with cancer, infertility and neurologic conditions, such as parkinson ’ s. ( so buying organic can help protect farm workers who are repeatedly exposed to pesticides. ) - small doses of pesticides are far more dangerous to children ( whose bodies are smaller and nervous systems are still developing ) than to adults. - you can remove some pesticide residues with washing but pesticides can be absorbed into fruits and vegetables, and leave trace residues. many of the pesticides stay in the peel, so discarding the skin can reduce residues significantly — by up to 98 percent, according to a 2008 journal of agricultural and food chemistry study. but ditch the peel and you lose out on a lot of fiber and many of the antioxidants. bottom line : i think that the most important thing you can do for your health is to eat lots fruits and vegetables — whether they ’ re organic or not, they ’ re full of helpful nutrients. i do think that if you ’ re shopping for a young child ( like i am ) buying some types of food organic makes good sense — from a pesticide perspective. and certainly buying organic is healthier for the environment because it mandates more sustainable farming practices and helps to reduce the amount of chemicals that leach into our soil and water. what, if anything, do you buy organic? tell us what you think below. nicci micco, food news blog, eating green, food & health news, healthy kids, nutrition nicci micco is co - author of eatingwell 500 - calorie dinners. she has a master ' s degree in nutrition and food sciences, with a focus in weight management. tell us what you think :


for most of 2008, my monthly columns in electrical contractor have been about fiber optic network design. the goal is to educate you on the process of designing fiber optic networks, and now it ’ s time for a pop quiz. the correct answers and explanations are in red. questions for this quiz are based on jim hayes ’ s columns on fiber optic design from april and may 2008. 1. fiber optic network designers should have an in - depth knowledge of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. a. fiber optic components and systems b. installation processes c. all applicable standards, codes and any other local regulations d. all of the above understanding all these is necessary for the designer to properly design a fiber optic network. 2. the first requirement that must be considered for a new fiber optic project is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. a. the customer ’ s communications system requirements b. where the cable plant will be run c. whether it will be multimode or single - mode fiber d. the customer ’ s budget everything in the network design depends on the customer ’ s communications needs. 3. fiber is the communications medium of choice for practically everything but _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. a. cell phone network backbones b. intelligent highway systems c. catv backbones d. premises cabling to the desktop premises cabling to the desktop still uses copper since every pc comes with a free copper port. 4. outside plant systems generally use single - mode fiber to support higher speed systems over longer distances, while shorter premises systems use multimode fiber. most outside plant links are too long for multimode fiber with it ’ s higher loss and lower bandwidth. however it works well in shorter premises applications even at speeds up to 10 gigabits per second. 5. multimode fiber optic systems are lower priced than single - mode systems because _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. a. multimode fiber is cheaper b. multimode cable is cheaper c. multimode electronics are cheaper d. all of the above multimode electronics use inexpensive leds or vcsel lasers that are much cheaper than the expensive lasers needed with singlemode fibers. 6. practically every cable in a telephone system is fiber except _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, and even they are being rebuilt with fiber. a. long - distance links b. undersea links c. metropolitan links d. connections to the home fiber is used exclusively in every telecom link except the home, where it is now making


_ _, and even they are being rebuilt with fiber. a. long - distance links b. undersea links c. metropolitan links d. connections to the home fiber is used exclusively in every telecom link except the home, where it is now making big inroads with systems like verizon ’ s fios. 7. copper cabling to the desktop in offices is being replaced by _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. a. wi - fi links b. bluetooth links c. multimode om3 fiber d. single - mode fiber users desires for “ mobility ” and the higher bandwidth of new wifi systems means that most users do not need cable connections at the desktop. 8. a fiber - to - the - desktop system in an office can be cost effective if designed properly since it _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. a. provides higher bandwidth needed for today ’ s faster pcs b. does not need costly telecom rooms with switches, uninterruptible power and grounds c. costs much less to install than cat 6 d. does not require special electronics centralized fiber systems only need electronics at the ends, not in telecom closets in the middle of the link to the user. 9. connecting two buildings across a highway or waterway may be more easily done with line - of - sight wireless systems using either optical or radio transmission. line of sight systems using radio waves or optical laser transmission are good choices when buildings are separated by roads or waterways that would require expensive construction. 10. the fiber optic network designer must be familiar with _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. a. electrical power systems b. uninterruptible power c. grounding electronic circuits d. all of the above electrical power, properly conditioned and uninterruptable and a data ground are essential to the proper operation of any communications system. hayes is a vdv writer and trainer and the president of the fiber optic association. find him at www. jimhayes. com.


don ’ t look down the poor like taxing the rich less than you would think in the 1939 classic western “ stagecoach ”, a villainous banker with a bag of embezzled cash in his lap frets about the state of the american economy : “ our national debt is something shocking! ” he complains. that year american public debt was just over two - fifths of gdp. this year, the imf reckons, it will be just over 98 %, rising to over 102 % in 2012. were he still around, the unscrupulous banker might have struggled to express his outrage, although he might have found solace in the fact that america ' s august 2nd deal to increase the debt ceiling envisages $ 2. 4 trillion in spending cuts but no tax hikes. this strikes many, both outside the united states and within it, as odd. a democratic congressman called the debt deal a “ sugar - coated satan sandwich ”. it does, however, loosely reflect longstanding differences between americans ' attitudes to taxation and those in much of the rest of the rich world. america is far less inclined than many of its rich - world peers to use taxation and redistribution to reduce inequality. the oecd, a think - tank, reckons that taxation eats up a little less than 30 % of the average american ' s total compensation, compared with nearly 50 % in germany and france. america ' s top federal income - tax rate of 35 % is lower than in many other advanced economies ( although most americans also pay state taxes ). britain ' s top tax rate is 50 %. swedes and danes acquiesce to tax rates that would outrage many americans : sweden ' s top rate is 57 % and denmark ' s is 55 %. unsurprisingly, the american state is also less generous to the poor. unemployment benefits in the united states replace a smaller share of income, and run out more quickly, than in most european countries. the differences in attitude towards redistributive taxes are not just between countries but also within them, and economists have several explanations as to why. when it comes to differences between countries, social cohesion plays a major role. broadly speaking, countries that are more ethnically or racially homogeneous are more comfortable with the state seeking to mitigate inequality by transferring some resources from richer to poorer people through the fiscal system. this may explain why swedes complain less about high taxes than the inhabitants of a country of immigrants such as america. but it also suggests that


with the state seeking to mitigate inequality by transferring some resources from richer to poorer people through the fiscal system. this may explain why swedes complain less about high taxes than the inhabitants of a country of immigrants such as america. but it also suggests that even societies with a tradition of high taxes ( such as those in scandinavia ) might find that their citizens would become less willing to finance generous welfare programmes were immigrants to make up a greater share of their populations. immigration can also subtly alter the overall attitude towards such matters in another way. a 2008 study by economists at harvard found evidence that immigrants ' attitudes towards taxation and redistribution were rooted in the places they had left. social divisions also play a role in determining who within a society prefers greater redistributive taxation. in america blacks — who are more likely to benefit from welfare programmes than richer whites — are much more favourably disposed towards redistribution through the fiscal system than white people are. a 2001 study looked at over 20 years of data from america ' s general social survey and found that whereas 47 % of blacks thought welfare spending was too low, only 16 % of whites did. only a quarter of blacks thought it was too high, compared with 55 % of whites. in general ( though not always ), those who identify with a group that benefits from redistribution seem to want more of it. paradoxically, as the share of the population that receives benefits in a given area rises, support for welfare in the area falls. a new nber paper finds evidence for an even more intriguing and provocative hypothesis. its authors note that those near but not at the bottom of the income distribution are often deeply ambivalent about greater redistribution. economists have usually explained poor people ' s counter - intuitive disdain for something that might make them better off by invoking income mobility. joe the plumber might not be making enough to be affected by proposed hikes in tax rates on those making more than $ 250, 000 a year, they argue, but he hopes some day to be one of them. this theory explains some cross - country differences, but it would also predict increased support for redistribution as income inequality widens. yet the opposite has happened in america, britain and other rich countries where inequality has risen over the past 30 years. never mind the top, avoid the bottom instead of opposing redistribution because people expect to make it to the top of the economic ladder, the authors of the new paper argue that people don ' t like to be at the bottom. one paradoxical consequence of this “ last - place aversion


instead of opposing redistribution because people expect to make it to the top of the economic ladder, the authors of the new paper argue that people don ' t like to be at the bottom. one paradoxical consequence of this “ last - place aversion ” is that some poor people may be vociferously opposed to the kinds of policies that would actually raise their own income a bit but that might also push those who are poorer than them into comparable or higher positions. the authors ran a series of experiments where students were randomly allotted sums of money, separated by $ 1, and informed about the “ income distribution ” that resulted. they were then given another $ 2, which they could give either to the person directly above or below them in the distribution. in keeping with the notion of “ last - place aversion ”, the people who were a spot away from the bottom were the most likely to give the money to the person above them : rewarding the “ rich ” but ensuring that someone remained poorer than themselves. those not at risk of becoming the poorest did not seem to mind falling a notch in the distribution of income nearly as much. this idea is backed up by survey data from america collected by pew, a polling company : those who earned just a bit more than the minimum wage were the most resistant to increasing it. poverty may be miserable. but being able to feel a bit better - off than someone else makes it a bit more bearable. " group loyalty and the taste for redistribution ", by erzo f. p. luttmer last place aversion : evidence and redistributive implications ", by ilyana kuziemko, ryan buell, taly reich and michael i. norton. nber working paper 17234, july 2011 " culture, context and the taste for redistribution ", by erzo f. p. luttmer and monica singhal. nber working paper 14268, august 2008


