Slide 3: NASA warming scientist: 'This is the last chance'
WASHINGTON (AP) — Exactly 20 years after warning America about global warming, a top NASA scientist said the situation has gotten so bad that the world's only hope is drastic action. James Hansen told Congress on Monday that the world has long passed the "dangerous level" for greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and needs to get back to 1988 levels. He said Earth's atmosphere can only stay this loaded with man-made carbon dioxide for a couple more decades without changes such as mass extinction, ecosystem collapse and dramatic sea level rises. "We're toast if we don't get on a very different path," Hansen, director of the Goddard Institute of Space Sciences who is sometimes called the godfather of global warming science, told The Associated Press. "This is the last chance." Hansen brought global warming home to the public in June 1988 during a Washington heat wave, telling a Senate hearing that global warming was already here. To mark the anniversary, he testified before the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming where he was called a prophet, and addressed a luncheon at the National Press Club where he was called a hero by former Sen. Tim Wirth, D-Colo., who headed the 1988 hearing. To cut emissions, Hansen said coal-fired power plants that don't capture carbon dioxide emissions shouldn't be used in the United States after 2025, and should be eliminated in the rest of the world by 2030. That carbon capture technology is still being developed and not yet cost efficient for power plants. Burning fossil fuels like coal is the chief cause of man-made greenhouse gases. Hansen said the Earth's atmosphere has got to get back to a level of 350 parts of carbon dioxide per million. Last month, it was 10 percent higher: 386.7 parts per million. Hansen said he'll testify on behalf of British protesters against new coal-fired power plants. Protesters have chained themselves to gates and equipment at sites of several proposed coal plants in England.
Slide 4: "The thing that I think is most important is to block coal-fired power plants," Hansen told the luncheon. "I'm not yet at the point of chaining myself but we somehow have to draw attention to this." Frank Maisano, a spokesman for many U.S. utilities, including those trying to build new coal plants, said while Hansen has shown foresight as a scientist, his "stop them all approach is very simplistic" and shows that he is beyond his level of expertise. The year of Hansen's original testimony was the world's hottest year on record. Since then, 14 years have been hotter, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Two decades later, Hansen spent his time on the question of whether it's too late to do anything about it. His answer: There's still time to stop the worst, but not much time. "We see a tipping point occurring right before our eyes," Hansen told the AP before the luncheon. "The Arctic is the first tipping point and it's occurring exactly the way we said it would." Hansen, echoing work by other scientists, said that in five to 10 years, the Arctic will be free of sea ice in the summer. Longtime global warming skeptic Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., citing a recent poll, said in a statement, "Hansen, (former Vice President) Gore and the media have been trumpeting man-made climate doom since the 1980s. But Americans are not buying it." But Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., committee chairman, said, "Dr. Hansen was right. Twenty years later, we recognize him as a climate prophet." On the Net: Hansen's speech: http://www.columbia.edu/jeh1/2008/TwentyYearsLater_20080623.pdf
Slide 5: CDC action at germ lab questioned
Duct tape used to seal door inside Atlanta facility after possible leak of bioterror bacteria last year. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 06/22/08 At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's new $214 million infectious disease laboratory in Atlanta, scientists are conducting experiments on bioterror bacteria in a room with a containment door sealed with duct tape. The tape was applied around the edges of the door a year ago after the building's ventilation system malfunctioned and pulled potentially contaminated air out of the lab and into a "clean" hallway. Nine CDC workers were tested in May 2007 for potential exposure to the Q fever bacteria being studied in the lab, CDC officials said this week in response to questions from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The air-flow incident occurred very early in the morning, before the workday began. The blood tests were done out of an "abundance of caution," CDC spokesman Tom Skinner said, and they showed that none of the workers who arrived after the incident were infected. Q fever, which causes high fevers and sometimes fatal heart problems, is most commonly spread when humans inhale bacteria-laden dust from contaminated animal waste. Human-to-human transmission is rare. It is classified as a potential bioterror agent because it is moderately easy to disseminate. The CDC Q fever lab's air containment systems have since worked properly, agency officials said; the lab is safe and poses no risk to workers. The public was never at any risk because numerous security layers were in place between the lab and the outdoors, they said. Yet the duct tape remains in place.
Slide 6: Earth 'not at risk' from collider
Science reporter, BBC News Atlas is the biggest experiment housed at the LHC Our planet is not at risk from the world's most powerful particle physics experiment, a report has concluded. The document addresses fears that the Large Hadron Collider is so energetic, it could have unforeseen consequences. Critics are worried that mini-black holes made at the soon-to-open facility on the FrenchSwiss border might threaten the Earth's very existence. But the report, issued the European Organization for Nuclear Research, says there is "no conceivable danger".
