The pollution causes seven times more deaths than road accidents

At least 16,000 people die prematurely because of pollution in Spain, according to estimates by the Ministry of Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs (MARM). This figure is seven times that of deaths in traffic accidents in 2010. In the whole European Union (EU), the figure rises to 370,000 deaths due to poor air quality. Children, the elderly and the chronically ill or with cardiac pathology are the most vulnerable to this environmental problem.

"The scientific community has no doubt about the harmful effects of pollution on respiratory health and agrees on the need to reduce urban pollution," said Cristina Martinez, coordinator of the environmental area of the Spanish Society of Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR).

"Breathing clean air is a right of all people," said Juan Ruiz Manzano, chairman of the SEPAR. The gases emitted from exhaust pipes of traffic and industrial areas or energy production are the major causes of this environmental health problem.

Another European study, including Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid, Seville and Valencia, reveals that levels of these particles suspended in air pollutants (less than 2.5 microns) were reduced to 20 particles / microgram per cubic meter each city would prevent 11,375 premature deaths, ie 8,053 deaths from cardiopulmonary diseases and lung cancer 1296.

Thanks to muyinteresante.es

Biodegradable slippers "planted"

The material used to manufacture the shoes that we fit our feet is well biodegradable.

But what happens if, in addition, once end of life footwear could be planted in our garden? This is what has gotten Christiaan Maats, that the recent international fashion week in Amsterdam (Netherlands) introduced the footwear collection of his company Virgin OAT Shoes. These sneakers made from fully biodegradable materials, whose development has meant two years of research, and are prepared to stop using them when we can grow a tree inside.

To display your creation on the catwalk, models wore Maats representing Adam and Eve naked pushing a cart with shoes and a tree growing inside. The shoes, which won second prize in the category "Green Fashion" will soon be on sale in shops in Europe in a limited edition of 900 pieces.

Thanks to muyinteresante.es

Madrid in 2010 had the best air quality data

The Minister of Environment, Housing and Planning, Ana Isabel Mariño, said today that the Community of Madrid in 2010 had the best air quality data for the last fifteen years.

This was stated after the meeting of the Environment Sector Conference, where the owner of the field, Rosa Aguilar, has sought the cooperation of all the regions to present in July a national plan for pollution control and all autonomy have shown their willingness to cooperate with this initiative.

In the region of Madrid, in recent years, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) has been reduced by 51.8 percent, sulfur dioxide at 72.9 percent, particulate matter PM 10 by 34.7 by percent and carbon monoxide, a 68.8 per cent.

In the case of the Spanish capital, nitrogen dioxide was reduced by 32.30, the sulfur dioxide by 69.7 percent, particulate matter PM 10 by 46.3 percent and carbon monoxide by 71 , 43 percent.

Marino emphasized that this indicates that the region of Madrid is "doing homework", but added that "pollution is not good" and must "move forward to improve air quality."

After the controversies that have been created in recent days about air pollution in Madrid, the Minister of Environment has set out the measures being taken in the Community in recent years.

Highlighted the existence of 6,000 park and ride, the operation of 100 kilometers of Metro and 85 new underground stations, 13 million trees planted, support for energy efficiency in buildings, helps to remove the coal-heating development of 30,000 eco-driving courses.

He also alluded to the 75 percent bonus for electric cars in road tax in the city of Madrid and the creation of large parks like Forest South, in San Sebastian de los Reyes.

Marino explained that the national plan for pollution control is pending since 2007, as the Air Quality Act required the Department to make plans for prevention and control of pollution and the Law of Mobility.

He noted that in the working committees which are believed to form the national plan for pollution control should be present representatives of the Ministries of Finance and Development because environmental policies are transverse.

Has justified the presence of Development and Finance at these meetings by stating that "national infrastructure greatly affect the traffic in big cities" and defend the review of fiscal policy with respect to hydrocarbon contaminants.

EFE

Thanks to ABC

Youth are more creative hyperactivity

Chicago .- The disorder of young adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have more creativity than individuals who are not affected by this disease, according to a study by the University of Michigan (UM).

The research, coordinated by professor of psychology at UM, Holly White, says that adults with ADHD also prefer different styles of thinking and like to generate ideas, but are not good when it comes to completing tasks.

In the study, implemented in 2006 and whose findings are published in the current issue of the journal Personality and Individual Differences, involving 60 undergraduates, half of them with ADHD.

The participants answered a questionnaire about their performance in areas such as music, visual arts, culinary arts, inventions and writing. People with ADHD had better scores than individuals without the disorder.

ADHD is a neurological disorder characterized by moderate to severe distractibility, short attention span, restlessness, emotional instability and impulsive behaviors.

The researchers felt that their results could be attributed, in part because the examinees are university that can form a group of motivated people with ADHD peculiar and successful, although the study ensured that the two types of participants had similar academic achievements.

Thanks to PRENSALATINALASVEGAS

Wind farms

Recently explain things about wind energy in this blog. It wasnecessary for a blog about renewable energy deal with this issue.But often happen that when we talk about something, the need to investigate and discover, becomes another issue more. And as Iasked myself where this precious energy out of the future, I decided to talk about wind farms.

Remember that wind power is any
delviento obtained and is transformed into other useful forms of human activities.

