Grandma on a jungle gym? Why not?! Europeans are proving you're never too old for fun and games by designing playgrounds especially for senior citizens. Berlin opened Germany's first playground for seniors earlier this year in an effort to get its aging citizens exercising. All the equipment was designed for people 5 feet tall and up — children can use it only with adult supervision.

The trend in adult playgrounds is based on research from Finland that studied the effects of exercise on two groups of people, aged 65 to 81, who played on specially designed adult playground equipment. The subjects enjoyed improvements in balance, speed and coordination.

The researchers noted that: 'As many as around 41 percent of aged people restrict their mobility for fear of falling, which prevents exercising the balancing systems … Balance exercise can be used to reduce the risk of falling and achieve savings in medical and rehabilitation costs.'

Hopefully this idea will hop across the pond soon, so seniors in the U.S. can have a turn on the teeter-totter!

In the United States, which of the following is the largest contributer of greenhouse gases?

1. Cattle
2. Automobiles
3. Power Plants
4. Buildings
5. Other

If you guessed (D), you're correct! If not, you're not alone. In a survey of U.S. voters conducted by the American Institute of Architects, only 7 percent of those who participated knew that buildings are the main culprit. Homes and commercial buildings produce 48 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, and consume 71 percent of electricity produced at power plants.

The AIA is hoping to assist Congress in their effort to draft the best energy bill possible. How can they (in advocating for the wishes of their constituents) do so if we don't understand the underlying problem? It all starts at the grassroots level.

For women who've been told they need a hysterectomy, medical options and information can be overwhelming. In an ongoing survey conducted by the Hysterectomy Educational Resources and Services (HERS) Foundation, 99.7 percent of women reported that they weren't informed about the functions of the female organs or the consequences of their removal prior to hysterectomy.

The HERS foundation was established in 1982 to meet the need for information and services concerning hysterectomy. Their Web site contains facts and educational materials for women to learn more about the types of hysterectomy and the potential side effects, as well as a primer on female anatomy.

The group is hosting its Twenty-Sixth Hysterectomy Conference in Pasadena, CA November 2-3, 2007, and will include speakers such as Dr. Mitchell Levine, of Harvard Medical School and Robert Myers, attorney and women's health advocate, plus many others.

There are few images more worth capturing on camera than the ones offered by Mother Nature this time of year. It seems everywhere you turn, there are vibrant colors and smiling faces of those out enjoying the weather.

If your photography skills are a little rusty, or if you're a newcomer to the hobby, here are a few tips that will help you record the priceless memories of this beautiful season on paper, to revisit for years to come. And what better excuse for getting out for some fresh air and exercise?

Researching in pajamas just got easier. While your public library card has always given you access to physical copies of books, CDs and journals, there was a catch: You had to get to a library.

Now, many states have started online library card programs, usually called state or virtual library cards. These cards allow the holder to access troves of online information gathered from public libraries all across the state, without leaving the comfort of home. The Iowa state library card program, for example, allows holders to access a broad range of information: newspaper, television and radio transcripts, articles from regional and national business publications, and full text articles in over 2,000 scholarly journals. Those journal articles are compiled and sorted into online academic databases, so searching for a specific topic in a database is easier and yields more filtered results than from a plain old Google search.

The Alabama program lists an impressive 96 databases available to card holders. Many of the databases are academic in nature, but the list also includes three databases specifically for children and one called 'Lifetime Readings,' a compilation of introductions to more than 130 literary classics that should be read over a lifetime.

Applying for a card is usually as simple as filling out an online registration form, though some states require proof of identification.

For would-be researchers living in states without state library programs, the state of New York offers a state library card to non-residents for a $100 annual fee. So take your shoes off, stay in, do a little internet scouring and click your way to your own state virtual library card.

The Associated Press is reporting that government regulators failed to adopt stricter produce inspection standards after the E. coli spinach outbreak that occurred more than a year ago. Perhaps such regulations could've prevented the spinach salmonella recall last month.

California, which grows three quarters of the nation's greens, adopted new voluntary inspection guidelines, but leaving industry regulation up to the industry itself is a dangerous game, as evidenced by the pharmaceutical industry's relaxed regulations that resulted in drug recalls such the Vioxx debacle.

After the smoke cleared on the initial spinach recall, many people began buying packaged salads again, assuming they'd be safe and that the government was looking out for them. Unfortunately, it seems such assumptions can be harmful to your health. Yet another good reason to buy locally grown organic produce.

If the Zonyl in microwave popcorn bags wasn't keeping you away from this convenient snack, now it seems diacetyl, the butter-flavored food additive, emits toxic fumes, not only in the factories where it's made, but during home use too. And while U.S. governmental bodies aren't regulating these food additives or packaging, manufacturers are starting to clean up their products based on consumer outcry.

The Pump Handle health blog recently published a letter to federal agencies written by Dr. Cecile Rose of the National Jewish Medical and Research Center, regarding her patient with bronchiolitis obliterans, aka 'popcorn lung.' The unnamed patient regularly ate microwave popcorn, and developed the condition through home use, rather than workplace exposure. (Numerous lawsuits have been filed by plant workers in facilities that produce diacetyl.)

While she hasn't received an official response from the government, media outlets picked up on it and alerted consumers. Then the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association issued a statement asking its members to reduce the diacetyl in their products. Weaver Popcorn Co. was the first manufacturer to announce it would remove the chemical from its line of microwave popcorn, prompting Con Agra, makers of Orville Redenbacher and Act II brands, to announce that it would also remove diacetyl.

So in the absence of government regulation, companies are being taken to task by the public, who ultimately vote with their pocketbooks. This trend is also being mirrored by the toy industry, which recently asked federal officials to create mandatory safety testing on toys sold in the U.S. While it's great that these companies are self regulating, it seems like we'd get more consistent quality control if these chemicals were regulated by the government, like they are in Europe.

How do you feel about the introduction of genetically engineered crops into U.S. soil?

It's a complex issue, no doubt. GE crops have the potential to fight off pests and diseases with fewer harmful chemicals, and now, scientists have found that they can actually grow pharmaceuticals by adding human genes to rice.

Then again, some say we haven't fully assessed the risks posed by these new crops. That's the concern expressed by the Union of Concerned Scientists, who say that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has already failed to keep these crops from contaminating mainstream food channels. Is it wise to move ahead with these plans, when the possible economic, environmental and public health consequences are unknown?

Here's your chance to speak up. The USDA is taking public comment on the issue until September 11, and it's easy to weigh in by sending your thoughts electronically. Click here for the USDA comment site, or here for a form letter and more information from UCS.