Saturday, June 28, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Fuel price hike without measures to check oil guzzling is meaningless: CSE
New Delhi, June 5, 2008: As the world celebrates Environment Day and on the day after the fuel price hike, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) says it is not time to celebrate. CSE is deeply concerned that the fuel price hike has not come with accompanying fiscal measures to save fuel in the transport sector.
"Price hike cannot be an adequate strategy to address the energy emergency that the country is facing today," says Sunita Narain, director, CSE. "This action is too little and too late and will be inadequate as international fuel prices are expected to increase, not decrease. Reactions such as these, without taking steps to save fuels by promoting public transport and fuel-efficient vehicles, will hurtle India towards a serious energy crisis."
Instead of introducing fiscal measures, the government has given an 11 per cent hike in petrol prices and 9.5 per cent hike in diesel prices – thus continuing to maintain the wide price gap between the two fuels. "This will further incite car users to insulate themselves by opting for cars running on cheaper diesel," says Anumita Roychoudhury, associate director, CSE. "It will not make any dent on the oil-guzzling that is on the rise due to the explosive increase in personal vehicle numbers. But it will certainly harm public health."
It is important for the government to recognise that the usage of mass transport will go a long way in making substantial fuel savings and insulate consumers from price vagaries. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has projected that in 2035, the total fuel consumption of on-road vehicles in the country will be six times higher than in 2005 – this growth will be driven by light-duty vehicles, mainly cars. In its study on Bangalore, the ADB estimated that the city can save 21 per cent of the fuel it consumed if it increases its share of public transport from the current 62 per cent to 80 per cent.
Need fuel economy standards to check oil guzzling:
CSE demands fuel economy norms and scaling up of public transport.It is unacceptable that when the country is reeling under severe economic pressure, household budgets are stretched there is no official strategy to help reduce energy consumption in the transport sector, says Narain. It is time the government announces:
@@The policy of mandatory disclosure of fuel economy of vehicle models with complete details of technical parameters including weight, power etc and at the same time implements fuel economy standards.
@@Give tax waiver on buses to help city governments to speed up and scale up public transport systems.
@@Develop and enforce mandatory fuel economy standards. Carmakers must declare fuel economy of their vehicles. Once fuel economy standards are in place link tax measures with clean and fuel efficient vehicle technology.
@@Give tax waiver on buses to help city governments to speed up and scale up public transport systems.
@@Develop and enforce mandatory fuel economy standards. Carmakers must declare fuel economy of their vehicles. Once fuel economy standards are in place link tax measures with clean and fuel efficient vehicle technology.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Global Warming : A natural phenomenon or the result of Human activities
Its a DO READ
What results in global warming? Is it a Natural Activity of a recurring tendency or a human made disaster? Why America is refusing to accept that global warmig is a result of Human activities and why it is pressurising scientists not to accept it... This is a big issue of how the Mother Nature is kept at stake just for earning profits.....
All in this link...
Do read,its very interesting and do comment on what you feel...
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
The group says its mission is "to halt and reverse the destruction of our
natural environment" . Currently, much of its work focuseson the
conservation of three biomes that contain most of the world's biodiversity:
forests, freshwater
ecosystems,
and oceans and coasts. Among other issues, it is also concerned with endangered species, pollution and climate change. The organization runs more than 1,200 field projects worldwide in any given year.
Possible Fix For Global Warming?
Environmental Engineers Use Algae To Capture Carbon Dioxide
Global warming's effects can be seen worldwide, and many experts believe it's only going to get worse. In fact, America is by far the largest contributor to global warming than any other country -- releasing a quarter of the world's carbon dioxide -- the primary cause of global warming. But now engineers have found a natural way to eliminate one of the worst contributors to our environment's decay.
April 1, 2007 — Engineers have now designed a simple, sustainable and natural carbon sequestration solution using algae. A team at Ohio University created a photo bioreactor that uses photosynthesis to grow algae, passing carbon dioxide over large membranes, placed vertically to save space. The carbon dioxide produced by the algae is harvested by dissolving into the surrounding water. The algae can be harvested and made into biodiesel fuel and feed for animals. A reactor with 1.25 million square meters of algae screens could be up and running by 2010
Its found that carbon dioxide is broken down by the algae. Nitrogen and clean oxygen are released back into the atmosphere. But to capture the CO2 created from a power plant, algae would have to fill a building the size of Wal-Mart. Now engineers say a simple, sustainable and natural solution may come from algae. "If this sort of technology can be developed, it can be deployed anywhere there's sunlight," David Bayless, a professor of mechanical engineering at Ohio University in Athens. Bayless, with a team at Ohio University, created a photo bioreactor that uses photosynthesis to grow algae just like a plant would take carbon dioxide up and, through the energy of the sun, convert that into oxygen.The Ohio University's Coal Research Center has developed a bioreactor that cleans up carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel exhaust with the help of heat-loving algae and hybrid solar lighting. David Bayless believes that the easiest way to eliminate CO2 from coal-burning power plants is to use the natural process of photosynthesis.
