Phrasal Verbs (revision)

I send you some  phrasal verbs  both  to review and to know how to use them. In the first column are the phrasal verbs by alphabetical order. In the second column, the different meanings those phrasal verb have. Lastly, in the third column, a sentence with the phrasal verb in question.
 Link: http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/phrasal-verbs-list.htm

Tram passenger who hurled racist abuse arrested

Woman's complaints about ethnic minorities living in UK filmed by fellow passenger on London tramlink route and put online

A woman has been arrested for allegedly making racist comments to other passengers on a packed tram. The incident was filmed and posted online, prompting police to investigate.

The clip (which contains explicit comments some viewers may find offensive) had been viewed more than 124,000 times by Monday afternoon after being uploaded to YouTube on Sunday, and shows a woman with a child on her lap shouting abuse at passengers. The incident happened on the Croydon to Wimbledon tramlink. British Transport police said a 34-year-old woman had been arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence.

The video footage, which sparked a Twitter trend with the hashtag #MyTramExperience on Monday, shows a woman complaining about ethnic minorities living in Britain. She starts by saying: "What has this country come to? … with loads of black people and a load of fucking Polish. You ain't English either. None of you are fucking English. Get back to your own fucking, d'you know what?

"Sort out your own countries. Don't come and do mine. Britain is nothing now. Britain is fuck all."

One of the passengers on the tram asks her to mind her language, saying: "There are little kids on the tram." The woman points to the child on her lap and says "I've got a little kid here."

Several other passengers complain about her use of language and racist comments, but the tirade carries on for more than two minutes.

Police launched an investigation after the video was brought to their attention on YouTube and Twitter. A spokesman said: "At present it is not entirely clear which tram stops the offence took place between and when it occurred.

"As a result, we need anyone who witnessed this incident, or with any information that could assist our investigation, to contact us."


WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE

By Joanne

SITTING THE FIRST CERTIFICATE

Those sts  like Sofia, Leila, Susana, Paola, Joanna, Marita  and Marina   can practise  with : http://www.examenglish.com/FCE/fcelistening.htm

Distancing Students

Remember If you want to take this exam at the British Council, you must first pass all the CEI C-65 s exams which are pretty tough, but fully rewarding

Good Luck

YAMI, GONZI, PAT  must hand in one  exercise of each paper per month.

EXAM TIME

Exam time is drawing on, so it is  a good idea  to revise , put together all notes, compare them with your mates´  and see that nothing is missing. EXAM TIME IS A GREAT TIME at the CEI C-65 every year because  we meet our native . It is a  surprise  who is coming. We don t know either sometimes, as it depends on who the different universities abroad which  we keep in contact with will be sending.
We ll keep you posted as soon as we know.
For  students who are doing their first year of FIRST CERTIFICATE OR PROFICIENCY  it is very important to pass these exams. If your performance is good, Next year you can apply at the BRITISH COUNCIL and obtain your International Certificate   PET AND CAE students can sit too but their course is only one year long, so next year they can sit at the BRITISH COUNCIL  as early as June 2012.
If you are keen on this, you must let us know to get everything ready for the occasion.
If you are not too good in December, don t fret. You can sit again in February or March 2012  and of course you needn t pay new fees, the old ones are still valid.

Good luck

Yamila and Pat

DEDIC ATED TO OUR YOUNG INTERPRETERS

MICHELE FROM CANADA  HAS SENT US THIS INFO FOR OUR YOUNG iNTERPRETERS  WE HOPE YOU ENJOY IT . IF POSSIBLE AND NOT TOO TIME CONSUMING COULD YOU SEND US YOUR COMMENTS?

fOLLOW THIS LINK  AND TELL US IF IT WORKS

So I ve got my inmterpreting degree and now what ?

 http://www.linkedin.com/groups?viewMemberFeed=&gid=2343198&memberID=55135847

About the current economic crisis

This video about the Wall Street protests and the need for the government to provide jobs and the current economic future, watch it and think for yourselves.

Agustín Perez Villafañe

Argentina's Teflon Lady ( About Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and 23rd October ellectionS in Argentina)

I have found a very interesting article in Newsweek by Mac Margolis.An objective perspective about Cristina's Government: the events that make her popular or unpopular, her husband and former president's death, her projects and an outlook of the future after 23rd October ellections in Argentina. To my mind, it well worth reading this article.
             Link:    http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/10/16/cristina-de-kirchner-argentina-s-teflon-lady.html

Work idioms

Hiring and firing

take on = hire someone: "They're taking on more than 500 people at the canning factory."
get the boot = be fired: "She got the boot for being lazy."
give someone the sack = fire someone: "He was given the sack for stealing."
give someone their marching orders = fire someone: "After the argument, he was given his marching orders."

How do you work?

get your feet under the table = get settled in: "It only took him a week to get his feet under the table, then he started to make changes."
burn the candle at both ends = work day and night at something: "He's been burning the candle at both ends to finish this project."
knuckle under = stop wasting time and start working: "The sooner you knuckle under and start work, the better."
put pen to paper = start writing: "She finally put pen to paper and wrote the letter."
work all the hours that God sends = work as much as possible: "She works all the hours that God sends to support her family."
work your fingers to the bone = work very hard: "I work my fingers to the bone for you."
go the extra mile = do more than is expected of you: "She's a hard worker and always goes the extra mile."
pull your weight = do your fair share of the work: "He's a good team worker and always pulls his weight."
pull your socks up = make a better effort: "You'll have to pull your socks up and work harder if you want to impress the boss!"
put your feet up = relax: "At last that's over – now I can put my feet up for a while."

