Scientists Today are using Satellite Photos More for Humanitarian Need Rather Than Espionage

Posted on July 4th, 2009 by

Have you ever had the opportunity of seeing real life satellite photos? Well, in the past few weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing real life satellite photos, not once, but twice. And believe me when I say that on both occasions, I was blown away. The first time I got to see satellite photos was at a recent exhibition titled ‘Earth from above’, which was organized by a renowned French photographer, who specialized in aerial photography. While they were technically not satellite photos, some of them had in fact been taken from very high above and resembled satellite photos. The second occasion was a direct outcome of the first as I scoured the local library for more information on Satellite photos. I finally found a book that was able to give me the lowdown on real satellite photos. The book opened my eyes.

Till I had a chance to get interested in the subject, I ha always believed that satellite photos were photos taken by satellites or from satellites. And quite frankly, that is a definition that seems to hold good even now, after I have learnt more about the subject. Originally, satellite photos were taken by man made satellites that orbited the earth. The purpose was also pretty straightforward. These images wee used for research and study of various weather phenomena. Being based on earth, there is no way that even the best of photographers can track weather. Hence, satellite photos that serve this need are a unique service. Since the first satellite was launched, a wide range of information in the form of satellite photos has been streaming back to earth. And our meteorologists and weather scientists have been able to better understand climate and weather phenomena.

But the hey day of satellite photos can be considered to have come about with advances in espionage. Most countries with satellites used their eye in the sky to take satellite photos of enemy installations, terrain information and weather conditions in order that they could better plan their attack or defense strategy. This too was information that could not be obtained in any other way and helped those countries with superior technology, better economies and access to millions of dollars for research and development to obtain, study and implement their strategies based on the information present in satellite photos. The latest example of how satellite photos have been able to help America was witnessed in the capture of Iran and the subsequent raiding of Afghanistan. Without the information provided by satellite photos, both of these would not have been the successes that they are being touted to be.

In the present day, satellite photos serve a more humanitarian need. People like environmentalists and even agriculturists use the information provided by satellite photos to better understand the global changes occurring all over the plant. The information provided by satellite photos also helps them quickly and efficiently identify regions that are threatened and act accordingly to save them. Such activities have given satellite photos less nefarious significance and have made them popular among academicians and wildlife enthusiasts alike.

About the Author

Muna wa Wanjiru has been researching and reporting on Satellite Surveillance for years. visit his site at http://www.merpetsales.com/who-uses-satellite-surveillance.html</font>

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Scientists Genetically Modify Tobacco Mosaic Virus to Fight Crop Pests and Mosquitoes

Posted on July 3rd, 2009 by

The field of crop genetic engineering continues to mesmerize me, and I am sure everybody else, who has followed closely the proliferation of genetically modified crops. The ingenuity of scientists working in this field, and the impact their work is having on our lives is evidently confounding.

Since the commercialization of the first genetically modified (GM) crop ten years ago, crop geneticists are churning out new genetically modified organisms (GMOs) products at a lightning speed. In what now looks like a cut-throat competition, scientists are racing, at a maddening speed, to place more GMOs in the hands of farmers.

We already have high yielding genetically modified crops such as corn, Soya and canola. There are also genetically modified drought-tolerant crops that have suddenly changed the lives of farmers in arid and semi-arid parts of the world. And lately, scientists have developed pests resistant and herbicide tolerant crops. Farmers no longer incur expenditure on herbicides and pesticides.

Of all the marvels of crop genetic engineering, perhaps, last week’s announcement by researchers at the University of Florida that they have genetically modified tobacco mosaic virus capable of fighting crops pests and mosquitoes sounds to be the most interesting one.

Writing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the researchers led by Dov Borovsky explained that the tobacco mosaic virus “produces a natural environmentally friendly insecticide, turning the pathogen into a microscopic chemical factory.”

“The virus has a very broad host range so it can be used for very many plants. You can use it for monocotyledons plants like corns and grasses. But many of the other broad-related plants, including many fruits and vegetables could potentially be used with it,” further explain the researchers.

Leaves of these crops, according to these researchers, can be used to make insecticides, including those that are used to fight mosquitoes. This is exciting, especially to Africa, where millions die each year of mosquito-induced malaria. This virus, then, is like a double-edged sword.

What’s more reassuring is that the virus, even in its genetically modified composition, poses no threat to human health. Anti-biotechnology activists have no reason to charge that it will compromise the health of consumers.

