The National Railway Museum use this Iveco (body, anyone?) on an internal service at their outreach site at Shildon.

Source: MrVRman

Earth Day 2006 sees lakes in New England beginning to rebound from their sorry condition after being bombarded by acid rain for decades. The acid rain itself has decreased, as well, and the sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides that comprise most of our air pollution have diminished by some 50 percent–due in no small part to the fact that the burning of leaded gas is virtually a thing of the past.

Environmentalists have also been encouraged to discover that a number of endangered species, including America’s national symbol, the bald eagle, as well as wolves and grizzly bears, have begun making a promising comeback. All of that good news is even more significant when you compare today’s environment to the way things were on the first Earth Day.

In Ohio, the Cuyahoga River was so polluted that it actually caught fire. In New York, all of the residents of a neighborhood called Love Canal were forced to move away forever when it was discovered that their homes had been built upon a toxic chemical waste dump. Pollution in cities was so bad that residents were told to stay inside because the air was actually hazardous to breathe during “code red” days.

The interesting thing is that the environmental improvements took place in spite of increased pressure in America. For instance, EPA statistics show that the total emissions of the six major air pollutants dropped by more than 50 percent, even though America’s population increased by 40 percent and energy consumption increased by 47 percent. Automobile hydrocarbon emissions also decreased during that time, despite the fact that both the number of vehicles and amount of miles driven more than doubled.

All in all, it appears as if America is headed in the right direction in regard to the environment. It’s been a fierce, hand-to-hand battle, but the country is moving forward, thanks to dedicated environmentalists and bureaucrats at all levels of government.

However, even though American rivers don’t catch fire anymore and the smog levels have decreased in most major cities, there’s still a long way to go. Urban sprawl is still endangering woodlands, prairies, and farmland, and global warming is still on the rise. Even so, the overall trend is positive. But we must all work to continue the momentum set in motion by the first Earth Day in 1970.

Copyright © 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher

Author:

Jeanette Fisher has researched the effects of environment on emotions for over 15 years. She teaches interior design college courses and seminars. Free environmental design info: http://environmentpsychology.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

As for the advancements in solar power, information on their power ratings can be seen wherever they can be purchased, even online - there are a few different types and kinds of solar cells out there, and each has their out power output rating… but if you remember the way things were at all, you’ll find that the power outputs of those from the seventies are quite ridiculously laughable when you compare them to those of today. For example, back then in order to provide enough electricity to power an entire home, it would cost in the general neighborhood of ten thousand dollars or more. Today, this cost has plummeted to being a few hundred to one or two thousand to do the same.

This is how far advanced today it is for solar power. Information on making your own panels is also all over the internet, as people everywhere are building their own arrays right out of the garage. Using simple and inexpensive components, people are putting together panels measuring about three by five feet, single ones, for less than a hundred dollars, that can power a small fridge, a personal computer, and a small stereo entertainment system all on the same single panel. This type of thing is usually done over a weekend as an activity to get into with the family for a fun filled project that’s inexpensive, enjoyable… and pays.

The more solar power information you look into, the more that it seems senseless not to tap into this green technology using this free sustainable energy resource. It’s free - there is no “sun bill” that comes in the mail every month. It’s inexhaustible - if you had a hundred billion solar panels faced towards the sun and collecting the rays, it would never deplete the supply of energy that the sun whips out into the universe by the gigaton every passing second. It’s clean - there is nothing burned, no exhaust, no fumes, no byproducts, and no negative effects on the environment at all whatsoever, in any way, shape, form or fashion. There’s utterly no excuse not to be using this free energy, and a world of reasons to get into implementing it in our homes and our lives.

Author:

If you’re interested in learning more about solar power information and other things related to alternative energy, then you’ve got to check out the EcoPlusHome project.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Really busy, so today’s image is a yellow Tram from an interesting perspective.
It looks like these toy figures with big heads and small feet
Enjoy and if you find time listen to the song posted below.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYuyar-rrNY
Look at the stars,
Look how they shine for you,
And everything you do,
Yeah they were all yellow,

Its true look how they shine for you
look how they shine for you
look how they shine for you
look how they shine for you
look how they shine for you
look how they shine
look at the stars look how they shine for you

Photo: Sprengben || Post Processing: Sprengben

Flickr Hive Mind - flexplore - DNA 

Source: Sprengben [why not get a friend]

What are stem cells?

How are stem cells obtained?

What other potential stem cell sources are there?

Why are we and special groups interested in stem cells?

What are the goals of stem cell research?

How will stem cells affect our future?

If you are deeply interested in stem cells for the first time and want to go beyond this article, go to the National Institute site and read their very comprehensive list of frequently answered questions (FAQs). The URL is http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/faqs.asp.

If you are deeply interested in stem cell research, go to: http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/scireport/.

What are stem cells?

The question should be phrased in terms of embryonic stem cells because that is what we are talking about here.

A human embryo is obtained when a woman’s egg is fertilized by a man’s sperm. This occurs in the human body but it can also be done in a laboratory. The procedure is often used in cases of infertility.

I have three grandchildren formed in this way. Their mother donated eggs, their father donated sperm, and the technicians watched the fertilization take place under a microscope. The fertilized eggs were placed in the mother and she gave birth to triplets.

