Flower Power

In the truly good news column, if only technology were applied this way more often: Aresa Biodetection, a Danish biotech company has engineered a wildflower which can detect landmines. The Thale Cress turns from green to red if it's growing near a landmine. Usually, finding land mines involves dogs or sophisticated detection devices. Could save an awful lot of children's limbs.

From the Aresa site:

Landmines represent a significant problem, especially in the third world, where 26,000 (source:Red Cross) people in average are killed or injured every year. Another significant problem is that large areas of land (in Cambodia estimated 40%, in Angola estimated 90%(source:UN) are unused with severe socio-economic consequences for the population/countries.

This company deserves some sort of humanitarian award.