As I park my car in the summer heat, I
look around and, as I roll my windows down bit to allow excessive heat
build up to escape while I'm gone, I note that almost all other cars are
sitting in the blazing sun with their windows cranked all the way up.
Then I put up my windshield sun block to reduce the greenhouse heat
gain. I make it a point to park facing into the sun as much as possible
in order to minimize the heat gain; but, if I cannot, I add little sun
block screens that attach with suction cups to the other glass. When I
get back in my car, the car is very warm (but not hot) and my A/C has
the interior cool and comfortable in a very short time.
I muse
that no wonder people are unwilling to do anything about global warming
when they're so unwilling to even take care of their own personal
business in such a simple and easy way as taking
a moment and a little foresight to take better care of themselves and
their cars.
Note: When I trade in my cars after 10+ years, the
salesman salivates when he sees a dashboard not cracked from long term
over exposture to the sun's rays and upholstery that is still viable
because of protection from blistering heat. He knows the car will be a
easy resell. And when he sees my maintenance record of regular oil
changes and then he test drives it and feels the steady purr of an
engine that's not been abused by lead footed driving, he knows that
their company's one year limited warranty on used cars is unlikely to be
used.
In short, it's a win-win in beating the heat.
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Thursday, September 25, 2014
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Rise of Tick-borne Diseases
"The little
buggers are stealthy, feed on blood, and can transmit a variety of
dangerous bacteria... for example, Lyme disease, for which ticks are the
only known transmitter, is the most notorious. Lyme affects 300,000
Americans every year — 10 times higher than previous estimates."
"What other tick-borne diseases are there? More, it seems, every year. Among them are the Heartland virus, which can trigger fever and liver abnormalities; babesiosis, which mimics the symptoms of malaria and has increased 20-fold in the lower Hudson River Valley since 2001; and perhaps worst of all, Powassan disease, which kills about 10 percent of its victims and leaves 50 percent of its survivors with lasting neurological damage."
http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/diseases/
"Currently, there is no vaccine for Lyme disease or other tick-borne
illnesses, which is why health experts say that prevention is critical."
"Deer ticks live for an average of two years and have three main life stages: larval, nymphal, and adult. During the winter, ticks usually become dormant. But warmer winters have seen ticks breeding throughout the year, increasing the populations of larvae and nymphs in the spring. Warmer and moister air may also extend the life cycle of ticks, so that nymphs — the stage most likely to transmit infections — continue to be active all summer. Lyme disease rates have shot up accordingly. Research shows that warmer temperatures may also be expanding tick habitats, and extending their life cycle to three years."
http://m.theweek.com/article/index/250980/the-worrying-rise-of-tick-borne-diseases
"Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can affect humans, dogs, cats and other mammals. Its primary carrier is the deer tick (Ixodes scapularis), which often
feeds on rodents in its early stages. Later, the tick can attach to a dog or human and transmit the bacteria that cause Lyme disease."
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/ticks-and-lyme-disease
My Comment:
It behooves all of us to keep the tall grass and brush at bay. And keeping rodents and deer to a minimum is essential / which means not putting feed out for birds that attract them. Keeping your dogs and cats treated against fleas and ticks is a must.
"What other tick-borne diseases are there? More, it seems, every year. Among them are the Heartland virus, which can trigger fever and liver abnormalities; babesiosis, which mimics the symptoms of malaria and has increased 20-fold in the lower Hudson River Valley since 2001; and perhaps worst of all, Powassan disease, which kills about 10 percent of its victims and leaves 50 percent of its survivors with lasting neurological damage."
http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/diseases/
"Currently, there is no vaccine for Lyme disease or other tick-borne
illnesses, which is why health experts say that prevention is critical."
"Deer ticks live for an average of two years and have three main life stages: larval, nymphal, and adult. During the winter, ticks usually become dormant. But warmer winters have seen ticks breeding throughout the year, increasing the populations of larvae and nymphs in the spring. Warmer and moister air may also extend the life cycle of ticks, so that nymphs — the stage most likely to transmit infections — continue to be active all summer. Lyme disease rates have shot up accordingly. Research shows that warmer temperatures may also be expanding tick habitats, and extending their life cycle to three years."
http://m.theweek.com/article/index/250980/the-worrying-rise-of-tick-borne-diseases
"Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can affect humans, dogs, cats and other mammals. Its primary carrier is the deer tick (Ixodes scapularis), which often
feeds on rodents in its early stages. Later, the tick can attach to a dog or human and transmit the bacteria that cause Lyme disease."
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/ticks-and-lyme-disease
My Comment:
It behooves all of us to keep the tall grass and brush at bay. And keeping rodents and deer to a minimum is essential / which means not putting feed out for birds that attract them. Keeping your dogs and cats treated against fleas and ticks is a must.
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