WALL STREET PROTESTERS

These Occupy Wall Street Protesters Have A Message

by The Associated Press

text size A A A

NEW YORK October 14, 2011, 05:47 pm ET

NEW YORK (AP) — The Occupy Wall Street protests are hitting a nerve.
A dearth of jobs, overwhelming student loans and soaring health-care costs are just three major issues protesters have targeted. And regardless of politics, economic data suggests they're not alone in their frustrations.
It may be why the protests have spread to other cities — including Boston, Cincinnati, Seattle and Washington, D.C. — after taking root in downtown New York nearly a month ago.
Take for example the unemployment rate, which has been stuck near 9 percent since the recession officially ended more than two years ago. When counting those who settle for part-time work or have quit looking, that rate rises to about 16.5 percent.
A crippled labor market also shifts bargaining power to employers, giving workers less leverage to seek raises. That could help explain why pay was nearly 2 percent less in August than it was a year earlier when adjusted for inflation.
Student loans are another common rallying point for protesters — as expressed in one sign that read "Want demands? How about student loan bailouts?"
The struggle to keep up with payments is clear; about 320,000 borrowers who entered repayment in 2009 defaulted on their student loans by the end of 2010, according to the Institute for College Access & Success. That's up about 33 percent from the previous year.
Meanwhile, the cost of annual health insurance premiums for family coverage rose 9 percent this year and surpassed $15,000 for the first time, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust. Some don't have to worry about the uptick; an estimated 16 percent of the population does not have health insurance.
It's that economic backdrop that has driven a diversity of protesters to the streets
While a few hundred have been camping out in Manhattan's Zuccotti Park, many more join in for a few hours or a day to add their voices. Here's a look at some of the protesters who ventured by in the past week, and the financial issues they're dealing with:
____
John Smith, 31, of Brooklyn, N.Y., works part time at Trader Joe's because he hasn't been able to find work in his field for over a year, despite having a master's degree. He has about $45,000 in student loan debt. His girlfriend, Meropi Peponides, 27, a graduate student at Columbia University, will have about $50,000 by the time she graduates.
"I don't know in the end what exactly this will achieve, if anything. But if it makes people wake up just a little bit, it's worth it," Peponides said. "The potential is huge. That's why I'm here. I felt the potential somehow."
Smith said he has sent out about 200 resumes in his search. He's looking mainly for work with non-profit organizations. "The jobs that I've been applying for are all entry level jobs in my career field. I don't think I'm shooting for the stars trying to get those jobs." Smith said, noting that five years ago, before grad school, he was able to get work at that level.
He was carrying a sign that said, "I am the 99 percent," a slogan that resonated with him. "It's true. I am one of the many people that are having a lot of trouble finding ways to make it through things right now."
___
Tracy Blevins, 41-year-old Manhattan resident, has a doctorate in biomedical science but lost her job as an adjunct professor at Touro College this spring. She's since been getting by on odd jobs; most recently, she acted as a cross-country driver for $2,000.
"I'm earning money off a license I got when I was 16, and still paying off the loans I had to take out to get my degree," she said.
Even after nine years of paying down her loans, Blevins said she owes $10,000. She's current on payments now, but said the loans have crippled her credit score and even prevented her from getting work in the past.
"I have paid and paid and paid and I still owe $10,000. It's the interest that keeps me in debt," she said.
____
Steve and Barbara Diamond traveled nearly 100 miles to take part in the protest. They were motivated mainly by what they see as a disappearance of the middle class; and a connection between the economic problems of recent years and the amount of influence money has on politics. He held a sign criticizing the 2010 Supreme Court ruling known as Citizens United, which overturned a previous ban on corporate spending in federal elections.
"Our government is being bought by wealthy people and corporations," said Steve Diamond, a physician. "Unless you get the money out of the elections, you'll end up with an oligarchy in this country."
"My father used to say when he came to here from Europe that this was the 'Golden Land,'" he said. But he's not telling that to his own children: "This is what's happened inside two generations."
___
Joe Foley, a 48-year-old freelance cinematographer living in Manhattan, finished paying off his $45,000 in student loans just five years ago. His girlfriend has $120,000 in student loans.
Foley said work has been fairly steady in recent years, but he worries that he doesn't have any retirement savings or health insurance. He rents an inexpensive apartment and doesn't carry a big credit card balance, but realizes he's one broken leg away from being in serious debt.
"I was really hoping there was going to be a public option," he said of the federal health care reforms. "It was pretty disappointing that it didn't happen."
For now, he considers himself lucky that he's never had any health issues. His approach has been to "drink lots of water and miso soup and do yoga."
___
Ben Bear, 56, a San Francisco resident visiting his daughter in New York, works at a food bank and feels his job is secure.
"Unfortunately I'm doing well because I'm in a growth industry," Bear said. "The demand for food keeps going up. Everyone's got this image of who accesses a food bank as a homeless person. But it's families and the working poor."
___
Susan Knauss, 55, from upstate Livingston, N.Y., worked in the telecommunications industry for the past 25 years. But she was laid off a few weeks ago from the New York State Department of Transportation. She plans to get by on unemployment checks for the time being.
"But in two weeks, I won't have health insurance," she said.
She's also worried about her retirement savings. Even after making maximum contributions for most of her career, she worries that she hasn't saved enough and that the volatile market could eat away at the value of her 401(k).
"Where can you put your money where it doesn't go away?"
____
Maureen McMahon, 62, of Manhattan, a former school teacher, works part time by choice at a museum. She pointed to problems like the high number of uninsured as among the concerns that brought her out to protest; noting that the disparity in health care reflects that the economic system doesn't treat everyone equally.
"I'm an investor, I have stock," she said with some irony, as she held a sign that said "Tax Wall Street."
"I believe that corporations can be very useful and very compassionate," she said, adding that unfortunately, that kind of corporate responsibility seems to have diminished lately.
____
Katy Ryan, 35, of Jersey City, N.J., made a good living for years as a makeup artist, but since the downturn has struggled to make ends meet. She's getting fewer clients and having to cut her rates. These days she even has to take some work as a bartender so she and her 8-year-old daughter can get by. "I didn't have to do that for years."
Her main concern is that the widening gulf between the rich and poor, and the notion that a better life is slipping out of reach for those who aren't wealthy. She noted that her mother was a long time member of the United Auto Workers, and that she saw her benefits and wages chiseled away over the years.

Apocalypse Soon: our love affair with health scares

There’s nothing we like more than a good apocalypse — or, to be more precise, a good apocalyptic vision. We like being frightened by danger, so long as we believe that the danger is sufficiently unreal. The moment it becomes real, of course, the pleasure disappears. If the world were full of vampires, we should take no joy in films about Dracula.

That is why severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), a disease of unknown causation that has so far claimed the lives of nine victims, most of them in China, has so caught our imagination. It offers an apocalyptic vision without convincing anyone as yet that it will turn into a genuine apocalypse. We secretly enjoy imagining a mysterious disease sweeping across the globe and thinning out the ranks of the population, particularly those whom we detest, though in our wildest thoughts we do not conceive of ourselves as being a victim. Good people like ourselves will be spared.

We love to read about the end of the world. The publisher Jonathan Cape once said that there were only two things you needed to know about publishing, the first being that books about Nelson never made a loss, and the second being that books about South America never made a profit. Nowadays, he might have replaced Nelson as a subject by the forthcoming untreatable plague that will wipe out the human race. Of course, the imminent end of the human race does not inhibit authors from collecting their royalties.

Apocalypse Soon is also a useful concept for bureaucratic groups such as the World Health Organisation that, always threatened by budget cuts and unpaid contributions, need to project themselves as defenders of humanity against disaster.

And the latest apocalyptic epidemic is likely to prove particularly effective in strengthening the WHO’s position. The symptoms of the disease are both vague and common, and therefore many thousands of people will imagine that they have caught it. They will ask their doctor whether they could have SARS, and the nearness of their miss will haunt them for some time to come: until the next health scare, in fact.

