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
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