An international survey conducted by GSK and released for World Meningitis Day shows gaps in the knowledge parents feel they have about meningococcal disease and its potential consequences. Almost 7 in 10 parents said they don’t know enough about the different strains of meningococcal disease and the potential damage they can cause. On average, more than half of parents were either unsure or unaware that there are different types of bacteria that cause the disease.
The survey of 5,000 parents in Brazil, Canada, Germany, Italy and Portugal also shows that out of a list of 14 vaccine-preventable diseases, meningococcal disease is considered by many parents to pose a top three health risk to their children. Fifty-seven percent listed meningococcal disease among the top three health conditions they considered of greatest risk to children followed by Hepatitis B at 34 percent, pneumococcal disease at 27 percent, polio at 25 percent, tetanus at 20 percent and pertussis at 17 percent.
A sudden, potentially life-threatening illness, meningococcal disease kills on average one person every eight minutes worldwide. It typically manifests as bacterial meningitis – an infection of the membrane around the brain and spine; or bacteraemia – a bloodstream infection. The disease progresses rapidly and it can lead to death within 24-48 hours of the first symptoms; globally up to 1 in 10 of those infected may die and in the US about 10-15 percent of people will die.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7814851-gsk-survey-world-meningitis-day/
The Ad Council and the Natural Resources Defense Council today launched “Save The Food,” a major national public service campaign to combat food waste from its largest source—consumers, who collectively waste more food than grocery stores, restaurants or farms. The initiative hopes to encourage consumers to reduce the amount of food they trash in their homes, thereby saving the water, energy and money that are lost along with it. Watch the TV ad here.
“As it turns out, we can’t blame the epidemic of food waste on our kids’ aversion to vegetables. We’re all culprits here, tossing out staggering amounts of food in kitchens nationwide,” said NRDC President Rhea Suh. “But with small steps, we can save large amounts of food —and along with it, money and precious natural resources. The more food we save, the more we can share with hungry Americans, the more we can reduce climate pollution, and the more water won’t go to waste.”
In the U.S., 40 percent of all food goes uneaten each year, at a cost of $162 billion annually. Consumers are responsible for 40 percent of this waste—more than any other part of the supply chain. It’s a problem that costs the average family of four roughly $1,500 per year.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7808251-ad-council-save-the-food/
WTF or WHAT THE FLUSH! The makers of the Stealth® ultra-high efficiency toilet and Bravo’s “Flipping Out” Star Jenni Pulos want to see more people saving both water and precious dollars when they flush.
On average, 27 percent of water consumption in the home comes from flushing it right down the toilet, which is completely avoidable – that’s not even mentioning the water lost by old or deteriorated flappers that leak. Niagara Conservation Corp. created the Stealth Toilet which uses less than one gallon of water per flush (0.8 gallons per flush to be exact) relative to the average toilet that uses 3.5 to 5 gallons per flush.
“As a California resident, I feel the gravity and importance of water conservation. That’s why I’m asking America to stop this invisible drain on our planet,” said Pulos. “With the Stealth Toilet we can do our part to save water and money with every flush. So join the cause for water conservation and say it with me – #WhatTheFlush!"
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7789051-niagara-conservation-whattheflush/
INRIX®, Inc., a global leader for transportation analytics, today released its 2015 Traffic Scorecard, a benchmark for governments and agencies in the U.S. and Europe to measure progress in improving urban mobility.
The report reveals the U.S. faces large challenges to solve congestion issues, fueled by continued economic and population growth, higher employment rates and declining gas prices. Cities that have experienced the most economic improvement during the past year are at highest risk for consequences related to worsened traffic conditions, including reduced productivity, higher emissions and increased stress levels. For example, Washington D.C., San Francisco, New York, Seattle and Boston all saw reduced unemployment rates bringing them below the national average of 5.3 percent for 2015.1 However, according to the INRIX Traffic Scorecard, congestion in those cities alone combined to waste 1.5 billion hours for daily car commuters last year. Nationwide, commuters spent a total of more than eight billion extra hours stuck in traffic, representing almost 50 hours per driver.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7775551-inrix-2015-traffic-scorecard/
This spring, John Deere is helping homeowners keep track of and optimize their lawn care responsibilities with the new MowerPlus smartphone application. This free app provides equipment care tips, maintenance information and other resources to ensure that homeowners feel confident maintaining a great looking lawn.
The iOS version of MowerPlus allows the user to “Mow Now” and track mowing metrics. Users can view a summary of the current mowing session with average speed, area covered and other real-time statistics. Additionally, an aerial view of the mowing path for each session can help homeowners diversify their pattern to protect turf health. The app also lets homeowners know how long it has been since they last mowed.
“Mowing the lawn is so much more than just making tall grass short,” said Kevin Duax, product line planner, John Deere. “With our MowerPlus app, homeowners can easily refer to expert tips and historical data to ensure efficient and effective lawn upkeep.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7720553-john-deere-mowerplus-app/
Bahama Breeze Island Grille is kicking off Viva la ‘Rita 2016 on National Margarita Day, February 22, introducing six new handcrafted margaritas that take tequila’s exotic flavor to daring new levels of sassy and spicy goodness.
Some say that margaritas are the most popular cocktail, with Americans consuming an average of 185,000 margaritas per hour (Brown-Forman, 2008). As if going out for margaritas wasn’t an adventure already, Bahama Breeze invites guests to escape to the Islands for a brand-new Caribbean-twist on the classic cocktail, featuring six authentic island flavors. This year, to add to the Viva la ‘Rita fun, Bahama Breeze has brought Margarita Mondays to the mix. Guests can make Mondays during Viva la ‘Rita the best day of the week with $20 pitchers of all of the new margaritas. Viva la ‘Rita kicks off its first Margarita Monday celebration on National Margarita Day on Monday, February 22 and the event runs through April 10.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7749051-bahama-breeze-viva-la-rita/
Georgia Power today marked another year of safe construction and significant milestones at the Vogtle nuclear expansion site. The new units are currently scheduled to go into service in June 2019 (Unit 3) and June 2020 (Unit 4) and the remaining projected customer rate impact is approximately 2.5 percent, an average of less than 1 percent per year through completion.
