In focus @ATL/tv channel by Orwa

[MaresLejanos]

Originally Posted by istanbulgal

Thank you so much Mares, now I'm happy.

Today, noise pollution has gotten to me!!!!!! I wish people would learn when to turn their cell phones OFF.

You're welcome my friend .

I hate noise pollution!!!!! I hate it indeed!!!! People here is soooooo impolite that they don't know how to drive without touching the car horn!!! Besides all the other noises, like noisy vehicles such old or broken vehicles... Stupid people!!!! By the way, I hate mobile calling.. and especially when the owner isn't there to take the call, as it happens sometimes in my jobs... Phones start ringing when the owner is in a meeting somewhere else or in the bathdroom.. and it seems like the person who's calling don't understand it, and don't cut the call and they call again too!!!!... Mobiles should be forbbiden !!!

[MaresLejanos]

Edit: I don't like beer, but I could drink wine or mojitos to save water jejejeje

[MaresLejanos]

Noise pollution

What is Noise Pollution?

Noise pollution is a type of energy pollution in which distracting, irritating, or damaging sounds are freely audible. As with other forms of energy pollution (such as heat and light pollution), noise pollution contaminants are not physical particles, but rather waves that interfere with naturally-occurring waves of a similar type in the same environment.

Sources of noise

The overarching cause of most noise worldwide is generated by transportation systems, principally motor vehicle noise, but also including aircraft noise and rail noise. Hybrid vehicles for road use are the first widely sold automobiles in 100 years to achieve significant noise source reduction. Poor urban planning may also give rise to noise pollution, since juxtaposition of industrial to residential land uses, for example, often results in adverse consequences for the residential acoustic environment.

Besides transportation noise, other prominent sources are office equipment, factory machinery, appliances, power tools, lighting hum and audio entertainment systems. With the popularity of digital audio player devices, individuals in a noisy area might increase the volume in order to drown out ambient sounds. Construction equipment also produces noise pollution.

Noise from recreational off-highway vehicles (OHVs) is becoming a serious problem in rural areas. ATVs, also known as quads or four wheelers, have increased in popularity and are joining the traditional two wheeled dirt motorcycles for off-road riding.

The noise from ATV machines is quite different from that of the traditional dirt bike. The ATVs have large bore, four stroke engines that produce a loud throaty growl that will carry further due to the lower frequencies involved. The traditional two stroke engines on dirt bikes have gotten larger and, while they have higher frequencies, they still can propagate the sound for a mile or more. The noise produced by these vehicle is particularly disturbing due to the wide variations in frequency and volume.

Recreational off-road vehicles are generally not required to be registered and the control of the noise they emit is absent in most communities. However, there is a growing awareness that operation of these machines can seriously degrade the quality of life of those within earshot of the noise and some communities have enacted regulations, either by imposing limits on the sound or through land use laws. Rider organizations are also beginning to recognize the problem and are enlightening members as to future restrictions on riding if noise is not curtailed.

Human health effects

Noise health effects are both health and behavioural in nature. The unwanted sound is called noise. This unwanted sound can damage physiological and psychological health. Noise pollution can cause annoyance and aggression, hypertension, high stress levels, tinnitus, hearing loss, sleep disturbances, and other harmful effects. Furthermore, stress and hypertension are the leading causes to health problems, whereas tinnitus can lead to forgetfulness, severe depression and at times panic attacks.
Chronic exposure to noise may cause noise-induced hearing loss.
High noise levels can contribute to cardiovascular effects and exposure to moderately high levels during a single eight hour period causes a statistical rise in blood pressure of five to ten points and an increase in stress and vasoconstriction leading to the increased blood pressure noted above as well as to increased incidence of coronary artery disease.

Environment

Noise pollution can also be harmful to animals. High noise levels may interfere with the natural cycles of animals, including feeding behavior, breeding rituals and migration paths. The most significant impact of noise to animal life is the systematic reduction of usable habitat, which in the case of endangered species may be an important part of the path to extinction. Perhaps the most sensational damage caused by noise pollution is the death of certain species of beaked whales, brought on by the extremely loud (up to 200 decibels) sound of military SONAR.

[El raisa]

@Istanbulgal:

Very informative post about Schistosomiasis , it was one of the national problems more than 10 years ago , now it is more under control than before , I hope we will free from it for ever ..
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...992c05424c4 4

http://web.worldbank.org/external/pr...jectid=P005152


Thanks dear , nothing will fit in the huge empty space you lift me to fit in !!!
Good luck with the summery , we are waiting ; )

BTW : I love the song : D



@Mares
Thanks for your posts about saving water , very important , small steps can do large effects !!

I will come back to read the Noise pollution ..post ; )



@Orwa
Here is what you ordered sir : p !!!

Visual pollution :



Visual pollution is the term given to unattractive and man-made visual elements of a vista, a landscape, or any other thing that a person does not feel comfortable to look at. Visual pollution is an aesthetic issue, referring to the impacts of pollution that impair one's ability to enjoy a vista or view. The term is used broadly to cover visibility, limits on the ability to view distant objects, as well as the more subjective issue of visual clutter, structures that intrude upon otherwise "pretty" scenes. Commonly cited examples are advertisements, billboardss, landfills, houses, automobiles, traffic signs, roadsigns, highways, roadways, litter, graffiti, overhead power lines, utility poles, contrails, skywriting, buildings and weeds.





