Jan. 29, 2013 ? Researchers are planning new ways of making tourist attractions dementia-friendly.
Fear of getting lost, fear of not finding the toilets or being misunderstood; there are many reasons why people with dementia and the families who care for them stop going on holiday.
For people with dementia, even simple days out can pose a host of hazards. Often, families say, it's easier to just stay at home. But Bournemouth University's newly launched Dementia Institute hopes to change that.
"We have a vision," says Professor Anthea Innes of the BU Dementia Institute (BUDI), "that perhaps in the future, Bournemouth might become a dementia-friendly tourist resort." An expert in health and social care research, Professor Innes is collaborating with Professor Stephen Page of BU's School of Tourism to launch pioneering research into dementia-friendly tourism -- developing venues where people with dementia will feel safe and at ease to enjoy themselves.
Encouraged by a government pledge to create 20 dementia-friendly cities, towns and villages by 2015, Professor Innes is working closely with those who need these facilities most.
"Our aim is to see how tourism can respond to the needs of people with dementia and their carers and find out if and why they haven't been able to access tourist attractions and leisure facilities," she says. "We hope to increase their use of tourist attractions, accommodation and resorts in the South of England."
While an exploratory pilot scheme will take place locally, Professor Innes hopes to expand the research to international, as well as UK, facilities. "Lots of work is currently going into dementia-friendly communities -- safe cashpoints, trained staff and police for instance -- but we are the only people looking specifically at leisure and tourism," she says.
Her initial focus groups with families of people with dementia will feed into research into voluntary organisations, NHS services and businesses themselves. BUDI plans to develop training to shape professional dementia care in the region. In the course of its research, BUDI's team will also interview the many tourist attractions that make up Bournemouth's seaside resort, such as the Oceanarium and venues such as tearooms, galleries, theatres and museums.
Dorset is home to one of the largest ageing populations in England and is a good place to start. Dorset also has the lowest rate of dementia diagnosis in the country, but not because of a shortage of people with the disease. Professor Innes estimates just one in four people with dementia in Dorset have actually been diagnosed.
"That's a shocking statistic. In other areas of the country about half the people with dementia are diagnosed, and if you don't have a diagnosis, you won't be able to access services and support. You might end up in a crisis situation because you and your family have not been able to plan for the future," she says.
Sometimes GPs are reluctant to give a diagnosis due to a lack of local services. A dementia label can also carry a stigma with families and communities -- meaning people are reluctant to admit a problem, and doctors might be unaware of the level of care available. Sometimes elderly people will already be in care homes, but labelled as 'pleasantly muddled,' rather than receiving a formal diagnosis.
A strong business case also exists for improving tourist facilities. Experts predict numbers of people with dementia will double over the next 30 years -- currently the disease costs the UK economy an estimated ?19 billion.
"If somewhere is labelled as dementia-friendly, it's good for the industry and people involved. Staff will be better trained and more aware -- and that's good for levels of service overall," says Professor Innes.
Reference: Innes, A, Kelly, F and McCabe, L (2012) (eds) Dementia in the 21st Century: Theory, policy and practice. London: Jessica Kingsley
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Blood pressure, cholesterol most important indicators of heart disease risk in diabeticsPublic release date: 28-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Catherine Hylas Saunders csaunders@golinharris.com 202-585-2603 Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente study examined blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels simultaneously
PORTLAND, Ore., January 28, 2013For people with diabetes, meeting the recommended guidelines for blood pressure and cholesterol is even more important than meeting the guidelines for blood sugar control in reducing the risk of heart attack or stroke, according to a new Kaiser Permanente study published today in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
The study included more than 26,000 patients with diabetes. Patients who met guidelines for all three risk factors and those who met the blood pressure and cholesterol guidelines were least likely to be hospitalized for a heart attack or stroke. Those who met none of the guidelines and those who met only the blood sugar guidelines were most likely to be hospitalized for a heart attack or stroke.
"People with diabetes are often focused on controlling their blood sugar, but our study found that controlling blood pressure and cholesterol is even more important in preventing heart disease," said Greg Nichols, Ph.D., lead author of the study and senior investigator with the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research. "This doesn't mean that people with diabetes should ignore their blood sugar levels. They should still get regular A1C tests to measure and control their blood glucose, but it's also important to pay attention to other factors that increase the risk for cardiovascular disease."
Adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely than people without diabetes to have cardiovascular disease, and most people with diabetes will die from a heart attack or stroke, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. There is abundant evidence that controlling the ABCsA1C (an average measure of blood sugar), blood pressure, and cholesterolcan reduce the risk, but until now it has been unclear which of these factors is most important.
The American Diabetes Association recommends that patients with diabetes maintain a target blood pressure reading of less than 130/80 mm Hg, an LDL cholesterol level of less than 100 mg/dl, and an A1C blood glucose level of less than 7 percent.
For this study, researchers examined the medical records of 26,636 adult patients from the Kaiser Permanente diabetes registry in Oregon and Washington starting in 2002 and following the patients through 2010, or until they died, left the health plan, or were hospitalized for a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack. Patients who were included had to have measurements of blood pressure, cholesterol, and A1C no more than six months apart, and researchers used the mean of those measurements if they were taken several times throughout the study period.
Most previous studies have examined one or two of these risk factors, but not all three at the same time. This is the first time researchers have published results of a study examining the risk factors simultaneously, and reporting the individual contribution of each factor on diabetes-related heart disease.
About 13 percent of patients in the study met targets for all three risk factors. Their rate of hospitalization for heart attack and stroke was about 2.5 times lower than the patients who met none of the targets. Patients were followed for an average of six years, and during that time 7 percent of the patients were hospitalized for a cardiovascular event.
For the last few years, Kaiser Permanente has encouraged diabetes patients who are at least 55 years old to participate in an aggressive initiative to prevent heart attacks and strokes. The ALL initiative is a therapeutic program that includes the use of aspirin, lisinopril, and a lipid-lowering medication. The initiative which also now includes the use of a beta blocker is also actively promoted and shared with other health systems outside Kaiser Permanente.
