"LIFE" --- Is it all about your own outlook ??

Recently, I came across a video on Youtube from TEDx - "My philosophy for a happy life: Sam Berns at TEDx…" - Suppressing or avoiding challenges in life might end in lifetime grieving, but if you constantly thrive to be normal and trying to find the solutions to overcome challenge. He mentions about the help and support of the people surrounding him as a reason for his happy life.

                                    

An inspiring video about outlook of life - acceptance and "Can Do" approach is the key to achieve what you want out of life...Happy Life....

Stress: Portrait of a Killer - Review and Random Thoughts

Thoughts and Review

Earlier, I never thought about stress nor about its impacts on a person and its relationship to community until I watched this documentary. Stress is not isolated to human, but it’s a curse and impact of stress is significant in today's human life and generations to come. No doubt we have been changing the surroundings and natural environment for our convenience at very fast pace creating stress and its impact across all other living beings on the earth. I do not know, if any researchers perceived to measure impact of human created environment and its stress on other living beings.

Stress not only impacts physical appearance but also brain, hormones, resulting in health and sleep disorders, early aging/death of memory cells, irregular blood pressure and heartbeats. Finally results in shut down of immune system making one more vulnerable to other diseases. In addition think about today's fast food and processed food we eat every day that fuels our stress levels. And also the medicines and diet drinks that are manipulating body chemistry.....

Recently, I read an article - Studies indicate that most of the children born with health disorder is not because of mother or her health condition, but its mostly because of hormonal  changes in Fathers health. Mostly this kind of trend was observed in father of age group 30 and above. If we think logical with respect to life today makes sense- the time when one is expected to be settled down financially and start family. Thus exposed to different levels and types of stress... 

Today, as we grow old we are more and more vulnerable to increasing stress and types of stresses like Financial stress, Family related stress, Driving /traffic stress, Work related stress, Travel Stress, Competitive Stress, Stress caused my others, differentiation and discrimination stress and what not....

Countries with ancient histories and civilization led a happy life in groups mostly due to sharing and caring...but the fast changing world have been creating nuclear families... resulting in extinction of joint/large families.....indicating collapse of community system.... 

Technological revolutions are great, but every human still today require basic needs like food, clothes and shelter for him and his family to survive. Parents don't have time to look after their kids and its same with kids when they grow-up. Family meals and/ dinner are almost extinct, if by chance family dinners - might not be the perfect one, I m sure kids busy using electronics and parents are watching/reading  on TV /laptop....collapse/ failing family system... Thus in most of the developed and developing countries, market for psychologist and psychiatrist is in great demand. What do they do? After spending $$$, listen to you about your problems and concerns in life ...that are creating stress/unhappiness - leading to suicidal attitudes.... and offers positive approach / counseling to life ... .....

In past, one/two person in a large family used to work full-time and might get stressed sometimes- but when he gets back to home from days' work, rest of the family used to absorb the stress.....But today we have small families with size of  2 to 4 people. If both husband and wife are working and exposed to stress who is going to absorb the stress? And what impact it has on community and future generations to come?

I always used have a question, why women didn't go to work in olden days? I guess, now I have better reason... in olden days, I am certain that elders had better understanding about women, health issues, stress, and her role in family.

In my perception, all religions are about different philosophies to lead happy life and are equally important to understand. In the holy text (Puranas) of Hinduism, it is cited that Lord Siva drank the Halahala poison churned up from the sea (Samudra Manthan) to eliminate its destructive capacity. Shocked by his act, Goddess Parvati (wife of Lord  Siva) strangled his neck and hence managed to stop it in his neck itself and prevent it from spreading all over the universe supposed to be in Shiva's stomach. However the poison was so potent that it changed the color of his neck to blue. My understanding/thoughts about above text - Poisons is referred to "Stress" and irrespective of who you are, everyone will be exposed to stress and have to go through it. Wife's role and importance in managing it....

