The Best Hike On Mars You'll Ever Take

It took five years, three months and 27 days, but you can do it all in three minutes. Here, from start to finish, is what the NASA rover "Spirit" sniffed, bopped, scratched and saw as it moved across 4.8 miles of the Martian surface.

The lens is wide-angled, so the horizon always looks like a curved mountain top; every so often a one-armed probe, looking weirdly lobster-like, will suddenly appear, noodle around, poke, tap or sift through the Martian soil.

Towards the end you'll catch glimpses of the sun setting, (same sun! different set! I thought.) until Spirit gets stuck in the Martian muck and then, dramatically, everything goes dark. The folks who edited this together added movie music, which makes it really fun to watch. This is the best low-res, low-priced, low energy Martian hike you'll ever take.

And, for those of us who like this kind of thing, we're going back! Next summer, on Aug. 5, a Jeep-sized vehicle-laboratory thingy called Curiosity will ? we hope ? land on Mars. Our search for Little Green Men will resume.

Except nobody's looking for those any more. Instead, the hunt is on for very teeny Martians, shaped like itsy bitsy rods, that look (on Saturday morning tv, anyway) something like this...

Benjamin Arthur for NPR

Methanogens are very primitive microorganisms that both produce and consume methane. When you come close to a swamp and catch the smell of "marsh gas," that's methanogens doing their methaney thing.

And not too long ago, we discovered there are at least five places on Mars that also leak methane. Lots of it. At one location, NASA scientist Michael Mumma found 20,000 metric tons of methane in big "plumes" hanging in Mars' summertime northern hemisphere. They are new emissions, because on Mars, methane disintegrates pretty quickly in the atmosphere.

So why care about swamp gas on Mars?

Well, here on Earth, 90 percent of our methane comes from living things (farting cows, for example) or from dead, decaying, formerly living things. The other ten percent comes from not-so-exciting rocks leaching gas when in contact with moving water. In other words: on Earth, methane is evidence of life 90 percent of the time.

But on Mars? That's the question.

If we find Martian methanogens dead or alive, then we have just discovered life elsewhere in the universe. That's a biggie. And Micheal Mumma has a hunch they might be living right now below the Martian surface, deep down, or under a blanket of ice, or maybe they died and the methane from their decay is trapped down there, and every so often escapes.

Here's the dream scenario for those of us who wanted to meet Little Green Men, but have to settle for micro-Martians instead: (I found it in Marc Kaufman's wonderful new book First Contact.) We go to Mars. We scoop up some frozen Martian soil buried under the surface. We add a little heat, and frozen bits of dirt suddenly stir, and we look closely...and...Hello Martians!

This very thing happened here on Earth. As Marc describes it, NASA astrobiologist Richard Hoover found microbes deep in an Alaskan tunnel at a level that contained life buried for 32,000 years.

They were inactive in the ground, but when warmed they came alive and even moved and, if they were methanogens, began to produce methane. Something similar could happen on Mars.

We wish. That's why the new vehicle, Curiosity, will try to detect methane this summer, as will the probes that follow it later in the decade. And that's why those of us who hope to be around for a first encounter with alien life will be biting our fingernails for the next decade, hoping it happens while we're still here. I mean what could be more exciting?

Well, there's this: Hans Ulrich Kaufl, a NASA scientist and colleague of Michael Mumma, is quoted in the book saying (tongue in cheek) what if we get to Mars, find a plume of methane gas, follow it to its source, look closely and discover "large herds of farting cows"?

Benjamin Arthur for NPR

Now that would be awesome.

---

Science reporter and national editor at the Washington Post Marc Kaufman's new book is called First Contact; Scientific Breakthroughs in the Hunt for Life Beyond Earth (Simon and Schuster, 2011) Michael Mumma talks about methane on Mars in this short, nicely animated NASA video.

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2011/12/02/143051269/the-best-hike-on-mars-you-ll-ever-take?ft=1&f=1007

michigan football weather houston weather houston small business saturday small business saturday hank baskett beyonce dance for you

Zuckerberg's Private Photos Revealed in Facebook Security Flap [Facebook]

A security flaw in Facebook reveals your private photos, reports Launch. Like these formerly private photos of company founder, amateur butcher, and generally creepy human being Mark Zuckerbeg, showing off his dinner both alive and dead. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Gxjq_Xv1n8o/zuckerbergs-private-photos-revealed-in-facebook-security-flap

j edgar hoover j edgar hoover jonathan papelbon jonathan papelbon trisomy 13 veterans barbados resorts

S&P piles pressure on EU budget plan (Reuters)

PARIS/NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Standard & Poor's has warned it may carry out an unprecedented mass downgrade of euro zone countries if EU leaders fail to deliver a convincing agreement on how to solve the region's debt crisis in a summit on Friday.

The ratings agency's threat to downgrade 15 countries all the way up to AAA-rated Germany and France came hard on the heels of a Franco-German initiative, to be discussed on Friday, to enforce budget discipline across the 17-member zone through EU treaty changes.

President Nicolas Sarkozy and Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters that their plan included automatic penalties for states that fail to keep deficits under control, and an early launch of a permanent bailout fund for euro states in distress.

They said they wanted treaty change to be agreed in March and ratified after France wraps up presidential and legislative elections in June. "We need to go fast," Sarkozy said.

Italy, the biggest euro zone nation in trouble, offered a glimmer of hope that the bloc could halt a crisis that is threatening the survival of the common currency. Its borrowing costs tumbled after its new technocrat government announced an austerity program.

S&P's statement made no mention of that program, and French Finance Minister Francois Baroin said it did not take into account Sarkozy and Merkel's announcement.

He said France for its part did not plan to expand the austerity measures it already has announced.

S&P told the governments it would conclude its review "as soon as possible" after the summit, making clear that it wanted to see political as well as financial solutions.

It highlighted "continuing disagreements among European policy makers on how to tackle the immediate market confidence crisis and, longer term, how to ensure greater economic, financial, and fiscal convergence among eurozone members."

In its statement, it said that "... systemic stresses in the eurozone have risen in recent weeks to the extent that they now put downward pressure on the credit standing of the eurozone as a whole.

ONE NOTCH OR TWO

It said ratings could be lowered by one notch for Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, and by up to two notches for the remaining nine placed under review, including currently AAA-rated France. Cyprus was already on downgrade watch and Greece already has a 'junk' CC-rating.

S&P also threw into relief the difficulty that euro zone countries face in trying not to strangle growth with so much austerity, saying there was a 40 percent chance that the output of the euro zone as a whole would shrink next year.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner arrives on Tuesday to add to the pressure on the summit to convince markets that EU leaders have a viable plan to stabilize the finances of the euro zone's most debt-ridden countries.

Meetings at the European Central Bank in Frankfurt and with Germany's finance minister in Berlin kick off his fourth visit to the continent since September, underlining Washington's interest in averting a euro zone meltdown and its worries about Europe's woes weighing down the U.S. and the global economy.