organic eden wild blueberries are from low - bush wild blueberry fields called ' barrens ' in northern quebec that have been organically managed since 1996. formerly heavily forested, just a few years after logging they became filled with native wild low - bush blueberries. blueberries are handpicked in august, washed, cleaned, sorted, and quick frozen. later they are thawed and infused with organic apple juice concentrate to a targeted sweetness or ' brix '. infused blueberries are rinsed, slowly dried, and misted with organic sunflower oil to prevent clumping. they require no refrigeration. wild blueberries have been gathered from fields and forests by americans for at least centuries, used in stews, soups, cooked with corn, sweetened with maple syrup or honey, and worked into jerky. the blossom or calyx of each berry forms a five pointed star. native americans called it ' star berry ', and elders told stories of the great spirit bringing star berries to comfort children. blueberry juice was used to ease " old coughs, " and to dye rugs, blankets, and clothing. they made smoked berries, sun - dried berries, and blueberry powder to add to their meats and other dishes. leaves and roots where used to make tea. native americans taught pilgrims how to grow, store, and use native plants. wild berries were important food of early settlers. there are more than 450 plants in the blueberry family vaccinium, but just a few are native to north america : the wild low - bush sweet blueberry vaccinium angustifolium ; two high - bush varieties now used to cultivate blueberries vaccinium corymbosum and vaccinium ashei ; and the sour new england variety vaccinium myrtilloides. the wild low - bush blueberry is native to northeastern north america growing from minnesota to maine, and from southern canada to as far north as the arctic. it grows in cooler regions producing small blueberries on a dwarf plant 1 to 2 feet high. cultivated blueberries are a much taller bush grown in many areas and are planted like an orchard. wild blueberry plants are not planted. they develop from native stands and their habitat is simply protected. although both types of blueberries contain antioxidants, it is the wild, low - bush blueberry that is far higher in antioxidant activity. usda uses a system called oxygen radical absorbance capacity ( orac ). by testing the ability of foods


coming out day hailed national coming out day was hailed as an essential day of recognition and support in the wake of a rash of gltb youth suicides. an oct. 11 article at syracuse. com traced the day ’ s beginnings to 23 years ago, in 1987. the day was initially meant to bolster glbt visibility and mutual support in the face of the ongoing aids crisis. in 1987, an article about national coming out day that is posted at the human rights campaign ’ s website says, the names project quilt was shown for the first time. the quilt is a giant textile made from individual panels that bear the names of aids victims. the date for national coming out day commemorates the date of the 1987 march on washington for lesbian and gay rights. but this year ’ s observance in the lgbt community of national coming out day, which is commemorated each oct. 11, unfolds against an equally grim background : a plethora of suicides by gay teenagers who were reportedly the victims of anti - gay bullying and harassment. " coincidentally, today ’ s annual celebration falls one day after republican gubernatorial candidate carl paladino stated his opposition to same - sex marriage during a speech before orthodox jewish leaders in brooklyn, " the article notes. paladino, a catholic, cited the teachings of his faith on oct. 11 in defending comments he had made the previous day to an audience in a brooklyn synagogue. paladino said that children should not be " brainwashed " at school into thinking that to be gay is okay. on oct. 11, paladino backpedaled, saying on television that he has no problem with gays, outside of his conviction that marriage should be reserved as a special right for heterosexuals. paladino also echoed the catholic tenet that homosexuality is an inborn, innate characteristic and not a " choice, " although acts of same - sex physical intimacy are condemned by the church as " inherently evil. " glbt equality groups have condemned such rhetoric as possibly being a catalyst for tragedies in which glbt youths kill themselves. suyracuse. com reported that syracuse university ’ s lgbt resource center had scheduled films and discussions to address the topic of glbt youth and their plight in the homophobic culture of many high schools, and american culture at large. similarly, film screenings and other events were scheduled to take place at colorado college in colorado springs., colo., noted local newspaper the colorado springs independent in an oct. 11 article. the newspaper


many high schools, and american culture at large. similarly, film screenings and other events were scheduled to take place at colorado college in colorado springs., colo., noted local newspaper the colorado springs independent in an oct. 11 article. the newspaper noted that coming out day is " a day not just for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning individuals to speak out about who they are, but also a day for allies to step up and be active voices. " the article also addressed the role of affirming churches and people of faith : " with the large percentage of religious organizations in colorado springs, the topic is certainly worth discussing, " the article said. colorado springs is home to anti - gay organizations such as focus on the family and the family research institute, but students at the college planned assorted activities in honor of national coming out day, including a " spiritual journeys luncheon " at the office of the school ’ s chaplain, and an " ally workshop. " moreover, college glbt equality group equal volunteered to make videos of anyone wishing to record a supportive video message aimed at reassuring gay teens that might be contemplating suicide. the videos were meant to be shown to local support groups and possibly added to the " it gets better " project, a series of messages posted at youtube in which celebrities and everyday people, gay and straight alike, appeal to gay youths not to despair. the village voice offered a selection of personal stories in observance of national coming out day. among those contributing brief essays about their own coming out stories are village voice columnist michael musto, queer rising founding member jake goodman, and new york times web producer mekado murphy.


pot o ' gold : 10 great irish children ' s authors ( page 2 ) - 10 great independent bookstores - choosing children ' s books - 10 great subtraction and addition apps for kids - 10 great kindergarten apps for your tiny learner - 10 great sand activities - 10 great family - friendly activities ireland ’ s written heritage is almost as legendary as its verdant hills and rich mythology. the giants of early 20th century irish authorship are household names — yeats, joyce, wilde — but the emerald isle has an equally strong ( though lesser known ) tradition of great children ’ s literature, too. with st. patrick ’ s day approaching, now is a great time to take advantage of the literary gold at the end of the proverbial rainbow with these ten irish authors. roddy doyle already an established novelist ( he is a 1993 booker prize winner for paddy clarke ha ha ha ) doyle ’ s foray into children ’ s literature promises to be as successful. the dubliner ’ s rover stories ( the giggler treatment, rover saves christmas and the meanwhile adventures ) chronicle the exploits of a hapless adventure - seeking dog, and his latest book, her mother ’ s face, is a poignant look at love and loss from a child ’ s perspective. doyle ’ s humor — from the crude to the charming to the whimsical — make him a great read for adults and children alike. best for grades 3 - 5. patricia lynch patricia lynch was a prolific writer — with 48 novels and hundreds of short stories. her western irish background colors the events and landscapes in many of her stories ; while her stories are relatively uncomplicated for her young audience, they are replete with delightful imagination. her best - known book is the turf - cutter ’ s donkey, celebrated for its romanticized portrayal of rustic ireland. her brogreen series is also a staple of mid - century children ’ s fantasy, and though some of her books are out of print they are well worth tracking down. best for grades 3 - 5. c. s. lewis belfast - born clive staples lewis rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest literary luminaries of his day at oxford, including j. r. r. tolkien, and it ’ s interesting to speculate how the two might have influenced the separate fantasy worlds for which they ’ ve each become famous. lewis ’ conversion to christianity informs much of his writing and is a motif throughout his most famous body of work, the chronicles of narnia. lewis ’ allegory


might have influenced the separate fantasy worlds for which they ’ ve each become famous. lewis ’ conversion to christianity informs much of his writing and is a motif throughout his most famous body of work, the chronicles of narnia. lewis ’ allegory, however, is never heavy - handed ; he is very accessible to children and adults alike, making him a beloved cornerstone of children ’ s literature. don ’ t miss the lion, the witch and the wardrobe, the voyage of the dawn treader and the silver chair. best for grades 4 - 6. eoin colfer with tales that compare favorably to j. k. rowling ’ s harry potter books, wexford native eoin colfer has a lot going for him. the irish author and comedian is best known for his artemis fowl series, which he has jokingly summed up as “ die hard with fairies ”. the adventures and exploits of ( anti ) hero artemis fowl, adolescent criminal genius, are noted for their dark humor and are bestsellers on both sides of the atlantic. the six - book series has a movie deal in the works. artemis fowl, the arctic incident, and the eternity code round out the first three books in the sequence. best for grades 4 - 6. marita conlon - mckenna another bisto award winner, marita conlon - mckenna ’ s books have seen screen treatments and translation into several different languages. her fascination with irish history sparked her most widely known book, under the hawthorn tree. the book, a story about children left struggling to survive in the wake of the deadly 1840s famine, made the irish bestseller list two years running and is distinguished by its touching characterization and historical detail. under the hawthorn tree became the famine trilogy, with wildflower girl and fields of home completing the trio. best for grades 4 - 6. padraic colum padraic colum had a seemingly inexhaustible career as a novelist, a poet, a dramatist and a folklorist. despite fame at home and abroad, famous friendships and lucrative publishing and teaching contracts, colum never forgot his humble beginnings. he began his career in children ’ s writing by translating simple gaelic myths, and his first effort, the king of ireland ’ s son, was released to high praise in 1916. big tree of bunlahy : stories of my own countryside and the voyagers won him newberry honor awards in the 1920s and 1930s. best for grades 4 - 6. pat o ’ shea pat o ’ shea ’


