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The icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnicov in pack ice off Canada Photo: Daisy Gilardini
Even though the horrors of global warming and climate change have been kept in the forefront of people’s minds for the past several years, nothing speaks louder than money. The following is the story of vultures, greed and the cashing-in on a dying ecosystem.
As the Arctic ice retreats, surrounding countries are waiting with the patience only vultures can muster to be the first to rob the Arctic of her natural subterranean treasures. The US Geological Survey estimates that 13% of world’s undiscovered oil; 30% of the world’s undiscovered natural gas; and, precious metals including iron ore, gold, zinc and nickel lie beneath the Arctic tundra.
The weakening of the tundra year by year exposes more and more of the Arctic’s coast to the onslaught of the freezing, unthawing, and refreezing cycles of the cold, merciless Arctic Ocean allowing a little more the Arctic to wash out to sea.
However, this also makes the coveted oil, gas and precious metals more accessible to those who would plunder this unique ecosystem.
As if this wasn’t enough to fight over, the prospect of a new shortcut between Europe and Asia has driven all countries into new frenzies. The prospect of the financial gains this plum could generate is enough to put the countries at each others’ throats.
Not only can the new shortcut slash journey times by as much as one-third causing significant savings in itself; but, with the decrease in ice mass, the passage stays open for a longer period allowing even more sailings per year.
The ice mass has already decreased to such an extent that two German ships have successfully completed their journey from South Korea to Bremen without an icebreaker escort.
Hungry eyes have now become fixated on Canada’s Northwest Passage believing it could be utilized instead of the Suez and/or Panama canals.
The posturing, haggling, wheeling-dealing and political rhetoric has begun. Last year, Russia sent a submarine to plant its flag beneath the North Pole. When spring comes Russia plans to follow up this move by dropping paratroopers there. Quite the statement!
The latest findings from the National Snow and Ice Data Centre at the University of Colorado have shown that the ice levels now stand well below their long-term average: this summer’s total of 1.97 million sq. mi. is nearly one-third less than the average figure for 1979-2000 despite some minor fluctuations. The data was gathered using remote sensing data from NASA satellites.
While there is talk about an “ice-free” passage, in actuality the passage will only remain ice-free longer during the summer season – it will not remain ice-free year round. If the ice were to melt as some would like the effects would be completely unpredictable. No two areas would be affected by climate change in the same way.
This is borne out by the observations of sailors who have been observing conditions along the Russian coast since the 1930s. Their findings have shown that, while ice in the Kara and Chukchi seas is marginally thicker; there are other areas, including parts of the Laptev and East Siberian seas, where it has become more brittle.
While the insurers of the ice-strengthened vessels tear each other to pieces trying to determine how to set rates when the ice coverage fluctuates dramatically from year to year, there are environmental issues that will probably be overlooked until the problem has hit critical mass.
As the ice melts, the possibility exists that it will start to float more freely creating potentially very hazardous operating conditions for ships – especially during spring and summer. The ice packs polar bears, walrus, and other marine mammals depend on for survival will continue to get smaller; float further and further out of their reach; and, be available to them for shorter and shorter periods of time each year.
Longer ice-free seasons may also cause undue coastal erosion. This would make the building of any infrastructures very difficult (if not impossible). The harbours, terminals and depots needed to support both ships and mining operations may end up having to be built in locations that are inconvenient; or, they may not be available at all.
In the true sense of misery loves company - the last piece of bad news offered here may be the worst of all.
The National Centre for Scientific Research in France has just forecast that 10% of the Arctic Ocean will be corrosively acidic by 2018. That’s less than one decade from now. This is within most of our lifetimes.
By 2050 it will have risen to 50% of the Arctic Ocean. That’s one-half on an entire ocean; and, still within the lifetime of some of us. I won’t live to see this; but, my children will.
By 2100, if anyone is still around, The National Centre for Scientific Research predicts the entire ocean will be unable to support shellfish. Once one part of the food chain becomes extinct, the effects ripple through the entire food chain.
But, I have to wonder how many of us will be left to care.
