How to Get $1.50 Per a Gallon Price Back, Save US Economy, Stop Global Warming, and Solve US Government Problems
Mikhail Utin asked:
One and a half hours is my usual commute time to my current work place. It takes forty-five miles to get there. During winter storm it takes much, much longer… I certainly have enough time to listen to the Boston Public Radio (WBUR station), and my thoughts usually start with “WHY are we all sitting here?”, slowly moving, wasting fuel, and finally contributing our share to the Global Warming… Good Morning (or Good Night) America on Wheels!
WBUR is not for the weak of heart. Domestic topics range from how big is a golden parachute for a CEO who failed to manage a bank or corporation (usually an eight digit number), to sliding dollar and looming recession … All symptoms, all the information that could drive us crazy and push us out of our driver seats… Yet, I listen to my favorite radio station with great pride that we are still driving and going to our jobs to keep America moving …
Our destination is clearly articulated. The verdict for all of us is “guilty”; we are guilty of not spending enough or not saving enough and, it seems as if no matter what we do “We are doomed!”. But my Russian common sense forged in trenches of communism and hardened by capitalism is refusing to give up. There is a proverb from my old days “Saving life of a drowning man is the business of that drowning man!” Since I cannot separate myself from the rest of us sliding in to recession, I find myself thinking how to stop that. I have enough time; say a couple of weeks to find a solution. Otherwise, this contract with the bank will be the last of what I could get from this economy. Well, unemployment is still guaranteed, but it will not cover all my recent acquisitions and multiplying loans (Note: nobody can blame me for not spending enough to keep our economy running; I am a patriot after all!).
I am a deeply technical person. I am thinking in technical terms, and always trying to crunch through the numbers. How many of us are commuting every day? In fact, an overwhelming majority of people between 20 and 60 years old do, roughly a half of US population of 300 million. The analysis [1] gives us a number of 220 million. What is the average commute? It is approximately 16 miles one way. Expecting 20 miles per gallon, we consume about 300 million gallons of gasoline for the nation’s one working day commute. It takes up nearly 75% of the total US gasoline consumption according to at least two sources [2, 3]. These numbers represent quite rough estimate, and relate to gasoline only (there are also kerosene and diesel fuels), but we do not need exact numbers. It answers the question of who consumes most of the gasoline. We do! And we do that by commuting. Subsequently, commuting is a source of increasing fuel demand and pricing, air pollution, traffic creation, cause of political instabilities and intrigues around the world, etc. This list can go on and on for quite some time.
So what if we stay at home and work remotely (telecommute)… First question is how many people are doing that, and for how many days per week? Google search for “telecommuting in US 2006″ brings up pretty diverse information. The estimate ranges from 12 millions full time in 2006 (5.4% of working population) to more realistic 2% full time and 9% part time [5]. I observe the latter number of 2% in the bank department that I’m working for.
Well, we are not making much progress in telecommuting field. Good old UK was doing much better back in 2002 with telecommuting rate of 7.4% [6]. Another question is what is the percentage of workers who can telecommute without negatively impacting the business process? I did not try Google to find an answer to such a sophisticated question. What I see from my personal experience of IT professional, at least 50% of office work can be done at home. At my consulting job, I see some of my colleagues once in two weeks, if I walk by. Otherwise, I do my work glued to my computer monitor, exchanging information via email and internal chat system. We do remote conferencing and project management. I do it in the same way as many of you do every day.
I would like to set the following goal “Everybody who can stay at home and do his or her job remotely should do that!” As we transition more and more toward “service” economy, we have a chance to eventually move everybody out of the main office, or at least 90% of us sitting in a computerized cage and laying golden eggs by processing information.
Both government and business establishment generally agree that telecommuting is a good thing. That is all. The mutual agreement is that a good thing is good. Nothing more, nothing less. There hasn’t been a real concerted push toward telecommuting. Not even close.
Here is my proposal on how to move things forward. As all of my proposals, it is real, and it is doable. First of all, we need a technology to support telecommuting. The most of it is already in place. Internet infrastructure (many thanks to Mr. Clinton and Mr. Gore) is available across most of the US. Computers are really inexpensive (about $600 for a telecommuting-ready system). There is IPSec VPN, and even better SSL VPN to connect to the main office. We might need an integrated solution out-of-the-box, which would be easy to install as in “VPN plug-and-play”. However, I would like to stress that we already have all the necessary ingredients to get started.
Secondary, we need to encourage all the US businesses to implement telecommuting as a solution as soon as possible. Here is the trick. I am proposing for US Congress to pass a legislation requiring all employers to pay for their employees commuting fuel expenses. That is it – an average of $1,200 per employee per year. I name it “Commuter Reimbursement” (CR).
Logically, why should WE pay for our commute in the first place? Commute is often not an important consideration when businesses choose their location. There is neither government nor business supported program for decreasing commute, thus saving OUR money. They simply do not have a strong incentive to care. We, commuters, do, and Global Warming and air pollution is a big concern as well.
I am not buying an argument that $1,200 will be an unbearable burden to US businesses. The credit is on the order of annual salary raise. Median income per US household member [7] is about $27,000, thus CR represents only 4.4% of it. After all, according to David C. Johnston “Free Lunch” [8], US corporate management owes us the salary rise since mid 70s, so please, be kind and give it us once in 30 years, thus indicating your participation in our mutual struggle with the rising fuel cost and inflation, Global Warming, pollution, you name it.
There is a good indication that CR will work. We all know how business management likes to save pennies (moving the bounty to golden parachutes), this price tag will work very well to encourage progress; I mean moving to real telecommuting with the goal of getting 30% or more of the US workforce working remotely.