This study marks the latest effort by Kaiser Permanente to better understand the impacts of diabetes. Last year, a Kaiser Permanente study published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine found that when patients with diabetes experience interruptions in health insurance coverage, they are less likely to receive the screening tests and vaccines they need to protect their health. The study found this was true even when patients received free or reduced-cost medical care at federally funded safety net clinics.
###
Authors of the paper include Gregory A. Nichols, Ph.D., Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, Portland, Ore.; and Sandra Joshua-Gotlib, MSPH, MBA, and Shreekant Parasuraman, PhD, from AstraZeneca LP, Wilmington, Del. Funding for the study was provided by Astra Zeneca LP and Bristol Myers-Squibb, which make diabetes medications. The lead author has no affiliation with the companies and retained control of the data, analyses, and manuscript.
About the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research
The Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, founded in 1964, is a nonprofit research institution dedicated to advancing knowledge to improve health. It has research sites in Portland, Ore., Honolulu, and Atlanta.
http://www.kpchr.org
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and nonprofit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 9 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to:
kp.org/newscenter.
[ | 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.
Blood pressure, cholesterol most important indicators of heart disease risk in diabeticsPublic release date: 28-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Catherine Hylas Saunders csaunders@golinharris.com 202-585-2603 Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente study examined blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels simultaneously
PORTLAND, Ore., January 28, 2013For people with diabetes, meeting the recommended guidelines for blood pressure and cholesterol is even more important than meeting the guidelines for blood sugar control in reducing the risk of heart attack or stroke, according to a new Kaiser Permanente study published today in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
The study included more than 26,000 patients with diabetes. Patients who met guidelines for all three risk factors and those who met the blood pressure and cholesterol guidelines were least likely to be hospitalized for a heart attack or stroke. Those who met none of the guidelines and those who met only the blood sugar guidelines were most likely to be hospitalized for a heart attack or stroke.
"People with diabetes are often focused on controlling their blood sugar, but our study found that controlling blood pressure and cholesterol is even more important in preventing heart disease," said Greg Nichols, Ph.D., lead author of the study and senior investigator with the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research. "This doesn't mean that people with diabetes should ignore their blood sugar levels. They should still get regular A1C tests to measure and control their blood glucose, but it's also important to pay attention to other factors that increase the risk for cardiovascular disease."
Adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely than people without diabetes to have cardiovascular disease, and most people with diabetes will die from a heart attack or stroke, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. There is abundant evidence that controlling the ABCsA1C (an average measure of blood sugar), blood pressure, and cholesterolcan reduce the risk, but until now it has been unclear which of these factors is most important.
The American Diabetes Association recommends that patients with diabetes maintain a target blood pressure reading of less than 130/80 mm Hg, an LDL cholesterol level of less than 100 mg/dl, and an A1C blood glucose level of less than 7 percent.
For this study, researchers examined the medical records of 26,636 adult patients from the Kaiser Permanente diabetes registry in Oregon and Washington starting in 2002 and following the patients through 2010, or until they died, left the health plan, or were hospitalized for a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack. Patients who were included had to have measurements of blood pressure, cholesterol, and A1C no more than six months apart, and researchers used the mean of those measurements if they were taken several times throughout the study period.
Most previous studies have examined one or two of these risk factors, but not all three at the same time. This is the first time researchers have published results of a study examining the risk factors simultaneously, and reporting the individual contribution of each factor on diabetes-related heart disease.
About 13 percent of patients in the study met targets for all three risk factors. Their rate of hospitalization for heart attack and stroke was about 2.5 times lower than the patients who met none of the targets. Patients were followed for an average of six years, and during that time 7 percent of the patients were hospitalized for a cardiovascular event.
For the last few years, Kaiser Permanente has encouraged diabetes patients who are at least 55 years old to participate in an aggressive initiative to prevent heart attacks and strokes. The ALL initiative is a therapeutic program that includes the use of aspirin, lisinopril, and a lipid-lowering medication. The initiative which also now includes the use of a beta blocker is also actively promoted and shared with other health systems outside Kaiser Permanente.
This study marks the latest effort by Kaiser Permanente to better understand the impacts of diabetes. Last year, a Kaiser Permanente study published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine found that when patients with diabetes experience interruptions in health insurance coverage, they are less likely to receive the screening tests and vaccines they need to protect their health. The study found this was true even when patients received free or reduced-cost medical care at federally funded safety net clinics.
###
Authors of the paper include Gregory A. Nichols, Ph.D., Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, Portland, Ore.; and Sandra Joshua-Gotlib, MSPH, MBA, and Shreekant Parasuraman, PhD, from AstraZeneca LP, Wilmington, Del. Funding for the study was provided by Astra Zeneca LP and Bristol Myers-Squibb, which make diabetes medications. The lead author has no affiliation with the companies and retained control of the data, analyses, and manuscript.
About the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research
The Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, founded in 1964, is a nonprofit research institution dedicated to advancing knowledge to improve health. It has research sites in Portland, Ore., Honolulu, and Atlanta.
http://www.kpchr.org
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and nonprofit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 9 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to:
kp.org/newscenter.
[ | 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.
WASHINGTON -- For the first 32 games of the season, the Washington Wizards were a sorry bunch ? winning only four times. The comical comparison was the Washington Generals ? the punching bag for the Harlem Globetrotters.
Not so much anymore.
Emeka Okafor had 15 points and 16 rebounds, helping the Wizards beat the Chicago Bulls 86-73 on Saturday night for their seventh victory in the last 10 games.
Nene scored 16 points and John Wall had 15 for Washington, which has won consecutive games for the second time this season. The Wizards have won five straight at home for the first time in five years.
"We are the team we thought we were supposed to be," Okafor said.
The run began before Wall returned from a left knee injury, and now the injury-riddled team is healthy again.
"We have back all the players. There is our team," Nene said. "We gonna shut up people's mouths. That's what we're going to do."
Chicago (26-17) had won a season-high three in a row for the third time.
Nate Robinson scored 19 points for the Bulls, and Joakim Noah narrowly missed a triple-double with nine points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists, which equaled his career high.
"I think we got beat by a team that just played harder than us tonight," Noah said.
"We played tired basketball tonight."
Chicago dominated Golden State at home on Friday night, leading throughout the game while Washington (11-31) easily beat undermanned Minnesota for its 10th victory of the season.
