- Older adults contributing to healthier environment

Manorama Online English News - Older adults contributing to healthier environment

Older adults contributing to healthier environment
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Washington: Elderly people who volunteer for environmental protection are likely to find the activity physically and mentally stimulating, according to a recent study.

Post retirement volunteerism provides opportunities for social integration among different generations, through the initiative of environmental organisations. Many of these involve healthy physical activity, such as the testing of rivers or clean up of natural areas.

"Citizen involvement on a large scale is needed to address pressing issues of environmental conservation and sustainability," stated the study's co-authors Karl Pillemer and Linda P. Wagenet of Cornell University.

In one of four articles, they examined the prospects and promise for what the two call "environmental volunteerism and civic engagement" (EVCE) among older persons and point to some directions for encouraging this movement.

The ongoing increase in the number of older citizens, coupled with a senior population seeking meaningful participation in society, can greatly serve environmental protection efforts.

Even the US government has begun to tap this resource. For over five years, the Environmental Protection Agency's Ageing Initiative has provided opportunities for older adults to become environmental stewards in their own communities.

This group is particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of air pollution, temperature extremes and major weather events.

These articles have been published in Public Policy & Ageing Report brought out by National Academy on an Ageing Society.

Gmail - [GSC] YOU THOUGHT JONAH HAD BAD NEWS ?! - jacobthanni@gmail.com

Gmail - [GSC] YOU THOUGHT JONAH HAD BAD NEWS ?! - jacobthanni@gmail.com

environment

American crisis in food, economy environment

tag: environment

[GSC] YOU THOUGHT JONAH HAD BAD NEWS ?!

maria_heisch
to GregorianStudy.

show details 10:20 AM (9 hours ago)


Reply

TAKE A LOOK AT THIS

The frightening thing about what you are now reading is..not..the
fact that America is facing the worst food shortage in our history:
with all out famine very likely - when you consider that half our
crops are dying from drought, while the other half are dying from
excessive moisture in the form of floods; with much of our food
causing serious health problems that no one has yet been able to
explain: Such as our problems with Lettuce, Spinach, Hamburger,
Pork, Celery, Chicken, Packaged Chili, Peanut Butter, Tomatoes,
and a host of other food products, even Dog Food: Not to mention
that all these things combined are pushing food prices so high that
many will simply not be able to afford to buy it anyway. And as
stated by the news media, there is a "Silent Famine" already on
American soil. ...In New York City, for just one example.

The frightening part is not even the fact that every aspect of what
we are now seeing with our food supply was prophesied in the
early
1990's, to specifically take place this year. To include the above
mentioned famine. (To occur in the year 2008.)

What part of this "word for word" prophecy has not come to
pass
??
"A prophetic drought is now being directed at America's waters;
They will be dried up, and her crops will fail for lack of water. .In
instances where her waters are not dried up, America's crops will
rot in the ground from excessive moisture. .And, in cases where she
does manage to get her food stuffs to market, most of them will not
be fit for human consumption; and much of it will cause serious
health risks..." (Vince Diehl - in 1990, for the year 2008 - as
taken from Yahoo archive 1521, the link to which is provided
below)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/parousia/message/1521.html

Nor is the frightening part, the fact that every detail regarding our
present day war with Iraq, including how it will end, what it's
actually about, the conduct of George Herbert Walker Bush, and of
George W. Bush, was prophesied in the year 1990, at a time when
Iraq was our most staunch allie in the Middle East. See link below
titled "OUR IRAQ WARS"

All of which was stated in public, in writing, .at a time when we
had
all the seventeen dollar a barrel oil, and seventy cent a gallon
gasoline we could use,. had no problems with our food chain,..no
floods,. droughts,.no Iraq war,. had a national trade surplus,. a
healthy banking system,..and, .at a time when as a nation, America
enjoyed one of the greatest reputations in all recorded history.

Therefore, neither can anyone claim that Diehl was just lucky, and
saw that all these things were coming, because at the time he issued
these Plagues, the future looked nothing but great for all aspects of
America.

The genuinely frightening part of the above is the fact that Vince
Diehl has accurately prophesied so many things that have come to
pass, to include all of the above. Therefore, if you consider the rest
of his prophecies, THAT is when things get truly frightening.

The fact that eighteen years ago he accurately prophesied over 150
events that were to occur in the year 2008, which are now showing
up in our nightly news, MAKES his prophecies something that we
as Americans need to take seriously.