How do we implement CR? I can think of several ways, but let’s leave it to the US Congress to figure it out. I got an idea, and they need to do their share as well. Hopefully, they will not invent a way to make it completely useless, so we don’t end up paying our employers for our commute!
How long would it take to implement? Considering that almost everybody is winning (see below), I would optimistically expect CR Law passing within one year. Thus, at the end of the second year we can expect a moderate reduction in commuting at 30%, with the year average of 15%. The price for the oil will drop possibly returning to $30 per barrel. The gasoline price will return gradually to $1.50 per a gallon (average for this year of $2,25). Thus, average CR for the second year will be around $750. For the third year we can expect it dropping even more to approximately $400, given that number of commuters stays the same. However, we should expect it to be slowly decreasing. As you see here, there is market self-regulation – initial CR of $1,200 should be dropping, and CR and the price of the telecommuting installation will regulate the number of telecommuters. This is a normal market regulation when we have enough resources, not the extreme we have now when any speculation fuels the market and drives price up continuously.
Let’s see who will be the winners. Of course, we, commuters, will win as well as all the people in the US and around the world. Businesses will make CR money back very soon (decreasing office leasing expenses), or significantly decrease the payment. I would expect at least 30% reduction in traffic (no traffic jams any more), and 30% less total US consumption of gasoline. That would be out real contribution to solving the Global Warming problem.
All the US population will win saving money, and our economy will bloom again.
Who else will loose? Of course, oil companies which were too slow to embrace alternative energy. Global Islamic terrorist network will suffer money shortage, as Middle East tycoons loose a substantial part of oil revenues. Somehow, I don’t think our nation will shed too many tears for them.
Does US Government have enough guts to move forward with my telecommuting incentive plan (i.e. legislating a $1,200 “Commute Reimbursement” plan)? Possibly not, if we are just talking about out commute problems and Global Warming; but it might change to “yes” considering that this plan can resolve its political problems as well.
Some people would say that the proposed solution is a temporarily one. Yes, but we need it now, we need to start cutting out fuel consumption now, otherwise WBUR and all the economy doomsday experts are going to say “See, we told you, the recession is coming…And you did nothing to stop it…”.
Self-advertising: Does my idea intrigue you? I have a few more. Interested parties, please feel free to contact me
3″ title=”http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/oct2007/2007-10-01-097.asp
3″ target=”_blank”>www.ens-newswire.com/ens/oct2007/2007-10-01-097.asp
3. How much gasoline does the United States consume in one year? CNNMoney.com.
One and a half hours is my usual commute time to my current work place. It takes forty-five miles to get there. During winter storm it takes much, much longer… I certainly have enough time to listen to the Boston Public Radio (WBUR station), and my thoughts usually start with “WHY are we all sitting here?”, slowly moving, wasting fuel, and finally contributing our share to the Global Warming… Good Morning (or Good Night) America on Wheels!
WBUR is not for the weak of heart. Domestic topics range from how big is a golden parachute for a CEO who failed to manage a bank or corporation (usually an eight digit number), to sliding dollar and looming recession … All symptoms, all the information that could drive us crazy and push us out of our driver seats… Yet, I listen to my favorite radio station with great pride that we are still driving and going to our jobs to keep America moving …
Our destination is clearly articulated. The verdict for all of us is “guilty”; we are guilty of not spending enough or not saving enough and, it seems as if no matter what we do “We are doomed!”. But my Russian common sense forged in trenches of communism and hardened by capitalism is refusing to give up. There is a proverb from my old days “Saving life of a drowning man is the business of that drowning man!” Since I cannot separate myself from the rest of us sliding in to recession, I find myself thinking how to stop that. I have enough time; say a couple of weeks to find a solution. Otherwise, this contract with the bank will be the last of what I could get from this economy. Well, unemployment is still guaranteed, but it will not cover all my recent acquisitions and multiplying loans (Note: nobody can blame me for not spending enough to keep our economy running; I am a patriot after all!).
I am a deeply technical person. I am thinking in technical terms, and always trying to crunch through the numbers. How many of us are commuting every day? In fact, an overwhelming majority of people between 20 and 60 years old do, roughly a half of US population of 300 million. The analysis [1] gives us a number of 220 million. What is the average commute? It is approximately 16 miles one way. Expecting 20 miles per gallon, we consume about 300 million gallons of gasoline for the nation’s one working day commute. It takes up nearly 75% of the total US gasoline consumption according to at least two sources [2, 3]. These numbers represent quite rough estimate, and relate to gasoline only (there are also kerosene and diesel fuels), but we do not need exact numbers. It answers the question of who consumes most of the gasoline. We do! And we do that by commuting. Subsequently, commuting is a source of increasing fuel demand and pricing, air pollution, traffic creation, cause of political instabilities and intrigues around the world, etc. This list can go on and on for quite some time.
So what if we stay at home and work remotely (telecommute)… First question is how many people are doing that, and for how many days per week? Google search for “telecommuting in US 2006″ brings up pretty diverse information. The estimate ranges from 12 millions full time in 2006 (5.4% of working population) to more realistic 2% full time and 9% part time [5]. I observe the latter number of 2% in the bank department that I’m working for.
Well, we are not making much progress in telecommuting field. Good old UK was doing much better back in 2002 with telecommuting rate of 7.4% [6]. Another question is what is the percentage of workers who can telecommute without negatively impacting the business process? I did not try Google to find an answer to such a sophisticated question. What I see from my personal experience of IT professional, at least 50% of office work can be done at home. At my consulting job, I see some of my colleagues once in two weeks, if I walk by. Otherwise, I do my work glued to my computer monitor, exchanging information via email and internal chat system. We do remote conferencing and project management. I do it in the same way as many of you do every day.
