 | South Shore beaches cleaner in 2007 By Brian Benson The Patriot Ledger Less rain, more beach days. It's a simple formula that held true this summer, according to the state Department of Public Health. Local beaches had to be closed less often this summer due to high bacteria counts than in past years. The reason: rain washes pollutants into the ocean, leading to high counts and beach closings. But this summer has been on the dry side. "Rainfall has a lot to do with it," said Suzanne Condon, director of environmental health at the public health department. "It's a catalyst for movement of contaminants into the beach water." Beaches monitored in The Patriot Ledger's weekly beach map recorded 33 instances of bacteria count readings above 104, the point at which swimming is considered unsafe, through Thursday 8/23. That is down from 51 instances in 2006, according to data from the state Center for Environmental Health. Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory recorded 6.2 inches of rain in June and July, down from 17.53 inches that fell during those two months last year. Besides rainfall, spring tides, which occur throughout the year during full and new moons, can also lead to increased bacteria levels along the shore. "When that happens the tides are abnormally high and you have water coming over (a larger area of the beach) releasing bacteria," said Chris Huskeycq, the department of health's bathing beach coordinator. There are several sources of contaminants that people have control over, even if they can't stop the rain, Condon said. They include pet waste, trash on the beach, oil spills and other messes that need to be cleaned up.environmental and human sources also contribute to unsafe conditions, including birds, dogs, algae, trash, sludge deposits and oils. Condon, who has worked at the Department of Health since 1980, stressed many of these sources can be lowered with the public's help. "Though we can't control rainfall, there are so many other things you can control," she said. Condon said her department has been evaluating the most common sources of beach-bound bacteria in Massachusetts towns and sending information packets to local boards of health. "The idea is to work with local officials to identify (the sources) and provide information on how to limit it," she said, adding many of the packets will be available on the department's Web site. The number of bathers at a particular beach and the number of people who lived nearby also affect bacteria levels, Condon said. She said that partially explains why the highest recorded bacteria count among Patriot Ledger-monitored beaches for the 2007 season was 2,010 at Sachem Street on Wollaston Beach in Quincy. In 2006, a level of 8,300 was recorded at Heron Beach in Quincy. "It's probably a combination of features," Condon said. "There's also more storm water outflows" there. The outflows are large concrete pipes that transport excess rainfall -- and whatever is on the streets -- to the ocean. Condon said residents can check the status of any Massachusetts beach on the department's Web site, mass.digitalhealthdepartment.com/ public_21/index.cfm. cq |
 | Prague Television Tower The Žižkov Television Tower is a uniquely-designed tower built in Prague between 1985 and 1992. It stands high above the city's traditional skyline from its position on top of a hill in the district of Žižkov, from which it takes its name. Characteristics The structure of the tower is unconventional; it consists of three concrete pillars that carry cabinets for the transmitters, a restaurant and cafe, and three observation rooms. From afar, the tower resembles a rocket launchpad. The tower is 216 metres (709 feet) high, with the observation decks at 100 metres (328 feet) and the tower restaurant and cafe situated at 63 metres (207 feet) in the lower 'pods'. Elevators, equipped with speedometers, transport passengers to the different levels at a rate of 4m/s. The tower weighs 11800 tons and is also used as meteorological observatory. It is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers. Reputation Like many examples of communist-era 'brutalist architecture' in Central and Eastern Europe, the TV tower used to be generally resented by the local inhabitants. Although official criticism during the time of its construction was impossible, unofficially the tower was lambasted for its 'megalomania', its 'jarring' effect on the Prague skyline, and for destroying part of a centuries-old Jewish cemetery situated near the tower's foundations. However, the official line remains that the cemetery was moved some time before the tower was conceived. Recently, tower's reputation among Czechs has improved. Rumours have also circulated[citation needed] that the tower was planned to be used to jam incoming western radio and television transmissions (particularly Radio Free Europe) and that it had a potential use as a communications facility for Warsaw Pact forces in the event of an attack on (or attack by) NATO. Today, the tower management attempts to attract Czech visitors by focusing on the tower's technological innovations. Recent Changes David Černý sculptures The tower with crawling "babies" In 2000, sculptures by Czech artist David Černý of crawling babies were temporarily attached to the tower's pillars. The sculptures were admired by many and were returned in 2001 as a permanent installation, although some find the giant, faceless infants disturbing. Alteration of transmitter support Sometime during 2006 the white, cone-shaped top section and associated panel supports immediately below the striped TV transmitter were removed, leaving a squared finish to the transmitter support. It is currently unknown as to whether this is a permanent change, perhaps to accommodate further transmitter equipment, or the temporary result of maintenance. |