Whereas, a full eighteen years in advance, he not only prophesied
the fifty percent drought, fifty percent floods America is now
seeing: .He as well prophesied the crop failures, the two wars with
Iraq, the total collapse of our economy, and as well, the upcoming
famine: But he ALSO prophesied that America would be literally
burned off the map, and that everything we've mentioned above
would take place before George W. Bush leaves office. He even
described in detail, exactly HOW this unimaginable fire would take
place, and precisely where. Having declared in open court after
America had literally tried to torture him into submission as
described in the link titled TORTURE (see below), that if America
continued to violate his rights as a prophet to prophesy, that, "God
will tear America limb from limb".

Anyone been watching the weather events in the news since
Katrina lately ???

The problem is: .It's no longer just Vince Diehl's prophecy saying
this will happen: In fact, the utter destruction of America, by the fire
Diehl described in his prophecy, has now, not only been proven to
be SCIENTIFICALLY possible, but scientifically inevitable!!

Whereas, due to a process called "Water Replacement" that is being
used by our energy companies to force natural gas up out of the
earth, .the ENTIRE North American Continent is now literally
sitting on top of the largest.BOMB.mankind has ever even
imagined.

Now, the fact that this unimaginably huge fire is scientifically
inevitable:

...THAT, is the frightening part of it all.

Want details as to what is being called "The Great Abyss" ? ..We
dare you to read it.

http://www.theamericannightmare.org/THE_GREAT_ABYSS.html

You might also want to read his 1990 prophecy re: our present day
war with Iraq.

http://www.theamericannightmare.org/162_OUR_IRAQ_WARS_A-D.html

If you're at all concerned with America's new weather patterns you
might also want to read the link called TORTURE below, then
perhaps you might understand the "why" behind it.

http://www.theamericannightmare.org/162_TORTURE.html

As for America's economy, Diehl prophesied as follows:
"A Plague is against America's economy, against everything that
America considers to be luxurious, powerful, pleasurable and/or
important. It will cause America's treasures, her stock markets, and
her every asset to be plundered."

Gee, America's fifth largest investment bank was just sold for
two cents on the dollar; .Her largest commercial bank has now
hemorrhaged well over fifteen Billion dollars in the last six months
alone; .One out of every ten American home owners are now either
in forclosure or they are seriously behind in their house payments;
.Exactly HALF of all American workers now live in fear of losing
their jobs; .Most home owners now have no hopes of ever selling
their house for enough money to pay off the loan they presently
have against them;. America is now losing almost 100,000 of its
best paying jobs every month;. In order to make things not appear
to be as bad as they obviously are, flipping hamburgers for minimim
wage at a fast food restaraunt has now been classified by our
government to be a "manufacturing" or otherwise "assembly line"
job;. And we are beseiged by such outrageous lies by our
government on a daily basis, in order to conceal the truth as to how.
bad. things really are.

Moreover, most of the people who went in debt within the last
few years to purchase their $40,000.00 plus SUV or giant pick up
truck,. can now NOT afford to buy fuel to drive them,. they can't
even GIVE them away,. muchless sell them,. because no one else
can either !!. .Therefore, the foreclosures on THOSE loans will be
America's NEXT banking disaster !!

Sure looks like. this. part of Vince Diehl's Plague is also in full
force. Read details from the news media, at:

http://www.theamericannightmare.org/200_ECONOMY.html

Maria

ABC News: Dead Sea Walking? Man-Made Crisis Feared

ABC News: Dead Sea Walking? Man-Made Crisis Feared


$5B Plan: Canal From Red Sea to Dead Sea
As Dead Sea's Coastline Recedes, 10-Year-Long Project Is in the Works.
By SIMON MCGREGOR-WOOD
July 12, 2008



The Dead Sea is lowest place on Earth and it keeps getting lower.
dead sea
Salt crystals are seen on the coast of the Dead Sea, in March 2007, showing its receding water... Expand
Salt crystals are seen on the coast of the Dead Sea, in March 2007, showing its receding water level. The Dead Sea is a popular tourist site, and its waters and low atmospheric conditions (at minus 440 meters below sea level) have been used since at least the times of the Romans for their healing powers. The Israeli government recently approved the "economic peace corridor" project, which is due to build a 160 km channel to bring water from the Red Sea, through the Arava desert valley, into the Dead Sea in order to prevent the Dead Sea from drying up.

Jordan's Prime Minister Nader Dahabi is concerned about the sea. In fact, he announced Saturday that finding additional water resources for his citizens and the Dead Sea are top priority.

