SCIENCE FILES

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Hurricane Aftermath Health & Safety Tips

With the record-setting hurricane season of 2005, it is never too soon to begin preparing for the 2006 season, which has been predicted to have an above average number of hurricanes.

EHA has over 25 years of experience with mold related matters and can assist you with assessment of the property and your health concerns.

EHA's teams of qualified professionals are ready to respond immediately with offices in West Palm Beach and Tampa Bay, Florida.

Please feel free to contact us at 561-965-0250 in West Palm Beach, 813-236-8220 in Tampa Bay or via our corporate offices in Baltimore at 800-969-1441.

As public health consultants, our first concern is for the health and safety of the people who suffer through these unfortunate events. The potential for disease outbreaks and serious injury loom far after the threat of a major hurricane. As such, people affected by major weather events of catastrophic size must first be prepared to deal with the following conditions so critical to human survival including food, water and shelter.

* Infectious diseases and chemical exposure – Diseases such as typhoid and cholera are associated with the consumption of contaminated food and water supplies due to flooding of sewers and sewage systems. Viral and parasitic diseases such as Hepatitis A and Cryptosporidiosis can also become major threats to the public's health. Contaminated flood waters may also harbor toxic chemicals including pesticides and petroleum by-products.

* CO- Carbon Monoxide intoxication – Precautions should be taken to ensure that adequate ventilation exists whenever running any gasoline powered engine such as, large pumps, generators or vehicles. Last year there were deaths associated with carbon monoxide intoxication in Florida.

* Safe food and water – Often the most critical two items essential to survival, safe food and water are often in short supply during major catastrophes. Food that has not been properly refrigerated should not be consumed. Whenever possible, drink only boiled or bottled water. If boiling water is not practical, authorities recommend the use of chlorine bleach at a concentration of1/8 teaspoon per gallon of water, but be advised that some pathogenic organisms are resistant to this chemical treatment.

* Mosquito transmitted diseases – Diseases such as Encephalitis and West Nile Virus can be of serious concern. Since most hurricanes occur during the summer months, when temperatures can be sweltering, the best line of defense is a mosquito repellant containing DEET or Picariin.

Long after a hurricane has passed, after basic survival has been assured and upon return to your property, the threat of mold looms. For this reason, we've listed our Emergency Prevention of Mold Damage & Property Damage recommendations below to help provide you with the first steps you should take to limit mold damage. More information about hurricane-related mold damage and safety tips is available at http://www.ehagroup.com/mold/hurricane.asp.

Ergonomics - Are you sitting comfortably?

Ergonomics is, basically, the science of comfort. It is the study of how your equipment affects you when you are at work, both in terms of maximising your efficiency and reducing any health risks that might be present.

Where you've probably heard the term, though, is used in relation to computer equipment: mice, mouse mats, keyboards, monitors, and the like. The traditional design of a lot of computer equipment is very unergonomic, meaning that if it is used for extended periods of time (as you do when you are using it at your job), you can get all sorts of injuries, the most famous being RSI (repetitive strain injury).

Whatever you might think of your employer, the chances are that they don't want you getting injured: they'd have to get along without you, or go to the trouble of replacing you, not to mention the legal liability they might have if you could prove that it was there equipment that hurt you. For this reason, ergonomic computer equipment is becoming more and more common in office environments. If your keyboard is oddly-shaped, that's because it's ergonomic. If your mouse mat has a little soft spot to rest your wrist on, that's because it's ergonomic. There are plenty more examples.

It's these little, inexpensive extras that go some way towards reducing the possibility that you will get injured at work. One thing you might not have considered, though, is that they can also work well in the home. If you use your computer a lot at home – whether as a hobby, or as a freelancer, or for home working – you should get some ergonomic equipment for yourself. If you injure yourself through computer use, you'll have no-one to sue or blame but yourself, which might mean that you won't be able to afford the costs of caring for and treating the condition. RSI really isn't pleasant, so you should make sure to take measures to protect yourself, wherever the computer you're using might be.

Desert Problem For Young Earth Creation Science

Young-earth creationists have a problem. According to their creation model, all the fossil-bearing rock layers in the world need to be created during the Flood of Noah. Fossils, in ancient rock layers, imply that death occurred before the Fall of man, which is contrary to their interpretation of Scripture.

The most visible rock layers in the world are those in the Grand Canyon. For many years young-earth creation scientists have invested a lot of time and research into the Grand Canyon. They believe that if they can find a model to explain the canyon rocks, then their followers will probably accept the rest of the earth's rocks as young.