Because of the ease of travel to the tropics, for example, we have been warned that epidemics of diseases caused by exotic viruses, such as Ebola, could scythe their way through the unprepared populations of Europe and North America, whose folk memory of epidemic disease is almost extinct, so secure from epidemic — with the partial exception of Aids — have they been for a number of decades. You can tell that no one really believed in the threat posed by Ebola virus, because a thriller was made about it. No one would have made such a film (had the technique been available) about the arrival of the Asiatic cholera in Britain in 1831 or 1848, after which scores of thousands died.

Many diseases have been put forward recently as the agent of apocalypse. Multiple drug-resistant tuberculosis is one example: the white plague, or the Captain of the Men of Death as it was once known, is making a comeback. No one should underestimate the seriousness of the recrudescence of TB, of course, but it is worth remembering that tuberculosis declined as a killer disease well before there was any specific treatment for it. Thus the appearance of untreatable TB does not mean that we shall all contract it, though it might mean the death rate will go up. Most of us still enjoy the improved social conditions that probably led to a decline in the disease’s incidence.

Then there is humble influenza, the disease that killed many more people in the aftermath of the Great War than died in the war itself. We still don’t know what the strain – called Spanish Lady at the time – was, and epidemiologists have suggested that there is no reason why such an epidemic should not occur again. The great thing about such a prediction is that it can never be proved wrong: just because we escaped last year doesn’t mean that we shall again next year. We can go on being pleasantly frightened for ever.

It isn’t only apocalyptic diseases that we like: we like extinction by asteroid and by climatic change as well. Some people may be old enough to remember the time when not global warming, but global cooling, was what was going to put paid to us. Robert Frost was right when he wrote:

Some say the world will end in fire,/ Some say in ice./ From what I’ve tasted of desire/ I hold with those who favour fire./ But if it had to perish twice,/ I think I know enough of hate/ To say that for destruction ice/ Is also great/ And would suffice.

A few years ago we were, in the opinion of the best futurologists, threatened by famine because of overpopulation. Wars would break out over scanty and declining grain supplies. Now our health is threatened more by a superfluity of food than by a lack of it, in spite of the vast increase of population that has occurred since those predictions were made. The means may come and go, but the end — that is to say the apocalypse — goes on for ever.

I don’t argue for complacency, of course. Even the worst of epidemics has to start somewhere, on a small scale. Presumably the Black Death had a first victim. Old World diseases decimated (and worse than decimated) New World populations when first they collided. I can still remember the days when Aids seemed to be confined to a few cases in San Francisco, manifested by the rare skin condition of Kaposi’s sarcoma. Look at Africa now: in many of its countries, life expectancy has almost halved.

Still, we like a good apocalyptic health scare. We are so fundamentally healthy that a distant epidemic is for us what a Grimm fairy story at bedtime is to a child. We love to be snug, yet feel ourselves to be in danger. It is the only way to appreciate snugness.

The writer is a doctor and author of Mass Listeria: The Meaning of Health Scares

From The Times

March 19, 2003

 Sofia. 

THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF FACEBOOK

The Democratic Republic of Facebook

By Robert Shrimsley

The social network is not especially keen on consultation, preferring diktat and data collection on your every move

Status update: It is not your Facebook page; it’s Facebook’s. You will be a lot happier if you can remember this.
Once upon a time Facebook did not exist. There were forerunners but it was only with Facebook that everyone suddenly took full advantage of the chance to re-engage with people we’d spent the past decade forgetting; school friends with whom we never had that much in common; that couple we met on holiday but probably wouldn’t like if we invited them to dinner.

This fabulous new opportunity to stay in touch with people we didn’t care about very much came free of charge. Yes, free; this is important. Facebook took its payment in kind by using the data we gave it to make money selling adverts. As it tightened its grip on our lives, Facebook started changing its conditions to maximise its revenue. Each time, we complained because those Facebook weasels, were messing around with “our” site – for which we didn’t pay – in order to make money. The rotters; perhaps we should have sided with the Winklevosses, after all.

FT readers know there is no such thing as a free lunch. Well, Facebook was the free lunch that had the temerity to change the menu. Last week it did it again, to the usual bellyaching. Over the weekend your news feed may also have been littered with a generic message recirculated by friends that began “Do me a favour...” and set out instructions that would restore some privacy to their bleatings. The instructions didn’t seem that complex but on the other hand it also looked like a lot of hassle. This is the kind of inertia upon which Facebook relies when making changes.

Facebook also announced plans to feature increasing amounts of your web activity. Apparently, this will put it at the centre of everything we do online and thus raise its earning potential. Soon it will automatically tell your friends what you are reading and which sites you are visiting. That’s fine, if you buzz between the FT and the London Review of Books, but is perhaps a less enticing thought if a chunk of your day is spent on Youporn – or worse still, the Mail Online. You can even discover you are watching a movie at the same time as Angelina Jolie, which is a thrill, I’m sure – though it falls some way short of an actual date. As with everything on Facebook, it will be possible to mitigate most of this. If you wish to restore your privacy you can adjust your settings in little more than the time it takes to assemble an Ikea bookcase.
But what really drives users’ anguish is the sense of betrayal that came from thinking they had a say in Facebook’s evolution. This delusion of ownership – or at least stakeholding – is heightened because Facebook, like so many modern businesses, dresses up its commercial decisions as being designed to put the users first. The anger is based on people’s failure to appreciate their position in the Facebook equation. Nobody wants to be told they are nothing more than the eyeballs for advertisers; that their personal life is just packaging. So instead, users have come to believe that Facebook is a borderless democracy. But the Democratic Republic of Facebook is not especially keen on consultation. It prefers diktat and data collection and constant exhortation to users to “share more”. It wants to know your every move; what you watch, who you talk to. You may wander freely within its borders – which are constantly expanding. You are free to say what you like. You are even free to leave but it would prefer you stay and, frankly, there aren’t many places to go.
Facebook’s users are not the customers; or stakeholders. We are the product, and as such, we should remember that the meat on sale in a supermarket does not get to decide how it is eaten. We still have some choice. We can leave, or narrow our base of friends to those we might actually choose to see. Or we can stay, but if we do, we need to know our place in the food chain. Status update: We are the livestock for Facebook’s online supermarket and we are being fattened up for consumption.

How To Keep Fit and Healthy At All Times

Modern life demands that all individuals should stay fit in order to keep up with the wild pace. Fitness refers to a person's capacity to adapt favorably and take stress brought about by changing conditions. In this kind of situation, if you're physically fit, then your mind or body will not be disturbed in any way. As you can see, fitness is not only about physical strength but of mental stability as well.

In many ways, fitness is synonymous to health. Modern living requires good health and to achieve such state, a person must stay fit. Good health and fitness are interrelated. When a person is fit, then that person is considered healthy; and if a person is healthy, his or her fitness level naturally goes up.