This article is reprinted from Cause2. I thought it was far too valuable to go without publishing for my readers. The original article was found in Caring.com.
The average general health article on pancreatic cancer states flatly that there are no early symptoms of pancreatic cancer. People diagnosed with pancreatic cancer are typically already in advanced stage of the disease by the time it’s caught, and the typical prognosis is death within five years.
With pancreatic cancer much on everyone’s mind due to the untimely death recently of Patrick Swayze, it seems like a good time to ask the question that’s on all of our minds: Are there any early warning signs of pancreatic cancer?
The answer is yes, there are. But to understand these signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer, it’s important to understand where the pancreas is, and what it does.
Located deep inside the abdomen, the pancreas is only 4 to 6 inches long and shaped like a tadpole. In the “tail” of the pancreas are cells that produce insulin, and tumors at this end are usually endocrine tumors. They are easier to diagnose, but are much rarer. At the other end, the “head” of the pancreas, are cells that produce digestive enzymes, and tumors at this end are called exocrine tumors. These are by far the most common, and are much more difficult to detect.
However, the idea that a pancreatic tumor is asymptomatic is a bit of a myth. Dig deep into journal articles and ask patients what they remember and the result is a long list of odd signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer to watch out for.
Taken one by one, these symptoms could mean many things. But if you find yourself experiencing two or three of these early warning signs of pancreatic cancer, call your doctor and ask for a scan. Imaging techniques such as MRIs can in fact detect pancreatic cancer some of the time, depending on the location of the tumor.
Early warning signs of pancreatic cancer:
Diabetes, especially if it comes on suddenly. Recently, the Mayo Clinic published startling research showing that 40 percent of pancreatic cancer patients had been diagnosed with diabetes one to two years before discovering they had a pancreatic tumor. Researchers believe the diabetes is caused by tumors that simply haven’t been detected yet. The problem is, diabetes is very common, and the majority of diabetes isn’t pancreatic cancer, so doctors are trying to develop screening tools to tell the difference. Right now, they say family history is an important clue. If you’re diagnosed with diabetes that seems to come on suddenly and you have no family history of diabetes, bring this to your doctor’s attention and ask for further screening for pancreatic cancer.
Yellowing of the eyes or skin. Even a small pancreatic tumor can block the bile duct in the head of the pancreas, causing bile to build up. This causes jaundice.
Itchy skin, palms, and soles of feet. A little-known side-effect of jaundice is itchy hands and feet. It’s due to a skin reaction to the bilirubin, the yellowish brown liver chemical that causes jaundice.
Lack of appetite. An Italian study found that six to eight months before being diagnosed with pancreatic tumors, patients reported a sudden drop in their appetite and a tendency to feel full after eating very little. Changes in taste. In the same Italian study, some of the patients surveyed said they’d suddenly lost their taste for coffee, wine, and smoking. In fact, they said, they felt “disgust” for the smell and taste of coffee and alcohol.
Abdominal pain. Pancreatic cancer sufferers remember this pain as a gnawing pain, rather than a sharp cramp or ache, and it radiates toward the back. A characteristic clue: the pain goes away when you lean forward.
An enlarged gall bladder. The same blockage of the bile duct that causes jaundice can also cause an enlarged gallbladder, as the bile builds up behind the duct. The good news is that an enlarged gallbladder can be seen on imaging tests, and it may even be possible for a doctor to feel it during a physical exam.
Pale, floating, smelly stools. If a pancreatic tumor prevents digestive enzymes from reaching the intestine, the result is an inability to digest fatty foods. So you end up with loose, smelly “floaters” as a result of the excess fat. Doctors say this symptom, in particular, can be an early clue and is too often overlooked.
Dark, tarry stools. Bleeding in the upper intestines causes this symptom. Sudden, unexplained weight loss.
Weight loss is not always, as many people mistakenly believe, a sign of advanced cancer that’s spread to the liver. It can also happen because a lack of pancreatic enzymes is causing fat to pass through the body undigested.
