Julie Morse

Climate Change Could Increase Lightning Strikes 50% by 2100

November 15, 2014 By Julie Morse 5 Comments

Study: Increaseing temperatures from climate change will increase lightening strikes

According to a new study from University of California Berkeley, odds of being struck by lightening with increase by 50% within the next 100 years. Climate change and global warming are affecting many aspects of nature. There are now more frequent thunderstorms, stronger hurricanes, rising seas, and just recently researchers are learning, more lightning. Florida is the state with the most lightning fatalities, with 32 deaths since 2006, followed by Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas.

The increase in lightning is due to the rise in temperature. Lightning occurs more frequently when it’s warmer. According to the new study led by David M. Romps, the frequency of lightning strikes will increase 12% for every degree of rise in global temperature, therefore potentially resulting in a 50% increase in lightning strikes by 2100. Romps’ predictions were also determined by the increasing thickness of thunderclouds. Studies show that bigger clouds generate more lightning.

Lightning is created when a spark moves from a positively or negatively charged area of a cloud to an area with the opposite charge. Then, the upward movement of air, called vigorous updrafts, shakes particles in the cloud, which charges them. Small ice particles usually contain a positive charge and travel to the tops of clouds. Romps and his colleagues created a computer program that can determine how much lightning is generated through precipitation and how much activity a thunderstorm produces. In 2011, their program predicted 77% of all lightning flashes for the entire year.

As the earth continues to warm from climate change, the conditions for thunderstorms to get triggered happens on a more regular basis, and these storms will be more energetic. It’s not only the danger of being struck that increases. Lightning is responsible for half of US wildfires, and with the atmosphere becoming warmer, that means that there is only a greater risk of wildfires.

Tim McDonnell reporting for Mother Jones says, “In one 24-hour period in August, lightning in Northern California started 34 wildfires. The study doesn’t make any specific predictions about wildfire activity, but knowing about future lightning conditions is an important part of that equation.”

Increased lightning will also impact greenhouse conditions, which could end up being both a good and a bad result. It could potentially produce more ozone, which is a dangerous ozone gas, but on the other hand, lightning could create more nitrogen oxide compounds, which help reduce levels of methane, another strong greenhouse gas. Whatever the outcome, look for a more stormy world unless action is taken to address climate change.

(Photo courtesy of Simon Bradley)

Your Dirty Contact Lens Habits May Be Causing Your Eye Infections

November 13, 2014 By Julie Morse 4 Comments

CDC warns lack of contact lens hygiene causes millions of eye infections

If you wear contact lenses and have suffered from an eye infection, it turns out you’re probably not taking care of your lenses correctly. Bad habits such as sleeping with lenses, neglecting to clean and replace contact lens solution frequently, and getting them wet either swimming or in the shower can increase the risk of kerantis, an infection of the cornea, the clear part that covers the iris. It is caused by bacteria, fungi, and other germs.

Kerantis can cause pain, inflammation, and in rare cases, blindness, according to researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) who authored a recently released report. There are over a million reported cases of keranits reported annually in the US, which adds up to $175 million a year in medical costs for diagnostic exams and treatment.

Fortunately, if diagnosed quickly, kerantis is can be easily cured without permanent damage. Although treatment is typically pricey, with the average optometrist visit running around $151 and the average emergency visit can be as a high as $587. Most cases can be cured with eye drops or cream. It’s far better financially to spend a little more money keeping your contacts clean than trying to save a little and getting an infection. There are ways to save money on eye wear.

Dr. Jennifer Cope, a CDC medical epidemiologist, noted that while contact lenses offer a wide variety of benefits to users, they’re not risk-free. It’s especially important to take action to prevent keratitis since it can be a scary infection. The good news it that it’s preventable for users by following healthy habits for both eyes and contacts. If a person does suffer keratitis symptoms which fail to improve on their own, or after using antibiotic drops for the infection, they should immediately contact their ophthalmologist.

The CDC has a list of recommended steps to prevent kerantis:

1. It’s important to wash your hands with both soap and water, then dry them thoroughly before handling your contact lenses.

2. Don’t use tap water to rinse contact lenses, or expose them to it in any other way. Tap water can contain germs and chemical contaminants which can infect the eye.

3. Be sure to remove your contacts before going to bed or sleeping for long periods of time unless you are advised by a health-care professional that it’s OK to do so.

4. Be sure to remove your contacts before you shower or go swimming.

5. It’s important to clean your contacts each time you remove them from your eyes. Be sure to rub and rinse them in disinfecting solution when you do.

6. Don’t forget to also clean and rinse the contact lens storage case with contact lens solution as well. After cleaning the case, be sure to dry it with a clean tissue. Then store it upside down with the caps off after each use.

