We are getting ready to kick off our semi-annual Ramona?s Biggest Winner program and we are excited to bring added value to this awesome life changing program. In order to see clients succeed and to make their experience at our club more than just a trip to the gym, we are including a six session nutrition, anatomy, biology, and education course through our Fitness University program.
I have a key phrase that I love when it comes to creating drive, ?To educate is to motivate.? It is my desire to educate our Biggest Winner contestants so they are internally motivated by the knowledge they acquire, and this class is key in that.
Over the next six weeks I am going to give you a few points from each class session. Week one is Basic Physiology and Digestion.
Key point number one is you need to keep score. Once you establish your goals you then need to track your progress and monitor your food and body. I recommend a food journal to track how many calories and what kinds of foods you?re putting into your engine.
Next you need not rely solely on the scale, but on body composition and circumference measurements. People often say to me, ?My doctor said I need to weigh 120 pounds.? That may or may not be true, but what the real concern is body composition, or in simple terms, how much of you is fat and how much of you is lean tissue. By using your circumference measurements you can find your body fat or composition measurement. Look it up online and search ?body fat by circumference.? You should find the formula right there.
Moving on to the next topic, calories. Calories are a unit of measurement. The word calorie relates to combustion. By definition it is the amount of heat to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius.
Our bodies use calories for energy. Each type of macro nutrient, carbs, fats, and proteins all have a calorie or energy number. Carbs have 4 calories of energy, fats have 9 calories, and proteins have the same as carbs, 4.
You absorb the majority of these macro nutrients in the small intestines. The micro nutrients, or minerals, are absorbed in the large intestines. Think large (macro) small, and small (micro) large.
BMR is your basal metabolic rate. This is the number of calories you burn to sustain life. For me it is around 2,000 calories. So should I eat 2,000 calories, NO. Even if I were trying to lose weight that would be too low and I would lose a tone of lean tissue, hence why we need to know that number and not just weight.
?How much should I eat?? you ask yourself. Well I need to know more about you than your reading this paper right now. Seek out a professional for specifics.
Class, that?s all we have time for today. Remember to do your homework of tracking your eating, checking your composition, and living inspired. I?ll see you next session. Good luck and please check out my website www.ramonastrainer.com for articles, workouts, videos, and how you can get started on your path to you, only better!
Peter San Nicolas owns Ramona Fitness Center.
Related posts:
Ramona?s Trainer: Back to school, back to fitness
?My Sugar is Better than Your Sugar?
Ramona?s Trainer: ?I?m Starving and I?m not Losing Weight?
Google's new Field Trip app is a virtual local tour guide that's always running in the background. It pops up interesting local information???from local history and architecture to the best restaurants and shopping???without you having to ask for it.
After you choose whether you want just occasional notifications or frequent ones, Field Trip runs quietly in the background, looking for anything notable around you. The app pulls in information from a ton of sources, including Zagat and Eater in the food and drinks category; Architizer for architecture; and The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations and Atlas Obscura for unique (and possibly bizarre) finds.
When it finds something, Field Trip notifies you with a ringtone and/or vibration. It can even read the title and description to you. View the event, place, or thing on a map and read more about it within the app. You can also choose to get more or fewer notifications from individual sources.
The Android?app has a really pleasant interface and definitely encourages you to step out and go explore (as the video above suggests). Google says the app is like having a local friend with you as you explore a city. You can download this virtual friend on Google Play now; an iOS version is coming soon.?
NOTE:?If Google Play?says?your phone is incompatible, it might not really be. I got the incompatibility warning too on my Galaxy S2, but was able to download it directly from the phone and it works!
Field Trip?| on?Google Play?via?The New York Times
Cricket Live Score of India vs South Africa 24th Match - Colombo on 2012. Get Cric Live Score of South Africa vs India, 24th Match of ICC World Twenty20 2012. South Africa vs India 24th Match begins at 02 Oct 2012 onwards at Colombo. Get Full Scorecard of India vs South Africa, 24th Match ICC World Twenty20 2012 online free. Get batting and bowling figures of 24th Match match starting at 2012, 02 Oct 2012. Online Live Match of India vs South Africa 24th Match - ICC World Twenty20 2012 live from Colombo.
Current Time: 09/30/2012 09:19:08 GMT
Time Left:
India vs South Africa, 24th Match
Toss: NA
: /()
Result: Match scheduled to begin at 19:30 local time (14:00 GMT)
Man of the Match
To be Decided
?
