Regional Haze Health Effects...

…form regional haze pollution are acidic, and are transform further in the atmosphere then deposited to the earth in rain, fog and snow (generally called "acid rain"). Acid rain can result in increased acidity of lakes, rivers, and streams making them unsuitable for many fish, loons, other insect and fish-eating birds, as well as salamanders and frogs.

Fine particle pollution that contributes to regional haze can affect people's health. People most at risk include those with

Heart disease,

Lung disease,

Respiratory conditions (including asthma),

Diabetes,

Older adults and children

Fine particles are deposit deep into lungs where they can accumulate on the surface or absorbed by underlying tissue and enter the bloodstream. People with heart or lung diseases and respiratory conditions, such as coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, are at increased risk of serious effects, because particles can aggravate these diseases

In people with heart disease, particles have been link to heart attacks and cardiac arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythms). Recent evidence suggests that some of these cardiac effects may result from very short-term exposures, possibly as short as one hour.

People with diabetes may be at increased risk of serious effects from regional haze, possibly because of underlying cardiovascular disease.

Older adults are at increased risk from regional haze possibly because they may have undiagnosed heart or lung disease or diabetes.

Children are likely to be at risk from regional haze for a number of reasons. For example, they may be more vulnerable to fine particles because their lungs are still developing. In addition, children's breathing rates can be as much as twice as rapid as adults under resting condition can, and children tend to have far higher activity levels than adults on any given day, which will result in more particles being deposited in their developing lungs.

Long-term (years) exposure of healthy people to particles has been associated with reduced lung function and the development of chronic bronchitis.

People's chances of being affected by particles increase the longer they are active outdoors and the more strenuous their activity. This is because the harder we work or exercise, the more rapidly we breathe and greater concentrations of particles reach the deepest and most sensitive areas of the lungs.

People involved in an activity that requires heavy or prolonged exertion can reduce the time they spend on the activity or substitute another activity that requires less exertion, especially on days when particle pollution levels are elevated.

Even healthy people may experience temporary symptoms from exposure to elevated levels of particles. Symptoms may include irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, coughing, phlegm, chest tightness, and shortness of breath.

People with lung disease may not breathe as deeply or as vigorously as normal, and may experience respiratory symptoms including coughing, phlegm, chest discomfort, wheezing, shortness of breath, and unusual fatigue. These symptoms are an indication to reduce exposure and to follow the advice of their doctor.

People with heart disease can have serious effects, such as heart attacks, with no warning symptoms. If people with heart disease have symptoms such as chest pain or tightness, palpitations, shortness of breath, or unusual fatigue, these may indicate a serious problem and should follow the advice of their doctor.

Asthmatics should already have an asthma action plan that they routinely follow, but may need to follow it more carefully when particle levels are high. Think in deeply, what I have done…

Hormone pills may make lung cancer …

There's more troubling news about hormone therapy for menopause symptoms: Lung cancer seems more likely to prove fatal in women who are taking estrogen-progestin pills, a study suggests. Hormone users who developed lung cancer were more than twice as likely to die from the disease as women who weren't taking hormones. The new findings mean that smokers should stop taking hormones, and those who have not yet started hormones should give it careful thought. It's the latest finding from the Women's Health Initiative, a federal study that gave 16,608 women either Prempro or dummy pills. The study was stop in 2002 when researchers saw more breast cancers in those on Prempro, the estrogen-progestin pill made by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. They continue to follow what happens to women in the study.

The new analysis looked at non-small-cell lung cancer, by far the most common type. It found no big difference in the number of lung cancers that developed in hormone users after five years on the pills and more than two years of follow up.

However lung cancer proved fatal in 46 percent of hormone users who developed it versus 27 percent of those given dummy pills. Women who take hormones already are advised to use the lowest dose for the shortest time possible. Still, there have been only 106 lung cancer deaths in the study so far — too few to make sweeping conclusions about risk, and most women no longer use hormones the way they used to. In the federal study, women started on them at an average age of 63 and took them for more than five years. Now, the typical age of starting is 51 to 54, and average use is two years. The same risks may not apply with the new patterns of use. Researchers have not yet analyzed lung cancer risk in another part of the federal study that tested estrogen alone without progestin. Lung cancer is the world's top cancer killer.

