it comes to the front end. they also have a center differential that transfers power to the rear differential. connecting it all is a shaft from the transaxle to the center differential and another from the center differential to the rear differential. so all of the normal front wheel drive service is required as well as service to the center and rear differentials. four wheel drive can be thought of as a rear wheel drive vehicle that can also send power to the front axle. there ' s a transfer case in the middle of the vehicle that can be shifted to send power through a drive shaft to a differential on the front axle. so you need differential service for the front and rear differentials and for the transfer case as well. the bottom line is that the maintenance schedules are in your owner ' s manual. your apple valley service advisor can answer any questions you ' ve got. if this is the first time you ' ve heard some of this stuff – it ' s time to ask someone at valley auto care if any of it needs to be done now. date : july 26, 2010 1 : 38 pm - category : drive train here at autonettv, we have viewers, like you, from all across the country who write to us with questions or feedback. one common question we ' re asked is : what is a differential and what does it do? you may have been told your differential needs service, or seen it as an option up on the service menu. differential service covers a lot of things, so let ' s first talk about what a differential does. as you drive through a turn, your outside wheels and inside wheels turn at different speeds. kind of like the cars going around a race track - the ones driving in the outside lanes have a greater distance to travel than the cars in the inside lanes. the differential is what allows the outside and inside drive wheels to rotate at slightly different speeds so that the tires don ' t hop or skip while taking corners, or lose traction in dirt or snow. differentials have gears in them that transfer the power from the drive train to your wheels - which is why they ' re often referred to as gear boxes. the gears need to be very strong to do this work, and they need to be properly protected so that they ' ll last. all vehicles have some form of differential. if you have a front - wheel drive car, your differential is often called a transaxle and is located in the front. if you have rear - wheel drive, the differential is in the back of the car. if


some form of differential. if you have a front - wheel drive car, your differential is often called a transaxle and is located in the front. if you have rear - wheel drive, the differential is in the back of the car. if you have a four - wheel drive vehicle, you will have a differential in the front and the back - and in the middle as well. the center differential adjusts for differences in speed between the front and rear wheels. differential fluid lubricates and cools the gears. over time, the fluid can get dirty from bits of the gears grinding off. the additives that keep the fluid clean and protect the differential break down over time. so your vehicle manufacturer has scheduled intervals for you to have your differential fluid changed. differentials are hard working mechanisms, and, along with the gears in a manual transmission, need to be serviced regularly with high - quality, replacement fluid. your apple valley automotive service advisor can give you more information as to when your next differential service is recommended. you can also ask if they have a record of when the service was last completed. as with most service intervals, if you are driving under more severe conditions, you will want to service your differential more frequently. " severe service " conditions are defined in most owners ' manuals, and include : frequent starts and stops, short trips, cold weather, hot weather and towing. all these conditions add to the stress of the vehicle and its parts. also, off - roading in minnesota can be especially hard on differentials, especially if you cross streams. proper service will extend the life of your gears and keep them running more smoothly. if you have never had your differential checked, visit http : / / www. valleyautocare. com / contact. php for more information. valley auto care in apple valley mn helps people and their vehicles throughout apple valley and along cedar ave, county rd. 42, galaxy ave, and 160th st. we work on all vehicles including the following manufacturers : audi, bmw, volkswagen, mercedes, toyota, nissan, honda, ford, mazda, chevrolet, pontiac, oldsmobile, saturn, gmc, cadillac, mercury, lincoln, infiniti, acura, lexus, buick, dodge, chrysler, jeep, and plymouth with most auto service needs including : tires, wheels, brakes, transmission, tune - up, computer diagnostics, engine codes, suspension, shocks, struts, alignment, ac, clutch & more.


there ’ s been some interest in these before and after graphs highlighted by the blog “ sunshinehours ” here. to me it looked like a data processing change at dmi ( danish meteorological institute ) of some sorts, especially since none of the other metrics i monitor on the wuwt sea ice reference page had any changes of similar magnitude. so, i asked dr. walt meier of nsidc what he thought about it and he kindly responded within a few hours : probably the person to contact is rasmus tonboe, http : / / ocean. dmi. dk / staff / rtt / rtt. php it sounds like a land mask issue. because the resolution of the sensors are quite low ( on ~ 25 - 50 km ), you get mixed land - ocean cells and these can be “ read ” by the algorithms as ice. there are filters that can be applied ( we apply one ) that eliminates most of this, though some often gets through. an easier, albeit cruder way, is to just mask out ocean areas near the coast. it sounds like that ’ s what they were doing, and now they ’ re calculating ice to the coast – presumably because they implemented one of the filters. masking out the land results in mostly an offset – lowering the extent of ice because the ocean area is reduced. this highlights the fact that it is better to look at anomalies, trends, and relative change as opposed to absolute values to the ice, which are subject to potential biases and limitations like the coast issue. i ’ ve put in a query to dr. tonboe at dmi, and hopefully he ’ ll be able to tell us what is happening and why there is such a significant difference. i ’ ll report what he says if i get a response.


thu november 15, 2012 loophole lets toxic oil water flow over indian land originally published on fri november 16, 2012 11 : 55 am the air reeks so strongly of rotten eggs that tribal leader wes martel hesitates to get out of the car at an oil field on the wind river reservation in wyoming. he already has a headache from the fumes he smelled at another oil field. martel is giving me a tour of one of a dozen oil and gas fields on the reservation. these operations have the federal government ' s permission to dump wastewater on the land — so much that it creates streams that flow into natural creeks and rivers. and this water contains toxic chemicals, including known carcinogens and radioactive material, according to documents obtained by npr through freedom of information act requests. the fumes hitting martel ' s nose are hydrogen sulfide, which can be deadly. so martel makes sure the wind is at his back before walking over to a pit the size of several tennis courts. pipes are emptying dirty brown water that came up from oil wells into the pit, which is completely covered in goopy black oil. the oil is supposed to float to the surface, and then a truck will vacuum it up. any solid stuff should fall on the bottom of the pit, before the water rushes out and forms a stream. but there are still chemicals in the water — some from the earth, some from the oil, and some the companies add to make the oil flow faster. about a half - mile from the pit, martel stops the car on a bridge over that stream of murky gray water. a shiny film covers the water in some places. " i wish a lot of people could see this, " says martel, the vice chairman of the eastern shoshone business council, the tribal government. " this is something that ' s going on in the reservation : this don ' t look too cool. " in most of the country, this would be illegal. most oil fields reinject wastewater far underground, where it cannot cause harm. so why is this wastewater being released into a desert wilderness of sagebrush - covered foothills and sandstone cliffs that blaze with reds and oranges? the few cows grazing nearby provide a clue. " you can see the tracks into the water here, " says martel. " this is one of their watering holes. " inside epa, distress over dumping loophole without the wastewater, this area would be bone dry most of the year. in the 1970s, when the environmental protection


the water here, " says martel. " this is one of their watering holes. " inside epa, distress over dumping loophole without the wastewater, this area would be bone dry most of the year. in the 1970s, when the environmental protection agency was banning oil companies from dumping their wastewater, ranchers, especially in wyoming, made a fuss. they argued that their livestock needs water, even dirty water. so the epa made an exception, a loophole, for the arid west. if oil companies demonstrate that ranchers or wildlife use the water, the companies can release it. off the reservation, western states get to decide what oil companies must do with wastewater ; over time, states ' rules have become stricter than the epa ' s. some states have all but outlawed dumping. but on the wind river reservation, the epa controls whether companies can release wastewater on a case - by - case basis. the epa refused multiple requests for interviews, but in a statement, the agency said it was evaluating the permits it gives some of the companies to expel this water on the reservation. " epa is reviewing new information associated with these permits and intends to meet with the tribes in upcoming weeks to discuss next steps, " the statement reads. the responses to npr ' s two freedom of information act requests include emails between staffers, correspondence with the companies, results of water - quality tests, the permits, and documents justifying each permit. most of this information had not been public before. the documents show hints of mutiny inside the epa. some epa staffers clearly are appalled by the wastewater releases. one wrote in an email to colleagues : " can we get together and discuss a strategic approach for sending our message of concern? i have attached pictures of this ridiculousness. " another staffer warns that the chemicals in the water could have " irrevocable human health and environmental impacts. " the documents also show recent detective work that some epa staffers did to try to figure out what chemicals companies are putting in the water. their research reveals that some of the waste streams sometimes include chemicals from hydraulic fracturing, an engineering technique designed to increase the flow of wells. they also include chemicals whose warning labels clearly state " toxic to aquatic organisms, " " prevent material from entering sewers or waterways, " and warnings about cancer and birth defects at low levels. the documents suggest that at least some people inside the epa are advocating for stricter rules. but much of this debate has been kept secret. the epa refused to give npr 757 documents about the