Two of the season's first five wins came against Miami and Oklahoma City, but in many ways, this was even more impressive.
"As a coach, I'll take it against a high school team," Washington coach Randy Wittman said.
Wittman, whose team was decimated by injuries early this season, pointed out that star point guard Derrick Rose has yet to play for the Bulls, and All-Star forward Luol Deng missed his fifth straight game with a strained right hamstring.
"I've been there, but a win's a win," Wittman said.
Wall, who started for the second straight night, has been the catalyst for the team's recent success.
"It's not just me, man. It's never just me. I wanted to come in and be a spark for the team," Wall said.
"I'm just doing a great job of getting easy shots for my teammates."
The Wizards outscored Chicago 23-11 in the third quarter to take a 73-55 lead. The 11 points were a season low for the Bulls. Chicago had twice as many turnovers (six) as field goals (three) in the period.
"I thought we played low energy tonight," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said.
"You gotta get ready for everybody. ... When you start taking shortcuts, the results aren't gonna be good."
The Wizards put together an 11-0 run late in the second quarter, holding the Bulls scoreless for nearly five minutes while building a 50-44 halftime lead.
Washington outscored Chicago 10-2 to start the third and led 60-46 with 8:58 to play. Nene hit two more field goals and two free throws as the Wizards extended the lead to 69-51 with 4:28 left in the third.
NOTES: The 29 points in the second half were a season low for the Bulls. ... Within a minute in the third quarter, Chicago F Carlos Boozer was charged with a flagrant foul for elbowing Okafor and a technical foul. ... The game was a sellout ? the third of the season for Washington. ... The Wizards trailed after the first quarter for the first time in their last eight home games.
CHICAGO -- The UFC's stop in the Windy City had two great knockouts, a champion holding onto his belt, and the last fight of a one-time champ.
Despite a strong start by John Dodson, Demetrious Johnson held onto his championship belt with a unanimous decision. The judges saw it 48-47, 49-46, 48-47 for Johnson.
Unsurprisingly, Johnson and Dodson fought a fast-paced first two rounds. Johnson tried to slow things down in the first round with a takedown. While he did get Dodson to to the ground, the challenger popped back to his feet quickly.
Dodson dropped Johnson twice in the second round, and shook off Johnson's take down attempts with a great sprawl. Johnson seemed to have a hard time even getting close to Dodson to land a punch.
A Johnson knee in the fourth round caused a small fight stoppage. Dodson's hand was on the ground as Johnson threw a knee to Dodson's head, which is an illegal strike. The bout was stopped as doctors checked Dodson's eye and Johnson was warned. The fight went on, but not without plenty of boos from the crowd in Chicago.
When the fight restarted, it was all Johnson. He controlled Dodson against the cage, and threw knees that busted up Dodson's face. Johnson was able to get a takedown at the beginning of the fifth round, too. Though boos rained down, Johnson kept the fight against the cage.
Later, the crowd got behind him as Johnson elevated, tightened his legs around Dodson's torso and threw elbows. It was a creative move that likely could only happen in the flyweight division. Johnson finished the round with Dodson against the cage, and knee after knee after knee to the body and face.
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira
If this really was Quinton "Rampage" Jackson's last fight in the UFC, it wasn't one to remember. He was outstruck and outwrestled by Glover Teixeira throughout their bout. Teixeira took the fight 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 on the judges' cards.
Teixeira's first round was his best, as he was able to take Jackson down early and mount him and take his back. Late in the round, Teixeira knocked Jackson down with a punch and looked close to finishing, but wasn't able to end the fight.
The rest of the fight featured a worn out Jackson trying to avoid Teixeira's takedown attempts unsuccessfully. Jackson threw some big punches, and even jawed at Teixeira during the bout, but he wasn't able to score any big offense.
While this fight will be remembered for being Jackson's last UFC bout, Teixeira scored his third straight UFC win on Saturday night. He looked impressive against the former champ. Anthony Pettis vs. Donald Cerrone
Anthony Pettis won his much anticipated bout with Donald Cerrone by landing big, memorable strikes. Pettis was getting the better of their striking exchanges early, which set him up for a big finish. Pettis threw a kick that landed hard on Cerrone's body, then finished with a punch. Cerrone fell to the ground in a heap, and the fight was stopped at 2:35 in the first round.
Pettis lost his first fight in the UFC after coming from the WEC as the champ, but he's been winning ever since. He has wins over Joe Lauzon, Jeremy Stephens and now Cerrone. After the fight, he made a pitch to UFC president Dana White.
"I want my title shot. I should have had it years ago. People say I can?t wrestle because of the Guida fight, but I had a serious shoulder injury. Now I am 100 percent. No one can do in the Octagon what I can do."
While lightweight champion Benson Henderson has a fight set up with Gilbert Melendez, a shot for Pettis isn't unwarranted. It would be a rematch of their WEC title fight, which Pettis won in the promotion's final fight.
Ricardo Lamas vs. Erik Koch
Lamas won the first round by constantly pressuring Koch against the cage. It wasn't exactly the most thrilling round to have start a card on network television, but it led to a thrilling second round. Lamas took advantage of Koch's slip, and then finished the fight with nasty, nasty ground and pound. Lamas started with elbows, then started with strikes that cut open Koch's face. Koch had no answer for Lamas' relentless strikes, and the bout was stopped at 2:32 in the second round.
Lamas thought his performance warranted a title shot.
"I?ve beat Cub Swanson, I?ve beat Hioki and now I?ve beat Koch. All those guys were supposed to be fighting for the title at one point. I beat them all. We?re all here to be world champ and I am no different. I want the winner of Aldo vs Edgar next week. I don?t care who wins, I want the winner."
Renee Montagne talks to Cheryl Martin, deputy director of the Energy Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy. Modeled after the Defense Department's research program, ARPA-E provides grants to researchers developing cutting edge energy technologies that are too early for private sector investment.
For people of all ages who want to improve their memory, hone learning skills, and boost mental performance in their daily lives, Brain Training is a vibrant collection of visual puzzles and tips to help exercise the brain and keep the cognitive faculties razor-sharp. Covering the key areas of brain function, including memory, perception, problem-solving, verbal reasoning, and the body (such as diet, exercise, and meditation), Brain Training is a dynamic resource that will boost everyone?s brain power.
