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Can You Save Energy When Building Your Home?

Energy-Efficient Cost-Effective Source of Warmth - Mouse Hand Warmer Products

ValueRays Infrared Heat - Warm Mouse, Heated Mouse Pad, Heated Keyboard

By H. John Griffin II

Have you decided to build an energy efficient house? What are some products that you can use in your house if you want to create an energy efficient house? This article will give two examples of energy efficient products.

One of the products that you will want to use is energy efficient insulation. In your house you want to make sure that the heat flows properly. This will help to cut the cost of both heating and cooling your house. With the proper flow, you won't have to increase or decrease the heat or air conditioning thermostat. With the installation of energy efficient insulation, your house will be more comfortable.

Heat tends to flow from warmer areas of the house to cooler areas of the house. With proper energy efficient insulation, the cooler areas will get warmer as the warm air moves to these places, and the heat in the summer will go from the outside part of your house to the inside of your house.The efficiency of insulation is measured by something known as the R-value. The actual value is based on the how thick and dense the insulation is as well as what kind is insulation is used. If the R-value is high, then you have insulation that is efficient.

A product that uses insulation and also helps to make your home energy efficient is a product known as the All Wall System. This concrete and insulation wall system conserves heat and air cooled energy. This system will help to reduce your monthly heating and cooling bills and will implement the use of smaller heating and cooling devices.

The All Wall System walls do more than cut down on the biggest types of energy loss. The concrete gives them the heat-absorbing property, "thermal mass". It keeps the walls of the house a little warmer when the outdoor temperature hits its coldest extreme, and keeps the house a little cooler when the outdoor temperature is hottest. The walls themselves "add back" heat or cooling to the house when it needs them most. This contributes about 12% of the needed energy to the house for free. Due to the savings in energy, the cost of the energy will be reduced. Less energy is needed, so the size of the furnaces and compressors will be smaller.

In conclusion, these two products are examples of the way people can save energy when they build new homes. If you are interested in building a home that will be cost efficient month after month, these systems and products should be used in the home.

Mouse House need your vote on Start Up Nation - CLICK HERE

Mouse House Hand Warmer bloggers are asked to please click the link below to cast a quick vote for IGMproducts.com on Start Up Nation! Thank you!

Please click the above picture and vote for our start up company on Start Up Nation. Voting deadline is March 31, 2009. Thank you!

http://www.igmproducts.com/

We specialize in Ergonomic Heated Computer Aids.

Mouse House Giveaway at Everything Up Close

Does your mouse hand get cold? Do you sit for hours working at the computer? Get a FREE Designer Mouse House for your computer mouse hand.

The Mouse House Hand Warmer blog announces a blog contest at Everything Up Close. You must enter to win! Click here now and visit Everything Up Close's Mouse Hand Warmer Giveaway.

Hand warmer computer mouse house

Keep your hand warm inside a mouse house hand warmer

Cold hand medical conditions make it difficult to sit and work at the computer. That's why we thought you'd enjoy seeing the Mouse Hand Warmer. It creates a warm house for your mouse. For more details, click here.

from PRStherapy

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Carpal tunnel is defined by compression of the median nerve at the level of the wrist. This nerve passes through the carpal tunnel along with nine tendons which help you bend your fingers. The "tunnel" is created by the carpal bones and transverse carpal ligament. When inflammation occurs at the wrist this creates pressure on the nerve. The pressure leads to symptoms such as numbness or tingling in the fingers, pain radiating up the arm, and night pain. These symptoms can be evident when driving, holding newspapers and dropping objects. Compression of the nerve can result from repetitive use of the hands and writs, diabetes, and/or hormonal changes such as pregnancy.

DeQuervain's Syndrome: Also known as "washerwoman's sprain" this syndrome can be a product of overuse. This is and inflammatory disorder in which pain and discomfort is felt along the edge of the thumb and wrist. The tendons that straighten your thumb become inflamed following prolonged repetitive activity. The symptoms include tenderness at the base of the thumb, aching over the side aspect of the thumb and wrist. This discomfort can be aggravated by bending the thumb or straightening the thumb and with various wrist motions.

Tendinitis: General terminology for inflammation of a tendon. This may result from overuse or repetitive use of hand or wrist within varied activities.

Designer mouse house the ultimate mouse hand environment

Recipe for creating an ultimate mouse hand experience. Take one Mouse Hand Warmer blanket pouch, slip inside the pouch one heated warm mouse and a heated warm mouse pad. Photos are of the three items. You can read more about these amazing warm computer gadgets at IGMproducts.com.

To read more about the healing effects of infrared heat, click here.

To learn more about the products in the photo, click here.

Hands off technology?

We've come a long way..... ValueRays Warm Mouse

from New Electronics
author Chris Shaw

When the computer mouse was introduced in 1968 at a presentation in San Francisco, it was used merely to demonstrate a working network system. Since this modest inauguration, it has become accepted as the standard format for negotiating computer screens. However, with the success of the Nintendo Wii and Apple’s iPhone, the 21st Century consumer market is more than comfortable with the concept of interfacing with computer systems in unconventional ways. So does this mean the beginning of the end for the humble mouse?

Anyone familiar with the film Minority Report will recall the technology used to perform the intricate forensic analysis. Computer displays were navigated by a series of complex hand gestures and without a mouse in sight. While you’d be forgiven for thinking that such technology is the stuff of a scriptwriter’s effulgent imagination, the movie’s science adviser Dr John Underkoffler was working stealthily on the real world implementation of these interfacing techniques. The technology is, unsurprisingly, comparable with the 2002 movie – even down to the gloves.

Described as a spatial operating environment (SOE), Oblong’s g-speak allows operators to ‘grab’ items from one screen and deposit them on to another.

Underkoffler, chief scientist with Los Angeles based Oblong Industries, is clearly not a fan of traditional interfacing techniques. “The mouse is a fairly constrained physical object,” he notes. “It has to sit on a surface and heavy use often leads to repetitive strain injuries. The mapping between the axes of mouse motion and the two axes of on screen pointer motion is indirect, so it would be nice to bypass it entirely and control pointer motion and position directly.”