7. When you are ready to store your contact lenses, but sure to refill the storage case with new solution each time.

8. It’s important to replace your contact lens case at least once every three months, even when keeping it clean and following the above cleaning directions.

(Photo courtesy of Roosh Inf3ktion)

Pew Study Shows Americans Are Fed up with Government Surveillance

November 13, 2014 By Julie Morse 1 Comment

PEW research finds Americans are concerned about government surveillance

It’s a fact, most Americans are concerned about their online privacy. According to a Pew study released on November 12th, 80% of surveyed participants believed that Americans should be fully concerned with the government’s monitoring of phone calls and internet activity. 82% of respondents believed that details regarding their physical location should be more protected. 91% of participants feel that they’ve “lost control” over how their personal data is collated, collected and utilized by private companies. In contrast, only 41% of respondents considered their online purchasing history to be “sensitive information”, and only 5% of participants were actually unaware of the government’s monitoring of American’s internet and communication activity.

The study featured a sample of 607 adults, and was conducted in light of when whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked confidential reports detailing the NSA’s surveillance activity last year. Snowden was originally a contractor at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and then later at the National Security Agency (NSA), and felt uncomfortable with the government’s spying and decided to take critical action. “The government has granted itself power it is not entitled to. There is no public oversight. The result is people like myself have the latitude to go further than they are allowed to. They are intent on making every conversation and every form of behavior in the world known to them,” he told The Guardian.

Respondents commented that despite Snowden’s findings and being uncomfortable about the government’s surveillance, they’re still regularly using the internet. When it comes to social media, more than half of participants said that they shared information or posted comments in their real name or a screen name that is easily associated with their real name. Only 42% of respondents said they share information online anonymously. 80% of participants said they were concerned with marketers and private companies taking advantage of the personal information they post online. 70% said they were worried about the government monitoring their social media presence “without their permission.”

Participants were more nervous about the information they post on social media than any other form of internet activity. 81% said they did not feel secure sharing private information through venues such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 61% said they feel somewhat more secure sharing information over a landline telephone.

Fortunately, since Snowden’s disclosures, many companies such as Apple, Credo, Dropbox, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Sonic, Twitter, and Yahoo have revised and their privacy and transparency policies to make them less accessible to the government.

(Photo courtesy of safwat sayed)

Buffett’s Tesco Investment Accounts for Major Loss for Berkshire Hathaway

November 8, 2014 By Julie Morse 1 Comment

Berkshire Hathaway announces third quarter profits

Warren Buffett’s investment company, Berkshire Hathaway took a major hit in the last quarter with a reported 9% drop in its third-quarter profit as compared to a year ago. According to a company statement, Berkshire earned $4.62 billion this year, or $2,811 per Class A share. This is a significant drop from $5.05 billion, or $3,074 per share, the company earned in 2013.

The loss is mainly due to the company’s massive investment in Tesco, a British grocery chain. The chain has experienced significant losses this year. The store has not only been struggling, but recently admitted to exaggerating its profit forecasts.

Despite the loss, the investment company is still making strides. The $4.6 billion earned during the last quarter is better than Wall Street was expecting. Although they are down nearly 9% from the same period last year, profits for the first 9 months of the year are still better than they were this time last year. While the announcement wasn’t what Warren Buffet and Berkshire Hathaway would have liked to have made, it could have been a lot worse.

Tesco wasn’t the only investment to disappoint Berkshire. They also lost big time on shares of Coca-Cola and IBM after both companies garnered unusually poor earnings. Coca Cola’s shares fell the most in 6 years, from $11.98 billion in the quarter from $12 billion a year earlier. Coke, which is one of Berkshire’s largest investments, cut back on executive pay.

However, these are only a few set backs for the mega investment firm. The company reported holding $62.4 billion at the end of the quarter, which is up from $42 billion in 2013. Buffett biographer, Andy Kilpatrick, told USA Today, “[Buffett] is really piling up the cash. Berkshire’s subsidiaries are generating solid profits, and the company is in good position for a significant acquisition if Buffett finds the right business.”

Berkshire’s Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad proved a successful quarter, reeling in $1.035 billion net income, which is up from $989 million from last year. It produced 2% more freight carloads and charged 3% more per car on average. Berkshire’s insurance underwriting profit rose from $629 million from 2013’s $170 million due to lack of major catastrophes.

Berkshire is the proprietor of 80 subsidiaries that range from clothing to jewelry and furniture companies. It’s insurance and utility sector usually accounts for over 50% of the company’s net income.

Berkshire Hathaway also holds a massive stake in Wells Fargo with some 463 million shares. This is around 9% of the total bank. It is currently Berkshire’s largest stock investment.

