Caribbean's reef-building coral at risk

New Sabah Times
10th June, 2007
by Danica Coto

Six species of reef-building coral could vanish from the Caribbean due to rising temperatures and toxic runoff from islands’ development, according to a study released Thursday.

Nearly two dozen scientists from U.S. and Caribbean universities, as well as nonprofits, identified the threatened species while reviewing studies and scientific data at a March conference in Dominica.

The species — about 10 percent of the 62 varieties capable of forming reefs in the region — include staghorn and elkhorn corals, which were once among the most prominent.

“One of the Atlantic Ocean’s most beautiful marine habitats no longer exists in many places because of dramatic increases in coral diseases, mostly caused by climate change and warmer waters,” said Michael Smith, director of the Caribbean Biodiversity Initiative at Conservation International, a U.S.-based nonprofit.

Peter Edmunds, a biology professor at California State University-Northridge, said the study provided a broad perspective that is “terribly important” but does not indicate how close a particular species is to dying off in the region.

“It begs the question, is there a part of the Caribbean where the story is different?” he said.

Researchers have blamed rising temperature, disease and pollutants for damage to the coral reefs, which host countless marine plants and animals.

“The numbers of the population are so diminished that it might take a long, long time, given the right conditions, for them to recover,” said William Precht, a Florida-based scientist with the Battelle Memorial Institute who participated in the study.

The team also reported significant damage to mangroves, which filter pollutants, reporting the plants cover 42 percent less area in the Caribbean than they did 25 years ago.

Conservation projects are under way to protect coral colonies in the Caribbean. The U.S. government’s Coral Reef Task Force is helping officials in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands cut back on pollution and recreational activities that could threaten coral.

The study was sponsored by the Caribbean Biodiversity Initiative, along with the nonprofit World Conservation Union in Switzerland and the Royal Caribbean Cruises’ Ocean Fund.

Who You Are Makes A Difference!

by Helice Bridges

A teacher in New York decided to honor each of her seniors in high school by telling them the difference they each made. Using a process developed by Helice Bridges of Del Mar, California, she called each student to the front of the class, one at a time. First she told them how the student made a difference to her and the class. Then she presented each of them with a blue ribbon imprinted with gold letters which read, "Who I Am Makes a Difference."

Afterwards the teacher decided to do a class project to see what kind of impact recognition would have on a community. She gave each of the students three I more ribbons and instructed them to go out and spread this acknowledgment ceremony. Then they were to follow up on the results, see who honored whom and report back to the class in about a week.

One of the boys in the class went to a junior executive in a nearby company and honored him for helping him with his career planning. He gave him a blue ribbon and put it on his shirt. Then he gave him two extra ribbons, and said, "We're doing a class project on recognition, and we'd like you to go out, find somebody to honor, give them a blue ribbon, then give them the extra blue ribbon so they can acknowledge a third person to keep this acknowledgment ceremony going. Then please report back to me and tell me what happened."

Later that day the junior executive went in to see his boss, who had been noted, by the way, as being kind of a grouchy fellow. He sat his boss down and he told him that he deeply admired him for being a creative genius. The boss seemed very surprised. The junior executive asked him if he would accept the gift of the blue ribbon and would he give him permission to put it on him. His surprised boss said, "Well, sure."

The junior executive took the blue ribbon and placed it right on his boss's jacket above his heart. As he gave him the last extra ribbon, he said, "Would you do me a favor? Would you take this extra ribbon and pass it on by honoring somebody else? The young boy who first gave me the ribbons is doing a project in school and we want to keep this recognition ceremony going and find out how it affects people."

That night the boss came home to his 14-year-old son and sat him down. He said, "The most incredible thing happened to me today. I was in my office and one of the junior executives came in and told me he admired me and gave me a blue ribbon for being a creative genius. Imagine. He thinks I'm a creative genius. Then he put this blue ribbon that says 'Who I Am Makes A Difference' on my jacket above my heart. He gave me an extra ribbon and asked me to find somebody else to honor. As I was driving home tonight, I started thinking about whom I would honor with this ribbon and I thought about you. I want to honor you.

"My Days are really hectic and when I come home I don't pay a lot of attention to you. Sometimes I scream at you for not getting good enough grades in school and for your bedroom being a mess, but somehow tonight, I just wanted to sit here and well, just let you know that you do make a difference to me. Besides your mother, you are the most important person in my life. You're a great kid and I love you!"

The startled boy started to sob and sob, and he couldn't stop crying. His whole body shook. He looked up at his father and said through his tears, "I was planning on committing suicide tomorrow, Dad, because I didn't think you loved me. Now I don't need to."

