Biomass as an Alternative Energy and the Benefits

The oil crisis and world overdependence on fossil fuels have paved the way for new developments in alternative energy sources. One of these alternative sources is biomass, which certainly has the potential of being considered a good substitute for fossil fuel. Seeds of fortune are often planted in the throes of a crisis. Biomass may just be that seed of fortune you are looking for.

Biomass is a natural and renewable energy source that is derived from recently dead biological matter and is used as a bio-fuel. It usually comes from plants, but it also comes from animal matter and other agricultural biodegradable waste. Examples of plants that can be used as biomass are corn, sugar cane, wheat, and switchgrass. Waste matter from plants like coconut husks, rice hulls, and bagasse (waste from sugar cane) are also examples of biomass.

Biomass works like this. It is burned to produce heat that makes hot water, which then produces steam that can power turbines. Since biomass is also carbon-based like traditional fossil fuel, it has a comparable burning rate that makes it suitable as an energy source for small-scale power generation. But unlike fossil fuels, biomass absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during its growing lifetime.

Biomass has become a popular alternative source of energy in farming areas and other areas where there is a huge amount of agricultural waste. Farmers have used biomass to power their equipment and for post-harvest processing of agricultural crops.

As an energy source, biomass has many applications depending on the type of material used, the location, and the processing that it has to undergo to make it usable. The simplest biomass application is agricultural fertilizers. Biomass materials can also be used for fiber or building material. Further chemical processing, such as hydrogenation, can produce a biomass that makes it a suitable fuel source. Biomass is also sometimes used for space heating applications.

Some environmentalists argue that biomass is part of the carbon cycle and as such emits greenhouse gases that contribute to global warning. That said, biomass emits 50% less than emissions from burning fossil fuel. Furthermore, the disadvantage of having carbon dioxide emission can be offset by the fact that biomass is often sourced from recycled waste materials, therefore significantly reducing solid waste. This helps to classify it as an efficient and cost-effective energy source.

In addition to this environmental concern, biomass raises another critical issue in the food vs. fuel debate. Some argue that using biomass for energy instead of using it as an edible food is unconscionable. This argument has been magnified by the more recent oil and food price crises, where critics point out that biomass could have helped create or at least magnify the rising cost of food staples. However, some studies suggest the amount of crops that go to bio-fuel production may not be significant enough to tip the food demand.

Vital Health Benefits of Kissing

A kiss is a first step to a very meaningful and exciting journey. Everyone with a social life knows the importance of a kiss, and what a bad kissing experience would mean, and what being a good kisser would mean too.

The best kisser says that there is no replacement to real passion when it comes to kissing the right way. Your partner will find out in an instant if you don't have the heart in the kiss right then. In this article, we will discuss health benefits of kissing.

Kissing helps lower blood pressure

Kissing is not only good for your emotional health but also for your physical health. A good kiss improves the health of your heart and promotes efficient blood flow. It helps lower your blood pressure as it dilates your blood vessels. This ensures that the flow of blood is efficient and blood flows to all vital organs.

Kissing fights cavities

When you’re kissing, you are secreting sufficient saliva in your mouth. This mechanism helps wash away plaque that results to cavities. Kissing is well known to promote healthy teeth.

Kissing helps burn excess calories

Kissing is an exercise that can be fully engaging and fulfilling. The mental and emotional satisfaction promotes the loss of excess calories in the body. Of course you should have a passionate kiss if you want to lose calories. This does not mean you have a 5-hour makeout session.

Kissing boosts self-esteem

Kissing is mentally and emotionally fulfilling. This helps boost one’s self-esteem. It helps boost one’s confidence. Kissing is a sign of being loved and appreciated. When we’re loved, we feel good and confident!

Kissing measures sexual compatibility

Kissing is actually one of the best ways to check if the person you’re dating is sexually compatible with you. Kissing measures sexual compatibility. If you do it great, your partner will be tempted to go an extra mile.

Kissing promotes release of happy hormones

There is nothing important in this world than happiness. If there is no happiness, your relationship with your partner cannot thrive. Kissing promotes the release of hormones such as oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin. These hormones are important for your happiness and your relationship.

Kissing is an expression of love, it ignites the love within and reassures your partner. It is a very strong connection that strengthens the relationship. The couple that kisses so often is more likely to stick together than the couple that doesn’t. Kissing expresses love and acceptance. It is an expression of things that cannot be said with words of mouth.

