鈥淵ou offend God鈥� by ruining the environment, carrying out morally debatable scientific experiments, or allowing genetic manipulations.鈥�
In an interview with the Vatican鈥檚 official newspaper, Bishop Gianfranco Girotti described seven new 鈥渟ocial sins鈥�. The others include taking or dealing in drugs, paedophilia and abortion (l鈥橭sservatore Romano, 10 March)
鈥淧eople think that if they take a medication, their body absorbs it and it disappears, but of course that鈥檚 not the case.鈥�
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US Environmental Protection Agency scientist Christian Daughton, commenting on an investigation into pharmaceuticals appearing in drinking water in 24 major metropolitan areas of the US (Associated Press, 10 March)
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the time of year I like. The old bear phone doesn鈥檛 wake you up at 3.00 in the morning any more.鈥�
Shaun Bobier, a ranger who helps run the 24-hour Polar Bear Hotline in Churchill, Canada, much prefers the winter because fewer polar bears wander into residential areas then (Agence France Press, 8 March)
鈥淚 grew up on Star Trek. I believe in the final frontier.鈥�
Presidential candidate Barack Obama outs himself as a Trekkie, but also criticises NASA for 鈥渓osing its focus鈥� and its failure to inspire young people (The Daily Telegraph, London, 8 March)
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I would go as far as shorts myself yet.鈥�
Lord Adair Turner of the UK government鈥檚 Climate Change Committee might disapprove of shorts in the workplace, but argues that suits and ties should be abandoned to reduce carbon emissions from air conditioning (Sunday Times, 9 March, London)