(Photo courtesy of Fortune Live Media)

Berkeley Becomes First US City to Impose a Soda Tax

November 6, 2014 By Julie Morse Leave a Comment

Berkeley becomes first US city with a soda tax

Election day proved a great victory for anti-sugary beverage enthusiasts in Berkeley, California. 75% of the liberal city voted in favor of the soda tax initiative. Despite soda manufactures’ $2.4 million dollar campaign against the initiative, as of January 1, 2015, the price of sugary drinks in the city of Berkeley will rise as much as 10%, or a penny-per-ounce on sugary beverages. This applies to not only soda, but energy and sport drinks, and sweetened coffee and teas.

The escalated prices will push the incentive for people to choose healthier and cheaper beverage options. Much of this rational is based on a 2013 Harvard study which found that an increased price tag on a 20-ounce sodas led to a 16% decrease in sales. There is also evidence that junk food taxes in Mexico helped. “What this shows is that a community can come together and fight for kids’ health regardless of the outrageous amounts of money spent against their interests. The tides have clearly turned on Big Soda,” said Martin Bourque, spokesman for the Berkeley soda tax measure.

The biggest financial backers behind the measure were the American Heart Association, who donated $23,000, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest ,who gave $15,000. However, the biggest backer of them all was Michael Bloomberg, who once unsuccessfully fought to decrease the portions of sugary beverages in New York City. The former mayor donated $370,000 towards Berkeley’s campaign.

Bloomberg’s donations helped pay for TV ads that ran in the Bay Area during the World Series. According to Howard Wolfson, senior adviser to Bloomerg, “The results will surely encourage other municipalities across the nation to pursue similar initiatives to fight obesity and diabetes.” He also believes that this win might lead to future rallies behind soda tax initiatives in other towns or cities.

However, on the other side of the bridge, San Francisco opponents of the initiative indulged in their victory. The American Beverage Association fought hard against the measure, and spent around $10 million on advertisements, billboards, mailers, and consultants. The ABA even donated to local political clubs such as the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club and the San Francisco Republican Party in effort to have them include “No on E” in their mailer endorsements.

“San Franciscans have made it clear they can decide for themselves what to eat and drink. Despite being considered an extremely liberal city, voters in San Francisco share many of the same economic concerns as the rest of the American public,” said Roger Salazar, spokesman for the campaigns to defeat taxes in both cities.

Amazon Kicks off Black Friday November 1 Making It a Month Long Event

November 1, 2014 By Julie Morse 1 Comment

Amazon begins Black Friday deal November 1, 2014

Retailers have decided that Black Friday is now a marketing catch phrase rather than a one-day event in hopes of driving shoppers to spend money. The perfect example is Amazon’s decision to start their “Black Friday” promotions the day after Halloween. Amazon has decided the mega shopping day, which usually falls the day after Thanksgiving, will instead kick off Saturday, November 1, 2014.

While Amazon seems to be making the most noise about their event, they’re not the only ones. It’s a growing trend for retailers to add “Black Friday” to their sales long before the day actually arrives. Both Amazon and Walmart are starting off the month with early holiday sales. Best Buy, Target, and Toys R Us are also offering new discounted prices.

Beginning November 1, Amazon customers will find more than 15,000 Lightning Deals on their website. Steve Shure, Amazon’s Vice President of Worldwide Marketing says, “Starting in November, millions of holiday shoppers come to Amazon hunting for the best deals and that one perfect gift. This year, we will have more than 15,000 hand-selected, limited time promotions on hot products, including new early access deals for Prime members on many Lightning Deals from Amazon.com and daily sales events on MyHabit.”

From today through December 22nd, Amazon customers will be offered daily special “Deals of the Day,” including 40% or more off Star Wars and Disney Toys, 50-70% off Analon and Cuisinart cookware sets, 50% off tools, 40% off select Jeep and truck accessories, and major savings on baby products. Amazon is also offering a special “App of the Day” package deal where customers can download more than $115 in free apps and games from Amazon’s app store.

Amazon is anticipating customers to be doing their holiday shopping in a philanthropic way. For example, AmazonSmile will donate a portion of the purchase price to a charity or non-profit organization of your choosing. Amazon is also making holiday purchases easier and faster. Find a gift in a Tweet? Simply reply with the hashtag #AmazonCart or #AmazonWishList and the gift is added to their cart or wishlist. Amazon will also be providing same-day delivery in major metro areas such as Washington D.C., New York City, Philadelphia, the Bay Area, Atlanta, Boston, and more. Prime subscribers will be given the special limited-time and promotions.

Amazon might have been motivated to start their Black Friday shebang early this year when its shares plunged 11% after 2013 holiday sales. Don’t forget there are a lot of ways to save money shopping at Amazon that you should consider when you purchase from them.