Across the globe most of the Policy makers or government/s generalizes policies/plans and also crime prevention policies, techniques and procedures to control...... yet it is unfortunate that crime is inevitable. I doubt, if any researcher or government/s across globe have heard to them or at-least perceived these areas as "Special Zones" or "Zones with Special Needs"........ Understand what their needs and what would relieve stress from these communities --- Food, Shelter, Clothes, Education, Job, Health??....In short these areas are needed to be perceived as "Hot Spot for Special Needs /Policy Needs"....

Stress has become such a powerful tool today, even extremist have chosen it as a best weapon to instigate or provoke.... Everyday, we hear a lot about people committing Suicides and Crime at a rapid pace across the cities. Did we ever think, why someone might have considered these approaches? Answers simple the amount of  "STRESS".... Times of India Article - study reveals Suicide may soon be leading cause of death in India... Four of India's southern states — Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnakata and Kerala — that together constitute 22% of the country's population recorded 42% of suicide deaths in men and 40% of self-inflicted fatalities in women in 2010. These kind of studies indicate significant relationship to stress. 

A relationship between human was more of understanding others, but no wonder newer generations had coined it as "Every relationship is a Long term and Short term economic relationship"...So we need to understand and remember that - "I cannot stress others because I am unhappy, frustrated and stressed..." 
If you do stress out others because of your frustration and concerns.. .for no reason you are putting relationship at risk.... if this goes on continuously unnoticed and not taking steps to overcome - you might soon see yourself in social isolation, thus resulting in the starting point for suicidal thoughts...  

In the mad race of life today it is misinterpreted.... irrespective of age and gender- Human activities are getting complex and competitive- measured in economical terms of productivity. As human we have been failing to understand fellow human and also failed to understand the culture and system that was left behind by older generations for us.... What are we giving to future generations - divine chaos life full of stress with peanuts of bank balance(as these days money is changing its value at a rapid pace)???.... Life support on Pills?......... All the nations have all kinds of people, but all are human beings.... None of us can exist in isolation.... Race and Tag for "Superiority" is the cause of all evils....Well, we cannot build the perfect world, but we can at least try and listen to others concerns.... 

In short, none can distinguish Stress among Good vs. Evil, Worker vs. Non worker, Activities vs. Age-groups, Relation vs. Compensation, Rich vs. Poor, Height vs. Weight, Region vs. Religion, Language vs. Color.....We all heard a lot about Stress Management and practice Aide but not actual cure.......

Unfortunately, it is not the same stress tolerance and absorption levels for everyone. So next time, if you are intentional creating stress for someone..... It is as bad as killing someone by inducing slow poison......

"Prevention is better than Cure".... so please think twice ....

Now I understand better about why it was said - "Speech is Silver, Silence is Gold".............

BBC Short Video on Education in India - Recycled Learning System (Awesome)

Superb - Amazing thought turn into implementation

- Motivating and Inspiring.

After watching this video, I guess most of  you will agree - "As we are growing  - we are tending more towards marketing our knowledge and skills"- More often  we hear people discussing about their skills and passion of learning process. Today, there are very less people around the world who would like to share their knowledge or skills with others, but one can notice many are tending towards marketing skills and knowledge.  

--- All this content was from my dream ---

The Dream - All about "Town / Community Doctors" 

In my dream, I had ordered "Onion Dosa" - I went to that restaurant for 2nd time.... I was waiting to pick-up my order and someone from back said - Hi, how r u? I was thinking who this guy was....thinking...thinking but no clue... meantime


Restaurant owner: What do you work on...


Me : Replied him - Transportation Planning


Restaurant owner: "Transportation Planning”? Can I know more about - what does it mean and what kind of work you do in layman terms...


Me : Hmm......well transportation studies, data analysis, surveys etc...


Restaurant owner: Sorry, I did not understand


Me : In my mind - people understand IT, Java, Oracle, SQL, DBA, etc... but how should i explain it.....


