Something different at Sundance? (The Charlotte Observer) Personal stories, individual solutions to society's problems and an unexpected strain of optimism will supplant diatribes, exposes and gloom at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival in January. Among the festival's lineup of 64 narrative and documentary films in competition are 29 features from first-time directors. Organizers say the festival could provide a much-needed vitamin shot of surprise to an ... [News Source]

A Canadian medical society recommends pregnant women and nursing moms boost their intake of vitamin D dramatically (Science News) Canadian pediatricians certainly aren't shirking controversy when it comes to a vitamin guideline they've developed for pregnant women and nursing moms. [News Source]

Let’s push sustainability from fad to mainstream. Only a small fraction of us can afford rural off-grid redoubts, choose to never again set foot in a Boeing or Airbus, or limit our diet to a boring bag of local produce. But those who can should admit they may be doing it for reasons other than a green future. [News Source]

China halts canned meat exports over taint reports, cracks down on slaughterhouses. One of China's best-known food processors halted luncheon meat exports Friday on reports of chemical contamination, while the government announced the closure of more than 1,000 slaughterhouses over poor sanitation. [News Source]

House sets higher goal for vehicle fuel efficiency. Brushing aside a veto threat from the White House, the House passed a package of energy measures on Thursday that includes a 40 percent increase in fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks sold in the United States. [News Source]

Watchdog warns of sharp rise in global food prices . Zimbabwe should prepare for an even higher food import bill as a new global report warns of a sharper rise in world food prices owing to income growth, climate change, high-energy prices, globalisation and urbanisation. [News Source]

Waistline growth on high-carb diets linked to liver gene. Experts have been warning for years that foods loaded with high-fructose corn syrup and other processed carbohydrates are making us fatter. [News Source]

Chemicals in lipstick linked to breast cancer risk. A study has shown that butyl benzyl phthalate, or BBP, can interfere with the healthy development of breast tissue. [News Source]

Tuberculosis is 500,000-years-old (ANI via Yahoo! India News) Washington, Dec 7 (ANI): Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have found that Tuberculosis is 500,000-years-old. They have found the most ancient evidence of the disease in a 500,000-year-old human fossil from Turkey. The finding has suggested support for the theory that dark-skinned people who migrate northward from low, tropical latitudes produce less vitamin D, which can ... [News Source]