and warnings about cancer and birth defects at low levels. the documents suggest that at least some people inside the epa are advocating for stricter rules. but much of this debate has been kept secret. the epa refused to give npr 757 documents about the loophole, claiming they can be kept secret because they are between the epa and its attorneys or among epa staffers. ' we should know better by now ' experts, including scientists at the u. s. geological survey, say it ' s very rare for oil field water to be released into drainages or streams because it nearly always contains harmful chemicals. " it ' s a very uncommon situation in the united states and, i believe, most of the rest of the world, " said john veil, a retired wastewater expert at the department of energy ' s argonne national laboratory, who now works as a consultant. in one analysis that veil did for argonne, he found that 98 percent of the water that companies pump up with oil is reinjected deep underground. veil says it ' s usually far too salty to discharge. some scientists were alarmed when they learned about the oil field wastewater releases, especially given that it is happening on tribal land. " i was shocked when i heard this, " says rob jackson, a duke university environmental scientist. " i was very surprised this was allowed. it ' s just something that we should know better by now. we should know that dumping our waste onto the surface of the ground is a bad solution. " other experts agreed that the chemicals in the water raise concerns. however, some scientists, including staffers from the u. s. geological survey, felt uncomfortable commenting for the record without doing their own testing. jackson reviewed many of the epa documents released to npr, including analyses of the chemicals in the wastewater streams and warning labels for some of the chemical treatments that companies add to the wells. he stresses that they include hazardous air pollutants such as hydrochloric acid and naphthalene, and carcinogens like benzene and ethyl benzene. " there are many things in this water that you don ' t want in the environment or in people ' s drinking water. you don ' t need to be a genius to know this is a bad idea, " jackson says. he urges the epa to consider the consequences of its policy and how it looks. " are we doing something on tribal lands we wouldn ' t allow somewhere else? i think that ' s something we have to be asking ourselves. " on the reservation,


he urges the epa to consider the consequences of its policy and how it looks. " are we doing something on tribal lands we wouldn ' t allow somewhere else? i think that ' s something we have to be asking ourselves. " on the reservation, dead ducklings, dangerous fumes outside the reservation, western states decide how oil field waste is handled — and their rules are stricter than the epa ' s. for instance, off the reservation, the state of wyoming requires companies to inject wastewater deep underground and out of harm ' s way if they ' ve added toxic chemicals to the wells. other states have set tougher water quality standards that have nearly eliminated these releases. on the wind river reservation, these oil field wastewater streams have flowed for several decades without attracting much interest, even from the tribes, according to wes martel and other officials of the two tribes that share the reservation, the eastern shoshoni and northern arapaho. " most of our elders were very trusting, very trusting people. they were glad they had the opportunity to get some revenue. most of them were just thinking, ' we ' re being watched over, and things are being taken care of, ' " says martel, 65, who was in tribal government many years ago and was elected two years ago to return to government. but in 2005, the wind river environmental quality commission sampled the water downstream of some of the oil fields. researchers found toxic levels of some chemicals, stretches of streams that were lifeless, and streambeds splotched with black ooze, white crystals and purple growths. they recorded water temperatures as high as 125 degrees, and found dead ducklings, according to a draft report prepared by the tribes ' environmental department. during tours of four of the oil fields earlier this fall, i witnessed visible violations of the plain language of the permits that the epa gave these companies to discharge wastewater. for instance, i saw streambeds covered in white crystals and rock - like formations below outfall pipes. the permits prohibit visible deposits in the receiving waters or shoreline. they also prohibit any visible foam or sheen — i saw both. at the wastewater discharge site at one oil field, company officials warned us to leave after a few minutes because of the danger of respiratory distress or death from hydrogen sulfide fumes. the companies were reluctant to talk. one agreed to meet at its oil field on the reservation but backed out the night before. others failed to return multiple phone calls. houston - based marathon oil corporation, which runs three oil fields on


worries about water quality and wildlife — and about food safety, too. oil field water abounds on the reservation, and the cows that graze there will eventually end up on dinner plates. " so it really makes you wonder : what impacts is this having on not only aquatic life, but our wildlife? " martel says. " you ' ve got to wonder, what types of chemicals are those beef retaining? and when that goes to the slaughterhouse, what ' s in your steak? " ranchers still want the water but eastern shoshone member darwin griebel, one of a handful of ranchers whose livestock use the oil field water, pooh - poohs martel ' s concerns. " animals drink it. people aren ' t going to drink it. hell with the quality of the water, " says griebel. griebel has known martel for nearly 60 years, since they were in elementary school and slept over at each others ' houses. but he says they don ' t agree on this issue. griebel says his cows haven ' t suffered health problems from drinking the water, and the impurities clear up after the streams have run for a while. ( the tribes ' water study backs up that idea : concentrations of various harmful chemicals tend to decrease the farther you get from the oil fields. ) what ' s most concerning to griebel is that the water has been crucial to his family ' s business for generations. without it, he says : " there would be no water for the cows. there would be no water for the deer, the antelope. nothing. it would put us out of business is what it would do. " but martel says that if the epa does not put a stop to this, the tribes will step in. if the oil companies say that reinjecting or cleaning the water would be so expensive that it would no longer be profitable to pump oil, martel knows what his response will be : " good riddance. " " we ' ll take it over ourselves and do it right, " he says. martel dreams of putting tribal companies in charge of their oil fields. then the tribes would get all the profits, instead of just the royalties the companies pay them. they ' d also be able to protect water quality for future generations. melissa block, host : from npr news, this is all things considered. i ' m melissa block. audie cornish, host : and i ' m audie cornish. npr has obtained internal


also be able to protect water quality for future generations. melissa block, host : from npr news, this is all things considered. i ' m melissa block. audie cornish, host : and i ' m audie cornish. npr has obtained internal documents from the environmental protection agency that show that the agency has long been allowing oil companies to release polluted water on an indian reservation in wyoming. millions of gallons every month create streams of this water, and it ends up in natural rivers. npr ' s elizabeth shogren is joining us to talk about the documents. and, elizabeth, to start, what ' s going on here? elizabeth shogren, byline : well, the federal government actually banned this kind of dumping in the 1970s, but they made an exception, a loophole for the arid west. and i learned about this recently. it surprised me, so i put in some freedom of information act requests to the epa to try to learn more. cornish : so what did find in the documents? shogren : well, what i found out is that there are some staffers at the epa who are trying to figure out what ' s in this water. and they ' re learning it has some nasty stuff in it. there ' s some toxic chemicals and carcinogens and radioactive material. but there ' s a lot we don ' t know about the epa ' s thinking. they kept 750 documents from us, and they wouldn ' t let me speak with anybody. so i felt like i really had to go to the wind river reservation to understand what ' s going on. cornish : you actually went there. i mean, did you see this water? how much water are we talking about? shogren : yes. one of the things that shocked me is how much water - it ' s literally small rivers of this water in the reservation in some places. and what i did expect is that i wouldn ' t want to take a sip of this water, but what i didn ' t expect is that it would be dangerous to even stand next to it. and that ' s where i ' m going to start my story. cornish : i ' m with one of the tribal leaders, wes martel. he ' s a fit 65 - year - old with a long graying ponytail. and he ' s taking me out to show me this water. ooh. ooh, can you smell that? wes martel : yeah. martel : that ' s why i ' m hesitating in getting out here.


ponytail. and he ' s taking me out to show me this water. ooh. ooh, can you smell that? wes martel : yeah. martel : that ' s why i ' m hesitating in getting out here. shogren : we pulled up next to a big black pit. the air reeks of rotten eggs. martel tells me it ' s hydrogen sulfide. it can be deadly. so before we get out of the car, we make sure the wind is at our backs. martel takes me over to the pit. this is like about a football field size, right? martel : probably, three or four tennis courts maybe. shogren : the whole pit is covered with goopy black oil. there are these big pipes. brown wastewater from oil wells is gushing out of them into the pit. it ' s so much water that it creates those streams. half a mile away, we stop the car on a bridge over this stream of wastewater. ( soundbite of running water ) shogren : does that look natural to you? martel : no way. just that color. when a stream is healthy, it ' s green. this is not green. shogren : it ' s murky gray. in some places, there ' s a shiny film on the surface. martel : i wish a lot of people could just see this and - see, this is something that ' s going on on the reservation. this don ' t look too cool. shogren : now, in most of the country, this would not be allowed. so why is it allowed here on the wind river reservation? it ' s beautiful here. shogren : you ' ve got big sandstone hills that blaze with reds and oranges. other than the oil wells, it ' s just desert wilderness, mostly empty except for a few cows. and these cows are supposedly the reason why oil companies get to do this. martel : you can just see their tracks right down - in that water. this is one of their watering holes. shogren : without this water, this area would be bone - dry most of the year. back in the 1970s, the epa was banning this kind of dumping. but ranchers, especially here in wyoming, fought back. they said their cows need this water, any water, even if it ' s dirty. we ' re standing on the other side of the bridge where the stream is rushing out of big corrugated pipes. ( soundbite of


wyoming, fought back. they said their cows need this water, any water, even if it ' s dirty. we ' re standing on the other side of the bridge where the stream is rushing out of big corrugated pipes. ( soundbite of rushing water ) shogren : wes martel thinks this can ' t be good. martel : well, you know, especially this volume of water, and this is constant. so it really makes you wonder what kind of impact is this having on not only aquatic life but our wildlife. and then, you know, you ' ve got to wonder what types of chemicals are those beef retaining. and when that goes to the slaughterhouse, what ' s in your steak, right? darwin griebel : oh, come on, wes. what difference does it make? animals drink it. people aren ' t going to drink it. the hell with the quality of the water. shogren : that ' s darwin griebel. he ' s one of a handful of ranchers whose livestock use the water. he ' s known martel since they were in elementary school together and slept over at each other ' s houses. he ' s talking to me while we ' re going to pick up some cows that escaped to a neighbor ' s ranch. have you ever noticed any health problems with your animals? griebel : oh, no. no, no, no, no. no. the production water leaves the oil field. by the time it runs probably four, 500 yards, it starts purifying. in fact, when you ' re in five mile creek, there ' s fish in there. shogren : have you ever noticed anything weird about the water? shogren : all the kind of the white crystals and stuff? griebel : well, that ' s right at the start of it. but, you know, after, like i said, after it flows for a while, that ' s all gone. shogren : and then i ask griebel about a suspicion i ' ve had : do cows really need this water? or are oil companies just making it up, so they can have a cheaper way to dispose of it? he tells me, yeah. for generations, his family has depended on this water. what would it be like without the production water? griebel : then there would be no water for the cows. there would be no water for the deer, the antelope, nothing. it ' d put us out of business