But if fitness only pertains to health it's inadequate. Have you heard about the Evolution Theory? It states that only the fit of all species can survive and pass their genes. So fitness is not entirely about health; you should also suit the environment that you live, anytime and anywhere. Therefore, a person should be able to adapt to any environment in order to survive, together with proper fitness exercises.

Oftentimes, people disregard the importance of fitness. They overlook their responsibility to stay fit at all times. Perhaps they don't know the benefits of 'anytime fitness'. Life holds a lot of pleasure for individuals; but if you're always ill you can't enjoy such pleasures of life.

Is fitness anytime possible? Well, of course it is; just look on the positive and bright things in life. You will surely improve your life, look fresher, don't fear any form of infection, and no worries if your car broke down; at least you get to walk an extra few blocks before reaching your home.

Think of every situation as an opportunity to stay fit and this is the key to fitness anytime. You can make the most out of your independence, have peace of mind, and you're quite confident that you can handle everything.

Training for fitness focuses primarily on the different groups of muscles of every human being; this results to muscular fitness, aerobic fitness, and increases stability and flexibility. There are other factors to consider before deciding to do a physical activity, like your physical capability. Do check with your doctor before performing any activity that requires physical strength.

Aerobic exercises are of different kinds. You can do running, dancing, swimming, or even cycling. Make sure that you limit your exercise to about 30-40 minutes every day.

In order for your muscles to exude endurance and strength, focus more on muscular fitness. You can better enhance your muscular fitness if you do some strength training; this will result to an increase in mass of your lean muscles.

Related to your muscle strength's core are balance and stability. Do exercises that can help in making your muscles tough, especially for your trunk area.

With fitness training, you can also achieve flexibility. By doing exercise like pulling and stretching, your muscles can function in its widest possible range. You can try tai chi or yoga, they are great stretching exercises.

Another important factor is eating a well-balanced diet. With all these factors present, you can totally experience fitness anytime and anywhere.

Tips on healthy ageing

Is your current lifestyle helping you age well?

Eat a balanced diet, 3 regular meals and plenty of fluids (preferably water) each day. 

Exercise regularly – at least 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise every day.  Do a range of exercise that involve balance and walking, strength, flexibility and cardiorespiratory activities. 

Keep your weight within a healthy range.  

Keep your mind active – read, write, do crosswords, play music, play games, learn new activities or skills.

Don’t smoke…it is never too late to quit!

The new Australian Alcohol Guidelines for Low Risk Drinking recommend that adults drink two standard drinks (10g of alcohol) or less a day but suggest that older people should consider drinking less or no alcohol.  The body’s ability to process alcohol decreases with age and alcohol can interact with your medication. 

Try and get 7-8 hours of good quality sleep regularly.  

Understand your medical conditions and your medication - whether it is arthritis, high blood pressure, diabetes etc – ensure that both are properly managed.    

Have a medical check-up at least once a year.  If there is a problem, early detection improves outcomes.  

Practice safety habits at home and in the community to prevent falls and fractures. 

Maintain contacts with your family and friends.  Stay active and socially and productively engaged through work, volunteering, recreational activities and involvement in the community.

Keep a positive attitude towards life and a sense of humour.  Do things that make you happy and give you meaning/purpose. 

Be adaptive as your circumstances change, look for opportunities to meet new friends, to take on new activities, learn new skills.

Plan your long term housing, financial needs and your retirement activities.  Don’t wait until you retire to decide what you will do to keep active and productively engaged.

THE EARLIER YOU ADOPT A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE THE BETTER YOUR CHANCES OF AGEING WELL,

HOWEVER IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO START.

Posted by Lucia

Old age needn t mean an old body

This is good science -- and good critical thinking -- from a couple of researchers who argue against the common myth that "old people just get sick." It isn't true, these researchers explain, and they back it up with sound scientific arguments. I've argued this for a long time, too, promoting the idea that bodies don't wear out. In fact, your body can stay healthy, flexible and strong for a hundred years if you treat it right. What causes so-called "old age" is simply a lifetime of poor nutrition (eating the standard American diet), lack of healthy breathing, lack of flexibility, lack of body strength, and lack of mental exercise, among other reasons. Of course, a person who believes old age automatically results in disease will act accordingly and show the expected results. But a person who understands that their personal health outcome is entirely in their hands will achieve phenomenal results and live a long, happy, and healthy live without drugs, surgery, chemotherapy or even visiting a doctor.
I knew a man who lived well into his 70's and had never seen a doctor or taken prescription drugs in his entire life. He biked 20 miles, three times a week, to his dying day. And he lifted weights daily. His nutritional habits were less than ideal, however, demonstrating that he probably could have lived even longer if he had consumed superfoods like chlorella and spirulina or taken health-promoting nutritional supplements.


Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/000752_longevity_old_age.html#ixzz1Xkpef5yw

Happy Teacher's Day!

A Teacher for All Seasons

A teacher is like Spring,
Who nurtures new green sprouts,
Encourages and leads them,
Whenever they have doubts.

A teacher is like Summer,
Whose sunny temperament
Makes studying a pleasure,
Preventing discontent.

A teacher is like Fall,
With methods crisp and clear,
Lessons of bright colors
And a happy atmosphere.

A teacher is like Winter,
While it’s snowing hard outside,
Keeping students comfortable,
As a warm and helpful guide.

Teacher, you do all these things,
With a pleasant attitude;
You’re a teacher for all seasons,
And you have my gratitude! 

By Joanna Fuchs 

Posted by Mateo Consagra

Top 50 Things To Do To Stop Global Warming

Global Warming is a dramatically urgent and serious problem. We don't need to wait for governments to find a solution for this problem: each individual can bring an important help adopting a more responsible lifestyle: starting from little, everyday things. It's the only reasonable way to save our planet, before it is too late.
Here is a list of 50 simple things that everyone can do in order to fight against and reduce the Global Warming phenomenon: some of these ideas are at no cost, some other require a little effort or investment but can help you save a lot of money, in the middle-long term!

1. Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (cfl)
   CFLs use 60% less energy than a regular bulb. This simple switch will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
   We recommend you purchase your CFL bulbs at 1000bulbs.com, they have great deals on both screw-in and plug-in light bulbs.
2. Install a programmable thermostat
   Programmable thermostats will automatically lower the heat or air conditioning at night and raise them again in the morning. They can save you $100 a year on your energy bill.
3. Move your thermostat down 2° in winter and up 2° in summer
   Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment.
4. Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner
   Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
5. Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases
   Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most energy efficient products available.
6. Do not leave appliances on standby
   Use the "on/off" function on the machine itself. A TV set that's switched on for 3 hours a day (the average time Europeans spend watching TV) and in standby mode during the remaining 21 hours uses about 40% of its energy in standby mode.
7. Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket
   You’ll save 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple action. You can save another 550 pounds per year by setting the thermostat no higher than 50°C.
8. Move your fridge and freezer
   Placing them next to the cooker or boiler consumes much more energy than if they were standing on their own. For example, if you put them in a hot cellar room where the room temperature is 30-35ºC, energy use is almost double and causes an extra 160kg of CO2 emissions for fridges per year and 320kg for freezers.
9. Defrost old fridges and freezers regularly
   Even better is to replace them with newer models, which all have automatic defrost cycles and are generally up to two times more energy-efficient than their predecessors.
10. Don't let heat escape from your house over a long period
    When airing your house, open the windows for only a few minutes. If you leave a small opening all day long, the energy needed to keep it warm inside during six cold months (10ºC or less outside temperature) would result in almost 1 ton of CO2 emissions.
11. Replace your old single-glazed windows with double-glazing
    This requires a bit of upfront investment, but will halve the energy lost through windows and pay off in the long term. If you go for the best the market has to offer (wooden-framed double-glazed units with low-emission glass and filled with argon gas), you can even save more than 70% of the energy lost.
12. Get a home energy audit
    Many utilities offer free home energy audits to find where your home is poorly insulated or energy inefficient. You can save up to 30% off your energy bill and 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Energy Star can help you find an energy specialist.
13. Cover your pots while cooking
    Doing so can save a lot of the energy needed for preparing the dish. Even better are pressure cookers and steamers: they can save around 70%!
14. Use the washing machine or dishwasher only when they are full
    If you need to use it when it is half full, then use the half-load or economy setting. There is also no need to set the temperatures high. Nowadays detergents are so efficient that they get your clothes and dishes clean at low temperatures.
15. Take a shower instead of a bath
    A shower takes up to four times less energy than a bath. To maximize the energy saving, avoid power showers and use low-flow showerheads, which are cheap and provide the same comfort.
16. Use less hot water
    It takes a lot of energy to heat water. You can use less hot water by installing a low flow showerhead (350 pounds of carbon dioxide saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year) instead of hot.
17. Use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possible
    You can save 700 pounds of carbon dioxide when you air dry your clothes for 6 months out of the year.
18. Insulate and weatherize your home
    Properly insulating your walls and ceilings can save 25% of your home heating bill and 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Caulking and weather-stripping can save another 1,700 pounds per year. Energy Efficient has more information on how to better insulate your home.
19. Be sure you’re recycling at home
    You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste your household generates.
20. Recycle your organic waste
    Around 3% of the greenhouse gas emissions through the methane is released by decomposing bio-degradable waste. By recycling organic waste or composting it if you have a garden, you can help eliminate this problem! Just make sure that you compost it properly, so it decomposes with sufficient oxygen, otherwise your compost will cause methane emissions and smell foul.
21. Buy intelligently
    One bottle of 1.5l requires less energy and produces less waste than three bottles of 0.5l. As well, buy recycled paper products: it takes less 70 to 90% less energy to make recycled paper and it prevents the loss of forests worldwide.
22. Choose products that come with little packaging and buy refills when you can
    You will also cut down on waste production and energy use... another help against global warming.
23. Reuse your shopping bag
    When shopping, it saves energy and waste to use a reusable bag instead of accepting a disposable one in each shop. Waste not only discharges CO2 and methane into the atmosphere, it can also pollute the air, groundwater and soil.
24. Reduce waste
    Most products we buy cause greenhouse gas emissions in one or another way, e.g. during production and distribution. By taking your lunch in a reusable lunch box instead of a disposable one, you save the energy needed to produce new lunch boxes.
25. Plant a tree
    A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by 10 to 15%. The Arbor Day Foundation has information on planting and provides trees you can plant with membership.
26. Switch to green power
    In many areas, you can switch to energy generated by clean, renewable sources such as wind and solar. In some of these, you can even get refunds by government if you choose to switch to a clean energy producer, and you can also earn money by selling the energy you produce and don't use for yourself.
27. Buy locally grown and produced foods
    The average meal in the United States travels 1,200 miles from the farm to your plate. Buying locally will save fuel and keep money in your community.
28. Buy fresh foods instead of frozen
    Frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce.
29. Seek out and support local farmers markets
    They reduce the amount of energy required to grow and transport the food to you by one fifth. Seek farmer’s markets in your area, and go for them.
30. Buy organic foods as much as possible
    Organic soils capture and store carbon dioxide at much higher levels than soils from conventional farms. If we grew all of our corn and soybeans organically, we’d remove 580 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere!
31. Eat less meat
    Methane is the second most significant greenhouse gas and cows are one of the greatest methane emitters. Their grassy diet and multiple stomachs cause them to produce methane, which they exhale with every breath.
32. Reduce the number of miles you drive by walking, biking, carpooling or taking mass transit wherever possible
    Avoiding just 10 miles of driving every week would eliminate about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year! Look for transit options in your area.
33. Start a carpool with your coworkers or classmates
    Sharing a ride with someone just 2 days a week will reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by 1,590 pounds a year. eRideShare.com runs a free service connecting north american commuters and travelers.
34. Don't leave an empty roof rack on your car
    This can increase fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 10% due to wind resistance and the extra weight - removing it is a better idea.
35. Keep your car tuned up
    Regular maintenance helps improve fuel efficiency and reduces emissions. When just 1% of car owners properly maintain their cars, nearly a billion pounds of carbon dioxide are kept out of the atmosphere.
36. Drive carefully and do not waste fuel
    You can reduce CO2 emissions by readjusting your driving style. Choose proper gears, do not abuse the gas pedal, use the engine brake instead of the pedal brake when possible and turn off your engine when your vehicle is motionless for more than one minute. By readjusting your driving style you can save money on both fuel and car mantainance.
37. Check your tires weekly to make sure they’re properly inflated
    Proper tire inflation can improve gas mileage by more than 3%. Since every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, every increase in fuel efficiency makes a difference!
38. When it is time for a new car, choose a more fuel efficient vehicle
    You can save 3,000 pounds of carbon dioxide every year if your new car gets only 3 miles per gallon more than your current one. You can get up to 60 miles per gallon with a hybrid! You can find information on fuel efficiency on FuelEconomy and on GreenCars websites.
39. Try car sharing
    Need a car but don’t want to buy one? Community car sharing organizations provide access to a car and your membership fee covers gas, maintenance and insurance. Many companies – such as Flexcar - offer low emission or hybrid cars too! Also, see ZipCar.
40. Try telecommuting from home
    Telecommuting can help you drastically reduce the number of miles you drive every week. For more information, check out the Telework Coalition.
41. Fly less
    Air travel produces large amounts of emissions so reducing how much you fly by even one or two trips a year can reduce your emissions significantly. You can also offset your air travel carbon emissions by investingin renewable energy projects.
42. Encourage your school or business to reduce emissions
    You can extend your positive influence on global warming well beyond your home by actively encouraging other to take action.
43. Join the virtual march
    The Stop Global Warming Virtual March is a non-political effort to bring people concerned about global warming together in one place. Add your voice to the hundreds of thousands of other people urging action on this issue.
44. Encourage the switch to renewable energy
    Successfully combating global warming requires a national transition to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass. These technologies are ready to be deployed more widely but there are regulatory barriers impeding them. U.S. citizens, take action to break down those barriers with Vote Solar.
45. Protect and conserve forest worldwide
    Forests play a critical role in global warming: they store carbon. When forests are burned or cut down, their stored carbon is release into the atmosphere - deforestation now accounts for about 20% of carbon dioxide emissions each year. Conservation International has more information on saving forests from global warming.
46. Consider the impact of your investments
    If you invest your money, you should consider the impact that your investments and savings will have on global warming. Check out SocialInvest and Ceres to can learn more about how to ensure your money is being invested in companies, products and projects that address issues related to climate change.
47. Make your city cool
    Cities and states around the country have taken action to stop global warming by passing innovative transportation and energy saving legislation. If you're in the U.S., join the cool cities list.
48. Tell Congress to act
    The McCain Lieberman Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act would set a firm limit on carbon dioxide emissions and then use free market incentives to lower costs, promote efficiency and spur innovation. Tell your representative to support it.
49. Make sure your voice is heard!
    Americans must have a stronger commitment from their government in order to stop global warming and implement solutions and such a commitment won’t come without a dramatic increase in citizen lobbying for new laws with teeth. Get the facts about U.S. politicians and candidates at Project Vote Smart and The League of Conservation Voters. Make sure your voice is heard by voting!
50. Share this list!
    Send this page via e-mail to your friends! Spread this list worldwide and help people doing their part: the more people you will manage to enlighten, the greater YOUR help to save the planet will be (but please take action on first person too)!
    
