YEssss:We can

UNDER SEA VOLCANIC ERUPTION

An undersea volcano is seen erupting off the coast of Tonga, sending plumes of steam, ash and smoke up to 100 metres into the air, off the coast of Nuku'Alofa, Tonga

An undersea volcano is seen erupting off the coast of Tonga, sending plumes of steam, ash and smoke up to 100 metres into the air, off the coast of Nuku'Alofa, Tonga

The volcano, which is situated approximately 6 miles off of the main Tongan island of Tongatapu, is one of around 36 undersea volcanos clustered in the area.

There is currently no danger to residents of the island as the gases are blown offshore, and residents noted the eruptions began on Monday after a series of sharp earthquakes were felt in the capital.

Caring for Our Country

Caring for our Country is the Government's new natural resource management program. Caring for our Country is designed as an integrated package with one clear goal, a business approach to investment, clearly articulated outcomes and priorities and improved accountability. It commenced on 1 July 2008 and will integrate delivery of the Commonwealth's existing natural resource management programs, the Natural Heritage Trust, the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality, the National Landcare Program, the Environmental Stewardship Program and the Working on Country Indigenous land and environmental program.

Abstract Data Model for Business Process Integration

Drinking Hot tea results Throat Cancer

Consumption hot tea may reasons throat cancer, say Iranian researchers, suggesting people let their steaming drink cool before consuming them.
Previous studies have linked tobacco and alcohol with cancer of the oesophagus, and the research published in the British Medical Journal suggests that scalding beverages may also pave the way for such tumours.

Drinking very hot tea at a temperature of greater than 70 degrees Celsius was related with an eight-fold increased risk of throat cancer balanced to nipping warm or lukewarm tea at less than 65 degrees, the researchers carve.Northern Iran Region has one of the highest rates of throat cancer in the world, but smoking rates and alcohol using up are low, say the researchers. Nearly all the volunteers drank black tea regularly, consuming on average more than a litre each day.

People who frequently drank tea less than two minutes after pouring were five times more likely to expand the cancer evaluate to those who waited four or more minutes, the researchers say.British studies have reported people prefer their tea at an average temperature of 56 degrees to 60 degrees, they reminder.

Different ways to reduce mental tension:

What strategies do you use to make yourself feel better, increase your energy levels and reduce your tension? That’s the question Robert Thayer and colleagues at California State University were motivated by in looking for the strategies people use and find effective. There are no revelations in the results but the fact that the same three main strategies were useful in changing mood and reducing tension and raising energy speaks volumes:

• Exercise: rated as the most effective for changing a bad mood, also good for raising energy and reducing tension.
• Music: rated the second most successful way to change a bad mood, and raising energy and reducing tension. This may be a surprising finding for some people.
• Social interaction: good for changing a bad mood and reducing tension although not necessarily so good for raising energy.
Apart from these main categories that were good across the board, there were other strategies that worked in a more selective fashion:
• Pep talk: this was rated as most successful for energy enhancement - above both exercise and music.
• Distractions (like shopping, reading, chores and hobbies): seen as useful for changing a bad mood.
At the other end of the scale, the things people rated as relatively less successful were:

• TV: less effective for reducing tension
• Eating: also less effective for reducing tension.
• Coffee: not that good for raising energy, relative to the other categories.
Gender differences were also seen. Men are more likely to try and distract themselves or seek pleasure, while women are more likely to seek social support.
One surprising finding from this study is how successful music is in all three categories of mood regulation, energy raising and tension reduction. In fact I’ve written before about the seven ways music influences mood.

I know the findings from this study are mostly pretty obvious but intellectually knowing what is good for us can be a world away from actually doing it.

Pursuing the invaders

Joshua Tree staff and community volunteers actively pursue invasive exotic plants. Since the 1970s, we’ve removed over 6,700 tamarisk plants, 15,000 Asian mustard plants, 1,000 tumbleweeds, and 1,200 bunches of fountaingrass. That’s a lot of sweat! As a result, our springs are clean of tamarisk and fountaingrass and water is available for animals. We continue efforts with mustard and fountaingrass, and remain vigilant in monitoring all of our weed sites.