to high praise in 1916. big tree of bunlahy : stories of my own countryside and the voyagers won him newberry honor awards in the 1920s and 1930s. best for grades 4 - 6. pat o ’ shea pat o ’ shea ’ s books, described by phoenix librarian jill detter as “ good fantasy for older children with lots of irish folklore, ” began her career as a dramatist. the galway - born writer took 13 years to complete her best - known book, the hounds of the morrigan, and she found herself a literary sensation in middle age. o ’ shea ’ s 2007 guardian obituary calls the book a “ combination of kindness, wisdom and irreverence ” ; it has been translated into several languages and remains popular in ireland today. best for grades 5 - 8. kate thompson though kate thompson was born in england, and her travels took her to america, wales and india, among other places, she has claimed irish residency since the early 1980s. some of her children ’ s stories touch upon themes as disparate as irish folk tales and genetic engineering. thompson has won the bisto children ’ s book of the year award four times, as well as the whitbread children ’ s book award and the guardian children ’ s fiction prize. she is best known and most celebrated for her book the new policeman, described as “ enthralling ” in several reviews ; other good bets include the alchemist ’ s apprentice and the beguilers. best for kids in middle school and up. james stephens james stephens, a contemporary of irish great james joyce, is best known for his fantasy work the crock of gold. with james joyce, he was part of the irish literary renaissance of the early 20th century and lived to see his work made popular through readings and radio broadcasts. while all his books are marked by his fanciful charm, his 1920 irish fairy tales has become a perennial children ’ s favorite. his lyric voice ( stephens was also a poet ) sets the perfect tone for these retellings of famous irish myths and legends. best for kids in middle school and up. siobhan dowd technically a londoner by birth, siobhan dowd ’ s parents were both irish and she was honored by irish - america magazine as one of the “ top 100 irish - americans ”. a swift pure cry is her first book, a stark portrayal of teenage issues ; her second, the london eye mystery, is a young adult thriller about a boy with asperger ’ s syndrome who


of the “ top 100 irish - americans ”. a swift pure cry is her first book, a stark portrayal of teenage issues ; her second, the london eye mystery, is a young adult thriller about a boy with asperger ’ s syndrome who solves a kidnapping. one review went so far as to describe dowd ’ s sophomore effort as “ unputdownable ”, and it has won everything from the book sense children ’ s pick list to kirkus review ’ s best children ’ s books. her penultimate effort, bog child, was posthumously published in 2008 to acclaim. best for kids in middle school and up. today on education. com workbooksmay workbooks are here! we ' ve got a great round - up of activities perfect for long weekends, staycations, vacations... or just some good old - fashioned fun! get outside! 10 playful activities add your own comment - kindergarten sight words list - the five warning signs of asperger ' s syndrome - what makes a school effective? - child development theories - why is play important? social and emotional development, physical development, creative development - 10 fun activities for children with autism - test problems : seven reasons why standardized tests are not working - bullying in schools - a teacher ' s guide to differentiating instruction - first grade sight words list


a treaty is a written agreement between nations. treaties provide information about relations between countries or groups, including agreements about land boundaries, natural resource use, and cooperation. below is part of a treaty between the united states and the nations of the iroquois confederacy, or haudenosaunee. a treaty between the united states of america and the tribes of indians called the six nations. the president of the united states having determined to hold a conference with the six nations of indians, for the purpose of removing from their minds all causes of complaint, and establishing a firm and permanent friendship with them … : now, in order to accomplish the good design of this conference, the parties have agreed on the following articles, which, when ratified by the president, with the advice and consent of the senate of the united states, shall be binding on them and the six nations : article 1. peace and friendship are hereby firmly established, and shall be perpetual, between the united states and the six nations. art. 2. the united states acknowledge the lands reserved to the oneida, onondaga, and cayuga nations, in their respective treaties with the state of new york, and called their reservations, to be their property ; and the united states will never claim the same, nor disturb them, or either of the six nations, nor their indian friends, residing thereon, and united with them, in the free use and enjoyment thereof ; but the said reservations shall remain theirs, until they choose to sell the same to the people of the united states, who have the right to purchase … done at canandaigua, in the state of new york, the eleventh day of november, in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety - four. excerpt from the canandaigua treaty of 1794. the six nations of the iroquois confederacy, also known as the haudenosaunee, includes six tribes : the seneca, cayuga, onondaga, oneida, mohawk, and tuscarora. they live in upstate new york, as well as in some other states and canada. on november 11, 1794, representatives from these tribes and colonel timothy pickering, the united states commissioner to the indians, signed this treaty in canandaigua, new york. the treaty established a lasting friendship between the haudenosaunee and the united states.


frozen art : wall of ice most works of art long outlive their makers. but some artists like to watch their masterpieces melt away. they give new meaning to the term “ cool art. ” an ice wall in the desert? it sounds impossible. but that ' s not a word dale chihuly likes to hear. the american artist got the idea to build a wall of massive ice cubes as part of his jerusalem 2000 project. since water is scarce in jerusalem, chihuly imported his own huge ice bricks, cut from a frozen lake in alaska. then, the artist and his team stacked the cubes together to make a wall, aglow with colored lights, in the shadow of the ancient city gate. though the ice thawed quickly in the hot desert sun, its melting was all part of the plan. as the wall melted, big barrels collected the water, which was then used to irrigate a nearby hillside. you ' re walking down the street, minding your own business, when you see a snowball. no big deal, right? except the snowball is as tall as you are. and weighs about a ton. did we mention that it ' s june? that ' s the experience thousands of stunned londoners had when they crossed paths with “ snowballs in summer, ” the brainchild of artist andy goldsworthy. goldsworthy makes sculpture from all sorts of things he finds outside — leaves, earth, and rocks, as well as ice and snow. he wanted to find out how busy city people would react to an unexpected snowball melting in their midst. during the winter of 1999, he rolled 13 giant snowballs near his home in scotland. he filled each one with a surprise in the center — such as pebbles, berries, feathers, or sheep ' s wool — which would emerge as the snow melted. the finished snowballs were stored in a deep freeze until summer, then transported to london in refrigerated trucks. at midnight on june 21, 2000, while the city slept, goldsworthy and his co - conspirators rolled their snowballs into place. people walking to work or school must have thought the sky was falling when they stumbled across snowballs the size of baby elephants. some of them had never even seen snow in real life, and they couldn ' t resist poking the snowballs or even breaking off a chunk. as the snow started to melt, things got even more interesting. the perfectly round snowballs took on different shapes as the stuff inside


description from flora of china stems clustered, short and subterranean, mostly obscured by persistent leaf bases. leaves 6 - 20 per stem, pinnate, sometimes undivided, spiny ; leaf sheaths open, not forming crownshafts, sheaths and petioles elongate, covered with flattened spines often in short rows or sometimes arranged in whorls completely encircling sheaths and petioles ; pinnae sometimes silvery gray on abaxial surfaces, usually sigmoid, less often linear, regularly arranged and spreading in same plane or, more often, irregularly arranged and spreading in different planes, pinnae at apex usually joined in compound terminal pinna, sometimes this absent. plants dioecious, most iteroparous, some semelparous. inflorescences borne simultaneously in axils of reduced leaves on a short stem, this dying after flowering, in iteroparous plants inflorescences borne sequentially, emerging from a groove on outside of subtending leaf sheaths, inflorescences branched to 2 orders or sometimes spicate, covered with many persistent, sheathing bracts very short and spicate, short and branched, or very long, branched, and rooting at apex and forming new plants ; in male inflorescences flowers borne in densely arranged pairs on short, thick rachillae ; in female inflorescences flowers either solitary or borne in pairs with a sterile male flower, also densely arranged on rachillae. fruits reddish brown, ovoid, obovoid, or pear - shaped, usually 3 - seeded, covered with many overlapping scales, tips of scales turned up and giving fruit a spiny appearance ; endosperm homogeneous ; germination adjacent ; eophylls bifid. twenty - one species : borneo, china, ne india, indonesia ( java, sumatra ), malaysia ( peninsular ), myanmar, philippines, thailand ; one species in china.


from our 2010 archives high bpa levels may hurt sperm quality men with high levels of chemical bisphenol a ( bpa ) more likely to have low sperm count, motility, study finds by denise mann reviewed by laura j. martin, md oct. 27, 2010 - - men with high urinary levels of the controversial chemical bisphenol a ( bpa ) may have lower sperm quality, which could affect their ability to conceive a child. the new study, which appears in fertility and sterility, is the first to link bpa levels to sperm quality in humans. other studies with similar results were conducted in animals. exactly how bpa can affect sperm is not known, but animal studies have shown that bpa may have a negative impact on sperm production. " the higher the bpa exposure, the worse the semen quality, " says study author de - kun li, md, phd, a reproductive and perinatal epidemiologist at kaiser permanente ' s division of research in oakland. " the findings add more weight to the evidence about the effects of bpa on sperm quality, " he says. of 218 men who worked in a factory in china, those with higher levels of bpa exposure had two to four times the risk of poor semen quality, including low sperm count and motility ( the ability of the sperm to move toward the egg ), compared to their counterparts who had lower levels of urinary bpa or no detectable bpa in their urine. some of the factory workers were exposed to bpa on the job while others were not. bpa levels varied among the men, but occupational exposure to bpa was the most significant contribution to higher levels of bpa. evidence against bpa mounting many manufacturers have already taken steps to eliminate the bpa in baby bottles and cups, but the chemical is also found in the linings of canned foods, plastic containers, dental sealants, and cigarette filters. the fda has called for more study on bpa because of its " potential health concerns, " and the canadian government recently placed bpa on its list of toxic chemicals. the time is now to take steps to reduce bpa exposure, li says. " you don ' t have to wait for regulatory agencies to ban bpa, " he says. " in most cases, avoiding bpa doesn ' t cost much. " simple ways to steer clear of bpa involve not eating canned foods. " this study clearly shows that bpa exposures adversely


