Saving sea turtles from extinction turtle friendly outdoor lighting solutions

Improper outdoor lighting is one of the greatest issues affecting sea turtles - Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Let's face it... light pollution and sea turtles just don't go together. Many species are on the verge of extinction... and improper outdoor lighting is a major cause. Not quite sure how this can be? Let's look into this a little further...

Female turtles return to the same area to nest each year. If they return and find bright outdoor lighting, one of two things happens.

1) The female will simply swim on by... essentially removing herself from the breeding population.

2) She lays her eggs, and then several weeks later the hatchlings emerge under cover of darkness and begin their journey to the sea. They've evolved through millions of years to seek out the brightest horizon. This is generally the ocean... with crashing surf and moon and star light reflecting on the water. Unfortunately, if bright lights were installed along with some recent development, the hatchlings emerge and crawl towards the bright lights... and away from the ocean and a chance at survival. These then get run over by cars as they cross streets, wander till exhausted and are eaten by predators or simply roast in their own shells in the heat of the sun. In excess of 80% of hatchlings can die on light polluted beaches.

Many communities have enacted outdoor lighting regulations designed to come to the aid of declining sea turtle populations. These generally require the use of full cutoff fixtures. Full cutoff fixtures simply control the output of light... forcing it down towards the ground where its needed... and preventing it from shining up into the night sky... or horizontally when it can cross property lines... and illuminate turtle nesting beaches.

Starry Night Lights has a greatly expanded selection of turtle friendly outdoor lighting solutions. Working with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, they’ve combined the largest selection of full cutoff outdoor lights with “monochromatic” turtle safe lights to offer a number of solutions to communities that border sea turtle nesting areas. They offer bollards, wall packs and pole mounted solutions for businesses and municipalities as well as a huge selection of fixtures for homeowners and condo associations. The combination of full cutoff fixtures and monochromatic lights has been found to be least disruptive to sea turtle hatchlings.

Ayurveda alternative medicine from india

For the past few decades, the field of medicine has been largely influenced by the medical philosophy of the Western world. The emphasis of Western medicine has been predominately curative, relying on chemical preparations and invasive surgery as means of treatment.

In contrast, Eastern medical and therapeutic philosophy focuses on the more metaphysical side of human illness and treatment. Its practice is hinged on the use of a variety of methods ranging from the use of medicinal plants and herb, massage, acupuncture, aromatherapy, pulse reading, and other alternative healing methods. These methods are now gaining acceptance even in modern societies, in a large measure, due to the increased awareness about the healing arts of China and India. There are volumes of literature on traditional Chinese medicine. But what also deserves wide recognition is the folk remedies and traditional practices in India which are also ancient and effective, at least, according to those who have tried them.

Ayurveda, a healing system native to India, is a centuries-old practice that has recently been given attention by Western science. Like traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda practitioners adhere to a particular medical philosophy that regards illness as an imbalance in the body and influenced by internal and external factors, similar to the Chinese principles of yin and yang. Ayurveda also takes into consideration a patient's emotions and state of mind alongside the study of infections that make the body sick. It places a high importance on the patient’s sense of taste and diet.

In Ayurveda, it is believed that the healing of a person must take into consideration three elements found in nature: air, water, and fire. Each of these elements has a deep philosophical background. These elements also govern the major functions of the body. Ayurvedic theory rests on the belief that the balance of the three elements is the basis of health. Any imbalance, blockage, or weakening in these elements causes illness. It is the task of the Ayurveda practitioner to determine and restore the patient’s elemental harmony. In other words, an infection or ailment is the result of an imbalance in the patient's natural internal or elemental harmony. These imbalances can be caused by internal or external factors, and may be aggravated or alleviated by the patient's emotional state and, in some cases, mental health.

The primary concept of Ayurveda is that the restoration of imbalances in the body requires a very personalized concept. Treatment can involve the use of natural oils, minerals, herbs, metals, and even animal ingredients. Similar to how herbal medications are administered in traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda medications are given base formulas that are modified by the physician according to the patient's needs. This process makes getting a treatment for an infection different from Western medicine, where the formulas are constant and only the dose is altered based on the patient's metabolism and constitution. As mentioned earlier, diet and taste play a central role in Ayurveda. However, unlike Chinese medicinal doctrine, the taste and quality of the food plays a much larger role in traditional Indian healing arts. Different tastes correspond to different conditions in the body. These tastes are taken into account by an Ayurveda physician before prescribing an appropriate treatment. For example, food with a bitter taste is generally considered to cool the body, dry out moisture, and work to remove toxins. This concept also extends to the herbal and animal ingredients that are used in Ayurveda medication.