In addition, the company’s recent completion of the settlement process between the project co-owners (Georgia Power, Oglethorpe Power Corporation, the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia and Dalton Utilities) and the project’s contractors (Westinghouse and CB&I) settles all claims previously in litigation with the contractors, reaffirms the current in-service dates, adds additional contractual protections and positions Westinghouse and its affiliates as the primary contractor over the project.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7464951-ga-power-project-vogtle/
The holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year. Gifts are perfectly wrapped, cakes and cookies are baking in the oven, and people across the country are making final preparations to visit their loved loves. In fact, Americans spent an average of 7.3 hours and $560 on holiday travel alone last year, which can also lead to chaos, stress and precious time spent in busy airports and jam-packed highways. That’s why Ziploc® brand is offering a variety of festive products, a surprise-and-delight experience and helpful tips to give travelers a chaos-free holiday.
When hundreds of people along the Ohio Turnpike got to the tollbooth at Mile Marker 71 before their Thanksgiving celebrations began, they were surprised that instead of being asked for the toll, they received an array of gifts—from snacks packed in Ziploc® brand bags and containers to a chauffeured limo ride home.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7707651-ziploc-chaos-free-holiday/
As 2015 starts to wind down, Americans are already starting to make travel plans for 2016. But what are Americans–particularly Baby Boomers–looking for in their 2016 vacations?
A new survey released today from AARP Travel (http://travel.aarp.org), a valuable resource for America's 76 million Baby Boomers who spend over $120 billion annually in leisure travel, provides some great insight into how Americans want to get away in 2016, from desired destinations to lodging options to favorite trip planning tools.
“The vast majority of Baby Boomers are planning to drive, fly or set sail on leisure trips in 2016, with an average of 4 or 5 trips already in the works,” said Stephanie Miles, VP, Products & Platforms, AARP. “Boomers make up a large segment of the traveling public, and so it's particularly important for the travel industry to be aware of what Boomers are looking for in their vacations going into 2016. This new survey finds that their travel desires often differ greatly from younger travelers.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7488431-aarp-travel/
For negotiators at the Paris climate conference (COP21) to successfully advance global efforts to reduce carbon emissions, nations must embrace a prominent role for nuclear energy.
The Obama administration highlighted the crucial role of nuclear energy when it convened a White House Summit on Nuclear Energy earlier this month. “As America leads the global transition to a low-carbon economy, the continued development of new and advanced nuclear technologies along with support for currently operating nuclear power plants is an important component of our clean energy strategy,” a White House fact sheet developed for the summit states. Many environmentalists are also giving nuclear energy a second look, as they seek practical solutions to constrain carbon emissions.
Nuclear energy facilities provide 63 percent of America’s zero-carbon electricity. Globally, nuclear power plants provide one-third of all zero-carbon electricity. One of nuclear energy’s major advantages relative to other low-carbon energy sources is its unique ability to produce large-scale electricity around-the-clock in extreme weather conditions. Nuclear energy facilities don’t rely on the wind blowing, the sun shining, or just-in-time deliveries of fuel by truck, barge, rail or pipeline. In 2014, the U.S. nuclear energy industry’s average capacity factor—a common measure of efficiency and reliability—was 92 percent.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7694251-nuclear-energy-cop21-climate-goals/
“Want to enjoy life,” “like to learn things,” “look for adventures and like to take risks” – these traits tell the story of how Americans perceive entrepreneurs, as revealed in the 2015 Amway Global Entrepreneurship Report (AGER).
It’s an optimism that permeates the research again this year, with 86 percent of Americans expressing positive attitudes toward entrepreneurship, up a remarkable 24 percent from 2014 and a resounding 11 percent more than the 2015 global average (75 percent). Echoed by their strong desire for “independence from an employer” and “self-fulfillment, possibility to realize own ideas,” at 75 percent and 72 percent respectively, this positivity is indicative of the country’s thriving entrepreneurial spirit.
“The attitude toward entrepreneurship is not only remarkably high but significantly increased from last year when fewer than two-thirds of respondents reported a positive attitude,” notes Dr. David B. Audretsch, professor and director of the Institute for Development Strategies at the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs. “What’s more, the secondary importance of financial compensation contradicts the most prevalent stereotypes and myths about why people choose entrepreneurship.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7402451-amway-ager-spirit-index/
Today, premium men-s undergarment brand Tommy John launches the lightest men-s underwear ever created, aptly called Air. On the heels of their recently launched viral film campaign “The Big Adjustment”, Tommy John is debuting this collection of underwear and undershirts made from some of the most advanced fabric technology in the world.
After almost two years of product development, which included Founder and CEO Tom Patterson personally wear-testing, washing, drying, weighing and re-weighing the newest product line, Air is now available to the public. As part of the Light category of solution-based products, Air weighs-in at an average of two ounces. The ultra-lightweight and anti-microbial mesh fabric provides wearers maximum ventilation with unmatched durability and superior quick drying features.
“Air isn't only our greatest product achievement to date, but what we believe to be one of the greatest achievement ever for men's undergarments. We were able to create a product at less than half the weight of our competitors with Air,” says Tom Patterson, Founder & CEO of Tommy John. “We have never been so excited for a new collection.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7648931-tommy-john-the-big-adjustment/