I would like to set the following goal “Everybody who can stay at home and do his or her job remotely should do that!” As we transition more and more toward “service” economy, we have a chance to eventually move everybody out of the main office, or at least 90% of us sitting in a computerized cage and laying golden eggs by processing information.
Both government and business establishment generally agree that telecommuting is a good thing. That is all. The mutual agreement is that a good thing is good. Nothing more, nothing less. There hasn’t been a real concerted push toward telecommuting. Not even close.
Here is my proposal on how to move things forward. As all of my proposals, it is real, and it is doable. First of all, we need a technology to support telecommuting. The most of it is already in place. Internet infrastructure (many thanks to Mr. Clinton and Mr. Gore) is available across most of the US. Computers are really inexpensive (about $600 for a telecommuting-ready system). There is IPSec VPN, and even better SSL VPN to connect to the main office. We might need an integrated solution out-of-the-box, which would be easy to install as in “VPN plug-and-play”. However, I would like to stress that we already have all the necessary ingredients to get started.
Secondary, we need to encourage all the US businesses to implement telecommuting as a solution as soon as possible. Here is the trick. I am proposing for US Congress to pass a legislation requiring all employers to pay for their employees commuting fuel expenses. That is it – an average of $1,200 per employee per year. I name it “Commuter Reimbursement” (CR).
Logically, why should WE pay for our commute in the first place? Commute is often not an important consideration when businesses choose their location. There is neither government nor business supported program for decreasing commute, thus saving OUR money. They simply do not have a strong incentive to care. We, commuters, do, and Global Warming and air pollution is a big concern as well.
I am not buying an argument that $1,200 will be an unbearable burden to US businesses. The credit is on the order of annual salary raise. Median income per US household member [7] is about $27,000, thus CR represents only 4.4% of it. After all, according to David C. Johnston “Free Lunch” [8], US corporate management owes us the salary rise since mid 70s, so please, be kind and give it us once in 30 years, thus indicating your participation in our mutual struggle with the rising fuel cost and inflation, Global Warming, pollution, you name it.
There is a good indication that CR will work. We all know how business management likes to save pennies (moving the bounty to golden parachutes), this price tag will work very well to encourage progress; I mean moving to real telecommuting with the goal of getting 30% or more of the US workforce working remotely.
How do we implement CR? I can think of several ways, but let’s leave it to the US Congress to figure it out. I got an idea, and they need to do their share as well. Hopefully, they will not invent a way to make it completely useless, so we don’t end up paying our employers for our commute!
How long would it take to implement? Considering that almost everybody is winning (see below), I would optimistically expect CR Law passing within one year. Thus, at the end of the second year we can expect a moderate reduction in commuting at 30%, with the year average of 15%. The price for the oil will drop possibly returning to $30 per barrel. The gasoline price will return gradually to $1.50 per a gallon (average for this year of $2,25). Thus, average CR for the second year will be around $750. For the third year we can expect it dropping even more to approximately $400, given that number of commuters stays the same. However, we should expect it to be slowly decreasing. As you see here, there is market self-regulation – initial CR of $1,200 should be dropping, and CR and the price of the telecommuting installation will regulate the number of telecommuters. This is a normal market regulation when we have enough resources, not the extreme we have now when any speculation fuels the market and drives price up continuously.
Let’s see who will be the winners. Of course, we, commuters, will win as well as all the people in the US and around the world. Businesses will make CR money back very soon (decreasing office leasing expenses), or significantly decrease the payment. I would expect at least 30% reduction in traffic (no traffic jams any more), and 30% less total US consumption of gasoline. That would be out real contribution to solving the Global Warming problem.
All the US population will win saving money, and our economy will bloom again.
Who else will loose? Of course, oil companies which were too slow to embrace alternative energy. Global Islamic terrorist network will suffer money shortage, as Middle East tycoons loose a substantial part of oil revenues. Somehow, I don’t think our nation will shed too many tears for them.
Does US Government have enough guts to move forward with my telecommuting incentive plan (i.e. legislating a $1,200 “Commute Reimbursement” plan)? Possibly not, if we are just talking about out commute problems and Global Warming; but it might change to “yes” considering that this plan can resolve its political problems as well.
Some people would say that the proposed solution is a temporarily one. Yes, but we need it now, we need to start cutting out fuel consumption now, otherwise WBUR and all the economy doomsday experts are going to say “See, we told you, the recession is coming…And you did nothing to stop it…”.
Self-advertising: Does my idea intrigue you? I have a few more. Interested parties, please feel free to contact me
3″ title=”http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/oct2007/2007-10-01-097.asp
3″ target=”_blank”>www.ens-newswire.com/ens/oct2007/2007-10-01-097.asp
3. How much gasoline does the United States consume in one year? CNNMoney.com.
Prevent Global Warming
December 15, 2009 by admin
Filed under Environment
Hamish Fraser asked:
Today, ‘prevent global warming’ seems to be the necessity of the day. It is high time we noticed effects of industrialization on the planet. It is no more difficult to notice that global warming has been changing climate of the world. Large ice masses that initially adorned both the north and south poles are melting as a very fast speed. This shows warming is affecting us since the water levels will increase drastically. Melting of ice masses will also mean changing in climatic conditions all around the world. Effects of which will be difficult for humans and animals alike.
