University of British Columbia researchers have observed one of the fastest evolutionary responses ever recorded in wild populations. In as little as three years, stickleback fish developed tolerance for water temperature 2.5 degrees Celsius lower than their ancestors.
The study, published in the current issue of the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, provides the some of the first experimental evidence that evolution may help populations survive effects of climate change.
Measuring three to 10 centimetres, stickleback fish originated in the ocean but began populating freshwater lakes and streams following the last ice age. Over the past 10,000 years, marine and freshwater sticklebacks have evolved different physical and behavioural traits, making them ideal models for Darwin's natural selection theory.
To learn how quickly this adaptation took place, Barrett and colleagues from Switzerland and Sweden "recreated history" by transplanting marine sticklebacks to freshwater ponds and found that in as little as three generations (or three years), they were able to tolerate the same minimum temperature as freshwater sticklebacks, 2.5 °C lower than their ancestral populations.
It is crucial that knowledge of evolutionary processes is incorporated into conservation and management policy.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Human Noise Pollution
The growing amount of human noise pollution in the ocean could lead fish away from good habitat and off to their death, according to new research from a UK-led team working on the Great Barrier Reef.
After developing for weeks at sea, baby tropical fish rely on natural noises to find the coral reefs where they can survive and thrive. However, the researchers found that short exposure to artificial noise makes fish become attracted to inappropriate sounds.
In earlier research, Dr Steve Simpson, Senior Researcher in the University of Bristol's School of Biological Sciences discovered that baby reef fish use sounds made by fish, shrimps and sea urchins as a cue to find coral reefs. With human noise pollution from ships, wind farms and oil prospecting on the increase, he is now concerned that this crucial behaviour is coming under threat.
He said: "When only a few weeks old, baby reef fish face a monumental challenge in locating and choosing suitable habitat. Reef noise gives them vital information, but if they can learn, remember and become attracted towards the wrong sounds, we might be leading them in all the wrong directions."
Using underwater nocturnal light traps, Dr Simpson and his team collected baby damselfish as they were returning to coral reefs. The fish were then put into tanks with underwater speakers playing natural reef noise or a synthesised mix of pure tones. The next night the fish were put into specially designed choice chambers (long tubes with contrasting conditions at each end in which fish can move freely towards the end they prefer) with natural or artificial sounds playing. All the fish liked the reef noise, but only the fish that had experienced the tone mix swam towards it, the others were repelled by it.
Dr Simpson said: "This result shows that fish can learn a new sound and remember it hours later, debunking the 3-second memory myth."
His collaborator, Dr Mark Meekan added: "It also shows that they can discriminate between sounds and, based on their experience, become attracted to sounds which might really mess up their behaviour on the most important night of their life."
In noisy environments the breakdown of natural behaviour could have devastating impacts on success of populations and the replenishment of future fish stocks.
Dr Simpson said: "Anthropogenic noise has increased dramatically in recent years, with small boats, shipping, drilling, pile driving and seismic testing now sometimes drowning out the natural sounds of fish and snapping shrimps. If fish accidentally learn to follow the wrong sounds, they could end up stuck next to a construction site or follow a ship back out to sea."
The study is published in Behavioral Ecology and was carried out at Lizard Island Research Station. The work was supported with a fellowship for Dr Simpson from the UK Natural Environment Research Council and by the Australian Institute of Marine Science for Dr Mark Meekan.
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/
After developing for weeks at sea, baby tropical fish rely on natural noises to find the coral reefs where they can survive and thrive. However, the researchers found that short exposure to artificial noise makes fish become attracted to inappropriate sounds.
In earlier research, Dr Steve Simpson, Senior Researcher in the University of Bristol's School of Biological Sciences discovered that baby reef fish use sounds made by fish, shrimps and sea urchins as a cue to find coral reefs. With human noise pollution from ships, wind farms and oil prospecting on the increase, he is now concerned that this crucial behaviour is coming under threat.
He said: "When only a few weeks old, baby reef fish face a monumental challenge in locating and choosing suitable habitat. Reef noise gives them vital information, but if they can learn, remember and become attracted towards the wrong sounds, we might be leading them in all the wrong directions."
Using underwater nocturnal light traps, Dr Simpson and his team collected baby damselfish as they were returning to coral reefs. The fish were then put into tanks with underwater speakers playing natural reef noise or a synthesised mix of pure tones. The next night the fish were put into specially designed choice chambers (long tubes with contrasting conditions at each end in which fish can move freely towards the end they prefer) with natural or artificial sounds playing. All the fish liked the reef noise, but only the fish that had experienced the tone mix swam towards it, the others were repelled by it.
Dr Simpson said: "This result shows that fish can learn a new sound and remember it hours later, debunking the 3-second memory myth."
His collaborator, Dr Mark Meekan added: "It also shows that they can discriminate between sounds and, based on their experience, become attracted to sounds which might really mess up their behaviour on the most important night of their life."
In noisy environments the breakdown of natural behaviour could have devastating impacts on success of populations and the replenishment of future fish stocks.
Dr Simpson said: "Anthropogenic noise has increased dramatically in recent years, with small boats, shipping, drilling, pile driving and seismic testing now sometimes drowning out the natural sounds of fish and snapping shrimps. If fish accidentally learn to follow the wrong sounds, they could end up stuck next to a construction site or follow a ship back out to sea."
The study is published in Behavioral Ecology and was carried out at Lizard Island Research Station. The work was supported with a fellowship for Dr Simpson from the UK Natural Environment Research Council and by the Australian Institute of Marine Science for Dr Mark Meekan.
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Generating Energy from Ocean Waters Off Hawaii
Average ocean temperature differences (at water depths of between 20 meters and 1000 meters depths) around the main Hawaiian Islands for the period July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2009, (the color palette is from 18°C to 24°C); the relatively more favorable area in the lee of the islands is clearly visible. (Credit: Data from HYCOM (an academia-industry consortium, see: http://www.hycom.org/ and NCODA, public data from the U.S. Navy, see: https://www.fnmoc.navy.mil/public/. Image provided by Gerard Nihous.)
Researchers at the University of Hawaii at Manoa say that the Leeward side of Hawaiian Islands may be ideal for future ocean-based renewable energy plants that would use seawater from the oceans' depths to drive massive heat engines and produce steady amounts of renewable energy.
The technology, referred to as Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC), is described in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, which is published by the American Institute of Physics (AIP).
It involves placing a heat engine between warm water collected at the ocean's surface and cold water pumped from the deep ocean. Like a ball rolling downhill, heat flows from the warm reservoir to the cool one. The greater the temperature difference, the stronger the flow of heat that can be used to do useful work such as spinning a turbine and generating electricity.
This small difference translates to 15 percent more power for an OTEC plant, says Nihous, whose theoretical work focuses on driving down cost and increasing efficiency of future facilities, the biggest hurdles to bringing the technology to the mainstream.
"Testing that was done in the 1980s clearly demonstrates the feasibility of this technology," he says. "Now it's just a matter of paying for it."
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/
Researchers at the University of Hawaii at Manoa say that the Leeward side of Hawaiian Islands may be ideal for future ocean-based renewable energy plants that would use seawater from the oceans' depths to drive massive heat engines and produce steady amounts of renewable energy.
The technology, referred to as Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC), is described in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, which is published by the American Institute of Physics (AIP).
It involves placing a heat engine between warm water collected at the ocean's surface and cold water pumped from the deep ocean. Like a ball rolling downhill, heat flows from the warm reservoir to the cool one. The greater the temperature difference, the stronger the flow of heat that can be used to do useful work such as spinning a turbine and generating electricity.
This small difference translates to 15 percent more power for an OTEC plant, says Nihous, whose theoretical work focuses on driving down cost and increasing efficiency of future facilities, the biggest hurdles to bringing the technology to the mainstream.
"Testing that was done in the 1980s clearly demonstrates the feasibility of this technology," he says. "Now it's just a matter of paying for it."
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Census of Marine Life Publishes Historic Roll Call of Species in 25 Key World Areas
Representing the most comprehensive and authoritative answer yet to one of humanity's most ancient questions -- "what lives in the sea?" -- Census of Marine Life scientists today released an inventory of species distribution and diversity in key global ocean areas.
Scientists combined information collected over centuries with data obtained during the decade-long Census to create a roll call of species in 25 biologically representative regions -- from the Antarctic through temperate and tropical seas to the Arctic.
Scientists find that the number of known, named species contained in the 25 areas ranged from 2,600 to 33,000 and averaged about 10,750, which fall into a dozen groups. On average, about one-fifth of all species were crustaceans which, with mollusks and fish, make up half of all known species on average across the regions.
The full breakdown follows:
•19% Crustaceans (including crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles),
•17% Mollusca (including squid, octopus, clams, snails and slugs)
•12% Pisces (fish, including sharks)
•10% Protozoa (unicellular micro-organisms)
•10% algae and other plant-like organisms
•7% Annelida (segmented worms)
•5% Cnidaria (including sea anemones, corals and jellyfish)
•3% Platyhelminthes (including flatworms)
•3% Echinodermata (including starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins, sand dollars and sea cucumbers)
•3% Porifera (including sponges)
•2% Bryozoa (mat or 'moss animals')
•1% Tunicata (including sea squirts)
The rest are other invertebrates (5%) and other vertebrates (2%). The scarce 2% of species in the "other vertebrates" category includes whales, sea lions, seals, sea birds, turtles and walruses. Thus some of the best-known marine animals comprise a tiny part of marine biodiversity.
How much is unknown?
In October, the Census will release its latest estimate of all marine species known to science, including those still to be added to WoRMS and OBIS. This is likely to exceed 230,000.