The biotech industry must move fast to commercialize the genetically modified tobacco mosaic virus. And, perhaps, more importantly it must be easily accessible to farmers in developing countries.

James Wachai is a communication expert, specializing in agricultural issues, and also authors GMO Africa Blog. On the web at http://www.gmoafrica.org

About the Author

James uses his communication expertise to create awareness about GM food. To read more about him, go to http://www.gmoafrica.org/

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Scientists Say New Wine May be Effective Eczema Treatment

Posted on July 2nd, 2009 by

Germans scientists have turned their talents to the world of gastronomy and produced seaweed wine - which, in addition to its epicurean delight, will apparently help improve eczema. While we can’t vouch for its success at your next dinner party, we can appreciate its benefits to the skin - although a shielding lotion may be a more appropriate external eczema treatment.

What does seaweed have to offer? It has long been considered a ’super food’ - fat-free, low calorie, and full of vital minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, iodine and sodium. In fact, some seaweed contains those minerals in the same ratios and concentrations found in human blood.

In addition to nourishing the body, one of the most important health benefits of seaweed is its ability to remove radioactive strontium and other heavy metals from the body. Whole brown seaweed, such as is used in seaweed wine, contains alginic acid which binds with the toxins in the intestines and carries them out of the system - preventing them from being eliminated through the skin, as is the case with eczema flare-ups.

If you don’t fancy the wine, you might try adding seaweed to your diet in other forms. It can be found in most health food stores, or those that sell ingredients for Japanese food. You can add strips of it to soup, use it to make a soup broth, or eat it dried as a snack. The red algae seaweed, such as nori, agar-agar, and Irish moss are also very good for you. Nori is the seaweed used to wrap sushi, but Gaelic people also mix it with flour to make bread. Agar-agar is a gel used as a base in many Japanese desserts, and dried Irish moss is most often used in relishes, breads, soups and fritters.

In addition to shoring up your diet with seaweed and other healthy foods, the skin also requires protection from harsh chemicals and other external toxins if you want to avoid eczema flare-ups. Hundreds of dermatologists are now recommending a good shielding lotion as an effective external eczema treatment, although, who knows, if seaweed wine gets really popular we may soon be shopping for our body care products at the local vineyard.

Author, Gloria MacTaggart, is a freelance writer who contributes articles on skin care for Gloves In A Bottle, Inc. For more information, visit http://www.glovesinabottle.com

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An Ethiopian Scientist’s Take on Genetically Modified Crops

Posted on July 1st, 2009 by

Two news headlines caught my attention last week. One, by the Associated Press (AP) read, “U.S. Sends Relief Supplies to Ethiopia.”

This headline referred to the ongoing campaign by the U.S. military to airlift relief food to flood -stricken residents of Eastern Ethiopia. I am imagining that this food aid is in the form of soy cooking oil, soy milk, corn (maize) flour, corn cooking oil - just to mention a few - all requisitioned from the U.S.

The other headline, by the U.S.-based news magazine Capital Press, screamed, “Ethiopian scientist decries genetic engineering.” It was an interview Dr. Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher, an Ethiopian scientist and a harsh critic of genetically modified food, gave to journalist Terence L. Day of Capital Press.

Dr. Tewolde was in the U.S., under the sponsorship of Ashton and Virginia O’Donnell Endowment, and delivered lectures at Whitman College and Washington State University.

It’s important that the major highlights of Dr. Tewolde’s interview with the Capital Press be presented here because they are the ones that will shape this opinion piece.

* Agricultural technologies such as genetic engineering that work well in large farms, industrialized agriculture are ill-suited to developing nations. * Genetically modified crops pose risks to traditional agriculture, and can threaten the lives of commercial farmers in the United States. * Genetically modified crops destroy biological diversity where they are employed. * Genetically modified crops are still only a very small percentage of crops that are currently being grown.

First, Dr. Tewolde’s remarks against genetically modified crops, bearing in mind the current ongoing efforts by the U.S. government to feed Ethiopia’s flood victims, smirks of dishonesty.

It’s an open secret, and Dr. Tewolde knows it, that U.S. laws stipulate that all food aid be bought from American farmers. There is no exception, unless in extraordinary circumstances.

So, virtually all the corn and soy that the U.S. military is airlifting to Eastern Ethiopia, is originating from U.S. farmers, and it’s genetically modified because this is what most Americans grow and eat.