India Team Squad: IK Pathan, G Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh, MS Dhoni, PP Chawla, RG Sharma, V Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Z Khan, SK Raina, YK Pathan, V Kohli, MK Tiwary, L Balaji, AB Dinda, R Ashwin
?
South Africa Team Squad: AB de Villiers, JH Kallis, JA Morkel, M Morkel, DW Steyn, HM Amla, J Botha, JP Duminy, RJ Peterson, JL Ontong, LL Tsotsobe, WD Parnell, RE Levi, Faf du Plessis, Farhaan Behardien
Buried within Tim Cook's apology for the embarrassment that is Apple Maps was the candid suggestion that people go try the many other map applications and websites out there. Well, now Apple has gone one step further, adding a whole featured section to the App Store for maps from third party developers. That's a big on Apple's part. Now maybe get your own maps working better? [MacRumors] More »
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Higher stock prices and rising home values boosted a measure of consumer confidence in September to its second-highest level in nearly five years.
The University of Michigan's index of consumer sentiment rose to 78.3 this month from 74.3 in August. That's just below May's reading of 79.3, which was the highest since January 2008.
Americans were also more optimistic about future jobs prospects, the survey found. And the number of consumers who expect the economy to keep growing is double the number of those who expect a decline.
The report echoes a survey released Tuesday by the Conference Board that also found a jump in confidence.
But the brighter outlook hasn't yet translated into more spending. Adjusted for inflation, consumer spending barely grew in August, the Commerce Department said Friday.
by John Callegari
Published: September 27, 2012
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The Internet Corp. for Assigned Names and Numbers plans to expand the number of top-level domains from 22 to almost 2,000.
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We'll have to give it to AT&T for going with something a wee bit different than what we're accustomed to seeing in the world of handy MiFis -- but with touchscreens apparently being a thing nowadays, it also shouldn't surprise us that the company chose to go this route. Either way, the newly introduced MiFi Liberate will surely be of help to those who need to stay connected while on the go, offering features such as LTE connectivity (provided the network's live in the area, of course), simultaneous pairing of up to 10 WiFi devices, 11-hour battery life, a microSD slot, DLNA capabilities and, as you can see above, a 2.8-inch touchscreen display. Unfortunately, the carrier didn't say when we can expect the Liberate to be up for grabs (or for how much), with a company representative only telling us that it'll be at some point "in the coming months." While we wait for those details, however, feel free to check out the extra pic located just past the break.
LONDON (Reuters) - European shares were lower at midday on Wednesday, with Spanish stocks waning after its economy continued to shrink at a significant rate, while protesters against austerity took to the streets in southern Europe.
The FTSEurofirst 300 had 14.5 shed points, or 1.3 percent, to 1,105.29 by 1035 GMT with sentiment soured by a weak U.S. close overnight as positivity around recent central bank stimulus continued to fade in the face of concern about growth and earnings.
"Markets have realized that, despite reducing a large number of tail risks, the ECB's (bond-buying) program is not the solution to all the problems in the euro area," Investec analyst Philip Shaw said.
"When those issues start to get greater prominence that is then we start to get a sell-off in risk assets."
Spain's IBEX was the worst-performing European index, down 3 percent after the country's central bank said GDP fell again in the third quarter and as investors braced themselves for the 2013 budget on Thursday.
High beta plays -- stocks that are best to own in a strong bull market and worst to own in a bear market -- such as banks and miners were the biggest fallers.
While the weak GDP data helped push Spain's debt yield higher, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said he was ready to seek a new rescue package for his troubled country but only if its debt financing costs remained too high for too long.
Traders said that by pushing bond yields higher markets were putting pressure on the government to take steps to meet conditions for an international rescue, which could pave the way for monetary support from the European Central Bank.
There was unrest on the streets of Athens in Greece and Madrid in Spain in opposition to proposed austerity, causing more concern for the outlook for corporate earnings.
TAKE COVER
Shares in French supermarket chain Carrefour fell 4.5 percent after the anti-austerity protests in Spain rekindled worries over its exposure to the debt-stricken country, which represented 9.8 percent of second-quarter group sales.
"Carrefour has a strong exposure to Spain, and the stock reacts to worries about the country's debt and demonstrations," a Paris-based analyst said.
The stock was also dragged by Morgan Stanley's downgrade of rival Casino Guichard Perrachon, to "equal-weight" from "overweight". Casino fell 3.6 percent.
Earnings risks saw French catering-to-vouchers group Sodexo fall 3.7 percent as Barclays cut its rating to "underweight" from "equal-weight", saying full-year results on November 8 will be the trigger for consensus earnings revisions.