water. what would it be like without the production water? griebel : then there would be no water for the cows. there would be no water for the deer, the antelope, nothing. it ' d put us out of business is what it would do. shogren : griebel has got a point. there ' s a lot of water flowing on the wind river reservation. all in all, there are about a dozen different oil fields here with permission to continuously spew out this water. the water is from deep underground. it gets pumped to the surface with the oil. by the time it ' s released into streams, most of the oil has been separated out. but there are still chemicals in the water : chemicals from the earth, chemicals from the crude and chemicals that companies add to their wells to maintain them and get the oil to flow faster. now, the epa does require some testing, but for the most part the agency doesn ' t know exactly what ' s in the water. rob jackson : i was shocked when i first heard this. shogren : rob jackson is an environmental scientist at duke university. he researches the petroleum industry. jackson : i was very surprised that this was allowed. it ' s just something that we should know better by now. we should know that dumping our wastes onto the surface of the ground is a bad solution. shogren : other experts, including scientists at the u. s. geological survey, say dumping oil field water is rare because it nearly always contains harmful chemicals. rob jackson reviewed many of the documents the epa gave npr in response to freedom of information act requests. these documents include analyses of chemicals found in the water and warning labels for treatments the companies put in the wells. jackson : the chemicals that are in this water contain hazardous air pollutants, such as naphthalene and hydrochloric acid, and carcinogens like benzene and ethyl benzene. there are many things in this water that you don ' t want in the environment or in people ' s drinking water. you don ' t need to be a genius to know that this is a bad idea. shogren : you can tell from reading the internal epa documents that some epa staffers are appalled. one staffer refers to what ' s happening on the wind river reservation as, quote, " ridiculousness. " another staffer writes about, quote, " irrevocable human health and environmental impacts. " duke university ' s rob jackson agrees that the epa needs to


what ' s happening on the wind river reservation as, quote, " ridiculousness. " another staffer writes about, quote, " irrevocable human health and environmental impacts. " duke university ' s rob jackson agrees that the epa needs to reconsider how this looks and the consequences. jackson : are we doing something on tribal lands that we wouldn ' t allow somewhere else? i think that ' s a question we need to be asking ourselves. shogren : off the reservation, the states decide what companies get to do with the water. their rules are stricter than the epa ' s, and some states have virtually outlawed dumping. most oil companies re - inject this water deep underground where it can ' t do harm. but on the wind river reservation, the epa has control. eastern shoshone leader wes martel believes this problem has escaped scrutiny for so long because the oil fields are remote and on tribal land. royalties from this oil help support the tribes and their members. martel : yeah, most of our elders were very trusting, very trusting people. and they had the opportunity to, you know, get some revenue. and, you know, most of them were just thinking we ' re being watched over. shogren : martel is pushing the epa to make oil companies clean up this water or put it back underground. and if the operators say, well, it ' s too expensive to re - inject it, we ' re packing up and going away, what would you and your people think about that? martel : good riddance. we ' ll take it over ourselves and do it right. shogren : martel dreams of putting tribal companies in charge of their oil fields. then the tribes would get all the profits instead of just royalties. they ' d also be able to protect water quality for future generations. but the epa hasn ' t told the tribes what its plans are. it also refused to give interviews to npr. but the agency said in a statement that it ' s evaluating the permission it gives some companies to do this. elizabeth shogren, npr news. transcript provided by npr, copyright npr.


energy on campus our campus greenhouse gas emissions are an important measure of mit ’ s energy and environmental impact. an innovative analysis and inventory of our greenhouse gas emissions – originally conducted as an mit graduate thesis - established a solid foundation on which to design and build a comprehensive mitigation program. the inventory, completed in 2003 and updated in 2005, allows for striking forecasts of future emissions and highlights the importance of taking action now to reduce greenhouse gases. ( graphic : mit environmental programs office and dept. of facilities ) combined heat and power generation technology an effective component of a comprehensive greenhouse gas reduction strategy would be to expand the current combined heat and power ( co - generation ) capacity at the campus central utility plant. installing an additional 16 megawatt capacity with three natural gas - fired turbines could reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by 53, 000 equivalent metric tons of co2, and save the institute upwards of $ 7 million a year in reduced energy costs. mit ’ s award - winning 1995 installation of co - generation reduced mit ’ s greenhouse gas emissions by 32 %, and regulated pollutants nox and sox by 45 %. implementing and demonstrating the latest co - generation technology offers mit an excellent opportunity to lead by example and engage mit ’ s research community. solar photovoltaic power systems the mit community solar power initiative has recently and successfully completed the installation of 25 advanced solar photovoltaic systems on campus and in the community. supported by a grant from the massachusetts technology collaborative, the project lead by the department of facilities and the laboratory for energy and the environment worked with local home owners, institutional leaders, and a host of local solar engineers, entrepreneurs, and installers to add over 74 kilowatts of solar energy capacity to the area - generating enough electricity to light over 60 homes with no greenhouse gas emissions or other harmful emissions. the three systems on mit ’ s campus ( on buildings w20, n52, and 14 ) mark in important milestone : the first large - scale renewable power systems inter - connected to mit ’ s power grid. the project has demonstrated mit ’ s ability to bring new, innovative and renewable power to mit ’ s campus : in a way that is practical, robust, and reliable. additional renewable energy projects on campus will serve as important greenhouse gas mitigation opportunities as well as platforms for engaging our faculty and students for collaborative problem - solving. bio - based energy innovation mit has recently been playing host to an innovative group of algae atop the roof of the central utility plant. the algae, part of a beta installation


as well as platforms for engaging our faculty and students for collaborative problem - solving. bio - based energy innovation mit has recently been playing host to an innovative group of algae atop the roof of the central utility plant. the algae, part of a beta installation of new bioreactor pollution control technology being developed by the energy start - up firm greenfuel technologies, is sequestering a fraction of the carbon dioxide being emitted from the power plant ’ s emission stream while also removing polluting nitrogen oxides. as the algae feeds on the co2 and other pollutants, it grows in volume and gives off oxygen and nitrogen, producing biomass that can be converted into biofuels including biodiesel. mit is currently considering expanding their collaboration with greenfuel to process the algae on campus into biodiesel for possible use on campus in an innovative renewable fuel cycle. the installation at mit has proven the new technology feasible and greenfuel is currently in the process of building a large - scale industrial application. supporting the development of this type of innovative energy technology is a good example of mit opening its operations as a learning laboratory to explore options for sustainable energy and emission control technologies. integrating innovative technologies and systems into new buildings and renovations is putting mit on the forefront of sustainable building. mit has developed institute environmental goals and standards to make sure that new capital projects and renovations earn the leadership in energy and environmental design ( leed ) silver plus certification, a nationally recognized building sustainability rating system. two recent projects, the stata center and the brain and cognitive sciences building, are leed registered and plans for certification are being developed. among innovations, the stata center employs a creative storm water retention / management system that uses biofiltration, recirculating storm water with a solar powered pump for irrigation and flushing toilets. the building also extensively uses more efficient displacement ventilation utilizing a raised floor system. the brain and cognitive sciences building employs heat recovery methods incorporated into hvac systems, and uses variable air volume systems and balanced sizing of hvac equipment to reduce energy use. the campus as a learning laboratory mit ’ s operations - from its power generation systems, transportation fleets, recycling programs, and building initiatives to its organizational and management structures offer rich, real world opportunities to study and test new solutions for today ’ s most pressing energy and environment issue in real time. the number of students and researchers interested in using our campus as a living laboratory is growing rapidly, and programs and projects to facilitate this type of study and education are being put into place. for example, the


pressing energy and environment issue in real time. the number of students and researchers interested in using our campus as a living laboratory is growing rapidly, and programs and projects to facilitate this type of study and education are being put into place. for example, the environmental programs office and the education program of the laboratory for energy and the environment have jointly developed a campus sustainability urop program to facilitate the educational involvement of mit undergraduates in practical research questions of interest and concern to sustainability initiatives at mit. students gain hands - on experience with real - world problems, practical experience designing a work plan and meeting expectations of a specific client, and empowerment from tangible impact on their community. mit operational units gain knowledge to support the adoption of more sustainable operational practices on campus and benefit from a more informed student body. emerging renewable energy opportunities the development of renewable energy sources to power campus operations is an essential component of any institution ’ s sustainable energy portfolio. expanding capacity of clean renewable power can off - set greenhouse gas emissions from conventional power use, and offer rich opportunities to excite and engage faculty, students and staff alike. mit will explore viable and practical options for developing innovative renewable power projects. for example, a collaboration of departments including facilities ; environment, health and safety ; environmental programs office ; bates laboratory ; and the lab for energy and the environment is currently assessing the preliminary feasibility of installing wind turbine power generation technology at the mit bates laboratory in middleton, ma. the study will analyze the potential wind resource, electrical demands and financial implications. the photo at left simulates a scale representation of a 1. 5 megawatt wind turbine installation on the middleton campus.


