One of the largest glaciers in Antarctica is thinning four times faster than it was 10 years ago, according to research seen by the BBC. A study of satellite measurements of Pine Island glacier in west Antarctica reveals the surface of the ice is now dropping at a rate of up to 16m a year. Since 1994, the glacier has lowered by as much as 90m, which has serious implications for sea-level rise. The work by British scientists appears in Geophysical Research Letters. The team was led by Professor Duncan Wingham of University College London (UCL). Calculations based on the rate of melting 15 years ago had suggested the glacier would last for 600 years. But the new data points to a lifespan for the vast ice stream of only another 100 years. The rate of loss is fastest in the centre of the glacier and the concern is that if the process continues, the glacier may break up and start to affect the ice sheet further inland. One of the authors, Professor Andrew Shepherd of Leeds University, said that the melting from the centre of the glacier would add about 3cm to […]
A patient in Illinois was charged $12,712 for cataract surgery. Medicare pays $675 for the same procedure. In California, a patient was charged $20,120 for a knee operation that Medicare pays $584 for. And a New Jersey patient was charged $72,000 for a spinal fusion procedure that Medicare covers for $1,629. The charges came out of a survey sponsored by America’s Health Insurance Plans in which insurers were asked for some of the highest bills submitted to them in 2008. The group, which represents 1,300 health insurance companies, said it had no data on the frequency of such high fees, saying that to its knowledge no one had studied that. But it said it did the survey in part to defend against efforts by the Obama administration to portray certain industry practices as a major part of the nation’s health care problems. The health insurers, saying they felt unfairly vilified, gave the report to The New York Times before posting it online on Tuesday, explaining that they wanted to show that doctors’ fees are part of the health care problem. The group said it had used Medicare payments for comparison because Medicare was so familiar and […]
LONDON — India and China are in talks to monitor the melting of glaciers in the Himalayas, a border region crucial to both countries’ water supplies, India Minister for Environment Jairam Ramesh has said. ‘We are talking to the Chinese about monitoring the Himalayan glaciers,’ Ramesh told the Financial Times. However, he said India would not allow Chinese scientists ‘to climb all over India’s glaciers’ but wanted a collaborative research programme. He said as part of a scientific investigation into the health of what are called the ‘Water Towers of Asia’, academic research bodies on both sides of the mountain range would share information. He said New Delhi is open to dialogue on water resources with Beijing, adding the two countries shared the concerns. Ramesh is visiting China this month to strike a deal with Beijing ahead of the Copenhagen talks on climate change in December.
The Ford Fusion Hybrid is in a category all its own when it comes to hybrid passenger cars. It is new for 2009 and offers an aggressive strong hybrid drivetrain. Design Unlike the Prius and Insight, the Fusion Hybrid doesn’t look like a hybrid. Styling is the same as the gas-only Fusion sedan except for a very attractive hybrid decal. The car has a sleek and attractive athletic pure sedan appeal. The classic Ford wide plate chrome grille is appealing as is the general rake and stance. Interior The car is roomy and comfortable. The six way automatically adjustable leather seats are supportive and easy to relax in and get ‘just right.’ Of the three most popular hybrids, the Fusion has the most beautiful and tastefully done driver interface. The traditional instrument cluster is evolved into a bright colorful LCD display that opens on either side of the central dial speedometer. It has a lot of custom configuration options from a minimalist to total gearhead. One of the more interesting and useful elements is an EV mode envelope that shows you your potential to stay within EV only operation. That window widens and narrows […]
Toyota Motor Corp. will start selling as early as 2011 hybrid vehicles that are more fuel efficient than Prius, the Yomiuri newspaper reported, without saying where it obtained the information. The compact hybrid runs more than 40 kilometers on 1 liter of gasoline, compared with 38 kilometers for Prius. The vehicle will probably be priced at 1.5 million yen ($15,600) in Japan, the newspaper said.
Remote Viewing the Year 2060
