Earth and Climate

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Monitoring Earth's rising greenhouse gas levels will require a global data collection network 10 times larger than the one currently in place in order to quantify regional progress in emission reductions, according to a new research commentary by University of Colorado and NOAA researchers appearing in the April 25 issue of Science.

The authors, CU-Boulder Research Associate Melinda Marquis and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientist Pieter Tans, said with atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations now at 385 parts per million and rising, the need for improved regional greenhouse gas measurements is critical. While the current observation network can measure CO2 fluxes on a continental scale, charting regional emissions where significant mitigation efforts are underway -- like California, New England and European countries -- requires a more densely populated network, they said.
"The question is whether scientists in the United States and around the world have what they need to monitor regional fluxes in atmospheric carbon dioxide," said Marquis, a scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, a joint institute of CU-Boulder and NOAA. "Right now, they don't."
While CO2 levels are climbing by 2 parts per million annually -- a rate expected to increase as China and India continue to industrialize -- effective regional CO2 monitoring strategies are virtually nonexistent, she said. Scientists are limited in their ability to distinguish between distant and nearby carbon sources and "sinks," or storage areas, for example, by the accuracy of atmospheric transport models that reflect details of terrain, winds and the mixing of gases near observation sites.
"We are in uncharted territory as far as knowing how safe these high CO2 levels are for the Earth," she said. "Instead of tackling a very complex challenge with the equivalent of Magellan's maps, we need to use the equivalent of Google Earth."
Marquis and Tans propose increasing the number of global carbon measurement sites from about 100 to 1,000, which would decrease the uncertainty in computer models and help scientists better quantify changes. "With existing tools we could gather large amounts of additional CO2 data for a relatively small investment," said Marquis. "The next step is to muster the political will to fund these efforts."
Scientists currently sample CO2 using air flasks, in-situ measurements from transmitter towers up to 2,000 feet high and via aircraft sensors. The authors proposed putting additional CO2 sensors on existing and new transmitter towers that can gather large volumes of climate data. While Europe and the United States have small networks of tall transmitter towers equipped with CO2 instruments, such towers are rare on the rest of the planet, she said.
Satellites queued for launch in the next few years to help monitor atmospheric CO2 levels include the Orbiting Carbon Observatory and the Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite, said Marquis. The satellites will augment ground-based and aircraft measurements charting terrestrial photosynthesis, carbon sinks, CO2 respiration sources, ocean-atmosphere gas exchanges and CO2 emissions from wildfires.
Mandated by the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1994, national emissions inventories for each country are based primarily on economic statistics to estimate greenhouse gases entering and leaving the atmosphere, said the authors. Such inventories are "reasonably accurate" for estimating atmospheric CO2 from burning fossil fuels in developed countries.
But they are less accurate for other sources of CO2, like deforestation, and for emissions of other greenhouse gases, like methane, which is emitted as a result of rice farming, cattle ranching and natural wetlands, said the authors.
There is a growing need to measure the effectiveness of particular mitigation efforts by states or regions involved in pollution caps, auto emission reduction campaigns and intensive tree-planting efforts, Marquis said. The Western Climate Initiative, for example -- a consortium of seven western U.S. states and British Columbia -- set a goal last year of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent as of 2020.
Precise regional CO2 measurements also could help chart the accuracy of carbon trading systems involving "credits" and "offsets" now in use in various countries around the world, said Marquis. In such systems, companies exceeding CO2 emission caps can buy carbon credits from companies under the caps, and groups or companies can buy voluntary carbon offsets to compensate for personal lifestyle choices, such as airline travel.
"Independent verification through regional CO2 monitoring could help determine whether carbon credits or offsets being bought or sold are of value," Marquis said.
Bhaktapur Durbar Square:- The Golden Gate is the entrance to the main courtyard of the palace of 55 windows. Built by King Ranjit Malla, the gate is one of the most beautiful and richly carved specimens of its kind in the entire world. This gate is emnbellished with deities and monsters with marvelous intricacy.