April 1, 2007 — Engineers have now designed a simple, sustainable and natural carbon sequestration solution using algae. A team at Ohio University created a photo bioreactor that uses photosynthesis to grow algae, passing carbon dioxide over large membranes, placed vertically to save space. The carbon dioxide produced by the algae is harvested by dissolving into the surrounding water. The algae can be harvested and made into biodiesel fuel and feed for animals. A reactor with 1.25 million square meters of algae screens could be up and running by 2010
Its found that carbon dioxide is broken down by the algae. Nitrogen and clean oxygen are released back into the atmosphere. But to capture the CO2 created from a power plant, algae would have to fill a building the size of Wal-Mart. Now engineers say a simple, sustainable and natural solution may come from algae. "If this sort of technology can be developed, it can be deployed anywhere there's sunlight," David Bayless, a professor of mechanical engineering at Ohio University in Athens. Bayless, with a team at Ohio University, created a photo bioreactor that uses photosynthesis to grow algae just like a plant would take carbon dioxide up and, through the energy of the sun, convert that into oxygen.The Ohio University's Coal Research Center has developed a bioreactor that cleans up carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel exhaust with the help of heat-loving algae and hybrid solar lighting. David Bayless believes that the easiest way to eliminate CO2 from coal-burning power plants is to use the natural process of photosynthesis.
Monday, June 23, 2008
NASA spacecraft finds ice on MarsBy Dan WhitcombPosted 2008/06/20 at 3:57 pm EDT
LOS ANGELES, June 20, 2008 (Reuters) — The Mars Phoenix Lander has found ice on the surface of the Red Planet, triumphant NASA scientists said on Thursday, a key discovery for the spacecraft as it searches for water and signs of life on Earth's closet planetary neighbor.
The Robotic Arm on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander carries a scoop of Martian soil bound for the spacecraft's microscope in handout photo released on June 13, 2008. REUTERS/NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Handout
The proof came in a series of pictures sent back by Phoenix of a trench it dug with its robotic arm at the arctic circle of Mars, showing dice-sized chunks of white material that are seen to melt away over the course of several days.
"It is with great pride and a lot of joy today that I announce we've found the proof we've been seeking that this really is water ice and not some other material," mission principal investigator Peter Smith, of the University of Arizona, said at a press conference.
The presence of water on Mars is crucial because it is a key to the question of whether life, even in the form of mere microbes, exists or has ever existed on Mars. On Earth, water is a necessary ingredient for life.
Scientists first discovered what they believed was a vast sheet of ice under the barren surface of the Martian north pole in 2002, when the Mars Odyssey Orbiter detected it through a hydrogen analysis while circling the planet.
Phoenix landed on May 25 and uncovered the white chunks when it dug a trench a few inches into the soil but NASA was at first cautious in pronouncing it ice because of the possibility that it could be salt.
But the sequence of photographs showed about eight dice-sized chunks slowly vanishing, confirming for the scientific team at about noon PDT (1900 GMT) on Thursday that it was water ice.
` Over the next several weeks the science team will analyze the ice and soil to determine its geologic history and look for organic material.
"The fact that there's ice there doesn't tell you anything about whether its habitable," Smith said. "The ice may be always in a frozen state and with ice in a frozen state and no food, that's not a habitable zone.
"Its really the modern history of these plains we're here to unravel," he said.
The $420 million lander spent 10 months journeying from Earth to Mars and has already analyzed soil samples scraped from the surface and put into its onboard laboratory.
The Robotic Arm on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander carries a scoop of Martian soil bound for the spacecraft's microscope in handout photo released on June 13, 2008. REUTERS/NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Handout
The proof came in a series of pictures sent back by Phoenix of a trench it dug with its robotic arm at the arctic circle of Mars, showing dice-sized chunks of white material that are seen to melt away over the course of several days.