Greatest threats
According to the Census studies published in PLoS ONE, the main threats to marine life to date have been overfishing, lost habitat, invasive species and pollution, although the relative importance of the threats varied among regions. Emerging threats include rising water temperature and acidification, and the enlargement of areas characterized by low oxygen content (called hypoxia) of seawater. These too will vary regionally (surface temperature, for example) whereas others are more global (such as acidification).
Overfishing not only depletes the exploited fish themselves but also depletes other species like turtles, albatrosses, sharks and mammals, caught unintentionally. It alters food webs within ecosystems.
Coastal urbanization, sediment runoff and nutrients in sewage and fertilizer washed from the land and causing eutrophication and hypoxia are destroying marine habitats.
The more enclosed seas -- Mediterranean, Gulf of Mexico, China's shelves, Baltic, and Caribbean -- were reported to have the most threatened biodiversity.
Source: www.sciencedaily.com
Scientists combined information collected over centuries with data obtained during the decade-long Census to create a roll call of species in 25 biologically representative regions -- from the Antarctic through temperate and tropical seas to the Arctic.
Scientists find that the number of known, named species contained in the 25 areas ranged from 2,600 to 33,000 and averaged about 10,750, which fall into a dozen groups. On average, about one-fifth of all species were crustaceans which, with mollusks and fish, make up half of all known species on average across the regions.
The full breakdown follows:
•19% Crustaceans (including crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles),
•17% Mollusca (including squid, octopus, clams, snails and slugs)
•12% Pisces (fish, including sharks)
•10% Protozoa (unicellular micro-organisms)
•10% algae and other plant-like organisms
•7% Annelida (segmented worms)
•5% Cnidaria (including sea anemones, corals and jellyfish)
•3% Platyhelminthes (including flatworms)
•3% Echinodermata (including starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins, sand dollars and sea cucumbers)
•3% Porifera (including sponges)
•2% Bryozoa (mat or 'moss animals')
•1% Tunicata (including sea squirts)
The rest are other invertebrates (5%) and other vertebrates (2%). The scarce 2% of species in the "other vertebrates" category includes whales, sea lions, seals, sea birds, turtles and walruses. Thus some of the best-known marine animals comprise a tiny part of marine biodiversity.
How much is unknown?
In October, the Census will release its latest estimate of all marine species known to science, including those still to be added to WoRMS and OBIS. This is likely to exceed 230,000.
Greatest threats
According to the Census studies published in PLoS ONE, the main threats to marine life to date have been overfishing, lost habitat, invasive species and pollution, although the relative importance of the threats varied among regions. Emerging threats include rising water temperature and acidification, and the enlargement of areas characterized by low oxygen content (called hypoxia) of seawater. These too will vary regionally (surface temperature, for example) whereas others are more global (such as acidification).
Overfishing not only depletes the exploited fish themselves but also depletes other species like turtles, albatrosses, sharks and mammals, caught unintentionally. It alters food webs within ecosystems.
Coastal urbanization, sediment runoff and nutrients in sewage and fertilizer washed from the land and causing eutrophication and hypoxia are destroying marine habitats.
The more enclosed seas -- Mediterranean, Gulf of Mexico, China's shelves, Baltic, and Caribbean -- were reported to have the most threatened biodiversity.
Source: www.sciencedaily.com
Friday, July 30, 2010
Rising CO2
Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels rise, so does the pressure on the plant kingdom. The hope among policymakers, scientists and concerned citizens is that plants will absorb some of the extra CO2 and mitigate the impacts of climate change. For a few decades now, researchers have hypothesized about one major roadblock: nitrogen.
Scientist Adam Langley sprays plants in a test chamber with nitrogen. The additional nutrients changed the composition of the plants inside the chamber, spurring the growth of grasses that respond weakly to elevated levels of CO2. (Credit: SERC)
Plants build their tissue primarily with the CO2 they take up from the atmosphere. The more they get, the faster they tend to grow -- a phenomenon known as the "CO2 fertilization effect." However, plants that photosynthesize greater amounts of CO2 will also need higher doses of other key building blocks, especially nitrogen. The general consensus has been that if plants get more nitrogen, there will be a larger CO2 fertilization effect. Not necessarily so, says a new paper published in the July 1 issue of Nature.
The sedge, Schoenoplectus americanus, initially reacted as expected. However, after the first year something unanticipated happened. Two grass species that had been relatively rare in the plots, Spartina patens and Distichlis spicata, began to respond vigorously to the excess nitrogen. Eventually the grasses became much more abundant. Unlike sedges, grasses respond weakly to extra CO2 and do not grow faster. Thus, the nitrogen ultimately changed the composition of the ecosystem as well as its capacity to store carbon.
Megonigal and Langley placed 20 open-top chambers over random plots of plants. The chambers were 6 feet in diameter and had 5-foot-tall transparent plastic walls.
The large, plastic pods allowed the scientists to manipulate CO2 concentrations in the air and nitrogen levels in the soil. Half of the plots grew with normal, background CO2 levels; the other half were raised in an environment with CO2 concentrations roughly double that amount. Similarly, half of the chambers were fertilized with nitrogen and the other half were untreated.
This study was supported by the U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Department of Energy. The Smithsonian scientists recently received funding from the National Science Foundation that will sustain the research for another 10 years.
Source: www.sciencedaily.com
Scientist Adam Langley sprays plants in a test chamber with nitrogen. The additional nutrients changed the composition of the plants inside the chamber, spurring the growth of grasses that respond weakly to elevated levels of CO2. (Credit: SERC)
Plants build their tissue primarily with the CO2 they take up from the atmosphere. The more they get, the faster they tend to grow -- a phenomenon known as the "CO2 fertilization effect." However, plants that photosynthesize greater amounts of CO2 will also need higher doses of other key building blocks, especially nitrogen. The general consensus has been that if plants get more nitrogen, there will be a larger CO2 fertilization effect. Not necessarily so, says a new paper published in the July 1 issue of Nature.
The sedge, Schoenoplectus americanus, initially reacted as expected. However, after the first year something unanticipated happened. Two grass species that had been relatively rare in the plots, Spartina patens and Distichlis spicata, began to respond vigorously to the excess nitrogen. Eventually the grasses became much more abundant. Unlike sedges, grasses respond weakly to extra CO2 and do not grow faster. Thus, the nitrogen ultimately changed the composition of the ecosystem as well as its capacity to store carbon.
Megonigal and Langley placed 20 open-top chambers over random plots of plants. The chambers were 6 feet in diameter and had 5-foot-tall transparent plastic walls.
The large, plastic pods allowed the scientists to manipulate CO2 concentrations in the air and nitrogen levels in the soil. Half of the plots grew with normal, background CO2 levels; the other half were raised in an environment with CO2 concentrations roughly double that amount. Similarly, half of the chambers were fertilized with nitrogen and the other half were untreated.
This study was supported by the U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Department of Energy. The Smithsonian scientists recently received funding from the National Science Foundation that will sustain the research for another 10 years.
Source: www.sciencedaily.com
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Camouflage by Joe Haldeman(2nd book review)
This is the second book that I am reading and its title is camouflage.
This a very interesting science fiction book about two aliens of Earth. One is the changeling and the other is the chameleon. The changeling survived by taking shapes of differnt organisms like the great whita shark and other animals, while the chameleon survived by destoying anything that threatens it. Both knew llittle about each other but the chameleon decides that he must kill the changeling. The book then continues about the adventure of the changeling and also about the chameleon and also about a biologist Russell Sutton. Russell found an artifact and is studyign it and both the aliens are also drawn to it. The chameleon and changeling later fought together and later the chameleon died and the changeling went back to its planet. This novel is very interesting in the adventures of the changeling which is the main part of this book. The story is clearly easy to understand and the ending is also satisfying. A very interecting and enjoyable book. Read it some day :)
Author: Joe haldeman
Haldeman's most famous novel is The Forever War (1975), inspired by his Vietnam experiences, which won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards. He later turned it into a series. Haldeman also wrote two of the earliest original novels based on the 1960s Star Trek TV series universe, Planet of Judgment (August 1977) and World Without End (February 1979). In October 2008 it was announced that Ridley Scott will direct a feature film based on The Forever War for Fox
Haldeman has written at least one produced Hollywood movie script. The film, a low-budget science fiction film called Robot Jox, was released in 1990. He was not entirely happy with the product, saying "to me it’s as if I’d had a child who started out well and then sustained brain damage".
He is a lifetime member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), and past-president.
Haldeman is the brother of Jack C. Haldeman II (1941-2002), also a science-fiction author whose work included an original Star Trek novel (Perry's Planet, February 1980).
This a very interesting science fiction book about two aliens of Earth. One is the changeling and the other is the chameleon. The changeling survived by taking shapes of differnt organisms like the great whita shark and other animals, while the chameleon survived by destoying anything that threatens it. Both knew llittle about each other but the chameleon decides that he must kill the changeling. The book then continues about the adventure of the changeling and also about the chameleon and also about a biologist Russell Sutton. Russell found an artifact and is studyign it and both the aliens are also drawn to it. The chameleon and changeling later fought together and later the chameleon died and the changeling went back to its planet. This novel is very interesting in the adventures of the changeling which is the main part of this book. The story is clearly easy to understand and the ending is also satisfying. A very interecting and enjoyable book. Read it some day :)
Author: Joe haldeman
Haldeman's most famous novel is The Forever War (1975), inspired by his Vietnam experiences, which won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards. He later turned it into a series. Haldeman also wrote two of the earliest original novels based on the 1960s Star Trek TV series universe, Planet of Judgment (August 1977) and World Without End (February 1979). In October 2008 it was announced that Ridley Scott will direct a feature film based on The Forever War for Fox
Haldeman has written at least one produced Hollywood movie script. The film, a low-budget science fiction film called Robot Jox, was released in 1990. He was not entirely happy with the product, saying "to me it’s as if I’d had a child who started out well and then sustained brain damage".