Friendly to the environment.

Many forms of acid rain are seen around the world. In parts of the world where there is wet weather, there is acid rain, acid snow, and acid fog. In parts of the world where there is dry weather, there is acid gas and acid dust. All of the lakes and streams in the world are normally slightly acidic. Heavy rainstorms or melting snow can cause the acidity in lakes and in streams to increase.

Acid rain is very harmful to the environment. Acid rain damages everything over a period because it makes the living things in the environment die. Acid rain affects the life in the water as well as the life on land. It is almost worse in water than on land because the fish that are in the water need the water to breathe. When the water is polluted, then the fish get sick and end up dying.

Trees are also harmed by acid rain. The forests are believed to be dying because acid rain is harming them. Scientists say that acid rain damages the waxy outer coating that protects

When this happens, it allows the acid to seep into the tree. Instead of water changing from a liquid to a gas inside the leaves, gas is taking the place of the water. This prevents the plant from taking in carbon dioxide to perform photosynthesis, and the plant will eventually die.

This makes it harder for the trees to withstand the cold and will cause the tree to die. Acid rain also harms the soil that the trees are growing in by taking most of the valuable nutrients away from the soil. Acid rain also leaves a lot of aluminum in the soil, which can be harmful to the trees that grow there.

The atmosphere deposits many toxic metals into the forests because acid rain contains metal. Some of these metals are lead, zinc, copper, chromium, and aluminum. When there is acid rain, the rain releases these metals. This is believed to stunt the growth of many trees and plants. This also stunts the growth of mosses, algae, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and fungi that are needed to help the forest grow. Forests need these because they eat the harmful things that will kill the trees, such as bad bacteria. Acid rain hurts trees because they cannot grow any more.

This makes it harder for the trees to withstand the cold and will cause the tree to die. Acid rain also harms the soil that the trees are growing in by taking most of the valuable nutrients away from the soil. Acid rain also leaves a lot of aluminum in the soil, which can be harmful to the trees that grow there.

The atmosphere deposits many toxic metals into the forests because acid rain contains metal. Some of these metals are lead, zinc, copper, chromium, and aluminum. When there is acid rain, the rain releases these metals. This is believed to stunt the growth of many trees and plants. This also stunts the growth of mosses, algae, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and fungi that are needed to help the forest grow. Forests need these because they eat the harmful things that will kill the trees, such as bad bacteria. Acid rain hurts trees because they cannot grow any more.

Acid rain can also damage non-living things, such as buildings and statues. It can decay building materials and paints. Worst of all, it can damage non-replaceable buildings, statues, and sculptures that are part of our nation’s memories that we want to last for a very long time.

Acid rain hurts many things. Some things that are being hurt by acid rain are trees, animals, and most of all, sea life. People can help stop acid rain by not polluting the air. When the chemicals in the air turn into a gas and evaporate, they mix with the water vapor, and cause acid rain. Even kids can help prevent this pollution by using less electricity and using transportation that is friendly to the environment. What I’ve done…

6 Daily Habits That May Make You Sick

1. Using a Sponge

The dirtiest room in everybody's home is the kitchen. That's because we deal with dead animal carcasses on our countertops and in the sink. Raw meat can carry E. coli and among other viruses and bacteria.

Most people clean their countertops and table after a meal with the one tool found in almost all kitchens: the sponge. In addition to sopping up liquids and other messes, the kitchen sponge commonly carries E. coli and fecal bacteria, as well as many other microbes. It's the single dirtiest thing in your kitchen, along with a dishrag. Ironically, the more you attempt to clean your countertops with a sponge, the more germs you're spreading around. People leave [the sponge] growing and it becomes teaming with millions of bacteria, and that can make you sick and become a reservoir of other organisms that you cross-contaminate your countertops with, your refrigerator, and other appliances in the kitchen.