Me : Idea struck my Mind. I had asked him - Do you know Doctor and understand what he does right?


Restaurant owner: Yes, but how are they related...


Me: I replied him, Well doctors diagnosis and treat people in communities... and "Planner" - Diagnosis and Treat communities and town.... so you can call us - "Community Doctors"




--- All this content was from my dream ---

Bio-diesel: Veggie Van "Fuel" Documentary..... Life, Pollution and Impact on Environment.

The documentary about FUEL  Veggie Van: Bio-diesel is not all about fuel. It is also about the Life, Pollution  and impact on environment. Pollution and demand for FUEL is growing concerns. One cannot avoid this but we minimize it by considering / adopting alternative solutions..........

Director Josh Tickell takes us along for his 11 year journey around the world to find solutions to America's addiction to oil. A shrinking economy, a failing auto industry, rampant unemployment, an out-of-control national debt, and an insatiable demand for energy weigh heavily on all of us. Fuel shows us the way out of the mess we're in by explaining how to replace every drop of oil we now use, while creating green jobs and keeping our money here at home. The film never dwells on the negative, but instead shows us the easy solutions already within our reach.

India's Karnataka State Pioneers a Holistic Approach to Watershed Development

India's Karnataka State Pioneers a Holistic Approach to Watershed Development
SUBMITTED BY SOUTH ASIA ON WED, 02/23/2011 - 18:55

The Karnataka Watershed Development project - also known as Sujala - has increased the availability of water in seven drought-prone districts of northern Karnataka. Treatments on the upper and lower reaches of watersheds have helped raise water tables, brought degraded lands under cultivation, enabled farmers to diversify into higher value crops and horticulture, and raised agricultural productivity. State of the art remote sensing has been used to monitor impacts. Incomes for both the landed and landless poor have increased.


Source - http://blogs.worldbank.org/endpovertyinsouthasia/indias-karnataka-state-pioneers-holistic-approach-watershed-development

Read this .......It is amazing.........Interesting and inspiring story..........

 

This shared from one of the e-mail from my friend Srikar Kandalam. Interesting and inspiring story.  

Edu spend: Girls lag behind boys: Survey Conducted in India

Parents Prefer To Send Boys To Pvt Schools, Girls To Govt Schools: Survey

Anahita Mukherji

Mumbai: At a time when Women’s Day is being celebrated with much fanfare the world over, India has a long way to go when it comes to educating ‘Sita’. While a growing number of parents across rural India have begun sending their girls to school, there’s a countrywide preference for sending boys to private schools and girls to government schools.
    Educationists feel this has a lot to do with the perception that private schools are better than government schools, and that if one has to spend on education, the perceived return on investment is higher for a boy.
    According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2010, one of the most authoritative private surveys for rural India, the percentage of girls in government schools is higher than boys in the seven to 14 age group, while the percentage of boys is higher in private schools.
    “When it comes to making a choice, families have probably decided to send their daughters to government schools and sons to private schools, as there is a popular perception that private schools are better than government schools,’’ says Rukmini Banerji, director, ASER centre.
    “The numbers come as a little surprise. Private schools are a lot more expensive than government schools. Parents would probably choose to send their sons to private schools, if they had the money, as they feel private schools deliver better quality and are more career-oriented,’’ says Sonia Gill of the All India Democratic Women’s Association.
    Interestingly, while the gender divide exists in most states, it is almost negligible in Maharashtra and Bihar, far less than the all-India average. While the figures come as a little surprise for Maharashtra, known to be a more progressive state, Bihar has seen a dramatic narrowing in the gender divide.
    “The figures for Bihar are remarkable. There is a huge improvement in the enrolment of students at school when compared with the ASER data for 2005. The last five years have also seen more girls at school. This is largely due to targeted government policies aimed at improving access to education, as well as reducing the gender divide,’’ says Banerji.
    Gill also points to the fact that there are far fewer private schools in Bihar.
    While the figures for most states across the country are in sync with the all-India average, Kerala has bucked the trend, with more girls being sent to private schools and more boys in government schools.
    Besides the obvious conclusion that women may be more equal in Kerala, Banerji says Kerala has a large number of government-aided private schools, which, though counted as private schools, function more like government schools.
    “This is true for Maharashtra, too. In both Kerala and Maharashtra, the line between the two is rather blurred, says Banerji. 