In general : HEAVY INDUSTRY Needs to reduce the impact of their plants by screening ugly smokestacks and eliminating or minimising harmful emissions
into the atmosphere


The target is (harmony in the city)
I liked this Article that makes dealing Visual pollution is a major factor in solving [b] climate change[ /b] problems ..changing people life style …mentality !!

Visual pollution and the mental environment
http://thenextwavefutures.wordpress....ual-pollution/



Now here is a part of visual pollution , I heard about for the first time !!!

Light pollution
also known as photopollution or luminous pollution

Defention :
(Any adverse effect of artificial light including sky glow, glare, light trespass, light clutter, decreased visibility at night, and energy waste.)

Electric lighting has become an integral part of modern society. When such light is inefficient, annoying, or unnecessary, it is known as light pollution. Many environmentalists, naturalists, and medical researchers consider light pollution to be one of the fastest growing and most pervasive forms of environmental pollution. Moreover, a growing body of scientific research suggests light pollution can impair biologic functions in both humans and wildlife. Researchers are working to determine the extent and nature of associations between light pollution and human health effects such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, depression, and insomnia

night sky



Light pollution is a side effect of industrial civilization. Its sources include building exterior and interior lighting, advertising, commercial properties, offices, factories, streetlights, and illuminated sporting venues. It is most severe in highly industrialized, densely populated areas of North America, Europe, and Japan and in major cities in the Middle East and North Africa like Cairo, but even relatively small amounts of light can be noticed and create problems. Like other forms of pollution (such as air, water, and noise pollution) light pollution causes damage to the environment.





light pollution must be addressed by changing the habits of society, so that lighting is used more efficiently, with less waste and less creation of unwanted or unneeded illumination .



**If any one is interested, this is an informative paper :
http://www.pha.jhu.edu/~atolea/second/page1.html

[color=red]Did we do any thing right to out planet ?[color]
2etuk;'kkmb
I think now that I am totally done from this veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery interesting topic : D , see you after the week end !!

[jandros]

Hello all! Sooooo sorry that I've 'missing' for a whole week! Work-work-work ... but I also had a problem with my left hand, a recurring thing, like Carpal Tunnel syndrome but on the other side of the palm ... the Cubital Tunnel? ... it's not a big problem, but it comes and goes, and sometimes I need to avoid using a keyboard for a few days. I think this time it was because of my new job

But now back to business ...

Originally Posted by MaresLejanos

Noise pollution

Human health effects
....
Noise health effects are both health and behavioural in nature. The unwanted sound is called noise. This unwanted sound can damage physiological and psychological health. Noise pollution can cause annoyance and aggression, hypertension, high stress levels, tinnitus, hearing loss, sleep disturbances, and other harmful effects. Furthermore, stress and hypertension are the leading causes to health problems, whereas tinnitus can lead to forgetfulness, severe depression and at times panic attacks.
Chronic exposure to noise may cause noise-induced hearing loss.
High noise levels can contribute to cardiovascular effects and exposure to moderately high levels during a single eight hour period causes a statistical rise in blood pressure of five to ten points and an increase in stress and vasoconstriction leading to the increased blood pressure noted above as well as to increased incidence of coronary artery disease.

Environment

Noise pollution can also be harmful to animals. ...Perhaps the most sensational damage caused by noise pollution is the death of certain species of beaked whales, brought on by the extremely loud (up to 200 decibels) sound of military SONAR.

At the risk of sounding like a hypochondriac I am personally a victim of noise pollution. For 20 years I've had tinnitis, constant ringing in my right ear, and also some small hearing loss in my left ear. It's a small problem for me, but for many people it's really bad. Also noise can stimulate (or severely aggravate) migraine headaches.

El raisa: You are not alone dear ..... I agree 100%, Light pollution can have various negative physiological effects. Just one small example: For anyone who has every suffered from migraine headache (as I have), you know that bright light (and noise) can be your worst enemy!!

