India Ink: The Mullaperiyar Dam Dipute Between Kerala Against Tamil Nadu is Unnecessary

Futurologists say that the next world war will be fought over water because fresh supplies will become increasingly scarce. Pakistan has already added water to the long list of disputes with India and people in India have grown concerned about what they say are Chinese efforts to dam the Brahmaputra River.

If the south Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu were independent countries with their own armies, they might have been at war by now over the water held behind a dam in Kerala that supplies Tamil Nadu. Protests and demonstrations have lasted for more than five years and tensions have been so elevated recently that some citizens have resorted to violence as India?s federal government, for the most part, has watched helplessly.

The Mullaperiyar dam on the Periyar river sits in and belongs to the state of Kerala. The state wants to repair or rebuild the 116-year-old dam with its own money, if necessary, because it fears that the dam could fail because it has developed leaks and because tremors around it have become more frequent in recent months. An estimated 3 million people live downstream from the dam and could be submerged if it is breached.

More than 100 years ago, Kerala agreed to divert the east-flowing river and leased a piece of its territory to the other state for 999 years. In return, Kerala now receives 1 million rupees, or about $19,000, a year. Historians believe that the king of Travancore signed the deal under pressure in the face of demands of the bigger state that was backed by India?s British rulers.

Tamil Nadu, a relatively more arid state that has chronic water problems, has refused to renegotiate the deal or agree to the construction of a new dam. The state?s leaders appear to be terrified that they will not be allocated as much water from a new dam as they draw from the river now. That fear persists even though Kerala officials have offered assurances that they will not change the current water sharing formula.

Officials in Kerala have often presented a muddled and inconsistent case for why the dam should be rebuilt. Some have argued that the dam was close to collapse, while others have said that simply reducing the amount of water stored behind the dam and building a tunnel to relieve the pressure of the water would be sufficient to protect the dam.

Independent scientists are divided on Kerala?s claims that the dam is in mortal danger, but they are no more convinced by Tamil Nadu?s assertions that it is completely safe after 116 years of use. The Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, one of the country?s leading universities, has concluded that the dam will collapse if the area is struck by an earthquake of magnitude 7 or more.

No one is certain whether another dam downstream could contain the water if the Mullaperiyar is breached.

A committee appointed by the Indian Supreme Court to study the issue has signaled that it is more inclined to support Tamil Nadu?s position. But as a compromise, it is likely to recommend the construction of another dam downstream. Kerala has not only agreed to bear the cost of such a dam, but also expressed its willingness to jointly manage it with Tamil Nadu. But the feasibility of such a dam is in question and its environmental impact may be significant.

In the case of another infrastructure project, Tamil Nadu officials have protested federal plans to set up a nuclear power plant on its eastern coast at Koodankulam. The state has argued that the plant could expose its residents to radiation. Yet, it does not share Kerala?s concern that an old and leaking dam might burst and drown millions of lives. Floods have killed far more people than nuclear meltdowns. About 25 years ago, a dam in Gujarat caved in and killed hundreds of people.

In Kerala, recent protests appear to be stoked by a regional party that is part of the ruling coalition government hoping to gain political points. An appeal by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has calmed those voices, but a recent visit by Mr. Singh to Tamil Nadu, which is ruled by a different party that is not part of the government?s coalition, did not advance the cause of negotiations.

In theory, the dispute could be solved easily if the government repairs or rebuilds the dam while guaranteeing that Tamil Nadu will continue to receive ample supplies of water. Lives would be saved in Kerala and livelihood would be saved in Tamil Nadu.

Instead, the war of words and protests continue, threatening trade and peace between the states.

Mr. Sreenivasan, a former Indian diplomat, is the executive vice chairman of the Kerala State Higher Education Council. His views are personal and do not reflect the policy of his state.

Source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=eff5c30280467f75ab8142d21b3d7a9e

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Gross's bond fund bleeds $1.4 billion in December: Morningstar (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? The PIMCO Total Return Fund, the world's largest bond fund, had $1.4 billion in outflows in December, according to fund analytics firm Morningstar.

The fund, operated by Bill Gross, co-chief investment officer of Pacific Investment Management Co, suffered total redemptions of $5 billion in 2011, a year in which the fund underperformed benchmarks after betting heavily against U.S. Treasuries, which rallied on the year.

