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ALLENDALE, Mich. (WOOD) — West Michigan scouts gathered Saturday at the Consumers Energy’s Solar Garden in Allendale to learn about sustainability and how they can be good stewards of the earth.

At the event, the scouts learned how their choices have an impact on the environment.

“The sustainability merit badge is actually quite a tough one to do, it requires a lot of thinking, a lot of planning,” said John Miller, Western Michigan University professor and merit badge counselor. “That’s part of what scouting is about is having the youth learn that they can effect change.”

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Achieving these goals for the science division will be challenging. The WHO has a surprisingly small budget for its outsized role, and must work hard to secure consensus and cooperation from funders and member countries. However, all agree on the urgency of these tasks, and the need to come together and realize them. Greater coordination of science activities within the WHO will help to make that happen.


Soumya Swaminathan explains how the World Health Organization’s new science division can promote universal health coverage in all countries.

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China plans to build a scientific research station on the moon in “about 10 years,” according to the state news agency Xinhua.

The China National Space Administration (CSNA) intends to build the research station in the region of the moon’s south pole, Zhang Kejian, head of CSNA, said in a public statement, Xinhua reported. That’s a bit of a departure from the six successful NASA Apollo moon landings, which took place closer to the moon’s equator between 1969 and 1972.

Details of China’s long-term lunar plans are still sketchy, but CSNA has made significant steps toward lunar exploration. Earlier this year, the Chinese successfully landed the uncrewed Chang’e-4 on the far side of the moon, and have also placed astronauts aboard two temporary space stations, Tiangong-1 and Tiangong-2. Their space agency also plans to put a larger, more permanent station into orbit in the coming years.

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