 | Most Extreme Weather on Earth The Mount Washington observatory in (the northeastern U.S. state of) New Hampshire is a non-profit, scientific and educational institution with a mission to advance understanding of the Earth's climate systems. It also has some of the most extreme weather on the planet. The strongest winds ever recorded, were recorded right here, at the Mt. Washington Weather station in New Hampshire. On 12 April 1934, the station measured a wind gust of more than 371 kilometers per hour. The Mount Washington weather station was the first regular, meteorological observations in the world. It continues to collect climate data, and weather information daily. Three out of every four days a year Mount Washington is hidden in clouds or covered with fog, with hurricane force winds sometimes blowing. Scientists and visitors pass through three distinct ecosystems on the ride to the summit, 1,923 meters above sea level. A team of scientists is stationed here. Stacey Kawecki, 23, is one of the scientists. She points out a phenomenon called "rime ice." There is a lot of it here. Rim ice forms on objects when fog freezes. The observers work one week on the summit then one week off. Every hour their readings go to the U.S. National Weather Service. It uses the data to make nationwide forecasts. When not taking readings or keeping instruments working, the Mount Washington scientists conduct research experiments at the station. Visitors are welcome to help out and for a fee, can spend a week living at the station. On this visit, after a typically frigid night, the weather broke and the occupants awoke to a less typical, clear and beautiful sunrise. |
 | The DOE polluting the Skys with Chemtrails Video was taken in Winter Park Florida on 3/27/08, between the afternoon hours of 5:30 and 6:30. These chemtrails belong to the Department of Energy's, Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (ARM). The Department of Energy's National Laboratories that are taking part in this ongoing crime against humanity are as follows: 1. Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne IL) 2. Brookhaven National Laboratory (Upton, N.Y) 3. Lawrence Berkeley 'NL' (Berkeley, CA) 4. Lawrence Livermore 'NL'(Livermore, CA) 5. Los Alamos 'NL' (Los Alamos, NM) 6. National Renewable Energy Lab (Golden CO) 7. National Renewable Energy Lab Resource Data Center 8. National Renewable Energy Solar Radiation Research Lab 9. Oak Ridge 'NL' (Oakridge, TN) 10. Pacific Northwest 'NL' (Richland, WA) 11. Sandia 'NL' (Albuquerque, NM) Some other agencies that are working with the Department of Energy's ARM program are: 12. Air Force Phillips Laboratory (Hanscom AFB, MA) 13. Illinois State Water Survey 14. NASA- Ames Research Center (Moffett Field, CA) 15. NASA- Earth Observing System (EOS) Project Science Office (Maryland) 16. NASA- Goddard Institute For Space Studies (NYC) 17. NASA- Goddard Space Flight Center (Greenbelt MD) 18. NASA- Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Pasadena CA) 19. NASA- Langley Research Center (Hampton VA) 20. National Center For Atmospheric Research 21. NSSL- National Severe Storms Laboratory (Norman, OK) 22. Naval Research Laboratory 23. North Slope Borough Government (AK) 24. NOAA- Aeronomy Laboratory (Boulder CO) 25. NOAA- Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Lab (Oakridge TN) 26. NOAA- Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory (Boulder CO) 27. NOAA- Environmental Technology Laboratory (Boulder CO) 28. NOAA- Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Lab (Princeton NJ) 29. NOAA- National Center For Environmental Prediction (Camp Spring MD) 30. NOAA- National Environmental Satellite Data And Information (Washington D.C) 31. National Marine Fisheries Service 32. NOAA- Office Of Global Programs (Silver Springs MD) 33. NOAA- Surface Radiation Research Branch (Boulder CO) (SRRB) 34. Atmospheric And Environmental Research Inc. (Cambridge MA) 35. General Atomics- (San Diego, CA) 36. Greenwood Group (Ponca OK) 37. Mission Research Corp. (Santa Barbara CA) 38. SeaSpace Corp. (San Diego CA) International Collaborators: 39. Vaisala- (Finland) 40. Airborne Research Australia (Flinders University, Adelaide South Australia 41. CSIRO- Division Of Atmospheric Research (Victoria Australia) 42. Bureau Of Meteorology Melbourne, Victoria Australia) 43. Canada Center For Remote Sensing (Ottawa Ontario) 44. Dalhousie University (Halifax Canada) 45. McGill University (Montreal Canada) 46. Meteorological Service of Canada (Downsview Ontario) 47. University Of British Columbia (Vancouver Canada) 48. Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique (France) 49. Japan Marine Science Technology Center (Japan) 50. National Institute Of Polar Research (Japan) 51. CLARA- Clouds and Radiation Study (Netherlands, Papua New Guinea) 52. Central Aerological Observatory (Russia) 53. Institute For Atmospheric Optics (Tomsk Russia) 54. Institute For Atmospheric Physics (Moscow Russia) 55. European Centre For Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (Reading UK) 56. Hadley Centre For Climate Prediction (UK) Universities that are involved: 57. Boston University (Boston MA) 58. Clark Atlanta University (Atlanta GA) 59. Colorado State University (Fort Collins CO) 60. Columbia University (Lamont- Doherty Earth Observatory) Palisades NY 61. Desert Research Institute (Reno NV) 62. Florida State University (Tallahassee FL) 63. Georgia Institute Of Technology (Atlanta Ga) 64. Harvard- Smithsonian Center For Astrophysics (Cambridge MA) 65. Pennsylvania State University (University Park PA) 66. Meteorology Department (Rutgers University) NJ 67. State University of New York At Albany (Albany NY) 68. Atmospheric Sciences Research Center- State University of New York At Stony Brook (Stony Brook NY) 69. Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken NJ) 70. University of Alaska (Fairbanks AK) 71. University of California, Los Angeles 72. University of California, San Diego 73. Scripps Institution Of Oceanography (La Jolla CA) 74. Scripps Institution Of Oceanography Climate Research Division 75. University Of California, Santa Barbara |
 | Osaka Tsutenkaku 通天閣 ) is ..Tsutenkaku (.. belvedere that builts in the center part in the vicinity of the new world in Osaka Prefecture Osaka City Naniwa Ward. Registering material cultural asset in country. It is familiar as one of the symbols of Osaka, and famous as the tourist spot. Design and structure * Main body: Iron frame make (a part of iron frame ferroconcrete make) o ..tower.. height: 100m on the ground o Width: 24m o Between legs: 24m. * Observatory: Iron frame reinforced concrete Concut make (two surrounding glass -lined stories) o Height: Even 84m and the second floor floor are 87.5m even in the first floor floor. * Supplementary building: Iron frame ferroconcrete make * The performance: The earthquake of the Great Kanto Earthquake class and the strong wind of 70 meters in the velocity of the wind can be stood. Outline Present Tsutenkaku was completed by the second generation in 1956(1956). Sightseeing..Ltd...Ltd.. It is managed. Height including the lightning rod is 103m(The height of the tower is 100m). The designer is Naito multi relations that handle the Nagoya television tower and Tokyo Tower, etc. almost made a simultaneous period. It is Okumura Construction that constructed construction. It is a Confucianism person, and Fujisawa south Gaku that named, "Tsutenkaku" in the meaning "High building that runs to the heaven" at the beginning of the Meiji era. Hitachi Ltd. of the total electric machine enterprise has published an ad to the side in the tower since 1957 a finished year of Yoc (1957). It is assumed that it is a start that the speculation of sightseeing in Tsutenkaku to look for the major company that can publish an ad by extending over a long period of time for Hitachi and the funding to have tried to advance to Osaka in rivalry with the major electric machine enterprise (Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., SANYO Electric, and Sharp, etc.) in local at that time agreed with coming put on the advertisement by Hitachi. Detaching (Refer to the Cda article) and the citizens who felt the sense of incompatibility for the signboard without the mark at that time were not few in 2001 when Hitachi had discontinued it before though "Child mark of the turtle" that was the company pin of Hitachi had been put on the upper part of the advertisement either. It interrupted, the environmental pollution etc. such as the urban ozones became factors, too and one million people were decreased sharply to about 200,000 people in 1975 in 1965 in 1956 when Ta was gotten in the second generation Tsutenkaku though the visitor had been exceeding 1.55 million people during year. The recovery tendency was gradually shown afterwards, there were a television program that made Tsutenkaku a stage and a rise among which the spit cutlet was popular, too and it recovered by one million people or more in 900,000 people and fiscal year 2007 in 2006. As for attendance figures increase in Tsutenkaku, sightseeing in Tsutenkaku is one to comment, "A young person might be requesting the emotion that seems to be Osaka from the new world". It shines when 0 minutes per hour have passed in addition since the entire tower was colored because of the light of the neon based on the golden color and white at nighttime by the gradation with a vivid face of a large clock on the tower east side side. Neon is remodeled every about five years, and the present one is the 12th generation. Moreover, the neon light that shows next day's weather forecast by combining four colors lights to the tower top (fine = white and cloudy weather = bitter orange and rain = blue and snow = pink). The device of this neon light is connected with Osaka District Meteorological Observatories by the lease line, and is the one that the mechanism that forecast is displayed based on information from there it, was produced by Hitachi Ltd. in 1979(1979), and set up. It was removed when the neon of this age was renewed, and the belt in three main lines in side was installed afterwards though it hung under the view room out the chapter of the monogram company of Hitachi Ltd. in 2001. It was updated made in Hitachi in 2001 though an elevator at that time at the time of completed the second generation was made of the Orient Ortis elevator (present and Japanese Ortis elevator). When the 50th rebuilding anniversary came in 2006, repair work was done. The color of neon was changed besides the shape of a large clock was changed to the octagon by Maru, and it came to stand out more. |
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