Mulch: the great cover-up - varieties and application techniques
WHEN A LEAF FALLS IN THE woods, it is not likely that anyone would pick it up. Leaves, plant litter and other organic debris cover the forest floor, grass layers build up over the prairie and rocks and gravel top off the sandy soil in desert areas. No matter what the climate or topography, the soil in nature is covered with some kind of mulch. It pays for us to apply this lesson in our home gardens as well, to reap the benefits that nature has enjoyed from the beginning.
FOUR REASONS TO MULCH
Smother out weeds. A mulch on top of your soil reduces weeds in two ways. First, it blocks the weed seeds that blow into the area from above by providing a less hospitable germination bed than bare soil. Second, it blocks many weed seeds already in your soil that may try to sprout up from below. The deeper the mulch, the more weeds you will block.
For more effective weed blocking, lay down a three-page layer of newspaper before applying your mulching material. The newspaper will provide an additional weed barrier and will decay into the soil over time.
Conserve moisture. Water evaporates more quickly from soil that is left naked. A mulch not only shades the soil from the hot sun, but organic mulches soften the earth and improve aeration as they slowly decompose. This softening encourages plant roots to reach down deeper, where they are more likely to find moisture on their own.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Mulch: the great cover-up - varieties and application techniques
Mulch: the great cover-up - varieties and application techniques
WHEN A LEAF FALLS IN THE woods, it is not likely that anyone would pick it up. Leaves, plant litter and other organic debris cover the forest floor, grass layers build up over the prairie and rocks and gravel top off the sandy soil in desert areas. No matter what the climate or topography, the soil in nature is covered with some kind of mulch. It pays for us to apply this lesson in our home gardens as well, to reap the benefits that nature has enjoyed from the beginning.
FOUR REASONS TO MULCH
Smother out weeds. A mulch on top of your soil reduces weeds in two ways. First, it blocks the weed seeds that blow into the area from above by providing a less hospitable germination bed than bare soil. Second, it blocks many weed seeds already in your soil that may try to sprout up from below. The deeper the mulch, the more weeds you will block.
For more effective weed blocking, lay down a three-page layer of newspaper before applying your mulching material. The newspaper will provide an additional weed barrier and will decay into the soil over time.
Conserve moisture. Water evaporates more quickly from soil that is left naked. A mulch not only shades the soil from the hot sun, but organic mulches soften the earth and improve aeration as they slowly decompose. This softening encourages plant roots to reach down deeper, where they are more likely to find moisture on their own.
WHEN A LEAF FALLS IN THE woods, it is not likely that anyone would pick it up. Leaves, plant litter and other organic debris cover the forest floor, grass layers build up over the prairie and rocks and gravel top off the sandy soil in desert areas. No matter what the climate or topography, the soil in nature is covered with some kind of mulch. It pays for us to apply this lesson in our home gardens as well, to reap the benefits that nature has enjoyed from the beginning.
FOUR REASONS TO MULCH
Smother out weeds. A mulch on top of your soil reduces weeds in two ways. First, it blocks the weed seeds that blow into the area from above by providing a less hospitable germination bed than bare soil. Second, it blocks many weed seeds already in your soil that may try to sprout up from below. The deeper the mulch, the more weeds you will block.
For more effective weed blocking, lay down a three-page layer of newspaper before applying your mulching material. The newspaper will provide an additional weed barrier and will decay into the soil over time.
Conserve moisture. Water evaporates more quickly from soil that is left naked. A mulch not only shades the soil from the hot sun, but organic mulches soften the earth and improve aeration as they slowly decompose. This softening encourages plant roots to reach down deeper, where they are more likely to find moisture on their own.
The gentle art of forcing bulbs - Brief Article
The gentle art of forcing bulbs - Brief Article
Coax spring bulbs to flower indoors during winter
In the dead of winter, spring-blooming bulbs are especially welcome in the house. They can easily fill a room with a delightful perfume and remind you that spring really is just around the corner.
The process of getting flower bulbs to bloom ahead of schedule is called forcing. Depending on the kind of bulbs you choose, you could enjoy your first blooms in less than 10 weeks.
We list several popular bulbs, which you can find at most nurseries and garden centers this month or buy through mail-order catalogs. Note that many bulbs require a certain amount of chilling; some need to be refrigerated, others can be planted then chilled outdoors (see "Forcing tips" on page 83). Chilling periods given here are based on the recommendations of the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center.
CROCUS AND HYACINTHS must be chilled. They can be forced, one bulb per jar or vase, in water alone without any soil; there are special forcing jars and vases for crocus and hyacinths.
Crocus corms need to be refrigerated for 15 weeks. After chilling, place each corm in its own water-filled crocus forcing jar or vase at around 60[degrees]; flowers will emerge in about two weeks. Choose Crocus vernus in shades of purple, lavender, yellow, or white.
Hyacinth bulbs need to be refrigerated for 12 weeks. Then place each bulb in a water-filled hyacinth forcing jar or vase at around 70[degrees]; flowers follow in two or three weeks. Try fragrant Dutch hyacinths in shades of blue, purple, pink, or white.
Coax spring bulbs to flower indoors during winter
In the dead of winter, spring-blooming bulbs are especially welcome in the house. They can easily fill a room with a delightful perfume and remind you that spring really is just around the corner.
The process of getting flower bulbs to bloom ahead of schedule is called forcing. Depending on the kind of bulbs you choose, you could enjoy your first blooms in less than 10 weeks.
We list several popular bulbs, which you can find at most nurseries and garden centers this month or buy through mail-order catalogs. Note that many bulbs require a certain amount of chilling; some need to be refrigerated, others can be planted then chilled outdoors (see "Forcing tips" on page 83). Chilling periods given here are based on the recommendations of the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center.
CROCUS AND HYACINTHS must be chilled. They can be forced, one bulb per jar or vase, in water alone without any soil; there are special forcing jars and vases for crocus and hyacinths.
Crocus corms need to be refrigerated for 15 weeks. After chilling, place each corm in its own water-filled crocus forcing jar or vase at around 60[degrees]; flowers will emerge in about two weeks. Choose Crocus vernus in shades of purple, lavender, yellow, or white.
Hyacinth bulbs need to be refrigerated for 12 weeks. Then place each bulb in a water-filled hyacinth forcing jar or vase at around 70[degrees]; flowers follow in two or three weeks. Try fragrant Dutch hyacinths in shades of blue, purple, pink, or white.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
CFCs are lowering the average concentration of ozone in the stratosphere. "Since 1978 the use of CFCs in aerosol cans has been banned in the United States, Canada, and most Scandinavian countries. Aerosols are still the largest use, accounting for 25% of global CFC use". (Miller 448) Spray cans, discarded or leaking refrigeration and air conditioning equipment, and the burning plastic foam products release the CFCs into the atmosphere. Depending on the type, CFCs stay in the atmosphere from 22 to 111 years. Chlorofluorocarbons move up to the stratosphere gradually over several decades. Under high energy ultra violet (UV) radiation, they break down and release chlorine atoms, which speed up the breakdown of ozone (O3) into oxygen gas (O2).
Chlorofluorocarbons, also known as Freons, are greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Photochemical air pollution is commonly referred to as "smog". Smog, a contraction of the words smoke and fog, has been caused throughout recorded history by water condensing on smoke particles, usually from burning coal. With the introduction of petroleum to replace coal economies in countries, photochemical smog has become predominant in many cities, which are located in sunny, warm, and dry climates with many motor vehicles. The worst episodes of photochemical smog tend to occur in summer.
Smog:
To enlarge the image, click on it.
Photochemical smog is also appearing in regions of the tropics and subtropics where savanna grasses are periodically burned. Smog's unpleasant properties result from the irradiation by sunlight of hydrocarbons caused primarily by unburned gasoline emitted by automobiles and other combustion sources. The products of photochemical reactions includes organic particles, ozone, aldehydes, ketones, peroxyacetyl nitrate, organic acids, and other oxidants. Ozone is a gas created by nitrogen dioxide or nitric oxide when exposed to sunlight. Ozone causes eye irritation, impaired lung function, and damage to trees and crops. Another form of smog is called industrial smog.
This smog is created by burning coal and heavy oil that contain sulfur impurities in power plants, industrial plants, etc... The smog consists mostly of a mixture of sulfur dioxide and fog. Suspended droplets of sulfuric acid are formed from some of the sulfur dioxide, and a variety of suspended solid particles. This smog is common during the winter in cities such as London, Chicago, Pittsburgh. When these cities burned large amounts of coal and heavy oil without control of the output, large-scale problems were witnessed. In 1952 London, England, 4,000 people died as a result of this form of fog. Today coal and heavy oil are burned only in large boilers and with reasonably good control or tall smokestacks so that industrial smog is less of a problem. However, some countries such as China, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and some other eastern European countries, still burn large quantities of coal without using adequate controls.
Pollution Damage to Plants:
With the destruction and burning of the rain forests more and more CO2 is being released into the atmosphere. Trees play an important role in producing oxygen from carbon dioxide. "A 115 year old Beech tree exposes about 200,000 leaves with a total surface to 1200 square meters. During the course of one sunny day such a tree inhales 9,400 liters of carbon dioxide to produce 12 kilograms of carbohydrate, thus liberating 9,400 liters of oxygen. Through this mechanism about 45,000 liters of air are regenerated which is sufficient for the respiration of 2 to 3 people". (Breuer 1) This process is called photosynthesis which all plants go though but some yield more and some less oxygen. As long as no more wood is burnt than is reproduced by the forests, no change in atmospheric CO2 concentration will result.
Pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone and peroxyacl nitrates (PANs), cause direct damage to leaves of crop plants and trees when they enter leaf pores (stomates). Chronic exposure of leaves and needles to air pollutants can also break down the waxy coating that helps prevent excessive water loss and damage from diseases, pests, drought and frost. "In the midwestern United States crop losses of wheat, corn, soybeans, and peanuts from damage by ozone and acid deposition amount to about $5 billion a year". (Miller 498)
Reducing Pollution:
You can help to reduce global air pollution and climate change by driving a car that gets at least 35 miles a gallon, walking, bicycling, and using mass transit when possible. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, make your home more energy efficient, and buy only energy efficient appliances. Recycle newspapers, aluminum, and other materials. Plant trees and avoid purchasing products such as Styrofoam that contain CFCs. Support much stricter clean air laws and enforcement of international treaties to reduce ozone depletion and slow global warming.
Earth is everybody's home and nobody likes living in a dirty home. Together, we can make the earth a cleaner, healthier and more pleasant place to live.
2 Causes of water pollution?
Water pollution can come from a number of different sources. If the pollution comes from a single source, such as an oil spill, it is called point-source pollution. If the pollution comes from many sources, it is called no point-source pollution.
Most types of pollution affect the immediate area surrounding the source. Sometimes the pollution may affect the environment hundreds of miles away from the source, such as nuclear waste, this is called Tran boundary pollution.
Domestic households, industrial and agricultural practices produce wastewater that can cause pollution of many lakes and rivers.
· Sewage is the term used for wastewater that often contains faces, urine and laundry waste.
· There are billions of people on Earth, so treating sewage is a big priority.
· Sewage disposal is a major problem in developing countries as many people in these areas don’t have access to sanitary conditions and clean water.
· Untreated sewage water in such areas can contaminate the environment and cause diseases such as diarrhea.
· Sewage in developed countries is carried away from the home quickly and hygienically through sewage pipes.
· Sewage is treated in water treatment plants and the waste is often disposed into the sea.
· Sewage is mainly biodegradable and most of it is broken down in the environment.
· In developed countries, sewage often causes problems when people flush chemical and pharmaceutical substances down the toilet. When people are ill, sewage often carries harmful viruses and bacteria into the environment causing health problems.
Industry is a huge source of water pollution, it produces pollutants that are extremely harmful to people and the environment.
· Many industrial facilities use freshwater to carry away waste from the plant and into rivers, lakes and oceans.
· Pollutants from industrial sources include:
o Asbestos – This pollutant is a serious health hazard and carcinogenic. Asbestos fibers can be inhaled and cause illnesses such as asbestosis, mesothelioma, lung cancer, intestinal cancer and liver cancer.
o Lead – This is a metallic element and can cause health and environmental problems. It is a non-biodegradable substance so is hard to clean up once the environment is contaminated. Lead is harmful to the health of many animals, including humans, as it can inhibit the action of bodily enzymes.
o Mercury - This is a metallic element and can cause health and environmental problems. It is a non-biodegradable substance so is hard to clean up once the environment is contaminated. Mercury is also harmful to animal health as it can cause illness through mercury poisoning.
o Nitrates – The increased use of fertilizers means that nitrates are more often being washed from the soil and into rivers and lakes. This can cause eutrophication, which can be very problematic to marine environments.
o Phosphates - The increased use of fertilizers means that phosphates are more often being washed from the soil and into rivers and lakes. This can cause eutrophication, which can be very problematic to marine environments.
o Sulphur – This is a non
CFCs are lowering the average concentration of ozone in the stratosphere. "Since 1978 the use of CFCs in aerosol cans has been banned in the United States, Canada, and most Scandinavian countries. Aerosols are still the largest use, accounting for 25% of global CFC use". (Miller 448) Spray cans, discarded or leaking refrigeration and air conditioning equipment, and the burning plastic foam products release the CFCs into the atmosphere. Depending on the type, CFCs stay in the atmosphere from 22 to 111 years. Chlorofluorocarbons move up to the stratosphere gradually over several decades. Under high energy ultra violet (UV) radiation, they break down and release chlorine atoms, which speed up the breakdown of ozone (O3) into oxygen gas (O2).
Chlorofluorocarbons, also known as Freons, are greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Photochemical air pollution is commonly referred to as "smog". Smog, a contraction of the words smoke and fog, has been caused throughout recorded history by water condensing on smoke particles, usually from burning coal. With the introduction of petroleum to replace coal economies in countries, photochemical smog has become predominant in many cities, which are located in sunny, warm, and dry climates with many motor vehicles. The worst episodes of photochemical smog tend to occur in summer.
Smog:
To enlarge the image, click on it.
Photochemical smog is also appearing in regions of the tropics and subtropics where savanna grasses are periodically burned. Smog's unpleasant properties result from the irradiation by sunlight of hydrocarbons caused primarily by unburned gasoline emitted by automobiles and other combustion sources. The products of photochemical reactions includes organic particles, ozone, aldehydes, ketones, peroxyacetyl nitrate, organic acids, and other oxidants. Ozone is a gas created by nitrogen dioxide or nitric oxide when exposed to sunlight. Ozone causes eye irritation, impaired lung function, and damage to trees and crops. Another form of smog is called industrial smog.
