroundings reminiscent of the Dutch colonial period.
SATURDAY
5 a.m. - Start early to escape the morning rush hour, and head north to Kota or Old Jakarta, the original settlement from which the modern city grew. Ensure you have one-thousand rupiah (10 U.S. cent) notes as most of the museums charge a small fee.
5.30 a.m. - Head to the docks to watch the sunrise over the Javenese sea at Sunda Kelapa. The 500-year-old port, and the village around it, once served as a trading point between the Portuguese and Hindu Kingdom of Pajajaran, it was later used by the Dutch. Tours are available from the tourist hut on the dock.
7 a.m.- For the very adventurous, try to eat at one of the local warungs or food stalls east of the dock.
8 a.m. - Take a bicycle taxi or `sepeda ontel` to the nearby Pasar Ikan fish market. Even though the auction is long over (it takes place at 3 a.m.), it is still bustling with activity.
9 a.m.- Stroll to the old spice warehouse nearby that is now the Maritime Museum. Typical of many of Jakarta`s museums, the buildings are not always in the best of repair and there is little direction for tourists, but this adds to the adventure, as you climb creaky dusty wooden staircases. Climb the harbor watchman tower near the museum for a bird`s-eye view, and see the large Dutch East Indies Company logo still visible on buildings.
10 a.m.- Head to Fatahillah square, and the many museums there. The fastest way to beat the traffic is by motorbike taxi (ojek) or a noisy three-wheeled "bajaj."
11 a.m.- Watch a traditional performance at the Wayang Museum, on the site of an old Dutch building on the square. Wayang puppets are an integral part of Indonesian culture and the museum has an extensive collection from across the archipelago.
12 p.m. - Lunch is but a stroll away at the adjacent Batavia Cafe. The old teak wood furniture and sweeping 1920s decor give the cafe a relaxed, breezy atmosphere. The 19th century building was re-opened in 1993.
1 p.m.- Lock yourself in the cramped prison cells at the bottom of the Jakarta History Museum. The museum in the former city hall of Batavia, now Jakarta, is home to grand rooms filled with antique furniture, such as a ceiling-high glass fronted filing cabinet and dining tables once laden with colonial feasts.
2 p.m.- One of the better-kept museums is the Fine Art and Ceramics Museum across the street from Taman Fatahillah.
3.30 p.m.- Discover the hidden Candra Naya, a Chinese mansion enclosed in the shell of an apartment block under construction and which was saved from the developers.  Continued...
Original article

U.S. pastor defends video of exorcism of gay man

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - A U.S. pastor defended a video posted on YouTube of an exorcism of a gay man, saying the Manifested Glory Ministries church does not hate gay people, it just does not believe in their lifestyle.
The video, which has sparked outrage among gay rights advocates, shows a young man writhing around on the floor at the Stamford, Connecticut church.
The video, which was taken six or seven months ago, has been removed from the website. It is not clear who posted it.
Pastor Patricia McKinney said the man told the church "he did not want to live this way."
"Every Sunday we call people up to the altar who want to be delivered from any spirit that causes them to not be able to function," she told the CNN television network. "We were just beginning to worship the Lord and all of a sudden he hit the floor."
She described the unnamed man as very religious and spiritual.
"Manifested Glory Ministries is not against homosexuality. We do not hate them. We do not come up against them. We do just not believe in their lifestyle," McKinney explained.
A spokesman for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation said he understood the man`s situation because he went through the same experience.
"(The Manifested Glory Ministries) were acting out of ignorance by equating homosexuality to demon possession," Rev. Roland Stringfellow, of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Berkeley, California, told Reuters in an interview.
Stringfellow said he was exorcised twice at a different church when he asked for help to deal with his own homosexuality.
"This young man who obviously went for help ended up being damaged I believe," he said. "I am concerned about the emotional and spiritual scars he has. I felt what they were doing was casting not a demon out, but casting shame."
The uproar over the video coincides with gay pride week, marking the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York City`s Greenwich Village that triggered the modern U.S. gay rights movement. The annual march through Manhattan is set for Sunday.
A push for gay marriage to be legalized has gathered momentum around the United States and is already allowed Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa. Gay couples will be allowed to marry in Vermont starting in September and New Hampshire in January.
Some states provide for same-sex unions that grant many of the same rights as marriage. Forty-two U.S. states explicitly prohibit gay marriage, including 29 with constitutional amendments, according to Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights advocacy group.
(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Patricia Reaney)
Original article

