Japan’s Nuclear Problem: The Radioactive Fears

The real fear everyone has always had about nuclear power was the waste. The troubled Japanese nuclear power plant, Fukushima Dai’chi, is dumping radioactive materials into the neighboring sea to dispose of it. This has raised a few alarms, but there is not much to worry about right at this time.

Spread:

The sea water spreads the radioactive materials a long way, but also dilutes them in the process. The radiation level for Iodine (I-131) and Cesium (Cs-137) drops to about a thousandth once it moves about 20 miles offshore, according to Ken Buesseler of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, Massachussets.

The saving grace for the marine life around Japan is the powerful Kuroshiro ocean current, which blocks the contamination from moving southwards and thus affecting life in Tokyo Bay.

The release of the wastes into the sea is really the best possible alternative, given the fact that sea water has been seeping into the nuclear plant ever since the tsunami and the slightly radioactive water needs to be released so that room can be made for storing the more radioactive of the wastes.

Effect on sea-life:

Experts claim that the effect on the surrounding sea-life given the current state will be minimal. There will, of course, be an increase in the radiation levels, but this increase is not dangerous. Most marine creatures, especially fish, are fast moving and thus they will not be exposed to radiation continuously for a long time. The animals are expected to cope with the increased levels.

Effect on sea-food lovers:

The risks of genetic mutation rapidly go to zero as one goes even 5km offshore. Even within this ‘danger zone’, the radiation level is not high enough to worry genetic experts enough. Fishing in this region has been disallowed. Sea food, whether being consumed inland or exported, will be checked for radiation levels for quite sometime.

Experts measured the radiation levels on the Western coast of USA (California) and reported a minor nuclear fallout, but this is nothing very serious.

The situation, at the present, doesn’t look too bad and it is not expected to worsen much.

source : http://techie-buzz.com

Do You Dare To Shake Up Your Routine?

Do You Dare To Shake Up Your Routine?

(Family Features) - If you feel stuck in a rut, it may be time to shake things up. Finding new ways to approach exercise and diet can make your efforts to improve your overall health more engaging and help you stay on track.

Pittsburgh Steelers dietitian and author Leslie J. Bonci, RD, advises athletes on how they can stay at the top of their game. Here, she offers some tips to help you find new ways to stay on top of yours.

Groove It: Get Moving to a New Beat. If you've never tried working out to music, now's a good time to start. And if you do have an exercise playlist, try out some new tunes. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) has found that the faster the beat of the music, the higher the intensity of the workout. Your body naturally moves to whatever beat it's listening to, so speeding up the beat can help you get more from your workout. The ACE research also showed that a faster tempo also makes intense exercise seem less stressful.

Change It: Take on a new workout. Doing the same kinds of exercises all the time can get boring - which makes it harder to keep doing them. Shake things up and dare yourself to get moving in a new way: try a dance-based workout such as Zumba, kickboxing, ballroom dancing, a spinning class or circuit training. Or if you really want to challenge yourself, join a local, high-intensity boot camp. Many gyms and fitness centers have low-cost, short-term "try-it" options that let you sample the different options before you commit to a long-term class. Some memberships also let you work with a personal trainer a few times for free. That's a great way to get some tips and training customized for you.

Log It: Keep a Food Journal. Improving your overall health also means learning how to make better food choices. Keeping a food journal can help you take an honest look at your eating habits so that you can make healthy changes.

    * Record everything you eat and drink right away.
    * Make a note of what you did while eating (watched TV, worked at computer, etc.)
    * Describe your feelings while you ate. Understanding the emotions behind your food choices can be very helpful in making changes.

Try It: Incorporate New Foods. According the newly released Dietary Guidelines, incorporating plant-based proteins into a daily diet can help maximize overall health. Soybeans in their whole, natural state are the only plant-based source of complete protein. A reasonable goal should be to consume two servings of whole soy a day (a total of 15 to 20g soy protein). New and improved SOYJOY, made with whole soy, real fruit and other all-natural ingredients, is a great way to fit whole soy into your daily routine. SOYJOY is the perfect snack to throw into your backpack, gym bag or glove compartment to fuel you through a long work day or intense workout. SOYJOY provides a nutrient-dense combination of complete protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber to help supply sustained energy with only 130-140 calories.