This smog is created by burning coal and heavy oil that contain sulfur impurities in power plants, industrial plants, etc... The smog consists mostly of a mixture of sulfur dioxide and fog. Suspended droplets of sulfuric acid are formed from some of the sulfur dioxide, and a variety of suspended solid particles. This smog is common during the winter in cities such as London, Chicago, Pittsburgh. When these cities burned large amounts of coal and heavy oil without control of the output, large-scale problems were witnessed. In 1952 London, England, 4,000 people died as a result of this form of fog. Today coal and heavy oil are burned only in large boilers and with reasonably good control or tall smokestacks so that industrial smog is less of a problem. However, some countries such as China, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and some other eastern European countries, still burn large quantities of coal without using adequate controls.
Pollution Damage to Plants:
With the destruction and burning of the rain forests more and more CO2 is being released into the atmosphere. Trees play an important role in producing oxygen from carbon dioxide. "A 115 year old Beech tree exposes about 200,000 leaves with a total surface to 1200 square meters. During the course of one sunny day such a tree inhales 9,400 liters of carbon dioxide to produce 12 kilograms of carbohydrate, thus liberating 9,400 liters of oxygen. Through this mechanism about 45,000 liters of air are regenerated which is sufficient for the respiration of 2 to 3 people". (Breuer 1) This process is called photosynthesis which all plants go though but some yield more and some less oxygen. As long as no more wood is burnt than is reproduced by the forests, no change in atmospheric CO2 concentration will result.
Pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone and peroxyacl nitrates (PANs), cause direct damage to leaves of crop plants and trees when they enter leaf pores (stomates). Chronic exposure of leaves and needles to air pollutants can also break down the waxy coating that helps prevent excessive water loss and damage from diseases, pests, drought and frost. "In the midwestern United States crop losses of wheat, corn, soybeans, and peanuts from damage by ozone and acid deposition amount to about $5 billion a year". (Miller 498)
Reducing Pollution:
You can help to reduce global air pollution and climate change by driving a car that gets at least 35 miles a gallon, walking, bicycling, and using mass transit when possible. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, make your home more energy efficient, and buy only energy efficient appliances. Recycle newspapers, aluminum, and other materials. Plant trees and avoid purchasing products such as Styrofoam that contain CFCs. Support much stricter clean air laws and enforcement of international treaties to reduce ozone depletion and slow global warming.
Earth is everybody's home and nobody likes living in a dirty home. Together, we can make the earth a cleaner, healthier and more pleasant place to live.
2 Causes of water pollution?
Water pollution can come from a number of different sources. If the pollution comes from a single source, such as an oil spill, it is called point-source pollution. If the pollution comes from many sources, it is called no point-source pollution.
Most types of pollution affect the immediate area surrounding the source. Sometimes the pollution may affect the environment hundreds of miles away from the source, such as nuclear waste, this is called Tran boundary pollution.
Domestic households, industrial and agricultural practices produce wastewater that can cause pollution of many lakes and rivers.
· Sewage is the term used for wastewater that often contains faces, urine and laundry waste.
· There are billions of people on Earth, so treating sewage is a big priority.
· Sewage disposal is a major problem in developing countries as many people in these areas don’t have access to sanitary conditions and clean water.
· Untreated sewage water in such areas can contaminate the environment and cause diseases such as diarrhea.
· Sewage in developed countries is carried away from the home quickly and hygienically through sewage pipes.
· Sewage is treated in water treatment plants and the waste is often disposed into the sea.
· Sewage is mainly biodegradable and most of it is broken down in the environment.
· In developed countries, sewage often causes problems when people flush chemical and pharmaceutical substances down the toilet. When people are ill, sewage often carries harmful viruses and bacteria into the environment causing health problems.
Industry is a huge source of water pollution, it produces pollutants that are extremely harmful to people and the environment.
· Many industrial facilities use freshwater to carry away waste from the plant and into rivers, lakes and oceans.
· Pollutants from industrial sources include:
o Asbestos – This pollutant is a serious health hazard and carcinogenic. Asbestos fibers can be inhaled and cause illnesses such as asbestosis, mesothelioma, lung cancer, intestinal cancer and liver cancer.
o Lead – This is a metallic element and can cause health and environmental problems. It is a non-biodegradable substance so is hard to clean up once the environment is contaminated. Lead is harmful to the health of many animals, including humans, as it can inhibit the action of bodily enzymes.
o Mercury - This is a metallic element and can cause health and environmental problems. It is a non-biodegradable substance so is hard to clean up once the environment is contaminated. Mercury is also harmful to animal health as it can cause illness through mercury poisoning.
o Nitrates – The increased use of fertilizers means that nitrates are more often being washed from the soil and into rivers and lakes. This can cause eutrophication, which can be very problematic to marine environments.
o Phosphates - The increased use of fertilizers means that phosphates are more often being washed from the soil and into rivers and lakes. This can cause eutrophication, which can be very problematic to marine environments.
o Sulphur – This is a non
Say goodbye to paper airline tickets
Say goodbye to paper airline tickets
All-electronic tickets will save money, add convenience for customers
NEW YORK - Next summer, paper airline tickets will go the way of vinyl records and rotary-dial phones: They won't entirely disappear, but they'll be hard to find.
On June 1, the industry association that handles ticketing for most major airlines will stop issuing paper tickets. Some small regional or foreign airlines will continue issuing paper tickets, but they'll be few and far between.
Indeed, even without the International Air Transport Association's directive, the vast majority of airline tickets are already electronic. IATA says paper tickets have fallen to less than 14 percent of the 400 million tickets it processes each year.
On its face, the move to all electronic ticketing is a no-brainer for the airline industry. Paper tickets cost airlines $10 to $17, on average, compared with $1 or less for electronic tickets. A fully electronic ticketing system will save the industry $3 billion a year, the IATA estimates.
"From the airline perspective, it's 100 percent upside," said Robert Mann, an airline consultant in Port Washington, N.Y.
dition to pure cost savings, electronic ticketing lets airlines record revenue more quickly on their balance sheets and track revenue patterns. Airlines used to have to bundle and ship tickets to a processing facility, where each ticket had to be fed into a computer, before revenue could be booked or analyzed.
The industry also says electronic ticketing is more convenient to customers, who can manage their own bookings and make changes online without needing to call a travel agent or airline representative.
"It's very simple for the customer and has far superior protections for the customer," said Tim Smith, a spokesman for American Airlines parent AMR Corp.
Mann has a slightly different take.
"What's really happened here is that a lot of the work has been outsourced to the customer," Mann said.
Travelers holding electronic tickets perform most of the functions that used to be handled by the airlines, including in many cases booking their flights at a Web site, printing their itinerary, checking in for their flights online and printing a boarding pass from an airport kiosk.
Many people prefer it that way, but those who don't will still have the option of booking through a travel agent or airline sales representative.
Lorne Riley, an IATA spokesman, says electronic tickets are more secure than the paper variety, which can be easily forged. Mann notes that many foreign countries require travelers to present a ticket for either onward or return travel to gain entry. Riley said printed itineraries are accepted in most cases as proof of electronic ticket-based travel plans.
Most airlines have already mostly phased out paper tickets — AMR's Smith estimates that more than 98 percent of American's tickets are electronic — so the IATA move largely just codifies an industry shift that has already occurred.
Some smaller airlines will likely stick with paper ticketing, for now.
"It's ones for whom moving to a fully electronic system doesn't make economic sense," such as small regional carriers that fly a few thousand customers a year, who will keep issuing paper tickets, Mann said.
"Some carriers ... they'll just continue to provide their own solution," said Riley.
Indeed, the IATA's move applies only to the 70 to 75 percent of overall airline tickets. The IATA does not represent low-cost carriers such as Ryanair Holdings PLC and Southwest Airlines.
"We do not have any plans of eliminating paper stock," said Jeannine Rahe, a spokeswoman for the Airline Reporting Corp., or ARC, a separate organization that processes 169 million airline transactions, including tickets and exchanges, each year.
Still, Rahe said 96.8 percent of the tickets ARC processes are electronic.
All-electronic tickets will save money, add convenience for customers
NEW YORK - Next summer, paper airline tickets will go the way of vinyl records and rotary-dial phones: They won't entirely disappear, but they'll be hard to find.
On June 1, the industry association that handles ticketing for most major airlines will stop issuing paper tickets. Some small regional or foreign airlines will continue issuing paper tickets, but they'll be few and far between.
Indeed, even without the International Air Transport Association's directive, the vast majority of airline tickets are already electronic. IATA says paper tickets have fallen to less than 14 percent of the 400 million tickets it processes each year.
On its face, the move to all electronic ticketing is a no-brainer for the airline industry. Paper tickets cost airlines $10 to $17, on average, compared with $1 or less for electronic tickets. A fully electronic ticketing system will save the industry $3 billion a year, the IATA estimates.
"From the airline perspective, it's 100 percent upside," said Robert Mann, an airline consultant in Port Washington, N.Y.
dition to pure cost savings, electronic ticketing lets airlines record revenue more quickly on their balance sheets and track revenue patterns. Airlines used to have to bundle and ship tickets to a processing facility, where each ticket had to be fed into a computer, before revenue could be booked or analyzed.
The industry also says electronic ticketing is more convenient to customers, who can manage their own bookings and make changes online without needing to call a travel agent or airline representative.
"It's very simple for the customer and has far superior protections for the customer," said Tim Smith, a spokesman for American Airlines parent AMR Corp.
Mann has a slightly different take.
"What's really happened here is that a lot of the work has been outsourced to the customer," Mann said.
Travelers holding electronic tickets perform most of the functions that used to be handled by the airlines, including in many cases booking their flights at a Web site, printing their itinerary, checking in for their flights online and printing a boarding pass from an airport kiosk.
Many people prefer it that way, but those who don't will still have the option of booking through a travel agent or airline sales representative.
Lorne Riley, an IATA spokesman, says electronic tickets are more secure than the paper variety, which can be easily forged. Mann notes that many foreign countries require travelers to present a ticket for either onward or return travel to gain entry. Riley said printed itineraries are accepted in most cases as proof of electronic ticket-based travel plans.
Most airlines have already mostly phased out paper tickets — AMR's Smith estimates that more than 98 percent of American's tickets are electronic — so the IATA move largely just codifies an industry shift that has already occurred.
Some smaller airlines will likely stick with paper ticketing, for now.
"It's ones for whom moving to a fully electronic system doesn't make economic sense," such as small regional carriers that fly a few thousand customers a year, who will keep issuing paper tickets, Mann said.
"Some carriers ... they'll just continue to provide their own solution," said Riley.
Indeed, the IATA's move applies only to the 70 to 75 percent of overall airline tickets. The IATA does not represent low-cost carriers such as Ryanair Holdings PLC and Southwest Airlines.
"We do not have any plans of eliminating paper stock," said Jeannine Rahe, a spokeswoman for the Airline Reporting Corp., or ARC, a separate organization that processes 169 million airline transactions, including tickets and exchanges, each year.
Still, Rahe said 96.8 percent of the tickets ARC processes are electronic.
6 Great Las Vegas Hotels
6 Great Las Vegas Hotels
Looking for tips on just the right place to stay on your Las Vegas vacation? There are a lot of great hotels in Vegas, but these six definitely stand out.
Wynn Hotel
The newest masterpiece by Vegas hotel legend Steve Wynn, the 50-story Wynn Hotel opened in 2004 with 2,716 rooms, an 18-hole golf course, 19 restaurants, and 54 private spa treatment rooms. His namesake hotel displays his amazing art collection, offers incredible shopping right on site, and has a posh private lobby for VIPs. And of course, there's an awesome state-of-the-art casino at it's heart.
Bellagio
Built by Steve Wynn in 1998, the lavish Bellagio has excellent rooms, awesome service, and an amazing water fountain show. In December 2004, just before the Wynn Hotel opened, the Bellagio added a special 928-room Spa Tower, boosting total capacity to 3,933 rooms. The Bellagio is so ritzy that they offer a 50-minute body bronzing treatment with real gold dust.
THEhotel at Mandalay Bay
This all-suite exclusive hotel within the larger Mandalay Bay property has 1,117 rooms that aim for a more cosmopolitan clientele than it's namesake parent. Each suite is 725 square feet of luxury with three flat-screen televisions, including one in the mega-swank bathrooms.
Four Seasons
Another swank luxury hotel within the Mandalay Bay complex, the Four Seasons occupies floors 35-39 and has rates much higher than the standard $119-$349 of its parent. Four Seasons guests have their own elevator and entrance, plus pools, spa, and restaurants in an adjacent building.
Ritz Carlton at Lake Las Vegas
The Ritz Carlton hotel is a half-hour's drive from the Strip, but it's renowned for it's golfing and outdoor activities. It nestles against manmade Lake Las Vegas where the water offers a refreshing alternative to the summertime heat. This three-year-old Tuscan-themed resort still maintains a touch of the glitz: Guests can stay on a special bridge with suites built to recreate Florence's legendary Ponte Vecchio (Bridge of Gold).
Venetian Resort Hotel Casino
Located near the Wynn, this 4,027-suite hotel is part of the Sands Hotel group. Rooms are luxuriously appointed and the casino is magnificent. Coming this summer is a new theater hosting Andrew Lloyd Webber's smash hit musical, the "Phantom of the Opera."
So, there you have it. Six great Vegas hotels that will never fail to dazzle and are guaranteed to impress even the most jaded repeat visitor. Just be sure to book ahead to get the best discounts on room rates and snag hard-to-get show tickets well in advance.
Looking for tips on just the right place to stay on your Las Vegas vacation? There are a lot of great hotels in Vegas, but these six definitely stand out.
Wynn Hotel
The newest masterpiece by Vegas hotel legend Steve Wynn, the 50-story Wynn Hotel opened in 2004 with 2,716 rooms, an 18-hole golf course, 19 restaurants, and 54 private spa treatment rooms. His namesake hotel displays his amazing art collection, offers incredible shopping right on site, and has a posh private lobby for VIPs. And of course, there's an awesome state-of-the-art casino at it's heart.