to ban bpa, " he says. " in most cases, avoiding bpa doesn ' t cost much. " simple ways to steer clear of bpa involve not eating canned foods. " this study clearly shows that bpa exposures adversely affect men in a serious way : by influencing their semen quality, which could have obvious impacts on their ability to have children, " laura n. vandenberg, phd, of the department of biology at tufts university in boston, says in an email. " this study also shows that adult men are sensitive to bpa, and even small amounts of the chemical can have pretty drastic effects, " she says. " what remains to be seen is whether the effects of bpa on semen quality are permanent after the kinds of low, chronic exposures that most adults experience. " findings may not apply to u. s. steven g. hentges, phd, of the polycarbonate / bpa global group of the american chemistry council, a trade group in washington, d. c., says the new findings are likely not generalizable to people in the u. s. " this study wasn ' t designed to look at consumers, who in contrast to the chinese workers in this study are exposed to low levels of bpa, " he says. " in the u. s., worker safety programs limit exposure to bpa with proper personal protective equipment, " he says. as a result, exposures are likely not as high among u. s. workers. and " even with extreme high exposures in this study, most of the workers with poor sperm quality still did not meet criteria for infertility as designated by the world health organization, " he says. sources : li, d. fertility & sterility, manuscript received ahead of print. de - kun li, md, phd, reproductive and perinatal epidemiologist, kaiser permanente ' s division of research, oakland, calif. laura n. vandenberg, phd, department of biology, tufts university, boston. steven g. hentges, phd, polycarbonate / bpa global group, american chemistry council, washington, d. c. toyama, y. archives of histology and cytology, 2004 : vol 67 : pp 373 - 381. find out what women really need. men ' s health resources health solutions from our sponsors pill identifier on rxlist - quick, easy, find a local pharmacy - including 24 hour, pharm


wednesday may 22, 2013 library hours : 7 : 30am to 10 : 00pm eastern michigan university library why use scholarly sources? because of the level of authority and credibility evident in scholarly sources they contribute a great deal to the overall quality of your papers. use of scholarly sources is an expected attribute of academic course work. in all disciplines, knowledge is built by responding to the ideas and discoveries of those who came before us. scholarly journal articles are unique in that they require authors to document and make verifiable the sources of the facts, ideas, and methods they used to arrive at their insights and conclusions. scholarly articles also strive to identify and discuss the merits of alternative explanations and viewpoints for the positions they espouse. this makes it easier to assess the truth, as well as the strengths and weaknesses, of the claims made in a paper. this is the case for those with knowledge of a subject ( for example, your professor ), as well as for those just beginning to learn about a subject ( for example, you ). as you know, anyone can say just about anything in articles posted on the web. while you might agree with the conclusions of a paper found on the web, you are often not given the chain of evidence you need to assess the truth of those conclusions. likewise, articles published in popular magazines, while they provide information and opinions, are not required to document evidence that either supports or negates their conclusions. scholarly journal articles, unlike web - based or popular magazine articles, are designed and structured to provide the elements necessary to most thoroughly evaluate the validity and truth of an author ' s position.


algae farm power algae fuel or algal biofuel is an alternative to fossil fuel that uses algae as its source. several companies and government agencies are funding efforts to reduce capital and operating costs and make algae fuel production commercially viable. harvested algae, like fossil fuel, release co2 when burnt but unlike fossil fuel the co2 is taken out of the atmosphere by the next generation of growing algae. as locations go, columbus, new mexico is hard to find but is a pretty good place to stage the first attempt, here on planet earth, to cultivate crude oil as an agricultural crop. to do so, three partners are attempting to do something else that has never been achieved before — using algae as a major, global crop platform — not on the scale that has produced vitamin and nutritional supplements, but on the scale and at the costs more closely associated with the dozen or so great staple crops around the world. it is turning a 300 - acre expanse of desert scrub into the world ’ s largest algae farm designed to produce crude oil. " we take algae, co2, water and sunlight, and then we refine it, " says cynthia warner, the chief executive of sapphire, who joined the company after working for more than 20 years at oil - company giants amoco and bp. algae, she says, has the potential to change the world, by reducing carbon dioxide emissions and enabling almost any country to make its own oil. " this technology is so compelling — and it will make such a big difference — that, once it gets out of the gate, it will ramp up very quickly, " warner says. a farm needs flattish land because then you have to move the water. flattish lands works, a slight grade as you find in much of agriculture. that way, you get a gravity assist in flowing water downhill. when it reaches the bottom of the farm, it can be pumped back to the top with very energy - efficient pump technology. like rice, the field is flooded. abundant water is at hand. there are several technical factors to consider. dry mass factor is the percentage of dry biomass in relation to the fresh biomass ; e. g. if the dry mass factor is 5 %, one would need 20 kg of wet algae ( algae in the media ) to get 1 kg of dry algae cells. lipid content is the percentage of oil in relation to the dry biomass needed to get it, i. e. if the algae lipid content is 40 %, one would need 2. 5 kg of dry algae to get


of dry algae cells. lipid content is the percentage of oil in relation to the dry biomass needed to get it, i. e. if the algae lipid content is 40 %, one would need 2. 5 kg of dry algae to get 1 kg of oil. algae requires nutrients, sunlight & water to grow, algae thrive on saline, brackish and waste waters. there have been proposals made where wastewater, human waste, animal waste & plant waste, along with c02 emissions from industrial processes can all be used as the nutrients in algaculture. after oil is extracted from the algae the algae residue is then used as an animal feedstock or as a soil fertilizer. other algae farms are under development in hawaii, by phycal, and in karratha, australia, by aurora algae, and in florida, by algenol. in europe, the swedish energy company vattenfall and italy ’ s enel group have been using algae, which is then made into fuel or food, to absorb greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. synthetic genomics is going a step further, studying natural algae in order to design, from scratch, a plant of its own. venter, the company founder, told scientific american last year : " everybody is looking for a naturally occurring algae that is going to be a miracle cell to save the world and, after a century of looking, people still haven ’ t found it. we hope we ’ re different. " venter noted that genetic tools " give us a new approach : being able to rewrite the genetic code and get cells to do what we want them to do. " so algae power is not yet here but the mechanics of successful production is being studied and tested. for further information see sapphire and us study. farm image via sapphire.


come with me on a plastic carpet ride! cities are often littered with trash and plastics on every street corner. the haphazard candy wrapper, bottle, or plastic bag blowing in the wind creates eyesores for locals and tourists alike. but what is the litter situation in the desert? you won ' t find too much garbage where there aren ' t any people, that is unless it ' s a piece of plastic artwork. dutch collective, we make carpets, was recently commissioned by the taragalte festival in southern morocco to turn ordinary plastics into a magic carpet piece of artwork. the taragalte festival is a yearly event that brings together the cultural exchange and sustainable development through tourism in the region. the focus of this year ' s november program was women ' s creativity and everyday life in the desert. moroccan carpets date back centuries and these tapestries that were once used for protection against cold weather are now also used for conveying local folklore, symbolism, and weaving techniques in their design. however, one temporary, contemporary " rug " on display this year was made out of a different kind of material : plastics. made of plastic bottles of different colors, shapes, and sizes, the bottle carpet is exquisitely designed into intricate patterns allowing viewers to see the waste in a different light. in a modern society where plastic bags and bottles are gaining more attention to become more environmentally friendly, the festival made an attempt to show patrons that while some moroccans are beginning to understand the importance of proper waste management, the lack of recycling infrastructure and proper education has left much of north african behind the times. plastic bottles not only clog waterways but can leaching harmful toxins into the ground and endangering wildlife. they also make up a large percentage of the litter and pollution we see along roadways and rivers. turning plastic trash into a treasure that looks like a carpet helps to convey the notion that all materials are both precious and valuable, especially when every carpet has a story to tell about one particular aspect of morocco culture and her people. in a nation with nomadic desert people, the plastic art installation is sure to inspire patrons and create discussion over the abundance of plastics and what can be done to minimize plastic waste. read more at green prophet. plastic carpet image courtesy of we make carpets.


the issue of global climate change was identified decades ago. in fact, it was first noted in the media in the 1930s, when a prolonged period of warm weather demanded explanation, yet interest in the matter disappeared as cooler temperatures returned. for the past decade, most experts have accepted climate change as a fact, making the issue difficult to ignore — yet many politicians, and the voters who elect them, have done exactly that. scientists, policymakers, and others have come up with good ideas to address climate change and other energy issues including oil, transportation, and electricity policies ; carbon capture and storage ; and the generation of innovative energy solutions ; many of the core aspects of these ideas were developed long ago. however, predictable cognitive, organizational, and political barriers prevent us from addressing energy problems despite clearly identified courses of action. this article borrows from the “ predictable surprises ” framework that harvard business school professor michael watkins and i developed to explain the human failure to act in time to prevent catastrophes. it also borrows ideas from a paper on cognitive barriers to addressing climate change. to focus the discussion, i treat climate change as the exemplar energy - related problem, but the ideas presented here are relevant to the enactment of wise policies across a range of issues, some of which i also discuss to demonstrate the dynamics of these barriers. as an example of the human failure to act in time to prevent foreseeable catastrophes, watkins and i argue that u. s. leaders had ample warning to act in time to prevent the events of september 11. we note that the u. s. government knew that islamic terrorists were willing to become martyrs for their cause and that their hatred and aggression toward the united states had increased throughout the 1990s. the american government knew that terrorists had bombed the world trade center in 1993, hijacked an air france airplane in 1994 and attempted to turn it into a missile aimed at the eiffel tower, and attempted to simultaneously hijack 11 u. s. commercial airplanes over the pacific ocean in 1995. high - ranking government officials also knew that it was easy for passengers armed with small weapons to board commercial airplanes. in fact, this information was presented in many government accountability office reports and was identified by then – vice president al gore ’ s special commission on aviation security in 1996. together, this information created what we called a predictable surprise, or a failure to act in time. watkins and i argue that the failure to act in time is an unfortunately typical pattern of human behavior, one that can also be seen in the persistent