The gestural interface not only challenges the traditional keyboard and mouse as primary interfacing tools, but is also set to become established in many consumer entertainment devices.

Stephen Prentice, vice president and fellow at electronics analyst, Gartner, predicts: “The keyboard is likely to remain the primary text entry device for the near future. However, the growing use of real time video interpretation and inertial sensors is enabling a more intuitive control interface in 3d environments.” Business leaders, he warns, must not ignore these trends. “As the consumerisation of IT proceeds, the separation between enterprise and personal devices – and their control metaphors – will become increasingly unsustainable.”

Designer mouse house giveaway at Grammy's

Click here to see the instructions for entering the free giveaway of a mouse hand warmer at Grammy Janet's Place going on now.

One free Mouse Hand Warmer will be given to a lucky USA resident. Don't delay. Click here today for a chance to win.

Coolest gadgets for keeping your mouse hand warm not cold

Check out the coolest gadgets for keeping your mouse hand warm not cold on Coolest Gadgets. The hand warmer designed specifically for your mouse hand does not use electricity. It's a cozy snuggly fleece blanket to crawl inside on a cold day or night.

Visit Coolest Gadgets for the entire story.

Blog Catalogue - Features earth friendly hand warmer cold mouse hand

One of our all time favorite online blogging sites is Blog Catalogue. The site lists blogs in categories. It's the perfect blogger's social network. One of the best things the site has going for it is the nice people who run it! Everyone at Blog Catalogue is friendly and sincere. We are pleased to be a part of the Blog Catalogue network.

News Now for business and finance computer industry news points a finger at the mouse hand warmer

Mouse Hand Warmer listed on News Now Business & Finance Computer Industry News. Click Here for more details.

The recent press release for IGMproducts.com's Mouse Hand Warmer was picked up by News Now. The computer gadget industry has something newsy to write about. With this year's energy crisis a top priority, IGMproducts.com introduces an energy-efficient way to keep your mousing hand warm. Cover it with a warm, fleece blanket.

Press Release

Product Page

New Computer Mouse Is Also a Heart Rate Monitor

A mouse pad to keep your mouse hand warm.

by Donald Melanson

Watches that monitor your heart rate may be commonplace these days (because, you know, they're actually useful), but a mouse that keep watch on your ticker -- well, that's something you don't see everyday. ASUS seems to think that's a shame, however, and it's set out to rectify things somewhat with its new heart-monitoring Vito W1 wireless mouse.

Apart from an apparently really simple heart-monitoring application that comes with it though, this one looks to be about as standard as wireless mice get, with it boasting a 1,200 dpi resolution, a 2.4GHz USB receiver, five programmable buttons and not much else. No word on a price just yet, nor is there any indication of a planned release 'round these parts.

Dear Oprah & Doctor Oz.... help us solve the cold mouse hand problem!

Searching for an answer to define the "cold mouse hand" syndrome, Oprah and Doctor Oz were sent an online letter. We haven't heard back from them, and if/when we do, you'll read about it here.

Here's what we wrote:

Many people may not be aware of a condition called "Cold Mouse Hand." It affects computer users who work using a computer mouse. It's not carpal tunnel and shouldn't be confused with other mouse hand medical conditions. I believe the "cold mouse hand" problem is a fairly new discovery.

I started using a computer in the early 90's, and I owned and operated an ecommerce site for over 12 years. My work required me to sit in front of a computer using the mouse. A/C offices, fans, drafts and chilly weather would cause my mouse hand to get so cold my finger tips would become numb. The only relief to the cold mouse hand was to stop working, and that was not an option. I tried pulling a sweater over my mouse hand and wear fingerless gloves to keep it warm and that didn't work. I bought computer gadgets that promised to keep the mouse hand warm, and they were either non-ergonomic, caused pain, or were too small.

In February 2007, after suffering from a cold mouse hand for many years, I decided to obtain a provisional patent for a "Mouse House Hand Warmer" to address and fix the problem. But, I was still too busy operating my business to do anything with the patent.

In May 2008, I sold my ecommerce site and decided to research the cold mouse hand problem to focus on a solution. I was surprised to discover the problem was experienced by many people.

In June 2008, I made a Mouse Hand Warmer using blanket fabric, tested the prototype, and it worked. The Mouse Hand Warmer was born! I don't suffer anymore from a cold mouse hand.

If Doctor Oz finds the mouse hand syndrome, not carpal tunnel, but the "cold mouse hand" problem, an interesting, new topic, please ask him to shed some light on this mysterious computer geeks' situation. If you look for little inventions to address new problems, I will participate by sharing the problem and the solution with your audience. I hope you find this story and it's solution unique and worthy of a discussion topic.

Mouse hand pain from the cold

Use an ergonomic shaped mouse inside a mouse house hand warmer blanket to keep your mouse hand warm and free of cold pain.

from PR LOG

It is critical that the hand using the mouse be able to preserve core temperature steady. This thermal balance must be maintained to preserve normal functioning as well as provide energy for activity. The body's mechanisms for generating heat ,metabolism, has to meet the challenge presented by low temperature, wind and wetness - the three major challenges of cold environments.

It is vital to recognize that as a result of heat loss, overall circulation is reduced. This makes the hand more susceptible to cold injuries. Uncomfortably cold working conditions can lead to lower work efficiency and higher accident rates. Cold impairs the performance of tasks. Manual tasks are also impaired because the sensitivity and dexterity of fingers are reduced in the cold. At low temperatures, the cold affects the deeper muscles resulting in reduced muscular strength and stiffened joints.

Mental alertness is reduced due to cold-related discomfort. For all these reasons accidents are more likely to occur in very cold working conditions.Arthritis can occur in men and women of all ages. About 37 million people in America have arthritis of some kind, which is almost 1 out of every 7 people.You need healthy circulation to feed the muscles fresh oxygen and nutrients vital for repair and to flush out toxic chemical byproducts which restrict the flexibility of the muscle which ultimately puts excessive stress on your tendons and joints. Your warm mouse will prevent the cold discomfort also arthritis and other bone diseases may occur.

