A synthetic biology approach to improve photosynthesis

[photosynthesis;CO2 concentration mechanism]
New findings represent important progress toward the goal of making plants more efficient at fixing carbon dioxide from the air into molecules that can be used by the plant for growth.
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Digital Age Enigma

The Information Age [also known as the Computer Age, Digital Age, or New Media Age] is a period in human history characterized by the shift from traditional industry that the industrial revolution brought through industrialization, to an economy based on information computerization. Holding a dominant position or a monopoly of a market is often not illegal in itself, however certain categories of behavior can be considered abusive and therefore incur legal sanctions when a business is too dominant. The onset of the Information Age is associated with the Digital Revolution, just as the Industrial Revolution marked the onset of the Industrial Age.
The Information Age formed by capitalizing on the computer microminiaturization advances, with a transition spanning from the advent of the personal computer in the late 1970s, to the Internet's reaching a critical mass in the early 1990s, and the adoption of such technology by the public in the two decades after 1990.
During the second industrial revolution: Who designed, developed or for that matter, built the tracks for the steam engines, the roads for the first automobiles or airport runways for our aircraft?
The enigma of the Digital Age is that much of the business emphasis is placed on digital expansion and real world economics [curb side] is being disregarded and gradually becoming unstable.

Founded in 1609 Albany was known as Fort Orange and was then renamed "Albany" in 1664 to honor the Duke of York and Albany. It is the capital (1797) of the state of New York, U.S., and seat of Albany County (1683). It lies along the Hudson River, 143 miles north of New York City. In 1689 one of the first intercontinental conventions was held in Albany to discuss a system of mutual defense. The city was one of the first in the U.S. to establish a commercial airport (1919). It is also a site of the first railroad in the U.S.

Sustainable Supercar With the i8 Project

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT called the practice of architecture "sublimated mathematics," and I invite you to think of car design the same way. Beneath the wind-raked, time-traveling skin of the BMW BMW.XE -0.31% i8 luxury hybrid lurk a lot of large and unaesthetic numbers. The biggest is the daily parts per million of carbon in the Earth's atmosphere, now over 400 and going nowhere but up. European car makers are under social, political and regulatory pressure to reduce greenhouse emissions. Read More:

New technique will quicken genetic characterization of photosynthesis |

April 15, 2014
Source:
Carnegie Institution

Potosynthesis provides fixed carbon and energy for nearly all life on Earth, yet many aspects of this fascinating process remain mysterious. For example, little is known about how it is regulated in response to changes in light intensity.
Accelerated renewal

A powerful community of people dedicated to clean air and children’s health...

Moms Clean Air Force
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Dance To The End Of Time and Space

Bringing astrophysics to the masses is difficult at the best of times, but how do you communicate such complex science to students in underserved groups, such as those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing? One research team has developed a unique approach by using dance and stunning backdrops to teach the mathematics and physics of the Universe. Read More:

Studying crops from space

Source: Carnegie Institution Summary: Plants convert energy from sunlight into chemical energy during a process called photosynthesis. This energy is passed on to humans and animals that eat the plants, and thus photosynthesis is the primary source of energy for all life on Earth. But the photosynthetic activity of various regions is changing due to human interaction with the environment, including climate change, which makes large-scale studies of photosynthetic activity of interest. New research from a team including Carnegie's Joe Berry reveals a fundamentally new approach for measuring photosynthetic activity as it occurs around the planet. It is published this week by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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The Planets Climate is not in the process of altering course... It has altered course.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The head of the World Bank is warning that climate change will lead to armed conflicts over shortages of food and water. On “Ann Curry Reports: Our Year of Extremes,” airing Sunday night on NBC, Curry shows us how people are witnessing the impact of rising global temperatures. Read More:

