water evaporated from trees cools global climate, researchers find sciencedaily ( sep. 14, 2011 ) — scientists have long debated about the impact on global climate of water evaporated from vegetation. new research from carnegie ' s global ecology department concludes that evaporated water helps cool earth as a whole, not just the local area of evaporation, demonstrating that evaporation of water from trees and lakes could have a cooling effect on the entire atmosphere. these findings, published sept. 14 in environmental research letters, have major implications for land - use decision making. evaporative cooling is the process by which a local area is cooled by the energy used in the evaporation process, energy that would have otherwise heated the area ' s surface. it is well known that the paving over of urban areas and the clearing of forests can contribute to local warming by decreasing local evaporative cooling, but it was not understood whether this decreased evaporation would also contribute to global warming earth has been getting warmer over at least the past several decades, primarily as a result of the emissions of carbon dioxide from the burning of coal, oil, and gas, as well as the clearing of forests. but because water vapor plays so many roles in the climate system, the global climate effects of changes in evaporation were not well understood. the researchers even thought it was possible that evaporation could have a warming effect on global climate, because water vapor acts as a greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. also, the energy taken up in evaporating water is released back into the environment when the water vapor condenses and returns to earth, mostly as rain. globally, this cycle of evaporation and condensation moves energy around, but cannot create or destroy energy. so, evaporation cannot directly affect the global balance of energy on our planet. article continues : http : / / www. sciencedaily. com / releases / 2011 / 09 / 110914161729. htm


wind power in the us expected to peak in 2012 the u. s. department of energy ' s " 2011 wind technologies market report " finds that in 2011, the united states was still one of the fastest - growing markets for wind power. around 6. 8 gigwatts ( gw ) of new wind power capabilities were established in 2011, up from 5. 2 gw in 2010. 2011 levels, however, were still beneath the 10 gw built in 2009. with the concerns of uncertain federal policies on the way, 2012 is expected to have the wind power market reach its peak, according to the research. put together by lawrence berkeley national laboratory ( berkeley lab ), the " 2011 wind technologies market report " listed some other important points : today, wind power accounts for over 10 % of the total electricity production in six states, two of which have over 20 %. combined, these statistics comprise over 3 % of the nation ' s entire supply of electricity. in 2011, wind power made up 32 % of all the new additions to u. s. electricity capacity. in 2011, wind turbine manufacturers and suppliers still kept their productions domestic. therefore, a large number of wind power projects ' equipment is from the u. s. in 2005 - 2006, approximately 35 % of the equipment was domestic while in 2011 it rose to 67 %. yet, according to ryan wiser, a staff scientist at berkeley lab and co - author of the report, " behind these positive headline numbers, the domestic wind industry supply chain is currently facing severe pressure, due to uncertain prospects after 2012. " profits have lowered, and there is a growing concern that manufacturing is producing over capacity, which could lead to major layoffs should turbine demand remain as is or further decline. increased turbine scaling has created a larger average for capacity factors. since 1998 - 99, the average nameplate capacity of wind turbines installed in the u. s. has gone up by 174 % ( to 1. 97 mw in 2011 ), the average turbine hub height has increased by 45 % ( to 81 meters ), and the average rotor diameter has grown by 86 % ( to 89 meters ). in some areas, however, the increase has been reduced by significant cuts in output of wind energy and wind developers building out lower wind speed sites. wind turbines at alternative energy wind farm via shutterstock. read more at the green economy.


soybean leafminer : soybean leafminer, odontota horni. the adult soybean leaf miner is a small, flattened, squarish beetle. its underside is black and the top of the insect is brick red and its head is black. in addition to its unique shape and coloration, there is also a thin black stripe that extends down the middle of its forewings beginning at the base of its prothorax. note that the black stripe does not quite extend to the tip of the thorax. another similar beetle the locust leafminer, odontota dorsalis, is occasionally found in soybean ( especially near locust trees ) ; however, it is much less common. the locust leafminer looks similar except the black dorsal stripe widens toward the tail - end of the beetle and extends to the end of the forwings. larvae reach a maximum of 7 mm long, is cream - colored with a dark brown head and lateral tubercles. typically, the larvae are not found exposed on the surface of the leaf, rather they mine within the layers of the leaf. soybean leafminer larva : soybean leafminer larva. larval soybean leafminer injury : larval injury to a soybean leaf from the soybean leafminer. pupae are similar to the larvae in color and can be easily seen through the translucent pupal chamber within the leaf.


gender harassment – verbal and nonverbal behaviors that convey insulting, hostile and degrading attitudes to women – is just as distressing for women victims as sexual advances in the workplace. according to emily leskinen, lilia cortina, and dana kabat from the university of michigan in the us, gender harassment leads to negative personal and professional outcomes too and, as such, is a serious form of sex discrimination. in their view, there is a case for interpreting existing legislation as including gender harassment, so that it is recognized as a legitimate and serious form of sex - based discrimination in the workplace. their work is published online in springer ' s journal law and human behavior. the generally accepted view of sexual harassment sees unwanted sexual attention as an essential component. what leskinen ' s work shows is that nine out of ten harassed women in her sample had experienced gender harassment primarily in the absence of sexual advances in the workplace. and yet, within the current legal conception of sexual harassment, gender harassment involving no sexual advances routinely gets neglected by the law. leskinen, cortina, and kabat analyzed survey data from women working in two male - dominated environments : the us military ( 9, 725 women ) and federal legal practice ( 1, 425 women ). their analyses revealed five typical profiles of harassment : low victimization ( sexist behavior ) ; gender harassment ( sexist and crude harassment ) ; gender harassment with unwanted sexual attention ; moderate victimization ( moderate levels of all types of harassment ) ; high victimization ( frequent harassment ). the large majority ( 90 percent ) of harassment victims fell into one of the first two groups, which describe virtually no unwanted sexual advances, yet are the most common manifestations of sex - based harassment. compared to non - victims, gender - harassed women reported negative personal and professional outcomes in the two different work environments. in the military, victims scored significantly lower on all work attitudes and reported greater performance decline due to both physical and emotional health. they also described less overall psychological well - being and health satisfaction and had more thoughts and intentions of leaving their jobs. among attorneys, gender - harassed women reported lower satisfaction with professional relationships and higher job stress. these results suggest that gender - harassed women, like women who experience sexual advance harassment, fare poorly in the workplace. 1. leskinen ea, cortina lm, kabat db ( 2010 ). gender harassment : broadening our understanding of sex - based harassment at work. law and human behavior. doi 10. 1007 /


1. what is smog? what are vocs and nox? 2. why does my city matter? 3. why isn ' t my model year 1975 - 2000 vehicle here? 4. why isn ' t my model year 2001 - 2006 vehicle here? 5. my vehicle has a bad score on the auto asthma index, but i always pass my state ' s smog test. why is this? 6. why does my vehicle have worse than typical emissions? 7. why does my vehicle have lax emissions standards? 8. why is my vehicle a high miles vehicle? 9. what is a gross polluter? 10. why can ' t i compare older and newer vehicles in your report? 11. what is the difference between ' california ' and ' federal ' vehicles? why do automakers make cleaner and dirtier versions of the same model? 12. what about diesel emissions? 13. are two - wheel drive vehicles typically better than four - wheel drive vehicles? 14. are automatic or manual transmissions typically better? 15. do all new vehicles pollute less? 16. how can i pick a good used vehicle? 17. but big vehicles are safer, aren ' t they? 18. what can i do about polluting vehicles in my neighborhood? 19. when does my vehicle pollute? 20. what about the emissions warranty? 21. what are the cleanest cars? where would i purchase one? 1. what is smog? what are vocs and nox? smog is primarily caused by ozone air pollution. ozone forms in the air when two types of pollutants, volatile organic compounds ( vocs ) and nitrogen oxides ( nox ), combine in the presence of sunlight. two different classes of pollutants - - volatile organic compounds ( vocs ) and nitrogen oxides ( nox ) - - react with sunlight in the atmosphere to form smog. in some regions vocs are the limiting pollutant. efforts to control nox emissions will have no effect on - - or even worsen - - smog pollution. in other areas the dynamic is reversed. in a third type of region both pollutants are similarly important to combatting smog. we took this variability into account in our auto asthma index. where scientists determine that voc controls are most critical to smog levels, we ranked vehicles based solely on their voc emissions. in regions where nox is most important for smog control, the index is based on nox emissions alone. in areas where


determine that voc controls are most critical to smog levels, we ranked vehicles based solely on their voc emissions. in regions where nox is most important for smog control, the index is based on nox emissions alone. in areas where both vocs and nox contribute to smogginess, an average of the voc and nox auto asthma index values is used to rate vehicles. as a result, the index for a particular model varies depending on your location.. some vehicles are exempt from taking the type of smog check test we used to compile our auto asthma index. if your vehicle was manufactured between the years 1985 and 2000 and either weighs over 8, 500 pounds fully loaded, has a diesel, natural gas, or hybrid engine, or has all - wheel drive ( full - time four - wheel drive ) or non - disengageable traction control, you will not find an index for it in our database. we also eliminated records for cars and trucks manufactured before 1985, as they are a small fraction of the cars on the road today. however, you should note that vehicles made before 1985 would universally have smog scores of 10. finally, we did not calculate an auto asthma index for vehicles that were represented by fewer than 20 smog check records, as a small number of records for a particular model would lead to unreliable emissions information for that vehicle. some vehicles are not evaluated using epa emissions tests. if your vehicle was manufactured between the years 2001 and 2006 and weighs over 8, 500 pounds fully loaded, you may not find an auto asthma index for it in our database. epa only requires a new emissions test if a vehicle changes significantly from one year to the next. we did our best to extend data from previous year ' s test to other models, but due to inconsistent naming between epa files we might have missed your vehicle. we also omitted data from vehicles burning diesel and other alternative fuels. vehicles that pass their local smog check programs may still emit excessive pollution. programs like the one in place in california are designed to catch only the worst polluters - - those that emit much more pollution than originally allowed by epa. smog check programs typically have less stringent requirements for older and larger vehicles, while the auto asthma index compares car emissions to today ' s available technologies. we divided vehicles by model year and vehicle type, then ranked them by their smog chemical emissions to determine the emissions of a typical vehicle in the middle of each ranked list ( the median emissions ). models