www. fema. gov with flood plan and insurance rate maps onlineinformation the website www. fema. gov serves as the official informational and contact point for the federal emergency management agency ( fema ). fema is a federal agency with the mission of coordinating national preparation and response to disasters. while fema is best known for their tactical response to widespread emergencies, they also provide a comprehensive website ( with mobile capabilities ) which provides a wealth of information regarding the organization and its ongoing efforts. on fema. gov, citizens are able to access important information to help them prepare for disasters ranging from volcanos to floods to nuclear power emergencies. this information includes instructions of emergency supply kits and shelters, as well as comprehensive step by step instructions for what to do in the event of an emergency situation. information is sorted and accessible by disaster type as well as by state. another section of the fema website provides updates and resources for those who have been victims of disasters, such as recent weather emergencies. helpful resources in this section of fema. gov include links where affected individuals can learn about and apply for disaster relief aid, such as emergency housing assistance and access to necessary food staples. the website www. fema. gov also provides important real time information, such as maps of federally declared disaster areas, severe weather updates, and the current status of response and recovery operations. it provides a central hub for those impacted by disasters to access timely, accurate, and relevant information. a section of www. fema. gov also caters to media inquiries, with recent news and press releases indexed by date. site users can also contact fema directly through links on the site. with a comprehensive breadth of disaster preparation, relief, and recovery information, fema. gov should be a citizen ' s first resource in the event or threat of an emergency situation.


fallacies are arguments that may sound logical, but are not. when you look at some of the examples below, you may see some with conclusions you agree with and some you don ' t. but the truth, in the empirical sense, is not what is at issue : what these examples are all about is logical argument. all these examples are illogical and based in fallacious thinking. for example, one fallacy is called " sweeping generalization. " someone may argue : " that is the richest sorority on campus ; so sue, who belongs to that sorority must be one of the richest women on campus. " well, sue may be one of the richest ; or she may be one of the poorest. it doesn ' t matter whether the conclusion is true or not in the literal sense. the argument is illogical. it means nothing at all to say that, if a group has a certain quality, then a member of the group must have that quality, too. probably everyone has been guilty of inadvertently using them. most of us fall for them even if we know better. and there are some people ( propagandists, advertisers, and many politicians ) who use them all the time. it would be wise to become familiar with the fallacies in order to protect ourselves from the unscrupulous. but by no means is this list meant to encourage the use of fallacies! affirmation of the consequent : " a implies b, b is true, therefore a is true " this is confusing, sometimes, because it looks so much like good logic : " a implies b, a is true, therefore b is true, " known as modus ponens or affirmation of the antecedent, is one of the basic valid syllogisms. but affirmation of the consequent is definitely a fallacy : " if the universe had been created by a supernatural being, we would see order and organization everywhere. and we do see order, not - - so it ' s clear that the universe had a creator. " no : the order could have some other origin. " if there is indeed a collective unconscious, then we will find that the mythologies of all the world ’ s cultures have profound and indeed they do - - therefore, there must be a collective no : there may be all sorts of other reasons for mythologies to have commonalities. this is the converse of denial of the antecedent ( below ). a slight variation of affirm


do - - therefore, there must be a collective no : there may be all sorts of other reasons for mythologies to have commonalities. this is the converse of denial of the antecedent ( below ). a slight variation of affirming the consequent is converting a conditional : " if a then b, therefore if b then a ". this fallacy is similar to the affirmation of the consequent, but phrased as a conditional statement. " when educational standards are lowered, the quality of shows on worsens. so if we see television getting worse over the next few years, we ' ll know that our educational standards are still falling. " no : the worsening of television could have other causes. " if the latest drugs work well, we will see a great improvement n health. so, if mental health improves, we will know that these no again! mental health may improve for denial of the antecedent : " a implies b, a is therefore b is false " this is the converse of the fallacy of affirmation of the consequent. it too looks like good logic : " a implies b, b is false, therefore a is false, " which is called modus tollens, or denial of the consequent. denial of the antecedent, on the other hand, is illogical : " if the god of the bible appeared to me, personally, that would prove that christianity was true. but god has never appeared to me, so the bible must be a work of fiction. " nope : god may not appear to you even if the bible were true. " if there were such a thing as penis envy, we would expect women to be easier on their sons than on their daughters. but penis envy of course, not real - - so naturally women do not treat their sons than their daughters. " no : they may still do so, just for other reasons. there is also a version that says “ if a, then b, therefore, if not a, then not b. ” “ if you have a phd in psychology, you must be pretty knowledgeable the field. therefore, if you don ’ t have the phd, you must be ignorant of psychology. ” no : having that phd may mean you have knowledge, but knowledge hardly depends on a degree. fallacy of composition : the idea that a property shared by a number of individual items, is also shared by a collection of those items ; or that a property of the parts of


may mean you have knowledge, but knowledge hardly depends on a degree. fallacy of composition : the idea that a property shared by a number of individual items, is also shared by a collection of those items ; or that a property of the parts of an object, must also be a property of the whole thing. " this new truck is made entirely of lightweight aluminum components, and is therefore very lightweight. " in fact, a truck is composed of so many “ lightweight ” parts, it is bound to be far from lightweight itself! " a ton of feathers should weigh less than a ton of lead! " no : in fact, they weigh the same - a ton. hope you didn ' t fall for that one! " since neurons are either excitatory or inhibitory, the brain itself must have excitatory or inhibitory states. " a variation of composition is the genetic fallacy : a conclusion about the goodness or badness of something on the basis of the goodness or badness of the thing ’ s origin. ( not actually ad hominem - - see below - - but often listed there ) " the medicine made from that plant must be poisonous, because that plant is poisonous. " " the humanitarian work we do may well come out of our need to look good in front of our fellow man. so humanitarian work is basically egotistical! " the opposite of the fallacy of composition is the fallacy of division : assuming that a property of some thing must apply to its parts ; or that a property of a collection of items is shared by each item. “ humans are conscious and are made of cells ; therefore, each cell has consciousness ” " you are studying at a rich college. therefore you must be rich. " " since the team could solve the problem so easily, i assume that each member of the team could do it just as well alone. " and a fallacy that totally confuses parts and wholes : the fallacy of the undistributed middle : suggesting that things are in some way similar, but not actually specifing how. a is a kind of c, b is a kind of c, therefore, a is b " cats are a form of animal based on carbon chemistry, dogs are a form of animal based on carbon chemistry, so aren ' t dogs and cats basically identical? " “ they ’ re both students, so i can expect the same from both. ” " since they are both schizophrenics, they should both have the same reaction to


chemistry, so aren ' t dogs and cats basically identical? " “ they ’ re both students, so i can expect the same from both. ” " since they are both schizophrenics, they should both have the same reaction to this new medication. " sweeping generalization ( the fallacy of accident, dicto simpliciter ) : applying a general rule to special case ; a general rule is applied to a particular situation, but the features of that particular situation mean the rule is inapplicable. " christians generally dislike atheists. you are a christian, so you must dislike atheists. " sweeping generalization includes a common misunderstanding the nature of statistics : “ the majority of people in the united states die in hospitals, so stay out of them. ” " men are statistically more aggressive than women. therefore, i, a male, must be more aggressive than you, a female. " hasty generalization is the converse of sweeping generalization : a special case is used as the basis of a general rule. a general rule is created by examining only a few specific cases which aren ' t representative of all possible cases. " i know a union representative and he ' s a terrible person. i wouldn ' t trust any of them. " " jim bakker was an insincere christian. therefore all christians are insincere. " " this schizophrenic has paranoid delusions. it stands to reason that they all do. " hasty generalization includes another common misunderstanding of statistics called the statistics of small numbers : “ my parents smoked all their lives and they never got cancer. ” " the five subjects in our experiment responded well to our intervention. we can therefore recommend the procedure to everyone. " another version is called observational selection : pointing out favorable circumstances while ignoring the unfavorable. for example, at any gambling institution, a great deal of fuss is paid to those who win, while those who lose are quietly encouraged to sneak out the back. this way, winning seems much more likely that it is! " all of these people who prayed for a cure survived their disease. prayer is clearly to be recommended! " and observational selection includes anecdotal evidence : “ just last week i read about a girl who was dying of cancer. her whole family went to church and prayed for her, and she was cured. that only proves the power of prayer! " " uncle joe got over his rheumatism by drinking his own urine! " “


girl who was dying of cancer. her whole family went to church and prayed for her, and she was cured. that only proves the power of prayer! " " uncle joe got over his rheumatism by drinking his own urine! " “ urban myths ” are usually good examples! bifurcation ( " black or white, " excluded middle, false dichotomy ) : presuming an either - or distinction. suggesting that there are only two alternatives, where in fact other alternatives exist or can exist. instead of black or white, we can have shades of gray... or even rainbows of colors! " we must choose between safety and freedom. and it is in the of good americans to take the risk of freedom. " must we choose? can ' t we have both? " a patient either gets better or they don ’ t. " " come on now - - is he or isn ’ t he bipolar? " another form of bifurcation is considering only the extremes : “ he ' s either guilty or not guilty. ” begging the question ( petitio principii ). assuming as a premise the conclusion which you wish to reach. instead of offering real proof, we can just restate the conclusion we are supposed to come to, and hope the listener doesn ' t notice. " government ownership of public utilities is dangerous, because it but government ownership of public utilities is socialism. you ' ve just been told that it ' s dangerous because it is what it is. “ we must encourage our youth to worship god to instill moral but does religion and worship actually produce moral behavior? " qualitative methods are essentially worthless because they don ’ t involve measurement or statistics. " the most obvious form of begging the question is the circular argument ( vicious cycle, circulus in demonstrando ) : stating in one ' s proof that which one is supposed to be proving. " we know that god exists because the bible tells us so. and we know that the bible is true because it is the word of god. " " your arguments against freud are due to your unresolved unconscious conflicts. " " your arguments against skinner are due to your conditioning. " " your arguments against existentialism are indicative of your inauthenticity. " there ’ s also the appeal to faith : faith, by definition, relies on a belief that does not rest on logic or evidence. faith depends on irrational thought. " if you accept the lord, you will understand! " " if you


