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A Plan to Help the Planet

Last week, 190 countries, including the United States, adopted a detailed plan of action to reduce poverty and preserve the environment. The agreement came at the end of a 10-day United Nations meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa.

More than 40,000 environmentalists, social workers and leaders from around the world attended this "earth summit." They discussed how to help business grow in poor nations without harming nature.

"This summit puts us on a path that works for all people—rich and poor, today and tomorrow," said U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.

The plan set target years to achieve goals like improving access to clean water and food for the poor, conserving energy and protecting endangered species.

Secretary of State Colin Powell represented the United States at the conference. It wasn't easy. Angry protesters there criticized the U.S. refusal to sign a 1997 treaty that would put strict limits on air pollution.

But Powell said the U.S. is fully committed to this year's environmental agreement. "We have always understood that our well-being depends on the well-being of our fellow inhabitants of this planet Earth."

Big Fat News About Fries
McDonald's sells more french fries than anything else on its menu. They sure do taste good, but are they good for you? A large serving has 26 grams of fat. That's more than a cup of vanilla ice cream has! A diet high in fat can lead to serious health problems, including heart disease.

Last week, McDonald's announced that it was switching to a new type of cooking oil for french fries and other foods. By February, all 13,000 of its U.S. restaurants will use the oil. The fries will have the same amount of fat. But they will have half as much of a bad kind of fat called trans fatty acids. The new oil has more healthful polyunsaturated fat.

Still, health experts say, go easy on the fries. "They're still french fries, and they're still high in fat," says registered dietician Kathleen Zelman.

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