If you take the top 20 countries in terms of per capita income and plot average life expectancy versus income, an interesting pattern takes shape. Above $24,000 per year per person, life expectancy - which was increasing with income - starts to go down. Japan has the longest life expectancy at 80 years but is fifth in per capita income. Norway, Switzerland, Singapore and the US have higher incomes, but lower life expectancies, as low as 77 for the US and Singapore. If you do the math, the first $1000 over $24,000 decreases lifespan byÊ4 months, and each additional $1000 decreases it by an increasing number of months.

This seems counter intuitive. The more resources you have, the better your health should be. But even though we spend more than twice the amount that OECD countries spend on health care (on a per capita basis) we rank 17 th in longevity. Health care analysts argue one major factor is that the poor in the US often donÕt have access to even minimal levels of care. I would like to suggest another cause, our affluence.

Unless you have been living in a cave, you are probably aware of the growing levels of obesity in the US population. Overweight Americans (those with a body mass index between 25 and 29.9) have increased from 33 to 35% of the population since 1980. Obese Americans (bmi > 29.9) have nearly doubled from 15% in 1980 to 27% in 1999. The NIH estimates that obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the US, after cigarettes, and is responsible for 300,000 premature deaths a year.

But what causes obesity? Basically it is a result of more calories going in than going out. If you compare the US diet to other diets, we consume on average 15% more calories - 3,699 vs 3,208 - than the average person in Europe. At the same time we use 28% more gasoline per capita than the next highest consumer, Kuwait, and 43% more than Canada, which might be considered more comparable in terms of miles to cover. In the last ten years, our calorie consumption has gone up 8% (along with a 1.6% increase in meat consumption), and our gas consumption has gone up 1.6%.

When people have more money, they consume more calories, increase the amount of animal products in their diet, and buy their way out of physical exertion. It is easy to see this pattern among the affluent even in developing countries, and the US is now wealthy enough that our poor can afford the afflictions of the rich, though not necessarily the same health care.

And the gasoline consumption can hurt us in other ways. On a per capita basis, we produce between two and three times the nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds of people in Europe. European studies have shown that even their levels of air pollution kill more people - 21,000 per year in Austria, France and Switzerland - than car accidents. The greater levels of air pollution in the US may contribute significantly to the 153,000 deaths each year due to lung and respiratory problems.

The pattern may be complex - the Swiss have the lowest obesity rates in Europe, but consume higher than average levels of animal products (34% of their diet as opposed to 28% for Europeans), and Norwegian obesity rates are rising, but are still lower than Canadian rates (10% as opposed to 12%). However, it is worth considering that getting everything we think we want may have a downside. The silver lining of affluence may be accompanied by a fairly large cloud.

Want to calculate your BMI? go to -
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/calc-bmi.htm

Bio Regional Quiz: Which common Missouri bird locates its food by smell?

Job of the Month: Research Associate in Energy Policy, Boston Appliance Standards Awareness Project. This position supports the activities of the Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP) and the Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP). BCAP works to promote and accelerate the adoption, implementation and utilization of energy-efficient construction codes and standards in the United States. ASAP works to win new appliance and equipment energy efficiency standards at the state and national level. Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Write newsletters, maintain web sites; maintain databases and files; research projects and position papers; assist with work plans and grant proposals; coordinate meetings; write fact sheets, action alerts and updates; assist with general administrative tasks. Requirements: Excellent writing and research skills; a strong goal and deadline orientation; strong computer skills,including working knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, web site, and database software; self-motivation and ability to work with limited supervision; background in environmental issues, particularly energy, is a plus. Compensation: Salary: $28,000 - $30,000, plus full benefits. To Apply: Please mail or fax a resume and cover letter to: Andrew deLaski, Executive Director, Appliance Standards Awareness Project, 20 Belgrade Ave Ste 1, Boston MA 02131-3031. Fax: 617-363-9973. Please indicate in your correspondence that you are responding to our announcement in www.EcoEmploy.com - http://www.ecoemploy.com/posts/asapa.html