Slide 7: Sex survey: Women want quality over quantity
Women have not adapted to casual sex, according to a Durham University study. More than half the women interviewed for the survey said they had negative feelings about one night stands. Men are more likely to reproduce and therefore to benefit from numerous short-term partners. For women, however, quality seems to be more important than quantity. Also for women, finding partners of high genetic quality is a stronger motivator than sheer number, and it is commonly believed that women are more willing to have casual sex when there is a chance of forming a long-term relationship. "But recently biologists have suggested that females could benefit from mating with many men — it would increase the genetic diversity of their children and, if a high quality man would not stay with them forever, they might at least get his excellent genes for their child." For the survey a total of 1743 men and women who had experienced a one-night stand were asked to rate both their positive and negative feelings the following morning, in an internet survey. Overall women's feelings were more negative than men's. Eighty per cent of men had overall positive feelings about the experience compared to 54 per cent of women. Men were more likely than women to secretly want their friends to hear about it and to feel successful because the partner was desirable to others. Men also reported greater sexual satisfaction and contentment following the event, as well as a greater sense of well-being and confidence about themselves. The predominant negative feeling reported by women was regret at having been "used". Women were also more likely to feel that they had let themselves down and were worried about the potential damage to their reputation if other people found out. Women found the experience less sexually satisfying and, contrary to popular belief, they did not seem to view taking part in casual sex as a prelude to long-term relationships.
Slide 8: HOW RICH PEOPLE SPEND THEIR TIME
Washington Post, Monday, June 23, 2008; Page A02 People invariably believe that money can make them happy -- and rich people usually do report being happier than poor people do. But if this is the case, shouldn't wealthy people spend a lot more time doing enjoyable things than poor people? Nobel Prize-winning behavioral economist Daniel Kahneman has found, however, that being wealthy is often a powerful predictor that people spend less time doing pleasurable things, and more time doing compulsory things and feeling stressed. People who make less than $20,000 a year, for example, told Kahneman and his colleagues that they spend more than a third of their time in passive leisure -- watching television, for example. Those making more than $100,000 spent less than one-fifth of their time in this way -- putting their legs up and relaxing. Rich people spent much more time commuting and engaging in activities that were required as opposed to optional. The richest people spent nearly twice as much time as the poorest people in leisure activities that were active, structured and often stressful -- shopping, child care and exercise. Kahneman and his colleagues argued that many people mistakenly allocate enormous amounts of their time and psychological focus to getting rich because of a mental illusion: When they think about what it would mean to be wealthy, they think about how enjoyable it would be to watch a flat-screen TV set, play lots of sports or get a lot of pampering -- our stereotypical beliefs of how the rich spend their time. "In reality," Kahneman and his colleagues wrote in a paper they published in the journal Science, "they should think of spending a lot more time working and commuting and a lot less time engaged in passive leisure."
Slide 9: Group says pot would calm "air rage“
SAFER wants cops to allow marijuana smoking at airport June 24, 2008 DENVER (KWGN) — A series of "air rage" incidents on flights diverted to Denver has a local organization suggesting passengers smoke marijuana to relax prior to flying. SAFER, Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation, which got a ballot initiative passed to make enforcing marijuana laws the lowest legal priority in Denver, is now pushing to allow passengers to get high before they fly. But since the FAA oversees the airport and smoking pot is against federal laws, the idea has some people scratching their heads wondering how it would work. SAFER members aren't mapping out the legal landmines. Instead, they just say that the smoking lounge, outside of security at Denver International Airport, falls under Denver Police jurisdiction. And since the new city ordinance was enacted, all penalties for adult marijuana possession have been removed. So they think adults should be allowed to smoke either marijuana or cigarettes in the airport's smoking lounge. SAFER Executive Director Mason Tavert says lighting up a joint to mellow-out before a flight is far less dangerous than getting liquored-up, pointing to last week's case of air rage here in Denver, "A woman became so belligerent that she broke through her plastic handcuffs and punched a flight attendant in the face. This madness has got to stop. And we're providing a very viable solution." NEWS2
Slide 10: Paraguay Inmates Riot Over Lack Of Sex
Inmates Want More Night Visits, Less Guard Abuse The Associated Press June 20, 2008 ASUNCION, Paraguay — Paraguayan prisoners rioted Friday to press a list of demands including more sex. Inmates seized the Esperanza prison's director and other administrators, demanding nighttime conjugal visits and an end to mistreatment by guards. Paraguayan prisons allow such visits during the day - but that clashes with working hours at Esperanza, where inmates have jobs, such as at a prison clothing factory. Justice Minister Derlis Osorio said the riot ended after four hours with no deaths or injuries. It was not clear whether prison authorities agreed to allow nighttime conjugal visits, but local media reported that they agreed to investigate claims of abuse and end strip searches of visitors.
