Don't Breathe! Parts of the world to avoid? That's Easy! Unless you live there!!

This post was first published in June 2017.  It is now July 2020 and the content is due for an UPDATE.  Information presented below the 3 highlighted asterisks (* * * ) was presented in 2017 and it was based on a map dated 2014.  I have been able to determine that the map has changed since 2014.  I also determined that something else of interest to all of mankind has happened since 2014/2017.

Here is UPDATE for this post.
In 2020, the World Health Organization officially announced that "we" are all in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic.  "We"?  That means EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD!!  As horrific as that sounds, believe it or not, there's a bright side.

Because of the pandemic, people have been required to shelter in place, at home, to prevent the spread of the disease.  As a result?  The air is more breathable!  Who would have thunk it!

Check out these headlines.

• Air pollution falls by unprecedented levels in major global cities during coronavirus lockdowns by Helen Regan, CNN, Updated 12:05 AM ET, Thu April 23, 2020

• Before-and-after photos show the dramatic effect lockdowns are having on pollution around the world by Sophie-Claire Hoeller May 15, 2020, 11:55 AM

Some scientists are saying these effects are short-term and won't last.  No, of course, they won't!  Because humans are not going to be locked down FOREVER!  (At least "We" hope not!)

• The short-term impacts of COVID-19 lockdown on urban air pollution in China | Nature Sustainability July 7, 2020

RECOMMENDED READING:
Informative Data Showing the Impact of Pollution: Hannah Ritchie (2017) - "Air Pollution". Published online at OurWorldInData.org. Retrieved from: 'https://ourworldindata.org/air-pollution' [Online Resource]

A map has been updated for 2020.  Sadly, there are some countries who bumped the other countries and have moved into the Top Ten List for "Worst Air Quality".

World Live Air Quality Map | AirVisual - IQAir

This chart compares the 2014 data with the 2019 ranking.

2014	2019
Ukraine	Bangladesh
India	Pakistan
China	Mongolia
Indonesia	Afghanistan
Russia	India
Ghana	Indonesia
Nigeria	Bahrain
Bangladesh	Nepal
Azerbaijan	Uzbekistan
Zambia	Iraq

* * *
Cities listed by mapsoftheworld.com in 2014 as “the most polluted places around the world having either the worst air or water quality due to industrial, chemical, and waste processing”:

1. Chernobyl, Ukraine
2. Delhi, India
3. Baoding, China
4. Citarum River, Indonesia
5. Dzerzhinsk, Russia
6. Agbogbloshie in Ghana
7. Norilsk, Russia
8. Niger Delta, Nigeria
9. Hazaribagh, Bangladesh
10. Central Kalimantan, Indonesia
11. Sumgayit, Azerbaijan
12. Kabwe, Zambia
13. La Oroya, Peru
14. Matanza-Riachuelo, Argentina
15. Ahvaz, Iran

“The World Health Organization had named the city of Ahvaz in western Iran as one of the most polluted cities in the world.”

"Around the World : Pollution Around the World." Maps of the World. Compare Infobase Ltd., 22 Sept. 2015. Web. 05 June 2017.

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Being the typical selfish arrogant ignorant American, I checked the list of places with the worst and the best air quality. USA was not on either list. However, Bloomberg did say that the air quality in New York is the best it's ever been in 50 years. I don't know how to interpret that statement. I'm just glad I don't live in New York!

I ♥ New York.  I just don't want to live there. 😊

Do you sometimes wonder if earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters are God's way of cleaning the environment?  It's not as if we can load planet earth into a washing machine.


NOTE:  I am not a scientist and I don't track air quality.  If you see anything in this post that warrants correction and/or updating, feel free to call me out. PLEASE!! 

Do the Adults at NASA Care About Climate Change?

According to a fact sheet about the history of NASA, the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) didn't really have anything to do with the weather. The President of the United States and Congress created NASA on October 1, 1958. Its mission was described as follows: "An Act to provide for research into the problems of flight within and outside the Earth's atmosphere, and for other purposes." So! "Other purposes"? That could include research about climate change. Not sure of the exact date when NASA joined the global climate change debate but they are certainly contributing to the discussion now! You can find lots of information at a site called “NASA: Climate Change and Global Warming”.