car emissions to today ' s available technologies. we divided vehicles by model year and vehicle type, then ranked them by their smog chemical emissions to determine the emissions of a typical vehicle in the middle of each ranked list ( the median emissions ). models that produced more than this amount of smog chemical emissions were flagged as " worse than typical " polluters for a particular year and vehicle type. ' truck - type ' vehicles, including trucks, suvs, vans, and minivans, are currently held to weaker emissions standards than passenger cars. oversized vehicles, those weighing over 8, 500 pounds fully loaded, are allowed to produce even more smog chemical pollution. while federal and california regulations for these vehicles are gradually becoming more protective, at present these vehicles typically produce more smog chemical pollution than cars due to lax emissions standards. air quality engineers in california have estimated the average number of miles a vehicle has been driven by model year, taking into account the fact that vehicles are driven less as they age. [ kear 2003, citing emfac 2001 ] we designated high miles vehicles as those that have been driven at least 10 percent more miles than these estimates. according to our smog check records, about 17 percent of vehicles made in 2000 were high miles vehicles, and about 33 percent of vehicles made in 1995 were high miles vehicles. " gross polluters " are vehicles that emit double or more than the allowable pollution according to the california smog check program [ shafizadeh 2004 ]. the california smog check program applies emissions cutpoints to vehicles within specific age and size classes, so they do not excessively penalize older cars and trucks built with outdated emissions control technology and required to meet less stringent emissions standards. these cutpoints are much looser than the epa certification standards for all vehicles, allowing cars and trucks to emit far more pollution than the amount certified by epa as the maximum allowable level of pollution within the first 100, 000 to 150, 000 miles of use. the auto asthma index was compiled using two datasets : for vehicles manufactured in the years 1985 - 2000, millions of real world emissions measurements from the california smog check program were used to rank different models, while for newer vehicles that are exempt from typical smog check requirements, epa certified maximum levels of pollution within at least 100, 000 miles of driving were used. the two types of data are so different that auto asthma index values produced from different datasets cannot be compared to each other. california has more health protective


, epa certified maximum levels of pollution within at least 100, 000 miles of driving were used. the two types of data are so different that auto asthma index values produced from different datasets cannot be compared to each other. california has more health protective vehicle emissions standards than the us government. thus, a typical vehicle sold in california is cleaner than its federal counterpart. because our 1985 - 2000 auto asthma index values were developed using data from california - certified vehicles only, they represent a best - case scenario in terms of smog chemical pollution. diesel vehicles produce extremely high nitrogen oxide ( nox ) emissions when compared to gasoline vehicles, but lower volatile organic emissions. to improve air quality and public health, avoid driving diesel vehicles in nox sensitive regions like rural areas and the southeast us. according to our analysis of california smog check data, two - wheel drive vehicles typically produce fewer smog chemical emissions than four - wheel drive vehicles. to improve air quality and public health, drive a two - wheel drive vehicle whenever possible. typically, manual transmission vehicles produce fewer nitrogen oxide ( nox ) emissions than automatic transmission vehicles. to improve air quality and public health, choose manual transmission vehicles in nox sensitive regions like rural areas and the southeastern us. typically new vehicles pollute less than similar older models. newer vehicles have better emissions control technology, were made to meet more stringent emissions standards, and have experienced less wear and tear. when making a choice between two vehicles, the newer one will generally be the better choice to improve air quality and protect the health of our communities. however, many newer cars have auto asthma index scores of 7 to 10, indicating that automakers are not using the best technologies, or that it is impossible to build extremely large vehicles that meet reasonable emissions standards. use our auto asthma index to compare specific vehicles before you buy. in general, newer vehicles, low miles vehicles, and passenger cars pollute less, while older vehicles, high miles vehicles, and trucks, suvs, vans, minivans, and oversized vehicles produce more smog chemical emissions. use these guidelines when purchasing a used vehicle. the latest research indicates that larger vehicles are not necessarily safer vehicles. instead, the general quality of a vehicle — how well it was designed and manufactured — appears to be the best indicator of its safety. continued improvements in materials, safety equipment, and overall vehicle design, will continue to foster the development of smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles that produce low smog chemical emissions. [ ahmad 2005, lundegaard 2005, wenzel 2005


of its safety. continued improvements in materials, safety equipment, and overall vehicle design, will continue to foster the development of smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles that produce low smog chemical emissions. [ ahmad 2005, lundegaard 2005, wenzel 2005 ] your friends and neighbors may not know that the pollution from cars and trucks can affect the health of your community. tell them about ewg ' s auto asthma index, so they can learn for themselves about the link between autos and asthma. unfortunately, cars and trucks pollute at all times, even when they are not in use. as an automobile owner, you have certain rights covered by the emission warranties of your vehicle. there are two types of emission warranties : a defect warranty and a performance warranty. the defect warranty covers the repair of emission - related parts that become defective during normal vehicle operation. the performance warranty covers repairs that are necessary because the vehicle failed an epa - approved inspection and maintenance test. check your owner ' s manual for more details about your emission warranties or check with epa for more information. the cleanest gas burning vehicles score a 1 on the auto asthma index. the newer vehicles ( model years 2001 - 2006 ) that score a 1 meet california ' s partial zero emissions vehicle ( pzev ) or the national super ultra low emissions vehicle ( sulev ) standards. they are not widely available. most can only be purchased in california, and some northeastern states ( massachusetts, new york, vermont and maine ). we highlight the availability of clean models when we provide the index value for the typically sold, dirtier versions of the same vehicle. ahmad s, greene dl. 2005. effect of fuel economy on automobile safety : a reexamination. transportation research record no. 1941, energy and environmental concerns 2005. transportation research board of the national academy of sciences. washington, dc. california air resources board. emfac 2001 v2. 08. as cited in : kear t, niemeier d. 2003. composite exhaust emissions rates : sensitivity to vehicle population and mileage accrual assumptions. transportation research record no. 1842, energy, air quality, and fuels 2003. transportation research board of the national academy of sciences. washington, dc. available at : http : / / aqp. engr. ucdavis. edu / documents / sensitivity. pdf california air resources board. 2002. emfac 2002 v2. 2. http : / / www. arb. ca. gov / ms


/ aqp. engr. ucdavis. edu / documents / sensitivity. pdf california air resources board. 2002. emfac 2002 v2. 2. http : / / www. arb. ca. gov / msei / on - road / healey jr. 2003. cleaner cars take toll on automakers ' costs. usa today. september 16, 2003. http : / / www. usatoday. com / kear t, niemeier d. 2003. composite exhaust emissions rates : sensitivity to vehicle population and mileage accrual assumptions. transportation research record no. 1842, energy, air quality, and fuels 2003. transportation research board of the national academy of sciences. washington, dc. available at : http : / / aqp. engr. ucdavis. edu / documents / sensitivity. pdf lundegaard k. 2005. crash course : how u. s. shifted gears to find small cars can be safe, too. wall street journal. september 26, 2005. shafizadeh k, niemeier d, eisinger ds. 2004. gross emitting vehicles : a review of the literature. prepared for the california department of transportation, task order no. 27. available at : http : / / aqp. engr. ucdavis. edu / documents / gross % 20 emitter % 20lit % 20review % 20v11 % 5b1 % 5d. doc ( accessed may, 2006 ) wenzel tp, ross m. 2005. the effects of vehicle model and drive behavior on risk. accident analysis and prevention 37 : 479 - 494. read the report and learn about how cars contribute to america ' s asthma epidemic. smog causes lifelong damage to our children ' s lungs. sign up to get ewg ' s updates on smog and kids ' health.


