All Life on Earth in Danger of Extinction by Massive Volcanic Exodus

""The world is woefully unprepared for a massive volcanic eruption that could kill millions of people and destroy much of modern society, a leading group of scientists have warned.

In a new report on the risks posed by natural disasters, experts at the European Science Foundation concluded that large volcanic eruptions posed the greatest risk human survival.

They calculated that there is between a five to 10 per cent probability of an explosive eruption large enough to cause huge numbers of deaths, alter the climate and poison the atmosphere occurring by the end of the century.

The ash cloud thrown out from this eruption reached more than 26 miles (43km) into the atmosphere and triggered temperature changes that led to widespread famine and epidemics.

The summer following the Tambora eruption is known as 'the year without summer'.

The scientists warn, however, that rising population levels and increasing reliance on global travel could mean the impacts of a similar eruption could be far more severe.

Writing in their report Extreme Geohazards: Reducing the Disaster Risk and Increasing Resilience, the experts warn that there needs to be an international response to prepare for such a disaster and to monitor for similar events.

They estimate that it could cost between £340 million ($500 million) and £2.3 billion ($3.5 billion) a year to increase the level of monitoring for catastrophic volcanic eruptions, but the benefits that an early warning could give would be ten to hundreds of times greater.

The report states: 'Although in the last few decades earthquakes have been the main cause of fatalities and damage, the main global risk is large volcanic eruptions that are less frequent but far more impactful than the largest earthquakes.

'Due to their far-reaching effects on climate, food security, transportation, and supply chains, these events have the potential to trigger global disaster and catastrophe.

'The cost of response and the ability to respond to these events is beyond the financial and political capabilities of any individual country.

'An international geopolitical response will be required, where science has a unique and key role in preparation, response and mitigation.'

The report, which was presented at the general assembly of the European Geosciences Union in Vienna on Tuesday, examines the main geohazards facing the world including earthquakes, drought, asteroid strikes, floods, tsunamis, hurricanes, avalanches and wildfires.

It said that large to extreme earthquakes and tsunamis had been more common in the past 2000 years and this had focused the world's disaster response resources onto this threat.

But it concluded that the risk posed by volcanic eruptions is potentially far more serious.

Pointing to recent eruptions like the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull, which caused widespread disruption when it threw clouds of ash into the atmosphere.

It created the highest level of air travel disruption in Europe since the second world war and cost the European economy around $5 billion.

However, the researchers said that this eruption was relatively minor - rating between three and four on the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI).

By comparison, the volcanic eruption in 79AD of Mount Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii in Italy was around VEI5. Mount St Helen's explosion in 1980 was also VEI5.

The report states that there has been around 20 eruptions greater than VEI5 since 1500 with only the Tambora eruption reaching VEI7.

However around 75,000 years ago the explosion of a supervolcano at the site of Lake Toba on Sumatra in Indonesia was one of the world's largest known eruptions - rated VEI8.

It caused a global volcanic winter that lasted around 10 years and has been linked to 1,000 years of cooling.""

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3039652/Will-volcanic-eruption-destroy-humanity-Scientists-warn-world-begin-preparing-explosive-global-catastrophe.html

Pompeii World of Wonders Exhibited to Recreated Life of a Roman City

""An ominous soundtrack of bass drums and woodwinds thumps throughout the dimly lit exhibit.

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“POMPEII: The Exhibition” is dark in lighting and mood.

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It is also a hauntingly beautiful glimpse into daily life in Pompeii, an ancient Roman city destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 79 AD. The featured exhibit at Pacific Science Center lives up to its tagline that what nature destroyed, it also preserved.

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The massive eruption of Mount Vesuvius, a volcano six miles from the city, killed an estimated 20,000 of Pompeii's citizens. The city sat quietly beneath the ash for centuries, before being unearthed by a Spanish archaeological team in the 18th century.

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The 150 artifacts are impressive in range and thought-provoking in subject matter.

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A vast collection of paintings, ceramics, mosaics, jewelry, gladiator armor, coins, kitchen utensils and elegant marble sculptures seem untouched by time. The artifacts  preserved by the layers of ash are a testament to the impressive skills of their craftsmen.

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The Romans had an eye for design. Even the smallest details remain visible in their work, from the tiny etches on jewelry, coins and candle-holders to perfectly symmetrical patterns adorning massive porcelain sculptures, tableaus and fountain bowls.

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The Pompeiians created masterful art and architecture. They entertained guests in lavishly decorated open-air rooms. They ate well, drank too much, made jokes about drinking too much, went to the gym and enjoyed shows at the amphitheater.

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The artists of Pompeii were candid about their vices. Artwork from the period reveals the society's alcoholism and unabashed promiscuity. From the bathhouses to the brothels, the exhibit doesn't exclude any corner of the city.

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Most of the displays are suitable for kids. There is a posted warning for parents before the erotic artifacts.

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The exhibit never loses sight of the human tragedy caused by the eruption. Most of the 20,000 victims were asphyxiated by extreme heat and noxious gases.

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Preserved by volcanic ash and filled with plaster when first unearthed, their bodies replicate the same poses held when killed by the eruption.

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Throughout the exhibit, visitors can be heard whispering to each other about “the bodies,” though they are not actual bodies. Displayed behind glass, they are plaster models of the original casts made of the victims.

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The bodies are memorialized by their will to live: Figures of men, scrambling up a flight of stairs together. A pregnant woman. A young child.

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The exhibit comes to a close with a five-minute time-lapse film of Pompeii's destruction, complete with computer-generated imagery, strobe lights, fog machine and surround-sound of buildings crumbling.""

Ash and Brimstone:

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20150327/LIVING/150329028/1172/Destroyed-yet-preserved

Holistic Health Philosophy and Practice: So How Does Acupuncture Work?

""I was raised, like most everybody else, on the idea that diseases are to be attacked, usually by drugs or surgery. The more serious the disease, the more aggressive the attack should be. If you follow this thinking, minimally aggressive treatment, such as acupuncture, should be helpful only for very minor problems, and most of its effects would be “in the patient’s head.”

But that hasn’t been my experience. I have seen acupuncture help patients with serious problems, including those who were resistant to drugs and surgery: problems ranging from disabling headaches, digestive problems, back pain and sciatica, anxiety and depression — a whole range of conditions. While acupuncture is not the first choice for medical emergencies, it is a very effective and safe treatment for many conditions.

The most common question I get about acupuncture is, how does it work? I usually try to dodge the question by replying, “It works great!” The truth is, while I know how to do acupuncture, the basic concepts are foreign to those of us raised with medical care.

Acupuncture uses a type of healing that we Westerners are not very familiar with: the concept of chi, or life energy. Instead of seeing a disease as an entity that needs to be attacked, acupuncturists see it as an imbalance or blockage of this energy flow. The energy flow then can be restored by treating special points in the body. When the energy flow is restored, the body can finally complete the healing process.

When I put a needle in an acupuncture point in the foot — which, according to ancient principles, is supposed to treat a muscle in the groin — and the chronic spasm in that muscle, which had been resistant to chiropractic care, deep tissue treatment and stretching, relaxes instantly, I recognize there is something going on that defies easy explanation. I have seen similar, sometimes instant results with abdominal pain, headache, even sinus congestion. I have to believe there is a flow of energy from the point in the foot to the muscle in the groin, that this energy flow is very fast and piercing the point restored it — quite similar to electricity, really. Score another point for the chi theory.""

Link to Main Article:

http://bangordailynews.com/2015/01/15/health/blogs-and-columns/how-does-acupuncture-work/