Special Events/Classes/Programs/Talks
SEEDLING WORKSHOP: Monday Feb 10, 7 pm Greenhouse 18, MU campus across from vet school presented by Ann Wakeman, sponsored by Wild Ones and Native Plant Society
LAND USE EFFECTS ON AMPHIBIANS: Tues Feb 11, noon MU, Tucker Hall room 8, presented by Ray Semlitsch & Betsie Rothermel, sponsored by MU Biological Sciences
BEAR CREEK TRAIL HIKE: Saturday Feb 15, 1 pm Oakland Swimming Pool, sponsored by Native Plant Soc
BIRDS OF THE METLAC RIVER BASIN, MEXICO: Tues Feb 18, noon MU, Tucker Hall room 8, presented by Ernesto Ruelas-Inzunza, sponsored by MU Biological Sciences
WATERSHEDS OF ROCK BRIDGE IMPACTS OF AGRIBUSINESS ON WATER QUALITY: Tues Feb 18, 7:30 pm Hillel, 1107 University Ave, presented by Ken Midkiff, sponsored by Sierra Club-Osage Group
MEMORIAL STATE PARK: Tues Feb 25, 7 pm DB Library, Conf room A, presented by Randal Clark, sponsored by Friends of Rock Bridge Memorial State Park ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE: 2 day workshops sponsored by DNR to provide govÕt decision makers and utility managers tools to deal with environmental problems and regulations. Tentative dates and locations - April 9-10, Mexico; May 21-22, Springfield; Sept 17-18, Farmington; Oct 22-23, Chillecothe. For the latest info, go to www.dnr.state.mo.us/oac/lgov.htm. You can sign up to receive email updates at this site.

MU Organization Meetings and Contact Informat
ion ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS COUNCIL: http://www.missouri.edu/~jesse105/committees/pages/environmental.htm
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES EXEC COM: 882-7116, call for information
RECYCLING COMMITTEE; 882-3091, Tues Feb 13, 8:30 am General Services Bldg
STUDENT SIERRA CLUB: 882-7116, Wednesdays 5:30 pm, 105 General Classroom Bldg

Organization Meetings and Contact Informat
ion AUDUBON SOCIETY; 874-3904 / columbia-audubon.missouri.org Meet 3rd Wed 7:30 pm, USGS, 4200 New Haven
BONNE FEMME WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP; 874-1637 or email phoeniwolf@yahoo.com
BOONE COUNTY SMART GROWTH COALITION; http://smartgrowth.missouri.org/, 1st Wednesdays 7:15 Boone Co Govt Ctr.
CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING; 875-0539 or http://peaceworks.missouri.org/
CHOUTEAU GROTTO; http://chouteau.missouri.org/, Meet 1st Wed, 7 pm, Community Room of the Boone Electric Coop
COLUMBIA FOOD CIRCLE; 882-7463 or email hendricksonm@missouri.edu for information.
COLUMBIA PUBLIC WORKS VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS; 874-6271 or http://www.ci.columbia.mo.us/dept/pubw/
ENV EDUCATION WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES: http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/teacher/workshops/
FRIENDS OF ROCK BRIDGE STATE PARK; 474-7429 or http://rockbridge.missouri.org/ Meet 4th Tuesdays, 7 pm
GREENBELT COALITION; 442-4789 or http://greenbelt.missouri.org Meet 1st Tuesdays, 7 pm, Outdoors Bldg, 200 Old 63 S.
MISSOURI HEARTWOOD; 443-6832 or http://www.heartwood.org/MO/ Meet Tuesdays, 7:30 pm -1027 E. Walnut.
MISSOURI NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY; npshawth@hotmail.com Meet every other second Monday (Jan, Mar, May, July, Sept, Nov) at 7:00 p.m., usually at MDC Fish and Wildlife Research Center, 1110 S. College Ave., Columbia, MO.
MISSOURI RIVER COMMUNITIES NETWORK; 443-0292 or http://mrcn.missouri.org/
PEDNET COALITION; email: pednet@pednet.org or http://www.pednet.org
ROCK BRIDGE MEMORIAL STATE PARK; 449-7402 or http://rockbridge.missouri.org
SHOW ME CLEAN STREAMS COALITION; (573) 751-4115 ext 3169 or www.mostreamteam.org
SIERRA CLUB; 443-4401 or http://sierra.osage.missouri.org Meet 3rd Tuesdays 7:30 pm Hillel Foundation, 1107 University Ave
WILD ONES; 499-3749 or email wildonesmo@yahoo.com, http://wildones.missouri.org Meetings 2nd Saturdays. Call for location

Answer to BioRegional Quiz: The Turkey Vulture. This close relative of the California condor has been shown to be able to locate carrion even when hidden from site. The Turkey Vulture weighs about 5.5 lbs and has a wing span of 6 feet. It is easiest to see riding thermals or checking out roadkill along the highways. At this time of year dozens of the birds can be seen roosting in trees in the southeast corner of Grindstone park or riding the thermals by the Capen park cliffs. For more on Turkey Vultures, check out the Department of Conservation homepage on vultures: http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/cgi-bin/news/news_search.cgi?item=1044034896,8474,

Feedback - Got an opinion? If we have space, we will consider publishing it. Submit it by email (envstudy@missouri. edu), snail mail (Environmental Studies, 211 Lowry , MU, Columbia MO 65211), or call Jan Weaver to talk about it (882-7116). MU Environmental Network News is published by MU’s Environmental Studies Initiative. All opinions expressed are the responsibility of the editor. Any part of this newsletter may be copied for distribution but please give us credit.