He is a lifetime member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), and past-president.
Haldeman is the brother of Jack C. Haldeman II (1941-2002), also a science-fiction author whose work included an original Star Trek novel (Perry's Planet, February 1980).
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Warmer Ecosystems
Research by scientists at Queen Mary, University of London has found that a predicted rise in global temperature of 4°C by 2100 could lead to a 13% reduction in ecosystems' ability to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.
Research by scientists at Queen Mary, University of London has found that a predicted rise in global temperature of 4°C by 2100 could lead to a 13% reduction in ecosystems' ability to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. (Credit: Image courtesy of Queen Mary, University of London)
"Photosynthesis by plants absorbs CO2 while respiration by animals returns CO2 to the atmosphere. Respiration has a higher 'activation energy' than photosynthesis meaning that it increases more rapidly with increasing temperature. So if climate change raises environmental temperatures, the balance between respiration and photosynthesis in the ecosystem will change, favouring more respiration and less CO2 absorption."
The work is complemented by another paper published this month by Dr Guy Woodward and other Queen Mary colleagues in the journal Global Change Biology. This research compared animals living in 15 similar Icelandic streams, a rare long-term 'natural experiment' in which geothermal activity heats some streams up to 45°C. The unique situation meant researchers could study how temperature affects Arctic ecosystems, where climate change is predicted to cause a rise of around 7.5°C within the next century.
"We saw longer food-chains, with predators becoming bigger and more abundant as temperatures increased from 5°C to 25°C. We also have more recent (as yet unpublished) data collected from the Icelandic streams by colleagues at the Macaulay Institute that show similar patterns to those seen in the experimental ponds: namely the warmer streams emitted far more CO2 than the cooler streams and acted as sources of carbon, rather than sinks."
Source: www.sciencedaily.com
Research by scientists at Queen Mary, University of London has found that a predicted rise in global temperature of 4°C by 2100 could lead to a 13% reduction in ecosystems' ability to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. (Credit: Image courtesy of Queen Mary, University of London)
"Photosynthesis by plants absorbs CO2 while respiration by animals returns CO2 to the atmosphere. Respiration has a higher 'activation energy' than photosynthesis meaning that it increases more rapidly with increasing temperature. So if climate change raises environmental temperatures, the balance between respiration and photosynthesis in the ecosystem will change, favouring more respiration and less CO2 absorption."
The work is complemented by another paper published this month by Dr Guy Woodward and other Queen Mary colleagues in the journal Global Change Biology. This research compared animals living in 15 similar Icelandic streams, a rare long-term 'natural experiment' in which geothermal activity heats some streams up to 45°C. The unique situation meant researchers could study how temperature affects Arctic ecosystems, where climate change is predicted to cause a rise of around 7.5°C within the next century.
"We saw longer food-chains, with predators becoming bigger and more abundant as temperatures increased from 5°C to 25°C. We also have more recent (as yet unpublished) data collected from the Icelandic streams by colleagues at the Macaulay Institute that show similar patterns to those seen in the experimental ponds: namely the warmer streams emitted far more CO2 than the cooler streams and acted as sources of carbon, rather than sinks."
Source: www.sciencedaily.com
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Book Review (20 000 leagues under the sea by Jules Verne)
This is one of the most fascinating book I have ever read. Introducing you to the underwater world which is deeper and more interesting than you could ever expect. The details of the underwater world is so detailed that it captures your attention and can imagine the pictures very clearly in your head. In other words, Jules Verne is very good and clear when conveying what he writes to those who read them.
The story starts when there were several reports on several ships being attack by a so called "large creature" when sailing in the ocean. People suspected that it was a creature while some said it was a monster, but whatever it was, they knew that it could move a great distance in a very short amount of time. As the professor of the museum in Paris, the author had came to New York to identify the problem and later was invited on board the Abraham Lincoln to hunt down the creature. The author had a servant called Conseil and also followed him on the journey.
On Board the ship, the author met Ned Land, a skilled harpooner who was a Canadian. Ned Land refuses to believe that the creature they were chasing for really exists no matter how hard the author tried to convince him. After a long time, they finally met with a creature which may be the one they were looking for. It was full of light and circled the Abraham Lincoln before leaving and so the Abraham Lincoln gave chase and finally, the creatures light went out and Ned Land harpooned it. It was something hard. Then, there was a terrible crash and conseil, the author and ned land were also thrown aboard. They got up on the back of that creature and suddenly realised it was no creature, it was a submarine and at that time, the Abraham Lincoln was nowhere to be found.
Then, one of the plates on the submarine rose and they were brought into the submarine by eight strong men. They were then left in a room where there was nobody in it and waited for a very long time. Finally, the captain of the ship came in and they explained their voyage in different languages to the captain. The crew and the captain were speaking in an unknown and weird language among themselves. Finally, the captain and the three of them sealed a deal that they were free to roam around the ship but will have to stay in their rooms when necessary. They all had their rooms and later the Captain who was Captain Nemo introduced the author around the submarine which was called the Nautilus. Captain Nemo explained how the submarine works and every other thing to the author and so their voyage continues for months after months with Conseil the author and also Ned Land. As months after months passed, Ned Land was tired of the submarine and decided to escape but almost all the ways he could think of failed. Along the journey they went through secret tunnels, met a giant squid, went to the great ice barrier which almost killed everyone in board and also went to all of the oceans and also the South Pole.
When the Submarine was caught in a whirlpool, the three of them managed to somewhat escape and when the author woke up, he found himself in a village in the nearby Lofoten Islands. What happened to the submarine after that, the author was unsure but he wished it all the best.
This is certainly a very good book and the ending is up to you to decide. It is indeed the most interesting books I have ever read.
Author: Jules Gabriel Verne 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905.
Verne wrote about space, air, and underwater travel before navigable aircraft and practical submarines were invented, and before any means of space travel had been devised. Consequently he is often referred to as the "Father of science fiction", along with H. G. Wells, Hugo Gernsback and Edgar Allan Poe.Some of his works have been made into films.
The story starts when there were several reports on several ships being attack by a so called "large creature" when sailing in the ocean. People suspected that it was a creature while some said it was a monster, but whatever it was, they knew that it could move a great distance in a very short amount of time. As the professor of the museum in Paris, the author had came to New York to identify the problem and later was invited on board the Abraham Lincoln to hunt down the creature. The author had a servant called Conseil and also followed him on the journey.
On Board the ship, the author met Ned Land, a skilled harpooner who was a Canadian. Ned Land refuses to believe that the creature they were chasing for really exists no matter how hard the author tried to convince him. After a long time, they finally met with a creature which may be the one they were looking for. It was full of light and circled the Abraham Lincoln before leaving and so the Abraham Lincoln gave chase and finally, the creatures light went out and Ned Land harpooned it. It was something hard. Then, there was a terrible crash and conseil, the author and ned land were also thrown aboard. They got up on the back of that creature and suddenly realised it was no creature, it was a submarine and at that time, the Abraham Lincoln was nowhere to be found.
Then, one of the plates on the submarine rose and they were brought into the submarine by eight strong men. They were then left in a room where there was nobody in it and waited for a very long time. Finally, the captain of the ship came in and they explained their voyage in different languages to the captain. The crew and the captain were speaking in an unknown and weird language among themselves. Finally, the captain and the three of them sealed a deal that they were free to roam around the ship but will have to stay in their rooms when necessary. They all had their rooms and later the Captain who was Captain Nemo introduced the author around the submarine which was called the Nautilus. Captain Nemo explained how the submarine works and every other thing to the author and so their voyage continues for months after months with Conseil the author and also Ned Land. As months after months passed, Ned Land was tired of the submarine and decided to escape but almost all the ways he could think of failed. Along the journey they went through secret tunnels, met a giant squid, went to the great ice barrier which almost killed everyone in board and also went to all of the oceans and also the South Pole.
When the Submarine was caught in a whirlpool, the three of them managed to somewhat escape and when the author woke up, he found himself in a village in the nearby Lofoten Islands. What happened to the submarine after that, the author was unsure but he wished it all the best.
This is certainly a very good book and the ending is up to you to decide. It is indeed the most interesting books I have ever read.
Author: Jules Gabriel Verne 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905.
Verne wrote about space, air, and underwater travel before navigable aircraft and practical submarines were invented, and before any means of space travel had been devised. Consequently he is often referred to as the "Father of science fiction", along with H. G. Wells, Hugo Gernsback and Edgar Allan Poe.Some of his works have been made into films.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Ozone holes
A new NASA study of Earth's polar ozone layer reinforces scientists' understanding of how human-produced chlorine chemicals involved in the destruction of ozone interact with each other.
A team of scientists led by Michelle Santee of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., examined how nighttime temperatures affect chlorine monoxide, a key chemical involved in ozone destruction. Combining NASA satellite measurements with a state-of-the-art chemical model, they found this relationship to be more consistent with recent laboratory work than with some older laboratory and field observational data. This verification is important, because scientists have not been able to conduct appropriate laboratory experiments relevant to understanding how polar chlorine monoxide behaves at night at the lowest temperatures of the stratosphere, Earth's second lowest atmospheric layer.