Actress Jennifer Lawrence arrives at the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)
Actress Jennifer Lawrence arrives at the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)
Anne Hathaway accepts the award for outstanding female actor in a supporting role for ?Les Miserables? at the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP)
Tina Fey accepts the award for outstanding female actor in a comedy series for ?30 Rock? at the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sunday Jan. 27, 2013. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP)
Alec Baldwin accepts the award for outstanding male actor in a comedy series for ?30 Rock? at the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sunday Jan. 27, 2013. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP)
Julianne Moore accepts the award for outstanding female actor in a TV movie or miniseries for ?Game Change? at the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP)
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Jennifer Lawrence has been named best actress at the Screen Actors Guild Awards for her role as a troubled widow in a shaky new relationship in "Silver Linings Playbook."
Supporting-actor honors Sunday went to Anne Hathaway as a doomed mother forced into prostitution in the musical "Les Miserables" and Tommy Lee Jones as abolitionist firebrand Thaddeus Stevens in the Civil War epic "Lincoln."
The wins lift their prospects for the same prizes at the Feb. 24 Academy Awards.
By far the most crucial a part of horse foot care is right hoof trimming and you can find needed hoof trimming tools necessary to accomplish appropriate hoof trimming. Horse apron or horse chaps are required for the protection from the pet owner?s legs from the pet horse?s hoof and legs at the same time as help within the firm holding with the horse?s hoof involving the pet owner?s knees. A horse hoof pick cleans debris from the bottom from the horse?s hoof that remain along the grooves on the sides in the frog at the same time as the sole area. Debris dull hand tools and hide hoof injuries. A horse hoof knife trims loose dried-out sole away and loose and ragged frog off. Remember never to cut into reside flesh as the sole can get sore and bleed. Horse nippers trim the hoof wall outgrowth in the hoof. Generally, a full-grown averaged size horse need to have in between 3? and 3 ?? of hoof wall at the toe. Toe length, which varies with all the size and breed of your horse, is measured in the hoof wall leading for the bottom or ground, at the center in the hoof wall toe. A horse rasp levels the bottom in the hoof wall, removes burrs and smoothes and rounds the hoof wall outside edge, just after horse nipper trimming. Horse callipers measure the length in the hoof in the toe center, All four feet may well not be the exact same length, although most of the time the two front feet will be from the exact same length in the toe plus the two hind feet will be with the similar length in the toe at the same time. The horse hoof gauge matches foot pairs within their angle towards the ground. Relative to one another must be the angles with the shoulder, pastern, and hoof wall on the horse at the toe. You can come across the very best hoof trimming tools at Things For Horses.net.
Jan. 27, 2013 ? Even if you live more than 1,000 miles from the nearest large city, it could be affecting your weather.
In a new study that shows the extent to which human activities are influencing the atmosphere, scientists have concluded that the heat generated by everyday activities in metropolitan areas alters the character of the jet stream and other major atmospheric systems. This affects temperatures across thousands of miles, significantly warming some areas and cooling others, according to the study this week in Nature Climate Change.
The extra "waste heat" generated from buildings, cars, and other sources in major Northern Hemisphere urban areas causes winter warming across large areas of northern North America and northern Asia. Temperatures in some remote areas increase by as much as 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the research by scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography; University of California, San Diego; Florida State University; and the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
At the same time, the changes to atmospheric circulation caused by the waste heat cool areas of Europe by as much as 1 degree C (1.8 degrees F), with much of the temperature decrease occurring in the fall.
The net effect on global mean temperatures is nearly negligible -- an average increase worldwide of just 0.01 degrees C (about 0.02 degrees F). This is because the total human-produced waste heat is only about 0.3 percent of the heat transported across higher latitudes by atmospheric and oceanic circulations.
However, the noticeable impact on regional temperatures may explain why some regions are experiencing more winter warming than projected by climate computer models, the researchers conclude. They suggest that models be adjusted to take the influence of waste heat into account.
"The burning of fossil fuel not only emits greenhouse gases but also directly affects temperatures because of heat that escapes from sources like buildings and cars," says NCAR scientist Aixue Hu, a co-author of the study. "Although much of this waste heat is concentrated in large cities, it can change atmospheric patterns in a way that raises or lowers temperatures across considerable distances."
Distinct from urban heat island effect
The researchers stressed that the effect of waste heat is distinct from the so-called urban heat island effect. Such islands are mainly a function of the heat collected and re-radiated by pavement, buildings, and other urban features, whereas the new study examines the heat produced directly through transportation, heating and cooling units, and other activities.
The study, "Energy consumption and the unexplained winter warming over northern Asia and North America," appeared online January 27. It was funded by the National Science Foundation, NCAR's sponsor, as well as the Department of Energy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Hu, along with lead author Guang Zhang of Scripps and Ming Cai of Florida State University, analyzed the energy consumption -- from heating buildings to powering vehicles -- that generates waste heat release. The world's total energy consumption in 2006 was equivalent to a constant-use rate of 16 terawatts (1 terawatt, or TW, equals 1 trillion watts). Of that, an average rate of 6.7 TW was consumed in 86 metropolitan areas in the Northern Hemisphere.
Using a computer model of the atmosphere, the authors found that the influence of this waste heat can widen the jet stream.
"What we found is that energy use from multiple urban areas collectively can warm the atmosphere remotely, thousands of miles away from the energy consumption regions," Zhang says. "This is accomplished through atmospheric circulation change."
The release of waste heat is different from energy that is naturally distributed in the atmosphere, the researchers noted. The largest source of heat, solar energy, warms Earth's surface and atmospheric circulations redistribute that energy from one region to another. Human energy consumption distributes energy that had lain dormant and sequestered for millions of years, mostly in the form of oil or coal.
Though the amount of human-generated energy is a small portion of that transported by nature, it is highly concentrated in urban areas. In the Northern Hemisphere, many of those urban areas lie directly under major atmospheric troughs and jet streams.
"The world's most populated and energy-intensive metropolitan areas are along the east and west coasts of the North American and Eurasian continents, underneath the most prominent atmospheric circulation troughs and ridges," Cai says. "The release of this concentrated waste energy causes the noticeable interruption to the normal atmospheric circulation systems above, leading to remote surface temperature changes far away from the regions where waste heat is generated."