Source - Times of India, Hyderabad, Wednesday, 09 March 2011. Page - 13

Telangana fails 'backward' test

Rich-poor disparity matter of concern in Telangana 
Subodh Ghildiyal, TNN, Jan 2, 2011, 03.31am IST



NEW DELHI: In a setback to the campaign for Telangana, the Srikrishna committee has dismissed the argument of economic backwardness for carving out a separate state, arguing that the region compared well with other regions of Andhra Pradesh. 

The option of statehood for Telangana is low on its list of priorities. The Srikrishna panel, after a detailed analysis of district annual reports across regions, found that Telangana scored high on income generation, electricity, water and agriculture, lagging only in investment in education, with literacy rate lower than that in Coastal Andhra. 

The estimate for Telangana has been prepared without including Hyderabad which, as capital, has seen high growth and investment. 

The much-awaited report is set to be a dampener for proponents of statehood who have cited economic backwardness as the rationale for seeking division of Andhra. 

The panel, making a clutch of recommendations to settle the debate for bifurcation, has recommended that "development" be the basis for decision-making in future. 

The report will be made public on January 6 during an all-party meeting called by Union home minister P Chidambaram. 

Sources said the report states that Telangana's growth story has been positive, with the region clocking a "high rate of growth" to not just catch up with Coastal Andhra but even overtake the latter on certain parameters. 

The area of concern in Telangana is the disparity between the rich and the poor. While those with landed assets are progressing further, the poor are continuing to fall behind. The state of SC/STs and minorities requires more attention. The report, it is learnt, has found that Telangana scores high on "income generation" , largely because of higher "diversity of income" as compared to Coastal or Rayalaseema regions. The "diversity of income" sits in contrast with the largely agrarian economy of the Coastal region. 

The per capita consumption of electricity in Telangana is higher vis-a-vis other regions. It is also better off with regard to availability of water. The farm sector in Telangana seems to be doing well with high productivity. An evidence of good farm output is the growth of rice mills in the region. While Telangana has been a water-scarce pocket, the study has found that the shortage is being made up with groundwater. Irrigation projects are also coming up to supplement local requirements.


Read more: Rich-poor disparity matter of concern in Telangana - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Rich-poor-disparity-matter-of-concern-in-Telangana/articleshow/7203360.cms#ixzz19rOFVg1q

EVER-CHANGING TECHNOLOGIES & LIFESTYLE's - SLAYING HUNDRED's OF LIVES ?

EVER CHANGING TECHNOLOGIES & LIFESTYLE's - WHO IS  RESPONSIBLE FOR SLAYING HUNDRED's OF LIVES ?

After seeing this Video, I am sure we will think twice before buying any Electronics.

Poor Nations are the victims of largescale dumping yards for E-WASTE and improper disposal of these e-wastes. Poor Nations around the globe are discriminated  by the Developed Nations.

Our Civilizations are not yet prepared to handle - air, water and sound pollution in fullscale, but today there is tremendous growth in the E-waste and improper disposal practices that are polluting environment. Pollutants from these e-waste's are highly toxic for people and their neighborhood.

 "ARE WE PROTECTING ENVIRONMENT FROM POLLUTION OR SLAYING IT IN A NEW FASHION?" 

Its not just about Suzy’s Anchoring....most inspiring story....