The fund, which has about $244 billion in assets under management, has had investor redemptions on and off for more than a year. Morningstar estimates total redemptions have exceeded $13 billion since November 2010.

Still, December was kinder to Gross than the previous year. In December 2010, Morningstar estimates investors withdrew $6.7 billion from the fund, PIMCO's flagship.

A spokesman for PIMCO, which is based in Newport Beach, California, and oversees more than $1.35 trillion in assets, was not immediately available to comment

Last year was a humbling one for Gross. His bad call on Treasuries led him to issue an unusual "mea culpa" letter to his investors.

U.S. Treasuries were the best-performing bond class in 2011 by a wide margin. The benchmark 10-year Treasuries returned nearly 17 percent in 2011, the largest gain for the U.S. bonds since 2008.

Meanwhile, other intermediate-term bond funds reported taking in new money in 2011, according to Morningstar. The JPMorgan Core Bond Fund took in $2.6 billion in new money and now has $23 billion in assets. The Metropolitan West Total Return Fund took in $5.3 billion in new money and now manages over $17 billion.

The fastest-growing bond fund in the space, according to Morningstar, is the DoubleLine Total Return Fund. It saw $10.6 billion in new money and now has over $15 billion in assets. Overall, DoubleLine manages about $22 billion.

Gross is moving to reclaim his past success by ramping up his purchase of mortgage-backed securities. The self-styled "bond king," analysts say, is betting on the likelihood the Federal Reserve will also purchase those securities in a bid to boost the U.S. housing market.

(Additional reporting by David Gaffen; Editing by Leslie Adler)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120103/bs_nm/us_gross_fund_redemptions

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Washington jobs won and lost from Boeing Wichita closure

One hundred jobs from the Puget Sound-area Boeing Business Jet operation will move to Oklahoma. Pictured above: the first delivery of a 737-based BBJ to a subsidiary of Beijing Airlines, in May 2011.

The closure of Boeing?s Wichita plant and subsequent reshuffling will be a mixed bag for Washington, adding about 200 new jobs to the Puget Sound region, but removing another 100.

The 200 new jobs will come from moving finishing work on the 767-based Air Force tankers from Wichita to this area, said Mark Bass, vice president and general manager, Maintenance, Modifications & Upgrades Division for the Boeing Co.?

The 100 lost jobs, which will move to Oklahoma City, will be people who support aircraft built to carry top U.S. government officials and similar aircraft for wealthy individuals. The latter are called Boeing Business Jets.

Bass said Boeing (NYSE: BA) had not yet determined where in the Puget Sound region it will finish the tankers.

In his remarks, during which he was repeatedly pressed by Wichita journalists about breaking faith with Kansas leaders who had supported winning the tanker contract, Bass said Boeing?s decision was caused by dropping defense budgets and by inefficiencies in Wichita.

That facility operates 2 million square feet in 97 buildings, and couldn?t compete in a toughening environment, he said.

?Despite the best efforts of Wichita employees, cost reduction efforts aren?t enough to make Wichita competitive to win new business,? he said, adding that keeping the facilities there would cause Boeing?s market share to ?slowly erode.? ...

The closure of Boeing?s Wichita plant and subsequent reshuffling will be a mixed bag for Washington, adding about 200 new jobs to the Puget Sound region, but removing another 100.

The 200 new jobs will come from moving finishing work on the 767-based Air Force tankers from Wichita to this area, said Mark Bass, vice president and general manager, Maintenance, Modifications & Upgrades Division for the Boeing Co.?

The 100 lost jobs, which will move to Oklahoma City, will be people who support aircraft built to carry top U.S. government officials and similar aircraft for wealthy individuals. The latter are called Boeing Business Jets.

Bass said Boeing (NYSE: BA) had not yet determined where in the Puget Sound region it will finish the tankers.

In his remarks, during which he was repeatedly pressed by Wichita journalists about breaking faith with Kansas leaders who had supported winning the tanker contract, Bass said Boeing?s decision was caused by dropping defense budgets and by inefficiencies in Wichita.

That facility operates 2 million square feet in 97 buildings, and couldn?t compete in a toughening environment, he said.