Concerns that Apple was struggling to keep up with demand for its new iPhone saw ARM, whose chip designs are used in the U.S. firm's smartphones, shed 3 percent.
The low-volume rally over the summer, a result of the cautious sentiment among investors, contributed to downbeat updates from the London Stock Exchange and broker ICAP.
LSE shed 1.3 percent, while ICAP fell 4.1 percent
"We need a fresh positive catalyst for markets to avoid a steady retreat over the next few weeks," Jim Reid, strategist at Deutsche Bank, said in a note.
"With the central bank liquidity guns loaded any short-term set back is unlikely to be severe but until Spain requests aid it is hard to see risk assets making much progress," he said.
Charles Morris, manager of the HSBC Absolute Return fund, remained sanguine about the prospects for European stocks.
"If you are buying into the Eurostoxx 50 you are not buying into European government, you are buying into big multinational companies, which the market forgets when macro concerns come to the fore," he said
He expected the Eurostoxx 50 to struggle to breakthrough march highs around 2,600 level before eventually heading towards 3,000, at which point he will likely lighten his position as the value trade will have all but gone.
The Down & Dirty welcomes The Bachelorette season 6 fan favorite Chris Lambton. He's also a professional landscaper, and is the host of Going Yard, which just wrapped its first season on HGTV. He'll be joining us with some winter-to-fall gardening tips.
Does stress cause overeating? Can drinking water help manage daily stress? Our guest is Dr. Sherry Pagoto, a licensed clinical psychologist and Assoc. Professor of Medicine at the UMMS; an expert in health, nutrition, fitness, weight management, depression, stress, cancer prevention, and type 2 diabetes.
The Clock was a dramatic thirty-minute suspense and mystery series. It was written by Lawrence Klee and was first broadcast in November 1946. The story always began the same; ?Sunrise and sunset, promise and fulfillment, birth and death
Witch coven attacks people It has come to our attention that a circle of psychics are actually using Witchcraft against others in order to profit and hurt others ! Join us as reveal the truth and shame these Witches for what they really are !
The Scarlet Woman herself,singer/model/ artist, Jet Noir! She has a haunting and powerful voice and she is an instrumentalist as well, having learned guitar, violin and piano! Her musical style is Goth/Electronica/Trance and her music is HOT!!!
Melissa Bel is an up & coming Indie artist with a soulful voice that is rich and deep like that of a seasoned veteran. She has been compared to Janis Joplin & Joss Stone & has amassed a huge throng of fans from all over. We'll talk with her about her new album
This week Business Matters welcomes Jeannie Kerrigan, author of Layla, a tale of survival,resilience, and healing thru forgiveness. She is also founder of Rickys Revenge, a National Outreach for homeless and runaway teens, providing information and solace.
We will have UFC Middleweight Chael Sonne's coach Clayton Hires on the show. We will ask him what really went down leading up to UFC 151, and whats next for Chael Sonnen.
Is it possible to forgive the unforgivable? How do we let go of what?s keeping us stuck in our lives? Tune in as author Erica Glessing shares the three steps you can take right now to experience more forgiveness in your life.
Our special guest will be Shayna Foley,Who raises awareness and helps those on the spectrum with Songs For Autism. Come and enjoy some great music, Poetry, and how Shayna uses it to help make life better for all.
Join Live by Terrence as he welcomes Karlie Redd. Karlie launched the Redd Hairline by Karlie Redd. In July 2012, Karlie released her debut single, "A Girl Has Needs" on iTunes. We will be discussing her projects after LHHATL.
The Clock was a dramatic thirty-minute suspense and mystery series. It was written by Lawrence Klee and was first broadcast in November 1946. The story always began the same; ?Sunrise and sunset, promise and fulfillment, birth and death
Singing duo Amber Nash and Jordan Neff, of "Shiny and the Spoon" visit with Olivia Wilder to talk about their growing popularity and unique style that incorporates several genres. *Two lucky live listeners will get a free copy of their new CD, "Ferris Wheel!"
"Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark" choreographer Chase Brock, chats with host Laura Theodore about his exciting role as choreographer of the Broadway mega hit!
Visit beautiful Newport Beach, California. We?ll have interviews about renting a beach house, learning to surf and shopping at Fashion Island. From the beach side to the bay side, from the Fun Zone to the pier, we'll take you up and down the Balboa Peninsula.