After about two hours of talks with Merkel in Paris, Sarkozy told a joint news conference: "What we want ... is to tell the world that in Europe the rule is that we pay back our debts, reduce our deficits, restore growth."

Merkel added: "This package shows that we are absolutely determined to keep the euro as a stable currency and as an important contributor to European stability."

Later, the two leaders swiftly responded to S&P's action with a joint statement saying they were united in their determination, along with their European partners, to "take all measures to secure stability in the euro zone.

Confidence that European leaders will come up with a credible plan lifted world stocks on Monday, with European shares hitting a five-week high.

Investors and policymakers hope a summit deal on closer euro zone integration, combined with strict deficit reduction moves by heavily indebted states, will induce the European Central Bank to act decisively to stop bond market turbulence spreading.

ECB policymakers have been reluctant to buy up debt from distressed euro states, as this would take the pressure off governments to get their finances in order. But ECB chief Mario Draghi has signaled that a euro zone "fiscal compact" could encourage the bank to act more decisively on the crisis.

"This agreement probably will give the ECB the political cover for intervening more actively on a temporary basis," said Uri Dadush, senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment's International Economics Program in Washington

"The bad news is that this is all temporary. It is difficult to see how a deal like this hangs together without a quid pro quo in terms of some movement towards (jointly guaranteed) euro bonds or some form of long-term fiscal support for the countries in trouble."

LACK OF PROGRESS

Brian Dolan, chief strategist at Forex.Com in Bedminster, New Jersey, said S&P might be "signaling to the EU this is it, that they've got to get something done now."

"If they are trying to send a message, now is a good time."

Merkel and Sarkozy both had wanted a system of more coercive discipline for euro zone governments that fail to keep down their budget deficits.

But they had been under unprecedented pressure to see eye to eye in a crisis that has split them on issues such as the role of the ECB in lending to troubled states, and whether the bloc should issue jointly guaranteed euro bonds.

Sarkozy and Merkel said they would send off their plan on Wednesday, in time for Friday's summit, and made clear their determination to drive through an EU treaty change despite objections from some member states.

If countries such as euro outsider Britain blocked a treaty change for the 27 EU members, the euro zone would proceed with an agreement among its 17 states, they said.

Sarkozy said the economic policy mistakes that led to the euro zone crisis must never happen again, accepting that France and Germany, the euro zone's two biggest economies, bore the biggest responsibility for finding a solution.

"In this extremely worrying period and serious crisis, France believes that the alliance and understanding with Germany are of strategic importance," he said. "Risking a disagreement would be risking the euro zone exploding."

Several governments, notably Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands, oppose treaty change because it might not win public backing if put to a referendum.

AUTOMATIC SANCTIONS

The revised treaty would permit automatic sanctions against states that breach an existing deficit limit of no more than 3 percent of total economic output, unless a "supermajority" of states voted against the penalty.

That would reverse the current system where a majority of states must vote to launch a disciplinary procedure.

It would also enshrine a budget-balancing rule in national constitutions across the euro zone, although Merkel and Sarkozy gave no detail of the proposed wording.

In deference to French concerns about sovereignty, they agreed the European Court of Justice could rule on whether euro zone states had implemented the fiscal rule properly in national law, but would not be able to reject national budgets.

Merkel appeared to have prevailed in her opposition to the issuing of bonds in theory guaranteed jointly by all euro zone countries, but in practice by the bloc's strongest member, Germany. "We reject the idea of euro bonds," she said.

Sarkozy rallied behind her, saying it would be absurd for France and Germany to cover the debts of countries over whose debt issuance they had no control.

In return, Merkel gave ground on the rules of a future permanent rescue fund for the euro zone, the European Stability Mechanism, which have been cited as a deterrent to investors.

One of the most startling market moves was in Italian bonds.

Prime Minister Mario Monti declared that but for his 30-billion-euro austerity plan, "Italy would have collapsed, Italy would go into a situation similar to that of Greece."

Italy's technocrat cabinet approved the combination of tax rises, pension reforms and incentives to boost growth in a three-hour meeting on Sunday.

Markets reacted enthusiastically, with the yield on Italian two-year bonds plunging 85 basis points to 5.78 percent. This was far below yields of over 7 percent last month, a level at which Greece, Ireland and Portugal had to take international bailouts.

But unions immediately called a strike to protest against the "Save Italy" package.

Ireland also unveiled a tough budget with new spending cuts accounting for nearly 60 percent of next year's 3.8 billion euro fiscal adjustment.

(Additional reporting by Geert De Clercq, Daniel Flynn, Vicky Buffery, Nicholas Vinocur, John Irish, Paul Taylor and Astrid Wendlandt in Paris, Gavin Jones and Steve Scherer in Rome, Luke Baker and Julien Toyer in Brussels, Michele Kambas in Nicosia, Andreas Rinke and Alexandra Hudson in Berlin and Walter Brandimarte in New York; Writing by David Stamp; Editing by Paul Taylor and Kevin Liffey)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111206/bs_nm/us_eurozone

black friday 2011 rhodium uppity uppity stuffing brandon mcinerney brandon mcinerney

Signal for Consciousness in Brain Marked by Neural Dialogue

Head Lines | Mind & Brain See Inside

Brain areas send signals back and forth to generate conscious thoughts

By Morgen E. Peck ?| December 5, 2011?|

Image: Getty Images

Scientists have long hunted for a pattern of brain activity that signals consciousness, but a reliable marker has proved elusive. For many years theorists have argued that the answer lies in the prefrontal cortex, a region of high-level processing located behind the forehead; neural signals that reach this area were thought to emerge from unconscious obscurity into our awareness. Recent research, however, supports the idea that consciousness is a conversation rather than a revelation, with no single brain structure leading the dialogue.

The most recent to challenge the prevailing theory is Simon van Gaal, a neuroscientist who investigates the borders of conscious awareness at the Neurospin Institute in Paris. He asks participants in his ongoing experiments to push a button every time they see a symbol flash on a screen, except when they see a certain icon that means ?stop.? During some of the trials van Gaal flashes the stop signal in a way that the subjects cannot consciously perceive. Although they do not see the stop signal, they hesitate to push the button, as though some part of the brain were choking on the information. As he runs the test, van Gaal measures brain activity with functional MRI and electroencephalo?graphy (EEG). He has found that the unconscious inhibitory signal seems to make it all the way up to parts of the prefrontal cortex.

The results indicate that ?activity in a certain region is not sufficient to generate consciousness,? van Gaal explains. Instead, he posits, different regions must exchange information before consciousness can arise.

A study in Science in May bolsters the claim that awareness emerges when information travels back and forth between brain areas rather than from ascending a linear chain of command. Researchers in Belgium recorded EEG signals in patients with brain damage as they listened to stimulating tones. All the patients were awake and alert, but with a range of responsiveness. Mathematical models built from the data suggest that feedback between the frontal cortex and the lower-level sensory areas is crucial to producing conscious experience. These results agree with previous work done with monkeys and healthy human volunteers.