?Despite the best efforts of Wichita employees, cost reduction efforts aren?t enough to make Wichita competitive to win new business,? he said, adding that keeping the facilities there would cause Boeing?s market share to ?slowly erode.?

He added that Boeing did not make the decision to close the Wichita facility until December, after analyzing a study it started last summer.

STEVE WILHELM covers manufacturing, aerospace and trade for the Puget Sound Business Journal. Phone: 206-876-5427 | Email: swilhelm@bizjournals.com | Twitter: stevewilhelm108 Click here to sign up for the PSBJ Daily Update.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vertical_44/~3/ClxJoCMiRCM/washington-jobs-won-and-lost-from.html

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Broncos, Giants win divisions, Patriots top AFC (AP)

The Giants won their way into the playoffs in the NFLs' final game. Denver and Cincinnati backed their way into the postseason.

Sparked by Victor Cruz, New York's newest football star, the Giants won the NFC East title Sunday night by beating the Dallas Cowboys in their showdown. Cruz sped 74 yards for one touchdown and, when Dallas got within seven points, made a leaping 44-yard catch on third down to set up a clinching field goal in a 31-14 victory. New York (9-7) also sacked Tony Romo six times to sweep the season series with the Cowboys (8-8).

The Giants won three of their last four games after a four-game slide dropped them to 6-6. Cruz was a big factor in each win, had a 99-yard catch-and-run score last week against the Jets, and made six receptions for 178 yards against the porous Dallas defense.

"It's amazing, man," Cruz said. "Growing up here and having seen the run in 2007 and the not-so-great runs, just to be a part of the team and the history is amazing. It's been an amazing roller-coaster ride."

New York, which last won the division in 2008, will host Atlanta (10-6) next Sunday at 1 p.m. EST. Dallas goes home.

"It's extremely painful and it's a damn shame," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "We have a good team and I thought we would be going to the playoffs, but that didn't happen."

Even without any Tim Tebow heroics, the Denver Broncos won the AFC West.

They did it despite falling 7-3 to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday because San Diego knocked off Oakland 38-26. The Broncos and Raiders tied for the division lead at 8-8, but Denver won on the tiebreaker, better results in common games.

Baltimore (12-4) took the AFC North and a first-round bye as a No. 2 seed when it outlasted Cincinnati 24-16. Even though the Bengals lost, their 9-7 record earned them a wild card in a head-to-head tiebreaker over Tennessee, the only other team with that record in the AFC. The Bengals beat the Titans 24-17 in November.

Pittsburgh (12-4) is the other wild card, but lost both games to the Ravens this year to finish second in the division. The Steelers, who beat Cleveland 13-9, will be at Denver next Sunday at 4:30 p.m. EST.

Cincinnati visits Houston (10-6) at 4:30 p.m. EST Saturday.

"It's kind of weird," Bengals rookie quarterback Andy Dalton said. "Obviously, we didn't get it done today, but we still have a chance."

Tebow's late-game magic helped Denver turn around its season, from 2-5 to the top of a weak division. He struggled mightily as the Broncos lost their last three games, but they are playoff-bound for the first time since 2005.

"It's obviously a little bittersweet right now," Tebow said. "We obviously would have loved to have won that game to have a little momentum going into the playoffs. But I think it's still a special thing what we accomplished ? to come back and win the AFC West is very special."

They did it at the expense of the archrival Raiders.

"It's obviously frustrating when you hear the other outcomes of other games and know what was there to be had just makes it that much worse, that much more difficult," Oakland quarterback Carson Palmer said.

By winning every game in the second half of the season, the Patriots own home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs. By losing their last three games, the New York Jets won't be going to a third straight conference title game.

The Patriots (13-3) earned the right to stay at home throughout the AFC playoffs after a 49-21 victory over Buffalo, which led 21-0. It should be comforting to them, except the Patriots have lost their last two home playoff games, and their last three postseason games overall.

"It depends on how we play," three-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady said. "It's great playing at home. It's great to have a bye. But I think we have to concentrate here this week on what we need to do to play our best football in a couple weeks."

The Jets (8-8) finished a late-season collapse with a 19-17 loss at Miami to fall out of contention. They dropped their final three games after taking control of the AFC's final wild-card spot.