green economics : small price for environmental gains by charles vaciliou - july 2004 - green as the number of buildings using green design strategies grows, so do questions about the initial cost of designing and constructing a facility with sustainable features. green buildings have had a reputation for costing more up front, with long - or short - term payback coming directly — for example, from reduced operating costs — or indirectly, from improved productivity. and some sustainable elements do carry a higher price tag, sometimes significantly higher. but first costs are far from an overwhelming obstacle to green design. although trade - offs may be required, and some sustainable features may not be affordable, the first - cost premium can be managed. a good example is the environmental protection agency ’ s new england regional laboratory ( nerl ), in chelmsford, mass. nerl is a federally leased building that houses 30 laboratories used for environmental research and testing. construction on nerl was completed in 2001. although the u. s. green building council ’ s leed ( leadership in energy and environmental design ) rating system was only in its infancy during the building ’ s design phase, the construction project was able to use leed version 1. 0. leed was formulated to encourage the development of more sustainable buildings through a universal measurement on how green a building really is. it is designed to reflect the best practices of new buildings. owners of leed - rated buildings can state that their properties are environmentally superior to at least 75 percent of contemporary buildings. some leed points can be earned quite simply, while others are more complex, requiring creative thinking and planning. the investment, value and cost of green buildings vary with each facility. leed is organized into five areas : - sustainable site planning - energy efficiency - conserving materials and resources - indoor environmental quality - water efficiency leed points can also be earned for design excellence. a building can be classified as certified, silver, gold, or platinum depending on the number of points earned under the rating system. the general services administration now requires all its new construction to seek at least leed silver status. other federal agencies and major corporations have also embraced leed and sustainable design practices. epa was committed to a green building from the beginning. building occupants, mostly scientists, were eager to participate in planning their new facility. they contributed by identifying key design features, many of which fit into leed standards. the occupants continue to maintain conservation and recycling programs. the total building cost for the 68, 000 - square - foot nerl facility was $


planning their new facility. they contributed by identifying key design features, many of which fit into leed standards. the occupants continue to maintain conservation and recycling programs. the total building cost for the 68, 000 - square - foot nerl facility was $ 18. 5 million, or $ 272 per square foot. the original design used green design strategies but was not based on leed guidelines. compared to the cost of the original green design, the incremental cost of meeting leed gold criteria was $ 264, 913, or an additional $ 3. 89 per square foot. this figure translates to a 1. 4 percent increase in building costs. the costs associated with a leed - rated building usually are higher than a traditional building. costs vary depending on the level of the targeted leed goal for the project ( certified, silver gold or platinum ) and the specialty energy - saving items chosen for the project. to make an exact cost comparison, one would need to start out with two identical buildings and then apply green features to one and traditional features to the other. an experienced architect and construction manager can help a building owner control costs by identifying which leed points to target — those that make most sense for an individual building. what accounted for the incremental $ 264, 913 leed cost? here ’ s a breakdown by leed categories. 1. earning points for sustainable site planning cost epa $ 11, 200. the agency incurred costs such as landscaping for erosion control ( $ 3, 500 ), adding trees to exterior landscaping design to reduce heat islands ( $ 2, 000 ), adding bike racks for alternative transportation ( $ 700 ), and installing alternate fueling facilities for electric cars ( $ 5, 000 ). items that earned points, but cost nothing more than what the epa would have spent anyway, included awarding preferred parking spaces for people who car pool, stockpiling topsoil, preserving and protecting trees during construction, and reducing habitat disturbance. 2. enhancements under the energy efficiency category cost an additional $ 119, 000. awnings with integrated photovoltaics were installed on the exterior windows. at the time, the awnings were the first of their kind in the new england region. the photovoltaics collect solar power, supplying approximately 2, 000 watts daily into the regional electric grid and supplementing the facility ’ s electric power. they provide shade, reduce glare in offices, and help with heat gain and natural cooling. included in this category is the additional cost of purchasing six, small


, 000 watts daily into the regional electric grid and supplementing the facility ’ s electric power. they provide shade, reduce glare in offices, and help with heat gain and natural cooling. included in this category is the additional cost of purchasing six, small, modular, high - efficiency, gas - fired boilers with variable frequency drives. 3. measures that earned points for conserving materials and resources actually reduced costs by $ 1, 050. recycling - bailer equipment cost $ 3, 000 ; however, there was a savings of $ 4, 050 for efficient waste management ; several dumpsters were set up on site, separating construction waste by paper, plastic and metal, which eliminated expensive bulk disposal costs. in addition to these calculated savings, a number of items had no additional costs associated with earning points. these included adding some flyash for cement ; setting up rock crushers on site for existing ledge and reusing that material, which eliminated costs to truck the materials off site ; and building a retaining wall by reusing boulders that would have ordinarily been shipped off site. other point - earning items with no additional costs associated with leed were using 57 percent local materials, restricting the use of cfcs and halons in building materials, and providing storage areas for employees to recycle paper, cans and bottles. 4. the total indoor environmental quality category cost an additional $ 47, 500. leed points earned for this category included using alternative daylighting windows and ceiling systems ( $ 20, 000 ) and using low - voc materials, including adhesives, sealants, paints and coatings ( $ 17, 000 ). the setup of permanent chemical storage areas cost $ 8, 000. this system provides a separate hazardous materials building to store bulk chemicals with a floor grate system to contain spills. providing permanent aluminum entry mats at the building ’ s main entrance cost an additional $ 2, 500. increasing the outdoor / filtration air ratio, with duct moisture control and cleanable air distribution systems, was not an added cost because it was in the original design of the building. but it is a bonus for the indoor environmental quality and it earned epa another leed point. 5. the safeguard water category cost an additional $ 35, 800 for features including water - conserving fixtures with electronic sensors and waterless urinals installed in restrooms ( $ 6, 800 ) ; and a surface runoff filtration system ( $ 25, 000 ) that pipes rainwater from the parking areas to a stormwater treatment system


with easy recruitment and retention of employees. a leed rating may also increase property value and offer a marketing advantage. the nerl project also included some features that brought benefits without adding to traditional costs. - carpeting that has been “ off - gassed ” so that voc gases are released before they are installed in the building results in a healthier indoor environment. - park benches made of recycled materials instead of wood last a long time and require little maintenance, but cost the same. - environmentally responsible, low - toxicity construction and cleaning materials deliver one - third less energy consumption and nearly one - fourth less water usage. - wastewater generated in laboratory portions of the building and piped to a state - of - the - art acid neutralization system prevent any contaminants from entering the regional wastewater facility. the growing recognition of the direct and indirect benefits of green buildings is leading an increasing number of facility executives to examine green options. understanding the size of the first - cost premium for those facilities and the ways in which that premium can be managed will spur wider adoption of sustainable design strategies. charles vaciliou is vice president and director of operations with burlington, mass. - based erland construction, a construction management, program management, design / build and general contracting firm.


search for extraterrestrials with your desktop computer despite all the reports of the rapidly shrinking globe — with modern technology like the internet, wireless handheld computers, and satellite global positioning systems — the universe seems to get lonelier every day. the search for intelligent life in the universe continues, although nothing has been found … yet. that " yet " is what keeps people looking and actually, more specifically, listening. in fact, thanks to recent developments the search will soon be stepped up considerably. the search for extraterrestrial intelligence ( seti ) program, derided in some scientific circles as a waste of time, received a good measure of publicity with the success of cal berkeley ' s groundbreaking seti @ home project. too much data the power of the internet the project really got rolling when the website was launched in may 1999. it was originally slated to end in two years, but thanks to its wildly surprising popularity and additional funding, it has been prolonged indefinitely. by now, more than 3 million volunteers in over 220 countries have gone to the seti @ home website and downloaded the software in order to use their computers for the cause. the power and cost efficiency of the giant network of personal computers is boggling. consider this : the most powerful computer, ibm ' s asci white, is rated at 12 > teraflops and costs $ 110 million. the computational power of seti @ home runs at about 15 teraflops and so far has cost just $ 500, 000. high costs lead to innovations the project phoenix observations are currently being made using the 1, 000 - foot radio telescope at arecibo, puerto rico, and the scientists have gone through a large portion of the stars on the phoenix hit list, listening to two billion channels for each star targeted. but the dish at arecibo is used for seti - related purposes only a fraction of the time. the seti project will soon have its own seti - dedicated telescope to broaden the search. the idea for an all - seti telescope is not new, but earlier efforts always failed due to the high costs. the new allen telescope array ( ata ), to be built in northern california, will differ in practice, appearance, and cost from optical and radio telescopes currently in use. it will be constructed using hundreds of mass - produced small dishes. the telescope will use new technologies along with the large amounts of affordable computer processing that the seti @ home project has unearthed. by doing so, it will be possible for the allen telescope array


will be constructed using hundreds of mass - produced small dishes. the telescope will use new technologies along with the large amounts of affordable computer processing that the seti @ home project has unearthed. by doing so, it will be possible for the allen telescope array to examine up to a dozen seti target stars simultaneously and be sensitive to signals over a very wide range of frequencies. new observatory in northern california under current plans, the allen telescope array will be developed in two phases. the first phase began last year with the development of the prototype unveiled in april, and will culminate with a second, larger prototype in early 2003, one that will actually get started on seti and radio astronomy research. at that point, with all the new technologies proven, a second - stage technical and funding review will occur. the ata ' s five - meter antennas are mass - produced and extremely cost - effective. named for benefactor and microsoft co - founder paul allen, the array will be located at the hat creek observatory, 290 miles northeast of san francisco on a site operated by uc berkeley ' s radio astronomy laboratory. the hat creek observatory is located in an area that is " radio quiet, " thereby reducing the level of interfering signals from man - made sources. fact monster™ database, © 2007 pearson education, inc. all rights reserved.


