Clipmarks | jetcloud's clips

Glacier Bay Park's Gravity Shifts As Ice Melts

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 18:48:35 GMT

clipped by: jetcloud

When it comes to the upward movement of the Earth's crust, the residents of tiny Gustavus, Alaska, are experts.

"Isostatic rebound is the term for it," explains Morgan DeBoer, taking a break from his sawmill. "You know, land rebounding, coming up, springing up out of the water at an inch and a half a year."

DeBoer has good reason to be up on the jargon. Over the past decades, isostatic rebound has more than doubled the size of his family's seafront property, as the rising Earth's crust lifts new real estate out of the water.

The family even went to court — the case went all the way up to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals — to defend their right to the new land.

"You wouldn't think it would be much," says DeBoer, "but when it's flat land to begin with, any change is significant. We gain probably an acre or so every year." With all this new acreage, the DeBoers have built themselves a nine-hole golf course.

Where Ice Disappears, Earth Rises

Slideshow: Living on Glacier Bay

Martin Kaste/NPR

Tags: isostatic rebound, gustavus, alaska

Arctic seabed afire with lava-spewing volcanoes

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:32:08 GMT

clipped by: jetcloud

Clip Source: www.canada.com

The Arctic seabed is as explosive geologically as it is politically judging by the "fountains" of gas and molten lava that have been blasting out of underwater volcanoes near the North Pole.

"Explosive volatile discharge has clearly been a widespread, and ongoing, process," according to an international team that sent unmanned probes to the strange fiery world beneath the Arctic ice.

They returned with images and data showing that red-hot magma has been rising from deep inside the earth and blown the tops off dozens of submarine volcanoes, four kilometres below the ice. "Jets or fountains of material were probably blasted one, maybe even two, kilometres up into the water," says geophysicist Robert Sohn of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, who led the expedition.

The team explored the volcanoes last summer as the Russians were planting a flag on the nearby sea floor triggering an international flap over ownership of the seabed.

Tags: arctic, volcanoes

Cree remove blockade - drivers blast through

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 05:47:30 GMT

clipped by: jetcloud
clipper's remarks: The blockade was to remain until Monday to mark National Aboriginal Day, as other aboriginals marked the day with marches and celebrations, but was taken down on Saturday.

The band had notified oil and gas companies operating in the area of its intentions, and many of them agreed to stay off the road until the blockade ended, Anderson said.

Most oil workers had been extremely understanding, he said. Residents and other drivers had been allowed to pass through. "

Clip Source: www.cbc.ca

The Kelly Lake Cree Nation took down a highway blockade near the Alberta-B.C. border Saturday because of a close call with angry and dangerous drivers, band spokesman Clayton Anderson said.

Anderson said he was walking toward a vehicle at the blockade on Highway 52, about 180 kilometres southeast of Chetwynd, in northeastern B.C., when "this guy just steps on the gas and practically runs me over."

He was nicked, Anderson said, and then "these two big rigs and a pickup sped through here and literally just about running over my people."

The protesters were stopping oil and gas service trucks to express concerns about the volume of exploration work in the area, Anderson said Friday.

"We've talked about it to death and something's got to be done about it," he said, such as upgrading the narrow road or building a bypass around the community.

External Links

Kelly Lake Cree Nation

Tags: kelly lake cree nation, blockade alberta-b.c. border, canada

drunk driver jailed 20 years

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 07:57:36 GMT

clipped by: jetcloud
clipper's remarks: "The collision occurred on Jan. 20, 2006, the day Yellowknee had just been released from jail. He had been drinking all day and, by 5 p.m., he was staggering around the Sawridge Truck Stop in Slave Lake, a bottle of Silk Tassel Rye tucked into his jacket, trying to hitch a ride up to Wabasca.

Slave Lake is about 250 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.

Minutes later, he was behind the wheel of a stolen white pickup truck, speeding out of Slave Lake on the highway with the police in pursuit, lights on, sirens blaring. He fishtailed, hit the shoulder, shot over the yellow line and slammed head-on into a black car.

He killed everyone inside. Misty Chalifoux, 28, died instantly, as did two of her daughters - nine-year-old Trista Chalifoux and 13-year-old Michelle Lisk. Six-year-old daughter Larissa was airlifted to hospital. She died the next day.

Yellowknee's blood alcohol level was .22 that night, nearly triple the legal limit of .08."

Clip Source: www.canada.com

SLAVE LAKE, Alta. - In a precedent-setting decision Thursday, an Alberta judge sentenced a drunk driver who killed four people to more than 20 years in prison, and moved to block people convicted of similar crimes from serving their sentences in the community.

Provincial court Judge Ernie Walter declared Raymond Yellowknee a long-term offender and sentenced him to 20 years and six months behind bars for drinking, driving and crashing head-on into an oncoming car. The crash killed a young mother and her three little girls.