Working in cold environments can cause stiff joints, poor circulation and hand pain. The warm mouse improve blood circulation in your fingers, thumbs and fingertips. This amazing process can help to reverse damage done from overworked joints. Infrared rays can actually help to produce better enzymes within the cells of the muscle. Heat therapy is becoming a popular way to ease the pain of tendonits and aid the tendons in recovery. There are a large number of heat techniques that can be implemented for curing back pain.

Heat can prove to be a very good medication for treating hand pain. A warm mouse will do the job for you as long as you are staying in front of your computer at home or at work. This is some of the simplest forms of heat therapy that are used by a large number of people to free themselves or to prevent hand pain. Heat therapy aids any tendon injury, getting it to heal with minimal scar tissue formation and with as much realignment of tendon fibres as possible. Your warm computer mouse will maintain your hand although hands are the most exposed to dangerous bone diseases.

Geek Mouse Hand Gadget in Time for Fall

The Mouse House Hand Warmer

Introduced for the first time this year, the Mouse House Hand Warmer is an ideal gift for yourself or anyone who is addicted to computers. It's labeled a Geek Gadget because only a computer addict would need this item. Many people suffer undue distress from using their mouse hand. Actually, some people call the distress, "mouse hand syndrome." Weird as it may sound, when a person sits at the computer for long periods of time grasping the mouse, their hand gets cold. Not sure what the exact cause of mouse hand is, but having a cold mouse hand or number mouse hand fingers can put a damper on meeting a deadline or finishing your work.

If you sit for long periods of time in an air-conditioned office or drafty chilled rooms, consider protection for your mouse hand. If you've ever suffered with a cold mouse hand, you'll especially enjoy owning a Mouse Hand Warmer.

Keep your hands warm this winter

Product Reviews:

Mouse Hand Warmers:

If you sit and work at the computer for long hours and your mouse hand gets cold from being exposed to the chilly air, there's a solution. The Mouse Hand Warmer is designed to insulate body heat by keeping your mouse hand covered with a warm, fleece, cozy blanket. Slip your favorite mouse pad and mouse inside the hand warmer and work with plenty of room for movement. The non slip surface keeps the mouse pad secure on your desk top. Uses no electricity and has no cords to get tangled on your desk. This is one of the best, new computer gadgets we discovered to keep your mouse hand covered and warm. Works good in air-conditioned offices, too. Keep it on hand all year long. — Bernie Karr

Powered Heaters Gloves:

With the northeast hit by a mammoth snowstorm over the weekend, it's time to break out the serious winter gear. But even the thickest gloves can only do so much to warm chilly fingers. Gloves with powered heaters can help, though it'll be back to blowing on your hands when you run out of juice. Good thing that's all you have to do to give your hands some extra warmth when you have a pair of Gorgonz Exhale gloves. Built into each mitt is a small port that funnels air through valves into pockets around your fingers. When it gets cold, all you have to do is follow instinct and blow warm air from your lungs into the ports, and the Exhale system does the rest — delivering the heat all the way to your fingertips. Best of all, it doesn't need any power, so spend your battery money on some hot chocolate instead. — Peter Pachal

Its a house for your mouse - a warmer for your cold mouse hand

Wear a long sleeved sweater and slip your favorite mouse pad and mouse inside a fleece blanket and work at the computer without worrying about or suffering from a cold mouse hand. Yes, it's true, and it's not a joke. People who sit and work for long hours at the computer with an exposed mouse hand suffer from "cold mouse hand." We've seen the questions asked throughout the Net. People can't figure it out. It's like a geek phenominon! Well, here's a solution. It's practical, inexpensive and can last a lifetime. With your hand tucked inside a mouse house blanket you can work for as long as your heart desires without any pain from the cold. For more details about the brand new product introduced this season by i-GlobalMall.com, Inc. visit IGMproducts.com.

The Mouse Hand Warmer is available online at Amazon, Etsy and IGMproducts. Try it. Or, better yet, give it as a gift to all the computer geeks in your life!

Cold hands? Keep your mouse hand warm

There's nothing worse than trying to work with a cold mouse hand. That was the motivation behind a new computer accessory called the Mouse Hand Warmer. Wearing a long sleeved sweater and using a mouse hand warmer, your mouse hand stays warm, and you can work for hours without a cold mouse hand.

The above photo illustrates the use of the new hand warmer being introduced early this Fall by i-GlobalMall.com, Inc. Actually, it's a great gift idea for any computer user, especially the person who's always cold. If you've spent much time at all in front of a computer using a mouse, you'll understand completely. Drafts and chills in the air cause the exposed mouse hand to get cold and sometime feel numb.

Slip your favorite mouse pad and mouse inside the Mouse Hand Warmer and keep your hand covered by a warm, fleece blanket. The non slip surface keeps everything in place on the desk top. The net front works for both a wireless or USB mouse.

Click here if you'd like more information about this new product. It's like having a warm house for your mouse!

Finally! Photos of the Mouse House Hand Warmer!

Just in from IGMproducts.com, photos of the first Mouse House Hand Warmer! A new computer geek's gadget to keep your mouse hand warm when it gets cold.

Have you ever had a cold mouse hand? Here's an economical solution and it's energy efficient. You create the heat, the heat is insulated by the blanket and your hand stays warm. Sort of like crawling under the covers on a cold night!

If you want to see more photos or have questions, please click here.

Caring for Hands

Does your mouse hand get cold? CLICK HERE.

By Juliet Cohen

Hands play an important role in communication and most visible parts of you, but they also take a lot of abuse. Your hands are probably on view a lot more often than you realize. Hands tell you how you lead your life and how you take care of your body and skin. Take good care of your hands. The skin on the backs of your hands has few oil glands so it shrivels and chaps easily upon exposure especially around the joints. Protect skin with gloves in winters and use moisturizer and sunscreen all year round. Moisturize your hands at least four times a day. Wear rubber gloves while working at home and in the garden. Protect and prevent your hands from aging and abuse. Protect your hands from the ravages of changing weather.