Slide 11: Japan makes robot girlfriend for lonely men
She is big-busted, petite, very friendly, and she runs on batteries Tues., June. 17, 2008 TOKYO - She is big-busted, petite, very friendly, and she runs on batteries. A Japanese firm has produced a 15-inch tall robotic girlfriend that kisses on command, to go on sale in September for around $175, with a target market of lonely adult men. Using her infrared sensors and battery power, the diminutive damsel named "EMA" puckers up for nearby human heads, entering what designers call its "love mode." "Strong, tough and battle-ready are some of the words often associated with robots, but we wanted to break that stereotype and provide a robot that's sweet and interactive," said Minako Sakanoue, a spokeswoman for the maker, Sega Toys. "She's very lovable and though she's not a human, she can act like a real girlfriend." EMA, which stands for Eternal Maiden Actualization, can also hand out business cards, sing and dance, with Sega hoping to sell 10,000 in the first year. Japan, home to almost half the world's 800,000 industrial robots, envisions a $10-billion market for artificial intelligence in a decade.
Slide 12: Volt
Daimler announces an electric Smart car for 2010
20 Jun 08 17:06 CET German automaker Daimler will market an electric model by its Mercedes division and one by its small city-car brand Smart in 2010, boss Dieter Zetsche said in a newspaper interview. "We're are preparing an electric Smart for 2010 and an electric Mercedes for the same year," Zetsche told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in comments to be published on Saturday. He did not give details on the price but said it would depend on how the vehicles were sold. "We will either sell the cars with a battery, or the battery will just be rented," Zetsche explained. He estimated however that the number of clients willing to pay more for "clean" cars was limited. Electric vehicles are under development by most auto manufacturers, and one produced by the Bollore group with Italian design firm Pininfarina is to be available commercially in June 2009. US giant General Motors plans to sell its Volt model by 2010, while Peugeot Citroen of France and Mitsubishi Motors of Japan said recently they would join forces to develop electric power trains.
Slide 13: Riding Clean
Justin Gray makes custom electric motorcycles. To create his latest drag racer, the R144, Gray tore the motor and gasoline systems out of a 1999 Yamaha R1, a bike with a frame large enough to hold the extra parts he needed for the conversion. Since the gas engine had been an important structural element in the original bike, he built his own aluminum motor bracket to hold the modified bike together. Forty-eight lithium-iron-phosphate batteries feed power into the motorcycle’s controller, which determines the rate at which electricity travels to the motor. The result is 420 pounds of unusually quiet motorcycle, with 100 horses and a top speed of 150 mph. Charger: The bike plugs into a charger via a port located just underneath where the gas tank had been. Designed to solve the challenge of powering up 48 separate batteries without damaging them by overcharging, the charger takes just four to six hours to juice up the bike, which can go 60 to 100 miles on a single charge.
Slide 14: Police Arrest Soccer Player After Referee Bitten On Face 28-Year-Old Player Charged With Felony Assault, Making Threats June 20, 2008 NEWARK, Del. -- Police said a 28-year-old soccer player who got ejected from a game then bit the ref in the face, leaving an ugly wound. Authorities have since made an arrest in the alleged assault that happened Thursday night during a soccer game in Newark. Del., when the ref carded a player for unsportsmanlike behavior. It was a lack of sportsmanship two soccer players said they never imagined they would see.
Slide 15: 'Buy The Lot: My Life On Sale For £300,000'
Monday June 23, 2008 A Briton who wants to make a new start after his marriage broke up has been offered nearly £300,000 for his 'entire life'.
Ian Usher, 44, who emigrated to Australia six years ago, is selling his house, car, motorbike and even his job to the highest bidder. With six days to go, he has attracted an eBay bid of $600,000Aus for the three-bedroom home in Perth and everything inside it. For sports fans, it even includes jet ski and parachuting gear. He is also selling an introduction to his pals and a trial run at his job The 44-year-old said on his website: "On the day it's all sold and settled, I intend to walk out of my front door with my wallet in one pocket and my passport in the other, nothing else at all." Mr Usher said he wanted a fresh start after realising that almost everything about his current life reminded him of his relationship with his wife. The couple abruptly parted more than a year ago, although details of the break-up are only available to those who pay a fee via Mr Usher's website. The details on Australian eBay Joy Jones, who co-owns the rug store in Perth where Mr Usher worked as a shop assistant, said she supported the auction idea. She said: "When Ian came up with this idea, because we had seen him go through a break-up of marriage and pain and bits and pieces, I thought it was really exciting." Mr Usher says he we will start his new life after the auction closes on June 29. "My current thoughts are to then head to the airport and ask at the flight desk where the next flight with an available seat goes to, and to get on that and see where life takes me from there."