Ayurveda also prescribes a particular form of massage known as “Panchakarma” for the treatment of emotional distress. This practice is highly similar to acupuncture except that no needles are used. The strokes, presses, and body manipulations used in Panchakarma supposedly stimulates energy flow throughout the body, a process that is necessary to ensure good health. Problems arise when the energy flow is disrupted, clogged, or stalled. Massage is often prescribed in conjunction with a diet plan and herbal remedies to relieve problems such as sinusitis, conditions associated with stress and anxiety, and other problems that Ayurveda practitioners see as symptoms of emotional disharmony rather than just purely physical ailments.

Webquests let students explore independent ally in indianapolis schools

The Indianapolis Public Schools Click Program

The Indianapolis Schools Click Program, a professional development program for teachers, helped teachers designed web based learning activities for students, called WebQuests. The Indianapolis Public School website offers a range of WebQuests, arranged by grade level (K – 2, 3 – 5, 6 – 8, 9 – 12) and subject area. Many of the WebQuests connect multiple subject areas. All the WebQuests are offered free to the Indianapolis Public School community in order to enhance student learning on a variety of subjects. They are easily accessed by clicking on the relevant grade level and subject area on the website.

What is a WebQuest?

A WebQuest is defined as an “inquiry based activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is drawn from the Web.” WebQuests are designed to focus learners on using information and support thinking on all levels of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Students are given the exact location of the information that they need in the order that they need it in order to use the learner’s time effectively. The model followed by the Indianapolis Public Schools was developed by San Diego State University in 1995. The WebQuests on the Indianapolis Public School website are best viewed with the latest version of Internet Explorer.

A Sample WebQuest About Dinosaurs

In order to see the creative and interesting uses for WebQuests, let’s look at one particular example. This WebQuest was developed by an Indianapolis Public School elementary science teacher to help students learn about dinosaurs.

At the beginning of the WebQuest, there is a clear assignment: a pair of students is going to design a poster about one of the dinosaurs they learn about in the Dinosaurland WebQuest. In order to do this, they are instructed to print out pictures and type out important information. The Indianapolis Public School students will be judged on their correct use of spelling, capitalization, and punctuation, bringing in a writing element to this science lesson.

The WebQuest provides students with information about Meat Eating Dinosaurs, Plant Eating Dinosaurs, and Fossils. In each section, the students are directed to look at information provided by various museums, including the Cyber Space Museum of Natural History and Exploration Technology, the Exhibit Museum of Natural History, the Dallas Museum of Natural History, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, and the Royal Ontario Museum. In addition to these professional sites, Indianapolis Public School students are also directed to teacher – produced websites that give details about specific dinosaurs in addition to graphics pages like the 3D Dinosaurs Pictures Web Page.

At the end of the WebQuest, students are provided with a detailed rubric for completing their poster. This rubric includes how many points the students will gain or lose for each part of the poster, including Spelling, Capitalization, Punctuation, Pictures, and Presentation. At the end of this rubric is a page for the Indianapolis Public School teacher to print out and complete with details about the student’s work and accomplishments. In this way, the Indianapolis Public School student works almost entirely independently from the teacher to create and present a unique insight into the subject.

A common question should i use mace or pepper spray

Pepper spray is a generic term for all self-defense sprays that contain oleoresin capsicum, a carrier, and a propellant. Oleoresin capsicum is the active ingredient in pepper spray, harvested or derived from cayenne peppers or other peppers. Its effects are physically incapacitating rather than painfully irritating; this makes it ideal for self-defense sprays that are intended for use on assailants who are immune to pain (psychotics, those under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or just “tough guys”).

Tear gas, on the other hand, is commonly made of one of two chemical compounds: CS (orthochlorobenzalmalononitrile) or CN (choroacetophenone). These compounds, when sprayed into the face of an assailant, work to irritate eyes, skin, and respiratory system. They work on the pain principle, and so are not effective against those who are impervious to pain.