Nyatapola Temple:- This five-story pagoda was built in 1702 AD by king Bhupatindra Mall it stands on a five-terraced platform. On each of the terraces squant a pair of figures. This is one of the tallest pagodas and it famous for its massive structure and subtle workmanship.



BhairavnathTemple:- This temple was first built as a one-story pagoda but was later changed into a three-storey temple in 1718 AD by king Bhupatindra Mall. The temple is noted for its artistic grandeur. It is dedicated to Lord Bhairav - the god of terror. FPRIVATE "TYPE=PICT;ALT=Bhairavnath Temple, Nepal"

SARUN [The Uglyz]

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Name: Sarun Tamrakar

Birth Date: 10 Nov 1981

Birth Place: Kathmandu

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Education: Bachelors in Information Technology
Marital Status:
Single
Other Occupation:
Playing Guitar hehe

Hobbies & Interest:
Graphic design, concerts, taking pics
of my dog (Priti)

Most admired man
Dad

Most admired women
Mom


Favorite Place
Darling Harbor (Sydney)

Favorite Food
Newari, Pizzas, Oporto

Favorite Movies
A lot to mention

Favorite Movie Artists
Cruise, Pitt, Carey, Depp, Chan, Grant

Fav. Nepali Music Artists
Jems dai

Fav. Intl Music Artists
Cobain, Ed Ronald, Ben Harpers, Bono, R. Williams

Fav. Music Video
Aaudai Jaadai, The Reason, Scientist, You know your right

Favorite Passtime
Surfing net, Jamming up with my band and playing with my dog.

Wackiest thing you have ever done:
Cancelling my air ticket (to Sydney) hours before departure, in the end got expired.
Embarrassing Moment Once I met a couple (Neplai gal + Indian boy) at a restaurant, they came over to my table. They shook my hand and took my autographs and got me a drink. Later, the gal went out to get some stuff and her Indian boyfriend whispered on my ear "WHO ARE YOU???"

How do you take your popularity?
I've worked like a dog to get where I am, So it's paying off. Its fun and we do appretiate everyone for that.

Life is A plain sheet of paper, what you write on it will be reflected in future.
Friends are a part of life, without them you can't move on.

Qualities that you look in your partner
Beautiful, honest with good sense of humour and understanding

On blind date you would go out with
A cute gal ( I know sudip/sandy will say the same hehehe)

What do you think about Nepali music scene? Any suggestions for its growth.
Its growing good, I guess everyone should focus on all the songs in the album not just few. If we work hard on each and every songs then the audience will get a fair album, after all they are the ones who keep us alive

PROFILE OF PRASHANT

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Prashant Tamang, a constable in the West Bengal Police, was on Sunday crowned Indian Idol after vanquishing his rival Amit Paul in a grand finale of the over-two month long talent hunt.

Prashant Tamang, 24, who hails from Darjeeling, has undergone a journey from being a member in the police band in Kolkata to becoming the heart throb of millions of TV viewers all over the country.

The grand finale was an all North-East affair as Tamang took on 24-year-old Paul, who hails from Shillong.

The results of the talent hunt were announced at a gala in New Delhi with the final witnessing a whopping seven crore people sending in their votes.

Prashant Tamang stole the centrestage with his rendition of the song 'Yeh Kali Kali Ankhen' from the Hindi film 'Baazigar'.

As Bollywood actor John Abraham announced Tamang the winner, the constable thanked his mother in a voice choked with emotion.

"I thank my mother, public and Bengal police for granting me the permission for participating in the show," he said.

What they say:

Aditi Paul
Was Indian Idol 3 different or better than the last two seasons? How would you rate the talent this year?

There is no comparison at all. All the singers in the different seasons have different talents. I can�t say there is any difference�the only difference I spotted was in the different sets and locations they used. But I feel no change in the format is better because it sustains the interest of people.