2. Vacuuming

Conventional vacuum cleaners are intended to pick up and retain big pieces of dirt, like the dust bunnies we see floating about on our floors. But it's the tiny dust particles that pass right through the porous vacuum bags and up into the air. So, while our floors may look cleaner after running a vacuum over them, plenty of dust, which can exacerbate allergies and asthma, remains.

Pet allergens and indoor dust, which contains the highest concentrations of hazardous materials like heavy metals, lead, pesticides, and other chemicals, are found in higher concentrations in the smallest particles of the dust. The everyday habit of cleaning with a conventional vacuum cleaner results in a burst of particles in the air and then they settle back down over the course of hours.

3. Sleeping with Pillows and a Mattress

The average person sheds about 1.5 million skin cells per hour and perspires one quart every day even while doing nothing. The skin cells accumulate in our pillows and mattresses and dust mites grow and settle.

If that's not gross enough for you, that a mattress doubles in weight every 10 years because of the accumulation of human hair, bodily secretions, animal hair and dander, fungal mold and spores, bacteria, chemicals, dust, lint, fibers, dust mites, insect parts, and a variety of particulates, including dust mite feces. After five years, 10% of the weight of a pillow is dust mites. This is what you're inhaling while you sleep.

4. Grilling Meat

So much for the summertime staple: Barbecuing meat creates the cancer-causing compounds polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heterocyclic amines (HCAs). When fat drips from the meat onto the hot grill, catches fire, and produces smoke, PAHs form. That's what's contained in that delicious-looking charred mark we all look for on our burger. HCAs form when meat is cooked at a high temperature, which can occur during an indoor cooking process as well.

5. Opening your Windows

When the weather turns nice, many of us throw open our windows to breath in the fresh spring air. But that may be an unhealthy move, considering the combination of seasonal allergies and poor air quality of many cities. 60% of human are breathing unhealthy air. And the pollution inside our homes may be worse than outdoors. The Environmental Protection Agency listed poor indoor air quality as the fourth largest environmental threat to our country. Bacteria, molds, mildew, tobacco smoke, viruses, animal dander, house dust mites, and pollen are among the most common household pollutants.

6. Sitting in front of the TV

Sitting in front of the television has become a national pastime and one of our least healthy behaviors, particularly because we often do it while snacking on food that is high in calories. Population qualifies as obese and one-third qualifies as overweight. A million are morbidly obese.

Normally we not paying sufficient attention to look closely around of environment, some of the simple unaware habits can attract a big consequence. What I've done...

Variety of life…

The variety of life on Earth, its biological diversity, is commonly referred to as biodiversity. The number of species of plants, animals, and microorganisms, the enormous diversity of genes in these species, the different ecosystems on the planet, such as deserts, rainforests and coral reefs are all part of a biologically diverse Earth. Appropriate conservation and sustainable development strategies attempt to recognize this as being integral to any approach. In some way or form, almost all cultures have recognized the importance of nature and its biological diversity for their societies and have therefore understood the need to maintain it. Yet, power, greed and politics have affected the precarious balance.

 

For example, a larger number of plant species means a greater variety of crops; greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms; and healthy ecosystems can better withstand and recover from a variety of disasters.

And so, while we dominate this planet, we still need to preserve the diversity in wildlife.

It is feared that human activity is causing massive extinctions. From various animal species, forests and the ecosystems that forests support, marine life. The costs associated with deteriorating or vanishing ecosystems will be high. However, sustainable development and consumption would help avert ecological problems.

 

One type of ecosystem that  is neglected more than any other, is perhaps also the richest in the coral reefs.

Coral reefs are useful to the environment and to people in a number of ways. However, all around the world, much of the world’s marine face threats from human and activities as well as natural. It is feared that very soon, many reefs could die off.

Rapid global warming can affect an ecosystems chance to adapt naturally. What have governments around the world been trying to do about it? Generally, how we give special care to our nature life for next generation. Ask deeply to our own self, what have I’ve done..?

Benefits of recycling..

What are the benefits of recycling?