Mace is a brand name that used to offer only tear gas. Now, Mace offers several different types of self-defense spray, including:

Mace Triple Action is pepper spray, tear gas, and Ultra-Violet dye. The pepper spray physically incapacitates the assailant by forcing his eyes shut and tightening his bronchial tubes, making it impossible for him to see and very difficult for him to breathe. The tear gas irritates the bronchial tubes, causing him to cough. The UV dye brands the assailant with a purple mess, making him easily identifiable.

Pepper Mace uses a 10-percent oleoresin capsicum solution and UV dye. The OC solution is a particularly strong one; it doesn’t kick in as quickly as a smaller concentration like 1-5 percent, but the effects are longer, sometimes up to 45 minutes.

Pepper foam is the same as pepper Mace, but it sprays as foam rather than a liquid.

So as you can see, it is not a question of mace vs. pepper spray, since Mace is simply a brand name. The question is really one of Tear Gas vs. Pepper Spray. The winner? Pepper spray, hands down.

Types of schizophrenia

:

Catatonic type schizophrenia

Patients with this subtype of Schizophrenia may exhibit extremes
of behavior including catatonia. Some may allow their posture to
be rearranged, holding the new position (catalepsy or waxy
flexibility). Others may imitate sounds (echolalia) or movements
(echopraxia) of others. At times, some patients may explode into
an excited, activated state marked by purposeless ad repetitive
movements.
The catatonic type is rare today, and probably reflected an
advanced stage of schizophrenia before the advent of modern
treatment methods.

Disorganized type schizophrenia

A form of schizophrenia that is characterized by a disorganized
behavior and disorganized speech. Their affect may be flat or
inappropriate.
This type involves a disturbance in behavior, communication, and
thought. Usually these patients show a variety of eccentric
characteristics such as unusual clothing or peculiar gestures.

Paranoid type schizophrenia

Delusions and auditory hallucinations predominate in patients with
this subtype of schizophrenia while their affective and cognitive
functioning remains relatively intact. This type of patient often has
highly elaborate delusions of persecution or personal grandeur.
However, the patient may appear rather normal until he or she
becomes entangled in typical argumentativeness and
suspiciousness.

Residual type schizophrenia

A form of schizophrenia that is characterized by a previous
diagnosis of schizophrenia, but no longer having any of the
prominent psychotic symptoms. There are some remaining
symptoms of the disorder however, such as eccentric behavior,
emotional blunting, illogical thinking, or social withdrawal.

In the residual type of schizophrenia, the patient has had at least
one episode of schizophrenia. If delusions or hallucinations are
present, they are not prominent, and are not accompanied by
strong affect.

Undifferentiated type schizophrenia

This subtype of schizophrenia applies to patients who fail to meet
the criteria for the other subtypes but clearly suffer from this
mental disorder.
The patient suffers from pronounced psychotic symptoms, which
may not fit in any other specific category or more than one.

Are you drinking enough water

You probably already know that it’s important to drink enough water. A minimum of eight glasses of water a day is recommended. You should aim for more if it is really hot, or you are working out and sweating a lot. Getting enough water in your body will prevent you from getting dehydrated.

According to WEBMD the early signs of dehydration are increased thirst, dry mouth, sticky saliva and reduced urine output with dark yellow urine. You may also experience a lack of energy and a headache.

None of these sound very fun. I know it is hard sometimes to drink that much water; especially when sodas and coffee tempt us. However, to stay healthy and feel great, we should strive to drink those eight glasses of water a day.

Here are a few tips to help you remember to drink the water, and to make it a little more pleasant or interesting.

1. Keep a Log

This can be as simple as a little piece of paper on the fridge, or a page in your day planner. Just make a little checkmark, or dash on the piece of paper every time you drink a glass of water. The log will help you keep track of how much water you have had in any given day. You’ll also be surprised how motivating it is to try to get those eight little checkmarks on there every day. Another idea would be to use little stickers instead.

2. Add Some Lemon Juice

I tend to get bored with drinking just water after a few days. Change things up and add a little flavor by adding a teaspoon or less of lemon to your water. You can also try some other fruit juices. Just make sure you are still drinking mainly water. Just a splash of juice should be enough to make things interesting and give the water some flavor without adding a lot of sugar and calories.

3. Try Some Club Soda

If you are craving the fizz of a soda, try some Club Soda. Most brands have a little too much fizz for me. I end up watering them down with – guess what – water. If you want to get really fancy, check your local grocery store for flavored club sodas. Alternatively, you can also add a splash of fruit juice to your watered down club soda.