This year the rate of decline in the sea's level is expected to be over 4 feet; the cause is man-made. People are using 90 percent of the Dead Sea's main source, the Jordan River, for farming and drinking.

As the Dead Sea's water recedes, hundreds of sink holes have appeared making the coastline dangerously unstable, which is not good for tourism. The sea is one the region's biggest attractions and has one of the world's most unique environments.

Zabu Levin has lived at the Ein Gedi Health Spa for 45 years, which was once close to the sea but today is 1,000 yards away. The spa has struggled as the water has receded, but Levin has been responsible for designing elaborate ways for tourists to reach the sea.


"We are chasing the water," Levin says.

But now, there is a bold new plan to save the sea, a $5 billion canal. It will pump water from the Red Sea to boost the Dead Sea.

It is a joint Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian venture that seems to have all the answers, but not everyone thinks it's a good idea.

Itai Gavrieli, who works for Israeli's Geological Institute, is skeptical. "We are playing with the environment. The Dead Sea has not seen sea water in two million years," he says. Scientists fear mixing the waters could produce huge amounts of algae turning the Dead Sea red.

"We think that there would be more problems created than problems solved. We would like to see the Jordan River rehabilitated," says Mira Edelstrein, an environmentalist from Friends of the Earth.

Even if the plan is approved, it will take 10 years to build. And every day the Dead Sea keeps slipping away.

Crawler.com - Games, Screensavers, Wallpapers, eCards and more!

After Applause Dies Down, Global Warming Talks Leave Few Concrete Goals
P
The leaders of developed and developing countries, including President Bush, and international officials on Wednesday in Toyako, Japan, on the last day of talks on climate change and other issues.

Article Tools Sponsored By
By ANDREW C. REVKIN
Published: July 10, 2008

Nearly everyone had something to cheer about on Wednesday after the major industrial powers and a big group of emerging nations pledged to pursue “deep cuts” in emissions of heat-trapping gases in coming decades.
S

President Bush, who had insisted that any commitment to combat global warming must involve growing economies as well as the rich nations, recruited China and India to the table and received rare accolades from some environmentalists for doing so.

The developing countries received a promise that the rich countries would take the lead in curbing emissions. And environmentalists said the agreements renewed chances of reviving two ailing climate pacts, the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.

But behind the congratulatory speeches on Wednesday, some experts said, was a more sobering reality. The documents issued by the participating countries had very few of the concrete goals needed to keep greenhouse gases from growing at their torrid pace, they said.

The statement issued by the industrialized Group of 8 pledged to “move toward a carbon-free society” by seeking to cut worldwide emissions of heat-trapping gases in half by 2050. But the statement did not say whether that baseline would be emissions at 1990 levels, or the less ambitious baseline of current levels, already 25 percent higher.

Mentions of mandatory restrictions on emissions were carefully framed. Caps or taxes were endorsed where “national circumstances” made those acceptable. The statement urged nations to set “midterm, aspirational goals for energy efficiency.”

There were new commitments to demonstrate that carbon dioxide from coal combustion could be captured, compressed, and stashed permanently underground. But experts have said that process would have to work at the scale of billions of tons of carbon dioxide a year within a decade or two to avert a huge rise in carbon dioxide concentrations, while proposed projects are all measured in millions of tons.

The Group of 8 statement also pledged to increase aid to help developing countries improve energy efficiency or cut their vulnerability to climate risk. But developing countries have noted that in the past those pledges have gone unfilled.

“I would characterize this outcome as ‘talking the talk’ rather then ‘walking the walk’ on climate change policy,” said Michael E. Schlesinger, a climatologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who has co-written many papers on climate policy.

Dr. Schlesinger and others said that neither this week’s statements nor the two previous climate treaties seemed likely to significantly slow the rise over decades of heat-trapping gases, most notably carbon dioxide — an unavoidable byproduct of burning fossil fuels and forests.

Beyond any vagueness in this week’s statements is the challenge that climate policy must compete with other pressing global problems, particularly rising prices for energy.

This reality was on display in Japan in the days leading up to the leaders’ formal sessions. Gwyn Prins, an expert on climate policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science, was there for discussions preceding the formal talks and noted that current concerns about energy security were already clearly interfering with discussions aimed at climate stability.

One day, in particular, he said, was “gloriously incoherent.” At a meeting in the morning, participants focused on finding ways to reduce gas prices, he said, while a session that afternoon focused on raising them through caps or taxes on fossil fuels.