Coconino Sandstone

One of the problems that the young earth model encounters in the Grand Canyon is the Coconino Sandstone. I've already discussed this in another article, so let me only summarize here. Geologists have stated that this formation of 315-foot thick sandstone was created by a desert environment, and is a deposition of wind-deposited sand dunes

The problem for the young earth creationist is that this rock layer is topped by two other fossil-bearing marine rock layers, the Toroweap Limestone and the Kaibab Limestone. This presents a problem to the young-earth model because if the sandstone originated by wind, then obviously it could not have been produced by Noah's Flood. The young-earth scientist would have to explain how the water receded, then the sandstone formed, then the water came back and deposited the other layers. However, in the Biblical Flood account, the waters rose, then fell. There were no cyclic water levels, nor was there a massive amount of time during the flood for a desert environment to create a 315-foot thick rock layer. The desert formation of this sandstone would disprove its formation during the Flood, and would disprove the young age of the earth.

Several young-earth scientists have attempted to explain this away, claiming that this sandstone was created underwater, and thus is not a desert sandstone. I dispute this theory because their model does not have the necessary forces to create the Coconino Sandstone (for more on this, see Coconino Sandstone). However, that is not the purpose of this article.

Other sandstones which are desert in origin will also disprove the young age of the earth. Therefore, the young-earth scientist must discredit every desert sandstone in the world. If one desert sandstone exists with a fossil-bearing ocean-deposited layer on top, it discredits the entire young earth flood model, and proves the old age of the earth.

Let's look at other desert-origin sandstones. I will continually add to this article as I read through the research and discover other sandstones.

Navajo Sandstone

I'll start with the Navajo Sandstone. This sandstone is most evident in the tall cliffs of Zion Canyon National Park in Utah. The thickness of this formation varies from 1,600 to 2,200 feet. It is evident from the excellent cross-bedding in this formation and other features that this is created from a desert environment. Below the Navajo there are thousands of feet of rock layers, including the layers of the Grand Canyon. Again, please note…all the layers of the Grand Canyon are below the Navajo.

Looking at the rocks above the Navajo, the problem for the young-earth scientist gets even more complicated.. Looking at the Navajo at Arches National Park, there are at least 1,500 feet of rock layers above the Navajo at this location alone. The first is the Entrada Sandstone, which consists of three units, the Moab and Slick Rock members, (which are themselves desert dune sandstones), and the Dewey Bridge Member, which is about 200 feet of marine deposits. Above this is the thin Summerville Formation, siltstone from a lake/lagoon environment. Then comes the most serious problem for the young earth model...the Morrison Formation. This formation has yielded thousands of dinosaur fossils, supposedly killed during Noah's Flood. Above the Morrison are the Dakota Sandstone (beach environment) and the Mancoa Shale (shallow marine).

In fact, all the dinosaur fossils are far above the Grand Canyon sediments. The young earth model says the Flood killed most of the dinosaurs1...and according to their model, all the layers of the Grand Canyon were deposited during the Flood2. That is over 1 mile of sediment. The first dinosaur fossils appear in the Chinle formation, which is two formations above the Grand Canyon layers.

How did these dinosaurs survive the deposition phase of the flood, which deposited over 8,000 feet of sediment before we see the first dinosaur fossil? Young earth explanations (see sources below) fail to offer a valid explanation of this problem…they make absolutely no sense out of the solid facts of the rock layers.

Given the young earth model, the flood waters must have created all these layers. However, you can't have Flood-deposited rocks of the Grand Canyon, topped stratigraphically by a desert sandstone, the Navajo, to the north of the Canyon, and then covered by more sea-deposited layers. None of these layers above the Grand Canyon, including the layers above the Navajo, can be accounted for by the young-earth model.

Evidence From Creation Scientists!

Here is the most amazing evidence for the desert, wind-formed Navajo Sandstone. Creation scientists themselves admit it! I don't know if they are aware of this or not. I've done a review of the cornerstone book of young-earth proof of Noah's Flood and the Grand Canyon (located at the Answers In Creation website) . The book is called Grand Canyon: Monument to Catastrophe. It is published by the Institute for Creation Research. This book was put together by 14 of the pre-eminent young-earth creation scientists in the world.

On page 32 of this book, they are making a case for the Coconino Sandstone of the Grand Canyon. They claim it was deposited not in a dry, desert environment, but in a water environment. Figure 3.10 shows a plot of grain sizes for the Coconino, two modern water environments, and a "Desert Sand Dune." Through this plot, it is shown that the desert dune plots out to a straight line, whereas the Coconino, and the water environment sands, plot out as jagged, irregular lines. This is used as proof that the Coconino is not a desert sandstone.