4. Drink Some Water When You Feel Hungry

Unfortunately many of us have gotten so out of tune with our bodies that we feel hungry when we are actually thirsty. If you feel hungry, try drinking a glass of water first. You may just be thirsty.

5. Carry A Water Bottle

It’s much easier to drink water when you have it readily available. Carry a bottle of water around with you in the car, at work, while running errands, in the yard, and even while you are working around the house. You’ll be sipping away the water without even noticing it.

6. Drink More If You Are Working Out

We already touched on this, but it bears repeating. Make sure you drink a few extra glasses of water if you work out, or if you spend some time outside while it’s hot. Your body uses and needs more water when it sweats a lot. So don’t forget to fill back up on water during and after your exercise.

Just pay attention to how much you drink and implement some of these ideas if you don’t get the recommended eight glasses of water a day. Your body will thank you for it in the long run.

Where do they get bottled water

Bottled water court decisions give us quick glimpses into the sources of bottled water. For example:

* The Nestlй company, which bottles water under several well-known labels, fought ferociously in court to retain its rights to appropriate water from the Great Lakes – to put in bottles – to sell to you and me. When Michigan’s government instituted a new law that allows Nestlй Corporation to continue taking up to 250,000 gallons per day, and sell them at a markup well over 240 times its production cost, Nestlй dropped the court battle.

* In Vermont, “Poland Spring” (also a Nestlй product) was brought to court with a complaint that the bottled water in “Poland Spring” came not from "some of the most pristine and protected sources deep in the woods of Maine," as advertised, but from other sources. In fact, on occasion, the water was trucked in from an unknown source out of state! But the court reasoned that Congress and the FDA made a conscious choice to allow states to regulate bottled water as long as their standards matched FDA standards. The bottled water met both standards, even though the source and advertised source were not the same.

What is bottled water?

The United States Food and Drug Administration says bottled water is any water meant for humans to drink that is sealed in bottles with nothing added except….

Aye, There’s The Rub!

As William Shakespeare said in Hamlet, speaking of sleep and death, “Aye, there’s the rub.”

Bottled water may have nothing added except, and suddenly, with that small phrase, bottled water becomes something other than the pure water we thought we were buying.

… except what? Well, bottled water may contain “safe and suitable antimicrobial agents” if the bottler wishes. Fluoride may be added, but it has to be within established limitations, of course. So that’s what bottled water is.

Where Do They Get Bottled Water From?

Excuse the preposition at the end, but this question is frequently being asked just that way. Where do they get bottled water from?

As seen in the court cases cited above, they get bottled water from various sources: lakes, streams, wells, springs, glacier run-off, and even from municipal water supplies.

Bottled Water May Be Tap Water

You will probably be surprised to learn that they get at least 25% of our bottled water right from the tap. Bottlers simply bottle the local tap water, label it, and ship it off to stores. Sometimes they treat it first – sometimes they don’t. We consumers pay up to 10,000 times more per gallon for bottled water than we would pay for tap water.

What disreputable bottler would get bottled water from a tap?

1. The Coca Cola company – for “Dasani” bottled water. Coca Cola admits this.

2. The Pepsi Cola Company – for “Aquafina” bottled water. Apparently, Pepsi is not required to tell you this on the label.

Most bottled water is processed with filters and other treatments, but you should read labels carefully. Bottled water that is packaged as "purified" or "drinking water" probably is tap water, and unless it was “substantially” altered, the label must tell you that. However, as noted above regarding the Pepsi Cola Company, sometimes a bottler can get away without telling you.

Learn Where They Get Your Brand of Bottled Water

1. Examine the label and cap on your bottled water. Look for the phrase "from a municipal source" or "from a community water system" on either. Those phrases mean tap water. The absence of the phrases is no guarantee that the bottle does not contain tap water, but their presence means it does.

2. In some states, you can find out the source from the state bottled water program. Not every state has this, but some like New York and Massachusetts list bottled water sources. Call the state where your bottled water originates and ask.

3. Call or write the bottling company itself to learn where they get your bottled water. Ask about health and safety measures used in bottling, filtration or other treatment, and additives.

If you choose to buy bottled water and are concerned about where they get it, do your homework. Research the various brands, and find those that truly use known, protected sources. Look for bottlers who are not afraid to share publicly all information on testing and treatment that will tell you water quality.