The most discouraging aspect of the statements out of Japan, for many experts, was seeing the persistent gap between what science is saying about global warming and what countries are doing.

The United States appeared to regain some credibility at the meetings, but some environmentalists still found an opportunity to criticize President Bush. David G. Victor, an expert on climate policy at Stanford University, said that the power of any American president was limited, and that another barrier to cutting emissions was Congress.

“Nearly every government is looking beyond Bush, and while they are hopeful that the next president will surely be more constructive on this issue, they don’t know what the president can really bring to the table,” he said. “It is hard for the U.S. president to negotiate with strength when his ability to offer commitments hinges on national legislation that he does not control.”

Cutting emissions in half is just the first step in curtailing warming, climate experts have long said, because the main greenhouse gas generated by human activities, carbon dioxide, can persist for a century or more in the atmosphere, once it is released. That means that later in the century, emissions must drop nearly to zero, or large-scale techniques must be developed to pull carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere.

Making a bit of lemonade from lemons, Dr. Victor saw a bright spot in the disagreements at the meetings. “Inability to agree is a sign that governments are actually getting serious,” he said.

He concluded: “People are working hard and pursuing many avenues; in time, they will find routes that work. This is quite unlike the Kyoto process, which was marked by very rapid negotiations that produced agreements that looked good on paper, but didn’t really reflect what important governments, such as the U.S., could actually deliver.”

It’s G8 vs G5 on climate change issue

Indian Express - Indian Newspapers in English Language from five editions

It’s G8 vs G5 on climate change issue
Express News Service
Posted online: Wednesday, July 09, 2008 at 2312 hrs Print Email

Sapporo, July 8: While the G8 countries on Tuesday underlined their resolve to halve global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the developing countries represented largely by the Group of Five countries (G5)— India, China, Brazil, South Africa and Mexico— are not ready to accept any timeline-driven targets on cutting emissions given that it may slow progress on the development front.



“It is for those responsible to have generated greenhouse gas emissions historically to apply cuts and avert a bad situation. Countries like our make a miniscule contribution. India contributes less than a tonne in per capita terms,” said Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon ahead of the G8 and G5 interaction on Wednesday, where this issue will figure prominently.

India has been clear that it will not allow its per capita emission of greenhouse gases to exceed that of the average of developed countries. “If the developed countries bring down their emissions, it can act as an incentive for us,” Menon added.

Though the G8 countries have reaffirmed their commitment to help facilitate developing countries with financial assistance by providing access to alternate technologies, the G5 is of the view that the developed countries must first take definite steps, as they are the primary polluters.

Key to the objection by countries like India is the unwilling attitude among developed countries to go by the base year of 1990 as agreed to in the Kyoto Protocol for determining the percentage of emission cuts. India, sources said, will try and drive home the point that a restrictive trade control regime should not be built around the climate change issue. New Delhi continues to back the UN process and will make it clear that such crucial climate change decisions with long-term impact on technology and trade need to be determined in a UN forum and not in a G8 summit.

One of the spin-offs from the climate change debate, which could benefit India, is the stress being laid on reviving nuclear power. The G8 in its political declaration today welcomed the rights of states to peaceful use of nuclear energy but at the same time endorsed tighter control, stronger safeguards system and stricter conditions on transfer of reprocessing and enrichment technology.

With the nuclear deal now getting fresh momentum, India may be a benefactor but that would not be an incentive to accept emission cuts. India has already launched a National Climate Change Action Plan, which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been handing out to world leaders on the sidelines of the summit.

On the issue of oil prices, the G8 in its economic resolution did call for a summit of major oil producers and consumers.

Similarly, India along with other G 5 members will emphasise the need to stop incentivising change of land use for the purpose of biofuels.

G8 leaders agree to cut emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050

The Tribune - Indian Newspapers in English Language from two editions.

G8 leaders agree on halving emissions by 2050



Sapporo (Japan), July 8
The group of eight powerful nations (G8) today agreed to halve the global emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050 even as five developing countries, including India, appealed to the grouping to do more to combat climate change.

The G8 countries - the United States, Japan, Russia, Germany, France, Britain, Canada and Italy - also called on all major countries such as China and India to take steps to stem the potentially dangerous rise in world temperatures.

“This global challenge can only be met by a global response, in particular by the contributions from all major economies,” the G8 said in a joint statement on climate change.

