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WASHINGTON (AP) ? Critical ice in the Arctic Ocean melted to record low levels this sweltering summer and that can make weather more extreme far away from the poles, scientists say.
The National Snow and Ice Data Center reported Monday that the extent of Arctic sea ice shrank to 1.58 million square miles and is likely to melt more in the coming weeks. That breaks the old record of 1.61 million square miles set in 2007.
The North Pole region is an ocean that mostly is crusted at the top with ice. In the winter, the frozen saltwater surface usually extends about 6 million square miles, shrinking in summer and growing back in the fall. That's different from Antarctica, which is land covered by ice and snow and then surrounded by sea ice.
Normally sea ice in the Arctic reaches its minimum in mid-September and then starts refreezing. But levels on Sunday shrank 27,000 square miles ? about the size of West Virginia ? beyond the old record.
Figures are based on satellite records dating back to 1979. The ice center bases its figures on averages calculated over five days.
Data center scientist Ted Scambos said the melt can be blamed mostly on global warming from man-made emissions of greenhouse gases. There are natural factors involved too, including a storm that chewed up a significant amount ice earlier this month. But, he said, dramatic summer sea ice losses in all but one year since 2007, continuous thin ice, and warm air temperatures show a pattern that can only be explained by climate change.
"It really does imply that the Arctic is moving to a new state," said NASA ice systems program scientist Tom Wagner. "The Arctic is changing."
Wagner and Scambos said in 2007 some people thought it was just an odd year that caused the dramatic melt, but years like this one show something bigger is happening.
This milestone is a "substantial step" to the day when there will be no significant sea ice in the Arctic in the summer, said NASA chief scientist Waleed Abdalati.
"Why do we care?," Abdalati, an ice scientist, asked. "This ice has been an important factor in determining the climate and weather conditions under which modern civilization has evolved."
Scientists sometimes call the Arctic the world's refrigerator and this is like leaving the fridge door open, Scambos said.
"This is kind of a knob on global weather," Wagner said. "We don't know the impact yet" of fiddling with it.
Scientists say Arctic sea ice helps moderate temperatures further south in the winter and summer. A study earlier this year in the peer-reviewed journal Geophysical Research Letters linked some of the factors behind Arctic sea ice loss to higher probabilities of extreme weather "such as drought, flooding, cold spells and heat waves."
Scientists also say sea ice is crucial for polar bears and other animals.
Wagner said the changes in Arctic sea ice fits with glacier loss in Alaska and Canada and ice loss in Greenland. Earlier this summer, NASA satellites reported a dramatic melt in Greenland, where nearly every part of its massive ice sheet started melting, something that last happened in 1889.
Ohio State University ice scientist Jason Box has been monitoring Greenland, where he said temperatures have sometimes been 9 to 18 degrees warmer than normal this summer and the ice is reflecting far less heat ? and thus absorbing more energy ? than ever before.
Global warming physics for years has been saying if greenhouse gases are causing climate change, the Arctic will feel it first with loss of sea ice and melt in snow and ice on land, Box said.
"We're in a declining trend because the Earth is getting warmer," Scambos said. "It's going to continue to be a series of shrinking ice extents year by year... We're not going back."
___
Online:
National Snow and Ice Data Center: http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/
___
Seth Borenstein can be followed at http://twitter.com/borenbears
By Zinnia B. Dela Pe?a (The Philippine Star) Updated August 27, 2012 12:00 AM
Manila, Philippines -? Federal Land Inc. (Fedland), the real estate arm of taipan George S.K. Ty-led GT Capital Holdings, sees reservation sales hitting P12 billion this year, up 32 percent from P9.1 billion in 2011 as the country?s residential property market continues to experience steady growth.
Jose Mari H. Banzon, executive vice-president and general manager of Federal Land, said the company has already booked P8 billion in reservation sales for the January-July period, on track to realizing its yearend target.
?Our goal is to hit P1 billion in reservation sales a month,? he said.
To take advantage of a buoyant property market, the company would launch six projects in the second half, located in Fort Bonifacio, Binondo, Quezon City, Cavite, Paco Manila and Cebu.