You can prevent global warming by uniting against it. It does not matter what your place of residence may be; however, you can contribute towards reforestation and help reduce green house gases and carbon dioxide considerably. You can also help in cooling the earth down substantially. Global warming is also the result of using fossil fuels like petrol, diesel, CNG, etc. with industrialization there has been growth in number of car owners, this has made global warming faster.
You can easily prevent global warming, you should use all those facilities provided to you consciously. A little saving of water, fuel, electricity, etc per person can make a lot of difference to our planet.
In order to prevent global warming there are several organizations which are working actively so they can increase forests around the world. Increasing forests is a good and a constructive alternative to solving this problem of global warming. It is true that rain forests and tropical forests around the world are being cut down to fulfill demand for wood and paper, this is causing deforestation. A simple solution to this problem is replanting the trees that have been cut off and letting these grow back again naturally. These lush green trees in the tropical rain forests have worked as lungs for all the world for ages. Reduction in these forests will accelerate the disaster brought in by global warming.
Several governments around the world are taking steps and implementing laws that will help curb production of green house gases and make the world a better place for our children. However, these laws will take time in being implemented. Till the time, these actually come into being, all world’s population can contribute a little more by planting trees around them and prevent global warming.
You will find concerns about global warming being echoed online too. In fact several organizations have opened their websites so that they can spread awareness about the current situation amongst general public. These organizations will also educate you about how a small contribution from you will make a ton of difference in world’s ecological climate.
You can contribute to this cause to as low as $10 just once, and a chunk of deforested land will be taken for reforestation so all its natural habitat can be restored. Such organizations generally specify the place where they are being carrying out reforestation so you can contribute and prevent global warming.
Today, ‘prevent global warming’ seems to be the necessity of the day. It is high time we noticed effects of industrialization on the planet. It is no more difficult to notice that global warming has been changing climate of the world. Large ice masses that initially adorned both the north and south poles are melting as a very fast speed. This shows warming is affecting us since the water levels will increase drastically. Melting of ice masses will also mean changing in climatic conditions all around the world. Effects of which will be difficult for humans and animals alike.
You can prevent global warming by uniting against it. It does not matter what your place of residence may be; however, you can contribute towards reforestation and help reduce green house gases and carbon dioxide considerably. You can also help in cooling the earth down substantially. Global warming is also the result of using fossil fuels like petrol, diesel, CNG, etc. with industrialization there has been growth in number of car owners, this has made global warming faster.
You can easily prevent global warming, you should use all those facilities provided to you consciously. A little saving of water, fuel, electricity, etc per person can make a lot of difference to our planet.
In order to prevent global warming there are several organizations which are working actively so they can increase forests around the world. Increasing forests is a good and a constructive alternative to solving this problem of global warming. It is true that rain forests and tropical forests around the world are being cut down to fulfill demand for wood and paper, this is causing deforestation. A simple solution to this problem is replanting the trees that have been cut off and letting these grow back again naturally. These lush green trees in the tropical rain forests have worked as lungs for all the world for ages. Reduction in these forests will accelerate the disaster brought in by global warming.
Several governments around the world are taking steps and implementing laws that will help curb production of green house gases and make the world a better place for our children. However, these laws will take time in being implemented. Till the time, these actually come into being, all world’s population can contribute a little more by planting trees around them and prevent global warming.
You will find concerns about global warming being echoed online too. In fact several organizations have opened their websites so that they can spread awareness about the current situation amongst general public. These organizations will also educate you about how a small contribution from you will make a ton of difference in world’s ecological climate.
You can contribute to this cause to as low as $10 just once, and a chunk of deforested land will be taken for reforestation so all its natural habitat can be restored. Such organizations generally specify the place where they are being carrying out reforestation so you can contribute and prevent global warming.
Global Warming Concerns Astrophysics
November 28, 2009 by admin
Filed under Environment
Dilip Dahanukar asked:
My wife told me one evening that her friend Sarah was to visit India and would be spending a day with her. There was nothing in it that alarmed me as my wife, who is a painter, has friends all over the World and somebody or the other is always visiting her. But when she told me that Sarah was an astrophysicist, my ears perked up. She had missed me during her visit last year as I was out of town.
Sarah arrived wearing a gorgeous sari looking like a senior accomplished stately woman. Indians like me are now used to a white woman in a sari with years of watching Sonia Gandhi on the TV. With Sarah was her friend Needra, a young tall dark beautiful Sri Lankan woman who too was an astrophysicist! She said she was wearing a sari for the first time at the insistence of Sarah. When I asked her about it, Sarah went on a detailed narrative how she was initiated into wearing a sari by the wife of the Director of the Institute and had thereafter adopted the sari as her preferred dress. I noted her crystal clear memory as the event had taken place at least thirty years back!
Sarah started talking to me about my book which I had written in 1978 and a copy of which my wife had given her on her last visit. The book was about National Planning and many of the ideas written in it had since then materialized. But I had forgotten about it! I brushed it aside and told them about my new books on science fiction. One of them, titled Alby was about a computer entity who ventured out into deep space. But I wanted them to read it first so I gave them a copy and didn’t tell them what it was all about. I also gave them a copy of my book eMaya on how to stop Global warming, to see if they are interested about our planet.
I offered them Single Malt whiskey to get them talking, but as they sipped they did not bring up any topics of Universe or Space. Neither of them mentioned any galaxies, black holes, not even the solar system! Sarah talked about the scientists and the lives of their families, and many small memorable events that took place when she worked with them in India. Needra was to give a lecture on a subject of astrophysics in Pune to a group of scientists there. She did not disclose any snippets from her forthcoming speech. She never even mentioned the subject of her lecture.