To make new habits stick, it's important to hold yourself accountable. Dare yourself to take on one of these new challenges or invent your own, and then share your dare with friends on Facebook as part of SOYJOY's Do you Dare? program. SOYJOY is sweetening the deal by offering prizes and incentives to those who take a dare and stick to it. Check it out at

Source : http://www.culinary.net

Seven Food Products Banned in Europe Still Available in the U.S.

1. Genetically Modified Foods

Although the E.U. is continuously coming under attack for policies banning genetically modified (GM) foods, the community is highly suspicious of them, as well as the agro-industrial pressures that drive their use. The problem with GM foods is that there is simply not sufficient research and understanding to inform good public policy. In spite of widespread GM use without apparent negative impacts in other countries, the recent public reaction to trans-fats are reason enough to support a precautionary principle for the food supply chain.

2. Stevia, the Natural Sweetener 

The U.S. recently approved this “natural” sweetener as a food additive. Previously, it was sold in the U.S. under the less stringent dietary supplement laws. It has been embraced in Japan for over three decades, but E.U. bans still stand, pointing to potential disturbances in fertility and other negative health impacts. But the sweetener is credited with potentially positive health effects, too. Is this a case where consumer choice should prevail?

3. Bovine Growth Hormone

This drug, known as rBGH for short, is not allowed in Europe. In contrast, U.S. citizens struggle even for laws that allow hormone-free labeling so that consumers have a choice. This should be an easy black-and-white decision for all regulators and any corporation that’s really concerned about sustainability: give consumers the information. We deserve control over our food choices.

4. Chlorinated Chickens

Amid cries that eating American chickens would degrade European citizens to the status of guinea pigs, the E.U. continued a ban on chickens washed in chlorine. The ban effectively prevents all import of chickens from the U.S. into Europe. If chicken chlorination is “totally absurd” and “outrageous” for Europeans, what does that mean for Americans?

5. Food Contact Chemicals

Phthalates and bisphenols in plastic are really beneficial. They help manufacturers create plastic products with the softness and moldability needed to fulfill consumer needs. But when the food contact additives are found in the food and liquids contained by those plastics, trouble starts. Both the U.S. and Europe stringently regulate food contact use of chemicals. However, the standard of approval is different. In Europe, the precautionary principle requires that the suppliers of chemicals prove their additives safe, or they will be banned. Of course, although the E.U. has banned phthalates in toys, both phthalates and bisphenol-A remain approved for food contact uses—subject to strict regulations on their use

6. Herbicides, Fungicides and Insecticides

The E.U. has acted against the worst pesticides, typically found as residuals in the food chain. A ban on twenty-two pesticides was passed at the E.U. level, and is pending approval by the Member States. Critics claim the ban will raise prices and may harm malaria control, but advocates of the ban say action must be taken against the pesticides, which are known to cause harm to health but nevertheless consistently found in studies of food consumption.

7. Planned Ban: Food Dyes

 Many food dyes previously recognized as safe are suspected of contributing to attention deficit disorder. Action is afoot as the UK evaluates a ban on synthetic food colors. Regulation in the E.U. often starts through the leadership of one Member State, which pushes the concepts up to Brussels after a proof-of-concept pilot phase. Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Orange B, and Red 3 are among the food colors associated with hyperactivity.

source : http://www.divinecaroline.com 

Amazing Pieces of Pencil Art

Pencil sculptures: 

miniature masterpieces carved into graphite by Dalton Ghetti

Many artists have used pencils to create works of art – but Dalton Ghetti creates miniature masterpieces on the tips of pencils. The Brazilian born, Connecticut based artist carefully crafts the tips of pencils into amazing micro sculptures