Dr. Tewolde, by attempting to discredit genetically modified food, yet the same is being used to feed victims of floods in his own country is a bit dishonest. One would have expected Dr.Tewolde to call on his country to reject all food aid from the U.S.

Secondly, the points Dr. Tewolde raise in his interview with the Capital Press, to fault genetically modified crops leave a sour taste in the mouths of those who appreciate their potential benefits.

Dr. Tewolde claims that agricultural genetic engineering is only appropriate for large-scale farmers in industrialized countries. Perhaps, he should read findings of a study published in August this year that found smallholder farmers in South Africa are benefiting from genetically modified crops in the same way as their commercial counterparts.

Nowhere has a scientific inquiry found genetically modified crops a threat to traditional agriculture, as Dr. Tewolde puts it. Farmers in the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Argentina, China, or Spain would tell you that GM crops have not prevented them from practicing organic agriculture.

Dr. Tewolde refers Percy Schmeiser, a Canadian farmer, who was sued by a leading biotechnology company for infringing its GM Canola patent, to illustrate his point. Mr. Schmeiser was found guilty of patent infringement by a competent court, and to attempt to suggest otherwise is outright distortion of facts.

It’s also wrong for Dr. Tewolde to claim that “only a very small percentage of crops are currently being grown in the world.” Such understatement negates what’s actually known about the current global acreage of GMO crops.

According to the latest report by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA), about 1 billion acres of land in 21 countries are under genetically modified crops.

Dr. Tewolde and others of his ilk must learn to state the true facts about genetically modified crops. A lie, irrespective of how many times it is replayed, will never become a fact.

About the Author

James uses his communication expertise to create awareness about genetically modified food. To read more about him, go to http://www.gmoafrica.org

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Yellow Page Ad Design for Scientists in Antarctica

Posted on June 29th, 2009 by

TV, radio, and newspaper ads are the top advertising channels that many people consider in getting the message out to the public about your business. But if Yellow Pages brings in customers at a much lower average cost per person, then an effective Yellow Page advertising will do even better.

And when the topic centers on effective advertising, you have to toss out any ideas regarding what you see in your current directory. Most of those ads have been created free. And it shows. With the stiff competitions of the market you are in now, it is time you to consider the benefits of proven effective Yellow Page Advertising:

Studies have proven the effectiveness of the Yellow Page Advertising already. Eight (8) out of ten (10) customers have contacted the business they are looking for through the Yellow Pages. And forty percent (40%) of that number did make the purchase and the other forty is about to do the same. Are you making plans to upgrade your old ad yet? Yellow Page advertising is a needed part of your business plan.

Yellow Page Ads are placed from the largest to the smallest. This means that categories start from the full page ad, then to the three fourth sized ad and so on. And since it is also seniority-based, the sooner your ad is submitted, the better off you are. Plan to get the size that would fit to your need and get a results oriented ad designed for you right away. This will give you the chance to be in the first list.

Your message should convey your business quality, value and professionalism. Plan strategically for your Yellow Page Advertising Design’s headlines, body copy and typography. And don’t over use white space. But reserve it as your readers’ breathing room to ensure that your design is easy to navigate.

People nowadays sleep less. Some of them are in the e-world either for business or pleasure or for both. Yellow Page Advertising operates round the clock allowing you to reach a certain number of people every year. Unlike other advertising mediums, Yellow Page advertising gives you the optimum advantage of informing people who are just about to purchase your product or service, 24/7.

With these benefits, you are assured that your advertising intentions are delivered on time to your intended recipients. Have your Yellow Pages advertising updated using proven design methods and you’ll have effective advertising all year round. That is, 24-hours a day in the entire year.

One of the unique features of the Yellow Page Advertising is you can aim your message right on the bull’s eye. This means that you can make sure that your intended market will receive the advertising information that you would like to convey on time because Yellow Page Advertising supports you in making your advertising specific to a certain geographical area. Of course, if Scientists in Antarctica are part of your market, then you’ll want to have an online ad also.

Yellow Page Advertising is an essential page in your advertising plans. It gives you a platform where you can broadcast important information about your business, and when used with proven direct marketing principals, will convert the local readers to become loyal patrons.

About the Author

About the Author - Chuck Masterson is the Director of R&D at Yellow Pages Into Profits and has assembled a team of the nations top Yellow Page ad design Specialists.

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