But the amazing quality which seeped through their beings vibed something immortal. They watched everything with tremendous zeal and intensity and absorbed their communication with whomever they met with rapt attention of all their senses. Looking back about my encounter with them I felt that they were like visitors from deep space; from an unknown destination wandering about from galaxy to galaxy imbibing everything what they sensed to take it back with them. They appeared timeless creatures wandering about in appreciation of the Universe.
Why do they radiate such immortality? Why do they appear so close yet so distant? Why do they take such deep interest in their fellow colleagues and their families? These were the question marks which popped up in my mind. I tried to find answers and in the process discovered the truth. They were into astrophysics which is the science of the Universe. A dictionary search as to its meaning yielded the following:
Astrophysics: The branch of astronomy that deals with the physical and chemical processes that occur in stars, galaxies, and interstellar space. Astrophysics deals with the structure and evolution of stars, the properties of interstellar space and its interactions with systems of stars, and with the structure and dynamics of clusters of stars such as galaxies.
It dawned on me that if you are dealing with the structure and evolution of stars and dynamics of galaxies, you are exploring and trying to understand a very long time span ranging for billions of years. When you study the subject intensely, you go deep into it and it occupies your mind. No doubt the mind of a devoted astrophysicist is possessed with stars, comets and galaxies. Their minds are stretched to infinity. They pervade the whole Universe. These astros dream into space, of black holes and super novas. Why are they dwelling on such remote objects? Are they agents of Providence to prepare Man for his scheme of things?
Then I realized that there are only a few persons in the whole World who are into this discipline. Their knowledge is of no practical use to any human requirement now or in anyone’s lifetime. As their knowledge does not touch the life of the common man, they keep it within themselves taking care not to mention it in public. I thought that if they talked about a twin star system in a distant galaxy 1000 light years away and the rotation of their moons, they might find the eyes of the lay listeners questioning their sanity. But within their community there are open and frank and have nothing to hide about the sky and what it beholds! They band together as a very closely knit family. Everyone knows everyone in the field and they exchange the smallest detail about the lives of one another. But this intensive interest in life spills over to their friends who are not into astrophysics. My wife and I are fortunate to experience such extraordinary friendship.
Sarah and Needra went travelling to South India where they met more of their kind. And when they returned, we had them over for dinner. Much to my disappointment, they had not read my science fiction book Alby. They were more interested in participating in their friends’ earthly lives. I was a bit disappointed as I looked forward to an interesting discussion on my science fiction. I mentioned to them parts of the story and that the spaceship engine in the book accelerates the ship to 80% of the speed of light without ejecting out any mass! It is a practical answer to travel to nearby stars of the Milky Way. It was then the two sat up. Sarah immediately discarded my idea. But I goaded them to read the book and check the results of the prototype engine on Google.
But they had perused through my other book eMaya on Global warming. Sarah had seen the reviews on Amazon. She got talking on it. She said she was impressed with the way I had handled a difficult and a dry subject and brought the concerns about emissions, ice melting, nuclear power and population in simple and lucid terms. Needra remarked that it had a lot of information on all subjects concerning climate control of Earth and much more. They both really enjoyed reading it. I was amused to see that these astrophysicists were concerned about few degrees rise in temperature of our planet. Normally they wouldn’t bat an eyelid to see the temperature of a star shoot up by a million degrees, explode and become Super Nova! But Sarah had liked the book and agreed with the conclusions of eMaya on climate control.
We parted with hugs, handshakes, and pleasantries. I got a feeling that these starry women knew more than any mortal like me. I wondered what their mission would be in their next lives. I wished I could offer them a galactic penny for their thoughts! But I consoled my mind by saying that wait, they will be back! And now I am patiently waiting for the next encounter.
My wife told me one evening that her friend Sarah was to visit India and would be spending a day with her. There was nothing in it that alarmed me as my wife, who is a painter, has friends all over the World and somebody or the other is always visiting her. But when she told me that Sarah was an astrophysicist, my ears perked up. She had missed me during her visit last year as I was out of town.
Sarah arrived wearing a gorgeous sari looking like a senior accomplished stately woman. Indians like me are now used to a white woman in a sari with years of watching Sonia Gandhi on the TV. With Sarah was her friend Needra, a young tall dark beautiful Sri Lankan woman who too was an astrophysicist! She said she was wearing a sari for the first time at the insistence of Sarah. When I asked her about it, Sarah went on a detailed narrative how she was initiated into wearing a sari by the wife of the Director of the Institute and had thereafter adopted the sari as her preferred dress. I noted her crystal clear memory as the event had taken place at least thirty years back!
Sarah started talking to me about my book which I had written in 1978 and a copy of which my wife had given her on her last visit. The book was about National Planning and many of the ideas written in it had since then materialized. But I had forgotten about it! I brushed it aside and told them about my new books on science fiction. One of them, titled Alby was about a computer entity who ventured out into deep space. But I wanted them to read it first so I gave them a copy and didn’t tell them what it was all about. I also gave them a copy of my book eMaya on how to stop Global warming, to see if they are interested about our planet.
I offered them Single Malt whiskey to get them talking, but as they sipped they did not bring up any topics of Universe or Space. Neither of them mentioned any galaxies, black holes, not even the solar system! Sarah talked about the scientists and the lives of their families, and many small memorable events that took place when she worked with them in India. Needra was to give a lecture on a subject of astrophysics in Pune to a group of scientists there. She did not disclose any snippets from her forthcoming speech. She never even mentioned the subject of her lecture.