Health games become serious business

By John Gaudiosi
RALEIGH, North Carolina (Reuters Life!) - Videogames were once blamed for rising obesity rates but are now being championed by the medical industry and for use by government departments for their health benefits.
Games like Electronic Arts` "EA Sports Active" and Nintendo`s "Wii Fit" have got players of all ages moving -- and game developers and investors looking for hot new titles to cash in on this booming segment of the market.
Big John Games` upcoming "Butt Kicker" Nintendo DSi game will provide an action-based environment in which players fight against cigarettes and "Karate Bears" for Wii teaches players real karate routines using the Wii`s motion-sensor controllers.
With interest in health games rising, the fifth annual Games for Health Conference in Boston expanded to 390 people this year from 100, including developers, investors and medical experts, while numbers at many other conferences are down up to 40 percent.
"Healthcare is 18 percent of the GDP of the United States and so games for health is probably the largest sector of activity in the serious games field long-term," said Ben Sawyer, co-founder of The Games for Health Project.
"If you add up the 18 month sales of "Wii Fit" and the sales of "EA Sports Active," Konami`s "Dance Dance Revolution" and other healthy games, the worldwide retail numbers are over $2 billion."
Dr. Michael Levine, executive director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop which fosters innovation in children`s learning, has just released a report looking at how digital games can play a beneficial and educational role in health care.
"The White House should launch a national initiative to promote research and development of proven games," said Levine.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, whose mission is to improve the health and healthcare of all Americans, has also called for a public engagement campaign supported by the president, Congress and the federal agencies to teach parents, teachers and health providers about the healthy side of gaming.
"States` governors should direct their school technology officers to look at innovations like "Dance Dance Revolution" and "Wii Fit" as a way to extend the reach of physical education and comprehensive health education," said Dr. Debra Lieberman, director of Health Games Research for the foundation.
The Games for Health Conference also showcased how videogames are being used to help doctors and patients alike.
Serious games developer Virtual Heroes is working on a new first-person shooter sequel for Hope Lab`s popular "Re-Mission" game, which has been distributed to cancer patients in 81 countries since 2006.
"We`re taking their existing concept and trying to raise the fun bar and creating more lifelike and enjoyable environments within the human body," explained Jerry Heneghan, CEO of Virtual Heroes.
"Players will take control of Roxy, the protagonist, and have new weapons to battle cancer with thanks to input from cancer patients."
Virtual Heroes is also updating its HumanSim technology with a new human physiology engine, technology has been used by Duke Medical Center`s nursing school to train nurses virtually.  Continued...
Original article

Plot thickens for versatile Serena

By Paul Majendie
LONDON (Reuters) - Serena Williams spent less than an hour blasting her way into the third round at Wimbledon on Wednesday. That left plenty of time to work on her TV script.
Serena has been a fashion designer, actress and now it seems a writer as well. It is a miracle the American has managed to cram 10 grand slam titles into her busy schedule.
Sister Venus gave Serena a "How To" book on script-writing. It has clearly paid dividends.
After breezing past Australian Jarmila Groth on Court One, Serena, twice a Wimbledon women`s singles winner, revealed:
"I`m writing my script. You`ll be excited to know I wrote three parts already. I call it my treatment."
"I just love to write. Hopefully, it will be good," she said, eager to follow up script-writing after making a cameo acting appearance in the TV medical drama ER.
So what is the script all about?
"It`s a mixture between some of my favorite shows like Desperate Housewives, Sex in the City and actually Family Guy. It`s kind of those put together in one, if you can imagine."
Serena has also been writing her autobiography with the help of a ghostwriter.
"It has been an interesting process. Again, I love writing and it was just the right time. It was something I was actually working on for at least three years. It just all came together within the last year."
So what about the tennis?
Second seed Serena hardly needed to get into second gear to dispose of her overwhelmed Australian opponent 6-2 6-1.
But, ever the perfectionist, she said:
"For me there`s always room for improvement. I still think I could have returned better, came to the net a little bit more. That`s exciting to think I can do better."
Serena was full of sympathy for former champion Maria Sharapova, knocked out of Wimbledon earlier on Wednesday.  Continued...
Original article

Monkey business hard to sustain in slump, Goodall says

By Candida Ng
SINGAPORE (Reuters Life!) - Chimpanzees, long under threat from humans encroaching on their habitat, are now facing another risk caused by that same member of the Great Ape family: the global economic crisis, says primatologist Jane Goodall.
Funding to the Jane Goodall Institute, a nonprofit organization that aims to conserve primate habitats and increase awareness of animal welfare activities, has declined by about 10 percent since the financial crisis hit.
"Money that came in last year was less than we had expected," Goodall told Reuters in Singapore while visiting for events related to World Environment Day. "The private donors and some of the foundations pulled back."
The institute, which has an annual budget of $10-11 million which funds its activities in Africa, has had to dig into its endowment fund to keep some of its programs running. Some projects were cut and staff laid off.
Goodall, who rose to fame in the 1960s through her ground-breaking study of chimpanzees in East Africa, said the root cause of most problems was overpopulation and the materialism of most human societies.
"Underlying everything is the sheer number of people on the planet," said 75-year-old Goodall. "We take far, far, far, far more than our fair share of these precious natural resources."
"We have to help people understand that enough is enough. We have so much more than we need, we have a throwaway society."
Such strident demands on the environment have seen previously forested areas being taken over by humans for housing, agriculture and business, leading to a dwindling population of chimpanzees and other animals in the wild.
Goodall estimates there are currently there are about 300,000 chimpanzees spread across 21 nations in Africa, down from the 1-2 million in 1960.
The animal rights activist, who fulfilled her childhood dream to live in the wild and write books, spends 300 days a year on the road using her personal story and fame to inspire youth to become more environmentally responsible.
"Root & Shoots," a youth organization she started with 12 high-school students in Tanzania in 1991, now involves people from pre-schoolers to university students and prisoners across 111 countries. It aims to raise awareness about the planet.
"People understand a lot more, but it doesn't mean they always change their behavior though," Goodall said. "The last hurdle is to get people not only to understand, but take action. The bigger problem is that again, again and again that people honestly cannot believe that what they do makes a difference."
(Editing by Miral Fahmy)

Source: Reuters