‘Busy' docs give hasty prescriptions

A regular patient in Hyderabad gets just about 18 seconds to explain his health problem to the doctor, who starts scribbling the prescription even before the patient has finished discussing his aches and pains. On Doctor's Day, observed on July 1, health activists say that the doctor-patient relationship has plummeted to new lows in urban Indian cities.

On average, a ‘busy' doctor spends just a couple of minutes for every consultation costing a patient Rs 300-500. This expense is followed by a considerable amount spent on a host of diagnostic investigations and medicines, many of them unwarranted, say activists studying the trend. "Even without asking the patient's history, doctors start prescribing a battery of investigations," says Dr L Murlidhar, president, Jana Vignana Vedika. The almost cut and dry attitude of strapped-for-time doctors is resulting in patients getting a raw deal.

Activists say that when a case is taken up, it is the duty of the doctor to give attention but this is not happening since doctors end up seeing at least a 100 cases from morning till late night. "With many hospitals having half a dozen branches, doctors are hopping from one branch to another. Besides, they run clinics too. Government hospitals are overloaded. In this scenario, patients are being taken for a ride," says N Ganesan, vice president, Consumer Care Centre, Narayanguda.

Ganesan further states that almost all the hospitals refuse to give records of treatment to patients at the time of discharge, which is their right. "This is being done because they are afraid of being pulled up for negligence," adds Ganesan.

Health industry observers point out that doctors busy with their practice have no time for remaining posted to latest developments in the field of medicine. "Continuing medical education is now in the form of seminars and conferences organised by pharma companies and doctors totally depend on medical representatives to learn about new drugs in the market,'' says a senior health industry observer.

Doctors themselves admit that unethical practices have penetrated every segment of medical practice starting from the entry into a medical school. Take for instance, the referral nexus prevailing among doctors wherein they cross-refer patients to each other, offering a cut for each patient referred. Dr K Raghuram, director, Ushalakshmi Centre for Breast Diseases, says that the practice of the art and science of medicine has become a vicious cycle that revolves round "sleazy, corrupt and immoral practices'' much against medical ethics. "If the body (Medical Council of India) set up to regulate us is corrupt, who will regulate the doctors," adds Dr Raghuram. However, Dr K Ramesh Reddy, secretary, AP Junior Doctors Association, disagrees saying that it is a misconception that doctors are not able to give enough time to patients. But at the same time Dr Reddy adds, "There are black sheep in every profession. The medical profession has not been spared of them."

Citizen activist VBJ Chelikani Rao further notes it is for this reason that patients now "shop for doctors'' and treatments. Activists and doctors suggest that strict enforcement of code of ethics is the only way to restore the medical profession's lost glory.

In India, National Doctors' Day is annually celebrated on July 1, to commemorate the famous medical personality Dr B C Roy. He also served as the chief minister of West Bengal.

Source : Times of India. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Patients-get-a-raw-deal-as-busy-docs-give-hasty-prescriptions-/articleshow/6117455.cms

Face to Face with IIT Ramaiah on our education system - Video

Face to Face with IIT Ramaiah on our education system - Video

FAILING ACID TEST - ‘Overuse of antacid linked to fractures’

New York: If you routinely pop antacid pills, now it is time to stop. US health regu l at o r s have cautioned doctors and patients of an increased risk of fractures of the hip, wrist, and spine from high doses or long-term use of a widely used class of drugs to control the amount of acid in the stomach. 

The class of heartburn drugs, called proton pump inhibitors, include prescription brands such as AstraZeneca Plc's Nexium and the company's Prilosec, an older generic treatment that is also available over the counter at a lower dosage strength. 