The Economics of Sustainable Development

History | Sustainability is not a new issue in economics. The 18th century English philosopher and economist Thomas Robert Malthus expressed concern about sustainable growth in his 1798 work, "An Essay on the Principle of Population."
Identification | Sustainable development, as defined by the International Institute for Sustainable Development, refers to resource use and allocation that meets present human needs without negatively affecting the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

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Are the latest workplace productivity trends sustainable |

While many employers are concerned about the skills gap in this country, there's another gap growing in today's workplace: a performance gap. According to a 2013 workplace survey, workplace performance has gone down 6 percent since 2008, due largely to a decrease in employee focus. Perhaps that's why some employers are taking some unconventional measures to increase workplace productivity and re-engage their teams. But are they sustainable? Behavior and Productivity Management

A new point of view with business leaders:

Targeting Adult Asthma Where It Hits Hardest |

Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx takes a comprehensive approach, combining lifestyle and medical advice, and has reduced emergency room visits and hospitalizations. There are 19 million adults in America with asthma, but the disease is not distributed evenly across the country.

Story Continues | Text & Video

Food Prices Surge As Drought Exacts A High Toll On Crops

Surging prices for food staples from coffee to meat to vegetables are driving up the cost of groceries in the U.S., pinching consumers and companies that are still grappling with a sluggish economic recovery. Read more:

In spite of American ingenuity the repairs to infrastructure, in the face of global climate change are barely sufficient.

A massive explosion tore through East Harlem in New York City, leveling two five-story buildings filled with apartments. Most people don’t even know when these pipelines need replacing, and there are no beautiful renderings of the result. According to a report by the Center for an Urban Future released just this week, “many critical components are past their useful life and highly susceptible to breaks and malfunctions.” It’s not until something terrible happens--like hurricanes or explosions--that basic repair projects to shore up infrastructure become a top priority. It’s not just a problem in Manhattan, New York. It’s a problem all over the country, and the world. Story Continues:

Why Facts Matter: Science Is Not an Opinion |
~Jeff Schweitzer [Scientist and former White House Senior Policy Analyst; Ph.D. in marine biology/neurophysiology]

Climate Change Denying Koch Brothers Are Deemed a Threat to National Security

It is generally expected and hoped that a country’s national security is not threatened by domestic traitors who deliberately jeopardize their homeland for monetary rewards. It hardly matters how powerful and efficient a nation’s military is when its mandate to defend the country is undermined from within the government due to the machinations of the country’s domestic enemies. One of the greatest assets protecting America’s national security is its intelligence community and military that spends a great deal of their time identifying and assessing threats to national security and evaluating terrorism threats at home and abroad. Recently, the Department of Defense identified a major threat to America’s national security and in doing so exposed domestic enemies intent on reinforcing the threat with millions of dollars for propaganda, blatant lies, and diversion.
The nation’s enemies are a familiar cult led by the Koch brothers who, with their foot soldiers in the Republican Party, teabagger movement, and evangelical Christians, are working in concert to enable terrorism and threaten America’s national security in the pursuit of power and money.
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50 State Plan For Renewable Energy

Stanford University scientist Mark Jacobson has developed a 50-state roadmap for transforming the United States from dependence on fossil fuels to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050. He unveiled the plan at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Chicago. “Drastic problems require drastic and immediate solutions,” said Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering. “Our new roadmap is designed to provide each state a first step toward a renewable future.” Hover over each state to see projected energy mix * CLICK HERE FOR THE INTERACTIVE MAP * Read More:

Preserving Company Benefits:

Regenerating and using reclaimed materials are key steps for preserving the benefits that companies receive from the natural world, such as clean water, healthy workers, and moderate weather.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry On Climate Change Peril

Secretary of State John Kerry delivered remarks on climate change to an audience of students in Jakarta, Indonesia. He accused climate change deniers of burying their heads in the sand. Continue Reading:

