WHAT IS GLOBAL WARMING?

Global Warming is defined as the increase of the average temperature on Earth. As the Earth is getting hotter, disasters like hurricanes, droughts and floods are getting more frequent.

Over the last 100 years, the average temperature of the air near the Earth’s surface has risen a little less than 1° Celsius. Does it not seem all that much? It is responsible for the conspicuous increase in storms, floods and raging forest fires we have seen in the last ten years, though, say scientists.

Their data show that an increase of one degree Celsius makes the Earth warmer now than it has been for at least a thousand years. Out of the 20 warmest years on record, 19 have occurred since 1980. The three hottest years ever observed have all occurred in the last ten years.

Earth should be in cool-down-period.

But it is not only about how much the Earth is warming, it is also about how fast it is warming. There have always been natural climate changes – Ice Ages and the warm intermediate times between them – but those evolved over periods of 50,000 to 100,000 years.

A temperature rise as fast as the one we have seen over the last 30 years has never happened before, as far as scientists can ascertain. Moreover, normally the Earth should now be in a cool-down-period, according to natural effects like solar cycles and volcano activity, not in a heating-up phase.

But it is not only about how much the Earth is warming, it is also about how fast it is warming. There have always been natural climate changes – Ice Ages and the warm intermediate times between them – but those evolved over periods of 50,000 to 100,000 years.

A temperature rise as fast as the one we have seen over the last 30 years has never happened before, as far as scientists can ascertain. Moreover, normally the Earth should now be in a cool-down-period, according to natural effects

like solar cycles and volcano activity, not in a heating-up phase..

What is more, climate change won’t be a smooth transition to a warmer world, warns the Tipping Points Report by Allianz and WWF. Twelve regions around the world will be especially affected by abrupt changes, among them the North Pole, the Amazon rainforest, and California..

All these facts lead scientists to infer that the global warming we now experience is not a natural occurrence and that it is not brought on by natural causes. Man is responsible, they say. What did we do? Read more about the man-made causes and impacts of global warming in our next articles..

(http://knowledge.allianz.com)

UNESCO TO THE RESCUE

In 1959, the government of Egypt was working on a plan to build a dam on the River Nile. It was called the Aswan Dam, and it was intended to generate electricity and allow the river water to be used for agriculture. There was one big problem with the plan, though. The dam would flood a nearby valley that contained ancient Egyptian treasures, including two enormous stone temples.

It can be difficult for governments to choose culture and history over economics. However, IF countries always made decisions like this, the majority of the world's ancient sites would end up being destroyed. Luckily, UNESCO stepped in. They formed a committee that tried to convince Egypt to protect its ancient treasures. With support from many countries, they were finally successful. The huge temples were carefully removed from their original site and moved to a safe

location so that the dam could be built.

UNESCO is an agency of the United      Nations. The United Nations is a partnership between countries from all over the world. They are joined to help promote world peace, enforce human rights, and help countries develop. UNESCO is a part of the United Nations that is concerned with science and culture.

After their success in saving the temples in Egypt, UNESCO went on to  save more sites around the world. They protected lagoons in Venice, ruins in Pakistan, and temples in Indonesia. With industrialization changing the world rapidly, there were many sites that needed to be saved. Eventually, UNESCO formed the World Heritage Organization to protect important natural and historic sites wherever it was necessary.

By now, the World Heritage Organization has protected hundreds of sites ranging from beautiful natural islands to buildings in large cities to ancient ruins. If you're able to visit any of the many protected sites, you'll agree it was worth it.

(www.englishdaily.com)

                                          RIO FAVELAS CRIME CLAMPDOWN

            Brazilian security forces occupied one of the biggest slums in Rio on Sunday. The operation was part of a major clampdown on organized crime ahead of the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.

            Authorities in Rio launched a fresh attack on organised crime by taking over the Mangueira slum close to the city's famous Maracana Stadium.

            Around 800 police and Special Forces occupied the slum without firing any shots. The vast majority of residents co-operated fully with the authorities; they want their community pacified and free of drug dealers.

            The police had pre-announced the raid, a strategy that gives criminals the chance to leave the area rather than being confronted in densely populated areas. Rio's authorities are making an effort to win the trust of those living in the slums who after decades of abuse have got used to seeing the police as their enemy.

            The Mangueira is the 18th slum in Rio to be reclaimed by the authorities. But there is still a lot to be done. With hundreds of slums known as "favelas" still in the hands of organised criminals, drug dealers have vast areas in which to hide and thrive.