Current Cleveland Browns Running Back Chris Ogbonnaya will be joining Weigh In Sports for an in depth interview on his career playing for coach Mack Brown and the Texas Longhorns and also his current season with the Cleveland Browns.
About every 2 weeks or so, I get this annoying User password screen crop up, and have to keep pressing this orange button to get back to the desktop or whatever application is open.
But the keyboard frustrates me as the keys are separated and kind of heavy pressing is required for response. My old laptop was perfect as the keys were sort of lighter, v responsive, but the fan died on me so upset about that
Need:
Good RAM, nice responsive keyboard enough USB ports
its for business use so it needs to be durable as in the past my laptops haven't lasted over 2 years.
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) ? Myanmar's reformist president left Monday for New York to tout his country's makeover at the United Nations and push for an end to sanctions, in the first U.S. visit by a leader of the former international pariah since 1966.
Since becoming president last year, Thein Sein has overseen widely praised economic and political reforms in Myanmar that follow almost a half century of military rule. His trip to attend the U.N. General Assembly comes as his country enjoys improved relations with the United States.
His visit overlaps with one by Myanmar's biggest celebrity, Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. The opposition leader's high-profile U.S. visit has included a private meeting with President Barack Obama and standing ovations at awards ceremonies in Washington and New York, including at the United Nations, where she worked 40 years ago.
On recent trips abroad, Suu Kyi has been quietly criticized by the government for upstaging the president. But her U.S. itinerary seems aimed at making sure they don't cross paths. She is leaving New York before Thein Sein arrives, making various stops this week at Ivy League schools on the East Coast before heading to California on her way home.
Thein Sein's visit is bound to attract a smaller spotlight than Suu Kyi's, but marks another important moment for Myanmar.
The Southeast Asian country's last leader to make an official visit to the United States was authoritarian former Prime Minister Ne Win in 1966, when the country was still called Burma.
Thein Sein attended the U.N. General Assembly in 2009, but was prime minister then under the much-criticized former military junta chief, Gen. Than Shwe.
He is to deliver a speech Thursday to the General Assembly in which he will highlight the reforms his government has introduced since he took office in March 2011, after the country's first election in 20 years.
"This visit is very significant," said Maj. Zaw Htay, director of the president's office.
"The president will outline the democratic, political and economic reforms he has instituted and he will also explain the challenges that lie ahead," Zaw Htay said. "Myanmar is rejoining the international community, and President Thein Sein will also call on the international community for cooperation and assistance."
Since Suu Kyi won a parliamentary seat in April, the U.S. has normalized diplomatic relations with Myanmar and allowed U.S. companies to start investing there again. Last week, the U.S. Treasury announced it was taking Thein Sein's name off its list of individuals prohibited from doing business or owning property in America. The administration is now considering easing the main plank of its remaining sanctions, a ban on imports.
Thein Sein is expected to meet with several other leaders during the U.N. General Assembly, Zaw Htay said. He is to meet Friday with members of Myanmar's expatriate community in New York before returning home, the spokesman said.
When asked if Myanmar's government is concerned that Suu Kyi's visit might outshine the president, Zaw Htay said, "The president doesn't feel uncomfortable or threatened by the warm reception Daw Aung San Suu Kyi received in the U.S." Daw is a term of respect.
Thein Sein "has openly expressed his happiness with her achievements and he will mention that in his speech at the General Assembly," Zaw Htay said.
This morning during its Create the Web event in San Francisco, Adobe officially launched its set of HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript-focused Edge Tools & Services offering for designers and developers. This suite of tools includes some existing Edge-branded tools like Edge Animate (previously known as Edge Preview), which is now available in a 1.0 version, as well as a number of tools that weren't previously part of the Edge brand. The open source code editor Brackets, for example, will now be part of Edge Tools under the name Edge Code, and the inspection and preview tool Shadow will now be known as Edge Inspect. Adobe is also showing a sneak peek of one new tool today, a responsive web design tool called Edge Reflow, which will be available as a preview next year.
Salad dressing are made using various types of fats and oils- saturated or unsaturated. Unsaturated fats can further be categorized into polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats. Any salad dressing that you select may possibly contain a combination of every type of fats in various ratios. This ratio can be established on the foundation of the seed, nut or fruit from which this oil is extracted. Well being and diet specialists frequently recommend consuming salads to slim down.