    If you like, you are free to republish, adapt or translate the list and post it in your blog, website or forum as long as you give us credit with a link to the original source.

Source: http://globalwarming-facts.info/50-tips.html
Posted by: Mateo Consagra

THE GALAPAGOS

HUMANS IN THE GALAPAGOS    A CASE OF ALIEN SPECIES  ENDANGERED

WAT CH THIS VIDEO  http://www.pbs.org/saf/1106/video/watchonline.htm

YAMILA  COLQUI

Can humans be alien species ?

Established ecosystems have developed their own natural balance and controls over time, and the plants and animals within those systems find this balance suitable for survival, or they have been able to adapt in order to survive within those conditions.  When non-native species from other ecosystems are introduced, they can upset that balance and bring harm to the established plants and animals, and the whole ecosystem.   Non-native species come from somewhere else and they are not natural to the ecosystem they have been introduced to.  They may be harmless and beneficial in their natural surroundings, but they can totally devastate different environments.  When alien species enter into an ecosystem, they can disrupt the natural balance, reduce biodiversity, degrade habitats, alter native genetic diversity, transmit exotic diseases to native species, and further jeopardize endangered plants and animals.  When there are no established natural controls, such as predators to keep the non-native harmful species in check, there can be a population explosion of the invasive non-native species causing an ecological catastrophe.

Not all non-native species are invasive and harmful.  But many can completely take over and entirely change whole established ecosystems.  These are the non-natives that invade an established environment; therefore, they are invasive.   Invasive species may be as harmless looking as green plants or a frog.  They don't have to be vicious looking to bring harm to an area.  They may even be beautiful to look at.  This could have a detrimental effect on native species if bees or other pollinators preferred the flowering displays of the invasive species over the native species.  Many humans want to design their own ecosystems to fit their needs.  They bring in ornamental flowering trees, non-native fish, specialty seeds, and unusual animals.  This can wreak havoc on the natural species and the established habitat.

Ornamental exotic plants, flowers and trees, or animals that are brought into an ecosystem may increase the diversity of species locally; but, then the introduced species can take over, crowd out or kill the native indigenous species, and in some cases cause extinctions of particular species of plants and animals.  This has happened in island ecosystems where alien species caused the total destruction of local species that existed nowhere else on the planet.  Therefore, the species became extinct and the biodiversity of our planet further reduced.

Tremendous damage can occur from an insect species that bores holes in trees, or weeds that take over, or zebra mussels that clog up water systems (i.e., Great Lakes).  There are many species that are not native to an area which can be very dangerous and cause harm and even death to humans (i.e., brown tree snake).  A non-native species could be something that brings disease to an area or to people through introduced bacteria or viruses (i.e., Ebola), or possibly a plant that would crossbreed with other plants and cause major changes to plant life.  When natural habitat or food supply is destroyed, by alien species or from other circumstances, animals have to leave to find shelter and food in an ecosystem which will sustain them.  Some native animals cannot leave.  Without proper habitat and food supplies, they die.

Many non-native species have been transported in the ballast water of ships and then are released into the waters in ports of call.  Many more non-native species arrive in the products  that are imported from other countries.  Inspecting shipments of goods is overwhelming our human resources, such as in Florida where they have approximately 12,000 shipments of animals per year and only 8 inspectors.  There has been an ever-increasing amount of international world trade in exotic species in exporting and importing of plants and animals (such as ornamental tropical fish, rainforest birds, exotic plants, and various species introduced for a purpose).  This lines the pockets of the traders, shippers and sellers of these goods with huge profits of millions of dollars.  But, who pays to manage and control the global transport of invasive species with regard to prevention of negative impacts?  What and where are the controls, rules and environmental regulations to protect ecosystems, habitats and species from alien invasive species?  Who pays for risk assessments prior to the importation of products and species?  Who compensates those who have been negatively affected or lost their livelihood because a harmful species hitchhiked a ride in a plane wheel, a cargo container, in agricultural products, or in ships' ballast water?  Those who originally gained the monetary benefits from the invasives pay virtually none of the costs for environmental protection, nor are they generally held accountable for the negative environmental impacts they cause.  The general public, future generations, and the planet's environment and biodiversity end up paying dearly from the negative impacts of the exploitation of species, the loss of biodiversity in both the country of origin and the importing country, and for the environmental damage that occurs.   Huge sums of money have to be expended to try and rectify the damage to species and ecosystems from the introduction of non-native species into the ecosystems.  Once massive damage is done, there are cases where it is impossible to bring the ecosystem back to its "natural" state.

Non-native species don't necessarily come from far away.  They may come from neighboring areas, but from different ecosystems.   If you have ever crossed a border between countries, you may have passed through an inspection point where inspectors ask if you are bringing any fruit, plants or animals into the country.  The reason for this is to keep non-native species out of their particular ecosystems.