( bpt ) - each year, people across the world are invited to join together to raise awareness about rare diseases. unlike more common conditions such as diabetes and breast cancer, many of these diseases, as well as the people affected by them, are not recognized by their own awareness initiatives throughout the year. yet for people living with rare diseases and their loved ones, the path to a confirmed diagnosis, adapting to new treatment regimens, and facing the day - to - day challenges of these diseases can often be overwhelming. the goal of rare disease day is to provide awareness of lesser known diseases, and to recognize each respective patient community while highlighting the great strides that are being made in medical research. this year, disease education activities will take place feb. 28, with local events held across the globe to help build community support and awareness. by definition, a rare disease is an illness that affects fewer than 200, 000 people in the u. s. while individually, each of these approximately 6, 800 such diseases in the u. s. are defined as rare, when considered together they impact nearly 30 million americans or almost one in 10 people, according to the national institutes of health. “ our organization understands the importance of rare disease day and aims to provide a voice for patients and families to bring to light the need for continued development of new treatments, ” says mary dunkle, vice president for communications, national organization for rare disorders ( nord ). “ for example, people affected by rare diseases such as chronic myeloid leukemia or cushing ’ s disease can feel alone, and share the burdens of minimal treatment options. ” breakthrough research has sometimes put a more public face on rare diseases, such as chronic myeloid leukemia ( cml ), a cancer of the blood and bone marrow characterized by the presence of an abnormality called the philadelphia ( ph ) chromosome. worldwide, cml is responsible for 10 to 15 percent of all adult cases of leukemia, with an incidence of one to two cases per 100, 000 people per year. during the past decade, researchers have refined increasingly sensitive tests to detect traces of cancer in patients treated with new medicines. the rare endocrine disorder, cushing ’ s disease is a form of cushing ’ s syndrome, in which excess cortisol production is triggered by the presence of a non - cancerous pituitary tumor. cortisol is a vital hormone that regulates metabolism, maintains cardiovascular function and helps the body respond to stress. while incidence is one to two patients per million per year,


is triggered by the presence of a non - cancerous pituitary tumor. cortisol is a vital hormone that regulates metabolism, maintains cardiovascular function and helps the body respond to stress. while incidence is one to two patients per million per year, cushing ’ s disease is a serious, debilitating disorder. it most commonly affects adults from 20 to 50 years old and affects women three times more often than men. cushing ’ s disease may present with weight gain, central obesity, a round, red full face, severe fatigue and weakness, striae ( purple stretch marks ), high blood pressure, depression and anxiety. it can cause severe illness and death with mortality up to four times higher than in the healthy population. rare disease day was originally created by eurordis, the european organization for rare diseases, in 2008 and expanded to include the u. s. the following year with help from nord. since the inception, there have been significant advances in management of diseases that are defined as rare. the goal is to continue this momentum and keep the conversation going to encourage more progress. to learn more information about cml, visit www. cmlearth. com. to learn more about cushing ’ s disease, visit www. cushingsdisease. com.


about dr. ackerman | is it really true that certain cells in our bodies do not age? when we ask the question headlined in this article we must first clarify what we mean by cells that do not age. we are not talking about single cells that never get old. rather, we are dealing with cells that are part of a group capable of renewing itself in various ways so that to all intents and purposes the group remains viable throughout the life of the organism. in this age of intensive research into the potential for stem cells to transform themselves into virtually new organs and thereby repair damaged tissues - perhaps eventually permit quadriplegics to walk again, cure genetic diseases, and generally turn the medical world upside down - i feel that we all need a better understanding of the underlying principles involved. an incisive review article called " the aging of lympho - hematopoietic stem cells " by geiger and zant, which was published in the april 2002 issue of nature immunology ( the new journal recently created by the prestigious people who bring us their flagship journal nature ) delves into the question in considerable detail. it is not my intention to dwell on complex details of this sort, but rather to extract those fine factual and theoretical facets inherently contained in a treatise of this magnitude. the principles involved in this discussion are certainly not new. as far back as 1972 harrison, writing in nature new biology, noted that cells which were destined to become red blood cells in mice could be transplanted outside the mice and then were capable of living 21 months past the life span of the mice from which they came. eventually it became apparent that stem cells destined to produce red blood cells, or hematopoietic stem cells, have the capacity to continually renew themselves. this implied that these cells do not age and that the reason for this is to provide animals with an " undiminished replenishment of blood cells throughout the lifespan of an organism. " however, opponents of this concept believe that these cells actually do show the signs of aging and that their life spans are decidedly limited. these authors favor the view that " age - related functional decline in adult tissue hematopoietic stem cells limits longevity in mammals. " like other long - lived cells of the body, which comprise a major portion of our organs, replacement is infrequent. so they gradually change their functional abilities leading to what we call aging. to keep doing their job, they must reproduce or at the least, self - renew. study of


which comprise a major portion of our organs, replacement is infrequent. so they gradually change their functional abilities leading to what we call aging. to keep doing their job, they must reproduce or at the least, self - renew. study of these phenomena has been rather limited because older mice are relatively hard to acquire. researchers had to purchase them when they were young and then wait until they got old enough to proceed. research was nevertheless done, and it became apparent that hematopoietic stem cells do appear to replenish themselves. the older the animal the more there are of these cells. on the other hand, a greater number of older cells are needed to reconstitute the bone marrow than younger cells. in truth, studies showed that the older cells are " at a significant disadvantage relative to their young counterparts. " it was even possible to demonstrate defects in the older cells. furthermore, the farther back they went the more capable were the cells so that fetal cells had a competitive repopulation advantage over young adult cells. the conclusion from these and other studies suggested that this decrease in potential depends upon age and starts right at the beginning, during fetal life. another factor playing a major role is genetic regulation because different strains of mice had different abilities with regard to maintaining the cell populations, but findings during these studies tended to negate any role played by immune factors. the role played by age seems to involve a quieting of activity rather than gradual loss of numbers of cells or individual aging of cells. the fact that senescence may not be involved can be detrimental in certain situations wherein the strategy is to limit a cell ' s likelihood of becoming cancerous from cumulative cellular damage and genomic instability. another factor that seems to be little involved in the changes of aging is the surrounding tissues. the changes appear to be basically inherent in the cells themselves, not in their stroma. in spite of the difficulties involved in obtaining appropriate animals for investigation, evidence gleaned from a good number of studies over the years points to the conclusion that hematopoietic stem cells can and do maintain normal blood cell counts for a lifetime, but as the aging process takes over this capability is diminished. when crises arise, they fail to have the functional reserves needed to meet the challenge by producing large numbers of progeny. aging, however, does not tend to decrease the numbers of these cells, which may actually increase. it ' s literally a case of the effect of quality superseding that of quantity. future research should focus on the molecular


numbers of progeny. aging, however, does not tend to decrease the numbers of these cells, which may actually increase. it ' s literally a case of the effect of quality superseding that of quantity. future research should focus on the molecular characteristics of these stem cells. stem cells from other tissues may not be much different in this respect than those of the red blood cells. once we have a more widespread picture of how the quality of stem cells varies in other tissues we may obtain a better idea as to what are the determinants of longevity. personally i don ' t think that i am destined to benefit from these investigations into the ability to prolong life. to those readers and your own progeny who are still young enough to reap those benefits i salute you. i want you to know that i just knocked on wood in the hope that the world that you will inherit in which to pass those bonus years will prove to be a good deal better than the one to which we seem to be heading. the ancients preserved their kings and queens, wrapped them in cloth and embalming fluids, built them immense pyramids in which to dwell, and surrounded them with their worldly goods. but once you ' re dead it ' s all for naught, be you underground, or in a jar on a shelf, so dream your dream of immortality now, but remember you ' re merely deluding yourself. cartoons and poems following each article are created and copyrighted by dr. ackerman and cannot be copied or reproduced without his permission. copyright © 2006 by marvin ackerman, m. d. relax! itis only your doctoris waiting room, not the er : or how to get along with and understand your doctor is an insightful but irreverent intrusion into the complexities of modern day medicine. listen to an interview with dr. ackerman


xie shouxin, deputy division director, department of forest resources state forestry administration, beijing, p. r. china because of the deficiency in forest resources, the chinese government has always tried to prevent them from being overcut, encouraged tree planting and afforestation, protection and development of forest resources, and the improvement of the ecological environment as the main aims of forestry practice in china. but, along with the development of the national economy and public society, as well as the increase in population and the people ' s living standards, timber demand has been increasing. the forest resource in china was still overcut during the past few decades. as a result, the sharp decline in natural forest resources and seriously devastated forest vegetation brought about a fragile ecosystem, an expanding desertified area, serious soil and water erosion and frequent droughts and floods. in order to control and reverse the trend of increasing deterioration of the ecosystem, give full play to the dominant role of forests in protection and improvement of the ecosystem, and secure sustainable development of the national economy and society, in 1998 the chinese government established a nationwide classified management method for forests, so as to establish a sound forest ecosystem and a relatively developed forestry industry system, and started implementing the natural forest protection project in key natural forest regions. this was before the devastating floods of the yangtze, nenjiang and songhua jiang rivers in the summer of 1998. at present, the protection of natural forests has become an important component for sustainable forestry development. existing forest resources inadequate forest resources the fifth national forest resource inventory ( 1994 – 1998 ) shows that the forest area in china is 158 941 million ha and the standing stock volume is 12 488 billion m3, among which the forest stock volume is 11 267 billion m3. the national forest cover is 16. 55 percent of the land area. the area and stock volume of china ' s natural forest take up 69. 6 and 90. 0 percent of the total, respectively. the stock volume of natural forests per hectare averages 90. 7 m3 per hectare. this indicates that natural forests are still the main body of china ' s forest, and they are playing a significant role in maintaining and improving the environment. the quantity of the forest resource is increasing gradually table 1 shows the result of the successive forest resource inventory. it shows that the forest area and stock in china continue to increase. according to the fifth national forest resource inventory, the yearly mean net growth ( excluding dead trees from natural ageing ) of the national standing stock volume over 5 years is 457.