The Deepwater Horizon Tragedy: The Victims Are Still Suffering, Six Years Down the Line

It’s the largest accidental oil spill in history. Over 130 million gallons of oil were accidentally spilled into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, spreading the catastrophe to Louisiana and with traces of slick spreading further to the Florida Panhandle. Six weeks after the accident, the severely damaged wellhead of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig was still spilling thousands of gallons of oil every single day.

Marine life was destroyed and people died while others got severely ill. Six years down the line, people who were exposed to the massive spill are still sick and suffering.

The Use of a Chemical Dispersant: The Biggest Mistake of All Time

Right after the massive spill, a chemical dispersant was used to break up the oil. This move was made even after government scientists expressed concern about the adverse health implications of mixing large quantities of chemical dispersants with millions of gallons of crude oil.

According to occupational health experts, it’s this toxic mix that caused numerous health complications (that doctors were unable to treat) among the locals as well as some of the 47, 000 people who took part in BP’s (British Petroleum) cleanup operation.

Exposure to the thick fumes of crude oil and the chemical dispersants brought all sorts of health complications such as seizures, dizziness, uncontrollable ear and nose bleeds, blood stool, blindness due to irreversible optical nerve scarring, memory lapses, brain damage, chronic respiratory complications, heart damage, infertility in women, severe headaches, nerve damage, internal bleeding, chemical pneumonia, premature aging, decline in cognitive function, and all sorts of neurological problems.

According to Michael Harbut, an environmental and occupational health expert, and a professor at Michigan State University, exposure to organic solvents such as the chemical dispersants used to break up the oil cause the same adverse effects as lead poisoning.

He also believes that some of the victims who were heavily exposed could experience chronic adverse health effects such as kidney and liver disease, developmental disorders, birth defects, and a rise in certain types of cancers such as lung, leukemia, lymphoma, and skin cancers.

Michael Robichaux, a nose, throat, and ear therapist also believes that a good number of people who were heavily exposed to the chemicals will undoubtedly be ill for the rest of their lives.

Lawsuits

According to figures from claims administrators, more than 37, 500 victims filed claims by 2010. The British Petroleum company agreed on a $7.8 billion medical settlement that would have each victim get up to $60, 700 per person.

This class-action settlement also allowed the victims to file further claims should they develop more serious health complications.

Sadly, only a small fraction of the claims have been paid and up to now, many are still pursuing the lawsuits. It might take years before they finally obtain these claims.

Six years down the line and the victims of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy are still suffering. Maybe if things could have been done differently, the aftermath wouldn’t have been so catastrophic.

Hopefully, the same mistakes will be avoided in future accidental spills as clearly, the health effects are just too much to deal with.

Researchers Discover Molecule in Newborn Hearts That Appear to Control Renewal Process

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and yet, most available treatments are unsuccessful due to the fact that damage to the heart tissue is in most cases irreversible.

Generally, mammalian hearts have the ability to regenerate themselves and repair tissue damage. However, this only happens around the time of birth as this ability mysteriously disappears into thin air.

The Discovery of a Miracle Molecule

Researchers have recently discovered a molecule in the hearts of newborns- a molecule that appears to have the ability to control the renewal process, which involves cell and muscle regeneration, and tissue damage repair.

The research which was conducted at the Weizmann Institute of Science and lead by Prof.Eldad Tzahor, research student Alex Genzelinakh, and doctoral student Elad Bassat found that when administered into adult mice hearts injured during heart attacks, the miracle molecule called Agrin, was found to seemingly unlock or rather trigger the renewal process and enabled the repair of damaged heart muscle.

Where the Secret Possibly Lies

According to the researchers, surrounding tissue known as extracellular matrix located just outside the heart muscles could possibly be the holder of the heart renewal secret.

Since most cell-to-cell messages are passed via this matrix while others are stored within its fibrous structure, the researchers experimented with the extracellular matrix from newborns and week-old mice while in the process eliminating the cells until only the surrounding tissues were left.

They then closely observed what would happen when the some ECM bits were added to the heart cells in culture. It was found that the ECM derived from the young subjects elicited cardiomyocyte proliferation, in contrast to older subjects.

The researchers also tested the ability of Agrin in reversing heart damage where they found that a single injection of the molecule into mice hearts almost completely healed the heart tissue and made them fully functional.