Slide 16: Naked Cowboy lawsuit vs M&Ms maker to go forward
The $6 million lawsuit filed by the New York City street performer known as The Naked Cowboy against M&Ms candy maker Mars Inc can go forward on grounds of trademark infringement, a judge ruled on Monday. Robert Burck -- for 10 years a fixture in Times Square, who strums a white guitar while dressed only in white cowboy boots and hat and skimpy white underwear -- filed the suit in February over video billboards depicting a blue M&M dressed in his signature outfit. U.S. District Court Judge Denny Chin denied a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, ruling that Burck may proceed with his false endorsement claim, "for he plausibly alleges that consumers seeing defendants' advertisements would conclude -- incorrectly -- that he had endorsed M&M candy." Chin dismissed Burck's right to privacy claim, noting that New York law protects the name, portrait or picture of a living person but not that of a character or a role created by or performed by a living person. Burck, who poses for photos with giggling tourists in return for dollars slipped into his boots, has trademarked his look and licensed his name and likeness to companies for endorsements and advertisements, including a Chevrolet commercial that appeared during a Super Bowl, the suit says. In addition to Mars, Burck sued Chute Gerdeman Inc, the agency that created the ads with the Naked Cowboy M&M as well as ads with M&Ms dressed as other characters associated with New York, including the Statue of Liberty and King Kong.
Slide 17: Girl who grabbed officer's groin jailed without bail
Today's most viewed articles Seacoastonline June 20, 2008 1:56 PM PORTSMOUTH — Taryn McCarthy, 22, of 529 Union St., is An aspiring model convicted of grabbing a trooper’s genitals while being booked for driving while intoxicated is in jail without bail for violating probation a second time this year. McCarthy pleaded guilty in June 2007 to aggravated driving while intoxicated and two counts of simple assault. The pleas were her admission to driving on Route 1 at 3:20 a.m. New Year’s Day 2007, before being stopped by troopers who administered Breathalyzer tests measuring her blood alcohol concentration at .16. During the administration of two breath tests, McCarthy told Trooper Nicholas Cyr she would punch him in the face, then threw a punch striking another trooper. McCarthy also admitted to grabbing Cyr in the genital area while reading a police form and after being told not to touch him. For one assault charge, she was sentenced to six months in the Rockingham County House of Corrections, with all but three days suspended pending her good behavior for two years. For the second simple assault plea, she was given a six-month jail sentence, with all of it suspended pending two years of good behavior. For the aggravated driving while intoxicated conviction, McCarthy was fined $750 and lost her license to drive for 18 months. She was also court-ordered to write letters of apology to the two arresting troopers and be under the supervision of a probation officer for two years. The suspended jail sentences can be imposed if she is found guilty of the recent probation violation charge.
Slide 18: "Can You Hear Me Now?"
Cops: Ohio Peeping Tom hid cell phone camera in his backside JUNE 23--Meet Jeffrey Barrier. The Ohio man allegedly used a cell phone camera to snap photos of a naked woman at a tanning salon Saturday and then hid the phone in his anus in a bid to thwart police. Standing on a chair, Barrier, 41, took the photos at Cincinnati's Aloha Tanning, where a 35-year-old woman was "in the nude in a tanning room," according to a Hamilton County Municipal Court affidavit. When cops later confronted Barrier, "he kept denying any involvement of the incident" and claimed to not have a camera. However, a second search of the suspect turned up the camera. As noted in a Hamilton County Sheriff's Office report, Barrier "did hide evidence in his anus." Barrier, pictured in the above mug shot, was charged with disorderly conduct for taking the photos and obstructing official business for hampering a police investigation. Barrier, due in court today, is free on $1500 bond.
Slide 19: A model displays a creation from the Blue Man Spring/Summer collection during a show at the Sao Paulo Fashion Week in this June 19, 2008 combination photograph.
Slide 20: French photographer Eric Lafforgue took this photo of a Hagener, a Tjos warrior/tribesman from Mount Hagen, Papua New Guinea. The Tjos people, who first saw a white man just 70 years ago, love to wear modern elements in their tribal piercings and make up.
Slide 21: The Largest Human-Made Art on Earth
Take the huge dry lake bed. Choose a stick. Make the largest sand drawing on Earth. Next on the list could be - aliens see it, make contact. Well, even without aliens, this art is more than mind-boggling in its scale. It's planet-altering. Jim Denevan made the world's largest freehand drawing a few weeks ago on a dry lake in Nevada. How big is it? Three mile across, which took 100 miles of walking to draw the pattern:
Slide 22: This photo is from 3,000 feet above. Jim is a small speck in center...
Slide 25: Even though esthetically it's a welcome addition to the landscape, it is also a sort of a transient mark like a cloud, or a river-bed. Immense in its scope, and lasting only a moment in the large scale of things. We asked the artist, how long did this stupendous artwork last? "Completely erased in a rainstorm the next week... It felt strange to work so hard and not see tide come in. But rains did come which is sort of the same thing."
Slide 26: mug shots
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