The links between hurricanes and climate change are complex, but some aspects are getting clearer. Tropical storms draw their energy from ocean heat — and more than 90 percent of the heat trapped by greenhouse gas emissions is being stored in the ocean. Storms that survive the cradle of formation can intensify quickly and become immensely powerful. While it is common to hear the question, “Was it caused by climate change?” scientists argue that this is an unhelpful way to look at the issue. As Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist at Texas Tech University, put it recently on Twitter, “that’s the wrong question. The right one is, ‘how much worse did climate change make it?’ ” Like so many hurricanes, Dorian’s origins were unassuming. At 11 a.m. Aug. 24, the National Hurricane Center in Miami announced a new tropical depression east-southeast of the Lesser Antilles. At the time, it was just Tropical Depression Five. Now, as that same … [Read more...] about How has climate change affected Hurricane Dorian?
How are austerity measures affecting society
How are party-lists ranked? Comelec spokesman explains
How are party-lists ranked? Comelec spokesman explains Rosette Adel (Philstar.com) - May 20, 2019 - 6:35pm MANILA, Philippines— A total of 134 party-lists are vying for seats at the House of Representatives. Commission on Elections spokesman James Jimenez said 61 seats are available for party-lists. READ: LIST: Certified party-list candidates for 2019 elections He said the first round of allocations will be given to those who got 2% of votes garnered for all party-lists. They will then be given guaranteed seats based on this percentage. Winning party-lists and nominees granted guaranteed seats are expected to be proclaimed on Tuesday. Watch Jimenez’s explanation on how party-lists are being ranked here: … [Read more...] about How are party-lists ranked? Comelec spokesman explains
How bedroom colors can affect your sleep
Do you often wake up in the night or still feel tired after you wake up in the morning? Your sleeping problems could come from the color of your bedroom walls, as colors can create various atmospheres and can affect our wellbeing. In 2013, Travelodge conducted a survey by analyzing the bedroom colors of 2,000 Britons. It revealed that people sleeping in a blue bedroom got on average seven hours and fifty-two minutes sleep per night. Fifty eight percent of them woke up happy and refreshed, Newshub reported. Color consultant Brenda Ngatai said that the positive influence came from the color’s association with water, sea and sky. “When you close your eyes and think about the sea, it’s peaceful, calm and relaxing – something nature has given to us,” she said. The color blue is believed to be calming and soothing, and able to prevent nightmares, while yellow is associated with warmth and comfort, and green is seen as restful. Read also: How … [Read more...] about How bedroom colors can affect your sleep
How climate change could affect Canadian maple syrup
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By Kendra Pierre-Louis The New York Times Fri., May 3, 2019 PAKENHAM, ONTARIO—By 9:30 a.m. the line for Fulton’s Pancake House and Sugar Bush had snaked out the door and down the driveway toward the parking lot, like a line on the day a new iPhone goes on sale. But the restaurant, roughly 40 miles (64 kilometres) southwest of Ottawa, isn’t new. It’s in its 50th year, and its star attraction, maple syrup, is much older. It was invented by Indigenous people long before Europeans arrived in the Americas. “Maple is a social crop,” said Shirley Fulton-Deugo, the owner. “It’s the first crop of the year and a sign that spring is here.” Fulton’s sits on 400 wooded acres in Eastern Ontario, and Fulton-Deugo is a fourth-generation maple syrup producer. Her children help her run the business, and three of her grandchildren are already making their own syrup and selling it under the label Triple Trouble. But should the … [Read more...] about How climate change could affect Canadian maple syrup
Fake news must be curbed before it affects society: PM Lee
There is wide scope for discourse in Singapore, but fake news is a distinct and specific problem that must be curbed before it affects society, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. He made this point in an interview, when asked for his response to concerns that proposed laws to tackle fake news would curb free speech. There is no society in which free speech is absolute or uncontrolled, he said, noting that it exists within appropriate boundaries. For example, speech that is defamatory or threatening in nature lies outside of these boundaries, said PM Lee in an interview conducted in Mandarin with variety show host Kym Ng and news presenter Evelyn Lam that was broadcast on Mediacorp's Channel 8 last night. "We must set an appropriate boundary that would allow us to protect free speech and allow people to exchange information, thoughts and opinions in a meaningful way," he added. Other countries, like the United States and those in Europe, are also grappling with the problem of fake … [Read more...] about Fake news must be curbed before it affects society: PM Lee