The sentence is believed to be the longest yet handed down for drunk driving causing death in Canada.

Walter also said for the first time that drunk driving causing death is a "serious personal injury offence" in Alberta, an unprecedented legal label that adds deadly drunk drivers to the category of convicts who cannot apply to serve their sentences in the community under house arrest.

Tags: drunk driver, 20 years in prison, slave lake, alberta, canada

Rapid permafrost thaw expected

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 06:09:32 GMT

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clipper's remarks: "Climate warming is degrading permafrost, and roads, runways and building foundations in many parts of the North have been buckling and cracking as the top layer of the ground thaws. The increasingly mushy ground also has created "drunken forests," where trees now lean at strange angles.

At least 30 per cent of all the carbon stored in soils worldwide is found in the North -- and scientists worry rising temperatures will release carbon dioxide and methane, both potent greenhouse gases, now locked in the permafrost.

"To me, probably the biggest uncertainty is whether methane emissions are going to go up, and if they are, by how much," says Lawrence.

Last summer, the Arctic sea ice shrank to more than 30 per cent below average, setting a modern-day record. Temperatures over land in the western Arctic also were unusually warm, reaching more than 2 C above the 1978-2006 average and raising questions about whether the ice retreat was tied to the warming temperatures over land."

Clip Source: www.canada.com

researchers warn

Melting could happen much more quickly than previously thought, putting towns and roads at risk, study says

Permafrost, which covers close to half of Canada and threatens to release vast stores of carbon into the atmosphere, could undergo a much more rapid thaw than previously thought, according to an American study.

The rate of climate warming over northern Canada, Alaska, and Russia could more than triple if Arctic ice continues to retreat rapidly, says the report, which highlights the vulnerability of permafrost and the roadways, communities and ecosystems now sitting on the frozen ground.

"We are expecting the Arctic to warm faster than the rest of the world, and this suggests that in relatively short, 5-10 year periods that rate of warming can really go up," says David Lawrence, lead author of the study conducted at the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research.

Tags: permafrost, arctic, climate warming, canada, drunken forests

Male circumcision is a weapon in the sperm wars

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 23:03:19 GMT

clipped by: jetcloud
clipper's remarks: In some forms of mutilation, the handicap to sperm competition is obvious. There is subincision, for example, where cuts are made to the base of the penis. This causes sperm to be ejaculated from the base rather than the end, and is performed in several Aboriginal Australian societies, says Wilson.

In some African and Micronesian cultures, young men have one of their testicles crushed.

Male genital mutilation makes it less likely that a male will manage to father a child with another man's wife, Wilson says.
Home advantage

Circumcision is one of the less painful forms of mutilation, but it is also less effective at reducing sperm competition. Wilson suggests, however, that the lack of a foreskin could make insertion or ejaculation slower, meaning brief, illicit sex is less likely to come to fruition and lead to a pregnancy.

Younger men, he says, willingly submit to having their reproductive ability reduced because they benefit socially from the older men, by forming allian

Clip Source: www.newscientist.com

Circumcision and other forms of male genital mutilation have always been a puzzle. The ritual mutilations can leave the man vulnerable to infection and even death. So why do some societies insist on such a risky ritual for their men?

There may be an evolutionary explanation, according to Christopher Wilson, of Cornell University in New York, US. It could function to reduce a young man's potential to father a child with an older man's wife, he says.

Sperm competition theory predicts that males will evolve ways to ensure that their sperm, and not another male's, fertilises a female's eggs. Genital mutilation, in this view, is just another way to win the sperm war.

In some forms of mutilation, the handicap to sperm competition is obvious. There is subincision, for example, where cuts are made to the base of the penis. This causes sperm to be ejaculated from the base rather than the end, and is performed in several Aboriginal Australian societies, says Wilson.

Tags: circumcision, genital mutilation

Canada first in the world to pass climate act

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 22:16:30 GMT

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Clip Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

TORONTO: The Canadian House of Commons has become the first parliament in the world to pass a climate act, which commits the country to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050.

The House passed the Climate Change Accountability Bill on Wednesday. It was moved by the leader of the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) Jack Layton.

The two other opposition parties - the Liberal party and the Bloc Quebecois - supported the bill.

"This is a world first," Layton said in a statement later.

"Our legislation sets tough but achievable targets that will ensure Canada does its share to avoid the dangerous two-degree increase in average global temperature that scientists warn us about," he said.

The bill sets an interim target of 25 per cent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2020 and requires progress reports from the government every five years.