If you’re worried you might have pancreatic cancer, document all symptoms, and report them to your doctor in as much detail as possible. If your doctor’s convinced you have legitimate concerns (and remember, you may have to do some convincing) tests such as an ultrasound, a CT scan, and an endoscopy followed by a biopsy can be used to search for a pancreatic tumor. There’s also a blood test for a biomarker called CA-19-9 that can be used in conjunction with other tests to diagnose pancreatic cancer early.
While tragic early deaths like Patrick Swayze’s and that of “The Last Lecture’s” Randy Pausch are the hard reality of pancreatic cancer, there are also people living productive lives thanks to an early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Such was the case with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who’s still practicing after having a tiny pancreatic tumor surgically removed. Yes, she got “lucky,” as she put it — but she also got a CT scan, which is how the tumor was found.
Odorrana tormota is one of only two frog species known to have a concave ear. Researchers believe that its unusual ear structure and high-pitched calls are an evolutionary adaptation to a noisy environment. Photo courtesy of Albert S. Feng, University of Illinois.
Last frog blog for awhile. This was just so interesting that I HAD to post it even though there have been a few frog blogs lately. Scientists have discovered a frog that has developed the art of selective hearing just like some humans have.
A rare Chinese frog has been found to have the unusual ability to shift its hearing from one frequency to another the better to selectively choose what it hears.
The frog, Odorrana tormota, is the only known animal in the world to be able to manipulate its hearing system to select particular frequencies with the exception of the human animal. According to scientists; however, we run a very poor second in a race of two. Our hearing system is very slow when compared with that of the frog; and, our ability to tune in or out with precision is also inferior to that of the frog. We definitely ended up being #2 in this race. Or from a different point of view - dead last.
The rare amphibian likely evolved its hearing talent out of necessity, since its environment is so noisy.
"Their calling sites are on the steep banks of a fast-flowing body of water -- the Tao Hua Creek (at Huangshan Hot Springs in central China)," Albert Feng told Discovery News.
Feng, a professor of molecular and integrative physiology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, added that the site is particularly noisy after spring showers while pointing out that humans have a similar inability to hear well over heavy rains.
"We pretty much have to shout at one another," he said.
The frog doesn't shout, but it instead sings like a bird either in audible chirp-like frequencies or by emitting very high-pitched ultrasonic sounds. This is the first time a frog has been known to sing in rising and falling harmonies - all other known frog calls go up or down.
Feng and his team were curious as to how this amphibian could hear these different vocalizations. They decided to analyze the frogs’ hearing system which was made much easier than expected since it was discovered that the frogs’ ears are completely transparent. Talk about a natural window!
Using a laser to measure the eardrum’s vibration, the team noticed that the eardrum responded to both audible and ultrasonic sounds. Interestingly, the eardrum’s sensitivity to ultrasonic noise sometimes mysteriously disappeared.
Discovery News tells us:
“Further investigation determined the frog actively opens and closes two narrow channels known as the Eustachian tubes, which connect the pharynx (part of the neck and throat) to the left and right middle ears. When open, the tubes couple the frog's left and right ears, making them sensitive to audible sounds from all directions. When closed, their ability to pick up ultrasonic frequencies kicks in.
"We said, 'Woah! This is bizarre!'" Feng recalled. "In all textbooks on sound communication and hearing in frogs, it is plainly stated that the Eustachian tubes are permanently open!"
This frog also possesses recessed ears instead of ones located on the body’s surface which may give it its ability to localize sound with amazing precision. When a wooing female starts to sing, male frogs have been recorded leaping directly in her direction with over 99% accuracy. They miss the mark less than 1% of the time. This level of accuracy has never been recorded in any other species of frog.
"On the one hand, I am surprised that any frog can open and close the Eustachian tubes," Carl Gerhardt, professor of biological sciences at the University of Missouri, told Discovery News.
"But on the other hand, I am not too surprised that this frog does it because it is also the first to be shown to have ultrasonic hearing and calls with ultrasonic components."
Discovery News also tells us:
“The frog's unique hearing system is already being used as a model for "intelligent" hearing aids that can spatially separate sounds, process them the way that human brains do, and boost sound signals of interest, such as differentiating background noise from that of a desired conversation.”