At night, chlorine monoxide molecules combine to form chlorine peroxide, and the balance between these two chemicals is highly temperature-sensitive. Studying this balance quantitatively is challenging. Previous studies in the laboratory and using aircraft and satellites had found significantly different degrees of balance. The Microwave Limb Sounder's very large number of measurements has quantified this balance far better than before.
Chlorine and bromine from human-produced compounds cause the nearly total destruction of ozone in Earth's stratosphere in a layer about 20 kilometers (12 miles) above Antarctica.
Since its launch in 2004, the Microwave Limb Sounder has monitored most of the polar regions of both hemispheres daily, compiling tens of thousands of measurements of nighttime chlorine monoxide levels, along with various other chemicals, including ozone. These data are allowing scientists to test their understanding of chlorine-related chemistry on an unprecedented scale.
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/
A team of scientists led by Michelle Santee of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., examined how nighttime temperatures affect chlorine monoxide, a key chemical involved in ozone destruction. Combining NASA satellite measurements with a state-of-the-art chemical model, they found this relationship to be more consistent with recent laboratory work than with some older laboratory and field observational data. This verification is important, because scientists have not been able to conduct appropriate laboratory experiments relevant to understanding how polar chlorine monoxide behaves at night at the lowest temperatures of the stratosphere, Earth's second lowest atmospheric layer.
At night, chlorine monoxide molecules combine to form chlorine peroxide, and the balance between these two chemicals is highly temperature-sensitive. Studying this balance quantitatively is challenging. Previous studies in the laboratory and using aircraft and satellites had found significantly different degrees of balance. The Microwave Limb Sounder's very large number of measurements has quantified this balance far better than before.
Chlorine and bromine from human-produced compounds cause the nearly total destruction of ozone in Earth's stratosphere in a layer about 20 kilometers (12 miles) above Antarctica.
Since its launch in 2004, the Microwave Limb Sounder has monitored most of the polar regions of both hemispheres daily, compiling tens of thousands of measurements of nighttime chlorine monoxide levels, along with various other chemicals, including ozone. These data are allowing scientists to test their understanding of chlorine-related chemistry on an unprecedented scale.
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Hot Spots Where Heatwaves Could Pose Greater Health Risk
Nice, France. Cities along Mediterranean coastlines could especially suffer from heatwaves in the future. (Credit: iStockphoto)
Heatwaves could especially pose an increased health risk this century in Southern European river valleys and along the Mediterranean coast, a study by two scientists from ETH Zurich has revealed.
During the scorching summer of 2003, thermometers soared to over 40°C in the first two weeks of August; estimates on excess mortality amount to about 40,000 heat-related deaths across Europe; the heatwave caused water shortage and bottlenecks in power supply; the high water temperatures caused fish to die; and Swiss Re estimated the damage caused by reduced crop yields at 13 billion euros.
Key factors: Temperature and atmospheric humidity
The scientists see two reasons as to why the geographic distribution of the future affected areas is consistent in all models: firstly, due to the low altitude these regions experience particularly high temperatures; secondly, the comparatively high absolute humidity amplifies the health impacts during heatwaves. Although the models predict that the increasing aridity of Southern Europe reduces the relative atmospheric humidity somewhat, a certain level of humidity naturally remains precisely in the especially hard-hit regions along the coasts. Then there is also the fact that the diurnal temperature range, the difference between day and night-time temperatures, remains constant, which means the day and night-time temperatures are increasing in parallel; in other regions of Europe, the nights would warm up somewhat less.
Highly populated areas particularly at risk
It's concerning, says Fischer, that most of these high-risk areas are densely populated, with major cities like Milan, Athens or Naples being affected. Cities are warming up more intensely during the day and cooling off less effectively at night than the open land. However, this so-called "heat island effect" and the cities' air pollution wasn't even accounted for in this study -- which means the situation on the ground could get even worse. That said, the two researchers stress that it is possible to adapt to the new conditions up to a certain point by establishing a corresponding infrastructure and certain rules of conduct.
References
Fischer, E.M., C. Schär, 2010: Consistent geographical patterns of changes in high-impact European heatwaves, Nature Geoscience, doi:10.1038/NGEO866.
During the scorching summer of 2003, thermometers soared to over 40°C in the first two weeks of August; estimates on excess mortality amount to about 40,000 heat-related deaths across Europe; the heatwave caused water shortage and bottlenecks in power supply; the high water temperatures caused fish to die; and Swiss Re estimated the damage caused by reduced crop yields at 13 billion euros.
Key factors: Temperature and atmospheric humidity
The scientists see two reasons as to why the geographic distribution of the future affected areas is consistent in all models: firstly, due to the low altitude these regions experience particularly high temperatures; secondly, the comparatively high absolute humidity amplifies the health impacts during heatwaves. Although the models predict that the increasing aridity of Southern Europe reduces the relative atmospheric humidity somewhat, a certain level of humidity naturally remains precisely in the especially hard-hit regions along the coasts. Then there is also the fact that the diurnal temperature range, the difference between day and night-time temperatures, remains constant, which means the day and night-time temperatures are increasing in parallel; in other regions of Europe, the nights would warm up somewhat less.
Highly populated areas particularly at risk
It's concerning, says Fischer, that most of these high-risk areas are densely populated, with major cities like Milan, Athens or Naples being affected. Cities are warming up more intensely during the day and cooling off less effectively at night than the open land. However, this so-called "heat island effect" and the cities' air pollution wasn't even accounted for in this study -- which means the situation on the ground could get even worse. That said, the two researchers stress that it is possible to adapt to the new conditions up to a certain point by establishing a corresponding infrastructure and certain rules of conduct.
References
Fischer, E.M., C. Schär, 2010: Consistent geographical patterns of changes in high-impact European heatwaves, Nature Geoscience, doi:10.1038/NGEO866.
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
My own poem
My school days
By John Loh
My school days were fun
As long my homework was done
When exams were near
We began to fear
But after studying
We stopped worrying
In the holidays
It was a funfilled day
Friends would come over
To play before the holidays were over
I hope you enjoyed the poem! :)
By John Loh
My school days were fun
As long my homework was done
When exams were near
We began to fear
But after studying
We stopped worrying
In the holidays
It was a funfilled day
Friends would come over
To play before the holidays were over
I hope you enjoyed the poem! :)
Analysis (The Son is in Secondary School by Affian Sa’at)
The Son is in Secondary School by Affian Sa’at
The poem is written in a single line, a couplet. triplet and a quatrain.
The poem tells us about most likely the poet's childhood when he was in school. He first introduce his school which has a latin motto. He does not clearly remember the motto as in the last sentence of the first stanza, he said 'or something'. He then says about his normal day in school and also about special occasions like Chinese New Year and also about his best friend. In the last stanza, there was a picture of him in the yearbook pushing a wheelchair smilling with his eyes closed.
This indicates that the poet was on a wheelchair through his school life.
The poet felt that his school days were fun and interesting and in the poem it does not really state that he misses school but through my own understanding, he misses all the things that happen in school. He also felt that his friend who shaded all A's was heroic.
There are so far not much obvious literary devices in the poem so it is relatively hard to find as a beginner.
I do share the same sentiments of the fact that primary school was fun and interesting where a lot of wierd and interesting things happen. My memories of those days were all with my friends and most of the time, we were more or lest playing if not just chatting around. It is also a time where I made the most friends before secondary school.
John
The poem is written in a single line, a couplet. triplet and a quatrain.
The poem tells us about most likely the poet's childhood when he was in school. He first introduce his school which has a latin motto. He does not clearly remember the motto as in the last sentence of the first stanza, he said 'or something'. He then says about his normal day in school and also about special occasions like Chinese New Year and also about his best friend. In the last stanza, there was a picture of him in the yearbook pushing a wheelchair smilling with his eyes closed.
This indicates that the poet was on a wheelchair through his school life.
The poet felt that his school days were fun and interesting and in the poem it does not really state that he misses school but through my own understanding, he misses all the things that happen in school. He also felt that his friend who shaded all A's was heroic.
There are so far not much obvious literary devices in the poem so it is relatively hard to find as a beginner.
I do share the same sentiments of the fact that primary school was fun and interesting where a lot of wierd and interesting things happen. My memories of those days were all with my friends and most of the time, we were more or lest playing if not just chatting around. It is also a time where I made the most friends before secondary school.
John
The Son is in Secondary School by Affian Sa’at
My badge has a Latin motto
Hope for the future
The future is hope
Or something
At times black crows try to interrupt
When we sing the National Anthem
It is difficult to maintain
The whiteness of my shoes
Especially on Wednesdays
I must admit there is something quite special
About the bare thighs of hardworking scouts
The Malay chauffeurs
Who wait for my schoolmates
Sit on the car park kerb
Telling jokes to one another
Seven to the power of five is unreasonable
On Chinese New Year
Mrs Lee dressed up
In a sarong kebaya
And sang Bengawan Solo
The capital of Singapore is Singapore
My best friend did a heroic thing once
Shaded all A’s
For his Chinese Language
Multiple-choice paper
In our annual yearbook
There is a photograph of me
Pushing a wheelchair and smiling
They caught me
At the exact moment
When my eyes were actually closed
Hope for the future
The future is hope
Or something
At times black crows try to interrupt
When we sing the National Anthem
It is difficult to maintain
The whiteness of my shoes
Especially on Wednesdays
I must admit there is something quite special
About the bare thighs of hardworking scouts
The Malay chauffeurs
Who wait for my schoolmates
Sit on the car park kerb
Telling jokes to one another
Seven to the power of five is unreasonable
On Chinese New Year
Mrs Lee dressed up
In a sarong kebaya
And sang Bengawan Solo
The capital of Singapore is Singapore
My best friend did a heroic thing once
Shaded all A’s
For his Chinese Language
Multiple-choice paper
In our annual yearbook
There is a photograph of me
Pushing a wheelchair and smiling
They caught me
At the exact moment
When my eyes were actually closed
Monday, May 24, 2010
Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill
Scientists monitoring the U.S. oil spill with the European Space Agency's Envisat radar satellite say that it has entered the Loop Current, a powerful conveyor belt that flows clockwise around the Gulf of Mexico towards Florida.