Stress: All of the above, and more, added together. And again, I myself could be a "case study" on this subject ... but probably just because of my age, as much as anything else ... and this is a hint to everyone who reads this: Don't let the world stress you out!!! Find ways to cope ... to "escape" as often as possible, from the physical and psychological pounding that the world imposes on all of us.

~~~

I'll post on automobile/transportation pollution today, soon, if I may. I already typed a lot on this topic, I just need to find a few images to go with it.

But the posts on noise and light pollution led me to think of something else, another small twist regarding human physiology: Mind pollution. Too much information! TMI!!! In today's world, sometimes I think we often get overloaded, overwhelmed with 'information'.

It was about 10-15 years ago that I first heard the term "The Information Age". Of course this is our Age, our time: Internet, email, 400 TV channels (or 1000!) AM/FM radio and satellite radio (Sirius) ... world news, national news, local news, social news, talking with friends ... house phones, plus 2 billion cellphones, many with Internet and video ... text messaging, Personal Information Managers (PIMs, iPhones, etc) ... but who has the time, or the mind, to process all of that information??? Too much to think about ... more mental stress ... more emotional stress.

And more traffic accidents!? Beginning in January, my state of NC will prohibit text-messaging while driving. It's about time! That's crazy! Why do people even try to drive and type on a tiny keyboard at the same time???

But it's only because we have come to believe that we need information ... we think we can't do without it ... information, information, information. More, more, more. We can't seem to survive without knowing everything about everything, right now, this moment(!!), just because it seems possible. We can't live without cellphones. We hate to feel out of touch. We hate to feel ignorant. We hate to be "the last one to know" one thing or another. So now we have more noise, more light, more of everything than we've ever had before. But there is no solution for this, is there?

And of course we have to solve this problem about climate and ecology ... after all that I just wrote about the dangers of "too much information" ..... more to follow, on automobiles and transportation ...

[Orwa]

Ms. D, Hey, it was my job to do the "wasting water" point, but ok, thanks for taking my job off, i am super happy for that & i even was not able to do it as you have done, super wonderful post & completely true, but unfortunately if you started doing that, people won't help you

For this country where i live, they never allow anybody to wash the car by opening the water in the hose & keep it washing, whenever somebody wants to wash his/her car, they bring a little bowl with some water & wash it with a piece of fabric OR to take it to the wasing company, but in Egypt where i was living, it was allowed all the time, i believe there they do not pay expenses for water, or i do not remember that we ever paid it.., but in Syria they allow it only on the weekend, on friday & saturday.

For the noise pollution, nice words, believe it or not here the beeeeeeeb are not allowed in the cars, people firstly use the strong light, and if they will hit the car, the use the beeeeeeb but never use it for no reason, in my country they do it in weddings, to tell somebody in the home, i am waiting for you in the car, but you know what, i feel it is a lil bit beautiful to be in the street and hearing a loud song, a beeeb beeeb beeb, it is for me one of the marks in Syria

but again, lots of thanks for your effort, you're included with the best people
================================================== ==============
Ms. R, very really super interesting post, great job you have done..., for myself it doesn't hurt a lot to be in a huge lighted place, i even can sleep while you're opening the light, especialy when i am tired, but as for the beauty really effect the eyes, and hurting the eyes cases headache.., really interesting post, nice job miss.

================================================== ===============
Mr. J, welcome, welcome, welcome back, you know what, i missed you, your stamp in ATL is completely beautiful just like Ms. M, all the best about your left hand, take care sir

Your post is very wonderful, i tired to translate it and i have, but i could not understand the point you want to arrive too, it is just like i understood the words but i didn't understand your general meaning, anyway, the cars pollution is very nice idea, go for it & i cannot wait

================================================== ==============

Guys, i'll be away for something like 3-4 days, just some private things, take care everybody, enjoy your freedom but never mess a lot, deal??..., have a great time my friends

[jandros]

Orwa, don't worry too much about understanding the last part of my post. It's a different subject, a distraction from our pollution/environment discussion. Maybe we can discuss "Information Pollution" later, after we finish this topic

Also Orwa, I forgot to mention your excellent posts on Water Pollution. But I only need to mention that you hit the high points extremely well. Of course it's a huge subject, but in this forum we can only go so far, and I appreciate all of your contributions in every way! Good job my friend

* * *

I hope I'm not getting ahead of anything, or interrupting anyone ... but I suppose it's time for me to write a loooooong post or two about the single biggest pollution problem that we have on Planet Earth:

Transportation, Automobile Pollution, and Where Do we Go From Here??

Problem #1

Our present world exists, our world thrives, our world is totally dependent on Transportation, in all of its various forms. We have built such an incredibly large transportation infrastructure that it seems almost impossible ... and outrageously expensive!! ... to replace it with something better ... assuming of course that we need to replace or at least improve a huge portion of this existing infrastructure.

Before we talk about cars and trucks, or trains and planes, let's consider roads (and rails), the media on which vehicles operate. Just in the USA there are more than 6 million miles (almost 10m kilometers) of paved roads: Mostly asphalt, a product of fossil fuels. And on just one small part of these 6 million miles of roads ... Interstate 95 (I-95), which extends along the east coast, north to south, for more than 1900 miles ... every single day, between 75,000 and 300,000 vehicles move up and down this 1 super-highway. Here's the big picture, but this is map only shows the major roads of the National Highway System which "unites" the USA:



And in consideration of
our friendly neighbors in the north,
here's an illustration of the
Canadian highway system:



...

... oops ... sorry, that's not the right image ... I have another one here somewhere ........ where is it??? ..... can't find it now .....

Oh well ... maybe I'll come back to that later