"It is with great pride and a lot of joy today that I announce we've found the proof we've been seeking that this really is water ice and not some other material," mission principal investigator Peter Smith, of the University of Arizona, said at a press conference.
The presence of water on Mars is crucial because it is a key to the question of whether life, even in the form of mere microbes, exists or has ever existed on Mars. On Earth, water is a necessary ingredient for life.
Scientists first discovered what they believed was a vast sheet of ice under the barren surface of the Martian north pole in 2002, when the Mars Odyssey Orbiter detected it through a hydrogen analysis while circling the planet.
Phoenix landed on May 25 and uncovered the white chunks when it dug a trench a few inches into the soil but NASA was at first cautious in pronouncing it ice because of the possibility that it could be salt.
But the sequence of photographs showed about eight dice-sized chunks slowly vanishing, confirming for the scientific team at about noon PDT (1900 GMT) on Thursday that it was water ice.
` Over the next several weeks the science team will analyze the ice and soil to determine its geologic history and look for organic material.
"The fact that there's ice there doesn't tell you anything about whether its habitable," Smith said. "The ice may be always in a frozen state and with ice in a frozen state and no food, that's not a habitable zone.
"Its really the modern history of these plains we're here to unravel," he said.
The $420 million lander spent 10 months journeying from Earth to Mars and has already analyzed soil samples scraped from the surface and put into its onboard laboratory.
Friday, June 20, 2008
DOUBLE DIGIT SWORD
Prices on cloud nine. Inflation has crossed the double digit mark and has hit 13year record. The middle class and the lower-middle class is going to face the brunt of high soaring prices. Inflation till last year was 4.48% but its 2.5times more now, which is probably due to the rising fuel prices. The prices of fuel is acting as an acid poured over hard earned bread. The Central and the state Governments are watching hands crossed,and may be we should look over and pray to Inflation God to come a bit down to Earth.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
FRIDAY.........the 13th!!!
On this day some people will be so paralyzed with fear they simply won't get out of bed. Others will steadfastly refuse to fly on an airplane, buy a house, or act on a hot stock tip. It's Friday the 13th, and they're freaked out.
"It's been estimated that [U.S] $800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day because people will not fly or do business they would normally do," said Donald Dossey, founder of the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina. a phobia that he estimates afflicts 17 to 21 million people in the United States.
Symptoms range from mild anxiety to full-blown panic attacks. The latter may cause people to reshuffle schedules or miss an entire day's work.
Ominous Number
So how did Friday the 13th become such an unlucky day?
Dossey, also a folklore historian and author of Holiday Folklore, Phobias and Fun, said fear of Friday the 13th is rooted in ancient, separate bad-luck associations with the number 13 and the day Friday. The two unlucky entities ultimately combined to make one super unlucky day.
Dossey traces the fear of 13 to a Norse myth about 12 gods having a dinner party at Valhalla, their heaven. In walked the uninvited 13th guest, the mischievous Loki. Once there, Loki arranged for Hoder, the blind god of darkness, to shoot Balder the Beautiful, the god of joy and gladness, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow.
"Balder died and the whole Earth got dark. The whole Earth mourned. It was a bad, unlucky day," said Dossey. From that moment on, the number 13 has been considered ominous and foreboding. Meanwhile, in ancient Rome, witches reportedly gathered in groups of 12. The 13th was believed to be the devil. Thomas Fernsler, an associate policy scientist in the Mathematics and Science Education Resource Center at the University of Delaware in Newark, said the number 13 suffers because of its position after 12.
According to Fernsler, numerologists consider 12 a "complete" number. There are 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, and 12 apostles of Jesus.
In exceeding 12 by 1, Fernsler said 13's association with bad luck "has to do with just being a little beyond completeness. The number becomes restless or squirmy."
This fear of 13 is strong in today's world. According to Dossey, more than 80 percent of high-rises lack a 13th floor. Many airports skip the 13th gate. Hospitals and hotels regularly have no room number 13.
On streets in Florence, Italy, the house between number 12 and 14 is addressed as 12 and a half. In France socialites known as the quatorziens (fourteeners) once made themselves available as 14th guests to keep a dinner party from an unlucky fate.There is also a biblical reference to the unlucky number 13. Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th guest to the Last Supper....
"It's been estimated that [U.S] $800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day because people will not fly or do business they would normally do," said Donald Dossey, founder of the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina. a phobia that he estimates afflicts 17 to 21 million people in the United States.