"With these images from space, we have visible proof that at least oil from the surface of the water has reached the current," said Dr Bertrand Chapron of Ifremer, the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea.
Dr Chapron and Dr Fabrice Collard of France's CLS have been combining surface roughness and current flow information with Envisat Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) data of the area to monitor the proximity of the oil to the current.
In the ASAR image above, acquired on 18 May, a long tendril of the oil spill (outlined in white) extends down into the Loop Current (red arrow).
"We performed advanced processing methods on the images to display surface features like variations in roughness and velocity, which provides insight into the spatial structure of the spill and its transport by surface currents," Dr Collard explained.
From the ASAR images of 12 May and 15 May, the oil spill was observed stretching increasingly closer to the Loop Current, raising concerns that it could reach the current and be carried south towards coral reefs in the Florida Keys.
"Now that oil has entered the Loop Current, it is likely to reach Florida within six days," Dr Chapron said. "Since Envisat ASAR, ERS-2 and other SAR satellites are systematically planned to acquire data over the area, we will monitor the situation continuously."
The scientists warn however that since the Loop Current is a very intense, deep ocean current, its turbulent waters will accelerate the mixing of the oil and water in the coming days.
"This might remove the oil film on the surface and prevent us from tracking it with satellites, but the pollution is likely to affect the coral reef marine ecosystem," Dr Collard said.
Combined efforts using satellite imagery and in-situ measurements of collected water samples will help to assess whether oil is in the deep waters of the ocean.
The Loop Current joins the Gulf Stream -- the northern hemisphere's most important ocean-current system -- sparking fears that oil could enter this system and be carried up to the US East Coast.
"With these images from space, we have visible proof that at least oil from the surface of the water has reached the current," said Dr Bertrand Chapron of Ifremer, the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea.
Dr Chapron and Dr Fabrice Collard of France's CLS have been combining surface roughness and current flow information with Envisat Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) data of the area to monitor the proximity of the oil to the current.
In the ASAR image above, acquired on 18 May, a long tendril of the oil spill (outlined in white) extends down into the Loop Current (red arrow).
"We performed advanced processing methods on the images to display surface features like variations in roughness and velocity, which provides insight into the spatial structure of the spill and its transport by surface currents," Dr Collard explained.
From the ASAR images of 12 May and 15 May, the oil spill was observed stretching increasingly closer to the Loop Current, raising concerns that it could reach the current and be carried south towards coral reefs in the Florida Keys.
"Now that oil has entered the Loop Current, it is likely to reach Florida within six days," Dr Chapron said. "Since Envisat ASAR, ERS-2 and other SAR satellites are systematically planned to acquire data over the area, we will monitor the situation continuously."
The scientists warn however that since the Loop Current is a very intense, deep ocean current, its turbulent waters will accelerate the mixing of the oil and water in the coming days.
"This might remove the oil film on the surface and prevent us from tracking it with satellites, but the pollution is likely to affect the coral reef marine ecosystem," Dr Collard said.
Combined efforts using satellite imagery and in-situ measurements of collected water samples will help to assess whether oil is in the deep waters of the ocean.
The Loop Current joins the Gulf Stream -- the northern hemisphere's most important ocean-current system -- sparking fears that oil could enter this system and be carried up to the US East Coast.
I hope you enjoy this article. The oil spill is clearly a very very dangerous thing as it kills wildlife and whats more? It is very hard to clear.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Recycling Cigarette Butts
A new study suggests expanding community recycling programs beyond newspapers, beverage containers, and other traditional trash to include an unlikely new potential treasure: Cigarette butts. Terming this tiny trash "one of the most ubiquitous forms of garbage in the world," the study describes discovery of a way to reuse the remains of cigarettes to prevent steel corrosion that costs oil producers millions of dollars annually. It appears in ACS' Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research.
Studies show that cigarette butts are more than an eyesore. They contain toxins that can kill fish and harm the environment in other ways. Recycling could solve those problems, but finding practical uses for cigarette butts has been difficult.
The scientists showed that extracts of cigarette butts in water, applied to a type of steel (N80) widely used in the oil industry, protected the steel from rusting even under the harsh conditions, preventing costly damage and interruptions in oil production. They identified nine chemicals in the extracts, including nicotine, which appear to be responsible for this anti-corrosion effect.
This is interesting!!!
Source: sciencedaily.com
Studies show that cigarette butts are more than an eyesore. They contain toxins that can kill fish and harm the environment in other ways. Recycling could solve those problems, but finding practical uses for cigarette butts has been difficult.
The scientists showed that extracts of cigarette butts in water, applied to a type of steel (N80) widely used in the oil industry, protected the steel from rusting even under the harsh conditions, preventing costly damage and interruptions in oil production. They identified nine chemicals in the extracts, including nicotine, which appear to be responsible for this anti-corrosion effect.
This is interesting!!!
Source: sciencedaily.com
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Global Warming: Future Temperatures Could Exceed Livable Limits, Researchers Find
Researchers for the first time have calculated the highest tolerable "wet-bulb" temperature and found that this temperature could be exceeded for the first time in human history in future climate scenarios if greenhouse gas emissions continue at their current rate.
Wet-bulb temperature is equivalent to what is felt when wet skin is exposed to moving air. It includes temperature and atmospheric humidity and is measured by covering a standard thermometer bulb with a wetted cloth and fully ventilating it.
The researchers calculated that humans and most mammals, which have internal body temperatures near 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, will experience a potentially lethal level of heat stress at wet-bulb temperature above 95 degrees sustained for six hours or more, said Matthew Huber, the Purdue professor of earth and atmospheric sciences who co-authored the paper that will be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
View this image: http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/2010/05/100504155413-large.jpg
Source: www.sciencedaily.com
Wet-bulb temperature is equivalent to what is felt when wet skin is exposed to moving air. It includes temperature and atmospheric humidity and is measured by covering a standard thermometer bulb with a wetted cloth and fully ventilating it.
The researchers calculated that humans and most mammals, which have internal body temperatures near 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, will experience a potentially lethal level of heat stress at wet-bulb temperature above 95 degrees sustained for six hours or more, said Matthew Huber, the Purdue professor of earth and atmospheric sciences who co-authored the paper that will be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
View this image: http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/2010/05/100504155413-large.jpg
Source: www.sciencedaily.com
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Indoor Air Pollution: Look at the Causes and Solutions
According to the EPA, air pollution indoors is often two to five times worse than it is outside. In extreme cases, air pollution inside can be a hundred times worse than outside. The reason is partly because numerous chemicals, like cleaning supplies, hair sprays and perfumes, are used inside the home. Another part of the problem is that many items inside our homes and materials used in home construction are notorious for letting off poisonous gasses - for years. Carpets, shower curtains, paints, upholstery, plywood, particle board, cabinets, computers, and synthetic materials all let off poisonous gasses and chemicals. Because most homes are well insulated, it leaves those poisons trapped inside for us to breathe.
However, there's a solution and as with most problems, the solution comes from nature - and not from a chemical company. NASA studies show that having ample plants indoors can detoxify up to 85 percent of indoor air pollution.
Acting like a filter for the air, some plants mop up formaldehyde. Others remove benzene, carbon monoxide, and trichloroethylene.
I think that this articles is very interesting and very useful. We can help prevent harming ourselves by putting plants in our homes.
Source: naturalnews.com
However, there's a solution and as with most problems, the solution comes from nature - and not from a chemical company. NASA studies show that having ample plants indoors can detoxify up to 85 percent of indoor air pollution.
Acting like a filter for the air, some plants mop up formaldehyde. Others remove benzene, carbon monoxide, and trichloroethylene.
I think that this articles is very interesting and very useful. We can help prevent harming ourselves by putting plants in our homes.
Source: naturalnews.com
Friday, April 16, 2010
How aerosol pollution interferes with thunderstorm activity
Aerosol is tiny fine particles that are suspended in the air or in liquid. They can either be man-made or natural.
Recent research has revealed that the tiny pollutants can either inhibit thunderstorms or make them stronger depending on wind shear conditions.
Their research strongly suggests that aerosol pollution may be changing local weather patterns, including the amount and rate of rainfall that occurs and the types of storms.
The winds that blow near the surface of the Earth have two beneficial effects: They provide a renewable source of clean energy and they evaporate water, helping rain clouds to build up. But aerosol's particles created from vehicle exhaust and other contaminants can accumulate in the atmosphere and reduce the speed of winds closer to the Earth's surface, which results in less wind power available for wind-turbine electricity and also in reduced precipitation, according to a study by Stanford and NASA researchers.
Source : http://www.naturalnews.com/ and http://www.sciencedaily.com/
Recent research has revealed that the tiny pollutants can either inhibit thunderstorms or make them stronger depending on wind shear conditions.
Their research strongly suggests that aerosol pollution may be changing local weather patterns, including the amount and rate of rainfall that occurs and the types of storms.
The winds that blow near the surface of the Earth have two beneficial effects: They provide a renewable source of clean energy and they evaporate water, helping rain clouds to build up. But aerosol's particles created from vehicle exhaust and other contaminants can accumulate in the atmosphere and reduce the speed of winds closer to the Earth's surface, which results in less wind power available for wind-turbine electricity and also in reduced precipitation, according to a study by Stanford and NASA researchers.