Banzon said the company is building Central Park West, the second residential tower within its 10.4-hectare large scale mixed use complex in Bonifacio Global City. The project?s centerpiece is the 66-story Grand Hyatt Hotel which is touted to become the tallest building in the country.
Slated for completion in 2014, The Grand Hyatt Hotel would have 400 rooms and provide 40,000 square meters of premium grade office space. It would be managed by the Hyatt Group, a leading global hospitality firm.
The first six floors of the main skyscraper would house the hotel podium and ballroom while grade A financial and corporate offices would occupy the eighth to 30th floors. The upper floors to the penthouse levels, on the other hand, would comprise luxury suites and other hotel amenities.
Banzon said the company is also targeting to grow the share of rental operations to total revenues to 25 percent from the current 10 percent.
As of Dec. 31, 2011, Fedland had an available landbank of 100.7 hectares, of which 97.3 hectares are owned. The company believes its existing landbank would be sufficient for development over the next 20 years.
To attract a wider clientele base and increase its recurring income, Fedland is stepping up the development of its current portfolio of masterplanned communities that combine stand-alone high and mid-rise residential condominiums and mixed-use developments.
The company also intends to focus on developing office facilities catering to the business process outsourcing sector within its areas.
Its current portfolio includes the Grand Midori Makati, Bay Garden Club and Residences, Riverview Mansion and Four Season Riviera in Binondo, the Oriental Place in Makati and The Capital towers in Quezon City.? Fedland also operates the five-star Marco Polo Hotel in Cebu.
A Second Take on Meeting the Press: From an up-close look at Rachel Maddow's sneakers to an in-depth look at Jon Krakauer's latest book ? it's all fair game in our "Meet the Press: Take Two" web extra. Log on Sundays to see David Gregory's post-show conversations with leading newsmakers, authors and roundtable guests. Videos are available on-demand by 12 p.m. ET on Sundays.
No, that isn?t the question I?m talking about, but the answer is, ?Yes, it is. However, it isn?t easy.?
I don?t think relationships are really all that complicated. Someone wise once said,
?Marriages don?t have issues. People have issues and they get married.?
I think relationships are simple, especially marriage. What they definitely are NOT is easy. Friendships, marriages and workplace relationships are easy. The situation gets dicey because people are involved.
People are not easy.
Often the most difficult person in any relationship is the one staring back at you in the mirror. I know I am. I?m selfish, short-tempered, overly sensitive, bitter, possessive and socially awkward. That is my nature.
How I choose to act is all on me. By the grace of God He guides my steps, blesses my family and gives me the ability to love sacrificially, but it?s still a choice.
I love my wife because I can?t help it. I see LK and I can?t help but smile. She walks into the room and it?s all I can do not to take her in my arms and start making out. I love her laugh and appreciate everything she does to make our house a home. But I can still be a big, selfish baby and I must choose to act against that nature.
?That?s sweet KC, but what?s this one question? You?re stalling bro.?
Fair enough, here is the question:
What can I do to help?
Imagine for a minute how you would feel if your spouse asked you this? Or your kid? What about a coworker?
Now transfer that feeling to your spouse, kid, coworker. How would they react if you asked them the same question. It?s scary to think about because you can?t ask that question with insincerity.
MEN: If you ask your wife what you can do to help and she points to the overflowing garbage can or that project you promised to finish 3 months ago you best be ready to follow through.
WOMEN: If you ask your husband what you can do to help and he asks for help with that project or a shoulder massage you?ve got to back up your offer.
MOMS/DADS: If you ask your kid(s) what you can do to help they may ask for some assistance with cleaning their room or if you can explain their homework.
This question creates an environment where we serve one another and support each other. Where needs are met and our selfish hearts are softened towards others. The focus shifts outwards to ?What can I do to help?? instead of inwards ?What can I get out of this??
Recently, I listened to Andy Stanley preach on the subject of mutual submission (a red warning light just started flashing in your brain and the alarm is blaring) and he talked about this question.
The scripture reference was Eph 5:21 where Paul is addressing the church.
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
I highly recommend checking out the podcast of the sermon, but let me leave you with this challenge.
The question ?What can I do to help?? has a lot of power.
It could save your marriage. It could strengthen your family. It could improve your work. It could change your life.