Always use gloves for washing clothes and utensils soak hands in a bowl of warm water to which 1 tsp of corn starch has been added for 5 minutes daily after finishing the house-hold chores. Use hand cream often and keep a bottle of it every where you visit frequently such as bathroom or vanity, kitchen and bedroom. Mix glycerin, lemon juice and a few drops of rose water and use it to massage your hands every other day. Exfoliate the hands at least once a week with a nice face exfoliater. One can also use weekly the night face cream on the hands before going to bed. For soft and beautiful hands, apply Vaseline or any other good moisturizer before going to bed. Hand exercise not only stimulates proper circulation, it also helps in maintaining the perfect shape of hand and fingers.

Finger is also part of your hand. finger massage is using four fingers from the opposite hand, start at the top of the finger and knead your way down to the tip of each finger. A paraffin bath which heats therapy for hands relief from muscle tension, and moisturizes dry hands can be really good. Hand care is something that you can do at home. The best way to take care of your hands is use our hands to do all the work in and outside the house many of us pay very little attention to taking care of them. If one is having dry skin, then one should scrub the hands under lukewarm salt water. It is an effective home exfoliater for dry skin hands. After scrubbing, massage the hands with a good moisturizer.

Climate Change: Breaking the "Political Consensus"

Join IGM in creating ways to keep warm. Click here.

______________

The Science of Climate Change: What does it Really Tell Us?

by Andrew G. Marshall, Global Research

The purpose of this report is to examine the science behind climate change so as to better understand the issue at hand, and thus, to be able to make an informed decision on how to handle the issue. The primary aim here is to examine climate change from a perspective not often heard in media or government channels; that of climate change being a natural phenomenon, not the result of man-made carbon emissions.

The “Science” of Consensus

When addressing the issue of climate change, it is important to understand that climatic change is an important field of study in science. However, it is not an exact science, like all sciences. Our understanding of the climatic sciences is always changing, just as our understanding of all sciences changes. If our understanding of science does not change, we would still think that the Earth was flat and the Sun revolved around our little planet. When these great achievements in science were first discovered, the scientists who discovered them were attacked, denounced, or even imprisoned.

There is an enormous political, social and economic interest in a scientific consensus, because it determines our understanding of our environment and all that is in it, including humanity, itself. A challenge to a perceived consensus is a challenge to all the powers in human society, as it can take a person’s understanding of the world we live in, and flip it upside down. This encourages people to think “outside the box,” fosters creativity and to be critical thinkers. This can ultimately threaten any power structure, as people may come to understand the forces that seek to control our lives. A consensus is an amazing tool in the hands of elites to control and manipulate people. And challenging a consensus is an amazing tool for people to remain free and independent thinkers.

This does not mean that any perceived consensus is inaccurate or completely manipulated. But it is important to understand how such a consensus can be used. It is also vital to understand that without questioning and challenging a scientific consensus, science would never advance. The key to scientific discovery is being able to change your perspective as the science changes. This is why debate on climate change must not be simply reduced to a one-sided debate; those who “know there is a problem,” and those who are “deniers.” All sides must be heard, so that we can come to a better understanding of the issue.

We hear consistently the one side of the debate, that climate change is caused by increased Carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, and that humans are the greatest contributor of this toxic greenhouse gas, and thus, the greatest contributor to climate change, and that there will be catastrophic consequences as a result. I hope to give voice to the other side of the debate.

A Brief Climate History

First of all, it is important to note that climate change is not new. There has always been climate change, and there will always be climate change. After all, there was a period known as the Ice Age, which was a long-term period of reduction in global temperatures. This expanded the continental ice sheets and glaciers. The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets were created in this period. The ice age left its imprint upon our environment, forming valleys, fjords, rock formations, and the like as glaciers advanced across the continents. As they receded when the ice age passed, it left the landscape altered and free for plant growth and life to flourish. The Great Lakes between Canada and the United States were carved out by ice. Following the Ice Age, the Halocene period began roughly 12,000 B.C. All human civilization has occurred within the Halocene period.

During the Halocene period, there was both global warming and cooling periods, which have lasted until today. During the period of 10,000 to 8500 BC, there was a slight cooling period known as the Younger-Dryas. However, that passed, and between 5000 and 3000 B.C., temperatures increased to a level higher than today. This period is referred to as the Climatic Optimum. It was during this warming period in history that Earth’s first great human civilizations began to flourish, such as ancient African civilizations around the Nile.

Between 3000 and 2000 B.C., a cooling period occurred, resulting in a drop in sea levels, from which islands such as the Bahamas emerged. There was a subsequent warming period between 2000 and 1500 B.C., again followed by a cool period, which led to glacial growth. The Roman Empire (150 B.C. – 300 A.D.) occurred during a cooling period, which went until roughly 900 A.D. During the period of 900 A.D. until 1200 A.D., a warming period occurred known as the Medieval Warming Period, or Little Climatic Optimum, which was warmer than today, allowing settlements to flourish in Greenland and Iceland.

Then a cooling period followed and between 1550 and 1850, temperatures were colder than at any other time since the end of the previous Ice Age, leading to what has been called the Little Ice Age. Since 1850, there has been a general warming period.

CO2 and Temperature

This latest warming period has also coincided with the Industrial Revolution, which saw the greatest output of human induced CO2, leading many, like Al Gore, to compare the rise in CO2 levels with the rise in temperatures, drawing a conclusion that the rise in CO2 in the earth’s atmosphere was the determining factor in the rise in temperatures. However, if one studies statistics and how to read and interpret stats and graphs, one of the primary lessons is that correlation does not imply causation. Simply put, two factors lining up on a graph, does not necessarily imply that there is a cause and effect relationship. One could take a graph of increases in temperatures and increases in the consumption of peanuts, and they may line up. However, common sense will tell us that eating peanuts does not increase global temperatures. Simply because there appears to be a correlation between the two, that does not imply that there is a cause and effect relationship.