Source : http://www.naturalnews.com/ and http://www.sciencedaily.com/
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Child Labour in India (Term2 ACE) MY perspective
Child Labour
My own perspective
Child labour is very cruel and I do not understand why people in India still use all kinds child labour. Maybe it is because of money or profit which is the most likely reason to me.
I think that child labour should be prohibited in all parts of the world. I know that this is quite nearly impossible but we can start bit by bit from now.
Firstly, I think that the Indian government should step in more in this situation of child labour. From what I have read so far, the Indian government only say and do not mean what they say. When they say something, I think it is only right to enforce it. Next, I do not think the Indian government really want to prohibit child labour in India.
The most likely reason is that without child labour in India, many of the large companies in India using child labour will lose a huge sum of profit and in the long run, India’s economy would most likely go down. I think that overall, the Indian government should step in this matter more. If the Human Rights and the Indian government were to cooperate together with the same aim to prohibit child labour in India, I think most likely in due time, child labour would be abolished.
Although the infomation here is not enough please do your own research by this link or find them yourself and also share your views by commenting and if you have other information to add on please also comment. Thank You.
To view more on child labour, please go to this site :)
http://www.indiatogether.org/
My own perspective
Child labour is very cruel and I do not understand why people in India still use all kinds child labour. Maybe it is because of money or profit which is the most likely reason to me.
I think that child labour should be prohibited in all parts of the world. I know that this is quite nearly impossible but we can start bit by bit from now.
Firstly, I think that the Indian government should step in more in this situation of child labour. From what I have read so far, the Indian government only say and do not mean what they say. When they say something, I think it is only right to enforce it. Next, I do not think the Indian government really want to prohibit child labour in India.
The most likely reason is that without child labour in India, many of the large companies in India using child labour will lose a huge sum of profit and in the long run, India’s economy would most likely go down. I think that overall, the Indian government should step in this matter more. If the Human Rights and the Indian government were to cooperate together with the same aim to prohibit child labour in India, I think most likely in due time, child labour would be abolished.
JOHN LOH
Maybe I will post on how to connect to village by the sea and slumb dog millionairre later.Although the infomation here is not enough please do your own research by this link or find them yourself and also share your views by commenting and if you have other information to add on please also comment. Thank You.
To view more on child labour, please go to this site :)
http://www.indiatogether.org/
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Hello
Its been a long time since I last posted but I will post soon. Recently in LA class we learnt about letter writing. Informal and Formal. The next post will be on LA ACE on the topic Child Labour and on the 3 point perspective on child labour.
Enjoy your Good Friday.
:D
Enjoy your Good Friday.
:D
Thursday, March 25, 2010
GREEN WORKZ!
Engineers at a national lab have shown that small fans embedded in car seats could help cool passengers down -- saving up to 7 percent of the 30 to 40 gallons of gasoline per year an average driver consumes for powering air conditioning systems. The engineers are also studying ways to power A/C by converting some of the engine's heat into sound waves first.
An average driver uses 30 gallons to 40 gallons of gasoline each year just running the car's air conditioning. That adds up to seven billion gallons of gas annually. At the Department Of Energy's National Renewable Energy Lab, engineers are researching ways to cool the people in the car rather than the entire car.
Mechanical engineers at NREL are researching ways to reduce gasoline consumption while increasing passenger comfort. First, solar reflective glass keeps the parked car cooler when passengers first get in. Then, small fans in ventilated seats pull hot air away from the seat's surface.
The ventilated seats pull air through your clothing, causing your sweat to evaporate and using the body's natural mechanisms to cool itself. Also, thanks to acoustics the engine's excess heat is put to work cooling the inside of the car.
Also, view the video on that cooling car : http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2006/0901-cool_car.htm
Adapted from: science daily.com
An average driver uses 30 gallons to 40 gallons of gasoline each year just running the car's air conditioning. That adds up to seven billion gallons of gas annually. At the Department Of Energy's National Renewable Energy Lab, engineers are researching ways to cool the people in the car rather than the entire car.
Mechanical engineers at NREL are researching ways to reduce gasoline consumption while increasing passenger comfort. First, solar reflective glass keeps the parked car cooler when passengers first get in. Then, small fans in ventilated seats pull hot air away from the seat's surface.
The ventilated seats pull air through your clothing, causing your sweat to evaporate and using the body's natural mechanisms to cool itself. Also, thanks to acoustics the engine's excess heat is put to work cooling the inside of the car.
Also, view the video on that cooling car : http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2006/0901-cool_car.htm
Adapted from: science daily.com
Sunday, March 14, 2010
CAMP on ST.JOHN
The camp on St.John island was our first camp as Sec ones and my first time on an island. Our sleeping conditions were one night in tents and another night in domes. The camp was generally fun and nice. We really got to know our friends better and it was tiring especially after sleeping in the hot and stuffy tent.
Although we did not have any exciting or wet activities, we had team building games which I think are more suitable now as we are new to each other in our class. I hope that in the near future we will have more exciting and challenging games and activities in our camps as we will be more familiar with each other at that time.
Team building games was also not that bad or boring after all, it was quite fun and although not as fun as other challenging activities, I still enjoyed myself. Some activities I would like to bring to remembrance are the Multi Level Captains Ball and the Camp fire held on the second night.
So far, I think that the Captains ball was the most enjoyable activity. I will just give those who were not at the camp but are reading this post now a brief introduction on what is the Multi Level Captains Ball is generally about. There are about 5 types of balls that will be given into the game at each or the same time during the few parts of the game. The biggest ball will be worth 10 points while the smallest ball is worth about 50 to 60 points I guess. At the last round, a water bomb with MAMA brand washing soap in it was given and introduced into the game. The player must not drop or let the water bomb burst and past it to the group's captain. It was very easy to burst so the Instructor brought a big pail of those identical water bombs to the game so when one of the water bomb bursts, he will throw another in to the game.
That game was really fun.
The Campfire was also very fun. We sang some campfire songs and also had a performance by each class. Our class group name was 'TIK TOK' so we danced to the song tik tok. We had a star performer Leon Ng from our class and he stood right in the middle of the class and did special moves which were very impressive and all the audience were really impressed.
Overall, I would like to thank our instructors from the company High Achievers and also to our teachers who gave us support when we were doing the 'caterpillar' activity, but I am not going to talk about the caterpillar thing, it is too hard to mention.
Well, this camp was enjoyable and it taught many of us to not take things for granted and to step out of our comfort zone at the same time.
Sorry I can't show any pictures from that place because we could not bring our phones in case it got lost.
That's all
Bye for now.
Although we did not have any exciting or wet activities, we had team building games which I think are more suitable now as we are new to each other in our class. I hope that in the near future we will have more exciting and challenging games and activities in our camps as we will be more familiar with each other at that time.
Team building games was also not that bad or boring after all, it was quite fun and although not as fun as other challenging activities, I still enjoyed myself. Some activities I would like to bring to remembrance are the Multi Level Captains Ball and the Camp fire held on the second night.
So far, I think that the Captains ball was the most enjoyable activity. I will just give those who were not at the camp but are reading this post now a brief introduction on what is the Multi Level Captains Ball is generally about. There are about 5 types of balls that will be given into the game at each or the same time during the few parts of the game. The biggest ball will be worth 10 points while the smallest ball is worth about 50 to 60 points I guess. At the last round, a water bomb with MAMA brand washing soap in it was given and introduced into the game. The player must not drop or let the water bomb burst and past it to the group's captain. It was very easy to burst so the Instructor brought a big pail of those identical water bombs to the game so when one of the water bomb bursts, he will throw another in to the game.
That game was really fun.
The Campfire was also very fun. We sang some campfire songs and also had a performance by each class. Our class group name was 'TIK TOK' so we danced to the song tik tok. We had a star performer Leon Ng from our class and he stood right in the middle of the class and did special moves which were very impressive and all the audience were really impressed.
Overall, I would like to thank our instructors from the company High Achievers and also to our teachers who gave us support when we were doing the 'caterpillar' activity, but I am not going to talk about the caterpillar thing, it is too hard to mention.
Well, this camp was enjoyable and it taught many of us to not take things for granted and to step out of our comfort zone at the same time.
Sorry I can't show any pictures from that place because we could not bring our phones in case it got lost.
That's all
Bye for now.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Methane Releases from Arctic Shelf May Be Much Larger and Faster Than Anticipated
The research results, published in the March 5 edition of the journal Science, show that the permafrost under the East Siberian Arctic Shelf, long thought to be an impermeable barrier sealing in methane, is perforated and is leaking large amounts of methane into the atmosphere. Release of even a fraction of the methane stored in the shelf could trigger abrupt climate warming.
"The amount of methane currently coming out of the East Siberian Arctic Shelf is comparable to the amount coming out of the entire world's oceans," said Shakhova, a researcher at UAF's International Arctic Research Center. "Subsea permafrost is losing its ability to be an impermeable cap."
Methane is a greenhouse gas more than 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide. It is released from previously frozen soils in two ways. When the organic material -- which contains carbon -- stored in permafrost thaws, it begins to decompose and, under oxygen-free conditions, gradually release methane. Methane can also be stored in the seabed as methane gas or methane hydrates and then released as subsea permafrost thaws. These releases can be larger and more abrupt than those that result from decomposition.
This worries me a little as if the layer of ice above the sea continues to destabilise, there will me more amount of methane produced which will greatly contribute to the green house gases.
In April 2007, studies in Siberia had conducted a winter expedition on the sea ice. They found that more than 80 percent of the deep water and greater than half of surface water had methane levels more than eight times that of normal seawater. In some areas, the saturation levels reached at least 250 times that of background levels in the summer and 1,400 times higher in the winter.
