Seasons are Changing

Source: Political Cartoon by David Horsey

Just heard from the news today: the latest data gathered from Europe has provided "conclusive proof" that the seasons are changing, with spring arriving earlier each year, according to scientists. Based on a study of almost 600 plant and animal species, scientists are “extremely confident” that they show a very clear picture towards an early spring right across the board, i.e. it is arriving earlier than it did 30 years ago, on average a week earlier. Scientists are sure that global warming is the cause.

The study shows that "spring events" - such as plants flowering - are starting about 10 days earlier in the UK than 30 years ago. Spain is one of the countries who experienced the greatest increases in temperatures and saw the earliest spring seasons. The change in the timing of this key season has potentially huge implications. Some species may well benefit, but the danger is that there will be disruption to the food chain. Birds, for example, can adjust to warmer temperatures by flying to more northern areas in any given year, but the vegetation upon which they rely may take decades or longer to adjust. The long-term consequences of these changes are uncertain. Scientists also warn that this process of change isn't over.

Well, an earlier spring or a longer summer may sound like a great idea, but it will transform the landscape and the patterns of the wildlife living in it , and , what worries us is that plants and animals may not be able to adapt as well as we do.

News Link: Spring is leaping forward each year - experts

Decorations lead to death

Image Source: ibermutuamur.es

Air pollution is a prominent problem in China and it has been drawing a lot of public/government attention for years, especially after Beijing won the bid for 2008 Olympic. However, another category of air pollution, the indoor air pollution, has always been omitted and now it is time to pay more attention due to the increasing cancer incident and medical expense related to this type of environmental problem. Recently, the China's first case of a child killed by toxic fumes given off by indoor decoration materials has come before the court and a compensation of 170,000 Yuan (AUD$27,900 ) was awarded to the plaintiff. The incident is about a four-year-old girl was diagnosed with acute leukemia and died in August 2005 after staying in her newly decorated apartment for 10 months.

In most developing countries, when they talk about indoor air pollution, it is always about the kitchen smoke generated from burning stalks, wood and low-quality coal. However, with rapid urbanization and development, indoor air pollution from buliding materials becomes a new member of the pollution catergory. China, for instance, the incidents of leukemia among children in the country’s metropolises is worsening within the past decades and there is a rising trend of the children of migrant workers catching blood diseases. In Beijing and Shanghai, the incidence of leukemia in children is 4.6 per 100,000, while the highest is about 7 in 100,000 in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. It is believed tha more than half of the blood cancer patients are victims of indoor air pollution from home and school refurbishment and decoration.

Indeed, air pollutants emit from architectural materials and building interiors has long been an issue in many developed countries. Over the past decade, increasingly stringent VOCs (voltaic organic compounds, the major indoor air pollutant) regulations have led to the development of water-based solvent and other alternatives for solvent-based paint. However, in most developing countries including China, they are still stick to solvent-based paint and other low quality building materials, that lots of such material are already abandoned or banned by developed countries.

I believed the reason behind is not only because of the lower environmental awareness/knowledge in developing countries but also the existence of wealth gaps. For most cleaner and better technology, it is very hard for the industry and the market in developing world to absorb without foreign aids. But in current global economic and politic systems, newer and cleaner technologies are always developed by private corporations and such technologies will only be transferred through the market instead of free transfer as humanity aids. It sounds to be again that injustice is one of the inherent characteristic of our society.

News link : Decorations lead to death

Beer Lovers' Rationalization

“Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest.”
– The Buffalo Theory

It is from one of my friends’ email I received recently. He tried to show me a very valid reason for drinking beer by using Darwin’s Natural Selection Theory. In the email, the Buffalo Theory explains:

"When the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first.This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular culling of the weakest members.

In much the same way the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells.Excessive intake of alcohol, as we all know, kills off brain cells, but naturally it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, constantly making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers!.”

If only this were true, we'd all be genius!