The amazing thing is the source of the "Desert Sand Dune" grain size plots. The first paragraph in the right column, first sentence, gives the source as footnote number 44. If you turn to this footnote, the source of the desert sand grain size plot is "Stratigraphic Analysis of the Navajo Sandstone," published in the Journal of Sedimentary Petrology! That's right! These creation scientists are using the desert-created Navajo Sandstone to argue against the Coconino as being desert in origin.

However, the Navajo is overlaid with many fossil bearing rock layers, including the Morrison Formation, with thousands of dinosaurs killed during the Flood of Noah. This can't be! We now have proof, from young-earth creation scientists themselves, that the Navajo Sandstone formed as a dry, desert sandstone, right in the middle of Noah's Flood!!!! Without meaning to, they have proved the old age of the earth!

Conclusion

The Coconino and Navajo are only two desert-created sandstones. No doubt the desert formations in China and Mongolia would also disprove the young age of the earth. I will post others here, as I have time to research them. Unfortunately for the young-earth creationist, it only takes one example of desert sandstone to disprove the young age of the earth. As you can see, the earth is old, just like the geologists have told us, and just as God's creation testifies.

1 Oard, Michael, The Extinction of the Dinosaurs. (http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/magazines/tj/tj_v11n2.asp)

2 Austin, Steven (ed.), Grand Canyon: Monument to Catastrophe, Institute for Creation Research, 1995

Is Dish TV a Valuable Alternative

Are features offered by Dish TV making its Satellite TV service a valuable alternative? With interactive tools, guides, and myriad options made available to every subscriber, the offerings made by Dish TV cannot be surpassed. Moreover, the affordability of Dish TV's services seems almost criminal when one considers all of the incredible options made available to them with Dish TV's amazing features! In fact, it is no surprise that Dish TV has been deemed the number one Satellite TV company in terms of customer service by J.D. Power and Associates.

First, Dish TV provides a Satellite TV installation screen that puts the subscriber in control of the installation process. A Dish TV subscriber can change satellite transponders, and detect the strength of their satellite signal with a satellite signal meter. Moreover, the satellite signal meter is accompanied by a special audio sound that lets the subscriber know when they have aligned their Satellite TV dish properly-leaving no question that the installation has been performed correctly. Finally, the satellite signal meter allows subscribers to easily determine if there is a problem with their satellite signal and to maintain the signal by removing any obstructions and retesting the signal.

Next, every single Satellite TV program broadcast through Dish TV services is accompanied with a complete description of the program. With a click of the Dish TV remote, subscribers are provided with a brief description of the current program, the time the programs starts and ends, the date the program is being aired, a parental rating of the program and a stars critique of the program in question. What's more, the program information can be viewed with a white background or a clear background, whichever the subscriber prefers at the moment.

Additionally, Dish TV services offer Dish TV Interactive. Dish TV Interactive gives subscribers access to news, sports, horoscopes, games, instant weather reports for the local area, account information, access to special shopping offers and myriad miscellaneous entertainment including Karaoke and Rapzit. Along with the Dish TV Interactive features, subscribers are free to order Pay-Per-View films anytime they desire and Pay-Per-View shows can, in some instances, be ordered well in advance of the event.

With all of the features listed above, it is certainly surprising to discover that there are even more fantastic Dish TV services available. In fact, when subscribers first receive Dish TV services they will find themselves pleasantly surprised-Dish TV often offers installation promotions and a typical promotion will include a free Satellite TV dish and anywhere from 1 to 4 satellite receivers! What does this mean for the subscriber? It means Satellite TV access in up to 4 rooms of their home!

The channel selection offered to subscribers, of course, depends upon the programming they have purchased. Nonetheless, what is made available to the subscriber is a diverse array of programming. Packages are offered that include America's Top 60, America's Top 120, America's Top 180, and the America's Everything Pak. Adult programming can also be ordered for additional fees.

The America's Everything Pak includes all of the programs offering in any other package along with all of the Cinemax, Starz! Showtime and HBO channels. So, if a subscriber wants the complete Dish TV experience, the America's Everything Pak is definitely the package to order.