"Super-highways for non-indigenous species" have occurred in such places as South Florida, where natural aquatic habitats have been drained or diverted and modified to accommodate for new development.  A network of man-made canals has allowed for the expansion of non-indigenous species that could result in altering established natural systems and cause significant economic harm.  The Everglades, which has suffered serious decline over the years, is already in a threatened state.  This once-vibrant and massive wetland ecosystem of many habitats, is now even further threatened by many fishes that have been introduced that are out-competing native species. 

Other occurrences of non-native species being introduced to an area have been from aquaculture escapes, aquarium releases, state government bio-control, planting fish for sport fishing, and individuals that bring in species for various reasons, accidentally or on purpose.

And there are other Alien Species - Humans!
Did you ever think of yourself as an Alien Species?  When we venture out into the wilderness to enjoy nature we are an invasive species.  As "eco-tourism" has expanded worldwide, many thousands of people yearly invade pristine areas and change the natural balance of nature.  Tourism has been thought to be a savior for financially poor, but biologically rich regions of the Earth.  Tourists spend money; in fact, millions of dollars are spent on "eco-tourism."  But, who are the major benefactors of all that money? - the tourism industry.  Many of the  companies associated with "eco-tourism" are located in countries far removed from the eco-regions they send vacationers to.    They are not impacted by the environmental changes which occur from the human alien species they ship off and fly off to the ecologically important hotspots of our planet.  

Along with tourists and related activities comes environmental destruction.   Tourism brings in ships and jets carrying supplies and people, and the carriers and supplies themselves bring in more alien species (i.e., non-native plants, animals and organisms) which threaten and devastate native habitat and species.  More people must also come to the tourist resort area to fill the jobs of the expanded tourism industry, such as in hotels, restaurants, and transportation fields.  As more and more people take up residence, there is more construction and more pollution.

The Galapagos is one very special place on our planet where they are striving to protect the biodiversity and ecosystems from the activities of humans.  60,000 people visit the Galapagos Islands each year.  The Galapagos is considered to be a laboratory of evolution - a living library of genetic information.  95% of the known species that ever existed on the Galapagos Islands are still alive today.  These creatures have had to come up with some major adaptations to solve problems in order to have survived as species for this long of a period of time.  How can this biological heritage be protected from 60,000 visitors a year?  60,000 alien species who want to see this remarkable place.  Strict rules have been set up as to where people and their animals can live.  Off-limit areas have been set aside, such as the National    Established ecosystems have developed their own natural balance and controls over time, and the plants and animals within those systems find this balance suitable for survival, or they have been able to adapt in order to survive within those conditions.  When non-native species from other ecosystems are introduced, they can upset that balance and bring harm to the established plants and animals, and the whole ecosystem.

Not all non-native species are invasive and harmful.  But many can completely take over and entirely change whole established ecosystems.  These are the non-natives that invade an established environment; therefore, they are invasive.   Invasive species may be as harmless looking as green plants or a frog.  They don't have to be vicious looking to bring harm to an area.  They may even be beautiful to look at.  This could have a detrimental effect on native species if bees or other pollinators preferred the flowering displays of the invasive species over the native species.  Many humans want to design their own ecosystems to fit their needs.  They bring in ornamental flowering trees, non-native fish, specialty seeds, and unusual animals.  This can wreak havoc on the natural species and the established habitat.

Ornamental exotic plants, flowers and trees, or animals that are brought into an ecosystem may increase the diversity of species locally; but, then the introduced species can take over, crowd out or kill the native indigenous species, and in some cases cause extinctions of particular species of plants and animals.  This has happened in island ecosystems where alien species caused the total destruction of local species that existed nowhere else on the planet.  Therefore, the species became extinct and the biodiversity of our planet further reduced.

Tremendous damage can occur from an insect species that bores holes in trees, or weeds that take over, or zebra mussels that clog up water systems (i.e., Great Lakes).  There are many species that are not native to an area which can be very dangerous and cause harm and even death to humans (i.e., brown tree snake).  A non-native species could be something that brings disease to an area or to people through introduced bacteria or viruses (i.e., Ebola), or possibly a plant that would crossbreed with other plants and cause major changes to plant life.  When natural habitat or food supply is destroyed, by alien species or from other circumstances, animals have to leave to find shelter and food in an ecosystem which will sustain them.  Some native animals cannot leave.  Without proper habitat and food supplies, they die.

Many non-native species have been transported in the ballast water of ships and then are released into the waters in ports of call.  Many more non-native species arrive in the products  that are imported from other countries.  Inspecting shipments of goods is overwhelming our human resources, such as in Florida where they have approximately 12,000 shipments of animals per year and only 8 inspectors.  There has been an ever-increasing amount of international world trade in exotic species in exporting and importing of plants and animals (such as ornamental tropical fish, rainforest birds, exotic plants, and various species introduced for a purpose).  This lines the pockets of the traders, shippers and sellers of these goods with huge profits of millions of dollars.  But, who pays to manage and control the global transport of invasive species with regard to prevention of negative impacts?  What and where are the controls, rules and environmental regulations to protect ecosystems, habitats and species from alien invasive species?  Who pays for risk assessments prior to the importation of products and species?  Who compensates those who have been negatively affected or lost their livelihood because a harmful species hitchhiked a ride in a plane wheel, a cargo container, in agricultural products, or in ships' ballast water?  Those who originally gained the monetary benefits from the invasives pay virtually none of the costs for environmental protection, nor are they generally held accountable for the negative environmental impacts they cause.  The general public, future generations, and the planet's environment and biodiversity end up paying dearly from the negative impacts of the exploitation of species, the loss of biodiversity in both the country of origin and the importing country, and for the environmental damage that occurs.   Huge sums of money have to be expended to try and rectify the damage to species and ecosystems from the introduction of non-native species into the ecosystems.  Once massive damage is done, there are cases where it is impossible to bring the ecosystem back to its "natural" state.

Non-native species don't necessarily come from far away.  They may come from neighboring areas, but from different ecosystems.   If you have ever crossed a border between countries, you may have passed through an inspection point where inspectors ask if you are bringing any fruit, plants or animals into the country.  The reason for this is to keep non-native species out of their particular ecosystems.

"Super-highways for non-indigenous species" have occurred in such places as South Florida, where natural aquatic habitats have been drained or diverted and modified to accommodate for new development.  A network of man-made canals has allowed for the expansion of non-indigenous species that could result in altering established natural systems and cause significant economic harm.  The Everglades, which has suffered serious decline over the years, is already in a threatened state.  This once-vibrant and massive wetland ecosystem of many habitats, is now even further threatened by many fishes that have been introduced that are out-competing native species. 

Other occurrences of non-native species being introduced to an area have been from aquaculture escapes, aquarium releases, state government bio-control, planting fish for sport fishing, and individuals that bring in species for various reasons, accidentally or on purpose.