Supporting A Clean Energy Revolution

The polar vortex that made life dangerously cold for tens of millions of people in North America this month is the latest in a long list of extreme weather events that are becoming increasingly common. Twenty thirteen saw some of the most extreme weather in decades. Typhoon Haiyan, the most powerful storm on record ever to hit land, killed thousands of people and caused economic losses of billions of dollars in the Philippines. Australia had record heat waves, Brazil’s northeast suffered its worst drought in decades, southwest China experienced its heaviest rainfall in 50 years and flooding in Canada was the most expensive natural disaster in that country’s history. And this is only the tip of the (melting) iceberg. Read More:

Tesla sets EV speed record for cross-country trip. Model S coast-to-coast rides set new marks for overall speed and swift recharge.

Tesla has been conquering "range anxiety" by building its own network of fast-charge stations all over the United States. With 73 Supercharger stations now open in America (and 14 in Europe), Tesla has finally created a charging infrastructure that can let owners drive coast-to-coast.

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Asthma is the third ranking cause of hospitalization in young adults

Enjoy a collection of cartoons by New Yorker cartoon artist Danny Shanahan, along with helpful information about how to deal with asthma at college. Asthma is the third ranking cause of hospitalization in young adults and it accounts for approximately 500,000 hospitalizations a year.

Did you know that Aromatic Cedar deters roaches and reduces mold growth, two common known agents that help trigger asthma attacks?  Everyday Solutions for the breathlessness of asthma.

The Truth About Vitamin C and Cancer

Vitamin C has about a dozen functions that enhance your body’s natural immunity. At one level you can think of a cancer cell as a cell that’s lost information, or has low energy. It actually reverts to a primitive way of surviving with disregard for its neighbors. By increasing nutrient intake you are adding energy, or information, into the system to restore health.  

New research shows how complex plant compounds drawn from ancient practice (TCM: Traditional Chinese Medicine) kills cancer cells |

Traditional Chinese Medicine:

TCM | A number of mushrooms and fungi have also been shown in various studies to contain substances (mostly complex polysaccharides) that stimulate the body's immune system (particularly its T-cell lymphocytes, macrophages, and natural anti-cancer cells) to destroy cancerous cells, lessen the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and combat viral infections.      Read More:


Harnessing the Immune System to Fight Cancer
TCM: Traditional Chinese Medicine | Ji Xue Teng Qin Gao Pian\ Spatholobi Caulis | Increases white blood cell count in cancer patients. {Zhu, p. 103}

This blog or any printed matter that is generated as a result of this blog is not to be intended or in any way considered a substitute for the services of a medical professional.

Making Obsolescence Obsolete

Physics may be esoteric in conception, but this charmingly illustrated video gets us through a few hundred years of scientific discovery.
BBC Science Club - Physics from Asa Lucander on Vimeo.

Not just the Koch brothers: New study reveals funders behind the climate change denial effort |

New study exposes the organizational underpinnings and funding behind the powerful climate change countermovement and marks the first peer-reviewed, comprehensive analysis ever conducted of the sources of funding that maintain the denial effort.
"The climate change countermovement has had a real political and ecological impact on the failure of the world to act on the issue of global warming," said Brulle. "Like a play on Broadway, the countermovement has stars in the spotlight -- often prominent contrarian scientists or conservative politicians -- but behind the stars is an organizational structure of directors, script writers and producers, in the form of conservative foundations. If you want to understand what's driving this movement, you have to look at what's going on behind the scenes."
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Original Image [1938 x 1574]

Survival Guide For Climate Change Debates:

200,000 Moms | Clean Air Strong

Fighting For Our Kids' Health

Air-Purifier Bike

Some observers are calling it "the photosynthesis bike." The bike of interest has captured a lot of imaginations, press coverage, and even picked up an award in the 2013 Red Dot competition for design concept. Dubbed "Air Purifier Bike," from Bangkok-based Lightfog Creative and Design, the bicycle presents a next-level functionality to bicycles as environmentally sound vehicles—to the point where the rider not only uses a clean mode of transport but also helps to purify the air along with the ride. 

