Thursday, April 12, 2007

Climate Change

Climate change is both a development and environmental issue. A global consensus is emerging that climate change is an issue that cannot wait and needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.

Today there is a double challenge: how to reduce damaging carbon emissions and still meet the energy demands of the world's poor. The World Bank focuses on the additional economic and social opportunities that a low carbon path creates.

Countries trying to escape from poverty should not be penalized for the consequences of fossil fuel dependent growth patterns in the rich countries. Their development aspirations should be at the center.

A global regulatory framework, which would provide the necessary financial flows to developing countries, is needed. This framework should match the long-term need for energy for development with the necessary technical innovation and financial incentives to move consistently towards a low carbon economy.

The Poor Are Disproportionately Affected

Developing countries are more vulnerable to climate change than rich countries, with poor people being the most at risk from the increased impacts of volatility in weather patterns (i.e., floods and droughts). Human-induced climate change is expected to negatively impact agricultural productivity throughout the tropics and sub-tropics, decrease water quantity and quality in most arid and semi-arid regions, increase the incidence of malaria, dengue and other vector borne diseases in the tropics and sub-tropics, and harm ecological systems and their biodiversity. In addition, the sea level rise associated with expected increases in temperature could displace tens of millions of people living in low-lying areas, such as the Ganges and the Nile deltas, and could threaten the very existence of small island states.

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Tuesday, April 03, 2007

The Effects of Solar Energy



Solar Energy

With all the talk regarding solar energy for many years its time has finally come. The gradual inevitable depletion of natural resources has made alternative sources an absolute must. It's now a matter of time and we'll determine the eventual new leader. Much expensive and resources is now being spent to find the best natural resource such as solar energy.

While many potential sources are possible, research into all the avenues will eventually surface with the most viable option for our use. Presently we are using a number of various resources to create heat, electricity and desalination of seawater. Renewable energy has the sun as it's primary source which is not depletable. approximately 30% of our energy resources come from the sun.

Most of our economic resources and time are spend developing our resources in the area's of wind power, water power, solar energy, biofuel, liquid biofuel, solid biomass and geothermal. Naturally these all have their pro's and cons. The biggest concern is pollution that comes directly the materials, industrial processes and construction equipment used to create them. The side effects can be pollution and waste that will impact our environment.

We also we need to consider other key issues of environmental impacts, aesthetics and habitat hazards, land usage, proximity to demand, availability, reliability, longevity along with energy input verses output. Other possibilities such as fossil fuels and nuclear power have their own positive and negatives and are not as viable. The resources for our use are many, the challenge is not if we have alternates to use but which ones and in what order.

The U.S. currently relies heavily on coal, oil, and natural gas for its energy. Fossil fuels are nonrenewable, that is, they draw on finite resources that will eventually dwindle, becoming too expensive or too environmentally-damaging to retrieve. In contrast, renewable energy resources � such as wind and solar energy � are constantly replenished and will never run out.

Renewable energy is important because of the benefits it provides. It is believed that the major element in the learning and discovery process definitely will be and is solar energy.

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Saturday, March 31, 2007

How to Stop Deforestation?

Deforestation has rapidly destroyed much of the planet's forests for years. One major challenge for governments and environmentalists alike would be how to stop deforestation so current environmental conditions would not come to worse.

In the past centuries, people have been naturally cutting down trees and burning down forests. Take note that hundreds of years ago, most of the earth's land surface had been covered by forests.

So to be able to construct residential areas and establish villages, people had to destroy some forests. As population grew through the years, there are much development that needs to be achieved.

Poverty and over population had rapidly caused alarms to governments around the world. People in the past decades had been troubled at how they could generate earnings to feed themselves and their children.

Agriculture once was the principal source of families' incomes. But people grew impatient. Until the middle of the 20th century, people had readily embraced industrialization, which was touted as the easy way out to poverty, employment and slow production.

Surely, development was spurred, jobs were created, new industries emerged. But something had to give in. In exchange to the fast budding of factories and different industries, forests were depleted.

Since the Industrialization revolution, the total forest covers of the earth has drastically lessened. Biodiversities were affected, and overall climate changes and environmental denudation were spurred.

It is now time to slow down or eliminate deforestation. Stopping deforestation would be easy if people would just cooperate with one another in that single initiative.

Stopping deforestation

Indeed, environmentalists and forestry advocates have been reminding people and governments to immediately act on the problem regarding continued deforestation practices all around the world.

Deforestation could be slowly stopped if people would be more environmentally conscious. That means, to accelerate efforts in stopping deforestation, initiatives have to be started by you.

As a suggestion, the significant contribution you could do is to help curtail the demand for products that are reliant on deforestation. It does not necessarily mean that you would boycott products.

It means that you could start by advocating and participating in recycling programs. Paper is made from barks of trees that are in turn, mostly coming from forests. Did you know that you could recycle paper?

There are industries that are focused at recycling paper. Old and used paper would just be processed and turned into new paper products. If the practice becomes wide-scaled, the number of trees that has to be cut down would be reduced.