Asking it is the easy part. Following through is where the hard work begins.
Who do you need to ask this question to? What do you think their answer will be?
Commercial drivers could be understating sleep apnoea symptoms for fear of losing their licencePublic release date: 25-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Lauren Anderson lauren.anderson@europeanlung.org 44-114-267-2876 European Lung Foundation
Vienna, Austria: People who drive commercial vehicles, such as buses, taxis, trucks and aeroplanes, could be incorrectly reporting their symptoms of sleep apnoea due to their fears of endangering their employment, according to a new study.
The research will be presented on 1 September 2012 at the European Respiratory Society's (ERS) Annual Congress in Vienna. All the abstracts from the ERS Congress will be publicly available online today (26 August 2012).
People with the sleep apnoea suffer frequent disruptions to their breathing during sleep, leaving them with headaches, drowsiness and sometimes depression during the day. Obstructive sleep apnoea is a well-established risk for traffic accidents and commercial vehicle drivers could lose their licence if their illness is perceived to be compromising safety while driving.
The regular treatment for sleep apnoea is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), which uses a mask and other equipment to generate a stream of air to keep the upper airway open during sleep. As commercial drivers regularly do shift work, they don't follow regular patterns of sleep and also do not always sleep in one place; this makes adherence to CPAP treatment more difficult.
Researchers examined 37 commercial vehicle drivers with sleep apnoea and compared them with a control group of 74 patients. Both groups had similar characteristics of age, body mass index (BMI) and similar numbers of disturbances suffered on average during the night. Both groups also underwent treatment using CPAP.
Levels of sleepiness were then analysed using the Epworth Sleepiness Score; a well-established short questionnaire used to give levels of sleepiness during the day time. The survey provides a score, which is the sum of 8 items and can range between 0 and 24.The higher the score, the higher the person's level of daytime sleepiness
At the start of the study, commercial drivers reported an average score of 8.1 on the sleepiness scale, compared with an average of 11.0 reported by non-commercial drivers, despite a similar number of disturbances at night between the two groups. The difference was also seen after 6 months of treatment using CPAP therapy with the drivers reporting an average sleepiness score of 4.8 and non-drivers reporting an average of 7.7.
The results also showed that drivers received less treatment (only receiving CPAP for an average of 75% of days, compared with 83%) and also had more unscheduled visits to the clinic, which suggests they were struggling with their symptoms.
The authors speculate that the lower scores reported by the commercial drivers could be due to drivers under-scoring their sleepiness levels for fear of losing their licence permissions.
Lead author, Dr. Werner Strobel from University Hospital, Switzerland, said: "Our study suggests that commercial drivers are playing down their levels of sleepiness for fear of losing their jobs. Although this is very difficult to prove, both the group of drivers and the group of non-drivers began the study with a similar number of disturbances during the night. You would therefore expect their reports of sleepiness to be similar to begin with, however the drivers estimated their levels of sleepiness as lower than the non-drivers. This pattern continued throughout the course of the study, with drivers reporting lower symptoms, yet receiving less treatment and making more unscheduled visits to the clinic.
"We can assume from these results that commercial drivers with sleep apnoea symptoms could be under-reporting their sleepiness in order to protect their job. These results should be taken into account by healthcare professionals who are treating this group of people."
Dan Smyth from the Irish Sleep Apnoea Trust, said: "We know that an above average number of people involved in commercial driving have sleep apnoea. It is also known that many of them, mainly through ignorance of the condition and fear of losing their livelihood, are afraid to report it to their employer or seek help. The findings of this study confirm the current situation and show further evidence that Relative Advocacy and Support Groups, with the support of our legislators, must deliver a positive message on the benefits of treating Sleep Apnoea to the Transport Industry."
###
Notes to editors:
Abstract: Differences between commercial vehicle drivers and other patients in symptoms of obstructive sleep apnoea and response to CPAP therapy
Session: 77
Date and time: Sunday, 2 September, 10:45-12:45
Room: C5
Press Office at ERS Congress in Vienna (Saturday 31st August - Wednesday 5th September 2012):
Lauren Anderson +43 6763315356 lauren.anderson@europeanlung.org
David Sadler +43 6767502294 david.sadler@ersj.org.uk
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Commercial drivers could be understating sleep apnoea symptoms for fear of losing their licencePublic release date: 25-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Lauren Anderson lauren.anderson@europeanlung.org 44-114-267-2876 European Lung Foundation
Vienna, Austria: People who drive commercial vehicles, such as buses, taxis, trucks and aeroplanes, could be incorrectly reporting their symptoms of sleep apnoea due to their fears of endangering their employment, according to a new study.