Bellagio
Built by Steve Wynn in 1998, the lavish Bellagio has excellent rooms, awesome service, and an amazing water fountain show. In December 2004, just before the Wynn Hotel opened, the Bellagio added a special 928-room Spa Tower, boosting total capacity to 3,933 rooms. The Bellagio is so ritzy that they offer a 50-minute body bronzing treatment with real gold dust.
THEhotel at Mandalay Bay
This all-suite exclusive hotel within the larger Mandalay Bay property has 1,117 rooms that aim for a more cosmopolitan clientele than it's namesake parent. Each suite is 725 square feet of luxury with three flat-screen televisions, including one in the mega-swank bathrooms.
Four Seasons
Another swank luxury hotel within the Mandalay Bay complex, the Four Seasons occupies floors 35-39 and has rates much higher than the standard $119-$349 of its parent. Four Seasons guests have their own elevator and entrance, plus pools, spa, and restaurants in an adjacent building.
Ritz Carlton at Lake Las Vegas
The Ritz Carlton hotel is a half-hour's drive from the Strip, but it's renowned for it's golfing and outdoor activities. It nestles against manmade Lake Las Vegas where the water offers a refreshing alternative to the summertime heat. This three-year-old Tuscan-themed resort still maintains a touch of the glitz: Guests can stay on a special bridge with suites built to recreate Florence's legendary Ponte Vecchio (Bridge of Gold).
Venetian Resort Hotel Casino
Located near the Wynn, this 4,027-suite hotel is part of the Sands Hotel group. Rooms are luxuriously appointed and the casino is magnificent. Coming this summer is a new theater hosting Andrew Lloyd Webber's smash hit musical, the "Phantom of the Opera."
So, there you have it. Six great Vegas hotels that will never fail to dazzle and are guaranteed to impress even the most jaded repeat visitor. Just be sure to book ahead to get the best discounts on room rates and snag hard-to-get show tickets well in advance.
1.write causes and consequences of air polluion?
1.write causes and consequences of air polluion?
Air Pollution in the Home
You cannot escape air pollution, not even in your own home. "In 1985 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that toxic chemicals found in the air of almost every American home are three times more likely to cause some type of cancer than outdoor air pollutants". (Miller 488) The health problems in these buildings are called "sick building syndrome". "An estimated one-fifth to one-third of all U.S. buildings are now considered "sick". (Miller 489) The EPA has found that the air in some office buildings is 100 times more polluted than the air outside. Poor ventilation causes about half of the indoor air pollution problems. The rest come from specific sources such as copying machines, electrical and telephone cables, mold and microbe-harboring air conditioning systems and ducts, cleaning fluids, cigarette smoke, carpet, latex caulk and paint, vinyl molding, linoleum tile, and building materials and furniture that emit air pollutants such as formaldehyde. A major indoor air pollutant is radon-222, a colorless, odorless, tasteless, naturally occurring radioactive gas produced by the radioactive decay of uranium-238. "According to studies by the EPA and the National Research Council, exposure to radon is second only to smoking as a cause of lung cancer". (Miller 489) Radon enters through pores and cracks in concrete when indoor air pressure is less than the pressure of gasses in the soil. Indoor air will be healthier than outdoor air if you use an energy recovery ventilator to provide a consistent supply of fresh filtered air and then seal air leaks in the shell of your home .
Sources of Pollutants
To enlarge an image, click on it.
The two main sources of pollutants in urban areas are transportation (predominantly automobiles) and fuel combustion in stationary sources, including residential, commercial, and industrial heating and cooling and coal-burning power plants. Motor vehicles produce high levels of carbon monoxides (CO) and a major source of hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). Whereas, fuel combustion in stationary sources is the dominant source of sulfur dioxide (SO2).
Carbon Dioxide
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the major pollutants in the atmosphere. Major sources of CO2 are fossil fuels burning and deforestation. "The concentrations of CO2 in the air around 1860 before the effects of industrialization were felt, is assumed to have been about 290 parts per million (ppm). In the hundred years and more since then, the concentration has increased by about 30 to 35 ppm that is by 10 percent". (Breuer 67) Industrial countries account for 65% of CO2 emissions with the United States and Soviet Union responsible for 50%. Less developed countries (LDCs), with 80% of the world's people, are responsible for 35% of CO2 emissions but may contribute 50% by 2020. "Carbon dioxide emissions are increasing by 4% a year". (Miller 450)
In 1975, 18 thousand million tons of carbon dioxide (equivalent to 5 thousand million tons of carbon) were released into the atmosphere, but the atmosphere showed an increase of only 8 billion tons (equivalent to 2.2 billion tons of carbon". (Breuer 70) The ocean waters contain about sixty times more CO2 than the atmosphere. If the equilibrium is disturbed by externally increasing the concentration of CO2 in the air, then the oceans would absorb more and more CO2. If the oceans can no longer keep pace, then more CO2 will remain into the atmosphere. As water warms, its ability to absorb CO2 is reduced.
CO2 is a good transmitter of sunlight, but partially restricts infrared radiation going back from the earth into space. This produces the so-called greenhouse effect that prevents a drastic cooling of the Earth during the night. Increasing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere reinforces this effect and is expected to result in a warming of the Earth's surface. Currently carbon dioxide is responsible for 57% of the global warming trend. Nitrogen oxides contribute most of the atmospheric contaminants.
N0X - nitric oxide (N0) and nitrogen dioxide (N02)
· Natural component of the Earth's atmosphere.
· Important in the formation of both acid precipitation and photochemical smog (ozone), and causes nitrogen loading.
· Comes from the burning of biomass and fossil fuels.
· 30 to 50 million tons per year from human activities, and natural 10 to 20 million tons per year.
· Average residence time in the atmosphere is days.
· Has a role in reducing stratospheric ozone.
N20 - nitrous oxide
· Natural component of the Earth's atmosphere.
· Important in the greenhouse effect and causes nitrogen loading.
· Human inputs 6 million tons per year, and 19 million tons per year by nature.
· Residence time in the atmosphere about 170 years.
· 1700 (285 parts per billion), 1990 (310 parts per billion), 2030 (340 parts per billion).
· Comes from nitrogen based fertilizers, deforestation, and biomass burning.
Sulfur and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
Sulfur dioxide is produced by combustion of sulfur-containing fuels, such as coal and fuel oils. Also, in the process of producing sulfuric acid and in metallurgical process involving ores that contain sulfur. Sulfur oxides can injure man, plants and materials. At sufficiently high concentrations, sulfur dioxide irritates the upper respiratory tract of human beings because potential effect of sulfur dioxide is to make breathing more difficult by causing the finer air tubes of the lung to constrict. "Power plants and factories emit 90% to 95% of the sulfur dioxide and 57% of the nitrogen oxides in the United States. Almost 60% of the SO2 emissions are released by tall smoke stakes, enabling the emissions to travel long distances". (Miller 494) As emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitric oxide from stationary sources are transported long distances by winds, they form secondary pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, nitric acid vapor, and droplets containing solutions of sulfuric acid, sulfate, and nitrate salts. These chemicals descend to the earth's surface in wet form as rain or snow and in dry form as a gases fog, dew, or solid particles. This is known as acid deposition or acid rain.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
CFCs are lowering the average concentration of ozone in the stratosphere. "Since 1978 the use of CFCs in aerosol cans has been banned in the United States, Canada, and most Scandinavian countries. Aerosols are still the largest use, accounting for 25% of global CFC use". (Miller 448) Spray cans, discarded or leaking refrigeration and air conditioning equipment, and the burning plastic foam products release the CFCs into the atmosphere. Depending on the type, CFCs stay in the atmosphere from 22 to 111 years. Chlorofluorocarbons move up to the stratosphere gradually over several decades. Under high energy ultra violet (UV) radiation, they break down and release chlorine atoms, which speed up the breakdown of ozone (O3) into oxygen gas (O2).
Chlorofluorocarbons, also known as Freons, are greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Photochemical air pollution is commonly referred to as "smog". Smog, a contraction of the words smoke and fog, has been caused throughout recorded history by water condensing on smoke particles, usually from burning coal. With the introduction of petroleum to replace coal economies in countries, photochemical smog has become predominant in many cities, which are located in sunny, warm, and dry climates with many motor vehicles. The worst episodes of photochemical smog tend to occur in summer.
Smog:
To enlarge the image, click on it.
Photochemical smog is also appearing in regions of the tropics and subtropics where savanna grasses are periodically burned. Smog's unpleasant properties result from the irradiation by sunlight of hydrocarbons caused primarily by unburned gasoline emitted by automobiles and other combustion sources. The products of photochemical reactions includes organic particles, ozone, aldehydes, ketones, peroxyacetyl nitrate, organic acids, and other oxidants. Ozone is a gas created by nitrogen dioxide or nitric oxide when exposed to sunlight. Ozone causes eye irritation, impaired lung function, and damage to trees and crops. Another form of smog is called industrial smog.
This smog is created by burning coal and heavy oil that contain sulfur impurities in power plants, industrial plants, etc... The smog consists mostly of a mixture of sulfur dioxide and fog. Suspended droplets of sulfuric acid are formed from some of the sulfur dioxide, and a variety of suspended solid particles. This smog is common during the winter in cities such as London, Chicago, Pittsburgh. When these cities burned large amounts of coal and heavy oil without control of the output, large-scale problems were witnessed. In 1952 London, England, 4,000 people died as a result of this form of fog. Today coal and heavy oil are burned only in large boilers and with reasonably good control or tall smokestacks so that industrial smog is less of a problem. However, some countries such as China, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and some other eastern European countries, still burn large quantities of coal without using adequate controls.
Pollution Damage to Plants:
With the destruction and burning of the rain forests more and more CO2 is being released into the atmosphere. Trees play an important role in producing oxygen from carbon dioxide. "A 115 year old Beech tree exposes about 200,000 leaves with a total surface to 1200 square meters. During the course of one sunny day such a tree inhales 9,400 liters of carbon dioxide to produce 12 kilograms of carbohydrate, thus liberating 9,400 liters of oxygen. Through this mechanism about 45,000 liters of air are regenerated which is sufficient for the respiration of 2 to 3 people". (Breuer 1) This process is called photosynthesis which all plants go though but some yield more and some less oxygen. As long as no more wood is burnt than is reproduced by the forests, no change in atmospheric CO2 concentration will result.
Pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone and peroxyacl nitrates (PANs), cause direct damage to leaves of crop plants and trees when they enter leaf pores (stomates). Chronic exposure of leaves and needles to air pollutants can also break down the waxy coating that helps prevent excessive water loss and damage from diseases, pests, drought and frost. "In the midwestern United States crop losses of wheat, corn, soybeans, and peanuts from damage by ozone and acid deposition amount to about $5 billion a year". (Miller 498)
Reducing Pollution:
You can help to reduce global air pollution and climate change by driving a car that gets at least 35 miles a gallon, walking, bicycling, and using mass transit when possible. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, make your home more energy efficient, and buy only energy efficient appliances. Recycle newspapers, aluminum, and other materials. Plant trees and avoid purchasing products such as Styrofoam that contain CFCs. Support much stricter clean air laws and enforcement of international treaties to reduce ozone depletion and slow global warming.
Earth is everybody's home and nobody likes living in a dirty home. Together, we can make the earth a cleaner, healthier and more pleasant place to live.
2 Causes of water pollution?
Water pollution can come from a number of different sources. If the pollution comes from a single source, such as an oil spill, it is called point-source pollution. If the pollution comes from many sources, it is called no point-source pollution.
Most types of pollution affect the immediate area surrounding the source. Sometimes the pollution may affect the environment hundreds of miles away from the source, such as nuclear waste, this is called Tran boundary pollution.
Domestic households, industrial and agricultural practices produce wastewater that can cause pollution of many lakes and rivers.
· Sewage is the term used for wastewater that often contains faces, urine and laundry waste.
· There are billions of people on Earth, so treating sewage is a big priority.
· Sewage disposal is a major problem in developing countries as many people in these areas don’t have access to sanitary conditions and clean water.
· Untreated sewage water in such areas can contaminate the environment and cause diseases such as diarrhea.
· Sewage in developed countries is carried away from the home quickly and hygienically through sewage pipes.
· Sewage is treated in water treatment plants and the waste is often disposed into the sea.
· Sewage is mainly biodegradable and most of it is broken down in the environment.
· In developed countries, sewage often causes problems when people flush chemical and pharmaceutical substances down the toilet. When people are ill, sewage often carries harmful viruses and bacteria into the environment causing health problems.
Industry is a huge source of water pollution, it produces pollutants that are extremely harmful to people and the environment.
· Many industrial facilities use freshwater to carry away waste from the plant and into rivers, lakes and oceans.
· Pollutants from industrial sources include:
o Asbestos – This pollutant is a serious health hazard and carcinogenic. Asbestos fibers can be inhaled and cause illnesses such as asbestosis, mesothelioma, lung cancer, intestinal cancer and liver cancer.
o Lead – This is a metallic element and can cause health and environmental problems. It is a non-biodegradable substance so is hard to clean up once the environment is contaminated. Lead is harmful to the health of many animals, including humans, as it can inhibit the action of bodily enzymes.
o Mercury - This is a metallic element and can cause health and environmental problems. It is a non-biodegradable substance so is hard to clean up once the environment is contaminated. Mercury is also harmful to animal health as it can cause illness through mercury poisoning.
o Nitrates – The increased use of fertilizers means that nitrates are more often being washed from the soil and into rivers and lakes. This can cause eutrophication, which can be very problematic to marine environments.
o Phosphates - The increased use of fertilizers means that phosphates are more often being washed from the soil and into rivers and lakes. This can cause eutrophication, which can be very problematic to marine environments.
o Sulphur – This is a non-metallic substance that is harmful for marine life.
o Oils – Oil does not dissolve in water, instead it forms a thick layer on the water surface. This can stop marine plants receiving enough light for photosynthesis. It is also harmful for fish and marine birds.
o Petrochemicals – This is formed from gas or petrol and can be toxic to marine life.
Preventing:
If you want to help keep our waters clean, there are many things you can do to help. You can prevent water pollution of nearby rivers and lakes as well as groundwater and drinking water by following some simple guidelines in your everyday life.
· Conserve water by turning off the tap when running water is not necessary. This helps prevent water shortages and reduces the amount f contaminated water that needs treatment.
· Be careful about what you throw down your sink or toilet. Don't throw paints, oils or other forms of litter down the drain.
· Use environmentally household products, such as washing powder, household cleaning agents and toiletries.
