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Year after year, climbers return to the world’s most difficult mountains. At these places, even the most cautious climber is vulnerable to mistakes, bad weather and bad luck, which often leads to death. This audio book offers harrowing accounts of extreme mountaineering and its potentially fatal consequences.

“Listen & Live’s Adrenaline Series is one of the best in the genre”. - The Denver Post

The audio book ‘Climb’ from the Listen & Live - Series is a captivating account from mountaineers who have felt what a change in weather can mean, when you’re on extremely high mountains, with only limited shelter and food. A great tale for everybody interested in climbing and weather!

We are half-way through this warm weather month of August and the heat has become something of a burden and a hassle for many of us. Good thing the weather can be a source of amusement too sometimes. There were two reports last week about the weather that just made me smile. I’m re-telling them here in an effort to provide you with something to smile (or smirk) about this summer.

The first report, which originated from Moscow in Russia, recounted how Alyona Gabitova, a Russian woman from the town of Uljanovsk, was suing local weather forecasters for making a wrong prediction about the weather that ultimately ruined her holiday trip.

It seems that local weather forecasters had predicted sunny weather and a temperature of around 82.4 degrees Fahrenheit for one weekend a couple of weeks ago. Based on that weather report, Gabitova planned a weekend camping trip to a nearby nature park. She packed carefully for what she anticipated would be a grand weekend frolicking under clear blue skies but instead of sunny weather, she was greeted with non-stop rains all throughout the weekend.

Read More at Weird Weather News

Many are familiar with the image of an Anglo-Saxon gentleman, who walks in the rain while protected by an umbrella held by his servant over his head. Numerous representations, like the famous drawing of Thomas Wright “Domestic Manners of the English,” portray the image of England’s early seventieth century gentlemen. The famous Sherlock Holmes, who made his first public appearance in 1887, as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional detective character, was depicted in various media as wearing a deerstalker hat and cloak, smoking a pipe and clutching a magnifying glass. His comrade and friend Dr. John H. Watson who following and helped him during his investigating endeavors, was depicted in film holding a long and probably heavy umbrella which Holmes sometimes also used by leaning on while thinking over the facts of a case.

Originated from China, the use of the parasol, or later referred to as the umbrella, was adopted by French and English aristocracy before becoming popular to the masses during the next two centuries. But apart from it being adopted by nobles and peasants alike, the umbrella had to overcome the problem of being considered a particularly feminine gadget. According to an early eighteenth century dictionary, the umbrella was considered to be a screen commonly used by women to keep off rain or sun. But it took some years before the English noble society was seen holding this bizarre by highly effective device.

Read More at Your Rainy Weather Companion

I have always been a fan of winter camping. You see, I’m not a summer person myself. I consider 60s, T-shirt weather. My wife says it’s a high metabolism thing, but I always thought it was just because I’m a guy. Girls are the ones who typically get cold, right? I think guys sweat around 40 percent more than the softer sex. Anyway, winter camping is rather ideal if you think about it. Even if you do get chilly easily, you can dress for the occasion and have a great time. You see, with winter camping there’s a gargantuan benefit. I mean this bonus sells the whole deal. The insects are frozen and dead. What else could you ask for? No nasty ticks and mosquitoes gnawing at you while you’re lounging around the crackling camp fire. No ants all over your hotdog or burger. Winter camping is the bomb! Not to mention with the right tent and sleeping bag, you will sleep like a baby. That sticky summer heat won’t be around to keep you up all night, tossing and turning.

Camping in Winter Resorts

While many realize that global warming is occurring on our planet, few understand the implications that this may have on our way of life. These rising global temperatures are going to cause a host of changes on our planet, and we need to act now or prepare to adjust to some very profound changes.

First, these rising temperatures present a huge threat to our ice-caps. Layers of ice that have not melted for thousands of years are beginning to break apart and fall into the ocean. One of the biggest ice sheets on the planet, located on Greenland, is at a great risk of splitting apart and falling into the ocean. While it doesn’t sound like too big of a deal, the loss of the Greenland ice sheet will cause catastrophic circumstances world wide. The world’s sea level is expected to rise as much as 23 feet when the sheet falls, and that spells disaster for the coastal cities that represent some of the largest and most important centers of trade and commerce across the planet. Manhattan would be sunk; much of Florida would be underwater, and that’s not even to mention the worldwide consequences. Every area of the globe would be affected by this rising of sea levels, and the disaster caused would make hurricane damage seem like a blessing. Millions of refugees from the coastal cities will be without home or workplace; it would be one of the hugest human issues ever faced in our history. The changing of the climate could also affect a host of circumstances on our planet; crop yields can be affected by the rising temperatures, which would also pose significant problems to a planet of refugees.