. together, this information created what we called a predictable surprise, or a failure to act in time. watkins and i argue that the failure to act in time is an unfortunately typical pattern of human behavior, one that can also be seen in the persistent failure to solve the problem of auditor independence, which contributed to the collapse of enron, arthur andersen, and many other firms at the start of the millennium. just as our government did not know how many planes the terrorists would take over on september 11 or what their targets would be, we do not know which energy crisis looms largest or which will hit first. we can be confident, however, that many energy issues will continue to grow and that large - scale disasters will occur if we fail to act in time. the creation and implementation of wise policy recommendations require us to anticipate resistance to change and develop strategies that can overcome these barriers. why don ’ t wise leaders follow through when the expected benefits of action far outweigh the expected costs from a long - term perspective? people typically respond to this question with a single explanation, a key error when explaining events. this tendency to identify only one cause holds true for social problems ranging from poverty to homelessness to teenage pregnancy. ann mcgill of the university of chicago ’ s booth school of business illustrates this cognitive bias by noting that people have argued endlessly over whether teenage promiscuity or lack of birth control causes teenage pregnancy, when the obvious answer is that both cause the problem. similarly, many people seek to identify one cause of climate change when it is abundantly clear that there are multiple causes. enacting legislation to act in time to solve energy problems requires surmounting cognitive, organizational, and political barriers to change. efforts targeted at just one level of response will allow crucial barriers to persist. as an example, many well - intentioned organizations focus on identifying the political barriers to enacting stronger campaign finance reform in the united states. such efforts overlook the fact that the issue of campaign finance reform is insufficiently salient in the minds of the public, for systematic and predictable reasons. true improvements in campaign financing will require changing the way citizens think about the topic and changing the political system that continually fights against meaningful reform. and, as explored later, current campaign financing plays a role in the political barriers to change in the realm of energy. drawing on this broad approach to reduce barriers to solving complex problems, the remainder of the article outlines three types of barriers — cognitive, organizational, and political — that confront the enactment of wise


earth & space week 2005 : celebrating our planet while reaching for the stars esa pr 07 - 2005. from 12 to 20 february, world leaders, policy makers and space experts will gather in brussels for a week packed with events organised with a view to the 3rd earth observation summit - taking place for the first time in europe - and a major conference on international cooperation in space. earth and space week 2005 is being organised by the european commission in collaboration with the european space agency. the international earth observation summit on 16 february will help shape future earth observation capabilities and applications and increase cooperation in space, especially vis - a - vis the developing world. better coordinated observation systems could save lives and preserve resources. the recent asian tsunami, which spread devastation across twelve countries and led to the loss of over 180 000 lives, tragically underlines the increasing importance of anticipation, planning and response. being able to survive such ordeals calls for systems that can forewarn decision - makers and the public, thus reducing the chances of natural hazards turning into major disasters. in all, 55 nations, 30 international organisations, the european commission and the european space agency are involved in a drive to establish a network of comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable systems for observing the earth and sharing scientific data. the foundations for a global earth observation system of systems will be laid on 16 february with the approval of a ten - year implementation plan to create a geoss. proponents believe the system could reduce famine, eliminate epidemics and save lives in future. on 16 february, the japan aerospace exploration agency will sign the international charter " space and major disasters ". jaxa will thus become a backer of this initiative, which aims at providing a unified system of space data acquisition and delivery to those affected by natural or man - made disasters. each member has committed resources to support the provisions of the charter, helping to mitigate the impact of such disasters on human life and property. on 17 - 18 february, addressing the theme “ winning through cooperation : sharing the benefits of space ”, an international conference on cooperation in space will bring together space experts from all space - faring agencies. this event will highlight the shared gains from international cooperation on space programmes, assess the scope for new avenues for cooperation and consider the role the european space programme – currently being planned in the framework of the european space council ( see esa press release n° 62 - 2004 ) - could play in strengthening international cooperation. a live link - up with the astronauts currently on board the international space station will open the conference proceedings. this will be followed


framework of the european space council ( see esa press release n° 62 - 2004 ) - could play in strengthening international cooperation. a live link - up with the astronauts currently on board the international space station will open the conference proceedings. this will be followed by keynote speeches by esa director general jean - jacques dordain and ec vice president gunter verheugen. earth and space week 2005 will on 17 february also play host to a european international space station business club ( ibc ) workshop on “ iss & beyond ”. speakers from esa, national space agencies and industry will focus on the european space exploration programme and the opportunities it could open up for companies in this area. an earth and space exhibition will run from 12 to 20 february at autoworld. with entrance free of charge, the over 3000m2 of attractive exhibits and visual information will allow visitors of all ages to enjoy and share the most exciting successes of european space activities. a special media programme has been set up for journalists attending the various events. there will be extensive interview opportunities with policy makers, experts and european astronauts. a theme - based media briefing day on earth observation is also planned. - 11 february 2005 - inauguration, earth & space expo ( autoworld, parc du cinquantenaire, brussels ). join esa, the european commission and senior officials and dignitaries for a sneak preview. - 12 february, 10 – 11 a. m. - " planet earth seen from above " a breakfast - time discussion ( earth & space expo, autoworld, parc du cinquantenaire ). european astronauts will share their experiences and bring to life the beauty and fragility of the planet as seen from the unique perspective of space. - 15 february 2005 - theme - based media briefings ( earth & space expo, autoworld, parc du cinquantenaire ). get insights into why earth observation is vital for the environment, world security and our daily lives. experts from european and international organisations working in the field will discuss their activities. at the end of each briefing, the floor will be open for a q & a session. - 16 february 2005 - earth observation summit ( palais d ’ egmont, brussels ). ministers and senior officials from around the world will meet for the historic approval and presentation of the global earth observation system of systems ( geoss ) ten - year implementation plan. - 16 february 2005 - ( 6 p. m., autoworld, parc du cinquantenaire ). jaxa to sign the international charter " space and


global earth observation system of systems ( geoss ) ten - year implementation plan. - 16 february 2005 - ( 6 p. m., autoworld, parc du cinquantenaire ). jaxa to sign the international charter " space and major disasters ". - 17 - 18 february 2005 - international conference on cooperation in space ( charlemagne building, brussels ). senior space agency officials, space industry representatives and delegates from government agencies around the globe will discuss new avenues for international cooperation on space and major disasters, space and development, space science and how the future european space programme can play a role. - 17 february 2005, 2 – 6 p. m. - ibc " iss & beyond " ( earth & space expo, autoworld, room mahy ). first european international space station business club. - 12 to 20 february - earth & space expo ( admission 9 : 30 a. m. to 6 p. m. weekdays, 10 a. m. to 8 p. m. weekends at autoworld, parc du cinquantenaire ). free, suitable for all ages. aimed at raising interest and awareness in terrestrial and space issues. the over 3000m2 exhibition area will offer a fascinating voyage of discovery across our planet and beyond. to register to attend the earth & space week 2005 media events, please visit the online press centre. for information on the media programme and activities : boris kandziora, press and information officer simonetta cheli, head of institutional relations tel + 39 06 9418 0350 franco bonacina, head of media relations tel + 33 1 5369 7713 to register to attend earth & space week media events, contact : monica vicente cristina ( print press only ) hill & knowlton international gerald alary ( audiovisual media only ) ddb focus europe - working under european commission contract for this event


first published in eos / esd technology feb / march 1989 grounding of static controlled workstations although esd - protective grounding is often crucial, it is far from the only consideration in workstation grounding ; the avoidance of shock hazard to personnel is even more member, eos / esd assn. grounding standards subcommittee, and quality assurance specialist, santa barbara, ca the term " grounding is often misunderstood ; it ' s used freely and often without the necessary modifying specifics. that ' s unfortunate because unless grounding is understood and its principles properly applied, an improperly grounded workstation not only can allow damage to sensitive parts, but can present a shock hazard to humans as well. there are various concepts of grounding. some authorities relate it to a connection with the earth, while others speak in terms of a common point to which all electrical returns are connected. in electronics, different grounds may exist. electromagnetic, electrostatic, signal, chassis and power grounds may be addressed separately in order to control noise, interference, and undesirable current flow. in geographic areas where electrical storms are intense, special rods are installed on buildings to divert lightning to earth through heavy gauge wire. a similar configuration is used in electrical power systems. the national electrical code recommends that the neutral circuit of all ac systems be terminated in some conducting body in the earth. here ' s why : such a grounding system... 1. maintains an an arbitrary zero voltage reference for the 2. protects a building from lightning. 3. drains equipment ' s static charge. fig 1 shows how earth grounding is configured in a typical 120 - v, 60 - hz electrical system. this type of system is the one most commonly used at workstations in industry today and is, therefore, a primary subject of this article. an esd ground? one might think that electrical system grounds should not be used for esd - protective grounding, but this is not necessarily the case. a frequent alternative to using the system ground for esd is a separate earth ground rod installed near the workstation for esd use, and this is indeed effective in draining away static charges. however, such a ground can be hazardous to personnel working near electrical equipment ; such a situation could allow a potential difference between equipment and the separate esd ground. in addition to personnel hazards, an electrical overstress ( eos ) hazard might exist between say, a soldering iron ( grounded through the power system ) and a worksurface using the separate es