However, developing countries like South Africa quickly dismissed the G8 agreement as an “empty slogan” that would not save the planet from global warming.

“While the statement may appear as a movement forward, we are concerned that it may, in effect, be a regression from what is required to make a meaningful contribution to meeting the challenges of the climate change,” South Africa’s environment minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk said.

The G8 last year at a summit in Germany pledged to seriously consider the same target, and this year Japan had hoped to solidify that commitment at the ongoing summit. The communique, however, addressed world emissions rather than just those produced by wealthy countries.

Deeply concerned about the soaring food prices, the G8 also called on nations with sufficient food stocks to release some of their reserves to countries in need to help cope up with the situation.

Huddled in talks amid tight security in this spa resort, the G8 leaders said they were “deeply concerned” about soaring food prices and supply shortages in some developing countries.

“We also call for countries with sufficient food stocks to make available a part of their surplus for countries in need, in times of significantly increasing prices and in a way not to distort trade,” they added.

According to World Bank estimates, rising food prices have pushed 100 million people below the poverty line across the world.

Earlier, G8 today backed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s proposal for a forum to set up a dialogue between producers and consumers to stablise soaring oil prices which posed a “serious challenge” to world economic growth.

As the threat from spiralling inflation became the top economic concern for the G8, their leaders voiced “strong concern” over sizzling oil prices and an increase in crude production and refining capacity to dampen the crude market.

“We express our strong concern about elevated commodity prices, especially of oil and food, since they pose a serious challenge to stable growth worldwide, have serious implications for the most vulnerable, and increase global inflationary pressure,” the G8 leaders said. As a way to enhance energy security, the leaders proposed an energy forum focused on energy efficiency and new technology to help a dialogue between producers and consumers.

According to a Japanese official, some of the G8 leaders also blamed speculation behind the doubling of oil prices to $140 a barrel, a point flagged by India at the recent emergency meeting of oil ministers in Jeddah.

The communiqué said on the supply side, production and refinery capacities should be increased in the short term. — PTI

ABC News: Greenland's Ice Set for a Recovery?

ABC News: Greenland's Ice Set for a Recovery?

Greenland Ice Sheet Slams the Brakes On
By MICHAEL REILLY
July 5, 2008



Much noise has been made about how water lubricates the base of Greenland's ice sheet, accelerating its slide into the oceans. In a rare "good news" announcement, climatologists now say the ice may not be in such a hurry to throw itself into the water after all. Mother Nature, it seems, has given it brakes.

Unchecked global warming will devastate the world economy on the scale of the world wars and the Great Depression, a British government report said Monday Oct 30 2006, as the country launched a bid to convince doubters that environmentalism and economic growth can coincide. Sir Nicholas Stern, the senior government economist who wrote the report, said that acting now to cut greenhouse gas emissions would cost about 1 percent of global GDP each year. Collapse



Since 1991, the western edge of Greenland's ice sheet has actually slowed its ocean-bound progress by 10%, say the team, who have studied the longest available record of ice and water flow in the region.

Greenland's mighty ice sheet has enough water locked away to raise global sea level 6.5 metres were it to melt. Each summer, vast lakes of meltwater form on its surface. The water seeps through cracks in the kilometer-thick ice to bedrock, where it acts as a lubricant. The sheet can move up to twice as fast in the summer, when meltwater is flowing, as when it is not.

Many fear a positive feedback loop, whereby the accelerating flow will bring more ice down out of the mountains and toward warmer temperatures near sea level. Roderik Van De Waal and colleagues at Utrecht University in the Netherlands now say there is no evidence this will happen.

Daily Changes

They looked at how meltwater has correlated with the speed of ice flow at the western edge of the sheet, just north of the Arctic Circle, since 1991. They found that meltwater pouring down holes in the ice – called "moulins" – did indeed cause ice velocities to skyrocket, from their typical 100m per year to up to 400m per year, within days or weeks.

But the acceleration was short-lived, and ice velocities usually returned to normal within a week after the waters began draining. Over the course of the 17 years, the flow of the ice sheet actually decreased slightly, in some parts by as much as 10%.

"For some time, glaciologists believed that more meltwater equaled higher ice speeds," Van de Waal says. "This would be kind of disastrous, but apparently it is not happening."

Van de Waal believes that the channels that carry the meltwater out to sea freeze up during the winter months. In summer, pulses of water rushing down the moulins to the bedrock overwhelm the narrowed channels, and the increased pressure lifts the ice sheet off the rock, enabling it to move faster.