But the amazing quality which seeped through their beings vibed something immortal. They watched everything with tremendous zeal and intensity and absorbed their communication with whomever they met with rapt attention of all their senses. Looking back about my encounter with them I felt that they were like visitors from deep space; from an unknown destination wandering about from galaxy to galaxy imbibing everything what they sensed to take it back with them. They appeared timeless creatures wandering about in appreciation of the Universe.
Why do they radiate such immortality? Why do they appear so close yet so distant? Why do they take such deep interest in their fellow colleagues and their families? These were the question marks which popped up in my mind. I tried to find answers and in the process discovered the truth. They were into astrophysics which is the science of the Universe. A dictionary search as to its meaning yielded the following:
Astrophysics: The branch of astronomy that deals with the physical and chemical processes that occur in stars, galaxies, and interstellar space. Astrophysics deals with the structure and evolution of stars, the properties of interstellar space and its interactions with systems of stars, and with the structure and dynamics of clusters of stars such as galaxies.
It dawned on me that if you are dealing with the structure and evolution of stars and dynamics of galaxies, you are exploring and trying to understand a very long time span ranging for billions of years. When you study the subject intensely, you go deep into it and it occupies your mind. No doubt the mind of a devoted astrophysicist is possessed with stars, comets and galaxies. Their minds are stretched to infinity. They pervade the whole Universe. These astros dream into space, of black holes and super novas. Why are they dwelling on such remote objects? Are they agents of Providence to prepare Man for his scheme of things?
Then I realized that there are only a few persons in the whole World who are into this discipline. Their knowledge is of no practical use to any human requirement now or in anyone’s lifetime. As their knowledge does not touch the life of the common man, they keep it within themselves taking care not to mention it in public. I thought that if they talked about a twin star system in a distant galaxy 1000 light years away and the rotation of their moons, they might find the eyes of the lay listeners questioning their sanity. But within their community there are open and frank and have nothing to hide about the sky and what it beholds! They band together as a very closely knit family. Everyone knows everyone in the field and they exchange the smallest detail about the lives of one another. But this intensive interest in life spills over to their friends who are not into astrophysics. My wife and I are fortunate to experience such extraordinary friendship.
Sarah and Needra went travelling to South India where they met more of their kind. And when they returned, we had them over for dinner. Much to my disappointment, they had not read my science fiction book Alby. They were more interested in participating in their friends’ earthly lives. I was a bit disappointed as I looked forward to an interesting discussion on my science fiction. I mentioned to them parts of the story and that the spaceship engine in the book accelerates the ship to 80% of the speed of light without ejecting out any mass! It is a practical answer to travel to nearby stars of the Milky Way. It was then the two sat up. Sarah immediately discarded my idea. But I goaded them to read the book and check the results of the prototype engine on Google.
But they had perused through my other book eMaya on Global warming. Sarah had seen the reviews on Amazon. She got talking on it. She said she was impressed with the way I had handled a difficult and a dry subject and brought the concerns about emissions, ice melting, nuclear power and population in simple and lucid terms. Needra remarked that it had a lot of information on all subjects concerning climate control of Earth and much more. They both really enjoyed reading it. I was amused to see that these astrophysicists were concerned about few degrees rise in temperature of our planet. Normally they wouldn’t bat an eyelid to see the temperature of a star shoot up by a million degrees, explode and become Super Nova! But Sarah had liked the book and agreed with the conclusions of eMaya on climate control.
We parted with hugs, handshakes, and pleasantries. I got a feeling that these starry women knew more than any mortal like me. I wondered what their mission would be in their next lives. I wished I could offer them a galactic penny for their thoughts! But I consoled my mind by saying that wait, they will be back! And now I am patiently waiting for the next encounter.
Global Warming Makes Allergies Worse
Kimberly Buchanan asked:
Global Warming Makes Allergies Worse
Global warming…I’m sure there are people out there who don’t want to hear one more thing about it! Right? Global warming is such a hot topic right now for politicians, environmentalists, and… allergy sufferers? That’s right. As the planet heats up, so does our battle against allergies and asthma. In fact, many scientists now acknowledge the link between global warming and breathing problems.
What does global warming have to do with allergies? As the planet heats up, winter seasons become shorter. That means longer stretches of warm weather – and allergies. Springtime has been arriving earlier, leading to months of misery for those with airborne allergies. How much earlier? 10-15 days earlier in the past three decades alone. And this trend is not expected to stop anytime soon. Thanks to the lengthening seasons, allergies aren’t just lasting longer; they’re becoming more severe as well. The problem is so serious that experts have been scrambling to create new policies and solutions. Even the World Health Organization has commented on the serious health implications of longer pollen seasons.
There is more carbon dioxide in the air during allergy season. This is detrimental to allergy sufferers because plants and weeds thrive when they’re exposed to more carbon dioxide. One sign of a strong plant is the amount of pollen it produces. And with pollen levels on the rise, people with allergies are noticing an increase in their symptoms.
If you’re a city dweller, you could have an even harder time. Cities act like giant greenhouses for weeds. The press of bodies and buildings trap heat, causing weeds to grow larger and release more pollen. The large number of people releasing carbon dioxide into city air also stimulates weed growth. Research has shown that city weeds can grow twice as large as their country cousins. To make matters worse, they also produce stronger pollen that wreaks havoc on allergies.
Global Warming Brings More Allergens
With longer occurrences of warm, wet weather – not to mention the increase in floods and storms – the air contains more mold and fungi than ever. This is bad news for allergy sufferers, since those are some of the most common allergens. Asthma is on the rise, too, especially among young children who live in the city.