Understanding consciousness has a universal philosophical appeal, but it is also clinically urgent, according to lead author M?lanie Boly of the University Hospital Center of Sart-Tilman in Li?ge, Belgium. ?The diagnosis of patients in a vegetative state or minimally conscious state is extremely difficult, and the misdiagnosis rate can be as high as 40 percent,? she says. By defining a neural correlate for con?sciousness, Boly and her colleagues hope to improve those patients? quality of care.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=860005b73e06a62481aa3caaa4188ab3

trick or treat times madoff bernie madoff anna chapman kim kardashian ghost hunters honda generator

Biden urges Turkey to impose new sanctions on Iran (AP)

ANKARA, Turkey ? Vice President Joe Biden has called on Turkey to impose new sanctions against Iran, while praising Ankara for its role in pressuring Syria to stop its bloody crackdown on protesters.

Biden's comments ? published Friday in the Turkish daily Hurriyet ? raise further pressure on President Bashar Assad's regime. A top U.N. human rights official warned Thursday that Syria has entered a state of civil war with more than 4,000 people dead and an increasing number of soldiers defecting from the army.

Assad, trying to defeat an 8-month-old revolt challenging his rule, faces widespread international condemnation at the growing death toll, with Turkey, a major critic of the autocratic leader's actions, announcing a new set of economic sanctions against his regime earlier this week.

"We look forward to the broadening of international sanctions as a means to bring about change in Syria," Hurriyet quoted Biden as saying on Friday.

He also urged Ankara to adopt further sanctions against Iran, which the West suspects is trying to develop nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful.

On Friday, Biden met President Abdullah Gul and Parliament Speaker Cemil Cicek in Ankara. Biden was scheduled to visit Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who is recovering from a surgery at his Istanbul home on Saturday, U.S. officials said.

Biden also said that the United States "will continue to work with Turkey on pursuing shared interests in the Middle East and North Africa."

"We continue to support a diplomatic solution to our concerns with Iran," Biden said. "However, we also believe that putting pressure on Iran's leadership is necessary to secure a negotiated settlement and that is why we encourage our partners, including Turkey, to take steps to impose new sanctions on Iran."

An Iranian general said Saturday that Tehran would target NATO's early warning radar in Turkey if the U.S. or Israel attacks the Islamic Republic after an International Atomic Energy Agency report said for the first time that Tehran was suspected of conducting secret experiments with the sole purpose of developing nuclear arms.

Ankara agreed to host the radar in September as part of NATO's missile defense system, which is capable of countering ballistic missile threats from its neighbor. Turkey insists the shield doesn't target a specific country, but Tehran says the radar is meant to protect Israel from Iranian missile attacks if a war breaks out with the Jewish state.

The U.S. and its Western allies also suspect Iran of trying to produce atomic weapons, and Israel, which views Tehran as an existential threat, has warned of a possible strike on Iran's nuclear program.

Biden was also expected to encourage Turkey to repair ties with its formerly close ally Israel. As a long-serving member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Biden cemented his reputation as an unyielding supporter of Israel, winning the respect of many in the Jewish community.

Relations between Turkey and Israel remain strained following last year's Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla that killed eight Turkish citizens and a Turkish-American.

"It pains us to see the two of them at odds because they're both such close partners of the United States," Antony Blinken, national security adviser to Biden, told a teleconference briefing from Washington on Monday. "And the bottom line is that improved relations between Turkey and Israel would be good for Turkey, good for Israel and good for the United States and indeed good for the region and the world so that's something we will continue to encourage."

The leaders also discussed Turkey's conflict with autonomy-seeking Kurdish rebels. The U.S. has deployed four Predator drones to Turkey from Iraq and also agreed to sell three helicopter gunships to help fight the rebels, who stage attacks on Turkish targets from their bases in northern Iraq.

Gul said after his talks with Biden that cooperation between the countries against Kurdish rebels "will continue more strongly."

Biden said the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of December would not leave "chaos behind."

"As the majority of U.S. forces have already withdrawn from Iraq, we do not expect that the security environment in northern Iraq will change dramatically," Biden said.

Turkey also closely works with U.S. forces in NATO operations in Afghanistan and Libya, though it is not directly involved in combat.

Turkey, however, is also home to radical Islamic groups who oppose Turkey's cooperation with Washington and regard Osama bin Laden, killed May 2 in American helicopter-borne raid in Pakistan, as a hero.

A group of Islamist, some carrying posters of bin Laden, burned down an American flag in Istanbul during an anti-American protest outside a central mosque.

Biden, meanwhile, voiced concern over human rights issues in Turkey.

"We have made known our concerns over such issues as lengthy pre-trial detention and restrictions on the freedom of expression affecting journalists and the Internet," he said, adding that Turkey's plans for a new constitution should "deepen respect for human rights for all Turkish citizens."

Turkey is also under pressure to reopen a seminary that trained generations of Greek Orthodox patriarchs. The Halki Theological School on Heybeliada Island, near Istanbul, was closed to new students in 1971 under a law that put religious and military training under state control. The school closed its doors in 1985, when the last five students graduated.

"In many ways, Turkey has shown great tolerance toward minority religions. The continued closure of the seminary is an anomaly and an unnecessary mark against Turkey's international image," Biden said.

From Turkey, Biden will travel to Greece, where he will meet with new Prime Minister Lucas Papademos, who took office earlier this month.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111202/ap_on_re_eu/eu_turkey_biden

silver bullet joshua komisarjevsky russell simmons russell simmons joseph kony joseph kony 9 9 9

Android Design Preview simplifies app mockups, developers' lives (video)

A new Java utility should help Android developers and designers who need to rapidly prototype application layouts. The appropriately named Android Design Preview mirrors part of your desktop on an Android device over USB -- just select area on your computer screen and it'll show up remotely using the Android Debug Bridge. It's more lightweight than a VNC app and doesn't require a lot of mucking with settings, whether you're coding on Windows, Mac OS X or Linux. In other words, it's perfect for dealing with indecisive project managers who don't know what they want until you show it to them, and since it's free, you won't even need their budgetary approval.

Android Design Preview simplifies app mockups, developers' lives (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Dec 2011 17:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Android Community, XDA Developers  |  Android UI Utilities  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/03/android-design-preview-simplifies-app-mockups-developers-lives/

are you afraid of the dark are you afraid of the dark dallas news google tv cornel west marzieh vafamehr marzieh vafamehr

Bugbatter replied to Microsoft Security Essentials - how good is it? in Virus & Spyware Discussions Forum .

Welcome to the Virus & Spyware Discussion Forum. Please join the discussions around spyware, malware, and virus protection software.

As of August 26, 2011 the Dell Community Forum will no longer be providing one on one malware removal services.

If you are experiencing a spyware, virus, or malware issue and need help resolving it, there are a number of options available to you.