Reasons for Inability of Mammalian Hearts to Undergo the Renewal Process

As stated earlier, the ability of mammalian hearts to undergo the renewal process disappears shortly after birth.

According to Prof.Eldad, Genelinakh, and Bassat, the healing process of the mammalian heart following a heart attack is long and in most cases, inefficient.

After damage occurs, the heart muscle cells known as cardiomyocytes are replaced by scar tissue. The scar tissue is sadly incapable of contracting like the muscle cells and thus limits the heart’s ability to pump blood. When this happens, the remaining heart muscles are put under intense stress, which eventually leads to heart failure.

The discovery of Agrin has already provided insights to researchers looking for a breakthrough in restoring the function of damaged hearts.

Hopefully, heart patients will have a real cure in a few years to come. With the new discovery, the scientists are exploring the cues that actually promote heart degeneration.

What Effects Do Ocean Currents Have on Climate and Weather?

Ocean currents are either permanent or continuous directed movements of ocean water that flow in our Earth’s oceans. These currents flow in complex patterns affected by the winds, heat content, earth’s rotation, water salinity differences, and ocean bottom topography. Ocean currents flow for thousands of kilometers.

Ocean currents play a huge role in earth’s climate and weather, especially in continents bordering oceans. A good example of ocean currents in regions bordering the oceans is the Gulf Stream which causes Northwest Europe to be more temperate compared to other regions with the same latitude.

One major factor of climate change is the temperatures of ocean water across the globe, and how they change on a yearly basis. Changes in ocean temperatures have a big effect on weather patterns, including providing energy for coastal storms and creating hurricanes.

Ocean Currents and Earth’s Rotation, Seasonal Winds

Earth’s rotation and seasonal winds push surface ocean water away from some western coasts, which causes the water that rises on the western edges of the continents bordering the ocean to replace it. This is why the ocean is usually much colder on the east coast compared to the west coast.

Ocean Currents and Heat Content

Oceans act as massive heat-retaining solar panels. Besides retaining heat, they also distribute the heat around the globe.

The heat causes water evaporation which in turn increases temperature and humidity in the surrounding air, forming rain and storms which are then carried by trade winds over long distances. The tropical regions of continents near oceans are particularly rainy are ocean evaporation is higher in these areas.

In other words, even the smallest changes in the ocean currents can have a huge effect on continental and global climate.

Ocean Currents and Heat Redistribution

Ocean currents play a crucial role in heat redistribution around the globe. When ocean water is heated by the sun near the equator, the winds transfer it to higher latitudes where it cools off and sinks.

This cold water then makes its way back to the Equator and the cycle repeats itself. This system is known as Thermohaline Circulation System. The effect of this is that regions in higher latitudes become colder compared to those near the Equator (lower latitudes).

Ocean currents basically act like conveyor belts which transport water and precipitation from the equator to the poles and back. Without these currents, continental temperatures would be extreme, meaning that regions around the Equator would be extremely hot while those around the polar region would be extremely cold, making most of these areas inhabitable.

Therefore, ocean currents do play a very crucial role on the Earth’s climate and weather.

Sugar Substitutes: How Safe Are They?

If you have been trying to reduce sugar and calories in your diet, chances are that you’re considering using sugar substitutes such honey, Stevia, or Aspartame instead. Furthermore, the health risks associated with processed sugar and high fructose corn syrup are many and severe.

So it makes sense to opt for sugar substitutes as most of them are generally considered as “healthy.” Well, healthy they may be. But how safe are they?

Well, to answer this question, let’s first discuss what sugar substitutes are.

What are Sugar Substitutes?

Sugar substitutes are low-calorie or calorie-free sweeteners used instead of sugar to sweeten food and drinks. They tend to be far much sweeter compared to regular sugar.

Sugar substitutes are divided into four categories namely;

• Artificial sweeteners…e.g. Aspartame, Saccharin, Acesulfame, Neotame, and Sucralose
• Natural sweeteners…e.g. Honey, Maple Syrup, Agave Nectar, Molasses, and Fruit Juice Concentrate
• Sugar alcohols…e.g. Isomalt, Erythritol, Lactitol, e.t.c
• Novel sweeteners…e.g. Stevia, Tagatose, and Trehalose

How Safe are Artificial Sweeteners?

Artificial sweeteners are found in thousands of food and drink products like cakes, chewing gums, ice creams, desserts, and many others.