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Guang J. Zhang, Ming Cai, Aixue Hu. Energy consumption and the unexplained winter warming over northern Asia and North America. Nature Climate Change, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1803
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Money allows the arts to flourish. Art allows wealth to be a positive cultural force.
It?s a relationship you can trace to, well, to the invention of money itself.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, for example, has ancient funereal statuary and monumental sculptures that are thousands of years old. And it?s a safe bet that they were underwritten by someone with access to large numbers of Babylonian shekels, Greek drachmas or Roman sesterces.
Performing arts organizations in Kansas City are largely funded by our local equivalent of the Medici banking dynasty of Renaissance Italy ? foundations, corporations and wealthy private donors ? but there?s another option available to people with means and an urge to help the arts: personal sponsorships.
Open a program for the Lyric Opera of Kansas City or Kansas City Repertory Theatre and you?ll see that many of the actors, singers and perhaps even directors and designers have been sponsored by individuals. Often the sponsors are on the organization?s board, but not always. It?s a way for donors and artists to rub elbows, enjoy some private time with performers and get to know one another as human beings over lunch or dinner.
Denyce Graves, an internationally famed mezzo-soprano, will make her Kansas City debut in April when she appears in the Lyric Opera?s production of ?The Mikado.? But without personal sponsorships, neither she nor bass-baritone Dale Travis, who will play the title role, might be appearing at the Lyric.
Deborah Sandler, the Lyric?s new general director and CEO, said she actively pursued Graves but wasn?t sure she could meet the opera star?s fee. Sandler found a way to get her to Kansas City.
?I came here and I inherited a budget and not everything was cast and the role of Katisha was not cast,? Sandler said of plans for staging ?The Mikado.? ?So I negotiated with her agent, and we were still a little bit apart. And I wondered: What else could she do that would have a great impact on the company and the community that would allow me to go to a donor??
Sandler turned to attorney Jon Gray, a member of the Lyric board?s executive committee. Gray said he?d help sponsor Graves if she could do something substantial for young people in the community.
So Sandler decided to ask the singer to make a commitment beyond her performance. Graves agreed to conduct a master class for the company?s apprentices as well as Frost Honors Artists ? high school students showing vocal promise ? and observers from the Musical Bridges program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City?s conservatory. The program provides musical instruction to talented at-risk students in the Kansas City area.
?So that?s pretty much a win-win,? Sandler said.
Gray and his wife, Valerie Chow (who serves on the Youth Symphony board), had previously sponsored an out-of-town actor in Kansas City Rep?s production of ?Broke-ology,? and they have thrown cast parties in their home. Gray had a special interest in sponsoring Graves because she, like Graves, is African-American.
?If I want an opportunity to see people of color performing at the highest level, I need to do more than buy a ticket,? Gray said.
Chow helped found Musical Bridges, and Gray said he wanted to include kids from the program.
?We mentioned some things we hoped for in respect to Ms. Graves,? Gray said. ?We hope to meet her. But one of the things we asked for was for the Musical Bridges students to have the opportunity to, if not participate in a master class, at least be in the room to watch it.?
The Lyric?s annual budget is about $6.4 million, and sponsorships help the organization buttress the bottom line. Sandler said an individual sponsor could contribute $5,000 to $25,000 for one artist and could spend as much as $75,000 to underwrite more than one artist. Artists have been sponsored by private donors at the Lyric for at least five years.
Sandler said the money helps but it has a greater value. It?s a way to enrich relationships between the organization and its supporters.
?They are people who already have a relationship with the company, but this gives them an opportunity to forge a deeper relationship,? she said. ?And from our perspective it sometimes makes the difference between having a particular singer here or not having them.?
And if there were no sponsors?
?We?re in the business of producing opera,? Sandler said. ?It?s not that absent the sponsorships we wouldn?t do the opera. Of course we?re going to do the opera. But the more money we can raise, the higher production values the production will have.?
At Kansas City Rep, which has a budget of about $7.5 million, sponsorships for artists and others involved in the first show of the current season, ?Pippin,? came to $27,000, according to former managing director Cynthia Rider, now with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. That helps the bottom line a little, but an individual sponsorship doesn?t cover the total cost of hiring a single actor or director.
?I think there are two primary benefits,? Rider said. ?One is that it really connects philanthropy with the artists and that in turn leads to greater stability and financial support for the Rep. The other is really supporting the artists in a personal way. It?s one of the ways we can make the Rep a place for artists to do their best work.?
Eric Rosen, the Rep?s artistic director, said the sponsorships began in a small way about four years ago as part of a company plan. They?ve grown since then.
?When I got here it was a very disconnected world between the people who gave us money and those who made it work,? Rosen said. ?It?s much better than I thought it would be. We thought we?d do it for one show and see how it went. And now it?s a major board strategy.?
Rosen, like Sandler, said one of the benefits of the sponsorship program was creating a positive experience for the visiting artists, who will then spread the word about the Rep and the Lyric to their colleagues in New York and around the world.
?It sounds like a small thing, but it?s in our strategic plan, the goal of making this a more exciting experience for all of our artists, so it becomes their top choice in the future,? Rosen said.
In almost every case there?s a social event in which sponsors and artists meet face-to-face. A leisurely lunch, a late dinner, a reception at someone?s home or a visit to a Kansas City barbecue joint are all in the mix.
Elizabeth Caballero, a soprano who played the title role in the Lyric Opera?s production of ?Madama Butterfly,? said the private time is a chance for sponsors to get a sense of who the artist really is.
?It?s always nice because you can meet them and thank them in person,? said Caballero, who was sponsored by Lyric board president Richard P. Bruening and his wife. ?They ask questions about how you got started. They just want to know who you are as a person more than as a singer. They get to know you more as an individual.?
Ann Baum and husband Kenneth sponsored the Kansas City Symphony?s opening weekend this season with featured guest violinist Vadim Gluzman. After the first performance the Baums dined with Gluzman and music director Michael Stern.
?In the case of the Symphony, the most fun aspect of it is we have an intimate dinner afterwards with Michael, with Gluzman, with some of the leaders within the Symphony family,? Ann Baum said. ?It?s an opportunity to really get to know people behind the scenes in a much more intimate way.?