In essence, Dish TV offers diverse programming. Subscribers can choose from 10 Showtime stations, 8 Starz! Stations, 8 HBO offerings, and 5 Cinemax offerings. Moreover, sports lovers will truly get a kick out of Dish TV's features-a selection of sports programming is provided by Dish TV that can't be beat. You can watch the Multi Regional Sports channels, The Outdoor Channel, MLB Extra Innings, ESPN College Grand Slam, NBA League Pass, ESPN Game Plan, NHL Center Ice, MLS Direct Kick, and English Premier League programming. Finally, those individuals that prefer adult programming can easily get access to ECLIPSE, The Erotic Network, Extasy, Hot Zone and Play boy programming, respectively.

Along with all of the fantastic Satellite TV channels, Dish TV subscribers also get access to Sirius satellite radio channels. Music lovers can listen to theme orient music like New Age, Pop, the 70s, the 80s, the 90s, Jazz, Rap, Classic Rock, Hard Rock, Christian Music, and more. It certainly appears that Dish TV goes beyond the call of customer service to offer subscribers Satellite TV and radio entertainment.

Did you know that Dish TV is now offering Internet services? In conjunction with Earthlink, Dish TV is now providing high-speed Internet access. For as little as 19.95 per month, subscribers can get high-speed Internet service, Earthlink DSL service, DSL equipment and free activation. Thus, for those dialup users formerly without high-speed Internet connection, Dish TV has created an additional service for you! Downloads are significantly faster with Dish TV's Internet services and Dish TV offers all of the software applications and security features that the top Internet Service Providers offer.

Alternatively, the quality of customer service supplied by Dish TV cannot be overstated. Dish TV representatives are available every day of the week, 24 hours a day either by phone or a subscriber can use the customer support option provide by Dish TV Interactive. Either way, friendly service is readily available. Furthermore, if a subscriber has any difficulties whatsoever using their Satellite TV equipment, there are technicians readily available to assist them. Finally, calling Dish TV at any time is always free.

What is clear is that Dish TV strives to provide outstanding customer service. In every way possible, Dish TV offers features that make Satellite TV entertainment an enjoyable experience for the viewer. With fantastic features, programming and services, it is clear that Dish TV will remain one of the leading companies in Satellite TV service for many years to come. Subscribing to Dish TV's offerings is as easy as making one toll free phone call. A free installation can be planned for you and a skilled technician will come to your home and install your service for free. Once the service is installed, the technician will show you the ropes and you will be well on your way to enjoying the same features supplied to every Dish TV subscriber: unbelievable features that you will thoroughly enjoy for many months to come. How's that for truly fantastic customer service?

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Solar Power, Worth The Hassle?

In this piece of work that I am about to commence with I will discuss whether or not it is wise to convert or at least supplement your home electricity source with solar power. This is a worthwhile undertaking because there are many things in this world that are billed as cost or time saving and are actually the opposite when looked at with the right measurements or perspective. So the question is, "is solar power what it claims to be-a clean source of energy that is cheaper than other forms, or is it merely a fad that makes people think that they are being kind to the environment or cost effective."

So let's talk about the claims. Number one: a clean source of energy. When you think about it the energy from the sun is about as clean and as natural as you get. There is no chemical reaction that creates an undesirable waste product, there is no burning, no smoke, no extra gases formed. So in this way-yes it is clean. But you also have to look at how you harness that energy. If you have to create undesirable waste such as plastic or other materials that can't be naturally broken down; or you have to use energy that is not clean such as coal or other fossil fuel burning to create the product than you are at least decreasing the benefit of the clean power supply.

In the case of solar power you do have to create the cells which are made of plastic as well as the wiring and the housings for these cells. So there is some unseemliness to the cleanliness of this power source. The question is, does the benefit outweigh the costs? And in the case of solar power, it does seem that if the units are maintained and last for a long time they eventually will come out ahead. Not like cloth diapers which would, it seems, be a lot better for the environment than their disposable counterparts from huggies. The fact is that the bleach used to clean the cloth diapers is much worse for the environment than the disposable diaper which will eventually (though it takes many years) break down almost entirely.

Second solar power is a cheaper source of energy than other options. This again seems very true on the surface. After all everyone has access to the sun and the sun doesn't charge does it? But then again the solar cells cost quite a pretty penny so it will take a while to pay them off with the cost savings. And you will have to maintain them paying a technician to come out and fix the units with expensive parts. So is it cost effective? Well again it seems as though over the long run yes solar power is a way to cheapen your energy costs considerably. Not like recycling which boasts of a way to save the environment and cheapen the cost of those materials that are being recycled. Well both may not be as true as stated prompting many communities to "recycle" the materials that they collect from well meaning residents right into the trash.