When it comes to CO2, however, there is a much more important factor to analyze than simply statistical interpretation. Al Gore popularized the CO2/temperature connection in his movie, An Inconvenient Truth, in which he showed the correlation between the two on a graph. However, he interpreted the graph as evidence of a cause and effect relationship. His information came from an ice core sample related to CO2 emissions in the atmosphere. However, paleoclimatologist and earth sciences professor at USC, Lowell Stott, released findings of a study in September of 2007, which concluded that, “Deep-sea temperatures warmed about 1,300 years before the tropical surface ocean and well before the rise in atmospheric CO2” at the ending of the last ice age, which “suggests the rise in greenhouse gas was likely a result of warming,” not the cause of warming.

As well as this, an ice core sample of air bubbles in 2003, “revealed a precise record of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations” and concluded that, “the CO increase lagged Antarctic deglacial warming by 800 +/- 200 years and preceded the Northern Hemisphere deglaciation.” Simply put, the analysis of the ice core samples, published in Science Magazine, reported that CO2 increases lagged behind temperature increases by roughly 800 years.

In statistics, this is what is called a “lurking variable,” meaning a hidden variable that can have an outcome on the results of a statistic without having been taken into consideration in the statistic’s interpretation. For example, Al Gore’s graph showed a correlation between CO2 increases and temperature increases. The interpretation he gave was that the correlation implied causation; that because they lined up, there was an established relationship, and that relationship was defined as CO2 increases driving temperature. However, the lurking variable was that he did not take into consideration whether CO2 followed temperature increases, as the ice core samples have shown, but he rather chose to conclude that because they line up on a graph, CO2 is therefore the driver. This is bad science and statistical analysis at best, or intentional political deception at worst.

A Lesson in Weather and Carbon

I want to briefly cover what factors affect our weather on Earth and what greenhouse gases are so that we can better understand the science of climate change. Weather takes place in the atmosphere, which is the layer of air directly surrounding the Earth. Air is simply a mix of gases, the most plentiful of which is nitrogen, making up 78% of the air we breathe. Oxygen is 21% of the air we breathe, and the other 1% is a variety of different gases.

Weather tends to occur in the lowest level of the atmosphere, the troposphere. Air temperature, air pressure and humidity are the three factors that determine weather in the troposphere. The most important factors in determining temperature in the atmosphere are radiation arriving from the Sun and flowing from the Earth.

The Sun sends energy into space in a variety of ways. There is visible light, infrared heat rays and ultraviolet rays. Roughly 30% of solar radiation coming into the Earth’s atmosphere is reflected back out to space by clouds, while the remaining 70% is absorbed into the atmosphere, increasing the temperature. This is what is known as the greenhouse effect. Air temperature changes from day to night and season to season, as the amount of radiation from the Sun changes, largely determined by our planet’s tilt towards the Sun. The equator is the exception to the changing temperature with seasons, because it generally receives equal radiation from the Sun year-round.

Air pressure, the second determining factor in weather, is “the weight per unit of area of a column of air that reaches to the top of the atmosphere,” with pressure decreasing the higher you get, because there is less air above you. Humidity, the third main factor in determining weather, is a measure of the amount of water vapor in the air. The amount of water vapor that air can hold increases with temperature increases and decreases as temperatures decrease. When relative humidity is at 100%, water vapor condenses and forms droplets, changing from a gas to a liquid.

We often hear of “greenhouse gases” as being bad things. Yet, water vapor is the largest greenhouse gas of all. Carbon dioxide follows, with methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and many smaller gases. Water vapor is by far the largest greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, making up a much greater percentage than the gases that follow it.

CO2, or Carbon Dioxide, is produced by all plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms, and it is then absorbed by plants. As people breathe in oxygen, we then breathe out carbon dioxide, plants take it in through photosynthesis, and thusly emit oxygen for us to breathe in.

Carbon dioxide cannot be so simply classified as a toxin. In fact, it is a life accelerant. Recent research has shown that “shifts in rainfall patterns, cloud cover, and warming temperatures triggered a 6 percent increase in the amount of carbon stored in trees, grass, shrubs, and flowers,” in particular in the Amazon rain forests, which saw the greatest growth rates in the world.[6] The study, conducted from 1982 to 1999, showed that “global climate change has eased climatic constraints on plant life around the globe, allowing vegetation to increase 6 percent.”[7] Vegetation was taking in increasing amounts of CO2 in North America between 1982 and 1998, and “increased atmospheric CO2 and climate change are the primary causes of the recent U.S. vegetation increases.”

A NASA study revealed in 2001, that, “when the atmosphere gets hazy, like it did after the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines in June 1991, plants photosynthesize more efficiently, thereby absorbing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,” as volcanoes emit massive amounts of CO2 during an eruption.[9] Another study conducted in 2006 revealed that, “Diversity increases as the planet warms and decreases as it cools,” yet, deforestation can reverse this effect, simulating the effects of a global cooling trend.

In 2007, a new study revealed that as icebergs break off from Antarctica, “some as large as a dozen miles across – are having a major impact on the ecology of the ocean around them, serving as ‘hotspots’ for ocean life, with thriving communities of seabirds above and a web of phytoplankton, krill, and fish below,” and that the icebergs “can serve as a route for carbon dioxide drawdown” as it sinks into the sea.

In 2002, it was reported that, “The southern Saharan desert is in retreat, making farming viable again in what were some of the most arid parts of Africa,” and that, “dunes are retreating right across the Sahel region on the southern edge of the Sahara desert. Vegetation is ousting sand across a swathe of land stretching from Mauritania on the shores of the Atlantic to Eritrea 6000 kilometres away on the Red Sea coast,” which was largely attributed to increases in rainfall.[12] A scientific study conducted in the Netherlands predicted that global warming “could significantly increase rainfall in Saharan Africa within a few decades, potentially ending the severe droughts that have devastated the region,” which could in effect cause a “greening of the Sahara.”

What Causes Climate Change?

If CO2 increases lag behind temperature increases, it does not make sense that CO2 can be the cause of temperature increases. It would be the equivalent of saying that growing older is caused by the graying of hair; there appears to be a cause and effect relationship, it is just of vital importance to understand which is the cause and which is the effect. So, from here we must examine what some major causes of climatic change can be.