The release to the atmosphere of only one percent of the methane assumed to be stored in shallow hydrate deposits might alter the current atmospheric burden of methane up to 3 to 4 times," Shakhova said. "The climatic consequences of this are hard to predict."
"The amount of methane currently coming out of the East Siberian Arctic Shelf is comparable to the amount coming out of the entire world's oceans," said Shakhova, a researcher at UAF's International Arctic Research Center. "Subsea permafrost is losing its ability to be an impermeable cap."
Methane is a greenhouse gas more than 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide. It is released from previously frozen soils in two ways. When the organic material -- which contains carbon -- stored in permafrost thaws, it begins to decompose and, under oxygen-free conditions, gradually release methane. Methane can also be stored in the seabed as methane gas or methane hydrates and then released as subsea permafrost thaws. These releases can be larger and more abrupt than those that result from decomposition.
This worries me a little as if the layer of ice above the sea continues to destabilise, there will me more amount of methane produced which will greatly contribute to the green house gases.
In April 2007, studies in Siberia had conducted a winter expedition on the sea ice. They found that more than 80 percent of the deep water and greater than half of surface water had methane levels more than eight times that of normal seawater. In some areas, the saturation levels reached at least 250 times that of background levels in the summer and 1,400 times higher in the winter.
The release to the atmosphere of only one percent of the methane assumed to be stored in shallow hydrate deposits might alter the current atmospheric burden of methane up to 3 to 4 times," Shakhova said. "The climatic consequences of this are hard to predict."
I hope all of you will enjoy reading this article from www.science daily.com. For more articles regarding science, I recomend you to go to the website to read the articles. Next Term I will focus more on the 3r's which I have yet to explain clearly.
source: http://www.sciencedaily.com
source: http://www.sciencedaily.com
Monday, March 1, 2010
LA Home-Learning(interpersonal)
Today I am going to interview one of my family member about the story, Lamb To The Slaughter. I would like to type out the interview transcript here on my blog. His opinion about the crime was that he was surprised that Mary Maloney would resort to kill her husband instead of sorting things out with him and get to know each others problems. He thinks that the punishment should be that she is given a death sentence if she was found to be guilty because although she is pregnant, she still killed her husband and if she was found to be guilty a few years later, her child might be given to her relative to take care. The necessity to communicate in a relationship is very important in order to have a good marriage. A husband and wife must share their problems or what they are unsatisfied about with their partners. Most importantly, one must accept their partners as who they are and are willing to help him or her change for the better. If a couple keeps their problems to themselves and do not share their feelings, each partner may not know what their partners need from them and hence the relationship is not very close. One must open up and share their feelings and not keep it to themselves if they want a good marriage.
This is the end of the transcript. I think what he said was very meaningful to all couples. I hope everyone will also post their thoughts in the comment box below and share our comments, thank you.
This is the end of the transcript. I think what he said was very meaningful to all couples. I hope everyone will also post their thoughts in the comment box below and share our comments, thank you.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Cross-Country Experience
I am very happy that some of my Malaysian friends have got into the top ten in the whole of Sec 1. There were also some of my Singaporean friends such as Yi Heng and Sebastian have also got into the top 10.
I congratulate all of my fellow classmates who have done our class proud. Our class got second in the Sec 1 level.
Although I was not in the top 100, I am still satisfied that throughout the run, my pace was quite constant.
I really enjoyed the run and after the run, we sat at the terraces cheering our seniors on. We also listened to the songs to be played which were voted by all the students in the SMB. I also had a great time with all my friends.
I am going to really treasure this run as next year, due to the construction on the MRT project, there will be no Cross-Country.
I congratulate all of my fellow classmates who have done our class proud. Our class got second in the Sec 1 level.
Although I was not in the top 100, I am still satisfied that throughout the run, my pace was quite constant.
I really enjoyed the run and after the run, we sat at the terraces cheering our seniors on. We also listened to the songs to be played which were voted by all the students in the SMB. I also had a great time with all my friends.
I am going to really treasure this run as next year, due to the construction on the MRT project, there will be no Cross-Country.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Cross-country run Tomorrow
Tomorrow is my cross-country run. It is held annually but was not held last year because of H1N1. We are very fortunate to host it again this year.
The whole school will run on the same route but each level will run at about a 10 minute interval. Some of the older students may run a slightly longer route. There will be a milo van coming to our school to provide us with Milo and NEWater is also available.
Before the race, we are each given a electronic tag that ensures that we go through every check point of the route. I am looking forward to the race. I wish everyone taking part in the run GOOD LUCK!!!
The whole school will run on the same route but each level will run at about a 10 minute interval. Some of the older students may run a slightly longer route. There will be a milo van coming to our school to provide us with Milo and NEWater is also available.
Before the race, we are each given a electronic tag that ensures that we go through every check point of the route. I am looking forward to the race. I wish everyone taking part in the run GOOD LUCK!!!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Similarities and Differences of LTTS and Way up to heaven(10 Short stories)
Today I am not talking about pollution. I am going to tell you about the similarities and differences of Lamb to the slaughter and Way up to heaven from Roald Dahl 10 Short stories.
The similarities of the two stories is that both have the same theme which is lying and deception. Both is about the wife killing their husband whether directly or indirectly. I will start with a brief summary of Lamb to the slaughter.
Mary Maloney is the wife of Patrick Maloney. Patrick Maloney is caring and takes his wife out every Thursday. He is probably treating Mary well as Mary loves him very much. His wife , Mary is totally in love with her husband and he awaits him every evening for him to come home from work.
She prepares whisky for her husband to drink when he came home. When he returned, Mary enjoyed his company and the presence of him feel almost like a sunbather feels the Sun. When Patrick told Mary that he wanted to leave her, she could not believe it and she was spurned by her husband's decision to use a leg of lamb to kill him.
She used the same amount of care and planing to carry out the murder as she used to take care of the house. She did not even feel regretful or guilty at all. She was emotionless after that.
The brief summary of Way up to heaven is about two people, Mr and Mrs Foster. The live in a old gloomy house in New York and had few visitors. Mrs Foster is a person who dreads being late and gets nervous at the thought of being late.Mr Foster likes to irritate Mrs Foster by trying to delay her from going to somewhere as much as possible and and by keeping her waiting, he seems to enjoy it.
One January morning, Mrs Foster was going to France to visit her daughter and grand children. Mr Foster took his time to come out of the house and tried all sorts of methods to delay Mrs Foster. When they were in the car, Mr Foster suddenly said that he could not find a present for his daughter and went into the house again to find it. Mrs Foster then notices the present was tucked down the side of the car seat.
She then decided to go into the house to inform Mr Foster but when she went in, she heard the noise of the lift not working and was now stuck in the middle of the floors. Upon hearing that , she stops and closed the door. She managed to catch the plane and went to France.
Six months later, she returned to her house and smelled a strange smell. She walked swiftly around the house appearing to be investigating something and the confirmed it. Obviously her husband had died in the lift as he was being trapped in the lift six months ago and the strange smell came from his dead body.
The difference about the story is that Mary Maloney was only tortured by her husband for a few minutes before she killed him with a leg of lamb while Mrs Foster suffered her husband's torture for her whole life with her husband.
In my opinion, I think that Mrs Foster's case of murdering her husband was more cruel in a sense that her husband died a little by little while in Mary Maloney's case, she kill him in less than a few seconds. This means that Mr Foster was left trapped in the lift for at least a few days in the lift without food and water and eventually died.
The similarity on the theme, lying and deception means that Mr Foster lied about the fact that he did not bring the present for his daughter and in LTTS, the part on deception is that the character of Patrick Maloney, Mary Maloney and Mrs Foster changed from the beginning to the ending.
The similarities of the two stories is that both have the same theme which is lying and deception. Both is about the wife killing their husband whether directly or indirectly. I will start with a brief summary of Lamb to the slaughter.
Mary Maloney is the wife of Patrick Maloney. Patrick Maloney is caring and takes his wife out every Thursday. He is probably treating Mary well as Mary loves him very much. His wife , Mary is totally in love with her husband and he awaits him every evening for him to come home from work.
She prepares whisky for her husband to drink when he came home. When he returned, Mary enjoyed his company and the presence of him feel almost like a sunbather feels the Sun. When Patrick told Mary that he wanted to leave her, she could not believe it and she was spurned by her husband's decision to use a leg of lamb to kill him.
She used the same amount of care and planing to carry out the murder as she used to take care of the house. She did not even feel regretful or guilty at all. She was emotionless after that.
The brief summary of Way up to heaven is about two people, Mr and Mrs Foster. The live in a old gloomy house in New York and had few visitors. Mrs Foster is a person who dreads being late and gets nervous at the thought of being late.Mr Foster likes to irritate Mrs Foster by trying to delay her from going to somewhere as much as possible and and by keeping her waiting, he seems to enjoy it.
One January morning, Mrs Foster was going to France to visit her daughter and grand children. Mr Foster took his time to come out of the house and tried all sorts of methods to delay Mrs Foster. When they were in the car, Mr Foster suddenly said that he could not find a present for his daughter and went into the house again to find it. Mrs Foster then notices the present was tucked down the side of the car seat.
She then decided to go into the house to inform Mr Foster but when she went in, she heard the noise of the lift not working and was now stuck in the middle of the floors. Upon hearing that , she stops and closed the door. She managed to catch the plane and went to France.
Six months later, she returned to her house and smelled a strange smell. She walked swiftly around the house appearing to be investigating something and the confirmed it. Obviously her husband had died in the lift as he was being trapped in the lift six months ago and the strange smell came from his dead body.