She said a major sponsorship could yield another benefit: inspiring others in the community to follow suit.
?I think Kenny and I would support the Symphony anyway, but it is an opportunity to lead by example,? she said. ?We all know how much money it takes from the private community to support the orchestra.?
No matter which organization you consider, the dynamics are basically the same: A small universe of donors, supporters and subscribers embraces the organization. Social relationships between the artistic leadership and the donors are integral to fundraising. Baum, for example, described Stern as a personal friend. Bunni Copaken, a Rep board member, described Rosen as a friend and attended his wedding in upstate New York last year.
Frank Byrne, the Symphony?s executive director, said donors are regularly offered opportunities to sponsor concerts or specific artists.
?This is a very common structure to connect artists and donors,? Byrne said. ?For the people who have done this for the Symphony, I think they find it particularly rewarding.?? It?s part of creating that connection.?
Sponsorships are not exclusive to the major institutions in town. Just this season Quality Hill Playhouse, the intimate downtown theater that specializes in musical revues showcasing iconic American songwriters, began offering sponsorship opportunities. They include $5,000 to sponsor one performer for one show, $15,000 for an instrumentalist for the entire season and $30,000 to cover pianist and executive director J. Kent Barnhart for a season.
Managing director Rick Truman said all five performers in the company?s inaugural show this season were sponsored.
?It connects the sponsor to both the organization and the performer in a more special way than just that person attending or that person giving to the organization,? Truman said. ?It gives them a broader awareness of what?s involved. People have said to us before, ?Do they wear their own clothes?? ?Do you rehearse a couple of days and then do the show??
?I don?t know if anybody understands anybody else?s job, even in corporate America, but in theater there is a sense of, ?Oh, you just get up there and do it.? It?s nice for them to have an appreciation of what that person does, not just in this one show, but in general to keep themselves working artists.?
Middle-class jobs not only in this country, but in developed countries around the world, have been lost due to the march of technology, and experts predict the majority of these jobs will not return.
Science fiction novels have warned of a future in which robots and computers would replace humans, and, according to an article in NBCNews.com, that day may be here.
As the software that runs computers, machines and devices becomes both more powerful and sophisticated, these computers, machines and devices can now more capably and efficiently complete the tasks that humans have done in the past, and unfortunately, many workers find themselves replaced by these software driven machines.
One expert in the field, Andrew McAfee, who is the principal research scientist for MIT, stated that he ?has never seen a period where computers demonstrated as many skills and abilities as they have over the past seven years.?
Labor economists in this country report that half of the 7.5 million jobs lost during the recession were middle-class wage positions.? Unfortunately, they also state that only two percent of the 3.5 million jobs gained back after the recession ended are in mid-pay industries, with seventy percent of the jobs gained being in low-pay industries.? Experts predict? the loss of mid-pay jobs is not over, and as technology becomes more sophisticated, more jobs will be lost.
There are those occupations that benefit from technological advances.? App designers for smart phones and tablet computers, and, of course, software engineers, all benefit by the increasingly technical and sophisticated computer software advances.? But overall, technology eliminates more jobs than it creates.
This article is reposted from Crain?s Chicago Business.? I chose it because of this quote at the end: ?In order to be successful in sales and client service, you have to be very creative in order to differentiate yourself.?? Sounds also like what it takes to succeed as an artist.? I know of more than one artist who has produced handsome books and catalogs using Blurb.com or other inexpensive means.
By: Alina Dizik January 28, 2013
Laura Bruzas? book helped her attract speaking gigs.
John R. Boehm
After years of schlepping dozens of handouts to her speaking engagements, Laura Bruzas, founder of website Healthy Dining Chicago, decided she needed a book to keep them all in one place. In 2012, she self-published ?100 Simple Ways to Eat Well for Less,? which she sells mostly through her website, earning her about $6 per copy.
Not only did the book help to organize her thoughts; it helped her attract more speaking engagements. Income from such events quadrupled this year, she says.
The book ?gives me a sense of greater authority,? says Ms. Bruzas, who also worked in marketing at Whole Foods Market Inc.
Executives and entrepreneurs are publishing good old-fashioned hard- and soft-copy books to wrangle new business and earn some extra money from sales. Authors who ?vanity? publish typically foot the bill and avoid jumping through the hoops of traditional publishing. Sites such as Amazon.com?s Createspace and Lulu.com allow users to upload their work and print the book for a small fee. They also offer distribution channels.
?Windows are opening,? says Melissa Giovagnoli Wilson, a Chicago-based self-publishing consultant and author of 15 books, five of which have been self-published. ?If you have a great strategy, you can succeed in this space.?
It also makes financial sense, says Ms. Wilson, who has worked with executives from Allstate Corp., Hewitt Associates (part of Aon PLC) and Accenture in the past few years. ?When a book can cost you $3 (to self-publish) whether you buy one or 100,000 copies, we are now at a place when a company is considering it a marketing tool.? Some companies even are replacing traditional white papers with self-published books, she adds. Most self-publishers charge less than $300 to help authors publish their work.
BRINGING IN BUSINESS
Chad Coe, founder of Deerfield-based Coe Financial Group, uses his self-published book on professional networking, ?The Power of Peopletizing,? to expand his network of 4,700 LinkedIn contacts. During speaking engagements for his wealth-management firm, he gives the book to the first 10 people who give him their business card as well as to anyone who walks into his office. ?The (book?s) messaging helps bring in business opportunities,? he says.
Not everyone gives away books. Bill Burnett, co-founder of leadership consultancy THNK, based in Libertyville, sold about 2,000 copies of his second book, ?The Peak Interview.? It?s available at the University of Chicago?s downtown Gleacher Center and on Amazon.com for $15, a 50 percent markup over print costs. Because of the book, which covers interviewing and job skills, he became an adviser to a group of Fortune 1000 executives looking for work, he adds. ?It?s pretty easy to get a payback,? he says.
This year, Mr. Burnett will self-publish ?Behave!,? a manual on how to engage employees, which he plans to sell at speaking engagements and on Amazon. ?Writing books forces you to think through concepts more thoroughly,? he says.