. " there ’ s also the appeal to faith : faith, by definition, relies on a belief that does not rest on logic or evidence. faith depends on irrational thought. " if you accept the lord, you will understand! " " if you would only take maslow at his word, you would finally get it! " and the most common way to use begging the question is question - begging epithets ( loaded words, emotive language, etc. ). restating conclusion in " hot " language : " this criminal is charged with the most vicious crime known to man. " does it prove something, or just get the blood flowing? often hard to identify ( and so very dangerous ) is the ad hoc argument : giving an after - the - fact explanation which doesn ' t apply to other situations. “ i see that john ’ s cancer is in “ yes, our prayers have been answered! ” “ but didn ’ t you pray for susan, too, and look what happened to her. ” “ i ’ m sure god had a special reason for taking her. ” " those people who don ’ t follow the expected pattern of strong - mother / weak - father leading to homosexuality are no doubt hiding their true orientation! " look out when people say “ everything has a reason ” or “ god has a for all of us. ” complex question ( loaded question, trick question, leading question, fallacy of interrogation, fallacy of presupposition ) : interrogative form of begging the question ( above ). ask a question that leads others to believe that a previous question has been answered in a certain way. " answer yes or no : did you ever give up your evil ways? " if you say yes, that tells us you had evil ways ; if you say no, that tells us you still have them. what if you never had them? “ have you stopped beating your wife yet? ” " so, are you gay, or just in denial? " " and when will you come out of the closet? " a variation on the complex question is the fallacy of many questions ( plurium interrogationum ) : this fallacy occurs when someone demands a simple ( or simplistic ) answer to a complex question. " yes or no : is democracy ultimately the best system of government? " another form of this fallacy is to ask for an explanation of which is untrue or not yet established. " how would you explain the presence of aliens on our planet? " false cause ( non


democracy ultimately the best system of government? " another form of this fallacy is to ask for an explanation of which is untrue or not yet established. " how would you explain the presence of aliens on our planet? " false cause ( non causa pro causa, non sequitur ) : something is identified as the cause of an event, but it has not actually been shown to be the cause. for example : " i took an aspirin and prayed to god, and my headache disappeared. so god cured me of the headache. " " artists often suffered from depression as adolescents. so, if you want your child to be a great artist, don ’ t put them on prozac! " the most common form of false cause is called post hoc ergo propter hoc : an inference or conclusion that does not follow from established premises or evidence. assuming causal connections that haven ' t been demonstrated. the latin phrase means " after this, therefore because of this. " " you should go to harvard, because harvard graduates make more or could it be that they had more money before they went? “ she got sick after she visited china, so something in china caused or could it be that she was sick prior to leaving for china? “ there was an increase of births during the full moon. therefore, full moons cause birth rates to rise. ” a slight variation is cum hoc ergo propter hoc : saying that, because two events occur together, they must be causally related. it ' s a fallacy because it ignores all the other possible causes of the events. " literacy rates have steadily declined since the advent of television. clearly television viewing impedes learning. " " he started using drugs just about the time he started seeing that girl. i knew she was a bad influence! " a common statistical version of this is confusion of correlation and causation : correlation cannot tell you anything about the direction of causality. if x is powerfully correlated with y, x could be the cause of y, y could be the cause of x, or ( most likely ) something else is the cause of both. possibly, the relationship is accidental! “ more chess players are men, therefore, men make better chess players than women. ” " far more women than men suffer from depression. we can assume that there is something about a woman ’ s physiology that leads to depression. " ( often followed by an ad hoc argument : the women chess masters must be lesbians ; the men with must be effeminate


men suffer from depression. we can assume that there is something about a woman ’ s physiology that leads to depression. " ( often followed by an ad hoc argument : the women chess masters must be lesbians ; the men with must be effeminate! ) missing the point ( irrelevant thesis, ignoratio elenchi, irrelevant conclusion, ignoring the issue, befogging the issue, diversion, red herring, etc. ). demonstrating a point other than the one at issue. diverting attention by changing the subject. escaped convicts in elizabethan england would smear themselves with rotten ( red ) herring to throw the dogs off the scent. " i fail to see why hunting should be considered cruel when it gives tremendous pleasure to many people and employment to even more. " so we should stop talking about cruelty and start talking about pleasure and employment? “ christianity is the only true religion : it has clearly been great help to many people. " no matter how well he argues how much it has helped people, he will not have shown that christian teachings are true. " it is very clear that we prescribe psycho - active medications to people who don ’ t really need them. we should outlaw these drugs altogether! " one example of missing the point is the straw man : creating a false scenario and then attacking it. misrepresenting someone else ' s position so that it can be attacked more easily. “ evolutionists think that everything came about by random how could that be? ” most evolutionists think in terms of natural selection which may involve incidental elements, but does not depend entirely on random chance. painting your opponent with false colors only deflects the purpose of the argument. " to summarize freud, he believed that it all boils down to sex. let me show you why freud is therefore full of crap! " another example is reification ( hypostatization ) : when people treat an abstract concept or hypothetical construct as if it represented a concrete event or physical entity. iq tests are often presented as actual measures of intelligence, for example. " what is consciousness? you can ’ t find it anywhere in the human brain, so we must reject the concept. " and another example, the meaningless question : “ how high is up? ” " up " describes a direction, not a measurable entity. “ does anything really exist? ” " how can we experience the collective unconscious directly? " a really tricky version of missing the point is the appeal to logic ( argumentum ad logicam ) : this


describes a direction, not a measurable entity. “ does anything really exist? ” " how can we experience the collective unconscious directly? " a really tricky version of missing the point is the appeal to logic ( argumentum ad logicam ) : this is the " fallacy fallacy " of arguing that a proposition is false because it has been presented as the conclusion of a fallacious argument. remember that fallacious arguments can arrive at true conclusions. yes it does, even though the math is wrong. very common are half truths ( suppressed evidence ) : an statement usually intended to deceive that omits some of the facts necessary for an accurate description. and one of the worst versions of missing the point is false an analogy or metaphor illustrates or elaborates ; it doesn ' t prove " the american indian had to make way for western civilization ; after you can ' t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs. " are the lives and cultures of millions comparable to eggs? what does making omelettes have to do with history and morality? " since the mind is essentially a wet computer, our task is to figure out how we can best program it! " there are many fallacies that involve the misuse of words. very common is special pleading : here, we use a double - standard of words. " the ruthless tactics of the enemy, his fanatical, suicidal attacks have been foiled by the stern measures of our commanders and the self - sacrifice of our troops. " are ruthless tactics different stern measures? fanatical, suicidal attacks from devoted self - sacrifice? journalists do this all the time! " ellis ’ s therapy is authoritarian and aggressive! " " rogers ’ s therapy is laissez faire, even lazy! " this is not far from the fallacy of equivocation : use of ambiguous words. a key word is used with two or more different meanings in the same argument. shifting the meaning of the words. " what could be more affordable than free software? but to make sure that it remains free, that users can do what they like with it, we must place a license on it to make sure that will always be freely redistributable. " one way to avoid this fallacy is to choose your terminology carefully before beginning the argument, and avoid words like " free " which have many meanings. the " no true scotsman... " fallacy : suppose i assert no scotsman puts sugar on his porridge. you counter this by pointing that your friend angus


the argument, and avoid words like " free " which have many meanings. the " no true scotsman... " fallacy : suppose i assert no scotsman puts sugar on his porridge. you counter this by pointing that your friend angus likes sugar on his porridge. i then say " ah, but no true scotsman puts sugar on his porridge. " by disparaging angus ' s scottishness, i basically limit the meaning of the word " scotsman. " “ how can he do that to her if he loves “ ah, but that ’ s not true love, see? ” " no caring therapist would use methods like that! " " no well - trained scientist would come to those conclusions! " " christians turn the other cheek. " " but i ' ve seen many christians return violence for violence. " " yes, but those aren ' t good christians. they aren ' t even real christians at all! " the previous example includes the use of accent - - changing oral stress within a sentence to alter the meaning. “ all men are created equal... ” implies that women are not. “ all men are created equal... ” suggests that they don ’ t end up equal. an amusing misuse of words is amphiboly - - use of ambiguous sentences. “ two pizzas for one special price. ” two for one? or both at the same “ special ” price? personal attack ( argumentum ad hominem ) : attacks the person instead of the argument. in personal attack, we ask the listener not to consider the argument, but to consider where it is coming from : " this theory about a new cure for cancer has been introduced by a man known for his marxist sympathies. i don ' t see why we should extend him the courtesy of our attention. " " you can ’ t trust freud - - he used cocaine! " " you can ’ t trust adler - - he was a socialist! " " you can ’ t trust horney - - she suffered but marxists, cocaine users, socialists, and depressed people can be then there ’ s the abusive form of the personal attack : " you claim that atheists can be moral - - yet i happen to know that you abandoned your wife and children. " " you don ’ t agree with experimentation? i ’ ve read that you were never able to get any of your own research published! " a little more clever is the circumstantial form of the personal attack : "


