People over profitsJohn Garamendi, Lieutenant Governor of California, believes health insurance is a racket overdue for reform. But, as he tells Martin Ashcroft, he might have to become Governor to achieve his ambition. The healthcare system in the United States is a national scandal.

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Debswana, a diamond mining operation owned jointly by the government of Botswana and De Beers, has announced mine closures as a result of falling demand.

Debswana has four diamond mines, all of which will close tomorrow, 25 February. Two are scheduled to reopen  on 14 April, but the other two will remain closed for the rest of the year.

The 580 employees affected by the closure of the Damtshaa mine and Opara No. 2 Plant will be redeployed within the company or offered voluntary early retirement and other incentives.

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Waste and┬áwetlands┬áThe heavily populated area to the east of Toronto has built a sewage system that is both fit for purpose and respectful of the residents and the natural scenery of Ontario, as John OÔÇÖHanlon discovers. The Greater Toronto Area has been growing massively since the 1960s and now has a population of 5.5 million, almost half of them born outside of Canada. And in turn, half of these immigrants have come to Canada in the last 15 years.

White Memorial Medical Center took a proactive approach to meeting strict new building codes. The result is a building that meets those codes and achieves high levels of sustainability and energy savings, as Keith Regan learns The 1994 Northridge earthquake that rocked the Los Angeles area left its mark on Southern California. But nearly a decade and a half later, the impacts are still appearing in new buildings erected under the significantly tougher building codes passed in the wake of the tremor.

Coping with change┬áNot every construction job goes smoothly, but goodwill and effort can go a long way toward minimizing the impact, as Jeff Daniels learns. In the coming months, the numerous individual facilities that constitute the resources of the Western Maryland Health System will become obsolete.

Clean and green┬áWaterFurnace International manufactures geothermal heating and cooling systemsÔÇöan environmentally friendly alternative energy source. Executive vice president John Groulik tells Linda Seid Frembes about good stewardship of the earth and of the workforce. WaterFurnace International specializes in the ultimate green technologyÔÇögeothermal heating and cooling systems for the residential market.

Securing the future┬áVanguard Security is showing the value of a different approach to security services, as Sean Flynn tells Ruari McCallion. ÔÇ£The security business is changing,ÔÇØ says Sean Flynn, president and CEO of Vanguard Security, Inc. And itÔÇÖs about time, many may feel. The popular image of security is not out of the top drawerÔÇöelderly men with dogs of uncertain temperament and parentage making once-an-hour checks on the fence, equipped with little more than a flashlight and a crackling walkie-talkie donÔÇÖt inspire confidence.