Approximately three weeks ago, I wrote about a similar fungus that was threatening the frogs of Prince Edward Island, Canada.
It now appears that a fungus is threatening the frogs of the rainforest. Since many of the frogs that are being threatened are present in only one or two populations, once they have become extinct in that area there is no other population to take from for relocation and/or captive breeding programs.
Frog lovers the world over need to make their voices heard. I will have contact info at the end of the blog.
Hemiphractus fasciatus. It carries its eggs on its back. Photo: Roberto Brenes, via Discovery News
A fungus that appears to prefer the rarest species of frog has emerged in the rainforests of Central America. This fungus seems to be deadlier for rare frogs than common ones. This is leading to a homogenization of the local ecosystem causing changes in the local food chain; harming eco-tourism in Central America; and, hindering medical science.
Amphibians — of which frogs make up the majority — are a vital part of the food chain, eating insects that other animals don't touch and connecting the world of aquatic animals to land dwellers. Without amphibians, the insects that would go unchecked would threaten public health and food supplies.
Amphibians also serve important biomedical purposes. Some species produce a chemical used as a pain reliever for humans; one species is linked to a chemical that disables the virus that causes AIDS.
"This frog species, Hylomantis lemur, was a reasonably widespread species, originally present at five study sites. After the fungus passed through the region, it could no longer be found at any site." Photo: Roberto Brenes, via Discovery News
"Everyone knew that amphibian declines were really bad," said ecologist Kevin Smith, of Washington University in St. Louis. "But it looks like its worse than we actually thought."
Smith and colleagues looked for patterns of extinction in frogs from eight rainforest sites around Costa Rica and Panama. They compiled several years’ worth of data from previous studies, in which scientists had painstakingly surveyed frog diversity both before and after the arrival of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd).
Bd has swept through amphibian populations globally in the last decade, often decimating populations. In Central America, Smith said, infections can wipe out half of the species at a given site.
The chytrid fungus coats the frog's skin and makes its pores non-functional. Because a frog relies on its porous skin for hydration and for some of its respiration, the fungus essentially cuts off its water supply and makes it difficult to breathe. In the end, the frog dies from dehydration.
It is not yet clear why the rare frogs are succumbing more frequently than the more common varieties; however, as they disappear so do the roles they fill in the ecosystem.
Tom Rooney, an ecologist at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, says that the loss of variety makes it increasingly hard for the species left behind to deal with further environmental damage.
"If you're thinking globally, studies like this are telling us that losing rare species is not a local phenomenon," Rooney said. "If they are disappearing locally, there's a good chance they're disappearing regionally, and local efforts can be even more important."
A CBCtv video discussing the danger the frogs of the world are in:
Sir David Attenborough discusses why frogs and amphibians are so important to any ecosystem.
The cooler weather is here; and, my stomach and lungs need the added boost my ginger tea gives me. As I sit here, blowing my nose and feeling incredibly sorry for myself, I have a pot of tea brewing behind me in the kitchen.
Many years ago, I developed a case of bronchitis so severe my chest became a little weaker and my ability to pick up every case of cold, flu, etc. that came around improved. This tea also aids anyone with a sensitive stomach - it calms nausea and aid digestion.
My recipe for ginger tea is slightly different than others and there are no strict guidelines on ingredient amounts. If you love the peppery taste of turmeric - add a little more; or, if one of the ingredients is not your favourite - use less or leave it out altogether. I have laid the amounts I use out beside the Chinese herb pot I make mine in; but, any saucepan or container will work. From right to left: fresh ginger, lemon grass, turmeric.
To cold water add thinly sliced ginger, thinly sliced turmeric, and roughly chopped lemon grass. I don't peel my ingredients (many nutrients are under the skin), I just wash them thoroughly before adding. Slice the lemon grass in half lengthwise and check the inside for dirt before chopping. Bring water up to boil, turn down heat and simmer for at least 15 minutes. This extracts every drop of goodness and flavour.
