Earthquake Disaster

Earthquake is the most terrified natural phenomenon in the human life. The major events of the earthquakes from the human viewpoint are realized on review of some major catastrophes. Discharge of energy waves called seismic waves in the crust of earth, leads to the creation of a natural disaster called earthquake. Richter scale is used to symbolize magnitude and intensity of earthquakes. The origin point of seismic waves is called epicenter of earthquake. If epicenter is located near the sea then it can lead to Tsunami waves. Earthquakes are commonly results of natural phenomena like geological stress, volcanic eruptions, landslides etc.
Earthquakes can cause fires by damaging electrical power or gas lines. In the occasion of water mains rupturing and a loss of pressure, it may also become complicated to stop the spread of a fire once it has ongoing. Tsunamis are long-wavelength, long-period sea waves produced by the unexpected or abrupt movement of large volumes of water. Tsunamis can also travel thousands of kilometers across Open Ocean and wreak demolition on far shores hours after the earthquake that generated them. Floods occur usually when the quantity of water within a body of water, such as a river or lake, exceeds the total capacity of the formation, and as a result some of the water flows or sits outside of the normal perimeter of the body.
Precautions:
1)Stock up heavy items or glassware in lower cabinets so they do not turn into hazardous projectiles.
2)Protect large appliances such as refrigerators, water heaters, air conditioners and other bulky items with straps, bolts and other stabilizing methods.
3)Immediately seek a safe location such as in a doorway.
4)Establish an emergency meeting place should your family get separated.
5)Maintain fire extinguishers purposefully located on each floor.
6)Stay cool and support yourself to keep your balance, sitting if possible

How to conserve Water- the elixir of life

In the mid 1970s each person used 110 liters of water a day. Today that figure has risen to 150 liters, and if current trends continue, in 20 year's time we could all be using around 25% more water than we do now.
If you wanted to picture an average household's water being delivered to their home, you'd be looking at a doorstep with a liter of 600 or so milk bottles trailing down to the gate every morning!
What can you do?

Try not to waste water, e.g. by turning off the tap whilst brushing your teeth and check for dripping taps/over flows.

Take a shower instead of a bath - they use 2-3 times less water.

Only use washing machines and dishwashers when full for maximum economy and when buying new appliances choose those that use least water

Consider installing water meter and fit a water saving device in your toilet cistern, e.g. 'hippo' or 'hog' water saver.

Collect rainwater in a water butt for use in the garden and for washing the car

Water the garden at night to reduce losses through evaporation and use a watering can rather than a hose or sprinkler to reduce wastage.

Improve water retention by adding organic matter to the soil, such as garden compost or manure. Make your own compose from garden waste and vegetable peelings

Tobacco accounts for 6 million deaths worldwide next year

The new Tobacco Atlas from the World Lung Foundation and the American Cancer Society estimates that tobacco use costs the global economy $500 billion a year in direct medical expenses, lost productivity and environmental harm.

"Tobacco's total economic costs reduce national wealth in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) by as much as 3.6 percent," the report reads.
"Tobacco accounts for one out of every 10 deaths worldwide and will claim 5.5 million lives this year alone," the report said. If current trends hold, by 2020, the number will grow to an estimated 7 million and top 8 million by 2030.

Last week the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on launched a tobacco center to oversee cigarettes and other related products, after winning the power to do so from Congress in June. On Tuesday it set up a committee of advisers to help guide it.

Over the past four decades, smoking rates have declined in rich countries like the United States, Britain and Japan while rising in much of the developing world, according to the nonprofit research and advocacy organizations.

Some other findings from the report, available at http://www.tobaccoatlas.org/:
* 1 billion men smoke -- 35 percent of men in rich countries and 50 percent of men in developing countries.
* About 250 million women smoke daily -- 22 percent of women in developed countries and 9 percent of women in developing countries.
* Smoking rates among women are either stable or increasing in several southern, central and eastern European countries.
* The risk of dying from lung cancer is more than 23 times higher for men who smoke than for nonsmokers and 13 times higher for women smokers.
* Tobacco kills one-third to one-half of those who smoke. Smokers die an average of 15 years earlier than nonsmokers.
* Nearly 60 percent of Chinese men smoke and China consumes more than 37 percent of the world's cigarettes.
* 50 million Chinese children, mostly boys, will die prematurely from tobacco-related diseases.
* Tobacco use will eventually kill 250 million of today's teenagers and children.
* Nearly one-quarter of young people who smoke tried their first cigarette before the age of 10.
* Occupational exposure to secondhand smoke kills 200,000 workers every year.