· Take great care not to overuse pesticides and fertilizers. This will prevent runoffs of the material into nearby water sources.
· By having more plants in your garden you are preventing fertilizer, pesticides and contaminated water from running off into nearby water sources.
· Don't throw litter into rivers, lakes or oceans. Help clean up any litter you see on beaches or in rivers and lakes, make sure it is safe to collect the litter and put it in a nearby dustbin.
Air Pollution in the Home
You cannot escape air pollution, not even in your own home. "In 1985 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that toxic chemicals found in the air of almost every American home are three times more likely to cause some type of cancer than outdoor air pollutants". (Miller 488) The health problems in these buildings are called "sick building syndrome". "An estimated one-fifth to one-third of all U.S. buildings are now considered "sick". (Miller 489) The EPA has found that the air in some office buildings is 100 times more polluted than the air outside. Poor ventilation causes about half of the indoor air pollution problems. The rest come from specific sources such as copying machines, electrical and telephone cables, mold and microbe-harboring air conditioning systems and ducts, cleaning fluids, cigarette smoke, carpet, latex caulk and paint, vinyl molding, linoleum tile, and building materials and furniture that emit air pollutants such as formaldehyde. A major indoor air pollutant is radon-222, a colorless, odorless, tasteless, naturally occurring radioactive gas produced by the radioactive decay of uranium-238. "According to studies by the EPA and the National Research Council, exposure to radon is second only to smoking as a cause of lung cancer". (Miller 489) Radon enters through pores and cracks in concrete when indoor air pressure is less than the pressure of gasses in the soil. Indoor air will be healthier than outdoor air if you use an energy recovery ventilator to provide a consistent supply of fresh filtered air and then seal air leaks in the shell of your home .
Sources of Pollutants
To enlarge an image, click on it.
The two main sources of pollutants in urban areas are transportation (predominantly automobiles) and fuel combustion in stationary sources, including residential, commercial, and industrial heating and cooling and coal-burning power plants. Motor vehicles produce high levels of carbon monoxides (CO) and a major source of hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). Whereas, fuel combustion in stationary sources is the dominant source of sulfur dioxide (SO2).
Carbon Dioxide
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the major pollutants in the atmosphere. Major sources of CO2 are fossil fuels burning and deforestation. "The concentrations of CO2 in the air around 1860 before the effects of industrialization were felt, is assumed to have been about 290 parts per million (ppm). In the hundred years and more since then, the concentration has increased by about 30 to 35 ppm that is by 10 percent". (Breuer 67) Industrial countries account for 65% of CO2 emissions with the United States and Soviet Union responsible for 50%. Less developed countries (LDCs), with 80% of the world's people, are responsible for 35% of CO2 emissions but may contribute 50% by 2020. "Carbon dioxide emissions are increasing by 4% a year". (Miller 450)
In 1975, 18 thousand million tons of carbon dioxide (equivalent to 5 thousand million tons of carbon) were released into the atmosphere, but the atmosphere showed an increase of only 8 billion tons (equivalent to 2.2 billion tons of carbon". (Breuer 70) The ocean waters contain about sixty times more CO2 than the atmosphere. If the equilibrium is disturbed by externally increasing the concentration of CO2 in the air, then the oceans would absorb more and more CO2. If the oceans can no longer keep pace, then more CO2 will remain into the atmosphere. As water warms, its ability to absorb CO2 is reduced.
CO2 is a good transmitter of sunlight, but partially restricts infrared radiation going back from the earth into space. This produces the so-called greenhouse effect that prevents a drastic cooling of the Earth during the night. Increasing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere reinforces this effect and is expected to result in a warming of the Earth's surface. Currently carbon dioxide is responsible for 57% of the global warming trend. Nitrogen oxides contribute most of the atmospheric contaminants.
N0X - nitric oxide (N0) and nitrogen dioxide (N02)
· Natural component of the Earth's atmosphere.
· Important in the formation of both acid precipitation and photochemical smog (ozone), and causes nitrogen loading.
· Comes from the burning of biomass and fossil fuels.
· 30 to 50 million tons per year from human activities, and natural 10 to 20 million tons per year.
· Average residence time in the atmosphere is days.
· Has a role in reducing stratospheric ozone.
N20 - nitrous oxide
· Natural component of the Earth's atmosphere.
· Important in the greenhouse effect and causes nitrogen loading.
· Human inputs 6 million tons per year, and 19 million tons per year by nature.
· Residence time in the atmosphere about 170 years.
· 1700 (285 parts per billion), 1990 (310 parts per billion), 2030 (340 parts per billion).
· Comes from nitrogen based fertilizers, deforestation, and biomass burning.
Sulfur and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
Sulfur dioxide is produced by combustion of sulfur-containing fuels, such as coal and fuel oils. Also, in the process of producing sulfuric acid and in metallurgical process involving ores that contain sulfur. Sulfur oxides can injure man, plants and materials. At sufficiently high concentrations, sulfur dioxide irritates the upper respiratory tract of human beings because potential effect of sulfur dioxide is to make breathing more difficult by causing the finer air tubes of the lung to constrict. "Power plants and factories emit 90% to 95% of the sulfur dioxide and 57% of the nitrogen oxides in the United States. Almost 60% of the SO2 emissions are released by tall smoke stakes, enabling the emissions to travel long distances". (Miller 494) As emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitric oxide from stationary sources are transported long distances by winds, they form secondary pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, nitric acid vapor, and droplets containing solutions of sulfuric acid, sulfate, and nitrate salts. These chemicals descend to the earth's surface in wet form as rain or snow and in dry form as a gases fog, dew, or solid particles. This is known as acid deposition or acid rain.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
CFCs are lowering the average concentration of ozone in the stratosphere. "Since 1978 the use of CFCs in aerosol cans has been banned in the United States, Canada, and most Scandinavian countries. Aerosols are still the largest use, accounting for 25% of global CFC use". (Miller 448) Spray cans, discarded or leaking refrigeration and air conditioning equipment, and the burning plastic foam products release the CFCs into the atmosphere. Depending on the type, CFCs stay in the atmosphere from 22 to 111 years. Chlorofluorocarbons move up to the stratosphere gradually over several decades. Under high energy ultra violet (UV) radiation, they break down and release chlorine atoms, which speed up the breakdown of ozone (O3) into oxygen gas (O2).
Chlorofluorocarbons, also known as Freons, are greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Photochemical air pollution is commonly referred to as "smog". Smog, a contraction of the words smoke and fog, has been caused throughout recorded history by water condensing on smoke particles, usually from burning coal. With the introduction of petroleum to replace coal economies in countries, photochemical smog has become predominant in many cities, which are located in sunny, warm, and dry climates with many motor vehicles. The worst episodes of photochemical smog tend to occur in summer.
Smog:
To enlarge the image, click on it.
Photochemical smog is also appearing in regions of the tropics and subtropics where savanna grasses are periodically burned. Smog's unpleasant properties result from the irradiation by sunlight of hydrocarbons caused primarily by unburned gasoline emitted by automobiles and other combustion sources. The products of photochemical reactions includes organic particles, ozone, aldehydes, ketones, peroxyacetyl nitrate, organic acids, and other oxidants. Ozone is a gas created by nitrogen dioxide or nitric oxide when exposed to sunlight. Ozone causes eye irritation, impaired lung function, and damage to trees and crops. Another form of smog is called industrial smog.
This smog is created by burning coal and heavy oil that contain sulfur impurities in power plants, industrial plants, etc... The smog consists mostly of a mixture of sulfur dioxide and fog. Suspended droplets of sulfuric acid are formed from some of the sulfur dioxide, and a variety of suspended solid particles. This smog is common during the winter in cities such as London, Chicago, Pittsburgh. When these cities burned large amounts of coal and heavy oil without control of the output, large-scale problems were witnessed. In 1952 London, England, 4,000 people died as a result of this form of fog. Today coal and heavy oil are burned only in large boilers and with reasonably good control or tall smokestacks so that industrial smog is less of a problem. However, some countries such as China, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and some other eastern European countries, still burn large quantities of coal without using adequate controls.
Pollution Damage to Plants:
With the destruction and burning of the rain forests more and more CO2 is being released into the atmosphere. Trees play an important role in producing oxygen from carbon dioxide. "A 115 year old Beech tree exposes about 200,000 leaves with a total surface to 1200 square meters. During the course of one sunny day such a tree inhales 9,400 liters of carbon dioxide to produce 12 kilograms of carbohydrate, thus liberating 9,400 liters of oxygen. Through this mechanism about 45,000 liters of air are regenerated which is sufficient for the respiration of 2 to 3 people". (Breuer 1) This process is called photosynthesis which all plants go though but some yield more and some less oxygen. As long as no more wood is burnt than is reproduced by the forests, no change in atmospheric CO2 concentration will result.
Pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone and peroxyacl nitrates (PANs), cause direct damage to leaves of crop plants and trees when they enter leaf pores (stomates). Chronic exposure of leaves and needles to air pollutants can also break down the waxy coating that helps prevent excessive water loss and damage from diseases, pests, drought and frost. "In the midwestern United States crop losses of wheat, corn, soybeans, and peanuts from damage by ozone and acid deposition amount to about $5 billion a year". (Miller 498)
Reducing Pollution:
You can help to reduce global air pollution and climate change by driving a car that gets at least 35 miles a gallon, walking, bicycling, and using mass transit when possible. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, make your home more energy efficient, and buy only energy efficient appliances. Recycle newspapers, aluminum, and other materials. Plant trees and avoid purchasing products such as Styrofoam that contain CFCs. Support much stricter clean air laws and enforcement of international treaties to reduce ozone depletion and slow global warming.
Earth is everybody's home and nobody likes living in a dirty home. Together, we can make the earth a cleaner, healthier and more pleasant place to live.
2 Causes of water pollution?
Water pollution can come from a number of different sources. If the pollution comes from a single source, such as an oil spill, it is called point-source pollution. If the pollution comes from many sources, it is called no point-source pollution.
Most types of pollution affect the immediate area surrounding the source. Sometimes the pollution may affect the environment hundreds of miles away from the source, such as nuclear waste, this is called Tran boundary pollution.
Domestic households, industrial and agricultural practices produce wastewater that can cause pollution of many lakes and rivers.
· Sewage is the term used for wastewater that often contains faces, urine and laundry waste.
· There are billions of people on Earth, so treating sewage is a big priority.
· Sewage disposal is a major problem in developing countries as many people in these areas don’t have access to sanitary conditions and clean water.
· Untreated sewage water in such areas can contaminate the environment and cause diseases such as diarrhea.
· Sewage in developed countries is carried away from the home quickly and hygienically through sewage pipes.
· Sewage is treated in water treatment plants and the waste is often disposed into the sea.
· Sewage is mainly biodegradable and most of it is broken down in the environment.
· In developed countries, sewage often causes problems when people flush chemical and pharmaceutical substances down the toilet. When people are ill, sewage often carries harmful viruses and bacteria into the environment causing health problems.
Industry is a huge source of water pollution, it produces pollutants that are extremely harmful to people and the environment.
· Many industrial facilities use freshwater to carry away waste from the plant and into rivers, lakes and oceans.
· Pollutants from industrial sources include:
o Asbestos – This pollutant is a serious health hazard and carcinogenic. Asbestos fibers can be inhaled and cause illnesses such as asbestosis, mesothelioma, lung cancer, intestinal cancer and liver cancer.
o Lead – This is a metallic element and can cause health and environmental problems. It is a non-biodegradable substance so is hard to clean up once the environment is contaminated. Lead is harmful to the health of many animals, including humans, as it can inhibit the action of bodily enzymes.
o Mercury - This is a metallic element and can cause health and environmental problems. It is a non-biodegradable substance so is hard to clean up once the environment is contaminated. Mercury is also harmful to animal health as it can cause illness through mercury poisoning.
o Nitrates – The increased use of fertilizers means that nitrates are more often being washed from the soil and into rivers and lakes. This can cause eutrophication, which can be very problematic to marine environments.
o Phosphates - The increased use of fertilizers means that phosphates are more often being washed from the soil and into rivers and lakes. This can cause eutrophication, which can be very problematic to marine environments.
o Sulphur – This is a non-metallic substance that is harmful for marine life.
o Oils – Oil does not dissolve in water, instead it forms a thick layer on the water surface. This can stop marine plants receiving enough light for photosynthesis. It is also harmful for fish and marine birds.
o Petrochemicals – This is formed from gas or petrol and can be toxic to marine life.
Preventing:
If you want to help keep our waters clean, there are many things you can do to help. You can prevent water pollution of nearby rivers and lakes as well as groundwater and drinking water by following some simple guidelines in your everyday life.
· Conserve water by turning off the tap when running water is not necessary. This helps prevent water shortages and reduces the amount f contaminated water that needs treatment.
· Be careful about what you throw down your sink or toilet. Don't throw paints, oils or other forms of litter down the drain.
· Use environmentally household products, such as washing powder, household cleaning agents and toiletries.
· Take great care not to overuse pesticides and fertilizers. This will prevent runoffs of the material into nearby water sources.
· By having more plants in your garden you are preventing fertilizer, pesticides and contaminated water from running off into nearby water sources.
· Don't throw litter into rivers, lakes or oceans. Help clean up any litter you see on beaches or in rivers and lakes, make sure it is safe to collect the litter and put it in a nearby dustbin.
How to Research for Your Best Las Vegas Airfare
How to Research for Your Best Las Vegas Airfare
I like to collect things from all my flight experience, I'm just that kind of person. I have a Las Vegas airfare travel mug and I have a collection of knick-knacks from airlines that I've been on too. My shower is full of soaps I've collected and my closet is full of plush bathrobes I've picked up. My Las Vegas airfare flight pins are also a favorite of mine.
Looking back on my many trips it occurs to me that trying to find the best deals on Las Vegas airfare can be confusing. Should I approach a travel agent in my area or should I look for a discount broker on the Internet? If I look on the Net, who is the best? Which airlines are the best ones for me? Who provides the most reasonable Las Vegas airfare?
Planning your trip to the great city of Vegas can be as fun as the city itself if you know where to look. We live in an age when opportunities for consumers are everywhere. The best first step when looking for Las Vegas airfare is to visit a discount flight broker like Orbitz, Priceline or Lowestfare dot com. Here you will get a reasonable idea of what the going rates are for Las Vegas airfare.