Wind energy is obtained medianteaerogeneradores. Here aresome generators that are driven by a turbine which in turn is drivenby the wind. They use a system similar to its predecessors, thewindmills. Are so similar to the latter, that a general and vulgar terms are generally called, windmills.

These generators are considered a source of clean, renewable energy and that energy production does not require combustion to produce residual contaminants. Thus, we can say that a wind farmdoes not pollute the environment, becoming the means of producing cleaner energy that man has discovered.

Wind farms
As mentioned before, a wind farm can be the means of producingcleaner energy that exists. But we are clear that wind farms. Theseare a set of turbines that convert wind energy into electrical energy.

Wind farms are often built in open spaces, both on land surfacesand in water. It is more common to find them buried, but it seems that in recent years has become popular as they are built in the sea, presumably because the sea floor is not as expensive as theland.

Before building a wind farm takes into account differentcharacteristics of the environment and the existing soil. It usually takes a period of time important to take steps that make it suitable for building a wind farm, taking into account especially ladirecciónand wind power.

Despite all this, we have started to consider a wind farm at sea ismuch more efficient. Here's the link to an interesting article,explaining in detail how to build a wind farm at sea.

Situation in Europe
Looking at the overall situation in Europe. You could say that the biggest investors in wind farms are: Germany, Scotland, Spain andPortugal.

Germany has the largest number of wind farms in the world, we see that know how to invest in renewable energy.

Spain, little by little makes a big hole in this area that has a great future. has 11,615 MW of installed wind power accounting for 9%of total demand.

Conclusion and future
The human being has a set limit, that is something inexplicable butexistent, we have no direction, much less a ceiling. Forward, andthis presumably will be the century of renewables.

Have long been consumiente exhaustible resource, and that issomething that must inevitably permeate society. It is a matter of life or death.

In the field of renewable energies such, we find a like wind, very clean and inexhaustible. There is only recoup a large investment inthe future will become the only we do on energy. The shift to clean energy is inevitable, mainly because the land itself that will neverend it, with limited resources.

Thanks to erenovable

A year later, helping the animal victims of Haiti

A year after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) takes stock of all the hard work to provide assistance to animals and rebuild the veterinary infrastructure of that country, looking for that Haitians are better prepared to protect animals from which both depend.

After the earthquake, the WSPA and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) came together to form the Coalition for Animal Rescue in Haiti, an effort to better coordinate the work of animal welfare organizations. Acting as one, members of the coalition worked closely with Haitian government officials, United Nations and other international agencies to address the country's most pressing problems in their animals. When organizing a team of mostly Haitian, the Coalition established a rapport with government officials.

In one year, the Coalition for Animal Rescue in Haiti has established a mobile veterinary clinic that allows veterinarians trained to move through the earthquake-affected areas and provide medical care to tens of thousands of dogs, cats, goats, horses, cattle and other animals. Through the clinic, the team offered the vaccine and treatments directly to more than 50,000 animals, thus ensuring economic recovery of the families who depend on them for sustenance. The coalition also has helped rebuild vital infrastructure in Haiti, as the National Veterinary Laboratory facilities, and has also established 12 refrigeration units powered by solar energy, which are of vital importance for the storage and distribution of vaccines to temperatures appropriate, making possible vaccination of any animal, even in the remotest parts of the country.

By vaccinating animals against serious zoonotic diseases such as rabies and Newcastle disease, the Coalition for Animal Rescue in Haiti has indirectly protected humans as well. By offering treatment for animal parasites, have prevented outbreaks of diarrhea, which may have exacerbated the problem of cholera.

The Coalition for Animal Rescue in Haiti also launched a public awareness campaign to educate Haitians about disaster preparedness and health issues related to pets and livestock, and has worked closely with the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Development Rural to build capacity to support and monitor animal health. The team has worked with the ministry when surveillance of suspected cases of rabies and will be able to react quickly in the event of another emergency. It has also begun training to veterinarians in order to build a risk-reduction efforts based on the community to help prepare for the future.

Thanks to ELESPECTADOR

A website reports the impact of climate change and its effects on birds

Disclose the impact of climate change on habitats of Catalonia, Spain from its effects on bird populations is the aim of the new website www.ecco.cat, driven by the Catalan Institute of Ornithology

Forest Technology Centre of Catalonia has also collaborated on this project, which has been dubbed Information Server on the Effects of Climate Change.

The ultimate aim of the project, according to its leaders, is to facilitate public understanding and awareness of social problems through examples coming on the consequences of global warming.

Thus, on page explains what climate change and its effects and provide data on their involvement on bird populations in Catalonia, predictions and mapping of the distribution provided for four species at mid-century under different scenarios emission of carbon dioxide (CO2).

In addition, users can perform a test of personal attitude toward global warming "and leave your comments and questions, which will be answered personally.

Climate change is considered the main environmental problem facing humanity and more and more apparent effects on ecosystems.

The birds are emerging as good indicators of these effects, as indicated by the results that are beginning to see, in Europe and in Catalonia.

"That's why this project has been developed to disseminate how through the birds and the studies that have been made can have a state of affairs on the effects of climate change on our country", say project leaders .

Thanks to ELESPECTADOR