The most important factor in climatic changes is what is called solar variations. This refers to radiation emitted from the Sun and its variations, in particular, the sunspot cycle. Sunspot cycles are the irregular rises and drops in the number of sunspots, which are regions on the Sun’s surface, which have lower temperatures than its surrounding area and strong magnetic fields. The cycles tend to last 11 years.

An important thing to note is that Earth is not the only planet that experiences climate change, as in 2002, it was reported that Pluto was “undergoing global warming in its thin atmosphere,” likely due to it’s orbit, which, “significantly changes the planet's distance from the Sun during its long ‘year,’ which lasts 248 Earth years.”[14] In 2006, it was reported that a new storm on Jupiter could indicate that the planet is “in the midst of a global change that can modify temperatures by as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit.”[15] As far back as 1998, it was reported that Neptune’s largest moon, Triton, “has been undergoing a period of global warming,” since 1989.[16] This could have much to do with the fact that, as reported in 1997, the “Sun is getting hotter,” leading some scientists to say that Earth’s global warming “is part of a natural cycle for the planet.”

In 2004, the Telegraph reported that, “Global warming has finally been explained: the Earth is getting hotter because the Sun is burning more brightly than at any time during the past 1,000 years, according to new research.” The study, conducted by Swiss and German scientists, “suggests that increasing radiation from the sun is responsible for recent global climate changes.” Interestingly, the Sun “is brighter than it was a few hundred years ago and this brightening started relatively recently - in the last 100 to 150 years,” coinciding with the warming trend experienced since the Industrial Revolution.[18] This is what can be referred to as a “lurking variable” in Al Gore’s analysis of his graphs of carbon and temperature increases since the Industrial Revolution. It is a lurking variable because though the temperatures and carbon emissions match up on a graph, it doesn’t take into account other factors that may influence the statistics, such as increasing radiation from the Sun, which also correlates with increasing temperatures.

National Geographic News quoted a scientist in 2007 that, “Simultaneous warming on Earth and Mars suggests that our planet's recent climate changes have a natural—and not a human-induced—cause.” Mars’ ice caps had been diminishing for three years in a row, and the scientist, “Habibullo Abdussamatov, head of space research at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory in Russia, says the Mars data is evidence that the current global warming on Earth is being caused by changes in the sun.” He further stated that, “changes in the sun's heat output can account for almost all the climate changes we see on both planets.”[19] A NASA study in the same year also reported that Mars warmed since the 1970s, “similar to the warming experienced on Earth over approximately the same period,” which, they conclude, “suggests rapid changes in planetary climates could be natural phenomena.”[20] A study in 2007 on climatic changes on Earth and Neptune suggested that, “some planetary climate changes may be due to variations in the solar system environment.”

In 2006, a study was conducted regarding Venus being the “solar system’s most inhospitable planet.” A planetary scientist at Oxford University stated, “It's very disturbing that we do not understand the climate on a planet that is so much like the Earth,” and that, “It is telling us that we really don't understand the Earth. We have ended up with a lot of mysteries.” Venus was “unbelievably hot, dense, and had virtually no oxygen.” Venus has a very pronounced greenhouse effect, as its “thick atmosphere traps solar radiation and heats the world to boiling point.” Scientists say that Venus being closer to the Sun than Earth is a factor, yet, there may be other factors. One brought up was that Venus’ atmosphere is almost entirely made up of CO2, which is effective at trapping heat. CO2 is roughly 95% of Venus’ atmosphere, compared to Earth’s atmosphere, which is 0.038% CO2, so it is extremely understandable that CO2 would have a greater effect upon Venus than Earth. The question as to why Venus has so much CO2 may be because it lost its water, whereas on Earth, “carbon dioxide is absorbed by the oceans, where it forms carbonate minerals and over the millennia is deposited as rock. That process was arrested early on Venus when it lost its oceans.” Perhaps we should put more focus into preserving and protecting our oceans.

Get Your Parka, Here Comes Global… “Cooling”?

There is a little problem with the whole “global warming” consensus, in that recent scientific research has shown that, “A study of sea temperature changes predicts a lull as traditional climate cycles cancel out the heating effect of greenhouse gases from pollution,” and that, “Global warming will be ‘put on hold’ over the next decade because of natural climate variations.”[23] In other words, the natural climate cycles that Earth goes through, and always has gone through, has changed once again, just as a political consensus was reached. This is very significant because if CO2 was the prime cause for recent warming, and CO2 consumption has not gone down, yet, the Earth’s climate has engaged on a cooling trend, this appears to pose a problem for the CO2 hypothesis.

This cooling trend is supported by many recent events. In 2008, “Snow cover over North America and much of Siberia, Mongolia and China is greater than at any time since 1966,” and China went through its most brutal winter in a century. Also, when we are told that the Artic Sea ice is melting to its “lowest levels on record,” it is important to note that the records date back to 1972, and “that there is anthropological and geological evidence of much greater melts in the past.” As it turns out, the ice itself has not only recovered from melting, but has grown thicker in many places. With the previous melting of the Arctic, we have been told it was caused by human activity and will result in catastrophe. However, climate modelers, predicting the future climate with computer models based upon information they provide, such as CO2 consumption, are highly inaccurate, as, “Climate models until now have not properly accounted for the wind's effects on ocean circulation, so researchers have compensated by over-emphasizing the role of manmade warming on polar ice melt.”

Many places have experienced unusual cold and snowfalls in the last year. Argentina got its first snowfall in Buenos Aires since 1918,[25] Johannesburg, South Africa, experienced snow for the first time in 26 years,[26] Baghdad experienced snow for the “first time in living memory,”[27] and Saudi Arabia went through sub-zero temperatures and snow storms, making it the coldest winter in over 20 years.

Even the BBC reported that temperatures will decrease, “as a result of the cold La Nina current in the Pacific,”[29] which is a natural phenomenon, and has a large effect on increasing cyclonic activity in the Atlantic. It’s interesting how La Niña and El Niño have disappeared from discussion on climate and hurricanes. Today, whenever there is a hurricane or natural disaster, it is instantly blamed on global warming and having been accelerated by human activity. Even Al Gore’s movie poster pictured a smoke stack with a hurricane coming out the top. An MIT climate scientist, who previously wrote about the link between hurricane energy and warming, produced a study in 2008 where he changed his pervious claims, saying that its not a clearly defined connection, saying there is a “lot of uncertainty,” and he was quoted as stating, “It’s a really bad thing for a scientist to have an immovable, intractable position.”