Dell provides some self-support content here:
Security 101: How to Protect Yourself Online: http://dell.to/rrLUSn
Dell Security Center: http://dell.to/ozpq5Z

And also offers fee-based support at:
Dell Solution Station: http://dell.to/q0YZSt

Dell does not recommend or endorse specific vendors for removal of malware, but there are some vendors we believe are worthy of mentioning as options:

Source: http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/virus-spyware/default.aspx?ActivityMessageId=80affcf6-cafe-454e-b911-5ce69900bd3a

battle field 3 battle field 3 dana wilkey dana wilkey chuck liddell chuck liddell dancing with the stars

Tying WWF, UEA, Fenton Communications and ?commissioned ...

Here we have a press release in 1999 (email 3384) from Environmental Media Services (Fenton Communications, operator of RealClimate.org) sent on behalf of the WWF to help bolster the Kyoto Protocol.

I loved this line:

Cities including New York and Tokyo may face flooding; large swathes of Latin America will suffer from drought and Australia?s Great Barrier Reef may be destroyed unless more is done to stop global warming, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature warned Tuesday.

There?s that weasel word ?may? and of course no timeline is given. Here we are a decade later and this press release sounds like it could have been written yesterday for Durban. The gloom and doom hasn?t changed.

The other fun part is this:

WWF commissioned the Climatic Research Unit at Britain?s University of East Anglia to conduct research into various climate change scenarios over the next few decades.

It projected that sea levels would rise between three-quarters of an inch to four inches per decade. This would threaten low-lying U.S. coastal cities such as New York, Boston, Baltimore and Miami with flooding. The Japanese cities of Tokyo and Osaka among others would also be at risk, it said.

I wonder how that research was accomplished and how much money was involved. ?Commissioning? a scientific study usually means a predetermined result. Anyone have any idea what these commissioned studies were?

I?m pretty sure New York, Boston, Baltimore, and Miami are still here. Ditto for Tokyo and Osaka.

Here?s the full email:

date: Thu, 21 Oct 1999 16:24:57 -0400
from: Adam Markham Adam.Markham@WWFUS.xxx
subject: Nature Group Issues Climate Warning -Forwarded
to: m.hulme@uea.xxx

Received: from smtp-out.vma.verio.net ([168.143.0.23])
by smtp.wwfus.org (GroupWise SMTP/MIME daemon 4.1 v3)
; Wed, 20 Oct 99 09:44:02 EDT
Received: from smtp-gw.vma.verio.net ([168.143.0.18])
by smtp-out.vma.verio.net with esmtp (Exim 2.10 #1)
id 11dvzd-00027h-00
for jennifer.morgan@wwfus.org; Wed, 20 Oct 1999 09:41:29 -0400
Received: from local.fenton.com (local.fenton.com [199.245.22.2])
by smtp-gw.vma.verio.net (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id JAA12413
for jennifer.morgan@wwfus.xxx; Wed, 20 Oct 1999 09:42:08 -0400 (EDT)
Received: from SERVER1/SpoolDir by local.fenton.com (Mercury 1.43);
20 Oct 99 09:39:08 -0500
Received: from SpoolDir by SERVER1 (Mercury 1.43); 20 Oct 99 09:38:42 -0500
Received: from w206 (199.245.22.206) by local.fenton.com (Mercury 1.43);
20 Oct 99 09:38:33 -0500
Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19991020093833.008fe100@[199.245.22.2]>
X-Sender: savitha.ems@[199.245.22.2]
X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 3.0.5 (32)
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1999 09:38:33 -0400
From: Savitha Pathi? savitha@ems.xxx
To: jennifer.morgan@WWFUS.xxx
Subject: Nature Group Issues Climate Warning
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain
Content-Disposition: inline
>????????????????????????? Copyright 1999 Associated Press
>
>??????????????????????????????????? AP Online
>
>?????????????????? October 19, 1999; Tuesday 11:47 Eastern Time
>
>SECTION: International news
>
>LENGTH: 441 words
>
>HEADLINE:? Nature Group Issues Climate Warning
>
>DATELINE: GENEVA
>
>BODY:
>
>???? Cities including New York and Tokyo may face flooding; large swathes of
>? Latin America will suffer from drought and Australia?s Great Barrier Reef
>may be destroyed unless more is done to stop global warming, the World Wildlife
Fund for Nature warned Tuesday.
>
>??? The environmental group urged governments meeting in Germany next week to
>? honor earlier pledges to cut emissions of carbon dioxide one of the main
>? greenhouse gases by implementing tough energy-saving policies.
>
>??? ?Evidence for the warming of our planet over the last 200 years is now
>? overwhelming,? said a WWF statement. ?With no action to curb
emissions, the
>? climate on earth over the next century could become warmer than any the
human
>? species has lived through.?
>
>??? It said China?s Giant Panda and the Arctic polar bear were among the
>species
>? at risk of extinction from global warming.
>
>??? WWF commissioned the Climatic Research Unit at Britain?s University of
East
>? Anglia to conduct research into various climate change scenarios over the
>next
>? few decades.
>
>??? It projected that sea levels would rise between three-quarters of an
>inch to
>? four inches per decade. This would threaten low-lying U.S. coastal cities
>such
>? as New York, Boston, Baltimore and Miami with flooding. The Japanese
>cities of
>? Tokyo and Osaka among others would also be at risk, it said.
>
>??? Large areas of the Amazon would become more susceptible to forest fires.
>? Drought would also likely affect Argentina, southern Mexico and Central
>America.
>? Rising sea temperatures by 2010 threatened the very survival of the
>Australian
>? Great Barrier Reef.
>
>??? Scientists generally agree that temperatures are rising with 1998
being the
>? warmest year on record. But there is no consensus on how much man is to
>blame.
>
>??? ?Although the precise contribution of human activities to global warming
>? cannot yet be stated with confidence, it is clear the planet would not be
>? warming as rapidly if humans were not currently emitting about 6.8
>billion tons
>? of carbon into the atmosphere each year,? said the WWF report.
>
>??? Under a 1997 agreement reached in the Japanese city of Kyoto,
>industrialized
>? nations agreed to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by five percent
>between
>? 2008 and 2012.
>
>??? Representatives from 150 countries meet later this month in Bonn to
work on
>? ways of implementing the Kyoto deal prior to a November 2000 meeting in the
>? Netherlands.
>
>??? While President Clinton signed the Kyoto agreement, he has not sought its
>? ratification because of widespread opposition in the Senate. Critics say it
>will
>? cost too much to implement while developing countries will be allowed to
let
>? greenhouse emissions grow.
>
>
>
>
>
>LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
>
>LOAD-DATE: October 19, 1999
>
___________________________________________
Savitha Pathi
Program Assistant
Environmental Media Services
1320 18th Street NW
Washington, DC? 20036
Tel: (202) 463-6670 / Fax: (202) 463-6671
E-Mail: savitha@ems.xxx

http://www.ems.org

Like this:

3 bloggers like this post.