it shows that the forest area and stock in china continue to increase. according to the fifth national forest resource inventory, the yearly mean net growth ( excluding dead trees from natural ageing ) of the national standing stock volume over 5 years is 457. 52 billion m3 and the net consumption is 370. 75 billion m3, which indicates that growth is larger than consumption. but compared with the last 5 - year period, the yearly mean net consumption has increased by 50. 83 billion m3. table 1. changes in forest area, stock volume and forest cover in china | 1973 – 1976 | | 121 860 | | 9 532 | | 8 656 | | 12. 69 | | 1977 – 1981 | | 115 277 | | 10 261 | | 9 028 | | 12. 00 | | 1984 – 1988 | | 124 653 | | 10 572 | | 9 141 | | 12. 98 | | 1989 – 1993 | | 133 704 | | 11 785 | | 10 137 | | 13. 92 | | 1994 – 1998 | | 158 941 | | 12 488 | | 11 267 | | 16. 55 | rapid increase in plantation resources and economic forest please refer to table 2 for details. from it, we can see that at present the existing plantation area in china is more than 46. 7 million ha. china is a country with the largest plantation area in the world. but the stock volume of plantation forest stands averages only 34. 8 m3 per hectare, and the average annual growth is less than 3 m3 per hectare, compared with the developed countries ; this is far from satisfying the demand of national economic development for timber and forest products. table 2. changes in plantation and economic forest area in million ha ( percentage of total forest area ) | inventory period | | plantations area | | economic forest area | | 1973 – 1976 | | 23 690 ( 19. 4 % ) | | 8 520 ( 7. 0 % ) | | 1977 – 1981 | | 22 192 ( 19. 3 % ) | | 11 280 ( 9. 8 % ) | | 1984 – 1988 | | 31 011 ( 24. 9 % ) | | 13 744 ( 11. 0 % ) | | 1989 – 1993 | | 34 252 ( 25. 6 % ) | | 16 099 ( 12. 0 % ) | | 1994 – 1998 | | 46 667 ( 29. 4 % ) | | 20 222 ( 12. 7 % ) | a relatively large proportion of young forests in forest stands in table


| | 16 099 ( 12. 0 % ) | | 1994 – 1998 | | 46 667 ( 29. 4 % ) | | 20 222 ( 12. 7 % ) | a relatively large proportion of young forests in forest stands in table 3 we can see that the stock volume of forest stands averages only 78. 1 m3 per hectare. since the forest stands in china have a low stock volume per unit area, its quality is poor. table 3. area and volume of forest stands by age group ( unit : million ha / million m3 ) | inventory period | | forest stands | | young & middle - aged forests | | other forests | | 1973 – 1976 | | 105 010 / 7 647. 1 | | 70 680 / 2 490. 6 | | 34 330 / 5 156. 5 | | 1977 – 1981 | | 95 622 / 9 784. 0 | | 68 185 / 3 386. 2 | | 27 437 / 4 592. 2 | | 1984 – 1988 | | 102 187 / 18 091. 5 | | 72 166 / 3 364. 9 | | 30 021 / 4 726. 6 | | 1989 – 1993 | | 108 638 / 9 087. 2 | | 77 464 / 3 683. 5 | | 31 174 / 5 403. 7 | | 1994 – 1998 | | 129 199 / 10 085. 6 | | 91 887 / 4 151. 1 | | 37 312 / 5 934. 5 | lack of harvesting resources the age group structure of timber forest is listed in table 4, which follows the forest resource inventory. from it we can see that at present the area of the mature and over - mature timber forest in china is 14. 7 million ha, and the standing stock volume is 2. 74 billion m3, which accounts for 38. 0 percent of the timber forest stock volume. among it, the area and volume that can be cut or harvested is respectively 12. 7 million ha and 2. 3 billion m3, which accounts for 22. 7 percent of the forest stand volume. table 4. area and volume of timber forest by age group ( unit : million ha / million m3 ) | inventory period | | timber forest | | young & middle - aged | | undermature | | mature & over | | 1973 – 1976 | | 92 820 / 6 726. 8 | | 64 700 / 2 318. 5 | | 28 120 / 4 408. 3 | | - / - |


| | undermature | | mature & over | | 1973 – 1976 | | 92 820 / 6 726. 8 | | 64 700 / 2 318. 5 | | 28 120 / 4 408. 3 | | - / - | | 1977 – 1981 | | 80 629 / 6 881. 9 | | 58 577 / 2 954. 1 | | 22 052 / 3 927. 8 | | - / - | | 1984 – 1988 | | 80 070 / 6 173. 2 | | 58 660 / 2 782. 5 | | 7 212 / 768. 1 | | 14 198 / 2 622. 6 | | 1989 – 1993 | | 84 929 / 6 743. 4 | | 63 097 / 3 043. 3 | | 8 345 / 907. 6 | | 13 487 / 2 792. 5 | | 1994 – 1998 | | 99 395 / 7 206. 2 | | 73 953 / 3 368. 6 | | 10 757 / 1 097. 6 | | 14 685 / 2 740. 0 | description of the natural forest protection programme ( nfpp ) the nfpp is a great and transcentury environmental protection programme. it is also a complicated social programme. it aims at protecting the natural forest resources at the source, middle and upper reaches of large rivers and regions with vulnerable ecosystems. scope and goals of the nfpp according to the implemental scheme warranted by the state council, the nfpp of the key regions ( divided into two types ) covers 17 provinces ( autonomous regions or municipalities ). therein, the nfpp of the key state forest in the northeastern area, inner mongolia, and so on, covers inner mongolia, jilin, heilongjiang, hainan, xinjiang ; the nfpp of upper reaches of the yangtze river - as well as the upper and middle reaches of the yellow river - covers yunnan, sichuan, guizhou, chongqing, hubei, tibet, shaanxi, gansu, qinghai, ningxia, inner mongolia, shanxi and henan. the construction period of the programme is from 2000 to 2010. it will be implemented in two phases. during the first phase ( 2000 – 2003 ) of the nfpp of the key state forest in the northeastern area, inner mongolia, and so on, the main task is to classify 34. 18 million ha of state - owned forest land in the programme area


first phase ( 2000 – 2003 ) of the nfpp of the key state forest in the northeastern area, inner mongolia, and so on, the main task is to classify 34. 18 million ha of state - owned forest land in the programme area, among which 14. 09 million ha are logging ban areas, 12. 06 million ha are logging control areas, and 8. 03 million ha are commercial forest areas. by 2003, the harvesting quota of timber from natural forest will be reduced by 7. 52 million m3 compared with the 1997 level. the existing 33 million ha of forest will be effectively managed and conserved, and the deteriorating trend of the environment will be alleviated to a certain extent. at the same time, 484 000 surplus labourers in forest regions will be absorbed by afforestation activities and other alternative projects. during the second phase ( 2004 – 2010 ), the programme will mainly focus on the establishment and protection of ecological forests, the development of transitional projects, the cultivation of forest resources, the increase of wood supply capacity and the development of the economy in forest regions. by 2010, natural forest resources will be basically restored. timber production will be shifted from logging in natural forests to the management and use of plantations. the conflicts between population, economy, resources and environment will be alleviated primarily. all these efforts will lead to the formation of a relatively sound forest ecosystem and a rational forestry industry system so that forestry can play an important role in the economically and socially sustainable development of the country. the first phase of the nfpp of the upper reaches of the yangtze river, as well as the upper and middle reaches of the yellow river, is from 2000 – 2005 ; the second phase is from 2006 – 2010. the main tasks are two : the first one is to entirely stop logging from natural forests ; 30. 4 million ha of natural forests in this programme area will be strictly managed and protected, logging from which will not be permitted. at the same time, various measures and methods will be adopted so as to effectively manage and protect the existing 30. 8 million ha of other forests and forest lands. the second task is to accelerate afforestation and grass planting in the programme area. by 2010, the area of afforestation will be 12. 7 million ha, among which 3. 7 million ha of mountain closure for afforestation, 7. 1 million ha of aerial planting, and 1. 9 million ha of artificial plantations. first, the areas of improvement of ecosystems in the upper reaches of the


, among which 3. 7 million ha of mountain closure for afforestation, 7. 1 million ha of aerial planting, and 1. 9 million ha of artificial plantations. first, the areas of improvement of ecosystems in the upper reaches of the yangtze river and the yellow river will be classified as ecosystem conservation regions consisting of logging ban areas, and any logging activity will be firmly banned. second, a harvesting quota from natural forests in ecosystem rehabilitation areas will be reduced by a large margin, and the harvesting method will be improved. management and restoration of natural forest resources will be further strengthened through the application of new technologies and approaches. third, various measures will be adopted in productive forest regions to cultivate large diameter timber of high quality, and actively develop fast - growing and high - yielding commercial forests. fourth, the integrated development of different resources in forest areas will be strengthened to adjust and optimize the structure of the economy in forest regions. guided by the market economy, some new policy measures will be adopted to create employment opportunities for laid - off employees and surplus labourers, so as to solve the living difficulties of forestry workers. finally, scientific forest management will be strengthened and the capacity of sustainable development will be improved through the training of workers and managers. a scientific monitoring and evaluation system will be established for the management and supervision of the natural forest protection programme. timber supply and demand balance supply capacity of forest resources because most of these forest resources are growing along the upper reaches of main rivers and lakes and have an important shelter function, they are actually not suitable for cutting. at present, the usable forest resources in china are mainly the mature and overmature timber forests, and a part of them are located in remote mountainous areas and areas with difficult access to transportation. thus, harvesting conditions are very difficult. it is estimated that the area and volume of the usable mature and overmature timber forest is just 12. 7 million ha and 2. 3 billion m3, respectively. with the addition of the stock volumes of regeneration cutting in shelterbelt forests and tending cutting in young and middle - aged forest stands, the total quantity available for cutting is less than 270 million m3, which may produce timber of about 160 million m3. however, only less than 70 million m3 timbers will be allowed as commercial timber, which is the domestic timber production ( planned production ). the rest will be used for fuelwood and own - use - timber for inhabitants in the mountain areas. actual demand for timber at present, the total demand for timber in china is more than 130 million