Even in the dry seasons, dust, toxins and smog lurk in the air, making it harder to breathe. But global warming is such a big problem -what can allergy sufferers do to make living – and breathing – a bit easier?
Fortunately, there are plenty of options that don’t involve drug therapy (which can have unwanted side effects).
First, take care of your airways. Give yourself good air to breathe by investing in a HEPA filter. Clean all the air filters in your home. And don’t neglect your car’s air filter if you spend a substantial amount of time behind the wheel. Keep track of air quality alerts in your area; on days when allergens are high, stay indoors as much as possible and keep the windows closed. On hot days, carry out most of your physical activities in the morning before allergens have a chance to flourish in the midday heat.
Consume foods that help your airways function properly. This includes things rich in essential fatty acids, such as fish, seeds, and nuts. You can also take a good fish oil supplement.
Make your home as allergy free as possible. Carpets attract and trap dust, mites, and other allergens. Consider switching to hardwood flooring to improve your allergy symptoms. Regular cleaning of curtains, rugs and linens also helps to keep allergies at bay. And don’t forget about the health benefits of hypoallergenic trees and plants! Not only will they improve the air quality around your home, they’ll add beauty, too.
Not sure what you’re allergic to? Take a test! Check out:
Global Warming Makes Allergies Worse
Global warming…I’m sure there are people out there who don’t want to hear one more thing about it! Right? Global warming is such a hot topic right now for politicians, environmentalists, and… allergy sufferers? That’s right. As the planet heats up, so does our battle against allergies and asthma. In fact, many scientists now acknowledge the link between global warming and breathing problems.
What does global warming have to do with allergies? As the planet heats up, winter seasons become shorter. That means longer stretches of warm weather – and allergies. Springtime has been arriving earlier, leading to months of misery for those with airborne allergies. How much earlier? 10-15 days earlier in the past three decades alone. And this trend is not expected to stop anytime soon. Thanks to the lengthening seasons, allergies aren’t just lasting longer; they’re becoming more severe as well. The problem is so serious that experts have been scrambling to create new policies and solutions. Even the World Health Organization has commented on the serious health implications of longer pollen seasons.
There is more carbon dioxide in the air during allergy season. This is detrimental to allergy sufferers because plants and weeds thrive when they’re exposed to more carbon dioxide. One sign of a strong plant is the amount of pollen it produces. And with pollen levels on the rise, people with allergies are noticing an increase in their symptoms.
If you’re a city dweller, you could have an even harder time. Cities act like giant greenhouses for weeds. The press of bodies and buildings trap heat, causing weeds to grow larger and release more pollen. The large number of people releasing carbon dioxide into city air also stimulates weed growth. Research has shown that city weeds can grow twice as large as their country cousins. To make matters worse, they also produce stronger pollen that wreaks havoc on allergies.
Global Warming Brings More Allergens
With longer occurrences of warm, wet weather – not to mention the increase in floods and storms – the air contains more mold and fungi than ever. This is bad news for allergy sufferers, since those are some of the most common allergens. Asthma is on the rise, too, especially among young children who live in the city.
Even in the dry seasons, dust, toxins and smog lurk in the air, making it harder to breathe. But global warming is such a big problem -what can allergy sufferers do to make living – and breathing – a bit easier?
Fortunately, there are plenty of options that don’t involve drug therapy (which can have unwanted side effects).
First, take care of your airways. Give yourself good air to breathe by investing in a HEPA filter. Clean all the air filters in your home. And don’t neglect your car’s air filter if you spend a substantial amount of time behind the wheel. Keep track of air quality alerts in your area; on days when allergens are high, stay indoors as much as possible and keep the windows closed. On hot days, carry out most of your physical activities in the morning before allergens have a chance to flourish in the midday heat.
Consume foods that help your airways function properly. This includes things rich in essential fatty acids, such as fish, seeds, and nuts. You can also take a good fish oil supplement.
Make your home as allergy free as possible. Carpets attract and trap dust, mites, and other allergens. Consider switching to hardwood flooring to improve your allergy symptoms. Regular cleaning of curtains, rugs and linens also helps to keep allergies at bay. And don’t forget about the health benefits of hypoallergenic trees and plants! Not only will they improve the air quality around your home, they’ll add beauty, too.
Not sure what you’re allergic to? Take a test! Check out:
Should You Worry About Global Warming?
Greg Lucas asked:
Everyday people worry, some worry about how to pay their bills and others may worry about losing their job, these are very common fears that have been around for centuries and will probably continue to plague mankind for many more, but over the past few decades the number of things people worry about has been rising at a dramatic rate and is showing no signs of slowing down.
Worrying can also affect your health in many ways by upsetting your sleep schedule or eating habits, worrying can also cause some people to abuse alcohol or start taking drugs.
Some things we worry about we can actually have an effect on such as paying our bills, for example if you worry about being able to pay your bills then you might try to get a second job or cut back on your spending so you would then be able to pay off the bills, but many things people worry about are beyond an individuals control, things like Terrorism, Nuclear Proliferation, and Global Warming.
Worrying about things like Global Warming accomplish nothing positive, in fact at this point we have not even proved that Global Warming is real, let alone that we as humans caused it or can affect it either way so why worry about it.
One very effective way to stop worrying about things beyond your control is to develop a fun list, a fun list is nothing more then things you really like to do, things that you can do to keep yourself busy whenever you start to worry about things like Global Warming.
