“Our engineers are exploring how we might contribute to this effort by developing a global forest platform that would enable anyone in the world, including tropical nations, to monitor deforestation and draw attention to it.”

Philipp Schindler, of Google UK, says his company may build a programme to allow internet users to identify illegal logging via satellite photos (Times).

“From the beginning, this case was marked by a fundamentally unfair and unconstitutional trial plan that allowed the jury to rely on findings by a prior jury.”

Murray Garnick, associate general counsel for Altria, says the company will appeal a $300 million damages award against its Philip Morris company to a former smoker in Florida who suffers from emphysema (Bloomberg).

“No new safety issue has been identified from reports issued to date.”

Marie-Paule Kieny, of the World Health Organisation, says H1N1 vaccination is not to blame for 41 deaths (Reuters).

“Dismantling this institution, which is a huge economic driver for the state, is a stupendously stupid thing to do, but that’s the path the Legislature has embarked on.”

Richard Mathies, dean of the College of Chemistry at Berkeley, takes issue with cuts to California’s education budget (LA Times).