between equipment and the separate esd ground. in addition to personnel hazards, an electrical overstress ( eos ) hazard might exist between say, a soldering iron ( grounded through the power system ) and a worksurface using the separate esd ground described above. fig 2 illustrates the potential problems. obviously, this is undesirable both for people and parts. however, a properly grounded piece of electrical equipment placed on a grounded worksurface reduces this hazard. however, there is still the possibility of ground current flowing through the worksurface itself, and static charges might not bleed off completely due to related effects. fig 3 shows how current flow through the worksurface this problem can be solved by bonding the two earth grounds together, eliminating the resistance between them. if electrical power is nearby or incorporated in workstations, worksurfaces and wrist - strap ground circuits should be connected only to the electrical - power - system ground to minimize potential differences. an equipment ground conductor is often used in case a fault develops in the primary power - system ground. fig 4 shows the relation between equipment ground ( also referred to as safety ground ) and earth ground. this methodology is designed to handle situations in which 120 - v power accidentally contacts the frame of electrical equipment. so - called fault current will flow through the equipment ground, triggering the local circuit breaker. installation of ground fault circuit interrupters, or gfcis, increases safety further. testing is a should always be tested before depending on a grounding system. accurate, reasonably priced and easily operated systems analyzers are available. the analyzer used should both detect flaws in the system and also verify the wiring configuration per the national electric code. electricians aren ' t needed for these tests unless discrepancies are noted. to maximize safety, the analyzer should be able to detect flaws such as an equipment ground shorted to neutral in the ac outlet box. it should also be capable of testing equipment - ground impedance by injecting ac current into the equipment ground conductor and measuring between it and the neutral conductor. ecos corp. ( oak park, il ), a consulant on ac distribution and grounding, recommends 1 ohm between ground and neutral. doing it yourself though it should rarely be necessary, there are adequate means of measuring earth - ground resistance in ac systems. install a 5 / 8 - in. by 6 - ft copper rod in the earth near an electrical circuit. using a specialized ground resistance tester, measure the earth ' s resistance between your


adequate means of measuring earth - ground resistance in ac systems. install a 5 / 8 - in. by 6 - ft copper rod in the earth near an electrical circuit. using a specialized ground resistance tester, measure the earth ' s resistance between your auxiliary earth ground and the ax system ' s ground conductor. ordinary meters are not recommended for this measurement due to the possibility of invalid measurements ; ground - resistance testers can guard against earth currents ( and consequent measurement inaccuracies ) ; the typical the resistance will vary depending on the nature and moisture of the soil and the physical implementation of the system ground. for esd purposes, the maximum resistance allowable for rapid static decay is about 1 mohm ; however, if the ac system ground meets code requirements, the resistance should measure less than 100 ohms. ac power can be grounded to a common bus rod mounted near the workstations. their worksurfaces should be connected to the ground bus with wire of 20 - gauge minimum diameter and preferably larger. heavy stranded wire may be preferable to a less - durable solid - conductor. the end of this grounding bus should be bonded to a convenient ac - equipment - ground circuit. this type is shown in fig 5. equipment - ground conductors in workstations wired with 120 - vac can be used for grounding, provided the circuit has been tested and has passed. in addition, the equipment ground circuit should be bonded electrically to a workstation ' s metal frame if that frame is to be used as a common - ground point. continuity of less than 1 ohm can be measured with the wiring analyzer ( s ) previously described. if a workstatin frame ' s resistance is too high, an approach similar to that shown in fig 5 should be used. in any event frames should always be bonded securely to the equipment to ensure the continuing safety of people and esd - sensitive electronics, all static - controlled workstations should be periodically tested for ground integrity. however, even periodic testing can ' t detect an immediate break or degradation in a grounding circuit. when such a break is eventually uncovered, it is often too late for some parts, thus various constant monitoring systems are available. fig 6 shows a block diagram of such a monitor. these monitors sound an alarm if an open circuit or ground - circuit degradation occurs. unfortunately, some of these monitors are undependable, so it ' s good policy to periodically test not only ground integrity but the associated monitors as well. for more information on ground


many students may need to use free dissertations for a variety of reasons. a dissertation is a formal academic document that a learner will create in order to graduate from a phd program. because there are so many different writing styles, levels, requirements, and more, the specific needs that a student has for a free dissertation may vary from student to pupil. in order for a learner to get the right kind of free project that meets his or her needs, the student should first make sure that he or she understands what the role of a report is. in most cases, a university report is the final document that a learner will write in order to complete his or her phd program. the student needs to research a particular subject in depth, write about his or her findings, and then defend the data in front of a panel of experts. after a student understands why he or she may need to use a free dissertation, the student should look for specific needs that may be covered by a review of the free reference project. for example, if the student wishes to know what type of research should be included in the report, the student may wish to review some free dissertations for a better idea of the breadth of coverage. students often use free dissertations in order to understand the basic format of a college report. by reviewing several different types of free dissertations, students may get a better idea of what sections would be most helpful to include in the report, especially if the student is not required to include all sections in his or her assignment. there are many different resources for free dissertations. some students look for free dissertations online through dissertation databases. other students may look for free dissertations from a writing center or even a professor. students should always be sure that the free dissertations they are using are accurate, high quality, and contain the correct formatting requirements. some students confuse free dissertations with pre - written reports. whenever a student wishes to use a project that someone else has created as the basis for his or her own dissertation, the student may wish to access pre - written reports, which may be free or they may come with a fee. however, just because a university report is free does not mean that the author intended for other students to be able to use it as the basis for their own dissertations. many academic articles are published and copyrighted, so they should not be used by other pupils. premium essays involving " free dissertation " tutorial videos on collegiate writing


iowa state university study examines farmer use of conservation loan programs ames, iowa – iowa is one of the most productive agricultural states in the u. s., but it also faces water quality challenges related to crop and livestock production practices. a number of conservation programs are in place to help farmers and landowners improve conservation practices ; however, demand for the programs often outweighs the funds available. to help address this issue, iowa introduced clean water state revolving fund nonpoint source pollution programs within the state in 2005. to see if the programs were making a difference, state cwsrf staff contacted iowa state university extension and outreach to help conduct an evaluation. results from an isu extension and outreach - led evaluation of the cwsrf ’ s local water protection program were published in the february 2013 issue of the journal of the american water resources association. extension sociologist j. gordon arbuckle jr. led the research team. congress established the cwsrf in 1987 to help communities fund infrastructure and other water - quality improvement projects. in 1992, some states ' cwsrf programs began providing loans for agricultural pollution projects. these programs use federal money to provide subsidized loans to help farmers and landowners fund conservation practices that improve water quality. in 2004 the iowa cwsrf established the local water protection program and the livestock water quality program. the programs are jointly administered by the iowa department of natural resources, the iowa finance authority and the iowa department of agriculture and land stewardship. the cwsrf nonpoint source loan programs were designed to increase the scope, scale and rate of best management practices adoption on iowa ' s agricultural land by relieving capital constraints and decreasing the financial burden associated with adopting the practices. while the programs gained traction in their first years, by 2007 they had not attained desired levels of participation and iowa cwsrf staff wanted to find out why. they also wanted to know if the programs were helping participants to increase investments in conservation practices. in 2008, arbuckle began working with idnr and idals staff to evaluate the programs. the research team surveyed farmers and landowners and conducted focus groups with agency field staff. “ we learned that farmers who had taken loans viewed them as effective and user - friendly. nearly all loan recipients believed that the loans had helped them to accomplish their conservation goals more rapidly then they would have otherwise. more than 90 percent agreed that they would recommend the programs to others and would take a loan again if needed, ” arbuckle said. " our focus groups with agency field staff found that many of the staff


more rapidly then they would have otherwise. more than 90 percent agreed that they would recommend the programs to others and would take a loan again if needed, ” arbuckle said. " our focus groups with agency field staff found that many of the staff who were not promoting the programs simply were not familiar enough with them to feel comfortable using them. the article published in the journal of the american water resources association focuses on the lwpp. the lwpp loans are not a replacement for cost - share funding of on - farm conservation projects, but rather, the loans leverage the cost - share and allow farmers to expand their conservation projects and complete them in a more timely manner, arbuckle said. based on results from the survey, farmers typically supplement their cost - shares with these loans. the loan program aids farmers in making larger investments in conservation. “ one of our main findings was that landowners who used the program thought it was very effective, ” arbuckle said. “ the program helped the participants implement more conservation practices more quickly than they could have without the loans. ” iowa state university extension and outreach provides many resources for farmers and landowners. for more information, visit http : / / www. extension. iastate. edu / topic / agriculture. [ photo ] j. gordon arbuckle jr. counties main menu - county home - about us - 4 - h & youth - agriculture & environment - business & community - families & healthy living