Tags: climate change, canada, new democratic party (ndp), jack layton

WTKR weather: Clear skies ahead

Fri, 30 May 2008 08:17:27 GMT

clipped by: jetcloud

Clip Source: www.dailypress.com

Meteorologists rely on all kinds of equipment to forecast the weather, from radar and satellites to billion-dollar super computers.

But on days like today, a DC-9 flying overhead can give you a pretty good forecast. Just watch the jet contrails!

We're expecting clear, blue skies today. Chances are the contrails will fade very quickly. That means the upper atmosphere is pretty dry and there aren't any storm systems trying to move our way.

But by tomorrow afternoon, those contrails should start to stick around longer and even thicken up a bit. That means some humid air is pushing in to the region and we can expect some storms this weekend. We'll see how our contrail forecasting holds up.

With those blue skies today, expect high temperatures in the lower 70s.

Expect clear skies tonight with low temperatures in the low-to-mid 50s.

Warmer weather returns tomorrow. Expect plenty of sunshine with high temperatures in the low-to-mid 80s on Friday.

Current weather

Tags: contrails, weather, clouds, climate change

Michael J. Fox granted honorary law degree

Fri, 23 May 2008 06:30:10 GMT

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clipper's remarks: "I wish you no greater satisfaction in life than to feel the same way today as you graduate and for many years to come."

Clip Source: www.cbc.ca

Actor Michael J. fox says it is "cool" to receive an honorary doctor of laws degree from UBC. (CBC)

Actor Michael J. Fox received an honorary doctor of laws degree on Thursday from the University of British Columbia.

"[This degree] is to recognize his outstanding contributions both as an entertainer and as an advocate. I ask you to confer the degree of doctor of laws on our hometown hero Michael J. Fox," said the university's vice-president academic, David Farrar.

He said the biggest role of Fox's life has been that of an advocate.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research has raised $120 million.

The Burnaby native was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1991. He soon became an advocate for research on the disease that impairs motor skills and speech.

Although the actor did not speak for long, he had some words of inspiration for the newly minted batch of graduates.

VIDEO: Michael J. Fox accepts his honorary law degree at UBC (Runs 3:37)

Tags: michael j. fox, honorary law degree, video

Student killed when a helicopter crash-landed on him

Wed, 21 May 2008 03:11:50 GMT

clipped by: jetcloud

Clip Source: canadianpress.google.com

The death of a 23-year-old student killed when a helicopter crash-landed on him in the middle of the street is raising questions about how aware people are of their surroundings when outside listening to portable audio devices - such as iPods and MP3 players.

Isaiah Otieno, from Kenya, was crossing a street in a quiet Cranbrook, B.C. neighbourhood last week when a helicopter struggling to stay airborne suddenly dropped on top of him.

At the time, there were reports that Otiena was wearing ear or headphones and may not have heard the downward spiralling chopper.

While there is no evidence to back up that theory, the speculation is hard to avoid considering the millions of people each day who walk, run, cycle and in-line skate with the ubiquitous ear buds.

Related News

Colby Cosh: So that's what they mean by "blaming the victim"
National Post - 10 hours ago

Tags: helicopter, crash-landed, student, killed

Cardiologist, heart surgeon tell Taser inquiry weapon can cause cardiac arrest

Wed, 21 May 2008 03:05:15 GMT

clipped by: jetcloud
clipper's remarks: "In a state of ventricular fibrillation, "the heart cannot pump blood and, unless it is interrupted quickly, sudden cardiac death will follow.""

Clip Source: canadianpress.google.com

Two heart specialists told an inquiry into the use of Tasers on Tuesday that a jolt from the weapons can "almost certainly" cause heart problems and possibly even sudden cardiac arrest.

And a senior police officer who trains others on how to use the Taser said his training from the company that manufactures the device suggests the Taser does not lead to cardiac arrest.

Dr. Michael Janusz, a heart surgeon and professor of surgery at the University of British Columbia, told the inquiry that based on his study of available literature on Taser use, "almost all physicians would conclude that Tasers can induce ventricular fibrillation."

The hearing was told ventricular fibrillation is an extremely rapid rhythm in the heart's lower chambers, leading to ineffective contractions of the heart.

"In summary, Tasers almost certainly can cause cardiac arrest in humans, particularly in people with underlying heart disease," Janusz said.

Tags: tasers, police

Family found safe after six days lost in Arctic

Fri, 09 May 2008 19:53:39 GMT

clipped by: jetcloud
clipper's remarks: "During the day, the couple pulled the sled with the children inside, attempting to reach Hall Beach.

Meanwhile, ground crews began searching for the family on Sunday when they failed to arrive. It wasn't until Thursday that the weather lifted and a helicopter and airplane were able to join the search.

Bill Kennedy, a search co-ordinator in Repulse Bay, told The Canadian Press it was a group of Rangers -- mostly aboriginal military reservists -- who eventually found the family.