Dalton, who is originally from Brazil, has a box full of more than 100 sculptures that have broken while working on them that he affectionately calls 'the cemetery collection'. He said: "I have quite a few broken pieces so I decided to glue them on pins and into styrofoam for a display case. People might think it's weird I keep them but they're still interesting. I worked on them for months so they might be dead now but at one point I gave them life" 

Dalton uses three basic tools to make his incredible creations - a razor blade, sewing needle and sculpting knife. He even refuses to use a magnifying glass and has never sold any of his work, only given it away to friends. He said: "I use the sewing needle to make holes or dig into the graphite. I scratch and create lines and turn the graphite around slowly in my hand"
 

 1. The alphabet, all carved from 26 pencil tips

Many artists have used pencils to create works of art - but Dalton Ghetti creates miniature masterpieces on the tips of pencils

2. Hanging, Linked Heart

These miniature masterpieces are a side project for the professional carpenter, who has been perfecting this art for the last 25 years "I don't make any money from it but that's not what it's about for me. However, I would love for a gallery owner in England to fly me over to put on a show," he said
Dalton hollowed out the centre of the wood, then carved the central column of graphite to create this hanging, linked heart

3. Tiny hammer, and Screw

One of the most fascinating things about these tiny works of art is that he has never sold them, he has only given them away to friends as gifts.That is carved from the graphite in a normal pencil: A tiny hammer, and  
4.  Miniature graphite chair

He works as a carpenter and carves pencils in his free time - often putting in just an hour or so before his eyes get tired. It can take years to finish an especially complicated piece - a linked chain in the middle of a pencil took him two years, and a carefully crafted giraffe even longer.  
5. Highly-detailed boot

Along with his other projects, Ghetti is slowly carving a tiny graphite tear for every 9/11 victim, finishing one each morning before he goes to work, and estimates it will take him 10 years to finish and display them together.    6. Tiny saw, using both, the wood and graphite of a single pencil.

The 49 year old said: "At school I would carve a friend's name into the wood of a pencil and then give it to them as a present. Later, when I got into sculpture, I would make these huge pieces from things like wood, but decided I wanted to challenge myself by trying to make things as small as possible. I experimented sculpting with different materials, such as chalk, but one day I had an eureka moment and decided to carve into the graphite of a pencil"  

7. Mini mailbox on a post

It's a mini mailbox on a post with high detail carving
 
8. Elvis Face

A sculpture of Elvis Presley wearing shades, carved from a single pencil.     9. Tiny Button

Carved from the graphite in a normal pencil: A tiny button 

10. a Tiny Cross Sculpture

Dalton has a box full of more than 100 sculptures that have broken while working on them. He affectionately calls them ‘the cemetery collection.'Using the eraser end of a pencil, Dalton created a tiny cross sculpture from the internal graphite  

10. A tiny key hangs from a ring

  When Dalton, from Connecticut, USA, first started he would become frustrated when a piece would break before being finished after he had spent months working on it. He said: "It would drive me mad when I would be just a bit too heavy handed and the pencil's tip would break. I would get very nervous sometimes, particularly when the piece was almost finished, and then I would make a mistake. I decided to change the way I thought about the work - when I started a new piece my attitude would be 'well this will break eventually but let's see how far I get. It helped me break fewer pencils, and although I still do break them, it's not as often"   
11. Two interlocking hearts
  Dalton has made about 100 carvings, and is currently working on an epic piece inspired by the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. He said: "I decided to make a teardrop pencil carving for each of the people who died in the attack, about 3,000. Since 2002 I have carved one every day, it takes me under an hour. When I'm done they will form one big tear drop. It will take me about 10 years but it will be worth it"
Two interlocking hearts, carved from one pencil

    12. Goblet Being Held by a Hand

 This carving shows a goblet being held by a hand, all carved from one pencil's graphite     13.  interlinking chains

The longest Dalton has spent on one piece was two and half years on a pencil with interlinking chains. A standard figure will take several months. He said: "The interlinking chains took the most effort and I was really pleased with it because it's so intricate people think it must be two pencils"

 source : http://www.telegraph.co.uk