On September 20, 2019, several students skipped classes to stage a protest regarding how many governments (“the adults”) are ignoring climate change and how their future is at risk if they don't do something! (“1.1 Million Can Skip School for Climate Protest” – The New York Times)

In defense of “the adults”, it doesn't look like all of them have been ignoring the ill effects of climate change. Four years before this protest was ever planned NASA shared their predictions of what the world will look like in 2100. Not poking fun at this federal agency and the work that they do, but shouldn’t people have been seriously listening to what they had to say a long time ago? (O.o) After all, they can see a lot from outer space.

Here is an important quote extracted from the document:

“ … the data, which can be filtered down to the level of individual cities and towns on a daily timescale, will help developing nations predict and prepare for the local effects changing patterns in weather, floods and droughts. At a global scale, it’ll help Earth scientists, and anyone else who’s interested, explore what’s looking to be a very toasty end of the century.”

I have no doubt that the students involved in the protest were genuinely sincere and genuinely concerned about the impact that ignoring climate change will have on their future. They are concerned enough to refer to climate change as “an emergency”.

I also have no doubt that there are probably several intelligent students in that group (or in the group who did not skip classes) who could work alongside “the adults”, analyze the NASA climate projections, and possibly come up with a way to save planet earth. First, save a city. Then a state. Then a country. And finally the whole world!

What do you say, kids? Why not ignore the adults who are not paying attention and work with the adults who do care?

Original Source

Entertainment: Movie Review : The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

For sci-fi fans and fans of Jake Gyllenhaal. I remember listening to a review by one of the critics that made me laugh. Paraphrasing his words, basically, he said:

• “This is a typical storyline. Something devastating or catastrophic is going to happen on earth. And of course, the one who knows what it is, what to do, and tries to warn others is the very person that nobody listens to!!”

This is a lighthearted movie review of a 2004 sci-fi film. Even though it’s 15 years old (as of 2019), it’s still relevant today. Plus! Fans of Jake Gyllenhaal, who want to know what he looked like as a teenager, will love this movie!

What the Official Movie Critics Said

Several official critics had a lot to say about “The Day After Tomorrow”. I remember a review by one of the official critics that made me laugh. Paraphrasing his words, he said:

• “This is a typical storyline. Something devastating or catastrophic is going to happen on earth. Of course, there is one person who knows what it is, what to do, and tries to warn others is the very person that nobody listens to!!”

What This Unofficial Movie Reviewer Says

If you believe in climate change, you’ll understand the storyline. What’s going to happen is there is going to be a drastic change in the weather and there will be freezing cold temperatures. Cold enough that people will die. If you believe in cryogenics, people won’t die. They’ll be instantly frozen. They can be thawed out later.

The Day After Tomorrow – Official® Trailer

Watched this movie and don’t want to spoil it for those who may not have seen it. (Although you might guess The End through the “hints” woven in between the lines of this discussion.)

Most Memorable Movie Scene

For me, there was only one memorable scene in the movie; a scene worth remembering because I love libraries.

In this scene, there is a group of people in a room in a library. It’s getting really cold! They have to do something to stay warm and since they’re in a library, they start burning books, grabbing any book within their reach and throwing it in the fireplace. They get ready to grab this one book and the man holding on it to refuses to let it go!

He goes: “You’re not burning this book!” He spills out his various reasons why “The Book” must not be destroyed.

Some debate and try to reason with him. Others are about to physically struggle to take the book away from him. Someone yells out that they have found an alternative set of books. No doubt every American would love to burn them! This is not one book. It is a set and has volumes upon volumes upon volumes. The group consensus is: “Yeah! Let’s burn those!!”

To me, that scene was totally hilarious fiction. The scene was also realistic. You could almost visualize that scenario actually happening in real life. If you’re an American taxpayer, you know you’ve thought of burning the U.S. Tax Code.

My Unofficial Movie Rating?  3.5 out of 5 stars and I’m being generous.