"We played well in spurts this season, but we weren't consistent enough," said quarterback Mark Sanchez, who was among the most inconsistent Jets. "You have to ask yourself the tough questions and clean things up for next season.

"It doesn't feel good now, but we'll come back and be just fine."

San Francisco (13-3) is just fine thanks to a turnaround season. Under first-year coach Jim Harbaugh, the 49ers will be the No. 2 seed in the NFC behind Green Bay (15-1) after a 34-27 win at St. Louis.

"I'll sit back and watch the games. Let the games begin," tight end Vernon Davis said. "My mind is about to go on a whole new phase, that's the way I see it. We've just got to keep growing, keep trucking."

New Orleans (13-3) is seeded third after a 45-17 win over Carolina. The Saints will host Detroit (10-6), which lost at Green Bay 45-41, next Saturday night at 8 p.m. EST.

Atlanta (10-6) defeated Tampa Bay 45-24 and is seeded fifth in the NFC.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120102/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_nfl_playoffs_rdp

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Breast Cancer Survivors Benefit From Meditation | Psych Central News

By Janice Wood Associate News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on January 2, 2012

Breast Cancer Survivors Benefit From Meditation  Up to 50 percent of breast cancer survivors are depressed, according to researchers. But now scientists at the University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing say a meditation technique can help breast cancer survivors improve their emotional and physical well-being.

The researchers, Yaowarat Matchim, a former nursing doctoral student, Jane Armer, professor of nursing, and Bob Stewart, professor emeritus of education and adjunct faculty in nursing, found that breast cancer survivors? health improved after they learned Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), which incorporates meditation, yoga, and physical awareness.

?Post diagnosis, breast cancer patients often feel like they have no control over their lives,? Armer said. ?Knowing that they can control something ? such as meditation ? and that it will improve their health gives them hope that life will be normal again.?

The university?s MBSR program consists of group sessions over eight to 10 weeks. During the sessions, participants practice meditation skills, discuss how their bodies respond to stress, and learn coping techniques. The researchers found that survivors who learned MBSR lowered their blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate. In addition, their moods improved, and their level of mindfulness increased after taking the class, Armer said, noting that for best results, breast cancer survivors should continue MBSR after the class ends to maintain the positive effects.

?Mindfulness-based meditation, ideally, should be practiced every day or at least on a routine schedule,? she said.

She adds the approach works best as a complement to other treatment options, such as chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery.

The study, ?Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on Health Among Breast Cancer Survivors,? was published in the Western Journal of Nursing Research.

Source: University of Missouri


APA Reference
Wood, J. (2012). Breast Cancer Survivors Benefit From Meditation. Psych Central. Retrieved on January 2, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/01/02/breast-cancer-survivors-benefit-from-meditation/33123.html

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Brain and Behavior, Depression, General, Health-related, LifeHelper, Mental Health and Wellness, Research, Stress -->

Source: http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/01/02/breast-cancer-survivors-benefit-from-meditation/33123.html

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Two injured in Menallen Twp. golf cart crash

A Biglerville man is listed in serious condition after the golf cart he was a passenger in crashed Sunday morning in Menallen Township, according to officials.

Pennsylvania State Police say the driver of the golf cart, Mitchell Wilson, 50, of Biglerville, failed to negotiate a curve, hit a dirt embankment and rolled over in the 1400 block of Wenksville Road around 7:45 a.m.

Police said the golf cart, a Pug F480, was removed from the scene before police arrived.

The passenger of the golf cart, Ralph Mowen, 49, also of Biglerville, was taken to Gettysburg Hospital by Wilson and friends. Mowen was then flown to York Hospital. He was listed in serious condition Monday afternoon by the hospital.

Wilson was treated at Gettysburg Hospital. On Monday morning, there was no patient listed by his name at the hospital.

Police said Wilson had consumed alcohol.

Neither Wilson nor Mowen were wearing helmets or seat belts, according to police.

Source: http://www.eveningsun.com/ci_19659724?source=rss_viewed

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Jewish settlers set fire to mosque, defy Netanyahu (Reuters)

JERUSALEM (Reuters) ? People thought to be Jewish settlers set fire to a Palestinian mosque, damaging its interior, in the West Bank on Thursday after Israeli forces tore down structures in a settler outpost built without government approval.

