Climate Change Update: Climate change is affecting all aspects of our Earth’s ecosystem, from simple plant life to human beings

Effects Of Climate Change: Amphibian Survival Threatened | Global Animal: "A large potential range will continue to exist for six other species, but they will be able to access just half of that range. Four species are likely to become vulnerable or endangered as a result of climate changes.

The biggest obstacles facing the amphibians are not mountain ranges and other physical barriers, the study found. Instead, it’s the unpredictable nature of projected climate changes that threatens them most. Instead of getting gradually and consistently warmer, temperatures will roller coaster in ways too extreme for amphibians to deal with.

“Every time it gets warmer, they can move, but when it gets cooler again, they can’t move far enough and they get stuck,” Early said. “It’s like taking two steps forward and one step back.”

Butterflies, reptiles, plants and all sorts of other life forms face the same issues, said John Wiens, an evolutionary ecologist and herpetologist at Stony Brook University in New York. And that’s on top of the challenges they already have to deal with, including habitat destruction and diseases."

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Tip to Healthy Heart: Self-Regulation = It measures the ability to use and control both positive and negative emotions and responses to situations

Health: Negative emotions can affect the heart - pressofAtlanticCity.com: Arts & Entertainment: "A long-term study of Boston-area men looked at a marker of psychological and emotional health called self-regulation. It measures the ability to use and control both positive and negative emotions and responses to situations.

High self-regulation reflects flexibility and resilience. In the group of men who scored highest on a test, 6 percent had a heart attack or died of cardiovascular disease during the following 12 years, compared with 14 percent in the group scoring lowest.

These findings add to the evidence a positive outlook or positive emotions somehow contribute to a healthy heart and arteries. They may do it directly, in which case learning techniques to be more positive could be a prescription for better health.

It's also possible positive emotions could be working indirectly; people with positive attitudes or outlooks may exercise more, eat a more healthful diet or be better about taking medications.
Tribune Media Services"

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Alternative Energy Update: 3,200 communities participating in the worldwide event aimed at informing the public about alternative energy options

The Republic - Solar power shines on energy tour - Columbus, Indiana: "COLUMBUS — About 40 green-minded people participating in Saturday’s American Solar Energy Society tour learned ways to reduce their carbon footprint and lower their energy bills.

Columbus was among 3,200 communities participating in the worldwide event aimed at informing the public about alternative energy options.

The first stop on the tour was Nusun Solar, a new company in Columbus’ Woodside Industrial Park that will begin manufacturing solar panels next month."

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Climate Change Update: UN-backed scientists have warned that carbon emissions need to peak by mid-decade to avoid irreversible damage fr climatechange

AFP: EU urges roadmap this year on climate action: "But China and the United States, the two biggest carbon emitters, are both out of the Kyoto Protocol. The treaty requires no action by emerging economies, leading former US president George W. Bush to reject the treaty as unfair.

China -- along with fellow emerging economies such as India -- has welcomed EU calls for another round under the Kyoto Protocol and urged wealthy nations to follow up on promises to provide climate aid to the poorest countries.

US President Barack Obama's administration has actively taken part in the negotiations, but he faces intense opposition from the rival Republican Party in which prominent members have questioned the science behind climate change.

Canada, Japan and Russia are part of the Kyoto Protocol but have made clear that they will not join another round of the treaty as it does not include emerging economies.

Australia and Norway have jointly proposed to set a 2015 deadline for a new treaty, with all countries -- wealthy and developing -- listing their actions and gradually making them more ambitious and binding."

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"Wellness Tip: Our Body needs nourishment; Our Soul or "psyche" needs enlightenment & Our Spirit or "breath of God" needs constant connection

Wellness Tips on FB Wall: "Wellness Tip: We are composed of body, soul & spirit. Body needs nourishment; Soul or "psyche" needs enlightenment; Spirit or "breath of God" needs constant connection. Thus, we need to keep these 3 parts healthy for holistic wellness."

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Tip: Spread the "love", be happy when you Tweet especially in the afternoon when people are gloomy (Twitter findings)

Health Buzz: What Mood Is the World in? Just Check Twitter - US News and World Report: Researchers who studied 500 million tweets from 84 countries over two years, searching for 1,000 words (and even emoticons) suggesting positive and negative emotions, found a definite cycle in those 140-character-or-less tweets. We're happy in the morning, with moods peaking around breakfast, Time reports. Afternoons are gloomy, and then we perk up again at night. The same emotional roller coaster was seen across most cultures and countries, according to the study, published Sept. 29 in Science. Other noteworthy findings: People seemed to be especially unhappy on Monday afternoons and particularly happy in the spring."

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Green Energy continues to build market share

Green Energy's Bottom Line - Seeking Alpha: "According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the major energy sources for the U.S., including energy used for transportation, are (figures rounded):

Petroleum – 35%
Natural Gas – 23%
Coal – 20%
Renewables – 8%
Nuclear – 8%
Other – 6%
The biggest part of this total energy pie (over 38%) goes for the generation of electricity, with the second biggest piece (27%) going to transportation. The figures above set renewables as representing 8% of total U.S. energy sources, but much of that is hydroelectric.

Looking at electrical generation sourcing exclusively, we get the following breakdown, providing a better idea of the still limited role played by non-hydro renewables:

Coal – 45%
Natural Gas – 23%
Nuclear – 20%
Hydroelectric – 7%
Other Renewables – 4%
Other – 1%
Of the 4% listed as Other Renewables (non-hydroelectric) we get the following breakdown:

Wind – 55%
Biomass – 35%
Geothermal – 9%
Solar – 1%"

Note: Any developing technology typically eats up money in research and development, the benefits of which show up later in the business cycle.

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