But cars and trucks are not the only part of our worldwide transportation network. Below are links for 2 maps: first, "Rail Europe" which covers most of the European continent, and second, the Russia/CIS/Baltic rail system:

http://www.raileurope.com/europe-travel-guide/
http://parovoz.com/maps/supermap/index-e.html

Why do I mention both automobiles and trains? Because both of them have tremendous environmental impact, not just in chemical-exhaust pollution, but in many other ways as well.

But I think I should break this into multiple posts. Transportation is a very big subject, with multiple concerns, and I think it's best to divide it into small pieces ... to be continued ......

[jandros]

... btw, Orwa, don't be gone long!!! We'll miss you a lot-lot-lot!!! .....

[jandros]

sorry for another delay ... I got distracted ... life is what it is ...

Problem #1, continued:

Btw, I've assumed that we don't need a long list of statistics to tell us that transportation is the largest source of air & environmental pollution. Lots of different types of pollution have been discussed here, with all of the varying effects. Automobiles contribute in many of the same ways, not only by burning fossil fuels. Just for example, there are thousands of "graveyards" of old vehicles, filled with various chemicals, various metals, plastics, etc. For that and other reasons, I didn't bother to gather statistics on the degree of pollution caused by transportation.

And again, I think these are the only statistics that we need to think about: Presently we have tens of millions of miles of roads, plus millions of miles of railways. For more than a century we have invested quadrillions of dollars (15 zeros) on transportation and its infrastructure. And then we proceeded to fill those highways with millions, millions, millions of cars ... because it is so nice, so convenient to drive and drive and drive on those smooth ribbons of asphalt, as they wind through the city ... and then out and beyond, through the lovely countryside ... from one beautiful region to the next, and from one beautiful country to the next

But this is only the beginning of this "problem" of transportation: Also for decades, we have invested trillions more in fossil-fuel-related and fossil-fuel-dependent industries, and I mean industries of all kinds. Just imagine how fossil fuels are factored into all of these aspects, far beyond the obvious:

... hundreds of major manufacturing points for automobiles, trains and aircraft

... oil companies and oil nations, the fossil-fuel economy itself (and there are still hundreds of trillions of dollars worth of oil and gas in the earth)

... distribution networks (trucks, trains, ships, and planes) for everything under the sun

... seaports and their local economies (some entire cities are supported by seaports)

... millions of sales points, merchants, dealerships (large businesses, but even small family operations)

... parts stores, repair shops, and trained mechanics

... labor markets, labor unions, etc.

... plastics, made directly from fossil fuels

... aspirin and other products, again made directly from fossil fuels

... other common chemicals ..... cleaning fluids ..... clothing ... thousands of consumer products that are made from fossil fuels, or via fossil-fuel energy.

... ?
... ?
... ?

Continued ...

[MaresLejanos]

Originally Posted by jandros

And in consideration of
our friendly neighbors in the north,
here's an illustration of the
Canadian highway system:

[jandros]

Transportation, Automobile Pollution, and Where Do we Go From Here??

Problem #2

This is our most undesirable and unwelcome problem: Oil companies, oil and gas refineries, businesses, layers and layers of businesses, and entire governments, all of these entities flourish on the worldwide fossil-fuel economy. There is money and power in fossil fuels. Oil-producing countries and their economies (the USA and Canada included) depend on profits made from harvesting, selling, and using fossil fuels. This is hugely significant. I don't think it can be overstated. In order to save the world, a lot needs to be changed. Needless to say, a very loud collective voice is needed to make this kind of change.

But of course the heart of this problem is that there is immense resistance to such a change. There is open resistance and hidden resistance to replacing fossil fuels as the #1 product in the worldwide economy. For some countries and people, it's even a matter of self-preservation. Entire nations and hundreds of millions of people might be affected by such a tremendous economic shift, away from fossil fuels: Homes, food, medical care, and jobs.

Of course we want to drastically reduce and even eliminate our dependence on fossil fuels, as rapidly as we can. But it involves a lot at risk, and even a lot of resistance that most of us don't think much about, from day to day. When I think about it too much, and as I write about it now, it even seems a little scary. It will require a lot of thought, a lot of foresight, and a lot of sensible planning ... and it will take a lot of time ... before we can substantially reduce the tremendous polluting effects of transportation.

[jandros]

... Where Do we Go From Here??

I hope I've made this point, as unfortunate as it seems: For the foreseeable future, we're stuck with fossil fuels, or at least the widespread remnants (including a world economy) that have been designed and built around fossil-fuel technology. So the immediate challenge is to improve or retool most of our existing world ... for the short term, trying to make the most of what we have ... while we also move aggressively into the future by rethinking and redesigning the mechanics, and our social habits, and even a huge part of the world economic structure.

Solutions ...

In the meantime ... while transportation reinvents itself? ... we can minimize environmental impact by adapting and improving what we have, in as many small and big ways as possible. For one thing, as this article states ...

http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...ted=1#comments

... it's entirely possible to double the fuel economy of internal-combustion engines. That can reduce fossil-fuel pollution by half. Considering the size of the problem, half is a lot! It's also possible (and it's being done all over the world) to retune engines to operate on other fuels, including cooking oil.

But more easily, all of us who have cars can just follow the simple advice of keeping our cars well-tuned and clean!

... Keep tires inflated above the "recommended" pressure (but below the maximum pressure, for safety)

... Change engine oil frequently! Dirty oil makes a dirty engine, which can produce extremely dirty exhaust.

... Change air and fuel filters frequently.

... Change anti-freeze and flush the radiator every year.

... Take the old engine oil and other fluids to recycling centers! Old car batteries: Find a place that will buy them. Those places will then sell them to companies that renew the batteries or recycle the materials.