and children. " " you don ’ t agree with experimentation? i ’ ve read that you were never able to get any of your own research published! " a little more clever is the circumstantial form of the personal attack : " it is perfectly acceptable to kill animals for food. since you are wearing leather shoes, i am sure you won ’ t argue with that. " " you don ’ t agree with rogers - - yet i notice you use reflection in your own practice! " very damaging is poisoning the well : the personal attack can also be used as an excuse to reject a particular conclusion such as when you allege that someone is rationalizing a conclusion for selfish reasons. you ’ ve “ poisoned the well ” in that, from now on, people will tend to doubt his arguments. " of course you ' d argue that affirmative action is a bad thing. you ' re white. " note that if someone is a known perjurer or liar, that fact will reduce their credibility as a witness. it won ' t, however, prove that their testimony is false in this case. liars can tell the truth! " don ’ t listen to her criticisms of existentialism - - she ’ s an experimentalist! " and every teenager ' s favorite argument is called tu quoque ( two wrongs make a right ) : latin for “ you, too! ” or " look who ' s talking! " " if you think communal living is such a great idea, why aren ' t you living in a commune? " " if psychology is so great, how come you have so many problems? " “ if smoking is so bad for you, why do you smoke? ” but even a smoker can know that it isn ' t good for you! appeal to the masses ( argumentum ad populum, appealing to the people, mob appeal, appealing to the gallery, appeal to popular this involves theatrical appeals to our lowest instincts, such as greed, jealousy, or vanity rather than using facts and you are a college audience, i know i can speak to you about difficult oh, well, thank you very much ; please do go on! one example of appeal to the masses is the bandwagon fallacy ( consensus gentium, argumentum ad numerum ) : concluding that an idea has merit simply because many people believe it or practice it. “ most people believe in god ; therefore, it must be true. ” simply because many people may believe something says nothing about the fact of that something


: the fallacy of asserting that something is better or more correct simply because it is new, or newer than something else. “ it ’ s the latest! ” “ windows vista is much better than older version of the windows os. how could it not be, coming after so many years of experience! ” " the most recent studies show that.... " the most recent studies are also the ones that have had the least chance of being shown to be mistaken! appeal to riches ( argumentum ad crumenam ) : the fallacy of believing that money is a criterion of correctness ; that those with more money are more likely to be right, or that something that costs more is intrinsically better. " microsoft software is undoubtedly superior ; why else would bill gates have gotten so rich? " “ it costs twice as much - - it must be twice as good! ” " you get what you pay for! " " i ’ ll have to side with the psychiatrists. after all, they make a lot more money than the phd psychologists! " the opposite is appeal to poverty ( argumentum ad lazarum ) : the fallacy of assuming that someone poor is sounder or more virtuous than someone who ' s wealthier, or that something inexpensive or plain is somehow naturally better. for example : " monks are more likely to possess insight into the meaning of life, as they have given up the distractions of wealth. " “ a simple loaf of bread, made lovingly by hand - - what could be better? ” " since john does so much of his work pro bono, he must be a much appeal to nature ( the natural law fallacy ) : arguing that, because human beings are products of the natural world, we must mimic behavior seen in the natural world, and that to do otherwise is ' unnatural '. a common fallacy in political arguments. " the natural world is characterized by competition ; animals struggle against each other for ownership of limited natural resources. capitalism, the competitive struggle for ownership of capital, is simply an inevitable part of human nature. it ' s how the natural world works. " " of course homosexuality is unnatural. when ' s the last time you saw two animals of the same sex mating? " actually, that ’ s much more common than people think - more than 500 species! but that, too, is irrelevant : what is true for other animals need not be true for us. " our attraction to ' beautiful ' people parallels the instincts of and mammals. love, therefore


more common than people think - more than 500 species! but that, too, is irrelevant : what is true for other animals need not be true for us. " our attraction to ' beautiful ' people parallels the instincts of and mammals. love, therefore, is nothing but an instinct! " appeal to pity ( argumentum ad misericordiam ) : this is an appeal to your tender emotions, your sympathy : listen, if you can bear it, to any telethon. or listen to advertisements that try to sell computers to parents. " you wouldn ' t want your kids to be left behind on the information super - highway, would you? what kind of parent are you anyway? " " i did not murder my mother and father with an axe! please don ' t find me guilty ; i ' m suffering enough through being an orphan. ” " qualitative methods are used by a small group of dedicated working in a hostile environment of experimentalism. " appeal to ignorance ( argumentum ad ignorantiam, argumentum ex silentio ) : arguing that something must be true, simply because it hasn ' t been proved false. or arguing that something must be false because it hasn ' t been proved true. that is, my position is right because there is no evidence against it. or yours is wrong because there is no evidence for it. “ we have no evidence that god doesn ' t exist. therefore, he must exist. ” " there is intelligent life in outer space, for no one has been able to prove that there isn ' t. " fact of the matter is, you can ' t prove the non - existence of something : no matter how hard you look, i can always say you haven ' t looked hard enough. go ahead : prove to me that unicorns don ' t exist! " we don ’ t know whether holistic medicines disorders, so we might as well use them! " ( followed by an appeal to pity : " would you deny people the chance of getting better, just because there ’ s no evidence? " ) a common accompaniment to the appeal to ignorance is shifting the burden of proof : the burden of proof is always on the person asserting something. shifting the burden of proof is the fallacy of putting the burden of proof on the person who denies or questions the assertion. so, when an arguer cannot provide the evidence for his claims, he may challenge his opponent to prove him wrong. “ prove god doesn ' t exist, then! ” “ prove ufo ' s aren ' t real


denies or questions the assertion. so, when an arguer cannot provide the evidence for his claims, he may challenge his opponent to prove him wrong. “ prove god doesn ' t exist, then! ” “ prove ufo ' s aren ' t real, then! ” " i believe that homosexuality is based on biological differences - - i dare you to prove me wrong! " appeal to fear ( argumentum ad baculum, appeal to force ) : don ' t argue with me, it ' s dangerous! " if you do not convict this murderer, one of you may be his next ( a similar argument is frequently used in deodorant ads! ) “ if you don ' t believe in god, you ' ll burn in hell ” " you better learn your stats : you ’ ll never be able to get your doctorate if you don ’ t! " a little more subtle is the argument from adverse consequences : “ the accused must be found guilty, otherwise others will commit similar crimes ” and a common variation is the slippery slope : arguing that a change in procedure, law, or action, will result in adverse consequences. “ give ‘ em an inch, and they ’ ll take a mile! ” “ pass the equal rights for women amendment and before you know it, we ’ ll all be using unisex bathrooms! ” " if we legalize marijuana, then more people would start to take crack and heroin, and we ' d have to legalize those too. before long we ' d have a nation full of drug - addicts on welfare. therefore we cannot legalize marijuana. " “ if we allow physician - assisted suicide, then eventually the government will control how we die. ” it does not necessarily follow that just because we make changes that a slippery slope will occur. " if you start people on prozac, they will become dependent on it, on drugs in general, and never learn to deal with their problems on argumentum ad nauseam : this is the incorrect belief that an assertion is more likely to be true, or is more likely to be accepted as true, the more often it is heard. so an argumentum ad nauseam is one that employs constant repetition in asserting something ; saying the same thing over and over again until you ' re sick of hearing it. see almost any commercial, or take a look at the practice of having children memorizing bible verses. " classical conditioning must be at the root of all learning - - i had that drummed into my head at penn state! "


most active stories shots - health blog mon october 15, 2012 doctors strike mutating bacteria in teen acne battle originally published on mon october 15, 2012 7 : 59 am acne, the scourge of many an adolescent life, is getting harder to treat, but 80 percent of teenagers have some form of it. conventional treatment includes topical and oral antibiotics. studies are now finding the bacteria that cause acne are increasingly resistant to antibiotic treatment. alternatively, there are effective laser treatments. but these are costly and typically not covered by insurance. now, researchers are scrambling to come up with new treatments for acne. one promising possibility involves harnessing a harmless virus living on skin that naturally seeks out and kills the bacteria that cause pimples. ' people always notice ' it ' s every teenager ' s nightmare : big, blistery red bumps on their faces. " that ' s what people notice first about you, so no matter how great of a person you are, no matter how pretty your eyes are, how nice your smile is, people always notice the blemishes on your face, " says rohini bagrodia, a really pretty 22 - year - old with beautiful eyes, a great smile — and a history of battling acne. in school, it meant avoiding the spotlight. " i would always shy away from those opportunities that would bring all the focus on me, " bagrodia says. she wouldn ' t take part in class discussions. she wouldn ' t raise her hand. and it ' s all because of a tiny bacteria that lives on the skin. ucla dermatologist dr. jenny kim says many people don ' t realize it ' s bacteria that cause acne. " some people say your face is dirty, you need to clean it more, scrub more, don ' t eat chocolate, things like that. but really, it ' s caused by bacteria and the oil inside the pore allows the bacteria to overpopulate, " kim says. for most teenagers with mild acne, over - the - counter products containing peroxide or salicylic acid are enough to clear up the acne. but lots of teenagers end up in the doctor ' s office and getting antibiotics. this was the hardest thing for bagrodia : no matter how much she followed doctors ' orders, diligently cleaning her face and using antibiotic cream, nothing worked. dermatologist elizabeth martin is in private practice in birmingham, ala., and is a fellow with the american academy of der