Discount brokers often find connecting flights or last minute deals that other travel services won’t use. Because of the number of trips they plan, they can also get impressive volume discounts. But these types of brokers will not include total trip expenses in their estimates, only the lowest, quickest Las Vegas airfare.
Planning where you will stay, what shows and sites you want to take in, what your budget for food and gambling, as well as planning for your Las Vegas airfare, are also important considerations when planning an overall trip. This is your experience.
The question you need to ask yourself is: what does Las Vegas airfare mean to you? Perhaps your definition of Las Vegas airfare includes accommodations, gambling, or car rentals? For these types of Las Vegas airfare quotes you are better off going to a more inclusive agent like Travelvacations or Affordable travel dot org. Travel Zoo, Expedia and Travelocity are also good picks if you are interested in overall travel planning as well as factoring in what they consider to be the best Las Vegas airfare rates they can find. Vegas continues to be one of the most popular and legendary travel destinations in the US and when considering your ticket purchases, it is important to decide on the length of your visit and the cheapest months in which to travel. February is the cheapest month for Las Vegas airfare with August as a close second.
In conclusion, searching for Viva Las Vegas airfare can be a rewarding experience if you use the latest resources and have clear goals set.
Have fun and viva Las Vegas!
I like to collect things from all my flight experience, I'm just that kind of person. I have a Las Vegas airfare travel mug and I have a collection of knick-knacks from airlines that I've been on too. My shower is full of soaps I've collected and my closet is full of plush bathrobes I've picked up. My Las Vegas airfare flight pins are also a favorite of mine.
Looking back on my many trips it occurs to me that trying to find the best deals on Las Vegas airfare can be confusing. Should I approach a travel agent in my area or should I look for a discount broker on the Internet? If I look on the Net, who is the best? Which airlines are the best ones for me? Who provides the most reasonable Las Vegas airfare?
Planning your trip to the great city of Vegas can be as fun as the city itself if you know where to look. We live in an age when opportunities for consumers are everywhere. The best first step when looking for Las Vegas airfare is to visit a discount flight broker like Orbitz, Priceline or Lowestfare dot com. Here you will get a reasonable idea of what the going rates are for Las Vegas airfare.
Discount brokers often find connecting flights or last minute deals that other travel services won’t use. Because of the number of trips they plan, they can also get impressive volume discounts. But these types of brokers will not include total trip expenses in their estimates, only the lowest, quickest Las Vegas airfare.
Planning where you will stay, what shows and sites you want to take in, what your budget for food and gambling, as well as planning for your Las Vegas airfare, are also important considerations when planning an overall trip. This is your experience.
The question you need to ask yourself is: what does Las Vegas airfare mean to you? Perhaps your definition of Las Vegas airfare includes accommodations, gambling, or car rentals? For these types of Las Vegas airfare quotes you are better off going to a more inclusive agent like Travelvacations or Affordable travel dot org. Travel Zoo, Expedia and Travelocity are also good picks if you are interested in overall travel planning as well as factoring in what they consider to be the best Las Vegas airfare rates they can find. Vegas continues to be one of the most popular and legendary travel destinations in the US and when considering your ticket purchases, it is important to decide on the length of your visit and the cheapest months in which to travel. February is the cheapest month for Las Vegas airfare with August as a close second.
In conclusion, searching for Viva Las Vegas airfare can be a rewarding experience if you use the latest resources and have clear goals set.
Have fun and viva Las Vegas!
Tips Planning Honeymoon Wedding Destination
Provides Tips Planning Honeymoon Wedding Destination
We feature honeymoon registry service, destination wedding arrangements, destination information,and much more! Visit the links on both sides of this page to view superb honeymoon wedding destinations by state. Far away, exotic and world renowned for its spectacular scenery and friendly people, New Zealand is an ideal wedding and honeymoon destination. Jamaica is a fantastic honeymoon or wedding destination. Keep that in mind as you plan your wedding date and honeymoon destination. The first step in planning a destination wedding is to find a travel agent that specializes in honeymoons & destination weddings. - Provides tips on planning a honeymoon or destination wedding. Pick your wedding date to coincide with your honeymoon destination's off-season.
Find the perfect wedding or honeymoon destination is easy. This site is a romantic getaway for your romantic honeymoon vacation or destination wedding. Food, wedding decorations, bridal shower favors and music can also be used to incorporate the theme of a honeymoon destination. It is no wonder why Barbados has featured amongt the top 10 wedding and honeymoon destinations for a number of years. A popular wedding and honeymoon destination. A unique fusion of lifestyles, ethnicity and architecture in a city pulsing with life makes this an exciting wedding or honeymoon destination. Don't forget to bookmark this page now so you may return often while planning your destination wedding, weddingmoon, or honeymoon.
Browse through these guides for honeymoon travel advice and destination suggestions. A true exotic honeymoon travel destination. Virgin Islands These islands could be an excellent honeymoon destination for those who are new to overseas travel. Even driving is a great way to travel if your honeymoon destination is near. Climate and Weather Check local weather conditions for your honeymoon destination with your travel professional. Bain provides couples with vital information on cruises, foreign travel, packages, staying within a budget
even how to get married at their honeymoon destination. DecorationsDecorate with travel posters and brochures that depict the couple's honeymoon destination. A delightful room, whether for a Virginia honeymoon destination or simply to treat yourself to luxury travel accommodations. InfoHub has compiled a list of travel opportunities for honeymoon trips and honeymoon destinations around the world. The price of air travel to your honeymoon destination also varies greatly.
Many couples choose the most popular honeymoon destinations that are the most expensive ones. Future wife and husband choose together honeymoon destinations. To fulfil their dream they have to choose a superb destination for their honeymoon Holidays. Before you choose a destination for your honeymoon, decide how much time you can take.
Everybody wants to have a memorable honeymoon, and there are plenty of destinations that you can choose from. GINZ.com lets you choose your perfect honeymoon destination. Couples may even choose a resort honeymoon destination, be married at the resort, and then vacation there. How to choose a honeymoon destination, is always a cause of concern for the couples.. Here are some testimonials from several couples that have decided to choose Aruba as their honeymoon destination. Sandals resorts will spoil you endlessly and any of their destinations you choose will be the best honeymoon possible.
We feature honeymoon registry service, destination wedding arrangements, destination information,and much more! Visit the links on both sides of this page to view superb honeymoon wedding destinations by state. Far away, exotic and world renowned for its spectacular scenery and friendly people, New Zealand is an ideal wedding and honeymoon destination. Jamaica is a fantastic honeymoon or wedding destination. Keep that in mind as you plan your wedding date and honeymoon destination. The first step in planning a destination wedding is to find a travel agent that specializes in honeymoons & destination weddings. - Provides tips on planning a honeymoon or destination wedding. Pick your wedding date to coincide with your honeymoon destination's off-season.
Find the perfect wedding or honeymoon destination is easy. This site is a romantic getaway for your romantic honeymoon vacation or destination wedding. Food, wedding decorations, bridal shower favors and music can also be used to incorporate the theme of a honeymoon destination. It is no wonder why Barbados has featured amongt the top 10 wedding and honeymoon destinations for a number of years. A popular wedding and honeymoon destination. A unique fusion of lifestyles, ethnicity and architecture in a city pulsing with life makes this an exciting wedding or honeymoon destination. Don't forget to bookmark this page now so you may return often while planning your destination wedding, weddingmoon, or honeymoon.
Browse through these guides for honeymoon travel advice and destination suggestions. A true exotic honeymoon travel destination. Virgin Islands These islands could be an excellent honeymoon destination for those who are new to overseas travel. Even driving is a great way to travel if your honeymoon destination is near. Climate and Weather Check local weather conditions for your honeymoon destination with your travel professional. Bain provides couples with vital information on cruises, foreign travel, packages, staying within a budget
even how to get married at their honeymoon destination. DecorationsDecorate with travel posters and brochures that depict the couple's honeymoon destination. A delightful room, whether for a Virginia honeymoon destination or simply to treat yourself to luxury travel accommodations. InfoHub has compiled a list of travel opportunities for honeymoon trips and honeymoon destinations around the world. The price of air travel to your honeymoon destination also varies greatly.
Many couples choose the most popular honeymoon destinations that are the most expensive ones. Future wife and husband choose together honeymoon destinations. To fulfil their dream they have to choose a superb destination for their honeymoon Holidays. Before you choose a destination for your honeymoon, decide how much time you can take.
Everybody wants to have a memorable honeymoon, and there are plenty of destinations that you can choose from. GINZ.com lets you choose your perfect honeymoon destination. Couples may even choose a resort honeymoon destination, be married at the resort, and then vacation there. How to choose a honeymoon destination, is always a cause of concern for the couples.. Here are some testimonials from several couples that have decided to choose Aruba as their honeymoon destination. Sandals resorts will spoil you endlessly and any of their destinations you choose will be the best honeymoon possible.
In pursuit of the perfect pantry - food storage tips in kitchens - Brief Article
In pursuit of the perfect pantry - food storage tips in kitchens - Brief Article
Tips for creating a food-storage area that fits your requirements
The pantry is staging a comeback. As more people buy in bulk from discount stores and use a wider array of cooking appliances, they need more kitchen storage space. "Pantries are popular because storage is an absolutely critical issue today," says designer Mary Jo Peterson, consultant to the National Kitchen & Bath Association. "Most people are constantly struggling to find more space in their homes."
Design tips
We asked experts around the West for their tips on organizing pantries.
* Think small. Pantries don't have to be large or expensive. Is there a small, underutilized space in your kitchen that could be converted to this purpose? "Narrow pantries are a good way to use space in your kitchen that otherwise would go to waste," says kitchen designer Michelle Minch of Moving Mountains Design in Denver. Many home stores sell small, inexpensive modular pantry units that you can put together yourself. For instance, IKEA's Elemental Pantry-1 foot wide by 7 feet tall by 2 feet deep-sells for about $120.
* Think versatile. As you and your family grow older, your storage needs are likely to change. That means using adjustable shelves, wire racks that can be added or removed from pantry doors, and multiuse baskets that can be stacked and moved. For additional space efficiency, consider such adaptable items as 12- to 16-inch-wide wire baskets, which can easily hook to and hang from shelves.
Tips for creating a food-storage area that fits your requirements
The pantry is staging a comeback. As more people buy in bulk from discount stores and use a wider array of cooking appliances, they need more kitchen storage space. "Pantries are popular because storage is an absolutely critical issue today," says designer Mary Jo Peterson, consultant to the National Kitchen & Bath Association. "Most people are constantly struggling to find more space in their homes."
Design tips
We asked experts around the West for their tips on organizing pantries.
* Think small. Pantries don't have to be large or expensive. Is there a small, underutilized space in your kitchen that could be converted to this purpose? "Narrow pantries are a good way to use space in your kitchen that otherwise would go to waste," says kitchen designer Michelle Minch of Moving Mountains Design in Denver. Many home stores sell small, inexpensive modular pantry units that you can put together yourself. For instance, IKEA's Elemental Pantry-1 foot wide by 7 feet tall by 2 feet deep-sells for about $120.
* Think versatile. As you and your family grow older, your storage needs are likely to change. That means using adjustable shelves, wire racks that can be added or removed from pantry doors, and multiuse baskets that can be stacked and moved. For additional space efficiency, consider such adaptable items as 12- to 16-inch-wide wire baskets, which can easily hook to and hang from shelves.
Family yoga in the hands of a goddess
Family yoga in the hands of a goddess
"Hey dad! You look like a purple balloon" was not the sort of comment I had been hoping for when I signed up my wife and eight-year-old son for a week's family yoga holiday in Cyprus. I was in the small exercise studio of the Anassa Hotel trying to ease my legs over my head after a strenuous shoulder stand (from Salamba Sarvangasana to Halasana in yoga speak). It was our final class and I wanted to show off to my son, Ben, and our instructor, lovely Liitsa - the Nordic goddess.
All karma: Ben Morris practises his yogic skills at the Anassa Hotel
Deflated from hero dad to Homer Simpson, I collapsed in a heap while Ben moved on effortlessly to the next position. Watching from the sidelines, my wife giggled into her ginger tea as Liitsa, sounding like a sympathetic sat-nav, carried on seamlessly with the class.
Yogic enlightenment, or even just a few supple tummy muscles, seemed a long way off. But as I lay sprawled on my mat I did at least feel a little taller, less hunched up, and pleased that the Morris family had been introduced to the world of yoga via the Trojan horse of a luxurious five-star hotel.
The fixers
The week's holiday was organised by a London-based outfit called Yogoloji, which specialises in intimate yoga breaks in beautiful surroundings. As well as morning and evening classes for adults, its Anassa package included a children's yoga programme, bespoke yoga therapy sessions and daily holistic treatments.
The price tag of £940 per adult doesn't include flights, accommodation or meals. Full board is compulsory at an extra cost of £475 per person for the week. For a wine-loving omnivore like myself the option of a specially designed detox menu didn't make the deal any more attractive. Just when did not ordering the Châteauneuf-du-Pape and avoiding the coffee, cheese and beef steaks become so expensive?
The hotel
The real star of the show was the hotel. When we arrived at the Anassa, after a long drive from Larnaca to the western corner of the island, our driver introduced the hotel as a "she". He explained that in ancient Greek "Anassa" means "queen" or "grande dame". Inside, the hotel began to live up to its regal title. The first impression is of a five-star monastery where no expense has been spared on materials (marble, sandstone and stained glass), craftsmanship or staff.
The lobby and connecting corridors have vaulted ceilings, full-sized icons on the walls and minimalist fountains. The good taste continues in the central bars and restaurants beyond to the villas laid out as an idealised Cypriot village. There are winding pathways and gentle slopes edged with soft Mediterranean landscaping that at a glance look completely natural - almost wild. The design is restricted to a comfortable human scale and everything is directed towards the sweeping beauty of the Chrysochou Bay and the hills of the Akamas Peninsula beyond.
There is even a real Cypriot church within the hotel grounds, so I was not surprised to see a group of orthodox monks enjoying a deluxe buffet breakfast in the main restaurant one morning. It was this mixture of style and spirituality that formed the perfect backdrop for our introduction to yoga-lite. Believe me, if there are plans to form a new religion based around hotels like the Anassa, I would be the first convert.
The yoga
There were two group yoga classes every day: a dynamic morning class at 7.30, with lots of sun salutations and stretching, and a slower, more meditative evening class at 5.30. I found the early starts a torture, but apparently they're the norm in most yoga retreats and it's probably wise to get the stretching over with before tucking into your full English breakfast.