"One hundred million people were killed by tobacco in the 20th century. Unless effective measures are implemented to prevent young people from smoking and to help current smokers quit, tobacco will kill 1 billion people in the 21st century," the report predicts.
China by far leads the world in cigarette production followed by the United States, Russia and Japan.

Publicly traded cigarette makers include Altria Group Inc's Philip Morris unit, Reynolds American Inc's R.J. Reynolds Tobacco and Lorillard Inc's Lorillard Tobacco Co.

Chrysanthemum wine

The chrysanthemum is a plant often used as a Chinese herbal medicine. People in ancient times believed that, in addition to detoxifications, chrysanthemum could drive away evil spirits and prevent one from getting a chill in late autumn. So, making and drinking chrysanthemum could be traced back many centuries and it became the traditional food on Double Ninth Festival, to avoid evil spirits and misfortunes. The Chinese word for wine is Jiu, symbolizing longevity.

Scientific Reasons to study about climatic change at high latitude.

• Ice (including snow) is the predominant form of condensed water most of the year, both in the air and on the surface. Ice and snow scatter, transmit, and absorb sunlight and radiant heat much differently than water

• There is very little water vapor in the atmosphere, changing the impact of the atmosphere on the propagation of radiant energy, particularly radiant energy propagating upwards from the surface, and on the performance of some atmospheric remote sensing instruments.

• The major "pumps" for the global ocean currents are at high latitudes, and there is good reason to believe that those pumps will be affected by climate-related changes in the atmosphere.

• High latitude atmospheric processes over both land and sea must be characterized for incorporation into global climate models.

Over the Top with Green Roof Research in Denver

While the city of Denver, Colorado is famous for its mile-high elevation, employees working in EPA's regional headquarters there are thinking slightly higher. The office building they occupy downtown is topped with a "green roof," some 40,000 plants growing in a network of two-foot by four-foot modular trays. The roof is the focus of a collaborative research project exploring the practicability and environmental benefits of cultivating green roofs in such high, semi-arid climates.

"Even before we moved into the building, we worked with the developer to help design a workspace that that could serve as model for minimizing the environmental footprint of the typical office building found in an urban setting. Our green roof is the most conspicuous-and I think the best-part of that effort," explains EPA regional scientist Patti Tyler, the project manager for the green roof research project.

Photovoltaics is an important energy technology

Photovoltaics (PV) is an important energy technology for many reasons. As a solar energy technology, it has numerous environmental benefits. As a domestic source of electricity, it contributes to the nation's energy security. As a relatively young, high-tech industry, it helps to create jobs and strengthen the economy. As it costs increasingly less to produce and use, it becomes more affordable and available.

Few power-generation technologies have as little impact on the environment as photovoltaics. As it quietly generates electricity from light, PV produces no air pollution or hazardous waste. It doesn't require liquid or gaseous fuels to be transported or combusted. And because its energy source - sunlight - is free and abundant, PV systems can guarantee access to electric power.

PV frees us from the cost and uncertainties surrounding energy supplies from politically volatile regions. And in addition to reducing our trade deficit, a robust domestic PV industry creates new jobs and strengthens the U.S. economy.

Photovoltaics is an important energy technology

Photovoltaics (PV) is an important energy technology for many reasons. As a solar energy technology, it has numerous environmental benefits. As a domestic source of electricity, it contributes to the nation's energy security. As a relatively young, high-tech industry, it helps to create jobs and strengthen the economy. As it costs increasingly less to produce and use, it becomes more affordable and available.

Few power-generation technologies have as little impact on the environment as photovoltaics. As it quietly generates electricity from light, PV produces no air pollution or hazardous waste. It doesn't require liquid or gaseous fuels to be transported or combusted. And because its energy source - sunlight - is free and abundant, PV systems can guarantee access to electric power.

PV frees us from the cost and uncertainties surrounding energy supplies from politically volatile regions. And in addition to reducing our trade deficit, a robust domestic PV industry creates new jobs and strengthens the U.S. economy.