Although, you may hope to revive the way salads look as a way to retain your curiosity about them. Using a tasty, flavorful salad dressing is a fascinating way to jazz up your salads. But, you should be mindful about the calories you may consume although making use of these salad dressings. Mexican Bean Salad is an easy and quick dinner recipe; you can prepare it by itself or combine with other meals. Many people love salads not only because they are easy to prepare but also they offer a tasty and flavorful alternative to a whole meal. In the past salads have thought only as a side dish, but today many people turned salads for their whole meal since salads can provide all of the nutrients needed in a whole meal in a simple dish. Many of the salad recipes are made with vinegar and it is known as vinaigrette salads.
Eating low fat salad can assist you lose weight and keeps your body healthy. Using fat free mayonnaise in your salad is healthy and helps you lose weight. When you are on a diet you need to eat a healthy balance diet meal. You can eat fruit salads to gives you energy but be careful cause it contains lots of sugar. Would you like to discuss this topic with us? You can use cheap hosting to create the information for yourself or buy domain name in domain shop, it is just ok as hosting.
UN, other experts warn of 'water bankruptcy' for many regions after reviewing 200 major global projectsPublic release date: 23-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Terry Collins
tc@tca.tc
416-538-8712
United Nations University
Study highlights horizon issues for world's freshwater and marine systems
Bangkok, 24 September 2012 - A study of almost 200 major international water-related projects over the past 20 years has identified a suite of existing and emerging challenges and how science can offer remedies.
The Global Environment Facility (GEF), the largest public funder of projects to improve the global environment and promote sustainable development, partnered with the United Nations University and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to extract lessons from a portfolio of major transboundary water projects involving investments of more than US$7 billion.
Insufficient and disjointed management of human demands on water and aquatic systems has led to situations where both social and ecological systems are in jeopardy and have even collapsed, says the report.
River basins in particular are set to experience growing pressures due to urbanization, rising water scarcity and poor water quality.
Investing in science, in order to identify emerging issues and track trends relating to the use of water resources, can help to reduce such risks, according to the study. Links between science and policymaking also need to be strengthened.
Several success stories of research investments that paid rich dividends are also highlighted in the report.
These include efforts to rid Lake Victoria of alien water hyacinths, where an unsuccessful project using harvesting and chopping machines was replaced with biological control of the hyacinths using a weevil. The GEF-backed approach yielded immediate positive results for biodiversity and local communities.
The new report, Science-Policy Bridges over Troubled Waters, synthesizes findings of over 90 scientists worldwide assigned to five GEF International Water Science (IW:Science) working groups focusing on groundwater, lakes, rivers, land-based pollution sources, and large marine ecosystems and the open ocean.
According to the report: "The consequences of poor decision-making are dire: we face a 'water bankruptcy' in many regions of the world with implications for food and energy security, adaptation to climate variability and change, economic growth and human security challenges."
The report was launched on the opening day of the GEF International Waters Science Conference held in Bangkok, Thailand. The conference aims to set priorities for international waters science over the next decade and to enhance the use of science in GEF projects and beyond.
Other key findings include:
Levels of dissolved oxygen levels in marine areas (a critical ecological indicator) have dropped significantly over a relatively short time. In 2008, over 400 marine dead zones were known to span a total area of more than 245,000 square kilometers.
The report also highlights a major increase of stored heat in oceans. Such changes could have negative impacts on ecosystems, sea levels and human livelihoods.
The management of groundwater remains isolated from other ecosystems, and the limitations in recharge capacity of aquifers are not well understood by decision makers.
Zafar Adeel, director of the United Nations University International Network on Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), and a report co-author, said: "This study underscores how often early 'alarm bells' with respect to emerging issues can be heard and must be heeded. The report offers helpful recommendations to the GEF to foster this process."
Ivan Zavadsky, GEF's International Waters Focal Area Coordinator, notes that over 20 years GEF had catalyzed the largest investment of its kind in human history. GEF's $1.3 billion catalyzed a total of $7 billion of investment in managing shared waters fresh and marine in almost every part of the planet, above and below its surface.
"One of the principal lessons from this review is that science must play a more central role in determining the nature and priority of these investments," he said. "This examination of work in the recent past contributes significant insights into the challenges ahead."
"World leaders agreed at the Rio+20 summit in June to strengthen the science-policy interface and to foster international research collaboration on sustainable development. This is especially important in respect to water resources at a point in time of unprecedented pressures from climate change and urbanization to pollution and over extraction," said UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.
"Some positive steps are being made, however. UNEP's recent Global Environment Outlook-5 report analyzed progress on 90 key environmental goals. It found that significant progress is being made in improving research to reduce pollution of the marine environment. These achievements need to be registered across the water management challenge including lakes, rivers and aquifers in order to bring water into the centre of development plans en route to an inclusive Green Economy", added Mr Steiner.