Since I don't peel my ingredients, I strain the liquid as I pour it into my cup because some of the skin will boil off and float in the tea.
The tea is tasty as is; but, if you like, you can add honey, brown sugar, or the sweetener of your choice. Drink the tea as often as you like - three times a day is recommended. An added advantage of simmering the tea is that as your tea simmers some of the goodness infiltrates the air and aids with every breath.
The benefits of ginger are:
Ginger is known worldwide for it effects on digestive ailments. It helps break down proteins and helps digest fatty foods; reduces gas; relieves nausea; and, treats morning sickness and motion sickness.
This rhizome reduces inflammation so it can be of benefit for arthritis, ulcerative colitis or any other inflammation-related disease. Studies show that it has been effective in inhibiting the replication of the herpes simplex virus.
Ginger is a warming herb, it knocks out a fever; stimulates circulation; relaxes the muscles around the blood vessels lowering the risk of blood clots; is a natural decongestant; and, an antihistamine.
Recent studies show that ginger might also have a role in lowering LDL cholesterol because the spice can help reduce the amount of cholesterol that is absorbed. It has also been shown in animal trials to help slow or even prevent cancerous tumor growth.
The healing properties come from it’s volatile oils, gingerols and shogaols, which are also responsible for it’s pungent taste. The oils cause more digestive enzymes to be produced which helps with the whole digestion process and neutralizes the acids that can cause nausea, cramps and even diarrhea.
The benefits of turmeric are:
Turmeric is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent. It is useful in disinfecting cuts and burns; speeds up wound healing; assists in remodeling of damaged skin; and, aids in the treatment of psoriasis or other skin inflammation problems.
Turmeric holds amazing promise in the fight against cancer. When combined with cauliflower it has been shown to prevent prostrate cancer and stop the growth of existing prostate cancer; prevents breast cancer from spreading to the lungs in mice; may prevent melanoma and cause existing melanoma cells to commit suicide; reduces the risk of childhood leukemia; may prevent metastases from occurring in many different kinds of cancer; natural anti-infammatory; shows promise in slowing the progression of multiple sclerosis in mice; a natural painkiller and cox-2 inhibitor; appears to aid pancreatic cancer and multiple myeloma; and, stops the growth of new blood vessels in tumors.
It is also a natural liver detoxifier; may prevent and slow the progression of Alzheimer's by removing amyloyd plaque buildup in the brain; natural treatment for arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis; and, may aid in fat metabolism and weight loss.
The Chinese have used it for ages as a natural remedy for depression.
The benefits of lemon grass are:
Lemon grass or citronella is known for its calming effect that acts as a sedative for the central nervous system relieving insomnia, anxiety or stress.
It is an antibacterial/antifungal; helps improve the skin by reducing acne and pimples; relieves arthritic pain and rheumatism; helps relieve flatulence and colic; and reduces fevers, agues, and colds.
Citronella helps to detoxify the liver, pancreas, kidney, bladder and the digestive tract; helps to boost the immune system; may help to prevent cancer; helps reduce uric acid, cholesterol, and excess fats; reduces blood pressure and improves blood circulation; and helps alleviate indigestion and gastroenteritis.
It also helps tone your muscles and tissues; helps with menstrual problems; and helps reduce cellulite.
Citronella is also an active ingredient in many insect repellents.
Wow!! What great benefits from one simple tea. Brew a pot, strain, and enjoy!
I'm fortunate to have several passions in my life. I am absolutely an eco-nut. I am always trying to find new ways to reduce, reuse, recycle. We, as a species, have done more harm to this planet in the short time we have been here, than any other catastrophe or happening ever has. It's up to us to fix it.
I care about the environment whether it is as small as a single cell or as large as the universe.
I adore creativity and think we can all do more with much less. This earth has enough resources for us all to live comfortably if we all learn to share. Wasn't that a lesson we were supposed to learn in kindergarten?
I also love the bizarre, unusual, the weird and the strange. Be prepared for the odd "different" blog.
The icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnicov in pack ice off Canada Photo: Daisy Gilardini 
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