Stopping deforestation practices

Governments around the world should also start implementing legislations that would effectively prevent the continued practice of deforestation. Sanctions should be given to violating parties. That way, there would be less people and companies that would engage in slash and burn practices.

Rain and dry forests should be protected by governments. They can be declared national properties, so no businesses can ever touch them. They can also be turned into national parks; thus, the overall state of these forests could be effectively preserved.

Reforestation

Reforestation is the opposite of deforestation. If deforestation can be considered wounding of nature, reforestation is the sought-after healing process. In reforestation, forests are replanted with trees. In years, the forests would be much alive again.

Since the practice of deforestation in some cases could not be avoided, it can be regulated so as not to create negative impact to the environment and to biodiversity.

Deforestation could be slowed down. To do this, trees could be cut at slower rates. For each cut tree, a new one should be replanted. By that, logging activities would not be entirely scrapped, and at the same time, forests are renewed.

People should also stop denuding mountains and forests so they could establish new villages or use the land for other purposes. There are special cropping techniques that would enable planting of crops within forests. The concept of intercropping is not very familiar, but would be of great help to anti-deforestation initiatives if taken seriously.

If people do not act immediately to curb deforestation for good, experts estimate that in 30 years time from now, the earth's surface would be left naked, without forests.

Catastrophic changes would be felt through harsh weather conditions, flash floods and landslides. The earth's geographic surface could also be altered due to adverse weathering caused by climate changes and the absence of natural soil protection.

Help stop deforestation now before it becomes too late.

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Wednesday, March 14, 2007

How To Play Piano Using Chord Symbols

Chord symbols (for example, Fm7, Cmaj7 or G6) are a type of notational system used frequently in wind and other countries of modern music to notate chord patterned advances and changes. This type of notational system differs from that of classical music in that chord symbols don't demo the mathematical function of a chord the manner the Roman number notational system does. Chord symbols, for modern music with tons of changes, are much easier to read. They work as a kind of stenography for change-heavy music and are written with four chord parts in mind: the root, the quality, the extension, and the alterations.

The first portion in chord symbols, the root, tells the instrumentalist which observe is the root of the chord. In an E6 chord, for instance, the Vitamin E functions as the root. Chord symbols also let for upside-down chords, or chords with a root other than the bass note. These chord symbols show that by showing the bass short letter with a diagonal slash under the original symbol.

Quality, the 2nd portion in chord symbols, denotes whether the chord is major, minor, diminished, or augmented. In a Cmaj7, the maj tells us that the Degree Centigrade chord is major. The abbreviations for this country in chord symbols are maj, min, dim, and aug, respectively.

The extension in chord symbols, written after the quality, demoes the instrumentalist if the chord differs from a three (a 3rd chord), such as as an eleventh or seventh. This portion of chord symbols is not always shown; if there is no indicant of an extension, the instrumentalist is to presume that the chord is a triad.

The last portion in chord symbols, the alteration, is usually but not always expressed. Think of this portion as the "notes" subdivision in chord symbols; it gives the instrumentalist any specific (and sometimes irregular) instruction manual for playing the chord and is always written in parentheses after the extension (or the quality, if no extension exists). For instance, (no fifth) would state the instrumentalist that the chord is to be played with the 5th tone of voice left out. Genus Sus – short for “suspension”, would intend to play the 4th scale of measurement short letter instead of the 3rd. A subtraction mark would intend to take down (flat) a chord tone, such as as C-9 which would intend to level the 9th of the chord. Conversely, a asset mark would intend to raise (sharp) a peculiar chord tone.

Reading music using chord symbols lets a individual to utilize written music as a map, rather than a note-for-note approach. By just reading the tune short letter and the chord symbols, instrumentalists can improvise to their Black Maria content and make their ain sounds on the keyboard.

The best of all worlds, however, is to be able to read music as it is written in a sheet music score, but also be able to read the chord symbols. Then the instrumentalist is free to take which is best – the written part, or an improvised part. The sky is the bounds for instrumentalists who can make both.

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Learning To Play The Piano With Chords

Learning piano chords can help you in all your piano playing. For me chords are the easiest way to play and the simplest way to embellish my playing.

If you have no illusions of grandeur and you just want to play your favorite tunes on the piano chords can get you there fast!

It would help if you also knew a little music theory like how your scales are made but once you get that down you can really go places with chords.

Chords, chords, chords.. I love them! And now when I'm playing some difficult piano piece I can actually look at my hands and see the chords I'm playing even though they are not notated that way on my music. Mostly now I think in terms of chords rather than individual notes.

I could reinvent the wheel here and give you the theory on creating scales and chords but there are plenty of free piano lesson sites on the internet that do a very good job of that. You might have a challenge in choosing the right one but if you would like to know specifically about chords I suggest you put that into your search also.

There is a whole world of chords out there and I encourage you to look into them. It can really excel and excite your playing.