is the domestic timber production ( planned production ). the rest will be used for fuelwood and own - use - timber for inhabitants in the mountain areas. actual demand for timber at present, the total demand for timber in china is more than 130 million m3. timber shortage between supply and demand because the actual possible supply capacity of forest resources in china is 70 million m3, while the total demand for timber is over 130 million m3, there is a shortfall of 60 million m3 between supply and demand. solving this shortage mainly depends on imports. according to statistics on timber imports from the customs, the annual mean timber imports ( log equivalent ) from 1995 to 1998 exceeded 40 million m3. nfpp ' s impact on timber supply and demand china is a big country in the world of timber production, consumption and imports. as a product directly related to industrial and agricultural production and the lives of the people, timber plays an important role in the development of the national economy. therefore, china ' s nfpp has a great impact not only on the domestic timber market but also on the international timber market. in china, the nfpp is increasing the total conflict between timber supply and demand while the structure conflict between them is becoming sharper. the total deficit volume tends to increase with regard to domestic timber production, the production volume has a tendency to decrease year after year ( see table 5 ). along with the implementation of the national project, timber production will be reduced, especially rare and valuable species and large - diameter wood. the actual timber supply capacity of forest resources will continue to decrease. table 5. timber production in china ( planned production from 1995 to 2000 ) unit : 1 000 m3 | stock volume | | 88 009 | | 87 991 | | 94 180 | | 94 855 | | 86 996 | | 78 465 | | commercial | | 54 181 | | 54 142 | | 57 266 | | 56 800 | | 52 599 | | 46 726 | at the same time, along with the development of the national economy and public society - as well as the increasing level of living standards - timber demand also tends to increase. thus, the conflict between timber supply and demand will increase. the timber shortage will continue to expand. it is estimated that by the year 2003, the total timber shortage in china will increase up to 75 million m3. the structural conflict is sharp from the current structure of forest resources in china ( see table 4 ), among the timber forest the stock volume of near - mature and overmature


, the total timber shortage in china will increase up to 75 million m3. the structural conflict is sharp from the current structure of forest resources in china ( see table 4 ), among the timber forest the stock volume of near - mature and overmature forest will continue to decrease. it can be estimated that the stock volume of the usable mature and overmature timber forest will be certainly less than 2. 3 billion m3 by 2005. the harvestable stock volume, with the exception of poplar, birch and chinese fir, will be reduced year after year. in particular, the large - diameter wood resources have a tendency to reduce sharply. moreover, since the 1990s, timber and timber product imports ( log equivalence ) increase every year, among which 30 percent or 13. 74 million m3 are log, sawn timber, veneer and plywood. this is the very reason for the shortage of domestic large - diameter logs in china. approaches and solutions to timber supply and demand deficit it is not realistic for china to depend solely on imports to solve timber shortages since imports, on the one hand, are limited by international market supply and timber prices and, on the other hand, they are also limited by the balance of national foreign currency. therefore, domestic strength should be depended on. the specific approaches include : accelerate the growth of forest resources is fundamental to satisfying domestic timber supply first of all, the establishment of fast - growing and high - yielding timber plantations should be accelerated in a short time span so as to increase timber supply capacity, promote the shift of timber production from the north to the south, and from the use of natural forest to the use of plantations. to build up the gap between timber supply and demand, and ease the pressure on wood production from shelterbelt forest and natural forest, the chinese government made the decision early in 1988 to establish 20 million ha of fast - growing and high - yielding timber forest bases within a 30 - year period. by 1999, 5 million ha had been established, among which 1. 4 million ha funded by a world bank loan. by 2005, the fast - growing and high - yielding timber forest bases will add 1. 3 million ha, and the supply capacity of the bases every year will reach 40 – 60 million m3 by 2010. second, the tending of middle - aged and young - aged timber forest with an area of about 74 million ha ( among which more than 20 million ha need urgent attention ) will be accelerated. increase the use rate of forest resources and the integrated use rate of timber currently, the use rate


aged and young - aged timber forest with an area of about 74 million ha ( among which more than 20 million ha need urgent attention ) will be accelerated. increase the use rate of forest resources and the integrated use rate of timber currently, the use rate of harvested forest and the integrated use rate of timber in china are 61 and 63 percent, respectively. based on the current production scale and processing capacity, the increase of every one - percentage point in the use rate of harvested forest and the integrated use rate of timber means an equivalent increase of timber supply of 1 million and 400 000 m3, respectively. the application of new technologies and new techniques will increase the use rate of harvested forest and the integrated use rate of timber. this also means an additional increase in timber supply. accelerate forest industry where the source of raw materials is from residues of plantations and forest areas the development of a forest industry that combines trading, industry and forestry will help to adjust the forest resource structure, increase the production and quality of forest products and may increase the constitutional capacity of wood. enhance international economic cooperation in forestry the healthy development of china ' s forestry is of great importance in satisfying the supply of forest products for the world and balancing international market prices for forest products. in order to enhance cooperation in international forestry economy, promote optimum positioning of global resources, encourage price competition, and strengthen the development of external structuring, china has extensively reduced her tariff three times in 1996, 1997 and 1998, respectively. the general tariff level has been reduced from 35. 9 to 23 percent, and further lowered to 17 percent. within the same period, the tariff for forest products has also been reduced extensively. for example, the tariff rate of logs and sawn timber has been reduced about 15 to 5 percent, and further to 0 percent, while the tariff rate of timber products has been reduced 40 – 50 percent down to about 15 percent. the reduction of tariffs every time results in a loss or bankruptcy of some industries in china. this indicates the hard effort and contribution made by a developing country in forestry. limited by international market supply and timber prices, as well as the balance of national foreign currency, china will make appropriate use of resources and markets - both international and domestic - so as to make up the domestic deficit in timber and forest products caused by structural problems. it is expected that the implementation of the above - mentioned measures will increase the domestic timber supply by more than 40 million m3 by the year 2010, thereby meeting the needs of supply and demand when adding imported timber. by the year 2010,


this monument stands out on the horizon on the foothills to the south of the river arno and with the baptistery, is a masterpiece of florentine romanesque architecture. the facade, begun in the xii century, and concluded in the xiii, follows the florentine tradition, with geometric patterns created with white and green marble ( the latter from prato ). the lower section has the classic five arches that alternate with three doors. above, on the pediment, there are nine arches surmounted by symbolic figures dating to the thirteenth century. in 1401 a gilded copper eagle, symbol of the guild of merchants, which had administered the church since 1288, was added to the pediment. the interior, which has been restored and altered in several points, is divided into three aisles by alternating columns and pilasters, and terminates with a raised presbytery built over the crypt. the capitals of the columns of the crypt are in part roman and in part romanesque ; some are marble and some stone. the central nave has marble floor mosaics reminiscent of those of rome ' s early basilicas, and exposed ceiling beams. just before the crypt is the elegant cappella del crocifisso built by michelozzo in 1448, which has a glazed barrel - vaulted ceiling by luca della robbia. to the right of the church is the palazzo dei vescovi, the summer residence of florence ' s bishops until 1553, when it was used as a barracks by cosimo i ; in 1594 it became part of the monastery of san miniato. for any information : chiesa di san miniato al monte via monte alle croci ( 055 2342731 ). open winter - 8. am - noon, 3 - 6pm, summer – 8am - 7. 30pm. holidays and sun, winter 3 - 8pm, summer 8am7. 30pm.


in 2011 - 12 ( april - march ) india produced around 540 million tonnes ( mt ) of coal. this was 1. 36 % more than the that produced in 2010 - 11 ( april - march ). of the 540 mt, coal india accounted for around 436 mt or a little over 80 %. the balance was produced by singareni collieries company and a host of other small companies. this wasn ’ t enough to meet the demand for coal in india. hence, 99 mt of coal was imported, primarily from countries such as australia, indonesia and south africa. india ’ s coal import has been growing significantly over the years ( as can be seen from the table here ). what also comes out clearly is that during 2003 - 09, the cost of the import grew at a much faster rate than the quantity. this was the period when the international prices of coal were rallying and touched $ 190 per tonne in mid - 2008. why this was not par for the course this would have been par for the course if india did not have enough coal reserves, as in the case of oil. ( we don ’ t have enough known reserves of oil and hence we don ’ t produce enough to meet the demand. so we import oil ). but as numbers from the geological survey of india ( as on april 1, 2012 ) indicate, india has 293. 5 billion tonnes ( bt ) of coal reserves. these reserves are referred to as geological reserves and are for valid for a depth between 0. 9 metres and 1, 200 metres. not all of these reserves can be mined. open cast mining of coal typically goes to a depth of around 250 metres below the ground whereas underground mining goes to a depth of around 600 - 700 metres. the quantity of coal that can be extracted is referred to as extractable reserves. p. c. parekh, a retired ias officer in a presentation, puts the extractable reserves at around 60 bt. ( you can access the presentation here ). another expert this writer spoke to said this number could be significantly higher. but that ’ s beside the point. what this clearly tells us is, unlike oil, india has enough coal to mine. given this, india should not be importing the nearly 100 mt of coal that it did during the last financial year. so, why is india not able to mine enough coal? the simple answer is that coal india, which is the biggest producer of coal in the country, is not able to produce enough. one look at the table clearly proves