... Drive sensibly! Math: If we drive for 1 hour, at 60 miles per hour, we will travel 60 miles. If we drive 70 miles per hour, we'll only save about 10 minutes on the 60-mile journey. Is it really worth the extra hurry?

[jandros]

Mares, you like my "map" of Canada?

[istanbulgal]

Originally Posted by jandros

And in consideration of
our friendly neighbors in the north,
here's an illustration of the
Canadian highway system:



... oops ... sorry, that's not the right image ... I have another one here somewhere ........ where is it??? ..... can't find it now

LOL Jandros! I'm afraid you picked the right picture, just not my province, Newfie- hwyA! Speaking of snow, it snowed today in my neck of the woods. But joking aside, we have had that kind of snow storms in my city too, so bad in fact, that the government had to call the army to help shovel the snow a couple of times, I kid you not! Jandros, I'm sure this has happened in your town too!

Speaking of highways, here are other Canadian facts:

The world's longest national highway is the Trans-Canada Highway, it took over 20 years to complete at a cost of almost $1,000,000,000.00 Canadian dollars.

We also have the busiest & widest highway, with volumes surpassing an average of 500,000 vehicles per day.

And guess who has the longest street in the world? Toronto does - Yonge St.!

Now, that's nothing to laugh about! Jandros, you really gave me a good chuckle, thanks for posting that picture, you made my day and it removed some pollution from my head! . And Mares: you're laughing too?! Don't you wish for just a little of that snow right about now? How about visiting me next month?!

Wait until Orwie sees that snow, he'll go crazy, I think he is dying to taste it!

You guys posted so much information in just one day, wow, fantastic posts El raisa, Mares & Jandros, thanks for all that wealth of information, hopefully I can read it all by tomorrow as tonight I don't have much time. Thanks again for your wonderful contribution to this topic, you guys have been amazing!

Good night friends!

[MaresLejanos]

Originally Posted by istanbulgal

And Mares: you're laughing too?! Don't you wish for just a little of that snow right about now? How about visiting me next month?!

I will want to be with you in the next 5 months!!! Believe me!!! Every time we have this weather I'll remember the snow!!!!

Have a great night my lady

[jandros]

Originally Posted by istanbulgal

LOL Jandros! I'm afraid you picked the right picture, just not my province, Newfie- hwyA! Speaking of snow, it snowed today in my neck of the woods. But joking aside, we have had that kind of snow storms in my city too, so bad in fact, that the government had to call the army to help shovel the snow a couple of times, I kid you not! Jandros, I'm sure this has happened in your town too!

Newfie! I didn't even think about the name in the link, but now I get it

Yep, even in sunny southern NC I've shoveled a lot of snow, not very often, and not a lot at once, but in 1995 we had more than 2 feet (2/3 of a meter) in one day. That was more than enough for me. You have my 100% sympathies, because your long winter is just beginning!

Originally Posted by istanbulgal

Speaking of highways, here are other Canadian facts:

The world's longest national highway is the Trans-Canada Highway......

I've driven on about $100,000 worth of TC1, or maybe a little more

But here's an image for you (the link below) ... crossing our 2 countries, from one corner of North America to another ... In 1982 I drove the route that's outlined in the map, and this clearly shows just how far automobile pollution can extend in North America

http://www.mapquest.com/mq/2-jgz8

More than 6,300 miles; 2 weeks of driving; I had to refill my gas tank about 20 times. Isn't that shameful???

[istanbulgal]

Originally Posted by MaresLejanos

I will want to be with you in the next 5 months!!!

Mares: I can't wait until April! I'm already doing elevation exercises, how about you?.

Jandros: Yes, those Newfie jokes never end. This reminds me that it's not only us making fun of other provinces, they make fun of us too, take a look at this article and have a chuckle or two! Personally I found it funny, but what can I say, some folks have zero sense of humour, they should be reminded that laughing may prolong their lives, assuming the environment won't kill them first that is.

6,300 miles = 10,000 + km, wow, that's a long way to drive! Btw: when are you guys changing to metric so I don't have to convert all the time?

http://www.vancouversun.com/Toronto+...005/story.html

Important information!
http://articles.famouswhy.com/a_minu...ive_m inutes/
http://www.listsergeant.com/site/ind...ong_your_life/

Stay tuned for the conclusion of the Environmental theme!.

A preview:




*************************************************

[istanbulgal]

For our last environmental point, I have chosen to briefly talk about melting glaciers. This theme will be closed Sunday night and will be followed by a new topic introduced and moderated by El raisa!
******

Let's start with a visual image: (Sorry Orwie, I know you can't watch youtube)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwJ7e...1&feature=fvwp

What are glaciers? they are gigantic blocks of ice made up of snow that have accumulated over long periods of time. As ice can only be sustained in cold environments, glaciers are formed in places where the temperature is freezing cold & mostly on mountains.

Glaciers can be as small as a few hundred yards long or very large measuring hundreds of miles in length. These ice fields can flow like rivers, but the movement is quite slow on land & they are the biggest reservoirs of fresh water on earth.

The Perito Moreno Glacier is located in Patagonia, Argentina, is the world's third largest reserve of fresh water & the only non-receding glacier in the world.




The Alaska's Hubbard Glacier is located in the Canadian Yukon Territory and extends into the U.S. state of Alaska, it is the largest tidewater glacier in North America.


The Himalayan Glaciers: crown the highest mountain range in the world, and are the source of the seven largest rivers in Asia. At the present rate of melting, it is predicted that a large number of them will disappear by 2035.



How do glaciers melt? this is caused due to rises in temperature or what we now call global warming, which is the prime culprit of fast melting glaciers & the industrial revolution being the main cause for this rise in temperature. The melting of a glacier is necessary & considered normal so long as the falling snow exceeds the melting ice, if this does not occur, the glacier cannot be sustained. Glaciers are crucial as people all over the world depend on freshwater for drinking & irrigation requirements, as well, this water is needed by many for the production of electricity.

The problem is that many glaciers have melted at a very fast pace over the last few decades, so fast in fact, that some have vanished completely and many that still remain, face the same outcome as the falling snow has not been able to replace the amount of melting ice.

What are the dangers of fast melting glaciers?