* * *

Links of Interest:

We need better laws to protect the rights of future frozen cryonicists: Cryogenics is facing legal trouble with body preservation — Quartz

Agriculture Department buries studies showing dangers of climate change – POLITICO

Content first published at RationalMind.club.

Watch the movie trailer

Thoughts and Opinions : Global Warming Versus Global Returning? Science?

THOUGHT: Suppose global warming is actually global returning?

Sharing these wacky thoughts of mine. Hoping you don’t run away from me even though I speak my mind which is often … kind of weird, strange and Krazee with a capital “K”!


OK So! It’s the year 2017 and it’s spring time here in Austin, Texas, and I never know what kind of weather to expect each day. When we moved to this city in 1998, people use to describe the weather as “climatically perfect”. The weather was terrific!

See Also:

My kids have grown accustomed to my standard excuse that I use to point the finger of blame at … everything!

If something happens, no matter what … I say:

• “IDK!  I blame global warming. Whatever!”

♦ ♦ ♦

Most of you know I believe/read the Bible a lot and as a result, my rationale and reasoning or explanations may come across to others as somewhat “peculiar”. Like this particular thought.

THOUGHT: Suppose global warming is actually global returning?


Follow my thought process (if you can).

According to the Bible, when the earth was first created, Adam and Eve used to walk around in their birthday suits. Naked! The reason they were given clothes didn’t have anything to do with a change in the weather.  Also, Noah preaching about a coming flood was disregarded by the masses because … Why?  Because it had never rained before! Water had never come down from the sky! It would take faith to believe such a thing could happen.

So IF in the beginning, man and woman were able to walk around au naturel, that must mean that the weather was terrific! All the time! Everywhere on planet earth!!

Today it like 79 degrees in Austin, Texas but the day is over.  Earlier this morning it felt a little chilly. Yesterday the heat from the sun was beating me down!

• Maybe global warming is not disastrous.
• Maybe it’s a good thing.
• Maybe … ? Our weather is just going back to the way it was in the beginning.
• Maybe … global warming is actually global returning.  (O.o)

JAOOMPT! Just another one of my peculiar thoughts.


glitter-graphics.com

It's a thought.  Previously published May 2017, at Literacy Base.

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Science and Politics of Global Warming VS Climate Change

Once upon a time, I used to watch the Discovery Channel but no more. No point crying over spilled milk. Today I made a wonderful discovery. Discovery News which is under the corporate umbrella for the Discovery Communications, LLC , has a Tumblr blog, as do I.

Science and Politics of Global Warming VS Climate Change

Once upon a time, I used to watch the Discovery Channel but no more. No point crying over spilled milk. Today I made a wonderful discovery. Discovery News which is under the corporate umbrella for the Discovery Communications, LLC , has a Tumblr blog, as do I.

Science and Politics of Global Warming VS Climate Change

Science and Politics of Global Warming VS Climate Change

Once upon a time, I used to watch the Discovery Channel but no more. No point crying over spilled milk. Today I made a wonderful discovery. Discovery News which is under the corporate umbrella for the Discovery Communications, LLC, has a Tumblr blog, as do I. The difference between the DiscoveryNews blog and mine is that their blog actually adds value to world wide web and learning community; whereas my blog only oozes my personality. One thing leads to another and in visiting the blog it led me to a video which asked an interesting question: “Ever wonder what the difference between “global warming” and “climate change” is?”

My answer is “No.” Why would I wonder? They’re both the same thing. NOT!!

My bad! Trace Dominguez, the guy in the video totally straightened me out. He also clarified how the Republicans use the terms “global warming” and “climate change” which is a thought that had never crossed my mind.

I’m wondering if the guy actually wants me to take him seriously or if he was doing a comedy routine with a straight face. I can’t tell. (O.o) (???)

Here’s the link to the video. 
- The Difference Between Global Warming & Climate Change


Like the featured image? It’s from Pixabay.

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Original Post Jun 3, 2014 at TreasurePen

Thoughts and Opinions : Global Warming Versus Global Returning? Science?

THOUGHT: Suppose global warming is actually global returning? Sharing these wacky thoughts of mine. Hoping you don't run away from me even though I speak my mind which is often ... kind of weird, strange and Krazee with a capital "K"! OK So!