the last financial year. so, why is india not able to mine enough coal? the simple answer is that coal india, which is the biggest producer of coal in the country, is not able to produce enough. one look at the table clearly proves that. click here for table. why coal blocks were given away for free during 2004 - 12, the total coal produced by coal india increased by 17. 5 %, or at a minuscule rate of 2. 3 % per year. the slow increase in the production fell short of the demand growth, as during the period energy needs surged with india becoming the second fastest growing country in the world. a study published in 2011 shows that coal is used to meet 40 % of india ’ s energy needs against the global average of 27 %. adding to the import cost was the spurt in global commodity prices during 2004 - 09 as china expanded at a breakneck speed. global coal prices shot up as china gobbled up commodities from all over the world. the international price of coal, which was at a little over $ 20 per metric tonne in mid - 2003, rose to around $ 40 per metric tonne in mid - 2005 and then to around $ 190 per tonne in mid 2008. given these reasons, the government felt that there was a need to look beyond coal india. in fact, the inability of coal india to produce enough coal was the main reason why the coal mines ( nationalisation ) act 1973 was amended with effect from june 9, 1993, to allow the government to give away coal blocks for free. the economic survey for 1994 - 95 points out the reason behind the decision. “ in order to encourage private sector investment in the coal sector, the coal mines ( nationalisation ) act, 1973, was amended with effect from june 9, 1993, for operation of captive coal mines by companies engaged in the production of iron and steel, power generation and washing of coal in the private sector. ” the total coal production in the country in 1993 - 94 was 246. 04 mt, up 3. 3 % from 1992 - 93. the government understood the production growth was not going to gain greater momentum anytime soon because newer projects were hit by delays and cost over - runs. “ as on december 31, 1994, out of 71 projects under implementation in the coal sector, 22 projects are bedevilled by time and cost over - runs. on an average, the time over - run per project is about 38 months. there is urgent need to improve project implementation in the coal sector, ”


implementation in the coal sector, 22 projects are bedevilled by time and cost over - runs. on an average, the time over - run per project is about 38 months. there is urgent need to improve project implementation in the coal sector, ” the economic survey of the government noted in 1994 - 95. even though the decision to give away coal blocks for free came into effect in 1993, nothing much happened until 2004. but after that the government went into an overdrive to give away coal blocks for free. between 2005 and 2009, the government gave away 149 coal blocks for free. for indian companies, which were scrambling for the fuel to meet their growth aspirations, it also made sense to have direct access to domestic coal during the period as the international prices were ruling high. but, as it has become clear now, giving away the coal blocks for free did not solve the problem. as per the audit report by the comptroller and auditor general of india, as many as 86 blocks were supposed to produce around 73 mt of coal as on march 31, 2011. in reality, however, only 28 blocks started production and their total output was just around 34. 6 mt. why coal india output is capped coal india has probable reserves of around 18. 9 billion tonnes, but is still unable to expand production at a higher rate. why, seems to be the question nobody is asking. had i been a television journalist, i would simply attribute it to coal india ’ s inefficiency, as is the case with most public sector companies. but the truth is a lot more complicated than that, and, to a large extent, explains why the government ’ s decision of giving away coal blocks for free hasn ’ t worked. india ’ s coal reserves are largely concentrated in the middle of the country in the states of jharkhand, west bengal, odisha, madhya pradesh, chattisgarh and maharashtra. there are some reserves in the northeast as well but they are, at the best, minuscule. the trouble is that the states with the biggest coal reserves are also dealing with the naxalite problem. hence, operating in these regions is not very easy. a lot of the coal reserves are also in regions categorised as forest areas and getting clearances from the state governments is not easy. what also has not helped is that the ministry of environment and forests, which gives the overall environment clearance, is not known to be very efficient. “ our 168 projects are pending environment and forest clearances at the centre and state levels.


not easy. what also has not helped is that the ministry of environment and forests, which gives the overall environment clearance, is not known to be very efficient. “ our 168 projects are pending environment and forest clearances at the centre and state levels. sixty - seven of these projects are greenfield and we are unable to make any investment in these. remaining are ongoing expansion schemes, which too have been stalled, ” nc jha, then chairman of coal india, had told the times of india at the beginning of the year. but these are small issues. the biggest problem facing coal india is the acquisition of land. the right to property is not a fundamental right in india. and over the years, the government has acquired land forcibly from the citizens of this country at rock bottom prices. in ranchi, where this writer grew up, original landholders have still not been paid after their land was acquired to set up what was then one of the biggest public sector units in the country. attempts are rarely made to rehabilitate those who gave up the land. the homes built for them are not livable, to say the least, in most of the cases. hence, people are reluctant to hand over their land, their only source of income. the government ’ s attitude has only politicised the issue. hence, the state governments are not interested as they are likely to lose votes if they use force to acquire land. due to these same reasons for giving away coal blocks for free has not worked and will not work. of the 195 coal blocks that the government has given away for free, 193 are in jharkhand, west bengal, odisha, madhya pradesh, chhattisgarh and maharashtra. all these states have a naxalite problem and that will affect the private and other government players as much as it has been impacting coal india. the government ’ s environmental policy and the land acquisition policy continue to remain in a mess. what also does not help is the fact that the expertise required to get a coal mine up and running is largely limited to coal india. mining coal is not exactly as easy as digging a tube - well. in order to get a block up and running, companies need to prepare a mine plan, carry out the environmental impact study ( eis ) of the area etc. the eis essentially looks at what the current environment of the area is like, how mining coal will change that and what can be done to ensure that the current environment can be maintained. for coal india, this planning is done by its subsidiary


there are many environmental issues facing fisheries in new zealand and around the world. bottom trawling is where fishing boats drag large nets along the sea floor. trawling is the most important commercial fishing method in new zealand, especially for deep - water fisheries such as orange roughy, hoki, and ling. however, research indicates that this form of fishing can seriously damage life on the sea floor. the new zealand government has started working out ways to limit the damage in our seas. these include setting up areas such as marine reserves, mataitai reserves, and areas where certain fishing methods cannot be used. and a proposal from the commercial fishing industry has led to more than 30 percent of new zealand ’ s exclusive economic zone being protected from bottom trawling and dredging. climate change affects many parts of our environment, including our oceans. according to a united nations environment program report, rising sea temperatures could : - kill coral reefs - threaten spawning grounds - change ocean currents - raise sea levels. rising temperatures around the globe will lead to the ice caps melting and sea levels rising. rising sea levels will affect our beaches and coastlines as well as the marine life. the sea level around new zealand has risen an average of 16 centimetres in the last 100 years, and scientists from the intergovernmental panel on climate change predict that it will rise more than double that amount in the next 100 years. soil and nutrient run - off from the land when it rains can greatly affect our coastal ecosystems. when the run - off pours into harbours and estuaries where the water is quite still, it drops down to settle on the sea floor. this is called sedimentation. too much sediment can smother shellfish beds and other important marine habitats. scientists from the national institute of water and atmospheric research ( niwa ) have researched the effects of sediment and found that baby paua and kina find it hard to survive with more sediment in the water. they also found that sediment affects the tiny animals living on kelp. since these animals are a major food supply for many small fish, which in turn are a food supply for larger fish, it seems that high sediment levels could affect whole marine ecosystems! sedimentation results from the way we use the land for agriculture, forestry, or housing and roads. we can reduce the effects of sedimentation by managing the land well. this includes planting stream banks and eroded hillsides to help stop run - off and finding ways to reduce the amount of sediment and pollution that we allow to run into our streams


roads. we can reduce the effects of sedimentation by managing the land well. this includes planting stream banks and eroded hillsides to help stop run - off and finding ways to reduce the amount of sediment and pollution that we allow to run into our streams, rivers, and oceans. threatened marine species there are 444 threatened marine species in new zealand waters. these include : - hector ’ s & maui ' s dolphins - many of our seabirds - new zealand sea lions. many things threaten these species, but fishing is one of the biggest threats : - dolphins can get caught in fishing nets, especially set nets, and drown. - seabirds risk getting caught on hooks in long - line fisheries when they try to grab bait from the lines. if they are caught on the hooks, they can drown. in trawl fisheries, they can get caught and drown in nets as they try to take fish from them. - new zealand sea lions can also get caught and drown in trawl nets as they try to feed on squid caught in the nets. there are a number of management measures in place to help protect these species. - a threat management plan is being developed for hector ’ s dolphins. - a national plan of action is in place to protect seabirds. - boats in the southern squid fishery, around the auckland islands, use sea lion exclusion devices ( sleds ), which help sea lions escape from their trawl nets. there is also a limit on how many sea lions can be accidentally killed – when that number is reached, the fishery is closed until the next year.


