icials stated, “Hwy. 70 was periodically closed earlier due to an unusual flare at Crosstex. We’ve received inquiries about a well being in fire."Read more.
Oil Spill Cleanup Options
In light of the 2010 BP disaster in Gulf of Mexico and the 2011 Exxon oil spill in Yellowstone river, Mike Chung at Penn State along with colleagues have been working on a solution to recover oil spills by employing polyolefin-based oil super-absorbent polymer (oil-SAP) that exhibits high oil absorption capability (up to 50 times of its weight), fast kinetics, easy recovery from water surface, and no water absorption.
The researchers claim that the new oil-SAP technology will drastically lower the damaging effects of oil spills on the environment, while also providing a cost effective method for retrieving the oil spilled in oceans. Also, the gel can then be shipped to refineries where the oil can be extracted and put to use – around 19 litres of oil can be recovered from a pound of the gel material. Read More.
Tips for Creating Budget Friendly Disaster Kits
Think budget constraints will keep you from creating a kit? Think again! I happen to be the sovereign of savings, a dignitary of discounts, rollback royalty, queen of all things clearance and, well, you get the idea.
I don't believe in paying full price for anything if I don’t have to. As a self-proclaimed bargain bounty hunter, I’m going to share a few ideas to make sure that, regardless of your budget, you will be able to prepare an emergency kit that will protect your family as well as your finances. Click here for six budget friendly planning tips.
Modern Day Noah's Ark
The main reason guests would flock to the Ark Hotel would be its ability to save them from a natural disaster of Noah proportions. That’s because the futuristic building has been designed to withstand floods caused by rising sea levels.
The floating behemoth is a ‘biosphere’ conceived as a safe, self-contained haven.Branded as a green, self-sustaining environment for guests, the shell-shaped hotel would withstand tidal waves and other natural disasters. Architects say the Ark’s shell-like construction of arches and cables evenly distribute weight so it is also invulnerable to earthquakes. Read more.
Hantavirus in Yosemite - Should we be concerned?
Not really, but the medical victories we've experienced over the past 100 years have made Americans forget that such diseases haven't gone away, says David Dausey, director of the Institute for Public Health at Mercyhurst Universityin Erie, Pa. "It's unsettling to realize that we're not entirely safe from these things."
The rise of hantavirus and West Nile virus, neither even recognized in the United States before 1993, is making people check their window screens, stock up on bug spray and rethink travel plans. In Yosemite this summer, hantavirus has killed three people out of nine sickened. Nationally, West Nile virus is the worst it's been since the disease arrived on our shores in 1999: more than 3,545 illnesses and 147 deaths as of Thursday. Read more.
Here is a sneak peek of 2013 Winter Forecast
After the contiguous United States recorded its fourth warmest winter and as many as 24 states recording below average precipitation, followed by a summer which was the third warmest on record, the Farmers' Almanac is predicting a return to winter for some, but not all this year. The latest and newly released edition of the Farmers' Almanac noted that "the climate this winter will render the nation divided".
According to the Farmers' Almanac, the eastern two-thirds of the nation will be colder than normal while the western United States will be warmer than normal. Furthermore, the eastern two-thirds of the country will be wetter than average with Old Man Winter returning with a vengeance across the Great Lakes and Northeast regions. They are expecting most of the eastern states – as far south as the Gulf Coast – to see snowier than normal conditions and cooler temperatures and are pinpointing February 12–15 and March 20–23 as target dates for a major east coast storm event to ta