no matter how much she followed doctors ' orders, diligently cleaning her face and using antibiotic cream, nothing worked. dermatologist elizabeth martin is in private practice in birmingham, ala., and is a fellow with the american academy of dermatology. she says these bacteria, like many others, are mutating quickly and becoming resistant to antibiotics. " over the years, we have seen an increase in this antibiotic - resistant bacterium, both in the u. s. and also worldwide, " martin says. she points to studies that show a tripling of drug - resistant acne bacteria over the past few decades. this means doctors can no longer rely on antibiotics alone. most doctors now use a combination of low - dose antibiotics along with benzoyl peroxide, which also kills acne - causing bacteria. as martin says, benzoyl peroxide " works to decrease bacteria through a different mechanism than antibiotics, and it helps to prevent development of resistant bacteria. when we combine benzoyl peroxide along with an antibiotic, patients tend to have better clearance of their acne than when we use antibiotics alone. " other treatment options retinoids, vitamin a derivatives, can also be used early on to treat acne. typically creams, they work by unclogging pores before they become large, inflamed bumps. a stronger form, called accutane, is used for severe acne. it ' s a highly effective pill, but it can cause serious side effects, including depression and birth defects. so the government regulates its use. intensely focused light and lasers can also help fight acne when other treatments fail. kim is also a researcher at ucla. in the room dedicated to light and laser therapy, kim points out what appears to be a half - cylinder with stacks of oblong light bulbs. " patients with acne can go right under blue light, and they sit there for about 15, 20 minutes, and acne often improves after several treatments, " kim says. it ' s not known exactly how light therapy works to fight acne, but kim says studies indicate it destroys the bacteria. " probably physically without giving it time to mutate ; and the other thing — the light treatment can improve the inflammation that the bacteria causes in acne, " she says. but laser and light therapy doesn ' t work for everyone. it ' s expensive and typically not covered by insurance. so kim and colleagues at the university of pittsburgh are also looking into an entirely new way to fight


shirley is a city in central massachusetts. the town was named for former governor william shirley. the town was settled in 1720 and incorporated in 1775. route 2 west to exit 38b ( route 110 / 111 ), 37b ( fort devens ) or 36 ( shirley road ) commuter rail ( fitchburg line ) west to shirley station ( zone 8 ) not much public transit, need a car to get around. first parish meeting house on the common, shirley, ma shirley common – corner of parker and horsepond roads. the public space where many summer festivals and town events occur. there is a civil war monument in the center that was dedicated may 30, 1891. its inscription reads : " erected by the citizens of shirley in memory of those brave men who in response to the nation ' s call hazarded their lives to suppress the great rebellion 1861 - 1865. " first parish meeting house – on the shirley common. ( phone : 978 - 425 - 9262 ) the building was built in 1773 moved by oxen to its current location in 1851. today it can be rented for weddings. old town hall – also on the shirley common next to first parish meeting house. the greek revival building was built in 1847 and was rebuilt in 1950 by lucien gionet after being struck by lightning. center cemetery – this is an 18th century cemetery is across from shirley common. records of burials are available at the historical society museum. lake shirley - flat hill road to sunset lane. recreation area where you can swim, boat, and otherwise kickback. bull run tavern - 215 great road ( route 2a ) ( phone : 978 - 425 - 4311 ) - lots of legends and lore go along with the tavern. it is said that paul revere rode threw every town in middlesex county and shirley is the furthest western town in the county. ( fyi there is actually no evidence that revere knocked on the door of the bull run tavern. ) the site also features a covered wooden bridge behind the tavern. shirley shaker village - harvard road ( phone : 978 - 425 - 9328 ) – the shaker village was community from 1793 to 1908. 11 of the original buildings as well as the cemetery remain to this day. the shaker village is now on the grounds of a massachusetts correctional facility but the shaker sites are open to guided tours by the shirley historical society. permission to enter the complex must be obtained from the mci superintendent ' s office. old firehouse - main street. - this queen anne style building was built in 1894


but the shaker sites are open to guided tours by the shirley historical society. permission to enter the complex must be obtained from the mci superintendent ' s office. old firehouse - main street. - this queen anne style building was built in 1894. the same architect who designed the original hazen library designed it. oliver holden birthplace - squanacock road. birthplace of oliver holden, composer of hymn " coronation ", one of the hymns known by memory by civil war soldiers. he also wrote " worcester collection of sacred harmony " that was the first book to be printed on movable type in the us. mackaye cottage - parker road. the cottage was built 1836 and bought by actor will mackaye in 1886. will ' s relatives include benton, founder of the appalachian trail, hazel, a suffragette and steele, an actor, producer, author, inventor. fredonian park - fredonian road off of main street. wide open grounds with a gazebo next to a brook. the bridges and boardwalk were torn out after being judged structurally unsound but some of the remains were used to install walkways over the old trail system. whiteley park - main street across from the train station. the last shaker elder gave the land to the town in 1896. the park now contains several war memorials and the grounds come to life during veterans day, memorial day, and the 4th of july. shirley historical society museum at the lucy longley memorial building. 182 center road. museum hours : most saturday ' s 10 : 00 am to 1 : 00 pm. special appointments are also possible. hazen memorial library, 3 keady way, phone : 978 - 425 - 2620,.


search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. if you are not sure what you are looking for, try the combination search or our recommended species lists. search native plant database : marcus, joseph a. tecoma stans ( l. ) juss. ex kunth yellow bells, yellowbells, esperanza, yellow trumpetbush, yellow trumpetflower, trumpetbush, trumpetflower, yellow elder usda symbol : test usda native status : native to u. s. esperanza or yellow bells is an irregularly shaped, deciduous shrub, normally 3 - 6 ft. tall in the us but more southerly varieties can reach 9 ft. it has several stems and slender, erect branches. clusters of large, trumpet - shaped, yellow flowers are very showy against the lance - shaped, olive - green leaves. long, thin pods are conspicuous in autumn. it has an enormous natural range, extending from south texas west to arizona and south through mexico and central america to south america as far as northern argentina, as well as in southern florida south through much of the caribbean. plants native to the southwestern us and adjacent mexico are tecoma stans var. angustata, which is shorter, more drought - tolerant, and more cold - tolerant than some of the tropical varieties sold in nurseries. anyone who has seen this plant in bloom can understand why one of its names is yellow bells, as it produces great, attention - grabbing, yellow blossoms. in recent years, it has become a popular landscaping plant, valued as much for its drought - tolerance as for its spectacular appearance. bloom informationbloom color : yellow bloom time : apr, may, jun, jul, aug, sep, oct, nov az, fl, nm, tx native distribution : south - central texas west to arizona, south through mexico and central america to south america as far as northern argentina. southern florida south through the caribbean. native habitat : high elevations, hillsides, slopes, canyons usda native status : l48 ( n ), hi ( i ), pr ( n ), vi ( n ) growing conditionswater use : low light requirement : sun, part shade soil moisture : dry caco3 tolerance : high drought tolerance : high cold tolerant : well drained, rocky, limestone, sand, and loam soils conditions comments : north american native varieties of this species can survive winters within their natural range but may die to the ground during especially harsh winters even there. varieties sold in nurseries may be from tropical


, rocky, limestone, sand, and loam soils conditions comments : north american native varieties of this species can survive winters within their natural range but may die to the ground during especially harsh winters even there. varieties sold in nurseries may be from tropical stock and not do so well in us cold. yellow bells is drought tolerant and southwestern varieties are adapted to monsoon rains with dry spells between. they may flower better if such conditions are emulated in planned landscapes, so allow ground to dry out between waterings. it is tolerant of confinement if containers are at least 12 inches in diameter and thus makes a good potted specimen. a showy, attractive, long - blooming accent shrub for rock gardens, perennial gardens, and other home landscapes within its range use wildlife : nectar - insects, bees, hummingbirds. seeds - small mammals. leaves - browsed by mammals. conspicuous flowers : butterflies, hummingbirds larval host : dogface butterfly nectar source : butterflies and moths of north america ( bamona ) is a larval host and / or nectar source for : propagationpropagation material : seeds, softwood cuttings seed collection : collect late summer to fall after pods are no longer green. seed treatment : air dry at room temperature to store over winter. sow soon after harvest in loose, moist - but - not - soggy, fine soil for quick germination. commercially avail : yes maintenance : cut back to the ground if dies back in winter. prune and pinch spent flowers and pods to encourage blooming and bushiness. from the national suppliers directory according to the inventory provided by associate suppliers, this plant is available at the following locations : hill country natives - leander, tx from the national organizations directory according to the species list provided by affiliate organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following : lady bird johnson wildflower center - austin, txsibley nature center - midland, txnative plant society of texas - fredericksburg, txtexas parks and wildlife department - austin, txnpsot - fredericksburg chapter - fredericksburg, txnpsot - austin chapter - austin, txnational butterfly center - mission, txnative seed network - corvallis, ornpsot - williamson county chapter - georgetown, tx, tx herbarium specimen ( s ) npsot 0684 collected nov 22, 1993 in bexar county by mike fox recommended species lists find native plant species by state. each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. once you