what is aez the main system for land resource assessment is fao ’ s agro - ecological zoning ( aez ) methodology and supporting software packages for application at global, regional, national and sub - national levels. aez uses various databases, models and decision support tools. when to use aez useful as a tool of assessment of land resources for better planning and management and monitoring of these resources. aez can be used in various assessment applications, including : - land resource inventory ; - inventory of land utilization types and production systems, including indigenous systems, and their requirements ; - potential yield calculation ; - land suitability and land productivity evaluation, including forestry and livestock productivity ; - estimation of arable areas mapping agro - climatic zones, problem soil areas, agro - ecological zones, land suitability, quantitative estimates on potential crop areas, yields and production ; - land degradation assessment, population supporting capacity assessment and - land use optimization modelling ; - assessing and mapping flood and drought damages to crops ; - assessment of impact of climate change ; monitoring land resources development the agro - ecological zones methodology has been in use since 1978 for determining agricultural production potentials and carrying capacity of the world ’ s land area. an agro - ecological zone, as originally defined, is comprised of all parts of gridcells on a georeferenced map that have uniform soil and climate characteristics. the suitability of each of these zones for rainfed production of various crops, under different input and management scenarios is then evaluated. the yield potential of the crops most suited to each zone where rainfed crop production is possible, determines the overall agricultural production potential of that zone. crops evaluated originally include food, fibre and fodder crops and pasture grasses. the food and agriculture organization of the united nations ( fao ), in collaboration with the international institute for applied systems analysis ( iiasa ), has updated its agro - ecological zones ( aez ) methodology ( fao & iiasa, 2002 ). the updated version permits a more refined evaluation of biophysical limitations than the original, and takes into account the production potential of a larger number of crops. in conjunction with the updating exercise, a worldwide spatial land resources database has been created that contains both primary datasets and derived datasets for a large number of variables that affect the production potential of the world ’ s land area or reflect the choices that people have made about how to use the land. the aez framework incorporates the following basic elements : - a georeferenced land resources database


large number of variables that affect the production potential of the world ’ s land area or reflect the choices that people have made about how to use the land. the aez framework incorporates the following basic elements : - a georeferenced land resources database that contains some 2. 2 million gridcells, and includes ( i ) an environmental conditions component comprised of georeferenced global databases for climate, soils, terrain and elevation, and ( ii ) a spatial land use and land cover component covering forests, protected areas, irrigated areas, population distribution and density, land required for habitation and infrastructure, estimates of cropland, grazing land and sparsely vegetated or barren land, and farming systems ; - a standardized framework for the characterization of soil, terrain and climatic conditions relevant to agricultural production, and identification of areas with specific climate, soil and terrain constraints to rainfed crop production ; - selected agricultural production systems with defined input and management relationships, and cropspecific environmental requirements and adaptability characteristics ; these are termed land utilization types ( luts ) ; - procedures for calculating the potential agronomically attainable yield and for matching environmental requirements of individual crops and luts with the respective environmental characteristics contained in the land resources database, by land unit and gridcell, thus permitting estimation of crop - specific suitability indices for each gridcell in the database, under different levels of inputs and management conditions ; - quantification of crop and land productivity potential under different cropping pattern and lut assumptions ; - applications for estimating the land ’ s population - supporting capacity and for multiple - criteria optimization of land resource use for sustainable agricultural development, incorporating socioeconomic and demographic as well as environmental factors. the aez starts with climate and uses terrain and soil types as modifiers, that is climate is determining ; only if climate is suitable will the suitability of the terrain and the soil type be considered. a complete description of the methodology and results obtained for regions across the globe can be found in fao & iiasa, 2002 and 2003.


terrorism, philosophical and ideological origins eric v. d. luft terrorism is the systematic belief in the political, religious, or ideological efficacy of producing fear by attacking — or threatening to attack — unsuspecting or defenseless populations, usually civilians, and usually by surprise. terrorist attacks are desperate acts of those who feel themselves to be otherwise powerless. terrorism is self - righteous, absolutist, and exclusivist. in general, terrorist policy adherents are unwilling or unable to negotiate with their perceived enemies, or prevented by political, social, or economic circumstances from doing so. the philosophical underpinnings of terrorism have become well established worldwide. the terms " terrorism " and " terrorist " came into the language in the 1790s when british journalists, politicians, orators, and historians used them to describe the jacobins and other particularly violent french revolutionaries. the terms have evolved since then, and now typically refer to furtive acts by unknown, underground perpetrators, not overt acts by people in power. nevertheless, some terrorists are secretly harbored, underwritten, trained, or commanded by states that have vested interests against the terrorists ' targets. examples of state - sponsored terrorism include afghanistan ' s support of al - qaeda in 2001, libya ' s involvement in the destruction of pan am flight 103 over lockerbie, scotland, in 1988, and adolf hitler ( 1889 – 1945 ) ordering the reichstag burned down in 1933 so that he could blame the communists. terrorism as we now understand it was not possible until the invention of gunpowder and subsequent explosives and incendiaries. before that, small cadres of insignificant conspirators generally lacked the means to achieve sudden massive destruction by stealth. gunpowder enabled weaklings to outmatch and regularly defeat strong warriors for the first time in history. in a historical sense, modern terrorism began with the unrealized november 5, 1605 " gunpowder plot " of guy fawkes ( 1570 – 1606 ), who, had he lived in the twelfth century, could not have threatened king and parliament as he did in the seventeenth. but even with the ever - widening proliferation and availability of explosives since then, acts of terrorism remained rare until the middle of the nineteenth century, when anarchism arose as an ideological force. the systematic theory of modern political terrorism arose in germany during the vorma, i. e., the time between the accession of prussian king friedrich wilhelm iv ( 1795 – 1861 ) in 1840 and the revolutions of 1848. edgar bauer ( 1820 – 1886 ) and mikhail


of modern political terrorism arose in germany during the vorma, i. e., the time between the accession of prussian king friedrich wilhelm iv ( 1795 – 1861 ) in 1840 and the revolutions of 1848. edgar bauer ( 1820 – 1886 ) and mikhail bakunin ( 1814 – 1876 ), two of the three principal anarchists in the " young hegelians, " were among terrorism ' s earliest ideological proponents. the young hegelians were a loosely organized group of radical intellectuals influenced to various degrees by the dialectical logic of georg wilhelm friedrich hegel ( 1771 – 1830 ), the dominant german philosopher of the first half of the nineteenth century. hegel could not have foreseen that his thought would be perverted in this way and would not have approved of terrorism in any form. almost every ideology that became important in the twentieth century arose from the young hegelians. these second - generation disciples of hegel ramified his allegedly self - unifying thought into many disparate movements : socialism and communism came from karl marx ( 1818 – 1883 ) and friedrich engels ( 1820 – 1895 ), socialism and zionism from moses hess ( 1812 – 1875 ), secular humanism from ludwig feuerbach ( 1804 – 1872 ), the " higher criticism " of sacred texts from david friedrich strauss ( 1808 – 1874 ) and bruno bauer ( 1809 – 1882 ), dialectical historicism from august von cieszkowski ( 1814 – 1894 ), political liberalism from arnold ruge ( 1802 – 1880 ), existentialism and anthropological materialism from karl schmidt ( 1819 – 1864 ), individualistic anarchism from max stirner ( 1806 – 1856 ), utopian anarchism from bakunin, and raw anarchism and political terrorism from edgar bauer. in chronological order of their earliest terrorist writings, the first six major theorists of terrorism were edgar bauer, bakunin, wilhelm weitling ( 1808 – 1871 ), karl heinzen ( 1809 – 1880 ), sergei nechaev ( 1847 – 1882 ), and johann most ( 1846 – 1906 ). edgar bauer became involved with radical groups in 1839 while a student at the university of berlin. by 1842 both he and his close friend engels were members of " the free ones " ( die freien ), the most notorious club of intellectual agitators in germany in the early 1840s. his first book, bruno bauer and his enemies ( 1842 ), defended his brother against government persecution, urged violence, and threatened the prussian regime with a return to the french revolution.


notorious club of intellectual agitators in germany in the early 1840s. his first book, bruno bauer and his enemies ( 1842 ), defended his brother against government persecution, urged violence, and threatened the prussian regime with a return to the french revolution. his 1843 polemic, critique ' s struggle with church and state, advocated terrorism even more blatantly and earned him a prison sentence. bakunin, a russian noble by birth, studied hegelianism in russia from 1836 to 1840 and in berlin from 1841 to 1842. in october 1842, under the pseudonym jules elysard, he published " reaction in germany, " a revolutionary article in ruge ' s deutsche jahrbucher. this essay recommended insurgent violence with lines such as : " the urge to destroy is also a creative urge. " bakunin soon distanced himself from young hegelianism, but retained his mutinous attitude toward church and state. his extreme anarchism and nihilism were best expressed in god and the state, written in 1871 but published posthumously in 1882. weitling was a german tailor who became politically active in 1843. he wrote letters, broadsides, tracts, pamphlets, and books inciting the proletariat to all sorts of violent crimes to free themselves from their oppressors. even firebrands among the communist, socialist, anarcharist, or syndicalist movements who advocated guerrilla tactics to achieve their political goals were appalled by weitling ' s 1843 suggestion that revolutionaries could use arson, theft, and murder to their advantage. heinzen is sometimes regarded as the ideological father of modern terrorism, despite the prior writings of edgar bauer, bakunin, and weitling. heinzen wrote in 1848 and published in 1849 a powerful essay, " murder, " which claimed that not only the assassinations of leaders, but even the mass murders of innocent civilians, could be effective political tools and should be used without regret. he fled germany in 1849 and immigrated to america as a " 48er, " a refugee from the 1848 revolutions. he edited german - language newspapers, notably der pionier, in several american cities. although he never specifically recanted his terrorist beliefs, he became a relatively peaceful socialist. he and his wife lived the last twenty years of his life in roxbury, massachusetts, as tenants and friends of a prominent early woman physician, marie zakrzewska ( 1829 – 1902 ), one of der pionier ' s most ardent supporters. nechaev, the