your blood oxygen level is something that you should be aware of if you enjoy exercising. in general, your blood oxygen level determines how much oxygen is reaching your muscles during the course of a normal workout routine. if you have high blood oxygen levels, your body will transport oxygen throughout your body more quickly. if you have low blood oxygen levels, your body will send oxygen to your muscles at a much slower rate. this will cause you to feel fatigued and you won ' t get the best workout possible. in order to be sure that you do, you need to understand more about blood oxygen levels during exercise and how they work. understand your blood oxygen level normal blood oxygen levels range from 95 to 100 percent. this takes into the account the fact that you ' re at sea level. this number can change depending on your exercise routines. when you work out, your body has to work harder to keep your blood oxygen levels up. this allows your blood to take oxygen from your lungs and move them throughout the body. it helps keep you breathing properly and helps your body continue to work during exercise. low blood oxygen levels though most people have a normal blood oxygen level, there are some that naturally have low blood oxygen levels. these people suffer from hypoxemia and must be treated for their low blood oxygen levels. hypoxemia can cause a shortness of breath in people who have it and, in some cases, it can even be life - threatening. if you have trouble breathing normally during exercise or you feel lightheaded or dizzy periodically, you could be having issues with your blood oxygen level and you should see your doctor. improving blood oxygen levels because your body has to work to keep your blood oxygen levels up during exercise, there ' s a good chance that you may have some trouble breathing normally if you ' ve just started a workout routine. to prevent your body from having low blood oxygen levels normally, you need to fight through your early workouts to get yourself back into shape. one reason people are so sore when they work out for the first time is that their blood oxygen levels are low during exercise and, as a result, the body doesn ' t get the oxygen it needs. to improve your blood oxygen levels, continue to work out to get your body used to exercising more often. understanding your blood oxygen levels is not only helpful to those who exercise. it ' s also imperative for those who may suffer from low blood oxygen levels. to avoid a potentially life - threatening situation, make sure you know how good or bad your blood oxygen


one of these names, pollok, is my grandmother ' s name. there are various spellings of pollock, and various stories about how the name originated. the family pollok is said to have taken the name in the 12th century when they were given lands in scotland by king david i of scotland, along with other anglo - breton refugees from a succession war in england. clan pollock website says that they took the name after the name of the location where they settled. i think a possible explanation is that they took this name from a combination of the french which they spoke and the local name for lakes. thus : " peu " ( small ) de lachs ( lakes in gaelic ). and then there is the frequent claim that the modern scottish name pollock and the jewish name pollak have different roots. i put this snippet of information forward to show that names are deceptive, and one cannot be entirely sure where they came from. but other details of the history of the polloks makes me think they easily could have been of partial jewish descent. was this descent maternal or paternal or both? in any case, very mixed. they were not wholly jewish even if they were partly jewish. which " counts " in determining descent from david, the maternal or the paternal line? in bible times, it would have been the paternal line, but would it be the maternal line today, which is the usual descent counter among modern rabbis? the founder of the pollok line in scotland, peter, sometimes signed his name on documents as " peres ", which is not only a jewish name from the old testament, but it the name of one of judah ' s twin sons by tamar. i have found documents showing that this name " peres " or " perez " was repeated in generations of the family living in renfrewshire and lanarkshire. usually the people in question were " sheriffs ", so there were documents preserved about their activities, and in the early, wealthier years they gave land to various priories and abbeys in the area, and the donation records listed their names. i recently saw a study online by a scottish ph. d. discussing the intensely varied racial and cultural backgrounds of the people who lived in early medieval scotland, particularly in the midland and borders regions. bingo! corroborates what i ' ve seen elsewhere and put together myself as a thesis. there is lots more where that came from. well, doves, this may be of little interest to you considering the momentous times


vermont and the northern new york region. located in burlington, fletcher allen is a regional, academic healthcare center and teaching hospital in alliance with the university of vermont. the aorta, the largest artery in the body, carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. the aorta rises out of the left ventricle of the heart ( the ascending aorta ) and then curves down like an upside - down u ( aortic arch ). it passes through the chest cavity and the abdomen, ending where it branches into the iliac arteries, which provide blood to the pelvis and legs. multiple branches come off the aorta throughout its course to supply blood to the various organs in its proximity. the aorta, like all blood vessels, requires nutrients and oxygen for its survival. blood vessels are constantly being injured and repaired, absorbing and secreting nutrients and chemicals through junctions in their walls. physicians classify the aorta and its branches based on their location within the body. the thoracic aorta is the portion of the aorta in the chest ( or thorax ), which includes the ascending portion, the arch, and the descending portion of the aorta. this section feeds blood vessels in virtually every structure in the upper body, including the brain, arms, lungs, and diaphragm. the abdominal aorta is the portion of the aorta that passes through the diaphragm into the abdomen. this section feeds blood vessels to the abdominal organs ( stomach, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, and bowel ). the abdominal aorta eventually branches into the iliac arteries, which provide blood to the pelvis and legs. the wall of the aorta contains three layers : the intima, media, and adventitia. the layers have significance both in the aorta ' s function and the pathology that is found when a disease process interferes with the makeup of the wall. - the intima is made up of cells that line the blood vessel ( endothelial cells ), creating a smooth surface for the blood flow. this prevents clots ( thrombi ) from forming along the surface. - the media is made up of smooth muscle cells that are flexible, allowing the aorta to expand and contract. it is this layer that provides the muscle and strength to the wall of the artery. - the adventitia provides more strength to the vessel. | primary medical reviewer | | e. gregory thompson, md - internal medicine | | specialist medical reviewer | | david a.


it is not just congressman, like anthony weiner, or pop stars like rihanna that are doing it. in fact, 1 / 4 kids admit to sending a nude photo of themselves before having left the house. so how do parents protect their kids from the world of sexting and cyber - bullying? while there is no denying that technology has helped dramatically improve and speed up many aspects of our lives, it has also sped up ugly realities for kids, like bullying. teenagers these days are faced with more than being harassed in the hallways of their high schools. they have to deal with actual video footage of them getting beaten up, having sex or being bullied going viral on classmates ’ cellphones or worse, the internet. how do we safeguard our kids from the dangers of the digital world? how can technology help safeguard us from well, technology? uknow. com, a provider of parental intelligence systems, today launched uknowkids, a powerful new service to help parents protect their kids against online predators, sexting, and cyberbullying while also supervising their children ’ s digital privacy and reputation. uknowkids is the first service to do more than simply show parents the messages their kids are sending and receiving ; instead the service takes the vast amount of social data available online about a child and on the mobile phone, and translates it so a parent can quickly and easily act on it. the founders know what they are up against. in fact, one of uknow. com ’ s co - founders, tim woda, prevented a real - life internet predator incident that occurred with his own child. woda ’ s young teen son accepted a “ friend ” request on the internet from someone he did not know : a “ friend ” of a “ friend. ” unfortunately, this “ friend ” turned out to be a child predator that had previously targeted and victimized a number of other kids he had “ met ” online, as woda explains : the digital world creates new parenting challenges for mom and dad. my son made the mistake of communicating with someone that wanted to cause him harm … it was a real wake - up call. being aware is not the same as being engaged. today ’ s digital kids are online earlier, more often, and from more places than ever before. the tools of childhood have changed and so the tools of parenthood need to evolve as well. today kids can access social networking websites from a wide array of devices including mobile phones, gaming devices, music players, and mobile and personal computers. uknowki


paper and paper board in most areas where forest covers exceed the area devoted for agriculture, the forest resources obtained play a major role in the export market. this is especially true in case of portugal which is located in the south western part of the european continent where the forest resources comprise about 10 % of the exports. one of the foremost products obtained from the portuguese forests are paper and paperboard. the forest cover in portugal occupies about 38 % of the total land area and a major part is comprised of timber and eucalyptus cultivations which are the primary raw materials for the paper and paperboard industries. paperboard is usually thicker than paper and is used in the form of huge boxes or cartons which are necessary as packages and also in order to carry heavy weights around. in portugal, paper and paperboard are among the foremost forest resources which are exported and various industries and mills have been set up in order to season the products before making it available for export. in the recent past, huge tracts of forest area have been lost in portugal due to forest fires which adversely affected the production of paperboard as domestic production failed to meet the demands. statistics reveal that since 1997 the paper and paperboard industry had shown an upward rise in the production graph. in the years that followed production was slackened due to improper forest management and natural hazards. however, since 2003, the production level has increased again and between 2003 and 2004, there has been recorded a total 4 % increase in sales. this is due to the expansion of the export market. along with the countries of the european union which constituted its primary exports like france, germany and spain, at present the middle east, asia, america and oceania too have engaged in importing portuguese paperboards as well which has positively boosted the market.


india ' s gambit in the central asian abyss the importance of central asia tends to be under - estimated by most western observers, particularly in the major print media and on tv. it was only the western business world that understood the region ’ s significance promptly after the fall of the soviet union, when the central asian republics ( cars ) claimed their independence from moscow. since then, the region has increasingly dazzled players from near and far, once they ’ ve grasped its worth as a crucial source of energy - - both oil and gas as well as hydroelectric power, and as a strategic asset - - political and economic. among these we may count india. while establishing diplomatic contacts with the cars in the 1990s, india was rather slow to pursue expanded relations more energetically - - whether in the economic, political or military spheres. several factors may account for this : - in the early 1990s, india had just embarked on a policy of economic reforms, and it was in no position to exploit trade and investment opportunities with these new republics, especially inasmuch as they themselves lacked the wherewithal to cast their economic nets abroad ; - until the last few years, india had concentrated its economic and diplomatic resources on its “ look east ” policy which focused on the development of wide - ranging relations with southeast and east asia ; - transportation facilities which could allow trade and other exchanges were sharply restricted by formidable political and geographical barriers - - the latter being largely the himalayan mountain range. but it was the partition of india in 1947 and ensuing hostilities with pakistan that immeasurably complicated access to central asia. the loss of northern kashmir to pakistan, following initial hostilities between the two new states, and principally the creation of pakistan itself, added considerable distance - - physical and political - - between india and central asia. over the last two to three years, india has been unrelenting in its efforts to correct this oversight - - especially as economic growth has facilitated these endeavors. starting in 2009, high - level visits by top indian and car leaders to each other ’ s respective capitals culminated in india ’ s ‘ connect central asia ’ policy. inaugurated in june 2012 at the first india - central asia dialogue in kyrgyzstan, the policy was fleshed out by india ’ s foreign minister, s. m. krishna, during his visit to tajikistan on july 2 - 3, 2012. this served to add weight to india ’ s commitment to “ engagement with central asian countries, both individually and collectively ” for the purpose of securing “ core national interests ” - - political, cultural, strategic