Proton pump inhibitors include the drugs esomeprazole, dexlansoprazole, omeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole, and rabeprazole. The FDA said that studies suggest a possible increased risk of bone fractures with the use of proton pump inhibitors for one year or longer, or at high doses. AGENCIES

Publication: Times Of India Hyderabad;Date: May 28, 2010;Section: Main  Edition; Page: 18

UN event: Global Call to Action on Ending Distracted Driving

How the Recession Has Changed American Migration — The American, A Magazine of Ideas

How the Recession Has Changed American Migration — The American, A Magazine of Ideas

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Using Gadgets, Leading Active Life & Eating Well Help Increase Lifespan

WORDS OF WISDOM

Pop culture helps elders live long

Using Gadgets, Leading Active Life & Eating Well Help Increase Lifespan

New York: Staying in touch with pop culture, the latest trends such as iPods and text messaging, and a dinner date with actress Betty White are keys to living a long life, according to people who know — centenarians. 
    Being socially active, having a healthy diet, exercising and getting enough sleep also won’t hurt. “If I could leave any message, never stop learning. Period. That’s it,” said Maurice Eisman, a centenarian who lives in Maryland. 
    Eisman was one of 100 centenarians questioned in a poll about the secrets of longevity. Laughter and prayer were also important, along with staying connected to family and friends and keeping up with current events and gadgets. Eight per cent of centenarians said they had sent text or instant messages, compared to one percent last year. And 12% are using iPods, 4% more than three years ago, the GfK Roper survey for Evercare showed. 
    Nearly 100,000 centenarians are living in the United States, and the number is expected to climb to more than 601,000 by 2050, according to the US Census Bureau. 
    “I think everybody should have something to say in what’s going on in their life and not just take everything for granted,” said Marie Keeler, 101, from Minnesota. White, the octogenarian star of a popular Super Bowl commercial, was the top choice of a dinner date for most of the centenarians. 
    Many centenarians said they kept up with popular culture by listening to music or videos through computers, and 11% said they had watched a video on YouTube. Thirty per cent said the recent recession was more severe than the Great Depression, 40% walked or hiked every day and 1% used Nintendo’s Wii Fit. Three quarters ate a healthy diet daily and nearly a third opted for organic foods. REUTERS

Publication: Times Of India Hyderabad;Date: May 10, 2010;Section: Main  Edition; Page: 12

Missed Census? A call or email can ensure you are also counted

Missed Census? A call or email can ensure you are also counted

New Delhi: Have you been left out of the Census exercise? Then just call up or email the authorities to inform them about the ‘miss’ and they will soon dispatch officials to include your household in the count. 
    The office of the Census Commissioner of India has launched a toll-free call centre helpline number — 1800 110 111 — for citizens if they have been missed by the Census officials during the enumeration process. The call centre will then route the missing report to the official concerned, who will subsequently ask the enumerators in his jurisdiction to pay a visit to the citizen on a priority basis, a Census official said. 
    An individual can also send an e-mail to ‘rgoffice.rgi@nic.in’ informing the Census authorities that they have not been counted, the official said. 
    The helpline and email can be utilised both for the Census exercise and the enumeration under the National Population Register, the official added. 
    “All the states and Union Territories have earmarked the date for commencement of the exercise and if any citizen finds that his family has not been covered, he or she can inform us,” he said. 
    Apart from the online and telephone facilities, citizens can also inform the local tehsildar, ward officer of his area — who is the designated officer for Census — about the non-inclusion. The commissioner, collector, or district magistrate can also be contacted in such cases. 
    The Census would cover all 640 districts, 5,767 tehsils, 7,742 towns and more than six lakh villages in the country. More than 24 crore households will be visited and 1.20 billion people enumerated during this exercise. 
    To carry out this massive exercise, more than 2.5 million people will be engaged, including retired government employees. PTI

Publication: Times Of India Hyderabad;Date: May 10, 2010;Section: Main  Edition; Page: 8

We Can’t Reinvent the Automobile

We Can’t Reinvent the Automobile

Question: What is the major problem right now in transportation?