Your favourite moment on Idol this year?
My favourite moment was when Sonu Nigam came on the show. He gave a very balanced judgement and had something to say about each performer. I liked that.

Who do you think will be the Indian Idol this year and why?
If you go by the total package, it will have to be Amit Paul. He sings well, looks good and performs decently. But my personal choice for winner would have been Emon. He is a very good singer

Is there any contestant from the Top 13 you wished had won?
I would definitely root for Emon Chatterjee.


Prajakta
Was Indian Idol 3 different or better than the last two seasons? How would you rate the talent this year?
What was different about this year was that there were people from so many different places. There were contestants from the extreme east and extreme west, even from Dubai and the UK.
As far as the talent on this year�s show, I would give it a 7 out of 10.

Your favourite moment on Idol this year?
When Sonu Nigam came as a judge. I was missing him on the show.

Who do you think will be the Indian Idol this year and why?
I think Amit Paul should win. He is a far better singer than Prashant. Though Prashant has a huge fan following. I feel people connect with him more.

Is there any contestant from the Top 13 you wished had won?
Yes, I really liked Deepali and Puja. I wanted both of them to enter the Top 4 and I wanted Deepali to win.


Amit Sana
Was Indian Idol 3 different or better than the last two seasons? How would you rate the talent this year? The packaging of the show this year was much better. But talent wise, I think, the contestants of Season 2 were better. There were a few very good singers in the latest season, but overall it lacked something.

Your favourite moment on Idol this year?
Nothing that really stands out. But whenever I watched an episode of the show, Amit Paul always struck me as a good singer.

Who do you think will be the Indian Idol this year and why?
Amit is a stronger singer than Prashant. It is commendable that Prashant came so far from a middle class background and also from a police background. But he needs to work much more to become a good singer.

Is there any contestant from the Top 13 you wished had won?
I think I would like to have seen Emon win. He is very good. And I don�t think he is a clone of Sonu Nigam. From what I heard, I feel Rahul Vaidya could be said to imitate Sonu. But not Emon.

How was it like to be in the final Top 2? When you think back what do you feel?
It was a very stressful time, but it was also a time that I enjoyed a lot. Both Abhijeet and I were given so much importance. Wherever I went I saw love and adulation in the eyes of the people. I was never tense. Or rather, I was only tense on the day the results were announced. Those days and those memories are something that I will always cherish. It helped me become what I am today - a singer who is doing something good with his life. I am currently wrapping up my new album. It should be out in another two months.


Emon
Your favourite moment on Idol this year?

It was definitely when Sonu Nigam came on the show. He is my idol.

Who do you think will be the Indian Idol this year and why?
I don�t know. I really don�t know. I think both of them are good singers and both of them have a good chance to win the title.

Is there any contestant from the Top 13 you wished had won?
I would go with Deepali. She is a fantastic singer.

What are you doing nowadays?
I am in Delhi right now. I will be performing on September 23 in the Grand Finale. So I am busy rehearsing for that.

Jokes

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Natural Death

After a long day at the office, Chris came home one day to find his dog with the neighbor's pet rabbit in his mouth. The rabbit was obviously dead. Chris panicked!

"If my neighbors find out my dog killed their bunny, they'll hate me forever," he thought.

So he took the dirty deceased rabbit into the house, gave it a bath and blow-dried its fur. Chris knew his neighbors kept their backdoor open during the summer, so he sneaked inside and put the bunny back into the cage, hoping his neighbors would think it died of natural causes.

A couple of days later Chris and his neighbor saw each other outside.

"Did you hear that Fluffy died?" the neighbor asked.

"Oh. Uhmm... Sorry to hear that. What happened?" Chris mumbled.

The neighbor replied, "We just found him dead in his cage one day. But the strange thing is that the day after we buried him, we went out to dinner and someone must have dug him up, gave him a bath and put him back into the cage! There are some really sick people out there!"