As for the classes themselves, apart from the few moments when I felt like a Guantanamo Bay prisoner crouched on the floor with my hands behind my head and the odd bit of gratuitous sermonising, I really enjoyed the yoga.
Liisa Halme, our instructor from Finland, gently talked us through the exercises, offering the occasional guiding hand towards a decent "upward-facing dog" or a well balanced "bridge". I particularly liked it when she wore her Dolce & Gabbana movie-star sunglasses and harem trousers for our outdoor morning session. The outfit seemed to sum up the style of our glamorous yoga retreat.
The children's yoga
Despite their irksome titles, the Teeny Yogini (three- to six-year-olds) and the Teen Yogini (seven- to 14-year-olds) classes on offer seemed like a great way of getting young people painlessly involved in exercising. The sessions were structured around a narrative as the children imitated animals or pretended to be snow-boarders or aeroplanes while mirroring the classic yoga poses. The yogic twist helps develop concentration, balance and posture - especially useful after all those hours crouched over a Nintendo DS.
was also glad to see there was an emphasis upon relaxation. Ben and I agreed that our favourite part was at the end class - when tucked up beneath a marshmallow of a duvet you can gently meditate, clear your mind or even doze off.
All good stuff, except that there were no other takers for the teen Yogini, so Ben had the choice of doing it on his own or teaming up with old balloon-face dad. The lack of other children on the retreat also caused problems with child-care during the adult sessions. An early start or hanging around late in the children's club is fine if you are with your mates. If it is just you and a disgruntled cleaner watching a video then it's a little sad. For this reason, it is well worth checking that there are definitely other children of your child's age on the course before you book.
The therapies
The mixed bag of Ayurvedic consultation, yoga therapy, Chinese medicine, acupuncture, Abyhanga and Marma massage on offer from the ''Yogolojees'' (please!) did remind me of a restaurant I know in Southall. On the ground floor you can order biryani, while in the basement you can get a Chinese takeaway and upstairs there's pizza and pasta. All served on the same light blue plates by the same smiling Pakistani staff.
To be fair, my wife tells me that this mix-and-match approach to treatments is not unusual in a spa and she found the acupuncturist, Bobby Joy, impressive, experienced and very helpful.
The hotel's Thalasso spa also offers an extensive range of treatments so popular it's not unusual for them all to be booked before you have even unpacked your suitcase. In light of this, Yogoloji's day packages (£136 per person) include a treatment and two yoga sessions, and are a great way to ensure you do get a half-decent massage.
Bespoke bonuses
The Anassa has its own resident yoga teacher and therapist. Raven-haired Nana Georgiou looks every inch the exotic eastern mystic that one would hope to find teaching yoga in a retreat. She runs daily group classes, covering everything from Chakra meditation to dynamic detox and her own Aqua yoga (all £14 per person).
She also offers specially designed personal sessions and family yoga (£47), and even gives group yoga sessions free of charge in the children's club. The flexibility, choice and value for money make Nana's sessions the best bespoke yoga on offer at the hotel.
Escapes from the sanctuary
If you want to escape the Anassa, don't disturb your new-found karma by visiting the sprawling mess of Paphos. Instead, head north-west to the beautiful Akamas peninsula. Unlike many parts of Cyprus it's an unspoilt natural haven. Sadly, property developments are popping up at the fringes of the peninsula like Vandals at the gates of Rome, so visit now while it's still pristine. The hotel offers guided hikes, Jeep safaris or chartered yachts to explore the natural beauty of the area.
"Hey dad! You look like a purple balloon" was not the sort of comment I had been hoping for when I signed up my wife and eight-year-old son for a week's family yoga holiday in Cyprus. I was in the small exercise studio of the Anassa Hotel trying to ease my legs over my head after a strenuous shoulder stand (from Salamba Sarvangasana to Halasana in yoga speak). It was our final class and I wanted to show off to my son, Ben, and our instructor, lovely Liitsa - the Nordic goddess.
All karma: Ben Morris practises his yogic skills at the Anassa Hotel
Deflated from hero dad to Homer Simpson, I collapsed in a heap while Ben moved on effortlessly to the next position. Watching from the sidelines, my wife giggled into her ginger tea as Liitsa, sounding like a sympathetic sat-nav, carried on seamlessly with the class.
Yogic enlightenment, or even just a few supple tummy muscles, seemed a long way off. But as I lay sprawled on my mat I did at least feel a little taller, less hunched up, and pleased that the Morris family had been introduced to the world of yoga via the Trojan horse of a luxurious five-star hotel.
The fixers
The week's holiday was organised by a London-based outfit called Yogoloji, which specialises in intimate yoga breaks in beautiful surroundings. As well as morning and evening classes for adults, its Anassa package included a children's yoga programme, bespoke yoga therapy sessions and daily holistic treatments.
The price tag of £940 per adult doesn't include flights, accommodation or meals. Full board is compulsory at an extra cost of £475 per person for the week. For a wine-loving omnivore like myself the option of a specially designed detox menu didn't make the deal any more attractive. Just when did not ordering the Châteauneuf-du-Pape and avoiding the coffee, cheese and beef steaks become so expensive?
The hotel
The real star of the show was the hotel. When we arrived at the Anassa, after a long drive from Larnaca to the western corner of the island, our driver introduced the hotel as a "she". He explained that in ancient Greek "Anassa" means "queen" or "grande dame". Inside, the hotel began to live up to its regal title. The first impression is of a five-star monastery where no expense has been spared on materials (marble, sandstone and stained glass), craftsmanship or staff.
The lobby and connecting corridors have vaulted ceilings, full-sized icons on the walls and minimalist fountains. The good taste continues in the central bars and restaurants beyond to the villas laid out as an idealised Cypriot village. There are winding pathways and gentle slopes edged with soft Mediterranean landscaping that at a glance look completely natural - almost wild. The design is restricted to a comfortable human scale and everything is directed towards the sweeping beauty of the Chrysochou Bay and the hills of the Akamas Peninsula beyond.
There is even a real Cypriot church within the hotel grounds, so I was not surprised to see a group of orthodox monks enjoying a deluxe buffet breakfast in the main restaurant one morning. It was this mixture of style and spirituality that formed the perfect backdrop for our introduction to yoga-lite. Believe me, if there are plans to form a new religion based around hotels like the Anassa, I would be the first convert.
The yoga
There were two group yoga classes every day: a dynamic morning class at 7.30, with lots of sun salutations and stretching, and a slower, more meditative evening class at 5.30. I found the early starts a torture, but apparently they're the norm in most yoga retreats and it's probably wise to get the stretching over with before tucking into your full English breakfast.
As for the classes themselves, apart from the few moments when I felt like a Guantanamo Bay prisoner crouched on the floor with my hands behind my head and the odd bit of gratuitous sermonising, I really enjoyed the yoga.
Liisa Halme, our instructor from Finland, gently talked us through the exercises, offering the occasional guiding hand towards a decent "upward-facing dog" or a well balanced "bridge". I particularly liked it when she wore her Dolce & Gabbana movie-star sunglasses and harem trousers for our outdoor morning session. The outfit seemed to sum up the style of our glamorous yoga retreat.
The children's yoga
Despite their irksome titles, the Teeny Yogini (three- to six-year-olds) and the Teen Yogini (seven- to 14-year-olds) classes on offer seemed like a great way of getting young people painlessly involved in exercising. The sessions were structured around a narrative as the children imitated animals or pretended to be snow-boarders or aeroplanes while mirroring the classic yoga poses. The yogic twist helps develop concentration, balance and posture - especially useful after all those hours crouched over a Nintendo DS.
was also glad to see there was an emphasis upon relaxation. Ben and I agreed that our favourite part was at the end class - when tucked up beneath a marshmallow of a duvet you can gently meditate, clear your mind or even doze off.
All good stuff, except that there were no other takers for the teen Yogini, so Ben had the choice of doing it on his own or teaming up with old balloon-face dad. The lack of other children on the retreat also caused problems with child-care during the adult sessions. An early start or hanging around late in the children's club is fine if you are with your mates. If it is just you and a disgruntled cleaner watching a video then it's a little sad. For this reason, it is well worth checking that there are definitely other children of your child's age on the course before you book.
The therapies
The mixed bag of Ayurvedic consultation, yoga therapy, Chinese medicine, acupuncture, Abyhanga and Marma massage on offer from the ''Yogolojees'' (please!) did remind me of a restaurant I know in Southall. On the ground floor you can order biryani, while in the basement you can get a Chinese takeaway and upstairs there's pizza and pasta. All served on the same light blue plates by the same smiling Pakistani staff.
To be fair, my wife tells me that this mix-and-match approach to treatments is not unusual in a spa and she found the acupuncturist, Bobby Joy, impressive, experienced and very helpful.
The hotel's Thalasso spa also offers an extensive range of treatments so popular it's not unusual for them all to be booked before you have even unpacked your suitcase. In light of this, Yogoloji's day packages (£136 per person) include a treatment and two yoga sessions, and are a great way to ensure you do get a half-decent massage.
Bespoke bonuses
The Anassa has its own resident yoga teacher and therapist. Raven-haired Nana Georgiou looks every inch the exotic eastern mystic that one would hope to find teaching yoga in a retreat. She runs daily group classes, covering everything from Chakra meditation to dynamic detox and her own Aqua yoga (all £14 per person).
She also offers specially designed personal sessions and family yoga (£47), and even gives group yoga sessions free of charge in the children's club. The flexibility, choice and value for money make Nana's sessions the best bespoke yoga on offer at the hotel.
Escapes from the sanctuary
If you want to escape the Anassa, don't disturb your new-found karma by visiting the sprawling mess of Paphos. Instead, head north-west to the beautiful Akamas peninsula. Unlike many parts of Cyprus it's an unspoilt natural haven. Sadly, property developments are popping up at the fringes of the peninsula like Vandals at the gates of Rome, so visit now while it's still pristine. The hotel offers guided hikes, Jeep safaris or chartered yachts to explore the natural beauty of the area.
A day trip to Cordoba, Spain
A day trip to Cordoba, Spain
2007-10-17 08:35:32 view : 131
Like the Seville region, the province of Cordoba is landlocked, though that should not be a reason for the more adventurous traveller to not visit either for they both are fascinating. The region of Cordoba is split by the mighty Rio Guadalquivir on which lies the ancient city of Cordoba, founded by the Romans, though it flourished under the Moorish occupation and this is evident in the architecture found all over the city.
Built on a sharp bend of the river which is crossed by the Roman bridge, the El Puente Romano, the city was once a port. When the Moors were replaced by the Christians, the city’s beauty was left untouched and the Christian cathedral was built within the mosque, the Mezquita. The Mezquita dates back to the 12 century and symbolises the power of the Moorish Islamic influence on this region of Andalucia. Built in 785AD by Abd al Rahman, the mosque has been added to over the generations by both Christian and Islamic faiths as they each controlled this area.
At the centre of Cordoba is the old Jewish quarter where little has changed in centuries, narrow streets and garden plazas, tapas bars and restaurants, an ideal area to explore and relax in the Spanish way. The bull fighting museum and the cool and refreshing fountains and gardens of the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos are well worth a visit both being open from Tuesday to Sunday.
Move outside of the city into the area of Cordoba, and you'll find it quite unoccupied, most of the population live in the city itself while the remainder are spread out in this large unexploited region. Summers here are dry and hot, so the best time of the year to visit is during the cooler spring and autumn months, where you will find villages that still hold on to their Spanish values, something that has almost all but disappeared from the Costas to the south.
Author: Warren Ward runs the vacation owner rental website of www.ChooseSpain.com which advertises hundreds of holiday villas and apartments throughout Spain.
2007-10-17 08:35:32 view : 131
Like the Seville region, the province of Cordoba is landlocked, though that should not be a reason for the more adventurous traveller to not visit either for they both are fascinating. The region of Cordoba is split by the mighty Rio Guadalquivir on which lies the ancient city of Cordoba, founded by the Romans, though it flourished under the Moorish occupation and this is evident in the architecture found all over the city.
Built on a sharp bend of the river which is crossed by the Roman bridge, the El Puente Romano, the city was once a port. When the Moors were replaced by the Christians, the city’s beauty was left untouched and the Christian cathedral was built within the mosque, the Mezquita. The Mezquita dates back to the 12 century and symbolises the power of the Moorish Islamic influence on this region of Andalucia. Built in 785AD by Abd al Rahman, the mosque has been added to over the generations by both Christian and Islamic faiths as they each controlled this area.
At the centre of Cordoba is the old Jewish quarter where little has changed in centuries, narrow streets and garden plazas, tapas bars and restaurants, an ideal area to explore and relax in the Spanish way. The bull fighting museum and the cool and refreshing fountains and gardens of the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos are well worth a visit both being open from Tuesday to Sunday.
Move outside of the city into the area of Cordoba, and you'll find it quite unoccupied, most of the population live in the city itself while the remainder are spread out in this large unexploited region. Summers here are dry and hot, so the best time of the year to visit is during the cooler spring and autumn months, where you will find villages that still hold on to their Spanish values, something that has almost all but disappeared from the Costas to the south.
Author: Warren Ward runs the vacation owner rental website of www.ChooseSpain.com which advertises hundreds of holiday villas and apartments throughout Spain.
Phuket Island Attracts Millions Of Visitors Every Year
Phuket Island Attracts Millions Of Visitors Every Year
Every year, the island of Phuket attracts millions of visitors, with it's beautiful beaches and scenery. In the past, the island derived much of its wealth from tin production, which began in Phuket over 500 years ago. Patong, across the island from Phuket Town, is the noisy nightlife centre of the island with great beaches and facilities. On the other hand, the area to the south of the island (Phuket City today) was developed and became a tin trading center.
But Phuket is much more than just a holiday island. We will hand-hold you through finding that dream property on beautiful Phuket island, and through the entire Thailand real estate buying process. Mainstream media also failed to explain enough that much of the damage on the island was distant from Phuket's main beaches. Our new Phuket edition is free to the public and available at an increasing number of distribution points throughout the island. Buses are also available to Phuket town and all major holiday destinations and beaches on the island.
The airport on Phuket island is a well-equipped little airport, the staff is friendly and immigration officers are very efficient and work fast. Half of those killed were foreign tourists visiting the island of Phuket and surrounding resort areas. Thailand's largest island, Phuket is incredibly diverse, with rocky and sandy beaches, tall cliffs, forests, waterfalls and temples. Boats can be chartered to go to some small island south of Phuket. See the Phuket beaches page for an overall map to the main beaches and towns of the island.