Symptoms range from mild anxiety to full-blown panic attacks. The latter may cause people to reshuffle schedules or miss an entire day's work.
Ominous Number
So how did Friday the 13th become such an unlucky day?
Dossey, also a folklore historian and author of Holiday Folklore, Phobias and Fun, said fear of Friday the 13th is rooted in ancient, separate bad-luck associations with the number 13 and the day Friday. The two unlucky entities ultimately combined to make one super unlucky day.
Dossey traces the fear of 13 to a Norse myth about 12 gods having a dinner party at Valhalla, their heaven. In walked the uninvited 13th guest, the mischievous Loki. Once there, Loki arranged for Hoder, the blind god of darkness, to shoot Balder the Beautiful, the god of joy and gladness, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow.
"Balder died and the whole Earth got dark. The whole Earth mourned. It was a bad, unlucky day," said Dossey. From that moment on, the number 13 has been considered ominous and foreboding. Meanwhile, in ancient Rome, witches reportedly gathered in groups of 12. The 13th was believed to be the devil. Thomas Fernsler, an associate policy scientist in the Mathematics and Science Education Resource Center at the University of Delaware in Newark, said the number 13 suffers because of its position after 12.
According to Fernsler, numerologists consider 12 a "complete" number. There are 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, and 12 apostles of Jesus.
In exceeding 12 by 1, Fernsler said 13's association with bad luck "has to do with just being a little beyond completeness. The number becomes restless or squirmy."
This fear of 13 is strong in today's world. According to Dossey, more than 80 percent of high-rises lack a 13th floor. Many airports skip the 13th gate. Hospitals and hotels regularly have no room number 13.
On streets in Florence, Italy, the house between number 12 and 14 is addressed as 12 and a half. In France socialites known as the quatorziens (fourteeners) once made themselves available as 14th guests to keep a dinner party from an unlucky fate.There is also a biblical reference to the unlucky number 13. Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th guest to the Last Supper....
Lets have a CUP of COFFEE
With coffee houses at every corner, we are all consuming increasingly more amount of caffeine. Catching up with friends over a cup has become a part of our everyday life. Even culturally, when we visit someone, the first thing we are offered is tea or coffee. The coffee pot is also an indispensable fixture in offices. And why not? A cup or two seems to give the burst of energy sought by office workers each morning. However, the caffeine contained in all these drinks plays havoc with your body and mind.
WHAT IS CAFFEINE?
In its pure form, caffeine is a bitter tasting fine white powder that looks like icing sugar. It is soluble in water and so is easily absorbed into the blood stream and rapidly reaches the brain. In general, a single dose of caffeine will appear in the bloodstream within 10 minutes of consumption. It reaches a peak concentration between 30 and 60 minutes later, but absorption is much slower on a full stomach.
DURATION OF EFFECT
It takes 24 hours for one cup of coffee to pass through the kidneys and urinary tract. People who have had several cups of coffee will have lots of caffeine in their bloodstream, inhibiting sound sleep. The body must expend energy in expelling the caffeine and as it is, due to lack of sleep we have less energy, causing a terrible cycle. Caffeine will continue to affect your functioning as long as it remains in the bloodstream. Enzymes in the liver also break down the drug and remove it from the system. Some people can drink large amounts of coffee without much effect, while others feel jittery, anxious and simply cannot tolerate caffeine. Smokers experience its effects for a shorter time while women on the pill react to it strongly.
ADDICTION
Caffeine is habit forming. Many people certainly depend upon it and suffer significant withdrawal symptoms (headaches, dizziness, sluggishness, fatigue et al) when they stop consumption abruptly. As the initial stimulating effect of caffeine wears out, the person craves for another cup to experience the same lift. People taking more than four cups a day become dependent on it. These symptoms are often relieved by rushing to another cup of coffee, which creates a vicious circle re-enforcing the addictive habit further.
Monday, June 16, 2008
shun polythene
In a normal day to day life,we tend to use the plastic polybags and the usage is generally large! From buying vegetables,stationery,apparels,grocery to hell lot things,we use polythenes.These plastic polyhtenes take thousand years to decompose and harm the environment because of the dangerous chemicals it is made of! As responsible denizens,we have to reduce,if not eliminate the usage of polyhtenes,and my personal experience is that it is very much possible.Stop taking polythenes from shopkeepers,carry jute bag or paper bag while buying day to day commodities.Let us start it from today so that we can make this world a better place to live in!