Read more at: 

Let Science Set the Facts

When it comes to handheld computers, smart phones and other electronic devices people don’t ever seem to question science when underlying something easily valued. We either take it for granted or celebrate science-based products like G.P.S., Global Positioning Systems, which guide drivers and pilots and allow heavy machinery or a farmer’s tractor to be operated with a precision that approaches ballet. And people are always eager to take advantage of the latest advances in medicine.

Science seems to be only questioned when people dislike the implications of scientific results. Story continues:

                                   

The light-harvesting states of photosynthesis are highly efficient in many species, and happen extremely fast |

Inspired by nature | Through billions of years of evolution, life on Earth has found intricate solutions to many of the problems scientists are currently grappling with. Physicists at the University of Cambridge's Cavendish Laboratory are trying to unravel nature's secrets to develop new energy-generating technologies for a more sustainable future. "The light-harvesting states of photosynthesis are highly efficient in many species, and happen extremely fast – within a nanosecond, if not picoseconds," said Chin. "We're very interested in that efficiency and how it's managed. Biology has evolved phenomenally subtle systems to funnel light energy around and channel it to the right places. It has also become incredibly good at building tiny devices that work with high efficiency, and at replicating them millions of times." Read More:

How algae may one day cure parkinson’s disease |

Ever see a green film form on a still pond? It happens because alga needs sunlight to complete the photosynthesis cycle, the process it uses to convert carbon dioxide and water into the sugar it "eats." It’s that drive to seek the light that makes Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a single-celled alga, a brain research superstar and the core of optogenetics technology--which uses light-sensitive proteins to study how neurons employ electrochemical signals to produce memories, thoughts, and behaviors. It is helping scientists research brain diseases and disorders such as Parkinson's, schizophrenia, depression, stroke, PTSD, addiction, some forms of blindness, and more:   Read More

It's Not Socialism .. Is It?

"It's been said that democracy is the worst form of government
except all the others that have been tried.” ~ Sir Winston Churchill 

Much the same can be said for capitalism, particularly the form of capitalism that has been practiced over the past 20 years.  However, the alternatives to capitalism have all been tried and all been found wanting -- some, like communism or socialism, catastrophically so.  So capitalism, with all its faults, is the only game in town. The task confronting the present generation of leaders is to improve on it, to build on its strengths and eradicate its weaknesses. The challenge is to hold on to the energy, enterprise and creativity that characterize capitalism at its best, while doing away with its destructive elements.
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If a picture is worth a thousand words..

you might say photographer Matt Hoyle's book of comedian portraits is worth thousands of laughs.

Story Continues:

You can buy the book on Amazon here.

"Comic Genius: Portraits Of Funny People" is Hoyle's epic new compendium featuring 200 pages of beautiful, 9 x 11 in. photos of comedians both legendary and of-the-moment. Hoyle worked closely with each of the comedians to capture their spirit with costumes, props and facial expressions unique to each one.

Even better, Hoyle will donate his net proceeds from the sale of the book to Save the Children.

Bike Share with a fresh design and energy |

~New York City

The bike helmet on her head said "Nutcase," and though this was merely the name of the Oregon company that made it, there was something wry and self-aware about Janette Sadik-Khan choosing to wear one on the streets of New York. You had to be a little unhinged and adventurous to have the big vision that Sadik-Khan, New York City's transportation commissioner, brought to this unruly madhouse of a city. Sadik-Khan expected resistance, but the tenor of anger surprised her, especially at its peak a couple of winters ago. She was grateful to the mayor for having her back. She was now philosophical about it. "I think most of the animosity was about fighting change," she said. "Challenge the status quo, and it will push right back."
 Since then Polls now showed strong public support for bike lanes and bike share—in Citi Bike's case, a 73% approval rating after four months of operation. Politicians who had once howled about bike lanes were now using the blue bikes as campaign vehicles. A city was evolving.
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3 Favorite Journeys on a Bike