Source: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/11/30/tying-wwf-uea-fenton-communications-and-commissioned-research-all-together/

drake take care herman cain accuser herman cain accuser election day kawasaki disease joe frazier where do i vote

J.R. Martinez on Anderson: My Scars Are My Uniform

J.R. Martinez's victory tour brought him to Anderson this week.

There, he talked about his experience in Iraq as well as winning Dancing With the Stars, and being included in People magazine’s Sexiest Men Alive issue.

“After 33 surgeries, I better be!" Martinez joked, referring to the burn treatments and skin graft operations he's endured since being badly hurt in Iraq.

Since 2003, his life story has been one of triumph over adversity.

J.R. Martinez on Anderson

Martinez began counseling other wounded veterans, then working as a motivational speaker all across the country before landing a role on All My Children.

Now, he's one of 2011's big breakout stars, winning DWTS, being honored by the Defense Department, Grand Marshaling the Rose Parade and so forth.

Martinez said he embraces the opportunities he has, with his newfound fame, to be an advocate for veterans, and says he will always serve our country.

"You can take away my camouflage, you can take away my M16, which is my weapon, but I look at it now... my new weapons are my words and my new uniform is my scars,” he explained. “I'm going to continue to serve in a bigger way."

"I feel this is going to be needed with the talks of pulling our guys out of Iraq and Afghanistan and bringing them home ... it’s important for me to be that voice.”

After driving over a landmine, he spent the next "two and a half years in and out of the hospital" undergoing the never-ending procedures to restore his person, adding details about the journey of self-discovery he embarked on in his recovery.

"It was a tough road at 19 years old, to look at your body and your face, and say, 'What am I going to do about this now? How am I going to move forward?'” he said.

"Thinking you're completely alone and no one in the world understands or can relate to you, but luckily, I was able to see a side that I can use my second chance at life as an opportunity to help people with their first chance at life.”

It's not often you look at a celebrity and see a true hero among us, but J.R. may be that person. We wish him the best in all of his continuing endeavors.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/12/jr-martinez-on-anderson-my-scars-are-my-uniform/

favicon.ico footloose best iphone 4 case best iphone 4 case sonic youth sonic youth make your mark

Vinny Guadagnino?s Lyrical Epic Fail

Jersey Shore’s Vinny Guadagnino is not only the most boring guy in the house, but has also managed to upset the people at Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network with a ridiculous rap song he wrote. Why is it that everyone on reality TV feels the need to try to start a music career? Vinny is just the latest to give in to the urge and has actually posted a Youtube video of the song. But the people running RAINN aren’t really happy about a certain line in the song. Here is the verse that caused all of the outrage: “Oh you a fan? You wanna take a pic? I like your crack girl … I wanna take a hit. Yeah I’m takin’ it … I’m a get you naked b*tch … We can f**k and make it fit… boomin s**t and slatin’ it. Actin’ like I’m raping it … f** k her til she fakin’ it.” Can you guess which line they had the biggest problem with? So of course he took it down soon after they posted their statement, and he tried to back peddle a little bit. On his Twitter, he said “Whoa! Some people really know [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RightCelebrity/~3/xH3TQmrLB4Q/

ios 5 update joojoo joseph addai joseph addai michael jackson autopsy michael jackson autopsy liberace

Apia Most Recommended Insurance Provider in Australia, Third ...

Apia, the leading national insurance provider for over 50s, has been named the Most Recommended Home and Contents Insurer for the third year in a row, and the Most Recommended Motor Insurer for the second year in a row.
In an independent survey of customer experience across the Australian insurance industry by Engaged Marketing, Apia?s customers were found to be the most likely to recommend its services to others, measured by the internationally recognised standard, the Net Promoter Score.

This accolade comes less than a week after being awarded the Financial Review?s Smart Investor League of Exceptional Service (SMILES) Award for best General Insurer.

Grant Taylor, Executive Manager of Apia, said that the result, part of Engaged Marketing?s annual Consumer Recommendation and Loyalty Survey, demonstrated the commitment that Apia?s people have to deliver an exceptional customer experience, day in and day out.

?This award is a testament to the hard work of everyone in Apia, from our customer service teams in our call centres and branch network, through to our claims teams, and everyone in between.

?At Apia, we work hard to understand the needs of our customers, and the products we offer and service we deliver I think reflects this. Winning this accolade several years in a row now indicates that we?re on the right path.

?Ultimately when you sell insurance, you are providing your customers with a promise to your customers that you will be there for them when they need you.

?Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for our customer to deal with us. For example, we have real people available to speak to 24 hours a day, and our staff are encouraged to spend as long as is necessary to help their customer, rather than to simply ?get through? a certain volume of calls. It is extremely important to us that our frontline staff treat each of our customers as individuals, rather than a policy number.?

Apia is a specialist insurance provider for people aged over 50. Providing a wide range of home and contents insurance, car insurance, caravan insurance, motorhome insurance, boat insurance and life insurance solutions tailored to the over 50s life stage, Apia has a network of 28 branches across Australia serving almost 700,000 policy holders.

Source: http://eyugoslavia.com/featured/01/apia-most-recommended-insurance-provider-in-australia-third-year-running-2232277/

portland news tibetan mastiff manny pacquiao pacquiao blanche blanche gloria allred

Ginger White: Is Herman Cain's accuser credible?

Ginger White, who claims she had a 13-year affair with GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain, appeared on TV Wednesday morning to repeat her claims. But her phone records may be more important.

Ginger White, the Atlanta businesswoman who claims she had a 13-year affair with GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain, was on television Wednesday morning repeating her claims. She told George Stephanopoulos on ?Good Morning America? that ?I can?t make this stuff up. Never in a million years could I make this stuff up.?

Skip to next paragraph

Is she credible? After all, Mr. Cain is denying the extramarital affair ever happened.

Ms. White spoke slowly and in a monotone in response to Mr. Stephanopoulos's questions. She seemed calm, if somewhat reserved. But more than her demeanor, it?s her phone records that appear to be the most important evidence of an affair that she has produced so far.

And on Wednesday morning she produced more records. She gave ABC phone bills showing contact with Cain?s private cellphone number into the fall ? all the way up to mid-November.

?November 8, 13, 14 ? he?s texting you all month long,? said Stephanopoulos. He sounded astonished.

?That?s correct. Our communication was up until just last week,? said White.

Wow. If this is true, Cain was in contact with a mistress during the very period when he was beset by revelations that he had been hit with sexual harassment complaints in the past. Was he trying to get White to stay quiet?

?No,? said White. ?Never in a million years did he think I would speak out.?

For his part, Cain is challenging White?s story. He has denied the whole thing, and in an e-mail to supporters he called White a ?troubled ... woman? who is using ?national media outlets to promulgate a fabricated, unsubstantiated story.?

White has indeed been involved in trouble in the past. Whether that makes her ?troubled? is another question. She lost a libel suit filed by a former business partner. That same ex-partner, bodybuilder Kimberly Vay, filed a restraining order against White, but says today that the order was never made final.