Read More at The effects global warming may have on our planet

Many people wonder what they can do to help dampen the effects of the climate crisis. One method of doing so incorporates the usage of ‘clean’ energy; that is, energy that does not contribute to the levels of greenhouse gas present in our atmosphere. There are several sources of clean energy, and although it may cost more, the benefit on the planet’s ecosystem is well worth the extra money. Commonly known as ‘green power’, the Environmental Protection Agency has formed a partnership to help encourage the usage of these alternative sources of energy.

Wind energy is one option when it comes to renewable power. Large spinning turbines harvest the movement of the air, and the energy is transferred into an electricity generator for usage in any application. While it’s not available everywhere, wind energy represents one of the fastest sectors of growth when it comes to alternative power sources, and it is consequently one of the most widely used alternative sources. As a matter of fact, since the year 2000, the number of wind turbines present in the United States has more than doubled!

Read More at Clean sources of energy to avoid contributing to global warming

Every marina has different rules for what must be done by boat owners in the face of an approaching hurricane. In the wake of Katrina and Wilma, states are beginning to pass laws requiring boat owners to prepare their boats in certain ways. In light of all this information, some of it conflicting, what are the most important things a boat owner must know to protect themselves and their boat during a hurricane?

There are two basic rules that most experts agree offer the most important advice. First, plan ahead for what you will do when a hurricane approaches. That means checking your contract with your marina to see what they require and checking with your state for any additional regulations. You should also check with your boat insurance company to see if they have regulations that may affect your coverage. Conduct a dry run during the off-season to be sure you fully understand how much time is necessary to move or prepare your boat.

Read More at Preparing Your Boat for a Hurricane

Global warming is a problem that needs to be faced head-on by the leaders of the nations of our planet. The call to arms has been sounded; many countries are now doing research into the causes of global warming, as well as committing to actions to help decrease the effects of global warming. In the United States, a Global Change Research Program has been crafted which represents one of the largest efforts ever pursued when it comes to understanding global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency is also in the fight, helping to partner with businesses and individuals to help try to achieve a baseline for curbing the problem so that we can all benefit. The United Nations has also drafted several proposals when it comes to climate change; the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has been created. This organization was formed to consider what possible actions we can do to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the convention was formed to help us to plan for what we should do if the inevitable temperature change happens.

Read More at What our nations are doing about global warming

Global warming is a problem faced by our entire society . Regardless of race, ethnicity, homeland, gender, and age, we are all responsible for helping our planet through this tough time. Soon, global warming will reach a tipping point in which there will be nothing that we can do to stop its harmful effects. By doing your part as a concerned citizen, there are some simple changes that you can make to help decrease the damage that you are doing to the planet’s climate. Many things that you do in your every day life contribute to global warming, from making your morning commute to simply turning on a light switch. As a country, America produces the most greenhouse gases per year on the planet. It has been shown that the average American contributes 6.6 tons of greenhouse gas per year.

Read More at Global warming and what you can do

The Greenhouse Effect

Experts generally point to gases like carbon dioxide as the main contributors to the greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide, which is a gas that is exhaled by everyone, can absorb infrared radiation. This type of radiation is heat that is radiating away from a warm object. During the day, the Earth is warmed by sunlight, and at night, the Earth cools off by radiating the heat back into space in the form of infrared radiation. Carbon dioxide, and other gases to some extent, absorb this radiation and limit its exit into space. Therefore, the natural cooling mechanism is thwarted.

More articles about the world and environment

While many contend that there are different reasons behind the changing of our climate, few can deny that our planet is going through a period of immense changes. While some may discredit the science, global warming is one of the main hypothesis for why our planet is heating up. In this article, we’ll try to explain some of the science behind global warming so that you can understand the problem more clearly.

According to numerous scientific studies, our planet’s surface temperature has increased by about 1 degree Fahrenheit within the last century. Most of this change has occurred in the past two decades, prompting the question: are our lifestyles accelerating this global change? The evidence definitely seems to point in that direction.

Read more at Climate change – the coming crisis

If you enjoy hiking and camping during the spring, summer, and fall but wonder what to do once the snow starts falling, winter camping may be a great opportunity for you to continue doing what you love. If you take a few important precautions, winter camping can be as warm and as fun as camping in warmer months, and it can be easily combined with activities like snowshoeing and backcountry skiing to make for exciting weekend or even week-long adventures.

Read full article on Winter Camping

How many times have your flashlight batteries died at an inopportune moment? If the answer is anything more than never, then a batteryless flashlight could be just your thing!

Batteryless flashlight? How does that work then?

Read complete  article on the The Miracle of the Batteryless Flashlight  .

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