In addition to low barriers to entry, part of the draw is that self-publishing produces a more immediate result. There?s no need to write 250 pages or wait more than a year as one would with a traditional publisher, says Andrew Razeghi, a lecturer at Northwestern University?s Kellogg School of Management. Some self-published books can be as short as 25 pages. This year, Mr. Razeghi published two titles through Slimbooks.com, a short-form e-book publisher that was started by one of his students.(SlimBooks operates a bit differently: it vets and selects the content it releases in its online store, providing design, writing assistance, editing and marketing at no cost to the writer. Those costs are taken out of future revenue up to $1,000).
Mr. Razeghi?s first book, ?The Future of Innovation,? became an Amazon bestseller in the category last fall. It was just 55 pages long.
Shorter lengths are more manageable, he says. ?You can have an idea and write it within a week to 10 days,? he says. The target audience also appreciates the shorter form: ?They can actually read it while boarding the plane,? Mr. Razeghi says.
Not all execs are using self-publishing to extend their brand. Sara Sirotzky used her time away from the office as a Chicago-based managing director at Marsh Inc., an insurance broker, to write ?Red Rose and Blue Butterfly,? a children?s book that referenced her childhood in Lima, Peru. The project was a goal Ms. Sirotzky had set to achieve around her 65th birthday. So she hired an illustrator, and the hardcover book is now sold for $13.50 on Amazon.com. It took less than six months to make it a reality.
?I wanted to make sure people would view me not (solely) from the business perspective,? says Ms. Sirotzky, who plans to write a marketing book next.
Creating the book has helped Ms. Sirotzky draw on skills from her own sales career. ?In order to be successful in sales and client service, you have to be very creative in order to differentiate yourself,? she says. And with the barriers to publishing continuing to drop, a book may just be the new business card?the ultimate way to stand out.
We swear, CES is officially behind us. Yay! Wait, it's earnings season. In this episode, Darren joins the crew to pound through the numbers -- Nokia, Apple, Microsoft, Google, Logitech and Netflix are all in the scope of Engadget's analyzing eye. Beyond that, D explains the perils of the NYSE, Tim gets really stoked about an upcoming McLaren supercar and Brian finds similarities between the Pebble smartwatch and Bluetooth earpieces. Naturally, we delve deeper into some of the big news in tech as well. Catch it in audio form below, with video after the break.
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Follow us on Twitter: @bheater@Tim_Stevens@Engadget Send your questions to @Tim_Stevens Leave us a voicemail: (423) 438-3005 (GADGET-3005) E-mail us: podcast at engadget [dot] com
Lori A. Ramsey, wife (18 years), mother of six, and author is the February guest for ACFW-Arkansas.
Lori has several titles to her name, both non-fiction and fiction. She will be speaking on her book: How to Write a Book in 30 Days ? A Simple Guide through the steps from idea to writing the book to self-publishing to marketing. The book is available on Amazon.com. Check out Lori?s website at laramsey.com, or visit her author page on Facebook at LoriARamsey.
Our meeting starts at 1pm and is at the Administration Building of the White County Library at Spring Park in Searcy, Arkansas on February 9th.
ACFW ? Arkansas is the Arkansas chapter of the American Christian Fiction Writers. Contact us for more information about ACFW or our meetings at acfwarinfo@gmail.com.
PORT SAID, Egypt/CAIRO (Reuters) - At least 26 people died on Saturday when Egyptians rampaged in protest at the sentencing of 21 people to death over a soccer stadium disaster, adding to bloody street turmoil confronting Islamist President Mohamed Mursi.
Armored vehicles and military police fanned through the streets of Port Said after the violence. The state news agency quoted a general as saying the military aimed to "establish calm and stability in Port Said and to protect public institutions".
Unrest flared with nationwide rallies on Friday to mark the second anniversary of the overthrow of autocrat Hosni Mubarak, a democratic revolution that protesters now accuse Mursi of betraying by ramming through an Islamist-hued constitution.
While anniversary-related violence subsided, a new outbreak hit Port Said after a court sentenced 21 men to die for involvement in the deaths of 74 people after a local soccer match on February 1, 2012, many of them fans of the visiting team.
Residents ran wildly through the streets of Port Said, outraged that men from their city had been blamed for the stadium disaster, and gunshots were reported near the prison where most of the defendants were being held.
Security sources said 26 people, at least two of them policemen, had been killed in the Mediterranean coastal city. State television reported more than 200 people had been wounded.
Witnesses said some men stormed two police stations in Port Said, where protesters lit tires in the street, sending black smoke funneling into the air.
At least nine people were killed in clashes with police on Friday, mainly in the port of Suez where the army has also deployed. Hundreds were injured as police rained down tear gas on protesters armed with stones and some with petrol bombs.
The schism between Islamists and secular Egyptians is hurting efforts by Mursi, freely elected in June, to revive an economy in crisis - deprived of fresh investment and tourism due to political upheaval - and stem a slide in Egypt's currency.
The political strife and lack of security that has blighted the Arab world's most populous country over much of the post-Mubarak era is casting an ominous shadow over a parliamentary election expected to start in April.
DIVERSITY
Highlighting tensions, the opposition National Salvation Front coalition called for a government of national unity and an early presidential vote among other demands. It said it would call for more protests next Friday and could boycott the parliamentary election if its demands are not met.
Mursi's opponents say he has failed to deliver on economic pledges or be a president representing the full political and communal diversity of Egyptians, as he pledged.
His supporters say his critics do not respect the democracy that has given Egypt its first freely elected leader.
The Muslim Brotherhood, which propelled Mursi to office, said in a statement that "corrupt people" and media who were biased against the president had stirred up anger on the street and incited violence.
At the Port Said soccer stadium a year ago, many spectators were crushed and witnesses saw some thrown off balconies after the match between Cairo's Al Ahly and local team al-Masri.
Families of victims in court cheered and wept for joy when Judge Sobhy Abdel Maguid read a list of 21 names "referred to the Mufti", a phrase used to denote execution, as all death sentences must be reviewed by Egypt's top religious authority.
A total of 73 people have been standing trial. Other rulings will be issued on March 9, the judge said.
One relative in the court shouted: "God is greatest." Outside the Al Ahly club in Cairo, fans also cheered. They had threatened more violence unless the death penalty was meted out.