Faster than normal melting glaciers causes the streams and rivers to overflow and thus resulting in flooding. We hear a lot of this on the news lately. Those living in close proximity to these rivers end up having to relocate & farmlands get destroyed. Higher up on mountains the excess water creates new ponds resulting in bursting lakes, which in turn cause floods in the villages.

Once the glacier has totally melted, the streams, rivers & farmland turn dry. Those depending on freshwater from the melting glacier require relocation.

Places that depend on the constant flow of this water for the production of electricity have to look for other sources to produce electricity. This causes further atmospheric pollution and cost much more to produce.

Sea levels that have already risen due to warmer waters rise even further when all this water from melting glaciers empty into the sea. At risk are the people living in lowlying areas in close vicinity to seashores. These areas get flooded and the groundwater gets polluted & again people have to relocate.

Many animals, birds, and fish that depend on the fresh water from glaciers that empty directly into the sea become endangered. Corals suffer because of low sunlight due to increasing sea-levels. Fish feeding on these corals in turn get affected. Animals and birds feeding on these fish are also affected.

[istanbulgal]

Examples of disappearing glaciers:



Chacaltaya, Bolivia.


The following article says it all and it would apply to similar problems anywhere in the world.

Bolivia's Glaciers Seen Disappearing in 30 Years.
Global Warming Melts Andean Glaciers Toward Oblivion.

Planetark.org, June 11, 2007

"Global warming will melt most Andean glaciers in the next 30 years, scientists say, threatening the livelihood of millions of people who depend on them for drinking water, farming and power generation.

Small glaciers are scattered across the Andes and have for long been a crucial source of fresh water in Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru, thawing in summer months and replenishing themselves in winter. But global warming has driven them into retreat. The glacier on Bolivia's Chacaltaya mountain, which means "cold road" in the local Aymara language, used to be the world's highest ski resort at 18,000 feet (5,500 meters) above sea level. But the glacier is now only 10 feet (3 meters) thick on average, down from 49 feet (15 meters) in 1998, and glaciologist Edson Ramirez says it will disappear this year or next.

"This is a process that unfortunately is now irreversible," he said, adding that industrialized nations are doing too little and too late to slash carbon dioxide emissions. "Even if they were to take measures now, it will take many, many years to replenish these glaciers, because unfortunately the damage has already been done," he said. "Most of these glaciers are similar to the Chacaltaya and that makes us think that those small glaciers could disappear in 20, 30 years."

Over 2 million people in the La Paz region depend heavily on the thawing of Chacaltaya and neighboring glaciers for tap water and, indirectly, for electricity supplies. "At least 35 percent of the drinking water comes from melting glaciers, and about 40 percent of the electricity," said Oscar Paz, the head of the Bolivian Climate Change Panel, a government task force.

Water Shortages: Water is already scarce in El Alto, a sprawling lower-class satellite city north of the country's administrative capital La Paz. Almost 1 million people live in El Alto and most homes lack running water. Daniel Cuencas, a father of four, walks several blocks every day to fetch water from a stream and is well aware of what will happen when the glaciers disappear.
"This right here is ice melt. That is where the drinking water comes from, from the mountains. So we know that there isn't going to be enough water," he said, fetching water with a rusty tin can from the stream.

Water needs will only increase in coming years with the population in the La Paz region expected to double by 2050. Ecuador's capital Quito, with 1.5 million people, and the Peruvian capital Lima, with 8 million people, also rely on melting glaciers for water and energy supplies.
About 80 percent of the Andean glaciers are similar in size to Chacaltaya at under 1 square kilometer, and experts say they are similarly doomed.

Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru have started drafting plans with scientists to mitigate the negative effects of melting glaciers and experts say they will need to make large investments to find new water and energy sources. Paz said rich countries should create a global fund to compensate poor nations for the effects of global warming.

"We're the victims of climate change, the underdeveloped countries like Bolivia, which are suffering the effects of shrinking glaciers," Paz said. Earlier this year, Bolivia's leftist President Evo Morales also blamed pollution from rich nations for the floods, droughts and hailstorms that pounded the poor South American country for three months. The extreme weather was triggered by El Niño, a weather phenomenon believed to be aggravated by global warming".

In conclusion: it is widely believed that unless we do something fast to reduce the dangers of global warming, that there will be many more dangers as a direct result of the global warming phenomenon.
A lot more could be said on this topic, but we had to end it here. It has been an informative & interesting topic and I thank you all for your terrific contribution. These are some of the major environment points we covered:

air contamination
water contamination
global warming
greenhouse gases
noise pollution
visual/sight pollution/mental environment
standard & creative recycling, recycled architecture
solar energy/solar architecture
conservation of energy
conservation of water
water scarcity
green rooftops
vertical landscapes
windmills
automibile/transportation pollution
melting glaciers.

Wow, we sure covered a lot, you were all incredible contributors to this theme!

Let's end it with a couple more videos!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbQjukRmLSg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n36EM...eature=related

[Orwa]

Good evening guys,

I have just came back home, everything went as i want and even better, i absolutely never can comment at what you wrote guys, it is seems like you enjoyed all kind of freedom while i was away, anyway, i am coming here just to say a big thanks post before our dear Ms. M closes this wonderful subject.

Ms. D, you know what?, you're just like 35% of making the thread alive, thank you very much, whenever there's "MaresLejanos", there's an alive thread, for real this is never a compliment

Ms. R & Mr. J, NO COMMENT , you're just way toooooooo wonderful people

Ms. M, accept this little flower on behalf of our little group as a reward of this great theme you announced & nice moderating, congratulations



Again, thank you very much for such a powerful subject & wonderful moderating that made it very nice after the break

Have a great time everybody

[Orwa]

Originally Posted by Orwa