, old high german diota, middle high german diet, old norse þioð, gothic þiuda < old germanic * þeuđo, by verner ' s law < indo - european * teut - feminine ; compare lithuanian tauta, old irish tuath, oscan touto, sabine touta people. old english þiod, þeod = old saxon thioda, thiod, old frisian thiade ( the character coming out is probably meant to be a, i should think. the online oed3 is still having a lot of encoding problems. ) there are possibly some even more savory cognates to be added to the oed etymology — such as latin totus, " the whole of, all, " if originally * " all of the tribe ". this derivation is suggested by the that fact that although oscan has touto and sabine touta, " people, " a cognate is missing in their sister italic language latin, unless it be totus. even more interesting as possible cognates are hittite tuzzi " army ; camp " and lycian tuta " army. " however, benveniste in particular rejected the association of the family of thede with the anatolian forms, but other authors have accepted it. if consensus on this question has been reached i am not aware of it. of particular interest, whatever its further intrafamilial relations, is the possibility that hittite tuzzi is the source of old assyrian tuzinnum, some sort of land division to which were certain feudal military obligations were attached. a brief synopsis of the problem by v. ivanov is here : http : / / www. humnet. ucla. edu / pies / pdfs / iec / iec19 / ivanov _ v _ 2007f. pdf. in this way, along with the reflexes of hittite ishiul, " contract, " also found in the old assyrian texts, tuzzi may be one of the oldest attested indo - european words. the contracts had enforcers.


the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people ; " he is always in the know " be familiar or acquainted with a person or an object ; " she doesn ' t know this composer " ; " do you know my sister? " ; " we know this movie " ; " i know him under a different name " ; " this flower is known as a peruvian lily " be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information ; possess knowledge or information about ; " i know that the president lied to the people " ; " i want to know who is winning the game! " ; " i know it ' s time " be aware of the truth of something ; have a belief or faith in something ; regard as true beyond any doubt ; " i know that i left the key on the table " ; " galileo knew that the earth moves around the sun " know how to do or perform something ; " she knows how to knit " ; " does your husband know how to cook? " have fixed in the mind ; " i know latin " ; " this student knows her irregular verbs " ; " do you know the poem well enough to recite it? " have firsthand knowledge of states, situations, emotions, or sensations ; " i know the feeling! " ; " have you ever known hunger? " ; " i have lived a kind of hell when i was a drug addict " ; " the holocaust survivors have lived a nightmare " ; " i lived through two divorces " perceive as familiar ; " i know this voice! " be able to distinguish, recognize as being different ; " the child knows right from wrong " know the nature or character of ; " we all knew her as a big show - off "


key : " s : " = show synset ( semantic ) relations, " w : " = show word ( lexical ) relations display options for sense : ( gloss ) " an example sentence " - s : ( n ) front, front end, forepart ( the side that is forward or prominent ) - s : ( n ) battlefront, front, front line ( the line along which opposing armies face each other ) - s : ( n ) front ( the outward appearance of a person ) " he put up a bold front " - s : ( n ) front ( the side that is seen or that goes first ) - s : ( n ) front man, front, figurehead, nominal head, straw man, strawman ( a person used as a cover for some questionable activity ) - s : ( n ) front ( a sphere of activity involving effort ) " the japanese were active last week on the diplomatic front " ; " they advertise on many different fronts " - s : ( n ) front ( ( meteorology ) the atmospheric phenomenon created at the boundary between two different air masses ) - s : ( n ) presence, front ( the immediate proximity of someone or something ) " she blushed in his presence " ; " he sensed the presence of danger " ; " he was well behaved in front of company " - s : ( n ) front ( the part of something that is nearest to the normal viewer ) " he walked to the front of the stage " - s : ( n ) movement, social movement, front ( a group of people with a common ideology who try together to achieve certain general goals ) " he was a charter member of the movement " ; " politicians have to respect a mass movement " ; " he led the national liberation front " - s : ( v ) front, look, face ( be oriented in a certain direction, often with respect to another reference point ; be opposite to ) " the house looks north " ; " my backyard look onto the pond " ; " the building faces the park " - s : ( v ) front, breast ( confront bodily ) " breast the storm " - s : ( adj ) front ( relating to or located in the front ) " the front lines " ; " the front porch "


data & information - the un food and agriculture organization ( fao ) maintains a rich database of country - level and issue - level sector briefs on livestock, providing a valuable asset for opportunity and risk analyses for specific geographies. - the society for range management, established in 1948 and consisting of more than 4, 000 members in 48 countries, is a collaborative organization of scientists, land managers, educators, and conservationists dedicated to preserving rangelands. - the natural resources conservation service ( nrcs ) ( originally established by congress in 1935 as the soil conservation service ), is administered by the united states department of agriculture ( usda ) and has expanded to become a conservation leader for all natural resources, ensuring that private lands are conserved, restored, and more resilient to environmental challenges such as climate change. - the savory institute is an organization dedicated to “ holistic management ” of grassland ranges and “ holistic decision making ”. - the sustainable agriculture initiative ( sai ) is an industry and stakeholder organization focused on sustainable agriculture. the sai just launched a beef working group. - embrapa beef cattle, located in campo grande, ms, brazil, researches technology and best - practices for beef, leather, and other horticultural industries in brazil. embrapa currently has a partnership with wwf - brasil to develop best management practices. - the un fao ’ s livestock ' s long shadow was a seminal report on the beef industry and greenhouse gas emissions, despite subsequent controversies over ghg calculation methodology. - the global roundtable for sustainable beef convenes a stakeholder dialogue around sustainable beef production. evaluation & certification - the international finance corporation ' s ( ifc ) good practice note on animal welfare in livestock production addresses risks, reasoning, and guidance for assessing animal welfare in horticultural production systems. - the sustainable agriculture network developed a standard for sustainable cattle production systems. - the fao built a global agenda of action for sustainable livestock sector development.


| structure illuminates mechanism of fungal polyketide cyclization | polyketide natural products produced by bacteria and fungi are often characterized by the presence of multiple aromatic rings that are responsible for the activity of polyketides as both beneficial antibiotic and anticancer agents and as dangerous toxic compounds, such as the highly carcinogenic aflatoxins that are produced by fungal species from the aspergillus family of molds. polyketide ring formation by fungal enzymes called polyketide synthases ( pkss ) is mediated by the enzyme ' s product template ( pt ) domain. however, the mechanism for aromatic ring formation from a linear intermediate with high fidelity has remained unclear. to reveal the cyclization mechanism, researchers at the university of california, irvine, and the johns hopkins university solved the structure of the isolated pt domain of the pks involved in aflatoxin production ( pksa ) to 1. 8 a using data from als beamline 8. 2. 2 and ssrl beamline 9 - 1. the crystal structure, along with biochemical studies, provides a paradigm for polyketide cyclization by fungal pkss, an event that is necessary for imparting biological activity to this large class of clinically relevant natural products. a megasynthase containing six enzyme domains covalently linked together, pksa catalyzes iterative reactions that produce a 20 - carbon linear intermediate. at this point, if left unprotected, the highly reactive polyketide chain would undergo random cyclization to produce dead - end products. instead, the linear intermediate enters pt, where it is stabilized and transformed into a specific bicyclic intermediate with a highly specific cyclization pattern exclusive to fungi, an amazing feat of origami. in contrast, bacteria fold the linear chain into a completely different pattern, as promoted by an enzyme called aromatase / cyclase ( aro / cyc ) that shares no amino acid sequence similarity ( homology ) with pt. therefore, although starting with the same linear chain, fungi and bacteria would fold the chain differently and end up producing completely different natural products. the crystal structure of the isolated pt domain solved by the uc irvine / johns hopkins team contains a dimer of double hot - dog folds reminiscent of aro / cyc. each monomer has an interior pocket, and the finite pt pocket length limits the possible substrate chain length while also orienting the linear polyke


/ johns hopkins team contains a dimer of double hot - dog folds reminiscent of aro / cyc. each monomer has an interior pocket, and the finite pt pocket length limits the possible substrate chain length while also orienting the linear polyketide, such that pt can selectively catalyze the cyclization of the linear chain. two cocrystal structures were solved. in the first structure, a palmitic acid ( a common fatty acid ) molecule ( fortuitously bound during e. coli purification ) established the long, hydrophobic pocket and suggested that the 20 - carbon intermediate enters the narrow pt pocket in a linear conformation anchored at the end of the pocket. the second structure, soaked with an analog of the bicyclic intermediate, showed that the chamber can accommodate two aromatic rings in a region in the middle of the chamber near the catalytic diad. together with biochemical data, these structures confirmed the ability of pt to catalyze first - and second - ring cyclization / aromatization and established a general mechanism for fungal polyketide cyclization that has important implications for inhibitor design and controlled engineering of novel polyketides with altered cyclization patterns and possibly new bioactivities. more generally, the fungal pt crystal structure, together with the aro / cyc structure published by a uc irivine group in 2008, has renewed the way we visualize polyketide cyclization. although researchers had known for half a century that polyketides adopt special folds, the " streptomyces fold " for bacterial - generated polyketides and or " fungal fold " for fungal polyketides, no information has been available about how nature folds and cyclizes a linear polyketide chain in such a highly specific manner. the aro / cyc and pt structures revealed that regardless of bacterial or fungal pks and despite low sequence homology, both aro / cyc and pt have similar topology, and both have an interior pocket, whose size and shape directs the distinct ring patterns observed in bacterial and fungi. research conducted by j. m. crawford, j. w. labonte. a. l. vagstad, e. a. hill, and c. a. townsend ( johns hopkins university ) ; and t. p. korman, o. kamari - bidkorpeh, and s. - c. tsai ( university of california, irvine ). research funding : u.