A comfortable Phuket hotel for groups, families and company meetings or large conferences. For detailed Phuket hotels information or to make a reservation, select a hotel and let asiahotels.com be your Phuket travel agent. You can look at Thailand best hotel prices and book the best hotel in Phuket. Book your Phuket hotel stay safely, securely and without worries. Set in its own tropical gardens, the phuket hotel boasts three magnificent pools and sundecks for soaking up the glorious sunshine over Phuket.
Read Phuket hotels descriptions, reviews by former hotel guests or place your own Phuket hotels review. You can look at Thailand luxury hotel prices and book the luxury hotel in Phuket. Book your hotel in Phuket before you leave home and save money! Our hotel is one of the best-valued vacation resorts in Phuket. The location of the hotel was also great in relation to the nightlife in Phuket. We returned to Phuket at about 2.30 and we were taken back to the hotel. Find and reserve the right Phuket meetings hotel for your group today.
Every year, the island of Phuket attracts millions of visitors, with it's beautiful beaches and scenery. In the past, the island derived much of its wealth from tin production, which began in Phuket over 500 years ago. Patong, across the island from Phuket Town, is the noisy nightlife centre of the island with great beaches and facilities. On the other hand, the area to the south of the island (Phuket City today) was developed and became a tin trading center.
But Phuket is much more than just a holiday island. We will hand-hold you through finding that dream property on beautiful Phuket island, and through the entire Thailand real estate buying process. Mainstream media also failed to explain enough that much of the damage on the island was distant from Phuket's main beaches. Our new Phuket edition is free to the public and available at an increasing number of distribution points throughout the island. Buses are also available to Phuket town and all major holiday destinations and beaches on the island.
The airport on Phuket island is a well-equipped little airport, the staff is friendly and immigration officers are very efficient and work fast. Half of those killed were foreign tourists visiting the island of Phuket and surrounding resort areas. Thailand's largest island, Phuket is incredibly diverse, with rocky and sandy beaches, tall cliffs, forests, waterfalls and temples. Boats can be chartered to go to some small island south of Phuket. See the Phuket beaches page for an overall map to the main beaches and towns of the island.
A comfortable Phuket hotel for groups, families and company meetings or large conferences. For detailed Phuket hotels information or to make a reservation, select a hotel and let asiahotels.com be your Phuket travel agent. You can look at Thailand best hotel prices and book the best hotel in Phuket. Book your Phuket hotel stay safely, securely and without worries. Set in its own tropical gardens, the phuket hotel boasts three magnificent pools and sundecks for soaking up the glorious sunshine over Phuket.
Read Phuket hotels descriptions, reviews by former hotel guests or place your own Phuket hotels review. You can look at Thailand luxury hotel prices and book the luxury hotel in Phuket. Book your hotel in Phuket before you leave home and save money! Our hotel is one of the best-valued vacation resorts in Phuket. The location of the hotel was also great in relation to the nightlife in Phuket. We returned to Phuket at about 2.30 and we were taken back to the hotel. Find and reserve the right Phuket meetings hotel for your group today.
Say goodbye to paper airline tickets
Say goodbye to paper airline tickets
All-electronic tickets will save money, add convenience for customers
NEW YORK - Next summer, paper airline tickets will go the way of vinyl records and rotary-dial phones: They won't entirely disappear, but they'll be hard to find.
On June 1, the industry association that handles ticketing for most major airlines will stop issuing paper tickets. Some small regional or foreign airlines will continue issuing paper tickets, but they'll be few and far between.
Indeed, even without the International Air Transport Association's directive, the vast majority of airline tickets are already electronic. IATA says paper tickets have fallen to less than 14 percent of the 400 million tickets it processes each year.
On its face, the move to all electronic ticketing is a no-brainer for the airline industry. Paper tickets cost airlines $10 to $17, on average, compared with $1 or less for electronic tickets. A fully electronic ticketing system will save the industry $3 billion a year, the IATA estimates.
"From the airline perspective, it's 100 percent upside," said Robert Mann, an airline consultant in Port Washington, N.Y.
dition to pure cost savings, electronic ticketing lets airlines record revenue more quickly on their balance sheets and track revenue patterns. Airlines used to have to bundle and ship tickets to a processing facility, where each ticket had to be fed into a computer, before revenue could be booked or analyzed.
The industry also says electronic ticketing is more convenient to customers, who can manage their own bookings and make changes online without needing to call a travel agent or airline representative.
"It's very simple for the customer and has far superior protections for the customer," said Tim Smith, a spokesman for American Airlines parent AMR Corp.
Mann has a slightly different take.
"What's really happened here is that a lot of the work has been outsourced to the customer," Mann said.
Travelers holding electronic tickets perform most of the functions that used to be handled by the airlines, including in many cases booking their flights at a Web site, printing their itinerary, checking in for their flights online and printing a boarding pass from an airport kiosk.
Many people prefer it that way, but those who don't will still have the option of booking through a travel agent or airline sales representative.
Lorne Riley, an IATA spokesman, says electronic tickets are more secure than the paper variety, which can be easily forged. Mann notes that many foreign countries require travelers to present a ticket for either onward or return travel to gain entry. Riley said printed itineraries are accepted in most cases as proof of electronic ticket-based travel plans.
Most airlines have already mostly phased out paper tickets — AMR's Smith estimates that more than 98 percent of American's tickets are electronic — so the IATA move largely just codifies an industry shift that has already occurred.
Some smaller airlines will likely stick with paper ticketing, for now.
"It's ones for whom moving to a fully electronic system doesn't make economic sense," such as small regional carriers that fly a few thousand customers a year, who will keep issuing paper tickets, Mann said.
"Some carriers ... they'll just continue to provide their own solution," said Riley.
Indeed, the IATA's move applies only to the 70 to 75 percent of overall airline tickets. The IATA does not represent low-cost carriers such as Ryanair Holdings PLC and Southwest Airlines.
"We do not have any plans of eliminating paper stock," said Jeannine Rahe, a spokeswoman for the Airline Reporting Corp., or ARC, a separate organization that processes 169 million airline transactions, including tickets and exchanges, each year.
Still, Rahe said 96.8 percent of the tickets ARC processes are electronic.
All-electronic tickets will save money, add convenience for customers
NEW YORK - Next summer, paper airline tickets will go the way of vinyl records and rotary-dial phones: They won't entirely disappear, but they'll be hard to find.
On June 1, the industry association that handles ticketing for most major airlines will stop issuing paper tickets. Some small regional or foreign airlines will continue issuing paper tickets, but they'll be few and far between.
Indeed, even without the International Air Transport Association's directive, the vast majority of airline tickets are already electronic. IATA says paper tickets have fallen to less than 14 percent of the 400 million tickets it processes each year.
On its face, the move to all electronic ticketing is a no-brainer for the airline industry. Paper tickets cost airlines $10 to $17, on average, compared with $1 or less for electronic tickets. A fully electronic ticketing system will save the industry $3 billion a year, the IATA estimates.
"From the airline perspective, it's 100 percent upside," said Robert Mann, an airline consultant in Port Washington, N.Y.
dition to pure cost savings, electronic ticketing lets airlines record revenue more quickly on their balance sheets and track revenue patterns. Airlines used to have to bundle and ship tickets to a processing facility, where each ticket had to be fed into a computer, before revenue could be booked or analyzed.
The industry also says electronic ticketing is more convenient to customers, who can manage their own bookings and make changes online without needing to call a travel agent or airline representative.
"It's very simple for the customer and has far superior protections for the customer," said Tim Smith, a spokesman for American Airlines parent AMR Corp.
Mann has a slightly different take.
"What's really happened here is that a lot of the work has been outsourced to the customer," Mann said.
Travelers holding electronic tickets perform most of the functions that used to be handled by the airlines, including in many cases booking their flights at a Web site, printing their itinerary, checking in for their flights online and printing a boarding pass from an airport kiosk.
Many people prefer it that way, but those who don't will still have the option of booking through a travel agent or airline sales representative.
Lorne Riley, an IATA spokesman, says electronic tickets are more secure than the paper variety, which can be easily forged. Mann notes that many foreign countries require travelers to present a ticket for either onward or return travel to gain entry. Riley said printed itineraries are accepted in most cases as proof of electronic ticket-based travel plans.
Most airlines have already mostly phased out paper tickets — AMR's Smith estimates that more than 98 percent of American's tickets are electronic — so the IATA move largely just codifies an industry shift that has already occurred.
Some smaller airlines will likely stick with paper ticketing, for now.
"It's ones for whom moving to a fully electronic system doesn't make economic sense," such as small regional carriers that fly a few thousand customers a year, who will keep issuing paper tickets, Mann said.
"Some carriers ... they'll just continue to provide their own solution," said Riley.
Indeed, the IATA's move applies only to the 70 to 75 percent of overall airline tickets. The IATA does not represent low-cost carriers such as Ryanair Holdings PLC and Southwest Airlines.
"We do not have any plans of eliminating paper stock," said Jeannine Rahe, a spokeswoman for the Airline Reporting Corp., or ARC, a separate organization that processes 169 million airline transactions, including tickets and exchanges, each year.
Still, Rahe said 96.8 percent of the tickets ARC processes are electronic.
Travel Credit Cards
Why bring travel credit cards instead of traveler's checks? Convenience, safety and savings. The first time I had to exchange $200 of travelers checks overseas, the bank charged me $8. Later, during the same trip, I used my debit card at an ATM to get $200 from my checking account. The charge was one dollar, and that was the last time I used traveler's checks.
Travel Credit Cards And Debit Cards
It is best to carry a credit card AND a debit card, and keep them well-hidden in two separate places. Bring cards that have either zero liability, or a fifty dollar liability limit for any unauthorized charges. Ask your bank or credit card company about this. Make sure you bring a Visa card, as this seems to be the most widely accepted right now.
Sometimes an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) won't take a card for some reason. Normally, you can use the other card, which will usually work fine. That's the advantage of having two cards. By the way, criminals watch those ATMs, so be especially careful not to flash your money around when you leave an ATM.
For most travel, credit cards may be less trouble than debit cards. They can be replaced quickly if stolen. On your stolen debit card, your liability might be zero, but you probably won't have access to your account until the matter is sorted out.
On the other hand, on longer trips it's a hassle to pay the credit card bill on time, which isn't a problem with debit cards. That's another reason to carry both. On longer trips you can wait until you're a few weeks from home to use the credit card, and you'll get there before the bill does.
Another advantage travel credit and debit cards have over traveler's checks, is that when you need the local currency, you'll almost always get a better exchange rate with your cards. Plus, the cash you get from the local ATM will truly be accepted everywhere, something no traveler's checks can promise.
Be sure to call your credit card company or bank before you travel overseas. They may decline your card when you try to use it otherwise. Just let them know where you'll be and for aproximately how long. E-mail yourself the phone numbers to call in case of loss or theft, so you can get them from anywhere in the world.
To sum up : Use cards with low liability, high enough limits for your trip, and hide them well on your body. These are the requirements for good travel credit cards.
Why bring travel credit cards instead of traveler's checks? Convenience, safety and savings. The first time I had to exchange $200 of travelers checks overseas, the bank charged me $8. Later, during the same trip, I used my debit card at an ATM to get $200 from my checking account. The charge was one dollar, and that was the last time I used traveler's checks.
Travel Credit Cards And Debit Cards
It is best to carry a credit card AND a debit card, and keep them well-hidden in two separate places. Bring cards that have either zero liability, or a fifty dollar liability limit for any unauthorized charges. Ask your bank or credit card company about this. Make sure you bring a Visa card, as this seems to be the most widely accepted right now.
Sometimes an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) won't take a card for some reason. Normally, you can use the other card, which will usually work fine. That's the advantage of having two cards. By the way, criminals watch those ATMs, so be especially careful not to flash your money around when you leave an ATM.
For most travel, credit cards may be less trouble than debit cards. They can be replaced quickly if stolen. On your stolen debit card, your liability might be zero, but you probably won't have access to your account until the matter is sorted out.
On the other hand, on longer trips it's a hassle to pay the credit card bill on time, which isn't a problem with debit cards. That's another reason to carry both. On longer trips you can wait until you're a few weeks from home to use the credit card, and you'll get there before the bill does.
Another advantage travel credit and debit cards have over traveler's checks, is that when you need the local currency, you'll almost always get a better exchange rate with your cards. Plus, the cash you get from the local ATM will truly be accepted everywhere, something no traveler's checks can promise.
Be sure to call your credit card company or bank before you travel overseas. They may decline your card when you try to use it otherwise. Just let them know where you'll be and for aproximately how long. E-mail yourself the phone numbers to call in case of loss or theft, so you can get them from anywhere in the world.
To sum up : Use cards with low liability, high enough limits for your trip, and hide them well on your body. These are the requirements for good travel credit cards.
Why bring travel credit cards instead of traveler's checks? Convenience, safety and savings. The first time I had to exchange $200 of travelers checks overseas, the bank charged me $8. Later, during the same trip, I used my debit card at an ATM to get $200 from my checking account. The charge was one dollar, and that was the last time I used traveler's checks.
Travel Credit Cards And Debit Cards
It is best to carry a credit card AND a debit card, and keep them well-hidden in two separate places. Bring cards that have either zero liability, or a fifty dollar liability limit for any unauthorized charges. Ask your bank or credit card company about this. Make sure you bring a Visa card, as this seems to be the most widely accepted right now.
Sometimes an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) won't take a card for some reason. Normally, you can use the other card, which will usually work fine. That's the advantage of having two cards. By the way, criminals watch those ATMs, so be especially careful not to flash your money around when you leave an ATM.
For most travel, credit cards may be less trouble than debit cards. They can be replaced quickly if stolen. On your stolen debit card, your liability might be zero, but you probably won't have access to your account until the matter is sorted out.
On the other hand, on longer trips it's a hassle to pay the credit card bill on time, which isn't a problem with debit cards. That's another reason to carry both. On longer trips you can wait until you're a few weeks from home to use the credit card, and you'll get there before the bill does.
Another advantage travel credit and debit cards have over traveler's checks, is that when you need the local currency, you'll almost always get a better exchange rate with your cards. Plus, the cash you get from the local ATM will truly be accepted everywhere, something no traveler's checks can promise.