Ms. D, you know what?, you're just like 35% of making the thread alive, thank you very much, whenever there's "MaresLejanos", there's an alive thread, for real this is never a compliment

By the way, i want to clear that i meant this in every good way dear Ms. D, and of course everybody participate here makes the thread soooo super, Ms. R, Ms. M & Mr. J are amazing too

[MaresLejanos]

Originally Posted by istanbulgal

The Perito Moreno Glacier is located in Patagonia, Argentina, is the world's third largest reserve of fresh water & the only non-receding glacier in the world.

I haven't been there yet ... I'm worried about it, because they won't exist for too longer, most of them are getting smaller and some have dissapeared already...

I have to go to Perito Morino, Ms. M, will you come with me?

------------------------------

Orwie, you're just too sweet. Welcome back little friend!!!!

[jandros]

Istanbulgal (and Mares ), your glacier photos brought me to remember something very vividly, and I hope you won't mind if I relate this personal experience before ending this discussion:

When I drove back from Alaska to Florida (3 years later), I took a different route. In 1982 I followed the historic Alaska-Canada (ALCAN) Highway. But returning from Alaska in 1985, I turned south onto Highway 37 (Alaska-Stewart Highway), then Canada 16 (Smithers - Prince George - Jasper), and then onto Canada 93.

By intent and purpose, this route took me directly through Icefields Parkway (I hope everyone can view that link) and the most beautiful country I've ever seen in my life, specifically Jasper National Park and Banff National Park. Near the "top" of this route (in the high mountains) I stopped, parked, and my family and I walked onto a glacier. If my memory is correct, I think it was this one:



Edit: As I study the image more, I don't think that was the place where we stopped, I think the hotel and the road were higher than the glacier area. But the idea is exactly the same ... We parked in the hotel parking, and from there it took less than a minute to walk onto the glacier. That was in August 1985. But as I've read recently, now you can no longer even see most of the glaciers as you drive through, just 24 years later, only 1/3 of a lifetime. This is just one small reason why we've all spent so much time and energy on this in the past 2 weeks, on a music lyrics site of all places. And this is why I have been so personally involved, even with a lack of time, because it is so very personal to me.

Edit #2, this is the area that I described above, and even today you can see the glacial aspect from a satellite-map view:
http://www.mapquest.com/mq/10-tdT_gBSS

As a final "thank you" for everyone who has made this such a stimulating and even heart-rending topic, this incredibly beautiful scene below is just a small sample from "my beloved" British Columbia, CA ... Istanbulgal, hope you don't mind if I claim a small corner of your beloved country as my own ... Canada is so big!! ... do you think you'll even notice if I "steal" this little part from you?

[istanbulgal]

Originally Posted by jandros

This is just one small reason why we've all spent so much time and energy on this in the past 2 weeks, on a music lyrics site of all places. And this is why I have been so personally involved, even with a lack of time, because it is so very personal to me.

As a final "thank you" for everyone who has made this such a stimulating and even heart-rending topic, this incredibly beautiful scene below is just a small sample from "my beloved" British Columbia, CA ... Istanbulgal, hope you don't mind if I claim a small corner of your beloved country as my own ... Canada is so big!! ... do you think you'll even notice if I "steal" this little part from you?

Jandros: thank you for your closing comments, indeed a great post to end our great discussion and despite the fact that any serious thread attracts little interest & participation in this forum, I think the group of 5 did very well handling this massive topic. . And you are right, it was evident that it took a lot of time on our part & that most of us have little of it, yet as you said, it is a subject that is personal to you as well as to all those that participated here; it is indeed an issue that should be personal to every person for obvious reasons.

And of course you can steal a little of Canada, actually, you don't have to steal, you can just take a piece, what are neighbours for?

Regarding Banff/Jasper National Park, I had purposely left out the Athabasca Glacier because I did not want to brag too much about Canada's beauty, but I thank you for bringing it up! I would have liked to have covered many other world glaciers, but that would not have been possible. You're correct of course, there is no place on earth quite like Canada, well, perhaps just one other place! And since you brought it up, a few closing pictures & remarks:

People who like to freeze in the Athabasca Glacier!


The Athabasca Glacier, located in Jasper National Park in Alberta Canada, is a major source of fresh water as well as the most famous glacier in all of North America. Due to global warming, by some accounts, the glacier has lost 1/2 of its volume and continues to retreat considerably year after year. It is believed that if these glaciers disappear as many have already, a critical water supply, not only to Canada, but also to other parts of North America, will be gone, though Glaciers in the Himalayas are the ones receding faster than in any other part of the world & it is believed that if the pattern continues, as mentioned earlier, they'll disappear by year 2035.

For those that are interested, I highly recommend this fantastic issue of National Geographic - The Big Thaw indeed!
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/20.../big-thaw-text


Mares, my little birdie: I accept your invitation to Perito Moreno, Argentina, just tell me when I can book my flight.

Orwie: What did you mean by saying we enjoyed our freedom while you were away?! We did not laze around, but continued to research while you were away, you even said you could not catch up! Thank you for your words & welcome back, but where are our souvenirs, you did not forget, did you?!

[MaresLejanos]

Originally Posted by istanbulgal

Mares, my little birdie: I accept your invitation to Perito Moreno, Argentina, just tell me when I can book my flight.

Okey my friend, I'll let you know as soon as I want to travel there

Do you like my avatar? It's a swallow , I've taken it myself in my work. I don't know why, but from Spring to Autum there are lots of swallows there, and there are not trees in that area!!! Crazy birds ... I love them, beside they are more beautiful than other birds we see there, I love the black-blue colour they have on their back and wings.. Aren't they pretty?

[Orwa]

Hey , isn't it much better if we close this theme right now??, because these pictures of snow makes me crying & sorry at myself, so, i am going to cry & cry & cry until you close it & no snow anymore, deal?

@Ms. M, can i forget you people??, here you are, pick any color you want & keep the rest to others