In a brief interview with the Hillsdale College newspaper Tuesday evening, after a speech at the Michigan school, Cain said he was ?done? with the allegations and that the media were overplaying his comment to supporters that he was ?reassessing? the campaign.

He isn?t listening to the usual suspects, he said.

?The reassessment isn?t based on what the media wants, or what the establishment wants, but what the people want,? he told the paper.

So the principals in this argument have not only conflicting stories but conflicting universes, apparently. Who is right? It would seem that the allegations are checkable, in that there should be some kind of documentary trail establishing the affair ? hotel records, plane tickets, and so forth. White did produce the phone bills, but implied she had not kept much else.

?When you enter into a private relationship that you do not care to share with the public you really do not enter into that holding onto receipts, holding onto gifts to come out with that say, yeah, that happened, here?s the proof,? said White on ABC.

Whom do you believe here? Feel free to enter into a conversation in the comments below.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/mV2U7w2F1zY/Ginger-White-Is-Herman-Cain-s-accuser-credible

horse slaughter horse slaughter world aids day 2011 hedy lamarr rockefeller center chester mcglockton chester mcglockton

Cyberwar storm clouds are gathering

Has the threat of cyberwar entered a significant new phase? Unpicking the burgeoning reports of activity on the digital battlefield

CYBERSPACE. Some call it the new domain of war, after land, sea, air and space. The 2010 Stuxnet cyberattack on Iran's uranium enrichment plant, suspected to have come from Israel or the US, seemed to confirm this status.

Stuxnet raised the spectre of cyber-sabotage. The recently discovered Duqu trojan, which contains some Stuxnet code, is built to steal information about computers controlling industrial plants. IT security analysts such as Symantec suspect Duqu came from the same source as Stuxnet, and may be seeking vulnerable points for future sabotage.

October saw a glut of talk about cyberwar. News reports in the US claimed that Barack Obama's administration chose not to launch a cyberattack against Libyan air defences in March. Also in October, the Pentagon announced that the joint chiefs of staff, the country's highest military officers, were reviewing the rules of engagement for cyberwar. A few days later, another report suggested China may have launched a cyberattack against two US civilian satellites.

Despite all this activity, the nature of cyber-threats remains poorly defined. Analysts have been warning for years about vulnerabilities in US government and private computer networks. In 2009, Obama launched a 60-day cyberspace security review to assess the threats. It concluded they were dire, and urged government-wide coordination to fight the threat under the direction of the US National Security Council, along with cooperation with other countries and private industry.

Firewalls guarding US military information are attacked relentlessly, sometimes successfully. "Over the past decade, terabytes of data have been extracted by foreign intruders," then US deputy defence secretary William Lynn said in July. A single intrusion in March saw 24,000 files stolen.

Yet cyberwar goes far beyond this activity. There is industrial espionage; criminal attacks, including stealing military secrets; and selling counterfeit military parts on the internet, which can damage or destroy equipment. Insurgents and opposition groups pose their own threats. Thus security must go far beyond protecting government documents and facilities.

In May 2010, the Pentagon established the US Cyber Command to fight the threat. So far its budget is a relatively lowly $2 to $3 billion. Given this, its strategy, announced in July, stressed defence.

Inevitably offence is studied too, covertly. But governments are reluctant to attack openly. The US decision not to target Libya was largely political, says James Lewis of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC. "The US wanted to be seen as in the background in that conflict," he says. Also, he adds, the Obama administration did not want to be the first to openly launch a new form of warfare.

Caution and a focus on defence make sense. Computer technology spreads fast. It does not pay to attack if your weapons can be turned against you.

Duqu's intelligence gathering is troublesome, but more extensive Stuxnet-like sabotage could tip the scales to a real cyberwar.

Jeff Hecht is a New Scientist consultant

If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.

Have your say

Only subscribers may leave comments on this article. Please log in.

Only personal subscribers may leave comments on this article

Subscribe now to comment.

All comments should respect the New Scientist House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please use the "Report" link in that comment to report it to us.

If you are having a technical problem posting a comment, please contact technical support.

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/1a8177ba/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Carticle0Cmg2122840A0A0B20A0A0Ecyberwar0Estorm0Eclouds0Eare0Egathering0Bhtml0DDCMP0FOTC0Erss0Gnsref0Fonline0Enews/story01.htm

jennifer nicole lee jennifer nicole lee chris harris peter schiff matt holliday project runway winner project runway winner

Mary Schwager: Mangagement Rings

When you see a man wearing a ring on his left hand, most would assume he's married, but get this: He may not have hit the altar yet -- the ring you see may be a mangagement ring!

Yup, you read it correctly, "man-gagement ring." Nope, it's not a company ring he was given for his promotion to the management tier; it's a ring he was given by his significant other. It's actually an engagement ring for guys!

Whoa! What the heck? Is this some gimmick by the jewelry industry to get you to spend more? Is it some ploy by feminists to brand men with engagement rings, too? Is it something for insecure partners who weren't satisfied he changed his Facebook status to "engaged" and want to alert the entire world their man is in a relationship? Even as this author types this article, the spell check on the computer underlines "mangagement" as an alert, a red flag, it found a word it does not recognize!

Amada Gizzi, spokesperson for the Jewelry Information Center, says the concept is starting to take off in America! "Engagement rings for men are a new concept here in the United States. Men and women both wear engagement rings in a lot of countries around the world. For the United States it has never been our tradition. Therefore, it is a foreign concept to most people."

Mangagement rings are perfect for a woman who wants to turn the tables in a traditional heterosexual relationship and pop the question to her guy, and she's now got a ring to complete the proposal.

Jewelry industry insiders say they're starting to see a lot more female clients doing the proposing! (Of course, we want to point out here that at no time should her man assume that diamonds are an unimportant part of the deal.) Gizzi adds, "The idea that the man will also wear an engagement ring gives relationships a new sense of equality. It is a pre-commitment, commitment from both the man and the woman."

They're also perfect for same-sex unions and engagements. If a man proposes to another man, he can also have a mangagement ring ready to go.

If this concept sounds interesting to you, the good news is some of these rings are more affordable than wedding bands. Of course, you can go as expensive and elaborate as you want, but the prices usually range from a couple hundred dollars to well, of course, to the sky's the limit. Gizzi says the types of metals usually range from platinum and gold to stainless steel and tungsten. "Find one that fits his personality and style."

Then what do you do on the big day, standing at the altar, ready to exchange rings with a mangagement ring? Jewelers say it's up the couple. You can add on another ring to the initial mangagement ring, keep it, upgrade, it's all about your taste, style and budget.

This article first appeared on GalTime.com.

?

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-schwager/mangagement-rings_b_987953.html

rickross rickross uganda rick ross black hawk down black hawk down dennis the menace

Melissa McCarthy not worried about weight

As a working mom, Melissa McCarthy has a lot on her mind.

But conforming to Hollywood's super-thin standards isn't something she spends a lot of time thinking about.?

PHOTOS: Stars who love their curves!