For many cyclists, riding a bike is a kind of heaven. You’re simply a body breathing clean air and having very few thoughts. It’s just the wind in their faces, and the tranquillity and peace that they feel. With the advent of fall, three writers tell us about their favorite bike journeys, from a beloved route along rolling fields and Lake Champlain in Vermont and upstate New York to a ride in the wild green countryside of western Ireland and a night ride in Paris| Journeys Continue

7 ways to get lost in the joy of autumn |

Fall’s Most Amazing Corn Mazes |

The Adventure Continues:

6 Unforgettable Train Trips in the U.S

Train travel offers families so much more than merely an alternative to driving. The most memorable train trips deliver both fabulous scenery and a dose of Americana you just can’t appreciate through the windows of a car | Read More: Best Train Trips for Families|

First-ever real estate website designed to help high volume-inclined music-lovers |

If your college parties never received any noise complaints then there is a chance that you weren't doing college right. In any case, for some people, the inclination to blare music at deafening decibels doesn’t go away after earning a diploma. Read More:

Report Reveals Missed Opportunities to Save Water and Energy

Water and wastewater managers are missing substantial opportunities to save energy and money, according to a report published Wednesday (Sept. 4) by Water in the West, a research center at Stanford University. Story Continues:

Red Cedar Tree Study Shows That Clean Air Act Is Reducing Pollution, Improving Forests |

The research team -- which included Jesse Nippert, associate professor of biology -- spent four years studying centuries-old eastern red cedar trees, or Juniperus virginiana, in the Central Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia | Story Continues:

Despite the economy, young people today aren't totally turned off by work. They're actually excited about getting fulfillment from their careers--especially if they can help others. Read More:

Flavorless but enduring, dominant and unchallengeable, yet elementally enhancing the flavor of life |

Water is the most basic resource on the planet. Now consider it in its elemental form | Read More:

Star birth unveiled |

All the stars we see in the sky were born in star birth nurseries — giant clouds of gas and dust. These nebulae aren’t the brightest things in the sky, and to see most of them you need binoculars or a telescope. But, they’re worth searching out because they show us what our own sun might have looked like as it was being born, around 4.5 billion years ago. Story continues polycyclic aromatic nitrogen heterocycles| Life's Building Blocks 'Abundant in Space' Read More:

How improved farming benefits the Earth |

Some of the ways to become a happier person that are actually backed up by science |

You might have seen some talk recently about the scientific 7 minute workout mentioned in The New York Times. So if you thought exercise was something you didn’t have time for, maybe you can fit it in after all.

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What would happen if the heights of New York's buildings corresponded to the net worth of the people inside them?

Re-envisioning The Manhattan Skyline To Reflect The City's Jarring Income Inequality |

Manhattan has one of the worst income gaps of any city--or country--in the world, often separated by just a few blocks. These striking graphics make that inequality apparent in the height of the city's buildings. Read More

Mapping The Climate Change Deniers Making Our Laws |

                                                                                       This map shows where climate-denying legislators come from--and how many weather-related disasters their states have faced in the past few years.
In a post-fact era, you can be an elected official and have a remarkably flexible relationship with the truth. Take climate science: more than 97% of scientists agree that climate change is a man-made phenomenon, but conservative politicians--and more than 65% of Republicans in Congress--outdo one another to demonstrate just how little they believe in science.
While that’s not exactly news, a new project by the site Think Progress aims to put the spotlight on just who climate change deniers are and where they come from, with a map of the U.S. showing the number of climate-denying legislators per state. Read More:

Healthier Airways

The term toxic mold is sometimes used to refer to mold-related indoor air quality and health problems, such as bronchitis, asthma, coughing, wheezing and other respiratory symptoms. Exposure to significant quantities of mold spores can cause serious health issues. Read More

Entrepreneurs are forward, nervy and unquestionably.. fresh!