And there are other Alien Species - Humans!
Did you ever think of yourself as an Alien Species?  When we venture out into the wilderness to enjoy nature we are an invasive species.  As "eco-tourism" has expanded worldwide, many thousands of people yearly invade pristine areas and change the natural balance of nature.  Tourism has been thought to be a savior for financially poor, but biologically rich regions of the Earth.  Tourists spend money; in fact, millions of dollars are spent on "eco-tourism."  But, who are the major benefactors of all that money? - the tourism industry.  Many of the  companies associated with "eco-tourism" are located in countries far removed from the eco-regions they send vacationers to.    They are not impacted by the environmental changes which occur from the human alien species they ship off and fly off to the ecologically important hotspots of our planet.  

Along with tourists and related activities comes environmental destruction.   Tourism brings in ships and jets carrying supplies and people, and the carriers and supplies themselves bring in more alien species (i.e., non-native plants, animals and organisms) which threaten and devastate native habitat and species.  More people must also come to the tourist resort area to fill the jobs of the expanded tourism industry, such as in hotels, restaurants, and transportation fields.  As more and more people take up residence, there is more construction and more pollution.

The Galapagos is one very special place on our planet where they are striving to protect the biodiversity and ecosystems from the activities of humans.  60,000 people visit the Galapagos Islands each year.  The Galapagos is considered to be a laboratory of evolution - a living library of genetic information.  95% of the known species that ever existed on the Galapagos Islands are still alive today.  These creatures have had to come up with some major adaptations to solve problems in order to have survived as species for this long of a period of time.  How can this biological heritage be protected from 60,000 visitors a year?  60,000 alien species who want to see this remarkable place.  Strict rules have been set up as to where people and their animals can live. 

  Non-native species come from somewhere else and they are not natural to the ecosystem they have been introduced to.  They may be harmless and beneficial in their natural surroundings, but they can totally devastate different environments.  When alien species enter into an ecosystem, they can disrupt the natural balance, reduce biodiversity, degrade habitats, alter native genetic diversity, transmit exotic diseases to native species, and further jeopardize endangered plants and animals.  When there are no established natural controls, such as predators to keep the non-native harmful species in check, there can be a population explosion of the invasive non-native species causing an ecological catastrophe.

Invasive Species Definition Clarification and Guidance White Paper

Submitted by the Definitions Subcommittee of the

Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC)

Approved by ISAC April 27, 2006

Preamble:

Executive Order 13112 – defines an invasive species as "an alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health." In the Executive Summary of the National Invasive Species Management Plan (NISMP) the term invasive species is further clarified and defined as "a species that is non-native to the ecosystem under consideration and whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health." To provide guidance for the development and implementation of the NISMP, the National Invasive Species Council (NISC) and the Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC) adopted a set of principles outlined in Appendix 6 of the NISMP. Guiding Principle #1 provides additional context for defining the term invasive species and states "many alien species are non-invasive and support human livelihoods or a preferred quality of life." However, some alien species (non-native will be used in this white paper because it is more descriptive than alien), for example West Nile virus, are considered invasive and undesirable by virtually everyone. Other non-native species are not as easily characterized. For example, some non-native species are considered harmful, and therefore, invasive by some sectors of our society while others consider them beneficial. This discontinuity is reflective of the different value systems operating in our free society, and contributes to the complexity of defining the term invasive species.

NISC is engaged in evaluating and updating the 2001 NISMP and is developing comments for a revised action plan as required by the EO 13112. While there have been numerous attempts to clarify the term

invasive species, there continues to be uncertainty concerning the use and perceived meaning of the term, and consequently over the prospective scope of actions proposed in the NISMP. Options related to private property use, pet ownership, agriculture, horticulture, and aquaculture enterprises may be affected depending upon the definition, use, and policy implications of the term.

Weeds As Examples

Weeds provide good examples to clarify what is meant by an invasive species because most people have a concept of what constitutes a "weed."

Invasion can be thought of as a process that in our example, a plant must go through to become a successful, yet harmful invader. Several barriers must be overcome for a plant to be considered an invasive weed. Invasive weeds are invasive species.

Large-scale geographical barriers

First, a geographical barrier must be overcome, which often occurs as a mountain range, ocean, or similar physical barrier to movement of seeds and other reproductive plant parts. Plants that overcome geographical barriers are known as alien plants or alien species. Alien plants are non-native plants and alien species are non-native species. Therefore, non-native plants are those that occur outside their natural range boundaries, and this most often is mediated by humans either deliberately or unintentionally.

Survival barriers

The second set of obstacles that a non-native plant must overcome is barriers to germination and survival in its new location. These typically are environmental barriers such as adequate moisture availability to allow successful germination and survival of seedlings that will continue to grow to maturity. Other physical barriers might be soil pH, nutrient availability, or competition for resources from neighboring plants.

In particular, the desire to consider a non-native species as ‘invasive’ may trigger a risk/benefit assessment process to determine whether regulatory action is warranted. All these uncertainties have stood and could continue to stand in the way of progress in actions and policy development to prevent new invasions and manage existing invasive species. While it is not the purpose of this white paper to define a risk/benefit assessment process, development of such a process must be open and efficient to minimize the uncertainties.

This white paper is intended to provide a non-regulatory policy interpretation of the term

The utility of our clarification should be in education, conflict resolution, and efficiency in the planning, prevention, control/eradication, and management of

2 invasive species by identifying what is meant, and just as important, what is not meant by the term. ISAC recognizes that biological and ecological definitions will not precisely apply to regulatory definitions. We believe, however, that our clarification will apply to all taxa of invasive species in all habitats and furthermore, our explanation will be functional and acceptable to most stakeholders. ISAC simply wants to clarify what is meant and what is not meant by the term invasive species in the technical sense and to provide insight into those areas where societal judgments will be necessary to implement effective public policy. invasive species.

Weeds As Examples

(continued)

Establishment barriers

The third obstacle that a non-native plant must overcome to be considered an invasive weed, is to form a population that is self-sustaining and does not need re-introduction to maintain a population base such that it continues to

survive and thrive in its new environment. Once this occurs, this population of non-native plants is considered to be established. Environmental barriers to survival and establishment are similar.

Dispersal and spread barriers

Established non-native plants must overcome barriers to dispersal and spread from their site of establishment to be considered invasive plants. Additionally, the rate of spread must be relatively fast. However, this movement or spread alone does not necessarily make this non-native plant an invasive weed or invasive species.

Harm and impact

Finally, a plant is deemed to be invasive if it causes negative environmental, economic, or human health effects, which outweigh any beneficial effects. For example, yellow starthistle is a source of nectar for bee producers. But the displacement of native and other desirable plant species caused by yellow starthistle leads to dramatically decreased forage for wildlife and livestock, which severely disrupts the profitability of associated businesses. These negative effects greatly overshadow the positive effects and thus, define harm caused by yellow starthistle and explain why it is considered an invasive species. posted by Carla 

Invasive Species Definition Clarification and Guidance White Paper