"There's so many other things to worry about," the 41-year-old Emmy winner told Anderson Cooper on his eponymous talk show Monday. "I still worry about it, but I think, my kids are healthy, I've got a great husband, and I go to work every day and do what I want."?

1. More Entertainment stories
   1. Prosecutors OK with Conrad Murray jail time

      David Walgren and Deborah Brazil tell TODAY that actual time spent behind bars is not a reflection of the seriousness of t...

   2. Dear Nicole: Quit playing it safe on 'X Factor'
   3. 'Losers' get a whole new look
   4. 'Regis and Butt-head' diss '16 and Pregnant'
   5. Couple saves awkward first kiss for wedding

"I'll keep working on [my body]," the "Mike and Molly" star added. "I just can't put any time to worrying about it.

PHOTOS: Stars who are sick of the fat jokes

But the "Bridesmaids" actress admitted to Cooper she'd love "to wake up at, like, 94 bounds."

"But I don't think that's going to happen," she quipped.

PHOTOS: Celebs with their own fashion lines

In the meantime, McCarthy found a creative way to find plus-sized clothing she really likes: she's launching her own clothing line. "I just want people to wear it and feel good about themselves," she told Us Weekly about the line. "I haven't thought about anyone else but me! It's just a lame way to get me clothes I want."

Copyright 2011 Us Weekly

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45469730/ns/today-entertainment/

earthquake when is daylight savings 2011 what time is it lsu vs alabama cain gingrich debate andy rooney dies andy rooney dies

U.S. condemns storming of British embassy in Tehran (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? The White House condemned "in the strongest terms" the storming of the British Embassy in Tehran by Iranian protesters on Tuesday and urged Iran to prevent further assaults on diplomatic sites in the country.

"Iran has a responsibility to protect the diplomatic missions present in its country and the personnel stationed at them," White House press secretary Jay Carney said in a statement.

"We urge Iran to fully respect its international obligations, to condemn the incident, to prosecute the offenders, and to ensure that no further such incidents take place either at the British Embassy or any other mission in Iran. Our State Department is in close contact with the British government and we stand ready to support our allies at this difficult time," Carney said.

(Reporting by Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Bill Trott)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iran/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111129/pl_nm/us_iran_britain_embassy_usa

vincent brown willow smith tom bradley tom bradley penn state riot penn state riot state college pa

Tobey Maguire, others settle over poker winnings (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? Tobey Maguire has decided to fold `em and settle a lawsuit over his winnings from a convicted con man during high-stakes Hollywood poker games.

The "Spider-Man" star agreed to pay $80,000 to settle the lawsuit filed over more than $311,000 he was paid by a convicted Ponzi scheme operator in Texas Hold `Em matches that included celebrities, businessmen and others, court documents state.

If approved by a judge next month, Maguire will pay the money to a bankruptcy trustee who is trying to recoup money that former hedge fund operator Bradley Ruderman bilked from investors to finance his lavish lifestyle.

The money will be used to repay victims of the scheme, which Maguire and other players were unaware of.

Court records show that 14 of the 22 people sued to recoup poker winnings have settled their cases. Howard Ehrenberg, the bankruptcy trustee who sued the group, said Monday the poker settlements total more than $1.7 million.

Ehrenberg said Maguire's payout to resolve the case is in the same range as others who agreed to settlements.

"He did not end up with any better settlement than the others," Ehrenberg said.

Maguire's settlement states he "strongly disputes that he violated any laws, rules or regulations in regard to participating in the poker games" but was agreeing to the payment to avoid fighting the case, which would be costly.

The actor signed the settlement on Nov. 22 and it was filed a day later with a bankruptcy court handling the lawsuits.

The trustee alleged Maguire and others had no right to keep their winnings from the unlicensed poker games held at upscale hotels and private residences. Maguire and others have denied there was anything improper about the matches.

In court filings, Maguire noted that he lost $168,500 to Ruderman, who is currently serving a 10 year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to two counts of wire fraud, two counts of investment adviser fraud and willful failure to file taxes.

Several of those sued are fighting the cases, most notably actor-director Nick Cassavetes. His attorney has said the games were not illegal and the statute of limitations has long passed for pursuing any criminal charges for the games held between 2006 and 2009.

Ehrenberg said he expects the remaining cases will be resolved before trial.

Filings show that billionaire Alec Gores and "Welcome Back, Kotter" star and poker aficionado Gabe Kaplan have also settled cases filed against them.

Gores, who along with his brother attempted to buy Miramax films last year, has agreed to pay $49,908 to settle a $445,500 lawsuit over Ruderman's poker payments.

Kaplan has agreed to pay $26,900 after he was sued to try to recoup nearly $63,000 in winnings.

Ehrenberg filed the lawsuits in late March, attempting to recoup money on behalf of people who invested in the scheme by Ruderman.

___

Follow Anthony McCartney at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111128/ap_on_en_ot/us_hollywood_poker_lawsuits

pandaria artie lange baby lisa irwin baby lisa irwin pearl jam 20 martha marcy may marlene lacuna

Abrupt permafrost thaw increases climate threat

Public release date: 30-Nov-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Marie Gilbert
megilbert@alaska.edu
907-474-7412
University of Alaska Fairbanks

Fairbanks, Alaska -- As the Arctic warms, greenhouse gases will be released from thawing permafrost faster and at significantly higher levels than previous estimates, according to survey results from 41 international scientists published in the Nov. 30 issue of the journal Nature.

Permafrost thaw will release approximately the same amount of carbon as deforestation, say the authors, but the effect on climate will be 2.5 times bigger because emissions include methane, which has a greater effect on warming than carbon dioxide.

The survey, led by University of Florida researcher Edward Schuur and University of Alaska Fairbanks graduate student Benjamin Abbott, asked climate experts what percentage of the surface permafrost is likely to thaw, how much carbon will be released and how much of that carbon will be methane. The authors estimate that the amount of carbon released by 2100 will be 1.7 to 5.2 times larger than reported in recent modeling studies, which used a similar warming scenario.

"The larger estimate is due to the inclusion of processes missing from current models and new estimates of the amount of organic carbon stored deep in frozen soils," Abbott said. "There's more organic carbon in northern soils than there is in all living things combined; it's kind of mind boggling."

Northern soils hold around 1,700 billion gigatons of organic carbon, around four times more than all the carbon ever emitted by modern human activity and twice as much as is now in the atmosphere, according to the latest estimate. When permafrost thaws, organic material in the soil decomposes and releases gases such as methane and carbon dioxide.

"In most ecosystems organic matter is concentrated only in the top meter of soils, but when arctic soils freeze and thaw the carbon can work its way many meters down, said Abbott, who studies how carbon is released from collapsed landscapes called thermokarsts a process not accounted for in current models. Until recently that deep carbon was not included in soil inventories and it still is not accounted for in most climate models.

"We know about a lot of processes that will affect the fate of arctic carbon, but we don't yet know how to incorporate them into climate models," Abbott said. "We're hoping to identify some of those processes and help the models catch up."