The difference about the story is that Mary Maloney was only tortured by her husband for a few minutes before she killed him with a leg of lamb while Mrs Foster suffered her husband's torture for her whole life with her husband.
In my opinion, I think that Mrs Foster's case of murdering her husband was more cruel in a sense that her husband died a little by little while in Mary Maloney's case, she kill him in less than a few seconds. This means that Mr Foster was left trapped in the lift for at least a few days in the lift without food and water and eventually died.
The similarity on the theme, lying and deception means that Mr Foster lied about the fact that he did not bring the present for his daughter and in LTTS, the part on deception is that the character of Patrick Maloney, Mary Maloney and Mrs Foster changed from the beginning to the ending.
Monday, February 15, 2010
TDD Reflection
Me and my classmates went to the Singapore Discovery Centre to learn more about Total Defence Day. We learned that Total Defence has five aspects - Military Defence, Civil Defence, Economic Defence, Social Defence and Psychological Defence. The Total Defence Exhibition at the SDC feature galleries and exhibits put up by some of Singapore's agencies such as the Singapore Armed Forces, the Home Team, the National Security Coordination Council and Nexus. The exhibition displays equipments such as the SCDF Red Rhino allow us see and understand what it takes to keep Singapore safe.
There were also exciting games and telematches.
I think that it is important to keep Singapore safe and everyone has to do their part in Total Defence. I really had a fun time at SDC.
There were also exciting games and telematches.
I think that it is important to keep Singapore safe and everyone has to do their part in Total Defence. I really had a fun time at SDC.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
News on pollution nowadays
The rich seaweed beds stretching 8,000 hectares and brimming with fish in the western coast of the bay off Shizuoka Prefecture have been transformed into a barren wasteland. Pollution, climate change, and other factors are suspects, but the exact causes are unknown. It is really a very unpredictable that a beautiful place has turned in to a barren wasteland. I think it is too much, pollution has caused this to happen. We should try to stop pollution as much as we can before more beautiful places will not end up like this.
Some interesting stories are :
Researchers from the Earth Observation Science (EOS) group based in the Space Research Centre at the University of Leicester have released satellite images of the UK during a week(7 Feb) in which most areas were blanketed by snow.According to Philip Eden, Vice President of the Royal Meteorological Society, it has been the most prolonged spell of freezing conditions across the UK since the mid 80s.In reality, the recent extreme weather is likely to be a result of a combination of factors, and is certainly not evidence that 'climate change' has ceased -- such year-to-year, regional anomalies are intrinsic; it is the long-term, global trend that is important when assessing climate change. This recent extreme weather does, however, serve as a clear reminder that a warming planet does not mean the end of cold weather events!Here's a picture of UK in which most areas were blanketed in snow.
To know more, visit:
Source:http://www.sciencedaily.com
Some interesting stories are :
Researchers from the Earth Observation Science (EOS) group based in the Space Research Centre at the University of Leicester have released satellite images of the UK during a week(7 Feb) in which most areas were blanketed by snow.According to Philip Eden, Vice President of the Royal Meteorological Society, it has been the most prolonged spell of freezing conditions across the UK since the mid 80s.In reality, the recent extreme weather is likely to be a result of a combination of factors, and is certainly not evidence that 'climate change' has ceased -- such year-to-year, regional anomalies are intrinsic; it is the long-term, global trend that is important when assessing climate change. This recent extreme weather does, however, serve as a clear reminder that a warming planet does not mean the end of cold weather events!Here's a picture of UK in which most areas were blanketed in snow.
To know more, visit:
Source:http://www.sciencedaily.com
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Updates on my blog
I have added a slideshow
at the left sidebar and I have also added a garfield comic strip corner at the
bottom of the blog page. I hope you enjoy them!!!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Effects of harmful pollutants
Nowadays, even remote places like the Arctic are badly polluted by nasty chemicals made by people. The polar bears and seals there have 
poisonous chemicals made by people in their bodies and so do the Inuit people who live with them. These nasty things kill many animals and make others sick -- including penguins in the Antarctic. They also kill people and make them ill too. There's nowhere on the planet left with no pollution; not even the bottom of the sea or high up in the air.
I am really shocked after reading this article on the website below. The Earth is so polluted nowadays that litterally the whole Earth is polluted. I hope that the 3 R's will help mother Earth. I think that human technology that causes pollution and even cause harm to animals. This will cause animals to be extinct and the ecosystem on Earth will 
be unbalanced and that would be a big problem.
There are some pictures at the side that you might like to view.
poisonous chemicals made by people in their bodies and so do the Inuit people who live with them. These nasty things kill many animals and make others sick -- including penguins in the Antarctic. They also kill people and make them ill too. There's nowhere on the planet left with no pollution; not even the bottom of the sea or high up in the air.
I am really shocked after reading this article on the website below. The Earth is so polluted nowadays that litterally the whole Earth is polluted. I hope that the 3 R's will help mother Earth. I think that human technology that causes pollution and even cause harm to animals. This will cause animals to be extinct and the ecosystem on Earth will 
be unbalanced and that would be a big problem.There are some pictures at the side that you might like to view.
Source: tiki.world.html
Monday, February 1, 2010
Lamb to the slaughter ( Reflection )
Today I am not going to tell you about pollution. I am going to discuss about 3 stories: Lamb to the slaughter, male child and love.
Among the stories I like the story, Lamb to the slaughter the best. This is because the author Roald Dalh is very articulate in what he was writing. It also leaves me in suspense as I was reading it which keeps me reading it to the very end. I have read some books before that I did not want to read it after I had read a few pages, but for this story it is different. There is a twist in the main character from the beginning to the ending.
What do you think?
Among the stories I like the story, Lamb to the slaughter the best. This is because the author Roald Dalh is very articulate in what he was writing. It also leaves me in suspense as I was reading it which keeps me reading it to the very end. I have read some books before that I did not want to read it after I had read a few pages, but for this story it is different. There is a twist in the main character from the beginning to the ending.
What do you think?
Saturday, January 30, 2010
How to recycle
Now I am going to post on how to recycle. Sorry I posted so late but not to worry, I will try to post earlier next week. Okay, now I will start on how we can recycle.
How to recycle? We can do that if we have the will. There is a saying"If you have the will, you have a way." So if you have the will to recycle, you can do your part. One of the smallest thing you can do is to put your read newspaper in the recycling bin once a week as the pile may get too heavy for you to carry in one shot if you do that once a month. If you are a student, your school will sure have a recycling corner. That will make it more convenient for you. You can put few piece of newspaper in your bag and bring them to school and put them into the recycling bin during recess or after school.
Although it takes up some time, I am sure it will help Mother Earth in a big big WAY!!!!!
I hope you take my advice seriously. Thank you and happy reading.
That's all for now. I know it's only one piece of advice but I will share more in future.
How to recycle? We can do that if we have the will. There is a saying"If you have the will, you have a way." So if you have the will to recycle, you can do your part. One of the smallest thing you can do is to put your read newspaper in the recycling bin once a week as the pile may get too heavy for you to carry in one shot if you do that once a month. If you are a student, your school will sure have a recycling corner. That will make it more convenient for you. You can put few piece of newspaper in your bag and bring them to school and put them into the recycling bin during recess or after school.
Although it takes up some time, I am sure it will help Mother Earth in a big big WAY!!!!!
I hope you take my advice seriously. Thank you and happy reading.
That's all for now. I know it's only one piece of advice but I will share more in future.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
How to reuse
Today, I am going to tell you some tips on how can we reuse.
The last post was about how to reduce so this week is about how to reuse and followed by the next post will be on how to recycle. then I am going to give you more and more tips or information all about pollution. This is just a rough idea on what this blog is going to be about so I hope you enjoy it. I am going to post about once every once or to weeks from now on but do not worry, each post will feed you with lots of good tips and information.
Well, now I am going to talk about how we can reuse.
Reuse is to use an item or thing more than once. Some advantages of reusing is that we can save money on replacing objects with one reusable object. reusing not only saves money, it also help to reduce pollution as we do not need to produce so much waste from the old object. Some ways to reuse is to use cans to make pen holders instead of throwing them away. Another way is to use red packets to make lanterns rather than buying does plastic ones as Chinese new year is just round the corner. Well I hope this few tips are useful although tere are only two of them but in the weeks to come I hope to give you all more tips.
Will post soon!
:)
Thursday, January 21, 2010
How to reduce
Today, I am going to share with you about how we can reduce.
Here are some useful tips:
Hang up your towels to dry so you can use them again.
When you go on a holiday and stay in a hotel, use the bed sheets more than a night.
I also found out that by leaving the car at home twice a week can cut greenhouse gas emissions by 1600 pounds per year.
Amazing, huh?
Well, that's all for now.
I will blog again soon.
Here are some useful tips:
Hang up your towels to dry so you can use them again.
When you go on a holiday and stay in a hotel, use the bed sheets more than a night.
I also found out that by leaving the car at home twice a week can cut greenhouse gas emissions by 1600 pounds per year.
Amazing, huh?
Well, that's all for now.
I will blog again soon.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
About pollution
This blog is about pollution in the air and the land. Pollution occurs everywhere around us. When we litter it also cause pollution.
How can we stop pollution or reduce pollutants? One of the ways is that we can reduce, reuse and recycle. There are many ways that we can reduce, reuse and recycle things all around us! For example, we can bring our own bags when shopping or buying our groceries. We can also reuse plastic bags to throw our waste. These are just some of the most popular ways, there are still more.
That's all for now.
The next time, get ready for more!
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