The research will be presented on 1 September 2012 at the European Respiratory Society's (ERS) Annual Congress in Vienna. All the abstracts from the ERS Congress will be publicly available online today (26 August 2012).
People with the sleep apnoea suffer frequent disruptions to their breathing during sleep, leaving them with headaches, drowsiness and sometimes depression during the day. Obstructive sleep apnoea is a well-established risk for traffic accidents and commercial vehicle drivers could lose their licence if their illness is perceived to be compromising safety while driving.
The regular treatment for sleep apnoea is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), which uses a mask and other equipment to generate a stream of air to keep the upper airway open during sleep. As commercial drivers regularly do shift work, they don't follow regular patterns of sleep and also do not always sleep in one place; this makes adherence to CPAP treatment more difficult.
Researchers examined 37 commercial vehicle drivers with sleep apnoea and compared them with a control group of 74 patients. Both groups had similar characteristics of age, body mass index (BMI) and similar numbers of disturbances suffered on average during the night. Both groups also underwent treatment using CPAP.
Levels of sleepiness were then analysed using the Epworth Sleepiness Score; a well-established short questionnaire used to give levels of sleepiness during the day time. The survey provides a score, which is the sum of 8 items and can range between 0 and 24.The higher the score, the higher the person's level of daytime sleepiness
At the start of the study, commercial drivers reported an average score of 8.1 on the sleepiness scale, compared with an average of 11.0 reported by non-commercial drivers, despite a similar number of disturbances at night between the two groups. The difference was also seen after 6 months of treatment using CPAP therapy with the drivers reporting an average sleepiness score of 4.8 and non-drivers reporting an average of 7.7.
The results also showed that drivers received less treatment (only receiving CPAP for an average of 75% of days, compared with 83%) and also had more unscheduled visits to the clinic, which suggests they were struggling with their symptoms.
The authors speculate that the lower scores reported by the commercial drivers could be due to drivers under-scoring their sleepiness levels for fear of losing their licence permissions.
Lead author, Dr. Werner Strobel from University Hospital, Switzerland, said: "Our study suggests that commercial drivers are playing down their levels of sleepiness for fear of losing their jobs. Although this is very difficult to prove, both the group of drivers and the group of non-drivers began the study with a similar number of disturbances during the night. You would therefore expect their reports of sleepiness to be similar to begin with, however the drivers estimated their levels of sleepiness as lower than the non-drivers. This pattern continued throughout the course of the study, with drivers reporting lower symptoms, yet receiving less treatment and making more unscheduled visits to the clinic.
"We can assume from these results that commercial drivers with sleep apnoea symptoms could be under-reporting their sleepiness in order to protect their job. These results should be taken into account by healthcare professionals who are treating this group of people."
Dan Smyth from the Irish Sleep Apnoea Trust, said: "We know that an above average number of people involved in commercial driving have sleep apnoea. It is also known that many of them, mainly through ignorance of the condition and fear of losing their livelihood, are afraid to report it to their employer or seek help. The findings of this study confirm the current situation and show further evidence that Relative Advocacy and Support Groups, with the support of our legislators, must deliver a positive message on the benefits of treating Sleep Apnoea to the Transport Industry."
###
Notes to editors:
Abstract: Differences between commercial vehicle drivers and other patients in symptoms of obstructive sleep apnoea and response to CPAP therapy
Session: 77
Date and time: Sunday, 2 September, 10:45-12:45
Room: C5
Press Office at ERS Congress in Vienna (Saturday 31st August - Wednesday 5th September 2012):
Lauren Anderson +43 6763315356 lauren.anderson@europeanlung.org
David Sadler +43 6767502294 david.sadler@ersj.org.uk
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
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Public release date: 25-Aug-2012
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