of his life in roxbury, massachusetts, as tenants and friends of a prominent early woman physician, marie zakrzewska ( 1829 – 1902 ), one of der pionier ' s most ardent supporters. nechaev, the son of a former russian serf, learned early to hate government in general and the czarist regime in particular. as a student at the university of st. petersburg in 1868, his radical agitations soon forced him into exile. he met bakunin in geneva, switzerland, in march 1869, and became briefly his disciple. they co - wrote several inflammatory pamphlets, including the revolutionist ' s catechism ( 1869 ), an unrestrained exhortation to anti - government violence, urging relentless cruelty toward all enemies of the revolution and absolute devotion to the cause of destroying the civilized world. nechaev returned to russia in august 1869, murdered a political rival named ivanov in december 1869, and fled back to geneva. the swiss extradited him to russia in 1872. convicted of murder in 1873 and sentenced to twenty years of hard labor in siberia, he died in prison under mysterious circumstances. fedor dostoevskii ( 1821 – 1881 ) based his character pyotr verkhovensky in the possessed ( 1871 ) on nechaev. most was a social democrat member of the reichstag who was forced to flee germany during otto von bismarck ' s ( 1815 – 1898 ) " red scare " of 1878. in exile most became more radical, relinquished marxism for anarchism, and edited an inflammatory newspaper, die freiheit, first in london, briefly in switzerland, and after 1882 in america. embittered after serving eighteen months of hard labor in a british prison and after the german social democrat party expelled him in absentia, his motto became " long live hate! " he fell in love with dynamite and spent the rest of his career praising it, learning how to use it, and teaching his fellow revolutionaries how to steal it and the money needed to buy it. he probably invented the letter - bomb, though there is no evidence that he ever used one himself. american agents arrested him for sedition in 1901 because die freiheit quoted heinzen ' s line, " murder the murderers, " the same day that anarchist leon czolgosz ( 1873 – 1901 ) killed president william mckinley ( 1843 – 1901 ). further reading : breckman, warren. marx, the young hegelians, and the origins of radical


" the same day that anarchist leon czolgosz ( 1873 – 1901 ) killed president william mckinley ( 1843 – 1901 ). further reading : breckman, warren. marx, the young hegelians, and the origins of radical social theory : dethroning the self. cambridge : cambridge university press, 1999. browning, gary k. hegel and the history of political philosophy. london : macmillan ; new york : st. martin ' s, 1999. calvert, peter. " terror in the theory of revolution, " terrorism, ideology, and revolution, edited by noel o ' sullivan. boulder, colo. : westview, 1986. confronting fear : a history of terrorism, edited by isaac cronin. new york : thunder ' s mouth, 2002. laqueur, walter. a history of terrorism. new brunswick, n. j. : transaction, 2002. luft, eric v. d. " edgar bauer and the origins of the theory of terrorism, " the left - hegelians : new philosophical and political perspectives, edited by douglas moggach and andrew chitty. albany : suny press, forthcoming. mah, harold. the end of philosophy, the origin of " ideology " : karl marx and the crisis of the young hegelians. berkeley : university of california press, 1987. marx, karl, and friedrich engels. the german ideology, translated by s. ryazanskaya. moscow : progress, 1964. — —. the holy family, or, critique of critical critique, translated by r. dixon. moscow : foreign languages publishing house, 1956. nomad, max. apostles of revolution. boston : little, brown, 1939. origins of terrorism : psychologies, ideologies, theologies, states of mind, edited by walter reich. baltimore : johns hopkins university press, 1998. stirner, max. the ego and his own, translated by steven byington, revised and edited by david leopold. cambridge : cambridge university press, 1995. the terrorism reader, edited by david whittaker. london : routledge, 2001. wittke, carl frederick. the utopian communist : a biography of wilhelm weitling, nineteenth - century reformer. baton rouge : louisiana state university press, 1950.


africa / congo dr - " to help child soldiers we need to build schools " kinshasa ( agenzia fides ) - " we found that children who voluntarily enter into armed groups are those who do not go to school. this is why it is important that in north kivu there are always more schools and educated youth. in class, students learn to live together peacefully : we train them so that tomorrow they are the builders of peace in congo, " said esperance nsengimana, a teacher of general education in secondary schools in kanyangohe in mweso, built by the jrs ( jesuit refugee service ) in 2012. just yesterday, as every february 12th, we celebrated the day of the red hands, dedicated to the plight of child soldiers in conflict countries. on this occasion the jesuit service for refugees africa great lakes wanted to emphasize the importance of education and access to school as a privileged instrument to prevent the entry of minors among the rebels. according to the experience of jrs staff in north kivu, where today there are more than 900 000 displaced due to constant insecurity, going to school helps keep alive the hope for the future of children and young people. education is also essential because the adults of tomorrow will not take up arms and to form future leaders dedicated to peace and development of the country. but the difficult economic conditions of different families prevents them from sending their children to school. that is why, when the jrs builds a school in a village, the headmaster of the institute commits himself to receiving a free number of displaced students. in the area of mweso, in 2012, jrs built four schools. the continuing violence perpetrated by rebel groups still represent a major obstacle to the access to education by children. following the actions of the rebels of the movement of march 23 ( m23 ), which on november 20 had seized the provincial capital, goma, at least 240, 000 children lost several weeks of lessons. ( l. m. ) ( agenzia fides 13 / 02 / 2013 ) - 2013 - 04 - 17 africa / dr congo - congo caritas in charge of distributing the funds of the national collection for the east - 2013 - 04 - 09 africa / congo dr - the south african troops have withdrawn from bangui in the north of the congo. ready for revenge? - 2013 - 04 - 03 africa / congo dr - jesuits ’ initiative against weapons that fuel the crisis in the great lakes region - 2013 - 03 - 25 africa / dr congo -


it is known that calorie restriction increases stem cell capacity in aging, thereby helping to maintain tissues for longer. from extreme longevity, a recent commentary on the mechanisms involved : " like it or not food lovers, the single most effective known means of extending animal lifespan is through reducing daily caloric intake. though not definitively proven in humans, the success of this intervention has been demonstrated in myriad species in more than 50 years of research.... a protein called mtor is responsible for this effect. mtor combines with two other proteins to mediate several important cellular processes. these include translation of mrna into protein, mitochondrial activity, and autophagy. caloric restriction inhibits mtor activity which leads to longer lifespan. the new studies [ convincingly ] demonstrate that reduction of mtor activity causes preservation of stem cell health. they increase in abundance and proliferative potential. one study shows this occurs in intestinal cells, and the other in muscle cells. in the instestinal cell study, the authors showed that it was actually supporter cells called paneth cells that aided the health of stem cells when they were taken from calorie restricted animals. they further showed this effect was mediated by mtor inhibition and that it was achieved by increasing the activity of another protein called bst1, important in cell proliferation. in the muscle study, calorie restricted animals had greater muscle stem cell proliferative capacity too. and this effect was also seen when the stem cells were transplanted into non calorically restricted animals, suggesting the microenvironment or niche around the stem cells was key.... taken together, the two studies indicate that preserving and enhancing stem - cell function in multiple tissues is one of the ways in which calorie restriction slows the ravages of aging. "


this adventure book by armstrong sperry is published by simon & schuster children ' s publishing and is written for kids 8 to 12. the age range reflects readability and not necessarily content appropriateness. mafatu is a young boy living in the south seas. as a toddler, he was shipwrecked with his mother during a hurricane. she died. once he returns to his tribe, mafatu fears the sea and his people label him as a coward. at age 12, mafatu can no longer bear to live with the stigma. he sets out alone in a canoe to prove himself. on his journey, he battles the sea, a shark, an octopus and savages known as the eaters - of - men. he returns a hero, and his story is repeated for generations. tavana nui is mafatu ' s father and the chief of hikueru. the text says he grew " silently grim " over the years as he heard the villagers talk of his son ' s cowardice. he is full of joy in the end when his son courageously returns. mafatu ' s mother dies trying to save him in a hurricane. she grabs him just as the canoe overturns and saves his life. mafatu also views the hated sea god, moana, and the god of the fishermen, maui, as authority figures. he believes moana is after him because he wasn ' t able to claim mafatu as a child. mafatu thinks maui is saving him from moana ' s wrath. mafatu believes in gods including moana and maui. he prays frequently and fervently to maui for help on his adventure and attributes maui with his salvation from moana. the older villagers believe mafatu ' s cowardly behavior is the fault of tapapau, a spirit who possesses children at birth. the savages ( the eaters - of - men ) have a marae, a sacred place, with an idol. mafatu battles a shark and savages. newbery medal, 1941 if your children have read this book or someone has read it to them, consider these discussion topics : book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. a book ' s inclusion does not constitute an endorsement by focus on the family.


tips on eating fewer empty calories posted on 12 / 3 / 2012 many of the foods and beverages americans eat and drink contain empty calories – calories from solid fats and / or added sugars. solid fats and added sugars add calories to the food but have few or no nutrients. for this reason, the calories from solid fats and added sugars in a food are often called empty calories. the foods and beverages that provide the emptiest calories for americans are : cakes, cookies, pastries, and donuts, sodas, energy drinks, sports drinks, and fruit drinks, cheese pizza, ice cream, sausages, hot dogs, bacon, and ribs. these foods and beverages are the major sources of empty calories, but many can be found in forms with less or no solid fat or added sugars. here are three ways to cut back on empty calories : - 1. choose foods and drinks with little or no added sugars or solid fats. - 2. select products that contain added sugars and solid fats less often. - 3. when you have foods and drinks with added sugars and solid fats, choose a small portion. for more tips about empty calories click here. for more tips and resources click here. for information about the behealthy school kids program call 336 - 703 - 3217, firstname. lastname @ example. org, or visit : be healthy school kids program.