@Ms. D, nice avatar amiga, cool picture but for myself i hate the sound of this kind of birds, bua bua bua

@Mr. J, it is very nice to have you here, just keep in mind & come every free moment you have

Time to go to work, have a nice evening

[istanbulgal]

This marks the official closing of the Environmental theme. I would like to once more, thank El raisa, Mares, Jandros and Orwie for having shared their knowledge, their time, for all the thought provoking information & research they did and last, but not least, for all the laugher & fun we had along the way, including the green party! Who says learning can't be fun?

In appreciation, I would also like to present each one of you with a little eco-friendly, recycled gift to remind us (only when we forget) the importance of recycling.

El raisa: a lovely memory box for an equally lovely lady!


Mares: a Harry Potter musical box, for the times you don't have time to read, you can just relax & listen!


Jandros: a great collection of recycled books that you won't be able to put down!


Orwie: a picture frame holder for the forum's funniest, young & sweet member!


As you are the SOLE CREATOR/BRAINS behind this thread, you and only you receive 2 gifts, your very own recycled dog, I guarantee it does not bite.


And now, let's welcome our dear friend El raisa, who will introduce and moderate the next theme!


On behalf of El raisa, thank you in advance for your participation in the upcoming theme!!

[El raisa]

Ohhhhhhhhhh , I missed a lot around her : (
Jandros
Thank you for your comment & for your informative postds : ) , you are really missed here ..

Orwa
Thanks , I wish you will like my next topic

Istanbulgal
Very informative posts !! , I need to read carefully (seriously)
You picked us a wonderfull topic to discus and moderated it in an excellent way ..than you ..
Also; Thank you all Jandros , Orwa , Mares for your wonderfull posts



Dear Istanbulgal:
Thank you so much for your gift , and for the intro !!!!!! : D: D

[El raisa]

I kept wondering for long time for the new topic, till I decided to make it as a reflection to what we already experiencing in this forum & this thread , I t is also related to most of the topics that we already disscused , the new topic is :






It is the ongoing process by which regional economies, societies, and cultures have become integrated through a globe-spanning network of communication and exchange, However, globalization is usually recognized as being driven by a combination of economic, technological, sociocultural, political, and biological factors The term can also refer to the transnational circulation of ideas, languages, or popular culture.



The history of globalization is probably as old as the history of human civilization.( although some scholars situate the origins of globalization in the modern era) ..

In general , The 19th century witnessed the advent of globalization approaching its modern form. Industrialization allowed cheap production of household items using economies of scale, while rapid population growth created sustained demand for commodities. Globalization in this period was decisively shaped by nineteenth-century imperialism.

In the middle decades of the twentieth century globalization was largely driven by the global expansion of multinational corporations based in the United States and Europe, and worldwide exchange of new developments in science, technology and products, with most significant inventions of this time having their origins in the Western world , Worldwide export of western culture went through the new mass media: film, radio and television and recorded music. Development and growth of international transport and telecommunication played a decisive role in modern globalization.



Economical Globalization:

http://www.corbisimages.com/images/4...A-1BC15A3B6EA3

Supporters of free trade claim that it increases economic prosperity as well as opportunity, especially among developing nations, enhances civil liberties and leads to a more efficient allocation of resources. Economic theories of comparative advantage suggest that free trade leads to a more efficient allocation of resources, with all countries involved in the trade benefiting. In general, this leads to lower prices, more employment, higher output and a higher standard of living for those in developing countries ..

But .. there are also negative consequences because some poor countries try to save their national markets ..
IS GLOBALIZATION GOOD FOR THE POOR ?

Financial crisis:

Now, much of the industrialized world entered into a deep recession,Some analysts say the world is going through a period of deglobalization after years of increasing economic integration,Up to 45% of global wealth had been destroyed by the global financial crisis in little less than a year and a half!!





Globalization & culture:



Culture is defined as patterns of human activity and the symbols that give these activities significance. Culture is what people eat, how they dress, beliefs they hold, and activities they practice. Globalization has joined different cultures and made it into something different.

Does Globalization Destroy Culture?

Technology: :

Technology and globalization go hand-in-hand. Globalization unleashes technology, which in turn drives firms to plan production and sales on a global basis. Technology changes the work we do and in nearly all cases, the jobs created by it demand more education and training. It also changes the way business operates by transforming relationships between suppliers, producers, retailers and customers ..

[El raisa]

Iformation technology..the internet




Global media



Can anything be hidden any more?

Political globalization:

Political globalization refers to the increasing number and power of human associations which influence or govern the world as a whole ..!

Americanization:



In the early 1900's, "Americanization" referred to the movement where immigrants were developed into Americans. Now, in today's world, the term has a different, but similar meaning - the globalization by the U.S. of the world


Is globalization the American phenomenon which many people assume it is?


France




Globalization resistance



The anti-globalization movement is critical of the globalization of capitalism. The movement is also commonly referred to as the global justice movement, alter-globalization movement, anti-corporate globalization movement, or movement against neoliberal globalization.
Anti-globalization activists generally call for forms of global integration that better provide democratic representation, advancement of human rights and more egalitarian states.

Globalization From different views





One world : ethics of globalization :



Globalization has changed the way societies work and the way individuals think and interact with one another. In such a world, what do we ethically and morally owe our fellow human beings?



*****************
My dear friends , I hope this topic will not kill you boride : p ,I did my best in introducing a small introduction , pick up any point you like & go a head , or start with what ever you want : )