Be sure to call your credit card company or bank before you travel overseas. They may decline your card when you try to use it otherwise. Just let them know where you'll be and for aproximately how long. E-mail yourself the phone numbers to call in case of loss or theft, so you can get them from anywhere in the world.
To sum up : Use cards with low liability, high enough limits for your trip, and hide them well on your body. These are the requirements for good travel credit cards.
Why bring travel credit cards instead of traveler's checks? Convenience, safety and savings. The first time I had to exchange $200 of travelers checks overseas, the bank charged me $8. Later, during the same trip, I used my debit card at an ATM to get $200 from my checking account. The charge was one dollar, and that was the last time I used traveler's checks.
Travel Credit Cards And Debit Cards
It is best to carry a credit card AND a debit card, and keep them well-hidden in two separate places. Bring cards that have either zero liability, or a fifty dollar liability limit for any unauthorized charges. Ask your bank or credit card company about this. Make sure you bring a Visa card, as this seems to be the most widely accepted right now.
Sometimes an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) won't take a card for some reason. Normally, you can use the other card, which will usually work fine. That's the advantage of having two cards. By the way, criminals watch those ATMs, so be especially careful not to flash your money around when you leave an ATM.
For most travel, credit cards may be less trouble than debit cards. They can be replaced quickly if stolen. On your stolen debit card, your liability might be zero, but you probably won't have access to your account until the matter is sorted out.
On the other hand, on longer trips it's a hassle to pay the credit card bill on time, which isn't a problem with debit cards. That's another reason to carry both. On longer trips you can wait until you're a few weeks from home to use the credit card, and you'll get there before the bill does.
Another advantage travel credit and debit cards have over traveler's checks, is that when you need the local currency, you'll almost always get a better exchange rate with your cards. Plus, the cash you get from the local ATM will truly be accepted everywhere, something no traveler's checks can promise.
Be sure to call your credit card company or bank before you travel overseas. They may decline your card when you try to use it otherwise. Just let them know where you'll be and for aproximately how long. E-mail yourself the phone numbers to call in case of loss or theft, so you can get them from anywhere in the world.
To sum up : Use cards with low liability, high enough limits for your trip, and hide them well on your body. These are the requirements for good travel credit cards.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Travelling to and within Ireland.
Travelling to and within Ireland.
To enjoy travelling in Ireland one has to have first travelled to Ireland.
As Ireland is an island nation, travelling to Ireland means arriving by either air or sea.
One also has to consider the modes of transport on offer to travel around this wonderful country.
If you intend to arrive by air, you will enter the country through one of four airports.
For visitors arriving on flights directly from/through North America either Shannon or Dublin airports will be your destination. Shannon Airport due to its proximity to Cork & Kerry is the most ideal destination. Dublin Airport is Ireland's biggest airport, serving the North Atlantic routes, Middle and Far Eastern routes and European routes. Regular shuttle flights are available between Dublin and both Cork and Kerry Airports. Cork Airport can be reached from many European destinations as well as from all over the world if you change flights at either London or Dublin. Cork Airport is, at the most, just two hours away from a stay in the Cork / Kerry region. Your final choice of arrival airport is Kerry Airport. Kerry Airport can be reached by flights from the U.K., or Düsseldorf.
If you intend to arrive by sea, which is ideal for those who wish to use their own car, there is a choice of 3 ports of arrival. The closest port of arrival is Ringaskiddy, which is just outside Cork City. Next Rosslare, which is located in the southeast corner of Ireland and is suitable for those who prefer a shorter sea journey. Finally Dun Laoghaire just outside Dublin links with Holyhead in North Wales for visitors coming through from the Midlands and Northern England.
If you have arrived in Ireland by air or sea at Dublin / Dun Laoghaire or by sea at Rosslare, a comfortable way to travel onward to Cork or Kerry is by train (Iarnród Éireann).
Kent station in Cork is less than 5 minutes walk from the city centre. It is also possible to change trains at Mallow to get to Millstreet, Killarney and Tralee. For Killarney and Tralee this will cost a small bit extra. Full timetables are posted at all stations.
Travelling by bus (Bus Eireann) is a cheap way to get around Ireland and a great way to meet people. Often very lively conversations will develop during your journey, with plenty of advice given for your stay in Ireland. The Dublin Bus Navigator is useful for finding your way around the capital city. The cheapest way to travel by bus is to get a rambler ticket available from most bus stations. These give unlimited travel on all Scheduled services - excluding Day Tours.
If you are travelling as a group of 10 people or more, then why not hire a coach for your stay in Ireland. This way you will be chauffeured day and night to you chosen destinations in safety and with no worries about who drinks and who does the driving!
For complete travel independence a car is your best choice whether you bring your own or hire one. The roads in Ireland are uncluttered and once off the main National primary routes, roads are considered crowded if you see another car going in the same direction and one coming against you at the same time.
For those who want to travel at a leisurely pace and enjoy the fresh air, Ireland is ideal cycling country. Bicycles can be hired nationwide.
Finally hitchhiking is perfectly safe in Ireland, for those on a low budget this is an ideal way to get around and meet people. Getting a lift is quite easy, especially if you have the flag of your country sewn onto the back of your backpack and displayed so drivers can see it easily. Many local people in Ireland hitchhike so you will often have competition at the best locations for a lift, which is usually between the 30m.p.h., and 40m.p.h. signs on the road-leaving town.
trvil sad
Travel Credit Cards
Why bring travel credit cards instead of traveler's checks? Convenience, safety and savings. The first time I had to exchange $200 of travelers checks overseas, the bank charged me $8. Later, during the same trip, I used my debit card at an ATM to get $200 from my checking account. The charge was one dollar, and that was the last time I used traveler's checks.
Travel Credit Cards And Debit Cards
It is best to carry a credit card AND a debit card, and keep them well-hidden in two separate places. Bring cards that have either zero liability, or a fifty dollar liability limit for any unauthorized charges. Ask your bank or credit card company about this. Make sure you bring a Visa card, as this seems to be the most widely accepted right now.
Sometimes an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) won't take a card for some reason. Normally, you can use the other card, which will usually work fine. That's the advantage of having two cards. By the way, criminals watch those ATMs, so be especially careful not to flash your money around when you leave an ATM.
For most travel, credit cards may be less trouble than debit cards. They can be replaced quickly if stolen. On your stolen debit card, your liability might be zero, but you probably won't have access to your account until the matter is sorted out.
On the other hand, on longer trips it's a hassle to pay the credit card bill on time, which isn't a problem with debit cards. That's another reason to carry both. On longer trips you can wait until you're a few weeks from home to use the credit card, and you'll get there before the bill does.
Another advantage travel credit and debit cards have over traveler's checks, is that when you need the local currency, you'll almost always get a better exchange rate with your cards. Plus, the cash you get from the local ATM will truly be accepted everywhere, something no traveler's checks can promise.
Be sure to call your credit card company or bank before you travel overseas. They may decline your card when you try to use it otherwise. Just let them know where you'll be and for aproximately how long. E-mail yourself the phone numbers to call in case of loss or theft, so you can get them from anywhere in the world.
To sum up : Use cards with low liability, high enough limits for your trip, and hide them well on your body. These are the requirements for good travel credit cards.
6 Great Las Vegas Hotels
6 Great Las Vegas Hotels
Looking for tips on just the right place to stay on your Las Vegas vacation? There are a lot of great hotels in Vegas, but these six definitely stand out.
Wynn Hotel
The newest masterpiece by Vegas hotel legend Steve Wynn, the 50-story Wynn Hotel opened in 2004 with 2,716 rooms, an 18-hole golf course, 19 restaurants, and 54 private spa treatment rooms. His namesake hotel displays his amazing art collection, offers incredible shopping right on site, and has a posh private lobby for VIPs. And of course, there's an awesome state-of-the-art casino at it's heart.
Bellagio
Built by Steve Wynn in 1998, the lavish Bellagio has excellent rooms, awesome service, and an amazing water fountain show. In December 2004, just before the Wynn Hotel opened, the Bellagio added a special 928-room Spa Tower, boosting total capacity to 3,933 rooms. The Bellagio is so ritzy that they offer a 50-minute body bronzing treatment with real gold dust.
THEhotel at Mandalay Bay
This all-suite exclusive hotel within the larger Mandalay Bay property has 1,117 rooms that aim for a more cosmopolitan clientele than it's namesake parent. Each suite is 725 square feet of luxury with three flat-screen televisions, including one in the mega-swank bathrooms.
Four Seasons
Another swank luxury hotel within the Mandalay Bay complex, the Four Seasons occupies floors 35-39 and has rates much higher than the standard $119-$349 of its parent. Four Seasons guests have their own elevator and entrance, plus pools, spa, and restaurants in an adjacent building.
Ritz Carlton at Lake Las Vegas
The Ritz Carlton hotel is a half-hour's drive from the Strip, but it's renowned for it's golfing and outdoor activities. It nestles against manmade Lake Las Vegas where the water offers a refreshing alternative to the summertime heat. This three-year-old Tuscan-themed resort still maintains a touch of the glitz: Guests can stay on a special bridge with suites built to recreate Florence's legendary Ponte Vecchio (Bridge of Gold).
Venetian Resort Hotel Casino
Located near the Wynn, this 4,027-suite hotel is part of the Sands Hotel group. Rooms are luxuriously appointed and the casino is magnificent. Coming this summer is a new theater hosting Andrew Lloyd Webber's smash hit musical, the "Phantom of the Opera."
So, there you have it. Six great Vegas hotels that will never fail to dazzle and are guaranteed to impress even the most jaded repeat visitor. Just be sure to book ahead to get the best discounts on room rates and snag hard-to-get show tickets well in advance.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
lakshmigayath
The Supreme Japa Mantra among all Vedic Scripts.
The following article on "Gayatri" mantra was sent to me by Dr. Trucit Vora, by E-mail. No one can deny the values of this Great asset of Indian Vedic scripts among which The Gayatri Mantra tops and is most important one for Daily recital as Japam. Now let us see the real values :
Gayatri mantra has been bestowed the greatest importance in Vedic dharma. This mantra has also been termed as Savitri and Veda-Mata, the mother of the Vedas. The literal meaning of the mantra is:
God! You are Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Almighty.
You are all Light. You are all Knowledge and Bliss.
You are Destroyer of fear; You are Creator of this Universe,
You are the Greatest of all. We bow and meditate upon your light.
You guide our intellect in the right direction.
The mantra, however, has a great scientific import too, which somehow got lost in the literary tradition.
The modern astrophysics and astronomy tell us that our Galaxy called Milky Way or Akash-Ganga contains approximately 100,000 million of stars. Each star is like our sun having its own planet system. We know that the moon moves round the earth and the earth moves round the sun along with the moon. All
planets round the sun.
(A) Om bhur bhuvah swah:
Bhur the earth, bhuvah the planets (solar family), swah the Galaxy. We observe that when an ordinary fan with a speed of 900 RPM (rotations Per minute) moves, it makes noise. Then, one can imagine, what great noise would be created when the galaxies move with a speed of 20,000 miles per second.
This is what this portion of the mantra explains that the sound produced due to the fast-moving earth, planets and galaxies is Om. The sound was heard during meditation by Rishi Vishvamitra, who mentioned it too their colleagues. All of them, then unanimously decided to call this sound Om the name of God, because this sound is available in all the three periods of time, hence it is set (permanent). Therefore, it was the first ever-revolutionary idea to identify formless God with a specific title (form) called upadhi. Until that time, everybody recognized God as formless and nobody was prepared to accept this new idea. In the Gita also, it is said, "Omiti ekaksharam Brahma", meaning that the name of the Supreme is Om, which contains only one syllable (8/12). This sound Om heard during samadhi was called by all the seers nada-Brahma a very great noise), but not a noise that is normally beyond a specific amplitude and limits of decibels suited to human hearing. Hence the rishis called this sound Udgith musical sound of the above, i.e., heaven. They also noticed that the infinite mass of galaxies moving with a velocity of 20,000 miles/second was generating a kinetic energy= 1/2MV2 and this was balancing the total energy consumption of the cosmos. Hence they named it Pranavah, which means the body (vapu) or storehouse of energy (prana).
(B) Tat savitur varenyam:
Tat that (God), savitur the sun (star), varenyam worthy of bowing or respect. Once the form of a person along with the name is known to us, we may locate the specific person. Hence the two titles (upadhi) provide the solid ground to identify the formless God, Vishvamitra suggested. He told us that we could know (realize) the unknowable formless God through the known factors, viz., sound Om and light of suns (stars).
A mathematician can solve an equation x2+y2=4; if x=2; then y can be known and so on. An engineer can measure the width of a river even by standing at the riverbank just by drawing a triangle. So was the scientific method suggested by Vishvamitra in the mantra in the next portion as under: -
(C) Bhargo devasya dheemahi:
Bhargo the light, devasya of the deity, dheemahi we should meditate. The Rishi instructs us to meditate upon the available form (light of suns) to discover the formless Creator (God). Also he wants us to do Japam of the word Om (this is understood in the Mantra). This is how the sage wants us to proceed, but there is a great problem to realize it, as the human mind is so shaky and restless that without the grace of the Supreme (Brahma) it cannot be controlled. Hence Vishvamitra suggests the way to pray Him as under:
(D) Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat:
Dhiyo (intellect), yo (who), nah (we all), prachodayat (guide to right Direction). O God! Deploy our intellect on the right path.
Full scientific interpretation of the Mantra:
The earth (bhur), the planets (bhuvah), and the galaxies (swah) are moving at a very great velocity, the sound produced is Om, (the name of formless God.) That God (tat), who manifests Himself in the form of light of suns (savitur) is worthy of bowing / respect (varenyam). We all, therefore, should meditate (dheemahi) upon the light (bhargo) of that deity (devasya) and also do chanting of Om. May He (yo) guide in right direction (prachodayat) our (nah) intellect dhiyo
So we notice that the important points hinted in the mantra are:-
1) The total kinetic energy generated by the movement galaxies acts as an umbrella and balances the total energy consumption of the cosmos. Hence it was named as the Pranavah (body of energy). This is equal to 1/2 mv2 (Mass of galaxies x velocity)
2) Realizing the great importance of the syllable OM, the other later date religions adopted this word with a slight change in accent, viz., amen and Ameen.
3) The God could be realized through the saguna (gross),
upasana (method), i.e.,
(a) by chanting the name of the supreme as OM
and
(b) by meditating upon the light emitted by stars (suns).
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