Entrepreneurs are replenishers. They revitalize, revive, reinvigorate, rejuvenate, revivify and stimulate repeat business! ~ Why replenish the economy? We replenish our cell phones regularly and in fact most would probably feel inefficient without them. Entrepreneurs not only create new job positions but repeatedly cultivate fresh new markets.

Entrepreneur Magazine editor-in-chief Amy Cosper |

Clinton Global Initiative Aims to Boost U.S. Economy Through Entrepreneurship
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Sudden Allergies | When a Summer Cold Is Much More

The most common allergy triggers during the summer months are grass pollens and mold spores. In fact, mold can be more bothersome than pollen. Mold spores are everywhere and commonly outnumber pollen grains in the air even when the pollen season is at its worst. At home, the mold can be easily seen on the walls, ceilings, clothing, furniture, carpets, food and other places, if it is present. It can also flourish on equipment that we use everyday, like air conditioners. Read More |

Aromatix Fresh Cedar products reduce risk of Health Hazards |

Almost every U.S. home has at least a little mold, but roughly 47% of homes have more substantial mold or dampness, says William Fisk, senior scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, who has researched mold for more than 10 years. People who are exposed to mold are 30% to 50% more at risk of asthma, coughing and wheezing, he adds. Mold exposure also has been associated with other health problems, such as bronchitis and respiratory infections. Story continues

Protecting Your Home From Theft & Health Hazards |

A free site that provides tools and tips to homeowners to help them save money, get organized and keep their homes in great shape. | Continue Reading

Early Colonial Architecture
17th Century   

Spring Time | Time To Be Efficient

Spring Efficiency | It’s the equivalent of clearing out the winter cobwebs once and for all.

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Giving Children Computers | Does It Help Them In School:

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What we depend on to sustain our quality of life ..

ScienceDaily (June 6, 2012) — Keeping the Earth, our life support system, in terms of supporting humanity: Continue Reading:
Loss of biodiversity increasingly threatens human well-being [Research] Continues:
Yale study concludes public apathy over climate change unrelated to science literacy: Read More:

How Tribalism Makes a Risky Word Even More Dangerous |
Our instinctive need for social cohesion easily overwhelms morality and reason.
This fact is often cited as evidence that tribal peoples saw only the members of
their own tribe as "people," and denigrated all others as something less. In fact,
this is a tenuous conclusion to draw from the evidence. Many languages refined 
their identification as "the true people," or "the real people," dehumanizing the other
people or simply considering them inferior. The more driven we are to circle the wagons in 
pursuit of the safety of social cohesion, the more we abandon reason, intellect 
and evidence-based analysis, the more closed our minds become.
Continue Reading:

The Polarizing Impact of Science Literacy and Numeracy on Perceived Climate Change Risks|
Kahan’s paper reinforces several current bodies of research that try to understand human cognition more holistically. First, it supports Kahan’s own work on Cultural Cognition theory, which finds that though we employ facts as weapons in our battles over issues and ideas, the real war is about tribal identity and cohesion | Continue Reading:

Jeff Schweitzer ~Scientist and former White House Senior Policy Analyst; Ph.D. in marine biology/neurophysiology

Why Facts Matter: Science Is Not an Opinion | Faith and Reason: We have come to this tragic conclusion about our future because fact and opinion today are considered of equal validity. But how did we arrive here? Why did this happen? How did two plus two equals four become liberal conjecture? Why do we dispute the obvious? Because our society has been infected with the deadly disease of faith-based reasoning.

Clean energy is a selling point

"This is the beginning of a new chapter in the industrial life of Iceland," Foreign Minister Ossur Skarphedinsson said. "The greatest advantage in the future will be green, renewable energy with no carbon."