Michael Schrage: The major problem with transportation technology and transportation policy is that you have a battle between utopians who believe that they can get whatever they want, faster, better, cheaper, and the pragmatist, the hard ball economic types who say, "No, no, no, let's ban the car from the city, let's create calming zones, zero-emission vehicles," etc., etc.  You have a real dialectic, a real tension, and my view is, when you have that kind of schizophrenia, when you have that kind of chasm, not just of technologies and expectations, but of values, I think you get into a lot of gridlock--pun intended.

Question: Are there any promising advancements that will take us into that next era of transportation?

Michael Schrage:  Oh, my gosh!  There's so many things going on that are so exciting that it's not clear to me what's the best bet.  We have smart vehicles, smart devices, smarter people, better sensors, more information, the ability to have the technology act in a more nimble way.  We have the ability to play with tax policy and congestion charges.  So to me, the question is going to be, there's a tension between disruptive innovation and rapid iderative incremental innovation.  But if you have enough incremental innovation in a short period of time, you got a revolution.  You know, the simple model for that is like a Mapquest, or putting an accelerometer in an iPhone.  The fact of the matter is, between mobile phones, between iPhones, between Rim's, between GPS, every car in the world, every bicycle in the world, can be made smarter.  Heck, we can make every street corner, every streetlamp smarter, more nimble, more agile.  The issue is, what's the organizing principal underlying that?  Haven't a clue. 

Question: Do you think we need to build on what we have, or revolutionize mobility?

Michael Schrage:  Being an MIT person, I'm very, very sympathetic to that view of, gee, let's just start from scratch, let's reinvent everything.  But basically, I think it's a bunch of crap.  You know, that's basically like saying, gee, we've sequenced the human genome, let's reengineer human beings so they'll make less, they'll take up less space, they'll do less waste, they'll be more energy efficient.  As I said earlier, there's always going to be a tension between the incremental and the revolutionary.  Folks at MIT tend to self-select towards the revolutionary side, but ordinary human beings, typical human beings, human beings who have, shall we say, real lives, not MIT lives, are more prepared to have a mix of the disruptive innovation and the incremental innovation.  And that's how I think that's going to play out, particularly in transportation policy.  I don't believe people are going to give up on the wheels of a car for the foreseeable future.

Question: Is there something we’ll have to give up in order to get there?

Michael Schrage:  Well, you know, frankly I don't care if there's an internal combustion engine in a car, a fuel cell in a car, a battery in a car—I don't care.  My friends who are incredibly green care a lot.  Now, do I think they've actually done the math and calculated the carbon footprint of fuel cells versus batteries versus internal combustion engines throughout the entire supply and value chain?  Heck, no.  And I think that's where we're going to see a lot of the policy battles because there are all manner of ways of allocating costs and responsibilities for the carbon footprint of an automobile, for the carbon footprint of a person.  Or should we say the carbon tire track?

Question: Will we ever not have a congestion problem?

Michael Schrage:  We will always have congestion problems.  The issue is what's tolerable.  If you had told me that I would be on a 40-minute commute, I would say you're crazy, but I've gotten adjusted to it.

By the way, let's deal with that as an example. 25 years ago, being stuck in traffic was a horrible, horrible waste of time.  If you got a mobile phone, if your kids are watching TV in the back seat, it's not so bad!  It's not so bad.  Now, what transportation planner anticipated the impact of mobile phones in the car and TV screens, LCD's in the back seat?  None of them!  None of them!  And heck, I've read a lot of science fiction; I didn't see those scenarios being played out by Isaac Asimov or Harlan Ellison either.

Recorded on January 22, 2010

Global warming: Future temperatures could exceed livable limits, researchers find

Summary
ScienceDaily (2010-05-05) -- Worst-case scenarios for global warming could lead to deadly temperatures for humans in coming centuries. Researchers for the first time have calculated the highest tolerable "wet-bulb" temperature and found it could be exceeded for the first time in human history in future climate scenarios. A warming of 21 degrees Fahrenheit would put half of the world's population in an uninhabitable environment.



For Full story - http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100504155413.htm