Although they have been approved by the FDA and are widely used, they are not as safe as they are thought to be. In fact, all artificial sweeteners should be avoided like plague.

Numerous studies indicate that artificial sweeteners could far worse be dangerous than sugar and fructose. There have been claims that these sweeteners, especially Aspartame, cause cancers such as lymphoma, leukemia, and accelerate tumor growth in laboratory animals.

Scientific evidence shows that Aspartame also worsens insulin sensitivity in diabetic patients to a greater degree compared to sugar. However, if used in moderation, the risk of developing these complications is said to be lower.

How About Natural Sweeteners?

Natural sweeteners are generally healthy when used in moderation. However, the risks they pose when taken in high amounts are no different from that of sugar.

For example, honey is high in fructose, although its health risks are lower because it’s completely in its raw form.

Agave syrup on the other hand is said to be much worse than high fructose corn syrup because it has higher fructose content than any other commercial sweetener. Furthermore, most agave syrups are commercially produced, not all natural like most people think.

Are Sugar Alcohols Any Better?

Sugar alcohol sweeteners contain few calories than processed sugar, which makes them a great alternative. They also have less sugar than sugar.

However, the danger lies in the fact that they are not completely absorbed in the body and consuming anything containing these sweeteners in high amounts may lead to abdominal gas and diarrhea. Research also indicates that maltitol raises blood sugar levels especially when taken in large amounts.

Safest Sugar Substitutes

Scientific evidence shows that Stevia, a very sweet herb derived from the Stevia plant, is one of the best and safest sugar substitutes. It’s mostly used in many drinks and dishes.

Another safe and healthy sugar substitute is Lo Han Guo which is said to be about 200 times sweeter than sugar. Its however harder to find and more expensive compared to Stevia.

When used in moderation, most sugar substitutes are generally safe. However, the only problem is that most foods and drinks contain high amounts of these sweeteners, which many consumers are unaware of. It’s therefore important to tread carefully when considering using these substitutes as they could potentially do more harm than good.

Ice Cave: Stunningly Beautiful but Potentially Dangerous

If you’ve never visited an ice cave before, a simple web image search will give you loads of beautiful caves from all over the world. They are amazing wonders of nature.

Ice caves happen to be some of the most popular tourist attractions in the world and provide tourists with an interesting interactive experience.

How are Ice Caves are Formed

Ice caves are basically types of natural caves that contain significant amounts of year-round ice (perennial ice). For an ice cave to form, at least a portion of the cave must have a temperature below 0 degrees Celsius all year round, and that water must have traveled into the ice cave’s coldest zones.

Ice caves can occur as static ice caves or dynamic/cyclical ice caves. Different types of ice caves form depending on temperature mechanisms like cold traps, evaporative cooling, thermally insulated surface, and permafrost.

The Dangers of Ice Caves

As fascinating as they are, ice caves are very dangerous. They can collapse anytime. Besides being dangerous, ice caves are difficult to navigate, which further increases the risk.

In 2015, the Big Four Ice Caves collapsed, killing one person and injuring five. The Big Four is a mountain located in the Cascade Range of Washington. The snowfield in this mountain appears in the shape of the numeral four, hence the name.

The Big Four ice caves situated on the north face of the mountain is not entirely made of pure ice. They are rather formed when avalanches fill the gully with snow, and the snow is sheltered from direct sunlight by the mountain all year round.

The ice caves are then gradually expanded by an inrush of warm air under the snow and also get carved out by melted water flow, which makes the snow even heavier and thus more prone to collapse.

Over time, the roof of the caves thin and weaken, increasing the risk of cave roof collapsing or the formation of a snow bridge. The risk is said to be highest especially near the entrance since ice here is much thinner compared to the inside.

According to Adrienne Hall, a manager at the Verlot Ranger Station near the Big Four mountain, heatwaves especially during summer make the ice caves even more dangerous to navigate.

The Big Four Ice Caves are not the only dangerous ice caves. The risk is widespread as many caves around the world have resulted in numerous accidents too.

Tourists visiting these attraction sites should trend carefully as ice collapse isn’t the only risk- falling rocks or boulders are too. Even when the caves seem stable from the inside and outside, they are still unsafe to venture further.

Even during summer, there are ice caves that stay frozen all through the season. However, this doesn’t make them any less dangerous. They tend to become highly vulnerable especially if the conditions around them are disrupted. Even worse, many caves are already being lost as a result of climate change, making them even more dangerous to explore.