Here is an example of a fun list:
1. Walk your dog.
2. Flirt with someone you have a secret crush on.
3. Play free arcade games.
4. Go fishing.
5. Read a book.
7. Ride a bicycle.
8. Surf the net.
9. Exercise.
10. Clean your house.
Whenever you catch yourself worrying about things beyond your control you should think of your list and pick one and start doing it right away and keep doing it until your forget all about whatever you were worrying about, at first you may have to do this many times a day but it should become less and less frequent as time goes on and before you know it you will stop worrying about things beyond your control and you will have a much better attitude and hopefully a healthier and happier life.
So remember the next time you start to worry about something out of your control like Global Warming or Nuclear Proliferation to stop and take a deep breath and then do something on your list right away like play some free arcade games and enjoy yourself instead of worrying. If you do this you will live a happier and healthier life.
Everyday people worry, some worry about how to pay their bills and others may worry about losing their job, these are very common fears that have been around for centuries and will probably continue to plague mankind for many more, but over the past few decades the number of things people worry about has been rising at a dramatic rate and is showing no signs of slowing down.
Worrying can also affect your health in many ways by upsetting your sleep schedule or eating habits, worrying can also cause some people to abuse alcohol or start taking drugs.
Some things we worry about we can actually have an effect on such as paying our bills, for example if you worry about being able to pay your bills then you might try to get a second job or cut back on your spending so you would then be able to pay off the bills, but many things people worry about are beyond an individuals control, things like Terrorism, Nuclear Proliferation, and Global Warming.
Worrying about things like Global Warming accomplish nothing positive, in fact at this point we have not even proved that Global Warming is real, let alone that we as humans caused it or can affect it either way so why worry about it.
One very effective way to stop worrying about things beyond your control is to develop a fun list, a fun list is nothing more then things you really like to do, things that you can do to keep yourself busy whenever you start to worry about things like Global Warming.
Here is an example of a fun list:
1. Walk your dog.
2. Flirt with someone you have a secret crush on.
3. Play free arcade games.
4. Go fishing.
5. Read a book.
7. Ride a bicycle.
8. Surf the net.
9. Exercise.
10. Clean your house.
Whenever you catch yourself worrying about things beyond your control you should think of your list and pick one and start doing it right away and keep doing it until your forget all about whatever you were worrying about, at first you may have to do this many times a day but it should become less and less frequent as time goes on and before you know it you will stop worrying about things beyond your control and you will have a much better attitude and hopefully a healthier and happier life.
So remember the next time you start to worry about something out of your control like Global Warming or Nuclear Proliferation to stop and take a deep breath and then do something on your list right away like play some free arcade games and enjoy yourself instead of worrying. If you do this you will live a happier and healthier life.
Understanding the Natural Causes of Global Warming is not Where it Ends
November 8, 2009 by admin
Filed under Environment
Arjun Singhe asked:
While there are certainly natural causes of global warming that certainly is not where the situation stops. Many people will venture to say that the main cause of global warming is actually humans and their actions against the environment. There are a lot of things to consider though as there may still be a lot of issues and causes out there that we do not yet know about which could be working along with the natural causes of global warming. Only time and research will tell though and that is why the science community is actively working on finding out everything they can.
The thing about global warming is that not enough people really understand everything there is to currently know about the situation. Not only are our children in the dark but a lot of adults are too. This is simply unacceptable as there is no reason that we do not all know about the natural causes of global warming along with the un-natural causes and what it is doing to our environment. In order to make sure that this does not become a pattern that continues on for many years, it is important that we take action to make sure that everyone, young and old alike, learn more about this dangerous issue.
Schools Need To Step Up
While some schools out there touch a little bit on the subject of natural causes of global warming and the un-natural causes, they could certainly stand to do a little more. There is nothing wrong with extensive education on this subject as there are only good things to gain from it. Our children are our future and it will be up to them to help make sure that things with our planet remain safe and in tact. Since this is a fact that cannot be disputed, it is a shame that more and more schools are not stepping up and doing more to educate our future leaders.
If your locals schools are not doing enough to educate the children on the natural causes of global warming then you could certainly step up and teach your children what you feel would be beneficial for them to know. Even if your school is doing their part, as the parent it is up to you to reinforce the education that they are receiving on the natural causes of global warming. Take everything that you can find on the subject and make sure that you are passing it on to your children so that they too can benefit from it.
While there are certainly natural causes of global warming that certainly is not where the situation stops. Many people will venture to say that the main cause of global warming is actually humans and their actions against the environment. There are a lot of things to consider though as there may still be a lot of issues and causes out there that we do not yet know about which could be working along with the natural causes of global warming. Only time and research will tell though and that is why the science community is actively working on finding out everything they can.
The thing about global warming is that not enough people really understand everything there is to currently know about the situation. Not only are our children in the dark but a lot of adults are too. This is simply unacceptable as there is no reason that we do not all know about the natural causes of global warming along with the un-natural causes and what it is doing to our environment. In order to make sure that this does not become a pattern that continues on for many years, it is important that we take action to make sure that everyone, young and old alike, learn more about this dangerous issue.
Schools Need To Step Up
While some schools out there touch a little bit on the subject of natural causes of global warming and the un-natural causes, they could certainly stand to do a little more. There is nothing wrong with extensive education on this subject as there are only good things to gain from it. Our children are our future and it will be up to them to help make sure that things with our planet remain safe and in tact. Since this is a fact that cannot be disputed, it is a shame that more and more schools are not stepping up and doing more to educate our future leaders.
If your locals schools are not doing enough to educate the children on the natural causes of global warming then you could certainly step up and teach your children what you feel would be beneficial for them to know. Even if your school is doing their part, as the parent it is up to you to reinforce the education that they are receiving on the natural causes of global warming. Take everything that you can find on the subject and make sure that you are passing it on to your children so that they too can benefit from it.