In Mach of 2008, NPR reported that after a survey of the ocean by 3,000 scientific robots, information was retrieved that showed that, “the oceans have not warmed up at all over the past four or five years. That could mean global warming has taken a breather.” The article quotes a NASA scientist as saying that, “the oceans are what really matter when it comes to global warming.”

In July of 2008, a major peer-reviewed journal of the American Physical Society, Physics and Society, concluded that the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report “overstated” the effects of CO2 on temperature in their climate models by between 500 and 2000%. The paper concluded that there is no “climate crisis.” The paper further reported that CO2 will add “little more than 1°F (O.6°C) to global mean surface temperature by 2100;” that the IPCC report took their predictive information from four published papers, not 2,500, as was claimed; that “global warming” stopped ten years ago; the IPCC overstated the “effect of ice-melt by 1000%”; that 50 years ago, it was proved that “predicting climate more than two weeks ahead is impossible”; and that an important factor in explaining the previous warming was that, “In the past 70 years the Sun was more active than at almost any other time in the last 11,400 years.”

What About the Consensus?

We are often told, (especially by Al Gore), that on the issue of the effects of human activity on climate change, there is a “scientific consensus” on humans being the primary cause. If the above information does not provide some proof as to a lack of consensus on the subject, perhaps the fact that for the UN-organized 1992 Rio Earth Summit, which concluded that, “global warming and other environmental insults were threatening the planet with catastrophe,” was countered with a petition of scientists decrying, “the unsupported assumption that catastrophic global warming follows from the burning of fossil fuels and requires immediate action.” The number of signatories to the petition eventually reached 4,000 scientists, including 72 Nobel Prize winners. In 2000, to counter the Kyoto Protocol, a petition was made up of “1,500 clergy, theologians, religious leaders, scientists, academics and policy experts concerned about the harm that Kyoto could inflict on the world’s poor.”

A current petition makes the statement that, “There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gasses is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth's atmosphere and disruption of the Earth's climate. Moreover, there is substantial scientific evidence that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide produce many beneficial effects upon the natural plant and animal environments of the Earth.” This petition has been signed by over 31,000 scientists.

The former editor of New Scientist magazine, Nigel Calder, wrote that, “When politicians and journalists declare that the science of global warming is settled, they show a regrettable ignorance about how science works.” He explained how roughly 20 years ago, “climate research became politicized in favour of one particular hypothesis,” and that the media, “often imagine that anyone who doubts the hypothesis of man-made global warming must be in the pay of the oil companies. As a result, some key discoveries in climate research go almost unreported.” He also explained the results of a scientific study conducted in 2001 in Denmark, which found that, “cloudiness varies according to how many atomic particles are coming in from exploded stars. More cosmic rays, more clouds. The sun’s magnetic field bats away many of the cosmic rays, and its intensification during the 20th century meant fewer cosmic rays, fewer clouds, and a warmer world. On the other hand the Little Ice Age was chilly because the lazy sun let in more cosmic rays, leaving the world cloudier and gloomier.”[35] So not only is the Sun a determining factor, but so are cosmic rays.

Conclusion
I won’t state exactly what is causing climate change on our planet, as the reality is that there are many answers to that question; the Sun, cosmic rays, ocean currents and other natural phenomena, etc. However, it is safe to say that the wealth of science points to a natural change in our climate, and the entire history of the world and of all humanity supports this hypothesis. Throughout history, as in the earliest African civilizations, it was the ability of different peoples to change and adapt to climate change, which determined their survival as a civilization.

Today, we are trying to fight it. This is a dangerous road to walk, and history will not look kindly upon our scientific ignorance and politically fear-driven society. How will we be viewed in the future? How have we viewed the people of the past who thought the Earth was flat, or the Sun revolved around Earth?

Trying to fight and stop a natural phenomenon is possibly one of the most ignorant and dangerous things humanity has ever engaged in. How would history view a civilization that tried to reverse the spinning of the Earth, or the blowing of wind? It is a recipe for the fall of a civilization.

Much of the people in the world have been riled up with predictions of a catastrophic end to mankind and the world unless we don’t do something about so-called “man-made” climate change. Ironically enough, our refusal to adapt to a changing world, and instead a determination to fight it with our efforts to “go green” and “carbon neutral” may, in fact, cause the catastrophic end of our civilization. And sadly, in this instance, it would undeniably be a man-made disaster.

COLD HANDS: HOW TO KEEP YOUR HANDS WARM THIS WINTER

When your mouse hand gets cold, slip it inside a Mouse Hand Warmer.
Available online.

from PsychoVertical

Whether it’s ice or mixed climbing, mountaineering, winter rock or just making snowballs with the kids, getting cold hands and hot aches just isn’t fun. On hard climbs were tools are used leashless, or when you’re forced to crimp and jam with your fingertips, having dull blocks of ice attached to the ends of your arms can make these things feel impossible and terrifying, and on exposed faces and summits frozen hands and fingers may never thaw out, and once they stop working you’re really in trouble! So how do you avoid getting frozen hands? Well the simple answer is to sit in an nice comfy chair beside a big fire, and cradle a cup of warm milk in them. Is that solution not good enough? Have you got routes that need slaying, artic climbs you want to do, winter ascents begging to be deflowered? Well if that’s the case you need to understand one thing:-

IF YOU WANT TO USE YOUR HANDS THEY WILL GET COLD
A few years ago I made the first winter ascent of the East Face of Mermoz in Patagonia, one of the coldest routes I ever did. On it I wore a pair of Black Diamond Drytool gloves under a pair of Lowe Alpine fleece mitts – the ones you could flip your fingers out off. This combination allowed me to hold my tools well, jam and grab, and place gear without dropping it down the crag. On such a route you really needed big down or synthetic filled mitts, but these were out of the question on such a technical climb. A few months later someone was asking me about climbing in such conditions and they said “How do you keep your hands warm” to which I answered “my hands are always in agony – it’s when they stop hurting that I get worried”. This leads us onto:-