Thousands took to the streets of Cairo, Alexandria and other cities on Friday to protest against what they call the creeping authoritarianism of Mursi's rule. Protesters in Cairo were again hurling stones at police lines in Cairo on Saturday.
SEEKING CHANGE
"We want to change the president and the government. We are tired of this regime. Nothing has changed," said Mahmoud Suleiman, 22, in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the cauldron of the 2011 anti-Mubarak revolt and near where youths stoned police.
Ahmed Salama, 28, a protester camped out with dozens of others in Tahrir, said: "The protests will continue until we realize all the demands of the revolution - bread, freedom and social justice."
Ismailia and Suez, cities which like Port Said lie on the Suez Canal, witnessed some of the worst violence on Friday. But a canal official said the unrest on Friday and Saturday had not disrupted traffic in the waterway vital to international trade.
In a statement in response to Friday's violence, Mursi said the state would not hesitate in "pursuing the criminals and delivering them to justice". He urged Egyptians to respect the principles of the revolution by expressing views peacefully.
The president met on Saturday with the National Defence Council, which includes senior ministers and security officials, to discuss the spate of violence.
In a televised statement, the National Salvation Front said it was holding Mursi responsible for the disturbances.
The Front was formed from disparate groups last year when Mursi awarded himself extra powers and fast-tracked an Islamist-flavored constitution to a referendum, opposed by the Front although the document was passed in the popular vote.
"Egypt will not regain its balance except by a political solution that is transparent and credible, by a government of national salvation to restore order and heal the economy and with a constitution for all Egyptians," prominent opposition politician Mohamed ElBaradei wrote on his Twitter account.
Until the Front was formed, the opposition had struggled to unite and their vote had been split at presidential and parliamentary polls, helping Islamists. The last parliament was dissolved based on court order, demanding a new vote this year.
Mustapha Kamal Al-Sayyid, a professor of political science at Cairo University, said the latest violence reflected the frustration of many liberal-minded Egyptians and others.
"The state of polarization between Islamists and others is most likely to continue and will have a very negative impact on the state's politics, security and economy," he said.
Inspired by the popular uprising in Tunisia, Egypt's revolution spurred further revolts across the Arab world. But the sense of common purpose among Egyptians two years ago has unraveled, triggering bloody street battles last month.
(Additional reporting by Omar Fahmy; Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
Generally, I regard the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan as a sound document, but when it comes to mountain bikes I have some qualms. It seems to pit environmentalists against bikers, and the bikers I know consider themselves environmentalists.
I thought of this while reviewing the state?s proposals for the classification and management of the former Finch, Pruyn & Company lands.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation is recommending that bikers be allowed to ride on a network of dirt roads in the Essex Chain of Lakes area and on the access road to Boreas Ponds Tract (known as Gulf Brook Road).
This would be legal if?as DEC proposes?the lands are classified Wild Forest. It would illegal if the lands are classified Wilderness, the strongest land protection under the master plan.
As noted in my previous article, environmental groups want the Essex Chain region classified Wilderness. This would require closing the roads to bicycles as well as motor vehicles.
As to Gulf Brook Road, the environmentalists are split. The Adirondack Council wants it closed and classified Wilderness. The Adirondack Mountain Club and Protect the Adirondacks are satisfied with DEC?s plan to classify it Wild Forest and keep much of it open so hikers and paddlers will have easier access to Boreas Ponds. DEC envisions that the road also will be used by bikers.
My guess is that bikers would enjoy the Essex Chain area more. From the DEC map, it looks like they would be able to ride on more than fifteen miles of old roads that wind among various lakes, including a big loop around the Essex Chain itself. Unlike Gulf Brook Road, these routes would not be open to motor vehicles. They would double as hiking trails.
Since these are roads, I assume that they can withstand the impact of bike tires as well as footfalls. This would be true whether the land is classified Wilderness or Wild Forest. Nevertheless, bikes will be banned if the environmentalists have their way and the area becomes Wilderness. So if you?re a mountain biker, you?re forced to choose between pursuing your sport and advocating for weaker environmental protection of the land.
The State Land Master Plan does not explain why mountain bikes are banned in Wilderness Areas, but I suppose it?s largely for aesthetic reasons: they leave tracks, they go fast. I understand why many people think bikes don?t belong in a place ?untrammeled by man.? On most days, I?m one of those people. But the Park?s Wilderness Areas have a number of graded, hard-packed roads that see little foot traffic and seem ideal for biking. I?m thinking, for example, of the logging roads near Little Tupper Lake and the gated road that skirts Lake Lila. What would be the harm of cycling on these roads?
I don?t think bikes should be allowed everywhere. Obviously, we don?t want bikers churning through wetlands or barreling down the? High Peaks. But perhaps they should be allowed on certain designated trails in Wilderness?those that are little used by hikers and that can withstand the extra abuse. In most cases, we?re talking about old roads. In other cases, a short trail through a Wilderness Area might provide useful connection between trails in Wild Forest Areas.
I?m not ready to advocate that the State Land Master Plan be changed, but it?s worth discussing. The sport of mountain biking has grown considerably since the plan was written. If the document were amended, we might see more support for Wilderness.
Illustration: Detail of DEC map showing trails near Essex Chain of Lakes that would be open to mountain bikers.
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Phil Brown
Since 1999, Phil Brown has been Editor of the nonprofit Adirondack Explorer, the regional bimonthly with a focus on outdoor recreation and environmental issues, the same topics he writes about here at Adirondack Almanack.
Phil is also an energetic outdoorsman whose job and personal interests often find him hiking, canoeing, rock climbing, trail running, and backcountry skiing.
He is the owner of Lost Pond Press, which has recently published Bob Marshall in the Adirondacks, an anthology of Marshall?s writings, Adirondack Birding by Gary N. Lee and John M.C. Peterson, and Within a Forest Dark, a prize-winning novel by Michael Virtanen.
You can read all of Phil?s posts at the Almanack here.
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Public release date: 28-Jan-2013
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Generally, I regard the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan as a sound document, but when it comes to mountain bikes I have some qualms. It seems to pit environmentalists against bikers, and the bikers I know consider themselves environmentalists.