Rationalism strives to influence society towards secularism and to liberate individuals from the influence of religion, superstition, dogma and priesthood. It promotes liberty of the individual and human dignity, fights for the fulfillment of human rights, for freedom of expression, the right to criticize traditional religious dogma and all arbitrary assumptions of authority. Above all, it raises powerfully the voice of reason to expose all pseudo-science and baseless fantasies imposed upon people.The salient point of any rationalist movement is its fighting spirit and its determination to defend what it stands for against all odds. Rationalism commits the liberated individual to reason even if it is uncomfortable. Every step towards progress, freedom and equality has been influenced by the voice of reason, resisting efforts to silence and strangulate it.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Fancy Gizmos guzzle energy
Watch out for fancy gizmos. They are more energy consuming. Plasma TVs burn over four times more energy than traditional analogue sets. Plasma TVs burn over four times more energy than traditional analogue sets.
Godman Badman
Recently,we have been listening to such news where Godman particularly of Kerala are carrying out their brisk business instead of religious and social activities. They have political connection,support from police,businessmen and the so-called believers. They take advantage of loopholes in existing law,they dupe people by creating a fake image,showing magical powers which are nothing but some scientifical experiments. Murders,sexual assaults,earning a hefty amount from their believers,these godman are on the run in God's own country.
If Kerala,being a literate state is facing the music of fake godmen,we have other states where the literacy rate is too low where, somewhere or the other,these godmen are carrying their illegal activities. Its an advice to everyone,do not believe such fake people who detoriate the name of God for attaining their personal interest.Wake Up India!
If Kerala,being a literate state is facing the music of fake godmen,we have other states where the literacy rate is too low where, somewhere or the other,these godmen are carrying their illegal activities. Its an advice to everyone,do not believe such fake people who detoriate the name of God for attaining their personal interest.Wake Up India!
Japanese takeover Drugmaker Ranbaxy
A Japanese pharmaceuticals group has astonished the Tokyo market by taking over Ranbaxy Laboratories, India's largest maker of generic drugs, in a deal worth up to $4.6 billion (£2.3 billion).
Daiichi Sankyo's move on Ranbaxy was described by Tokyo investors as being bold and out of character and it may mark the start of a strategic shift towards emerging markets by Japan's pharmaceutical industry..
EFFECT ON INDIAN INDUSTRY:-
NEW DELHI: Ranbaxy's takeover by a Japanese multinational poses a big threat to the survival of the domestic generic industry, which is credited with supplying affordable drugs for millions around the world. Generic majors such as Cipla, Ranbaxy, Dr Reddy's, Aurobindo Pharma have been churning out medicines to treat cancer, AIDS, hyper-tension or even antibiotics to fight infections, whose prices are the lowest in the world. India is the biggest supplier of cheaper versions of essential drugs to the developing world and has a share of nearly 25% in the overall generic space. Domestic generic biggies particularly Ranbaxy and Cipla have been recognized globally, not only for their low-cost medicines, but also of their ability to produce quality medicines.
Daiichi Sankyo's move on Ranbaxy was described by Tokyo investors as being bold and out of character and it may mark the start of a strategic shift towards emerging markets by Japan's pharmaceutical industry..
EFFECT ON INDIAN INDUSTRY:-
NEW DELHI: Ranbaxy's takeover by a Japanese multinational poses a big threat to the survival of the domestic generic industry, which is credited with supplying affordable drugs for millions around the world. Generic majors such as Cipla, Ranbaxy, Dr Reddy's, Aurobindo Pharma have been churning out medicines to treat cancer, AIDS, hyper-tension or even antibiotics to fight infections, whose prices are the lowest in the world. India is the biggest supplier of cheaper versions of essential drugs to the developing world and has a share of nearly 25% in the overall generic space. Domestic generic biggies particularly Ranbaxy and Cipla have been recognized globally, not only for their low-cost medicines, but also of their ability to produce quality medicines.
Every day has its sunrise..just imagine life without sun...only night..dark and cloudy...
That is what we should be prepared to face...
No! I am not saying that the sun star will turn into a black hole and vanish but the darkness we are throwing ourselves in...the darkness of global warming,the darkness of pollution,the darkness of Earth without trees and ultimetly Earth Without Humans......
That is what we should be prepared to face...
No! I am not saying that the sun star will turn into a black hole and vanish but the darkness we are throwing ourselves in...the darkness of global warming,the darkness of pollution,the darkness of Earth without trees and ultimetly Earth Without Humans......
सत्यमेव जयते
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