Incidentally chording can also lead you to play by ear....stay tuned.

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Desire is the First Step

When a member of a species determines it wants something a thought is born, which triggers a desire and thus starts the brain into a cycle innovation and strategy. If it is hunger in a Bald Eagle it means flying over the river to catch a Salmon. If it is a tourist who is cold it means going in and buying a sweatshirt. This comes first and is the reason we must first discuss the flow of thought before we attempt to discuss any other issues in our society.

You see a species and this includes mankind will attempt to solve the problems or fulfill that which it desires. We cannot change that it is human nature. We must recognize this fact before we attempt to fix anything else in the World we live. We must make sure that we allow for the free flow of thought and of course the freedom of thought. We must value thought and not underestimate the desire instincts of our species. A penny for your thoughts, is a very good price, you should be buying, that is definitely a buyers market so take all you can get. Yet we do not. Different cultures feel different about the flow of thought. And even we are worried about the past freedoms, which were taken in other civilizations and have pondered what would happen with the thought police.

Recently we saw the movie “Minority Report” with Tom Cruise discussing such possibilities as the thought police. To this day people are concerned from writings of science fiction writers about the thought police concept and 1984 is mentioned each time we discuss the Department of Homeland Security; Big Brother syndrome and the fears it evokes are alive and well to this day. Such possibilities would in fact be the death of freedom, civilization and what we believe to be the proper direction of the human race. Desire is innate; suppression of innate desires is disastrous. Think about it.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Managing Success

You’ve struggled for old age to acquire your little concern off the ground. You planned, marketed, sold, schmoozed. You spent long hours with small rest. Then suddenly it comes: Success!

Do you have got a plan for success?

Success conveys with it another set of problems. Too much paperwork, too many client wanting merchandises and services quickly, too many prospective clients tugging at your sleeves. Never adequate time to sit down back and make a strategy or way for the future. But as your concern turns and you go successful, if you don’t have got a strategy for how to pull off success, you’ll lose all the impulse you’ve built.

Whether you’re already successful, or moving towards success, here are some tips for managing your success wisely:

1. Observe your success. Big or small, each success must be celebrated. It doesn’t substance if you shout out a small “Whoopie!” Oregon if you name your best friend to share the news. Just take time to observe each success which will assist construct the impulse for more than success to come.

2. Don’t choke. Choking is an emotional reaction to success. It’s A subconscious sabotaging of your success because you believe at some degree you don’t rate the success. Instead, express gratitude for each little success and acknowledge that the success came because YOU stepped into the arena, not because of luck.

3. Don’t go complacent. Just because you’ve had one little success doesn’t mean value you can sit down back on your laurels. (The same holds true if you just got that million dollar contract!) Stick to your program for growing and the dreaming of concern and life style you’ve always wanted. Take time to larn new things about your industry, or larn new concern accomplishments that volition take you into the future.

4. Learn from your success. Just like we’re all told to larn from our failure, take time out to larn from your successes. What did you make right that got you where you are today? Which pieces of the success brought you the most fulfilment and happiness?

5. Decide if you desire to remain at the present degree or turn your concern further. Once you’ve had a large success it’s time to make up one's mind if you’re finally at the degree where you’ve always wanted to be, or if there’s still another end you desire to travel after. Sometimes we just stack success upon success without realizing that we created the life we wanted 5 old age ago and the remainder have just been “busy work.”

6. Take stock of the balance between your personal life and your concern life. Often success come up with a batch of personal sacrifice. Take time now to see where your whole life might be out of balance and do a committedness to have got a whole, complete, successful LIFE, not just a successful business.

7. Choose only the existent chances that come up across your desk, and avoid the “good ideas” that won’t aid your maintain or turn your business. With a high degree of success, the terror that you’ll never have got adequate be givens to withdraw into the distance. Once this fearfulness subsides, you can take a expression at the offerings that come up to you and make up one's mind if they are a “true opportunity” that volition take you forward in your business, or just a “good idea” that doesn’t demand to be acted upon by you.

8. Share your success lessons with others. Take time to share your story with others so that they can larn from your successes and failures. Give back to the community and to the people who are just getting started as a manner to share your wisdom and belief about abundance.

9. Take a expression at how your business office runs. Are there any procedure that should change? Are there anything that tin be automated? Now is the time to set some energy into the administrative side of your concern so that it can go on to run smoothly into the future.

10. Make a new concern program and 5-year goal. What’s adjacent for you and your business? Are it time to turn some more? Travel in a different direction? Offer new merchandises and services to diversify your gross source? Stop merchandising merchandises and services that are underperforming?

11. Watch out for saboteurs. Some people in your life will not be happy about your success because they experience threatened or covetous of it. Pay attending to how people respond to your success and environ yourself with people who are truly happy for you and what you’re creating in your life.

Sometime handling success is harder than handling failure. By taking time to observe your success and pay attending to the lessons it offers, success can be more than deeply meaningful and fulfilling than you can ever expected.