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Energy Future lacks staying power:

If we do not aggressively change direction by 2020, it will be too late and we will be taken, by default, down the fossil fuel path. Sure, we have lots and lots of fossil fuel, enough to cover our needs for the next 500 years. Or do we? We geologists know that the concept of peak oil and peak gas referred only to conventional fossil fuel with standard methods of extraction. Peak is now irrelevant in the face of huge reservoirs of the so-called “unconventionals”, i.e., tar sands, gas shales and heavy oils, with the concomitant new methods of extraction to recover them including dangerous solvent injection and hydrofracking. We cannot ignore the horrendous environmental and health costs of a fossil fuel-dominated future because these costs are real and someone has to pay them. These very dirty “unconventionals” will not peak until far into the future, well past the next major global demographic and environmental tipping points that will alter our future beyond recognition.

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Green growth is not just for rich nations: World Bank

The World Bank urged global governments Thursday to heed the environment when pursuing prosperity, rejecting what it called a myth that green growth is a luxury most countries cannot afford.

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A handful of large-diameter trees per acre, such as these incense cedars are forest champs:

A few towering incense cedars, white fir & sugar pine are disproportionately responsible for photosynthesis, converting carbon dioxide into plant tissue and sequestering that carbon in the forest, sometimes for centuries, according to James Lutz, a University of Washington research scientist in environmental and forest sciences.
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Focus on self-improvement, rather than winning, benefits young athletes:

The principle is competing against yourself. It's about self improvement, about being better than you were the day before.

-Steve Young

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Solar water heaters use 1/3 energy, Progress Energy study finds:

Progress Energy customers saved an average of $235 a year by switching to solar thermal water heater, representing an average annual savings of 63 percent on the water heater portion of their power bill.

L.A. Moves Closer to Banning Single-Use Plastic and Paper Bags

The Board of Public Works votes unanimously to urge the mayor and city council to adopt a citywide ordinance banning single-use carryout bags. Story continues:

Plants, algae and cyanobacteria alter our planet in a way that only life can. They use photosynthesis to completely change the composition of the Earth's atmosphere.

Photosynthesis Re-Genesis I Aromatix 2007

Photosynthesis Re-Genesis II Aromatix 2007
Photosynthesis maintains Earth's habitability for life as we know it, and shapes the way we search for habitable worlds around distant stars. Scientists have discovered a microbe that can use low-energy light to perform photosynthesis. This discovery could alter theories about the types of stars that could support Earth-like worlds. Everyone knows that we as humans literally owe the air we breathe to the greenery around us. As school children we learned that plants (as well as algae and cyanobacteria) perform the all-important biological 'magic trick' known as photosynthesis, which helps generate the atmospheric oxygen we take in with every breath.

Without photosynthesis or oxygen, basically all recognizable life that we see in our landscape would be gone|

New way to store light could prove useful for optical communication:

Due to its high data carrying capacity and low loss, light can serve as an ideal information carrier. However, due to the high speed at which it travels, light is difficult to store. Because the ability to store light is important for optical networks as well as long-distance quantum communication networks, researchers have been investigating various light storage techniques. While previous studies have demonstrated that light can be stored as acoustic excitations, spin excitations, and atomic excitations, scientists have now added storing light as mechanical excitations to this list.

The team of physicists, who are from the University of Oregon and the University of California-Merced, have published their study on storing optical information as mechanical excitations in a recent issue of Physical Review Letters. Read More:

World's forests' role in carbon storage immense, profound:

Until now, scientists were uncertain about how much and where in the world terrestrial carbon is being stored. In the July 14 issue of Science Express, scientists report that, between 1990 and 2007, the world's forests stored about 2.4 gigatons of carbon per year. Story continues

Climate deniers & illusion of debate

The so-called “debate” on climate change has been over for decades in the peer-reviewed literature. It is time to accept the scientific consensus and move on, and to stop giving air-time to the cranks.

It is time for accountability.

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Reclaimed labrador gives back:

Owner Teaches Dog to Recycle Human Trash