Thoughts and Opinions : Global Warming Versus Global Returning? Science?

THOUGHT: Suppose global warming is actually global returning? Sharing these wacky thoughts of mine. Hoping you don't run away from me even though I speak my mind which is often ... kind of weird, strange and Krazee with a capital "K"! OK So!

Earth Day and Tree Tuesday - What a Great Combination!

Content previously published Apr 22, 2014.  Updated / republishing for Earth Day 2017.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

I should be more diligent since the earth is everyone’s home. Which means Earth Day should probably be marked on my calendar and every Tuesday I should have a contribution for Tree Tuesday. Let’s not even mention Climate Change or Global Warming. But I have to do a post because today, April 22nd, 2014, because Earth Day and Tree Tuesday are combined. So below are a few links to show my care and concern about planet earth, our home. Can’t really say lot because science was never my best subject.

The Earth flag is not an official flag, since there is no official governing body over Earth. The flag holds a photo transfer of a NASA image of the Earth on a dark blue background. It has been associated with Earth Day. Although the flag was originally copyrighted, a judge ruledhttp://www.tabberone.com/Trademarks/CopyrightLaw/Copyrightability/articles/EarthFlagVsAlamoFlag_A.shtml that the copyright was invalid. Earth Flag Ltd. v. Alamo Flag Co., 154 F. Supp. 2d 663 (S.D.N.Y. 2001) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Indian Banyan Tree And The Pippal Tree

- These trees have cultural significance as they are considered sacred by the Hindus and Buddhists.  The banyan tree is the National Tree of India.  All trees should have cultural significance to everybody.  Next link!

Trees Deserve Respect

- The presence of trees is what separates earth from all the other planets.

Celebrate Earth Day and Help Protect the Planet

- Donate, reuse and recycle; save energy; and maintain an awareness of environmental needs.  So what if you can’t afford a hybrid car.  You can use a recycle bin and turn off lights!

DON’T KILL RAPTORS!!

- Raptors are birds of prey.  They serve a very important purpose.  They help maintain a balance in our environment.

Related articles

• NASA will celebrate the 45th annual Earth Day
• Earth Day 2015 - Make it count!

Global Warming or Global Returning?

Happy last day of February!!  Yes.  It is still Monday.

The winter months here in Austin, Texas, have not been winter-like at all.  Started the new year this way.  Some days it was like 70+ degrees in January! 
 
My kids have grown accustomed to my standard excuse that I use to point the finger of blame at … everything! 
 
If something happens, no matter what … I say:

• “IDK! I blame global warming. Whatever! ”

So here is my Krazee with a capital "K" thought for today. (FYI.  This content was previously shared at PersonaPaper, Jan 25, 2016).

Have to write it down now because it might be forgotten by tomorrow. Have these momentary bursts on inspiration and … sometimes they don't stick. Brain neurons don't spark like they used to and I forget! 
 
Most of you know I believe/read the Bible a lot and as a result, my rationale and reasoning or explanations may come across to others as somewhat “peculiar”. Like this particular thought. 
 
THOUGHT: Suppose global warming is actually global returning?


Ah hah! Think about it. 

 
When the earth was first created, Adam and Eve used to walk around in their birthday suits. Naked! The reason they were given clothes didn't have anything to do with a change in the weather. Also, Noah preaching about a coming flood was disregarded by the masses because it had never rained before! Water had never come down from the sky! It would take faith to believe such a thing could happen. 
 
So if, in the beginning, man and woman were able to walk around au naturel , that must mean that the weather was terrific! All the time! Everywhere on planet earth !!

So today it like 72 degrees in Austin, Texas and it really should be a little chilly. After all, it's January!

• Maybe global warming is not disastrous.
• Maybe it's a good thing.
• Maybe … ? Our weather is just going back to the way it was in the beginning.
• Maybe … global warming is actually global returning. (O.o)

JAOOMPT! Just another one of my peculiar thoughts.


Good Day , Monday | Forward this Image

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

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• Why countries with the nicest people are the greenest

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