If embryos formed in this way are not placed in the mother they can be and are used for medical research. Often extra fertilized eggs are produced during this process. Scientist would like to harvest these extra eggs rather than discard them. They could then use them to obtain stem cells.

Stem cells are never obtained from fertilized eggs that reside in a woman’s body.

The embryos obtained after they are a few days old are in the form of a mass of cells called a blastocyst; the embryo of about 150 cells. The blastocyst consists of a sphere made up of an outer layer of cells (the trophectoderm), a fluid-filled cavity (the blastocoel), and a cluster of cells on the interior (the inner cell mass).

How are stem cells obtained?

Cell cultures are grown in the laboratory by transferring the inner cell mass of about 30 cells into a culture dish which has a nutrient broth. The cells quickly multiply and fill the dish. They are then transferred to other culture dishes and the process goes on for months.

Once the cells are obtained they can be frozen and shipped to other laboratories.

What other potential stem cell sources are there?

Adult stem cells are a potential source. They can be used to reproduce cell of their type. That is, while embryonic stem cells can differentiate into any type of cell, adult stem cells can only reproduce cells of their type. If they are muscle cells, they can be used to reproduce only muscle cells. However, recent work has indicated that some adult stem cells may be able to differentiate into other cell types.

Why are we and special groups interested in stem cells?

Because stem cells can differentiate, that is, can be used to reproduce other cell types, they have tremendous potential for solving many human health problems.

Some groups do not want scientist to take human embryos for research in any way whatsoever. Because of this, President Bush restricted stem cell research to existing stem cell sources. Other governments have stayed out of the research arena and stem cells are collected at the whims of the scientist.

Scientists argue that excess stem cells are produced in fertility clinics and that they should be used to benefit mankind.

So, what do you think?

What are the goals of stem cell research?

First, scientists want to understand differentiation. We all know that the human embryo creates all the cell types in the human body. Scientists want to know how and when genes turn on and off to create a particular cell type. Abnormal cell divisions cause birth defects and cancer. Scientists want to know what signals a change in the process of cell development. This could lead to cures for cancer and birth defects.

Stem cells could be used to test new drugs rather than human guinea pigs and animals. Damage to the stem cells would eliminate the drug before it could do damage in the market place, as so many drugs do now.

I would like to quote http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics6.asp directly at this point: Perhaps the most important potential application of human stem cells is the generation of cells and tissues that could be used for Cell-based therapies–treatment in which stem cells are induced to differentiate into the specific cell type required to repair damaged or depleted adult cell populations or tissues.

Today, donated organs and tissues are often used to replace ailing or destroyed tissue, but the need for transplantable tissues and organs far outweighs the available supply. Stem cells, directed to differentiate into specific cell types, offer the possibility of a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues to treat diseases including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

How will stem cells affect our future?

Have you heard of the Fountain of Youth?

Author:

John T. Jones, Ph.D. (tjbooks@hotmail.com), a retired college professor and business executive, Former editor of an international engineering magazine. To learn more about Wealthy Affiliate University go to his info site. If you desire a flagpole to Fly Old Glory, go to the business site.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

One kind of the support that is given by the Georgia Cooperative Development Center (GCDC) is the technical assistance grant. One of the vital elements needed for creation of the new business ventures are expert services given by the accounting, legal and the experts of business consulting. Getting the new business venture commenced and organized is frequently tough due to shortage of funds. The Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) will give resources for the expenditure occurred for getting the consulting, accounting, legal and other service of business growth in the new commencing business. The applicants who are eligible should be an association or a group of agricultural producers. The TAG can also be used by the co-operative that is prevailing and also that requires support in order to turn out as a very profitable or the resourceful for its members. The TAG is also available for the applicants who can express their idea for the business and possess the potential to beneficially add significance through marketing or processing of the commodities that are prevailing or substitute livestock and the crops.

By and large, the goal of the Georgia Co-operative Development Center is to increase the earnings and the economic status for the agricultural producers, residents and other rural businesses. Motivating and helping the co-operative business development through the value added processing and marketing of the agricultural products and the environmental possessions is one of the ways in accomplishing this goal.

One of the vital elements for creating the new business ventures is the services offered by professional of accounting, business consulting and marketing. Getting a fresh business venture planned and commenced is frequently tough due to the restricted resources. The TAG can meet out the expenses that are incurred towards marketing, legal, consulting, other business development services and accounting that are linked with the new start up businesses. Many of the start up businesses are dreadfully in need of services offered by profession in the very beginning stages, before to and as a precondition for getting the foremost capital contribution from the members who are the producers and also from the other stake holders. The TAG is also proposed to support these ventures commence on a concrete foundation.

The TAG may also assist fund a likelihood study and the early business plan for the new agribusiness endeavor. If a study of the TAG reveals that a venture is feasible, the applicant will be in a position to utilize the results for obtaining the other financial support that are available through the sources of public and also private.

Small Business Grant Source:

Learn the application procedures, various funding sources for specific types of businesses and eligibility criteria for small business grants.

Author:

You can find the most comprehensive information on availing of small business grants by visiting this online guide - http://smallbusinessgrant.info

Article Source: EzineArticles.com