Most large-scale models assume that permafrost warming depends on how much the air above the permafrost is warming. Missing from the models, say the authors, are processes such as the effects of abrupt thawing that can melt an ice wedge, result in collapsed ground and accelerate additional thawing.

"This survey is part of the scientific process, what we think is going to happen in the future, and how we come up with testable hypotheses for future research," Schurr said. "Our survey outlines the additional risk to society caused by thawing of the frozen North and the need to reduce fossil fuel use and deforestation."

By integrating data from previous models with expert predictions the authors hope to provide a frame of reference for scientists studying all aspects of climate change.

"Permafrost carbon release is not going to overshadow fossil fuel emissions as the main driver of climate change" said Schuur, "but it is an important amplifier of climate change."

###

Schuur, Abbott and the 41 survey participants, which include several other UAF researchers, are members of the Vulnerability of Permafrost Carbon Research Coordination Network. http://www.biology.ufl.edu/permafrostcarbon/

A time-lapse video of a North Slope tundra landscape in motion: Hourly images from July-August 2010 of the headwall of a thaw slump on the shore of Horn Lake near the site of the massive 2007 Anaktuvuk River fire. http://www.personal.psu.edu/seg19/blogs/sarah_godsey/

Benjamin Abbott, Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 907-474-6777, benabbo@gmail.com. Edward "Ted" Schuur, Department of Biology, University of Florida, 352-392-7913, tschuur@ufl.edu

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 30-Nov-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Marie Gilbert
megilbert@alaska.edu
907-474-7412
University of Alaska Fairbanks

Fairbanks, Alaska -- As the Arctic warms, greenhouse gases will be released from thawing permafrost faster and at significantly higher levels than previous estimates, according to survey results from 41 international scientists published in the Nov. 30 issue of the journal Nature.

Permafrost thaw will release approximately the same amount of carbon as deforestation, say the authors, but the effect on climate will be 2.5 times bigger because emissions include methane, which has a greater effect on warming than carbon dioxide.

The survey, led by University of Florida researcher Edward Schuur and University of Alaska Fairbanks graduate student Benjamin Abbott, asked climate experts what percentage of the surface permafrost is likely to thaw, how much carbon will be released and how much of that carbon will be methane. The authors estimate that the amount of carbon released by 2100 will be 1.7 to 5.2 times larger than reported in recent modeling studies, which used a similar warming scenario.

"The larger estimate is due to the inclusion of processes missing from current models and new estimates of the amount of organic carbon stored deep in frozen soils," Abbott said. "There's more organic carbon in northern soils than there is in all living things combined; it's kind of mind boggling."

Northern soils hold around 1,700 billion gigatons of organic carbon, around four times more than all the carbon ever emitted by modern human activity and twice as much as is now in the atmosphere, according to the latest estimate. When permafrost thaws, organic material in the soil decomposes and releases gases such as methane and carbon dioxide.

"In most ecosystems organic matter is concentrated only in the top meter of soils, but when arctic soils freeze and thaw the carbon can work its way many meters down, said Abbott, who studies how carbon is released from collapsed landscapes called thermokarsts a process not accounted for in current models. Until recently that deep carbon was not included in soil inventories and it still is not accounted for in most climate models.

"We know about a lot of processes that will affect the fate of arctic carbon, but we don't yet know how to incorporate them into climate models," Abbott said. "We're hoping to identify some of those processes and help the models catch up."

Most large-scale models assume that permafrost warming depends on how much the air above the permafrost is warming. Missing from the models, say the authors, are processes such as the effects of abrupt thawing that can melt an ice wedge, result in collapsed ground and accelerate additional thawing.

"This survey is part of the scientific process, what we think is going to happen in the future, and how we come up with testable hypotheses for future research," Schurr said. "Our survey outlines the additional risk to society caused by thawing of the frozen North and the need to reduce fossil fuel use and deforestation."

By integrating data from previous models with expert predictions the authors hope to provide a frame of reference for scientists studying all aspects of climate change.

"Permafrost carbon release is not going to overshadow fossil fuel emissions as the main driver of climate change" said Schuur, "but it is an important amplifier of climate change."

###

Schuur, Abbott and the 41 survey participants, which include several other UAF researchers, are members of the Vulnerability of Permafrost Carbon Research Coordination Network. http://www.biology.ufl.edu/permafrostcarbon/

A time-lapse video of a North Slope tundra landscape in motion: Hourly images from July-August 2010 of the headwall of a thaw slump on the shore of Horn Lake near the site of the massive 2007 Anaktuvuk River fire. http://www.personal.psu.edu/seg19/blogs/sarah_godsey/

Benjamin Abbott, Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 907-474-6777, benabbo@gmail.com. Edward "Ted" Schuur, Department of Biology, University of Florida, 352-392-7913, tschuur@ufl.edu

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-11/uoaf-apt113011.php

cma awards christmas tree tax cmas cmas world series of poker joe walsh zsa zsa gabor

George Michael 'improving,' say doctors

LONDON?? British singer George Michael's health is improving, doctors treating him in Vienna for pneumonia said in a statement Wednesday.

The 48-year-old former Wham! frontman was hospitalized in the Austrian capital and diagnosed with severe pneumonia, forcing him to cancel the remainder of his European tour.

Story: George Michael has pneumonia, cancels shows

"The latest development in Mr. Michael's case ? which has evolved from a severe pneumococcal infection ? necessitated intensive care due to its severity and extension," said professors Gottfried Locker and Christoph Zielinski.

"We are happy to announce that Mr. Michael is improving steadily with an impressive regression of pneumonic symptoms and follows a steady rate of improvement as hoped.

"As we said previously, complete rest and peace and quiet are mandatory."

1. More Entertainment stories
   1. Prosecutors OK with Conrad Murray jail time

      David Walgren and Deborah Brazil tell TODAY that actual time spent behind bars is not a reflection of the seriousness of t...

   2. Nicolas Cage on cover of Serbian biology book
   3. Bring back pre-movie shorts (but ditch ads)
   4. Chris Meloni in talks for ?True Blood? role
   5. Dear Nicole: Quit playing it safe on 'X Factor'

The doctors also appeared to address speculation in the British tabloid press that Michael was suffering further, potentially serious health complications and that he was receiving state-of-the-art treatment during his stay at the Vienna General Hospital.

Story: Pop ladies of the '80s have still got the beat

"There are no other health issues with regards to the patient other than the underlying pneumonic disorder, and no further measures had to be taken," they said.

"Michael is receiving precisely the same treatment as any ordinary patient in Austria would receive at the hospital for this disease."

The Grammy award-winning singer found fame in the 1980s with Wham! before going on to pursue a successful solo career. He has sold an estimated 100 million records and has a personal fortune estimated at 90 million pounds ($140 million).

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45489938/ns/today-entertainment/

slaughterhouse cypher last man standing gary johnson gary johnson jim thorpe pa jim thorpe pa