ACCEPT THAT YOUR HANDS WILL GET COLD – BUT DON’T EXCEPT THAT THEY WILL FREEZE
The most important thing when climbing in cold conditions is that you never ignore your hands – if you do you may lose them. This means that you need to be constantly moving them, rubbing them, warming them up, replacing frozen gloves – anything that will stop them from freezing. If you feel your tips going dangerously numb mid crux, hang on some pro and sort them out. Flesh can freeze very quickly if it’s cold, windy and your gloves are damp. The problem is that this ability to know what your fingers can take only comes with experience, so when starting out use caution. Personally I always have a pair of super warm mitts in reserve, so that if I find that no matter how I try to squeeze some heat into my hands they stay cold, them I can bang on my mitts and warm them up.

Anyway I thought perhaps I’d just give a long list of random ideas that have worked for me over the years and you can see what works for you.

ALWAYS KEEP YOUR MITTS CLOSE BY
Having thick warm mitts in the top pocket of a pack is no good if retreaving them's a chore – meaning you’re likely to forgoe the hassle. Having mitts clipped to the back of a harness, or stashed in a bum bag, means when you get to the belay you can quickly replace those skimpy gloves by instantly driving your hands into your mitts, meaning they warm up and are ready for the next lead. The most important thing when clipping mitts to yourself is that they can’t fill with snow – which they will do if clipped conventionally, even if you cinch them shut (spindrift WILL get through). The only option is to hang them upside side, with the fingers pointing skywards, by having a loop sewn in at the finger end (either factory or self sewn), or by folding the mitts in half and securing them so that snow can’t get in. Carrying a bum bag is another option, and this can also contain food, water etc (stow all other items in a small stuff sack secured to the bum bag so when you pull out your mitts everything fall out!).

USE DISPOSABL HANDWARMERS
They're cheap and can make a big difference, easily placed inside mitts, or inside gloves, or even in the wrist of a jacket in order to warm the blood going into your hands. Personally I don’t use hand warmers because over dependence will cost you money over time, and if things are that bad, and you can’t do anything without them – them maybe you should take up surfing.

USE NON DISPOSABLE CHARCOAL HANDWARMERS
Loved by fisherman and painters – these old school hand warmers feature a two part slim metal body that accepts charcoal sticks that are lit and then slowly burn – giving hours of heat. These of course can’t be placed inside your gloves, but they can be placed in pockets to warm fingers, or in mitts (not if they’re hanging from your harness) so you have toasty mitts straight off. These burners can also be used on cold bivys, placed between the legs to warm up your feet and kick off the bags warmth.

GET YOURSELF A MAGIC PLATE
Having a auto locking belay plate like a Petzl Reverso means you can warm your hands up while the second's coming up, giving you chance to warm them rather than having them clamped to the rope.

LEARN HOW TO WARM YOUR HANDS
I find that repeatedly warming your hands can get them through a cold stretch, perhaps climbing a cold pitch of rock with out gloves. This can mean a quick reheat between moves, warming your fingers just enough to feel what you’re holding. One thing I avoid is breathing on my hands, as this increases evaporative heat loss (via the dampness in your breath). A better solution is place your fingers on your neck, in your hair, or under an arm pit. Just hold it for a few seconds then carry on. Another option is to keep rubbing them hard, which not only increases blood flow, but also helps to reduce evaporate heat loss – as you tend t wipe moisture off as you do so. Also don’t forget the child hood trick up just pulling your hands up into your sleeves.

DON’T SMOKE OR DRINK CAFFINE
This will constrict your blood vessels. Save the parting for the evening.

TRY TO RELAX
Try not to get too hyped up as being tense will make your hands cold. Think about other things – probably warm things.

PROTECT YOUR WRISTS
Your wrists are a major source of heat loss, so you need to keep them covered – either by wearing garments that feature thumb loops in the sleeve, or by buying/making wrist-overs, that extend down over the wrist. This can be easily made from a pair of socks and work well with or without a thumb loop.

STAY WELL FED AND HYDRATED
If you’re dehydrated you blood flow will decrease to your extremities, meaning cold fingers and toes. Also eating some fat will boost your warmth – so maybe take along a bit of sausage!

LEARN SOME WARM HAND EXERCIES
Rotate the shoulders forward up and back in a circular motion for about 30 seconds, then rotate the wrists in both directions for the same length of time. Another option is to make a fist without bending your fingers (The final joint of your fingers is not bent.)

GO LEASHLESS
Having your hands above your head is a great way to get cold hands – so having the ability to shake them out is vital, meaning either leashless tools or tools with clipper leashes. A tight leash will also restrict circulation.

MAKE SURE YOUR CLOTHES ARE WARM ANOUGH
If your hands are cold stick on another hat!

DON'T WEAR THIN DAMP GLOVES
If your gloves are very thin, then it means they probably won't be be able to trap trap much dead air when wet - meaning they won't give you a 'wet warmth'. This means continuing to wear them when damp could result in colder rather than warmer hands. Try to get gloves that hold enough air when Wet (or still water) so that you can get a 'wetsuit' warmth going.

Geek Gadget: Mouse Hand Warmer to arrive soon

A house for your mouse.

A blanket for your hand.

No more chills. Warm, fuzzy thrills!

The Mouse Hand Warmer is scheduled to arrive within a few weeks. Check back here to see photos, details and instructions. It's a brand new product, there's nothing else like it. No cords or wires to tangle or mess your desk top. Keeps your mouse hand covered with a warm fleece blanket. A great gift idea!

Welcome to the Mouse House Hand Wamer

Your mouse hand is a very special piece of equipment. You need to keep it warm when it's cold. The best way to keep your mouse hand warm is by slipping it inside a cozy warm mouse blanket. This blog will show you how to keep your mouse hand warm. Please be patient while it's under construction. Then, check back often for news and products to help you keep your mouse hand warm during the winter or whenever it gets a chill.