We cannot sustain our consumerist lifestyle without getting inundated by garbage and exhausting the earth’s resources. The products that we use are wrapped in several layers of packaging material that are perfectly recyclable – plastic, aluminum, paper, tin, wood, etc. Solid waste disposal experts engage in an uphill struggle to contain this virtual avalanche of garbage we produce everyday. It is apparent that digging a hole, a landfill, is clearly not the answer. Sooner or later, the waste becomes uncontainable and will spill into our farming areas, forests, and water sources.

Here are 7 good reasons why we should recycle:

1. Financial Income - There is money in recycling. In the level of the individual, one of the benefits of recycling is financial income. There are a lot of things lying around the house that we no longer want or need that might just end up in a dumpsite somewhere, that we can recycle and earn money from. Cell phones, PDAs, ink cartridges, etc. Here at Pace Butler, for instance, a phone sent in for recycling could net the owner as much income.

There is also the financial benefit for the communities who recycle in that there will be reduced costs of waste disposal or recycling. You think recycling is expensive? Consider these recycling facts: aluminum cans are the most valuable item in your bin. Aluminum can recycling helps fund the entire curbside collection. It’s the only packaging material that more than covers the cost of collection and reprocessing for itself.

2. Recycling helps conserve limited resources - Throwing away a single aluminum can, versus recycling it, is like pouring out six ounces of gasoline. Last year, Americans recycled enough aluminum cans to conserve the energy equivalent of more than15 million barrels of oil.

Here are some compelling recycling facts from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection:

By recycling over 1 million tons of steel in 2004, Pennsylvanians saved 1.3 million tons of iron ore, 718,000 tons of coal, and 62,000 tons of limestone. Through recycling newsprint, office paper and mixed paper, we saved nearly over 8.2 million trees.

3. Recycling is energy efficient - On a larger scale, recycling could translate into huge reductions in our energy costs. Consider these facts: It costs more energy to manufacture a brand new aluminum can than it does to recycle 20 aluminum cans.

20 cans can be made from recycled material using the same energy it takes to make one new can.

4. Recycling builds community - In almost all communities in the country today, there is a growing concern for recycling and the environment. People are working together in recycling programs, lobbies, and free recycle organizations to help promote recycling. We will be featuring these groups in our upcoming posts and link with the various networks to help you locate the nearest recycling center or free recycle group nearest your location.

5. Recycling creates jobs - Incinerating 10,000 tons of waste creates one job; land filling 10,000 tons of waste creates six jobs; recycling 10,000 tons of waste creates 36 jobs.

6.  Recycling builds a strong economy - Done on a nationwide scale, like what we’re doing here in the US, recycling has a huge impact in our economy in terms of jobs, energy cost reduction, resources conservation. Lately, as the price of oil hits close to $120 a barrel, people have become more aware of the huge impact of recycling, particularly in reducing plastic waste material coming from the bottled water and beverage industry. We will be discussing this in detail in our future posts.

7.  Recycling is Earth-friendly - No matter how safe and efficient our landfills are being billed to be, the possibility of dangerous chemicals coming from the solid waste deposited in these landfills, contaminating underground water supply is always present. Combustion or incineration of our solid waste is effective and energy-generating, but we pay the price in increased air pollution.

On the other hand, recycling just 35 percent of our trash reduces toxic emissions equivalent to taking 36 million cars off the road. In 2006, according to the EPA, the national recycling rate of 32.5 percent (82 million tons recycled)  prevented the release of approximately 49.7 million metric tons of carbon into the air–roughly the amount emitted annually by 39 million cars, or 1,300 trillion BTUs, saving energy equivalent to 10 billion gallons of gasoline.

Recycling works best if everyone contributes his or her share in the recycling effort. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that we can recycle as much as 85% of our total solid waste. If you or I make that decision and choose recycling, it shouldn’t be because politicians passed a legislation compelling us to do it. It’s because out of free will, we choose to, knowing that recycling is the right thing to do.

What is recycling?

Recycling is a way of life. Once we have made that choice to implement all the steps of recycling in our daily lives, and stick to that choice every single day, recycling becomes second nature to us. Sure there will be lapses, it’s not easy for us creatures of habit. But no matter, we press on. Every small contribution to the recycling movement and the initiative to protect our environment adds up to how our present society eventually shapes our nation’s and the Earth’s future. What is recycling to you?