Why Men Snore

http://menshealth.about.com/

Snoring statistics and men

O.k. women also snore, but men snore more than women, in fact four out of every ten men snore compared to roughly 3 out 10 women. At any one time around 25 per cent of people are habitual snorers.

Causes of snoring

Reasons why men snore are mainly related to differences in lifestyle although there may be clear physical reasons why snoring occurs. Snoring is noisy breathing that occurs as a result of partial obstruction of the air passages. It is usually due to the soft tissues of the palate, uvula, tongue and tonsils relaxing during sleep.

Snoring is a problem because it affects everyone in earshot, including the person who is snoring. Many a previously happy relationship has reached or gone beyond breaking point as a direct result of broken sleep patterns. For the snorer it can result in tiredness and irritability during the day which can increase the chances of accidents. Long-term it can cause circulatory problems such as high blood pressure, heart problems and strokes.

Snoring Facts

:: Snoring is made worse by alcohol or sleeping tablets

:: Overweight people are more prone to snoring

:: Sleeping on your back increases the chances of snoring

:: Colds, nasal polyps and allergies make snoring worse

:: Older people often snore due to muscular weakness that occurs with age

:: Medications may cause dryness or minor irritation of the nasal passageways and increase the incidence of snoring

:: A larger than usual uvula can limit airflow

:: Injuries to the nose that result in a deviation of the septum may result in snoring

:: Smokers are twice as likely to snore

Sleep Apnea

Sometimes people who snore also suffer from sleep apnea. Apnea refers to periods of interrupted breathing which can last 10 seconds or longer. Essentially the same process as snoring occurs except that muscles relax so much they cause a complete rather than partial obstruction. When sleep apnea occurs a build up of carbon dioxide occurs in the blood stream. The brain detects the lack of oxygen and reacts by waking the person up in order that normal breathing can resume. Sleep apnea can occur several times a night and the effects of broken sleep are the same as with snoring. However, the chances of heart failure increase with sleep apnea as the heart has to work so much harder.

Self Help Ideas to prevent or minimize snoring

:: If you're overweight try to lose some of it

:: Avoid alcohol and rich foods like chocolates before bedtime and eat healthy foods generally

:: Stop smoking

:: Try raising your head by putting pillows under it

:: Sleep on your side. Some people sew a tennis ball on the back of their night clothes to help them

:: Blow your nose before going to bed

:: If you are the partner of the snorer you may seriously need to consider options like changing bedrooms or going to bed earlier in order to get some sleep. Clearly these fall into the last resort category and unless your partner does something about their problem this could be the start of a slippery slope so far as the relationship is concerned

Medical help for snoring

If none of the self-help ideas work then you need medical advice. Advice may involve surgical intervention (e.g. removal of adenoids or tonsils) but in the first resort a mouthpiece could be recommended in order to keep the airways open. Other treatment options, such as nasal sprays or nasal plasters may also be considered.

Wrinkles?

http://www.pathlights.com/

SYMPTOMS

Wrinkles on the face. The skin tells what is inside. If you have healthful, youthful, skin, it is a good sign of a healthy body inside.

CAUSE

The skin loses its elasticity and suppleness. It becomes thinner and dryer. With age, wrinkles are inevitable. But there are ways to avoid getting them earlier than necessary.

PREVENTION

• Stay out of the sun. Avoid tanning booths; they produce the same wrinkling as the sun. Wear a hat when out in the sunlight.

• Eat carefully of good food. Exercise, drink enough fluids, and get adequate sleep. Pressing your face against a pillow adds more wrinkles. Do not scrunch up your face when you talk; that makes new wrinkle patterns.

• Avoid alcohol and nicotine. Tobacco dramatically ages the skin! Smoking makes a 25-year-old woman look like a 35-year-old! Smoking also decreases blood supply to the face and skin.

• Dampen the skin and then apply a little vegetable oil, to lubricate it. That will help put water and oil into your skin cells.

• Massage your face as the Orientals do. That tends to exercise the skin and facial muscles and strengthen them.

Now, don't laugh, and I will give you more suggestions:

• To soften and nourish your skin, mash half an avocado and put it on your face. Leave it there until it dries, and then wipe it off with water. Avocado has essential oils.

• To reduce puffiness under your eyes, place cool slices of cucumber over them for 10 minutes.

• To tighten and refine skin pores, whip an egg white and apply it to your face. After 15-20 minutes (if you can still breathe), rinse it off with water.

• To remove dead surface skin cells and improve skin texture, Japanese women gently rub a small handful of dry short-grain rice against their faces.

• To cleanse the pores, rub mashed tomato over your face.