                                                                       (BBC News – June, 2011)

                    PARALYSED MAN TAKES HOPEFUL FIRST STEPS

            A medical breakthrough has given hope to millions of people who are unable to walk. Doctors pioneered a special procedure that electrically stimulated the spine of ex-athlete Rob Summers. Mr Summers, 25, was paralysed below the chest in a hit-and-run car accident in 2006. Professor Susan Harkema, of the Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, gave the revolutionary treatment to “dead” nerves in Mr Summers’ spinal cords. He was able to move his legs and toes and take a few steps with the help of a walking frame. Dr Harkema said: “This is a breakthrough.

It opens a huge opportunity to improve the daily functioning of individuals but we have a long road ahead.” She said this is “going to have a major impact” on people with disabilities.

            The treatment is called epidural stimulation. It has taken over three decades of research to get to this stage. The process works when electrical signals go round the brain to tell the spinal cord what to do. The signals allow the limbs to function independently of the brain. Mr Summers said the treatment has been life-changing.

            “This procedure has completely changed my life. For someone who for four years was unable to even move a toe, to have the freedom and ability to stand on my own is the most amazing feeling,” he said. He added: “My sense of wellbeing has changed. My physique and muscle tone have improved greatly. Most people don’t even believe I’m paralysed.”

            Five other patients are also taking part in the trial.

                                                                       (breakingnewsenglish)

                   ONE BILLION PEOPLE DON´T HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT

     Around one billion people in the world don’t have enough healthy food to eat, according to a new report. The 2010 Global Hunger Index shows that child malnutrition is one of the biggest causes of lifelong ill health worldwide.

     Despite the number of undernourished people in the world falling between 1990 and 2006, recent years have seen that number creep up, with the data from 2009 showing more than one billion hungry people. The most recent figures from 2010 suggest the number may again be falling, but this data isn’t yet complete.

     Twenty nine countries, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, have levels of hunger described as alarming or extremely alarming. The global food price crisis and the worldwide recession have contributed to this rise, says the report. And it’s children under two who are most at risk. Malnourishment at this stage harms physical and development and its effects are mostly irreversible, causing life long damages.

     The authors argue that improving child nutrition would have the biggest effect on reducing global hunger. They estimate that child malnutrition could be cut by around a third by providing health care and nutrition, not only to young children, but also to mothers during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

     Reducing the numbers of hungry people will also significantly improve productivity and economic development.

                                                                                                          (BBC)

GOODBYE TO TYPERWRITERS

            The typewriter, rather than the computer, was responsible for creating the modern office. But now, the only company in the world that still makes and sells them says there are just 500 left, an no more are to be made.

 India is well-known for its legions of computer programmers, but the country also has another face as the last bastion of the typewriter. Manual typewriters stayed popular in India long after developed nations had entirely switched to the keyboard and mouse.

            As recently as the 1990s, the Mumbai plant of a company named Godrej Computers have largely replaced typewriters today. and Boyce was turning out 50,000 typewriters a year. They were popular in a nation where reliable electricity supplies - essential for computers - are still by no means guaranteed.

            But even in India, typewriter sales have slumped in the last ten years. Gradually, every manufacturer stopped making them, leaving only Godrej's Mumbai plant - an that switched to making fridges two years ago. And now the firm says it only has 500 typewriters left in stock.

            It's a far cry from the heyday of the 1950s, when India's then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru held up the humble typewriter as a symbol of the nation's independence an industrialisation.

            The first commercial typewriters were produced in the United States in the 1880s. The typewriter was the dominant office technology for more than a century until the computer came along.

                                                                                  (MARK GREGORY)

                                         A STUNNING SENIOR MOMENT

FOUND ON THE NET BY CÉCILE, BELGIUM

            A selff-important college freshman walking along the beach took it upon himself to explain to a senior citizen resting on the steps why it was impossible for the older generation to understand his generation.

            “You grew up in a different world, actually, an almost primitive one”, the student said loud enough for others to hear. “The young people of today grew up with with television, jet planes, spaces travel, man walking on the moon. We have nuclear energy, ships and cell phones, computers with light speed... and many more.”.

            After a brief silence, the senior citizen responded as follows:

            “You´re right son, we didn´t have those things when  we young  ... so we invented them. Now, you arrogant little sh*t what are you doing for the next generation?”

            The applause was amazing!

                                                                                  (www.hlmog.co.uk)