###
The reports of the five IW: Science Working Groups Groundwater, Lakes, River Basins, Land-based Pollution Sources, and Large Marine Ecosystems and the Open Ocean and the synthesis report are available online at www.inweh.unu.edu/River/IWScienceReports.htm
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
UN, other experts warn of 'water bankruptcy' for many regions after reviewing 200 major global projectsPublic release date: 23-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Terry Collins
tc@tca.tc
416-538-8712
United Nations University
Study highlights horizon issues for world's freshwater and marine systems
Bangkok, 24 September 2012 - A study of almost 200 major international water-related projects over the past 20 years has identified a suite of existing and emerging challenges and how science can offer remedies.
The Global Environment Facility (GEF), the largest public funder of projects to improve the global environment and promote sustainable development, partnered with the United Nations University and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to extract lessons from a portfolio of major transboundary water projects involving investments of more than US$7 billion.
Insufficient and disjointed management of human demands on water and aquatic systems has led to situations where both social and ecological systems are in jeopardy and have even collapsed, says the report.
River basins in particular are set to experience growing pressures due to urbanization, rising water scarcity and poor water quality.
Investing in science, in order to identify emerging issues and track trends relating to the use of water resources, can help to reduce such risks, according to the study. Links between science and policymaking also need to be strengthened.
Several success stories of research investments that paid rich dividends are also highlighted in the report.
These include efforts to rid Lake Victoria of alien water hyacinths, where an unsuccessful project using harvesting and chopping machines was replaced with biological control of the hyacinths using a weevil. The GEF-backed approach yielded immediate positive results for biodiversity and local communities.
The new report, Science-Policy Bridges over Troubled Waters, synthesizes findings of over 90 scientists worldwide assigned to five GEF International Water Science (IW:Science) working groups focusing on groundwater, lakes, rivers, land-based pollution sources, and large marine ecosystems and the open ocean.
According to the report: "The consequences of poor decision-making are dire: we face a 'water bankruptcy' in many regions of the world with implications for food and energy security, adaptation to climate variability and change, economic growth and human security challenges."
The report was launched on the opening day of the GEF International Waters Science Conference held in Bangkok, Thailand. The conference aims to set priorities for international waters science over the next decade and to enhance the use of science in GEF projects and beyond.
Other key findings include:
Levels of dissolved oxygen levels in marine areas (a critical ecological indicator) have dropped significantly over a relatively short time. In 2008, over 400 marine dead zones were known to span a total area of more than 245,000 square kilometers.
The report also highlights a major increase of stored heat in oceans. Such changes could have negative impacts on ecosystems, sea levels and human livelihoods.
The management of groundwater remains isolated from other ecosystems, and the limitations in recharge capacity of aquifers are not well understood by decision makers.
Zafar Adeel, director of the United Nations University International Network on Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), and a report co-author, said: "This study underscores how often early 'alarm bells' with respect to emerging issues can be heard and must be heeded. The report offers helpful recommendations to the GEF to foster this process."
Ivan Zavadsky, GEF's International Waters Focal Area Coordinator, notes that over 20 years GEF had catalyzed the largest investment of its kind in human history. GEF's $1.3 billion catalyzed a total of $7 billion of investment in managing shared waters fresh and marine in almost every part of the planet, above and below its surface.
"One of the principal lessons from this review is that science must play a more central role in determining the nature and priority of these investments," he said. "This examination of work in the recent past contributes significant insights into the challenges ahead."
"World leaders agreed at the Rio+20 summit in June to strengthen the science-policy interface and to foster international research collaboration on sustainable development. This is especially important in respect to water resources at a point in time of unprecedented pressures from climate change and urbanization to pollution and over extraction," said UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.
"Some positive steps are being made, however. UNEP's recent Global Environment Outlook-5 report analyzed progress on 90 key environmental goals. It found that significant progress is being made in improving research to reduce pollution of the marine environment. These achievements need to be registered across the water management challenge including lakes, rivers and aquifers in order to bring water into the centre of development plans en route to an inclusive Green Economy", added Mr Steiner.
###
The reports of the five IW: Science Working Groups Groundwater, Lakes, River Basins, Land-based Pollution Sources, and Large Marine Ecosystems and the Open Ocean and the synthesis report are available online at www.inweh.unu.edu/River/IWScienceReports.htm
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.