They followed a set of tracks that led to a burned-out snowmobile that the family appeared to have set on fire as a smoke signal to rescuers, CP reported. However, heavy cloud cover had made it impossible for rescuers to see the plume of smoke. "

Clip Source: www.ctv.ca

A family of seven that spent six days lost in the Canadian Arctic survived by huddling inside a tent set up inside a makeshift igloo.

The family -- with five children under 12 -- was found safe Thursday, with the parents dragging a sled carrying their children.

None of the family members were injured in the ordeal.

They had been on a 250-kilometre trek, by snowmobile and sled, from Repulse Bay to Hall Beach, Nunavut when they took a wrong turn and got lost.

They had set out from Repulse Bay on May 1.

"We followed the tracks and we took a wrong turn," Merrill Siusangnark, the father, told CTV's Canada AM on Friday from Hall Beach.

"When I finally realized I didn't know the land that we were on, that we were in the wrong place, I tried to turn back to where I knew the land but my Ski-doo couldn't drag the komatik (sled)."

The family survived the frigid Arctic nights in a tent set up inside a makeshift, igloo

around a small stove

with a

supply of seal oil to burn

The Siusangnark family

Tags: canadian arctic, survived

Canadian Study Finds Breastfed Babies Are Smarter

Wed, 07 May 2008 06:34:18 GMT

clipped by: jetcloud
clipper's remarks: "“Even though the treatment difference appears causal, it remains unclear whether the observed cognitive benefits of breastfeeding are due to some constituents of breast milk or are related to the physical and social interactions inherent in breastfeeding.”

The ability of these children was tested by doctors and teachers who examined these kids on the basis of their performance in reading, writing, mathematics and other subjects. The children who were breastfeed for long run scored higher in all departments than the other kids.

... it helps the immune system of the baby to be much strong so that it could resist and fight out many diseases."

Clip Source: www.eontarionow.com

Posted by admin in Health (Tuesday May 6, 2008 at 8:48 am)

Toronto - It is very well known that breastfeeding is the main and very essential diet for young ones as it protects the child from various diseases and allergies. But recently a new study has found that breastfeeding helps the child to have a higher IQ level. This research has revealed a new and significant benefit of mother’s milk for the child.

The recent Canadian study was conducted on 14,000 children also involving mothers who support breastfeeding in a long run and those mothers who don’t believe in long-term breastfeeding. The results of this study were remarkable, with children who were breastfeed for a long-term showing great intelligence than rest.

Lead author Professor Michael Kramer said: “Long-term, exclusive breastfeeding appears to improve children’s cognitive development.”

The study appears in Archives of General Psychiatry.

Tags: breastfed, breastfeeding, higher iq

Gut hormone makes food look even yummier

Wed, 07 May 2008 06:11:42 GMT

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clipper's remarks: "It has also been well established that ghrelin activates feeding through its effects on the hypothalamus, where ghrelin receptors are densely concentrated. However, ghrelin also has specific effects on many brain regions implicated in reward and motivation.

[After ghrelin infusion], food pictures become even more salient—people actually see them better. It influences not only visual processing, but also memory. People remembered the food pictures better when ghrelin was high.”"

Clip Source: www.eurekalert.org

A gut hormone that causes people to eat more does so by making food appear more desirable, suggests a new report in the May issue of Cell Metabolism, a publication of Cell Press. In a brain imaging study of individuals, the researchers found that reward centers respond more strongly to pictures of food in subjects who had received an infusion of the hormone known as ghrelin.

The findings suggest that the two drives for feeding—metabolic signals and pleasure signals—are actually intertwined.

“When you go to the supermarket hungry, every food looks better,” said Alain Dagher of the Montreal Neurological Institute at McGill University. “Your brain assigns a cost versus benefit to every food item. Now, we’ve found that it is ghrelin that acts on the brain to make food more appealing.”

Ghrelin levels are known to rise before a meal and fall afterwards, suggesting that it causes hunger and encourages eating.

Tags: ghrelin

Insects 'will be climate change's first victims'

Tue, 06 May 2008 03:05:33 GMT

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Clip Source: www.independent.co.uk

Tropical insects rather than polar bears could be among the first species to become extinct as a result of global warming, a study has found.

Insects in the tropics are already living at the limit of their temperature range and any further increases could quickly kill them off with huge repercussions for tropical habitats, which rely on insects for everything from pollination to waste disposal. Scientists have found that a rise in average temperatures in the tropics of just 1C or 2C could be enough to exert a significant and harmful effect on the survival of a wide variety of important insects.

Climate scientists predict that the polar regions will experience the greatest increases in average temperatures this century as a result of climate change, but the latest study suggests that even the smaller predicted change in the tropics could have a far more serious impact on local wildlife.