The vandalism appeared to be the latest act of defiance by militant settlers whom Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to rein in after similar attacks on mosques and vandalism at an Israeli military base.

Although Israel continues to expand larger official settlements in occupied territory that Palestinians seek for a state, it has been evacuating smaller, unauthorized outposts, in line with court orders to move against them.

Most countries regard as illegal all settlements Israel has constructed on land captured in a 1967 war. Israel cites historical and biblical links to the West Bank, which it refers to as Judea and Samaria.

In the village of Burqa, near Ramallah, the interior of the local mosque was doused with petrol and set alight. Its carpet, walls, chairs and electrical wiring were damaged.

"Thankfully, the torching occurred shortly before dawn prayers, and the villagers who arrived at the mosque put out the fire," said Mahmoud al-Habash, the Palestinian minister of religious affairs.

The mosque was defaced with Hebrew graffiti that said "war" and "Mitzpe Yitzhar," the name of the outpost where the demolitions had taken place hours earlier.

On Wednesday, radical Jews burnt the exterior of an unused Jerusalem mosque and scrawled "Death to the Arabs" on its walls.

A day earlier, young Jewish settlers rampaged through an army base in the occupied West Bank. The attack sent shock waves through Israel, where many revere the conscript military.

"HATE CRIMES"

Israeli leaders have condemned the settler attacks, saying they attracted hostility in an already volatile Middle East.

"We will not let them ignite a war of bloodshed, a religious war, with our neighbors," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a Tel Aviv convention of his right-wing Likud party.

"We won't let them harm either Jews or Arabs," he said.

The Palestinian Authority described the mosque burnings as "hate crimes" and in a statement called on foreign powers to hold the Israeli government responsible for settler violence.

Attempts to demolish unauthorized outposts have been resisted by radicals who scuffle with troops or carry out night-time sabotage to inflict what they call the "price tag" for "selling out" the settlements.

After consulting with security chiefs, Netanyahu said on Wednesday he would take the rare step of ordering so-called administrative arrests -- detention without trial -- of Israelis suspected of vigilante attacks.

The measure, widely seen as having been sparked mainly by the attack on the army base, has been more commonly used against Palestinians suspected of involvement with militant groups.

Israel has long been accused of failing to arrest or investigate settlers for acts of violence against Palestinians.

Israeli police said they had entered Burqa to investigate the arson attack on the mosque.

(Additional reporting by Dan Williams; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/religion/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111215/wl_nm/us_palestinians_israel_mosque

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When the heat's on, fish can cope

Monday, December 5, 2011

Australian scientists have discovered that some tropical fish have a greater capacity to cope with rising sea temperatures than previously thought ? by adjusting over several generations.

The discovery, by researchers at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University and CSIRO sheds a ray of hope amid the rising concern over the future of coral reefs and their fish under the levels of global warming expected to occur by the end of the 21st century.

Understanding the ability of species to acclimatise to rising temperatures over longer time periods is critical for predicting the biological consequences of global warming - yet it remains one of the least understood aspects of climate science. The scientists were seeking to discover how fish would cope with the elevated sea temperatures expected by 2050 and 2100.

"When we exposed damsel fish to water temperatures 1.5 degrees and 3 degrees above today's, there was a marked decline in their aerobic capacity as we'd expected," explains lead researcher Jennifer Donelson. "This affects their ability to swim fast and avoid predators."

"However when we bred the fish for several generations at higher temperatures, we found that the second generation offspring had almost completely adjusted to the higher temperatures. We were amazed? stunned, even," she says. "It shows that some species can adjust faster than the rate of climate change."

"When one generation of damselfish experiences high temperatures their whole life, the next generation is better able to cope with warmer water. We don't yet fully understand the mechanisms involved, but it doesn't seem to be simple Darwinian selection over a couple of generations," explains team leader Professor Philip Munday.

"Instead, there has been a transmission of information between the generations that enables damselfish to adjust to higher water temperatures."

The two temperatures used in the trial represent likely tropical ocean temperatures at the mid-century and by 2100, based on current trends in carbon dioxide emissions by humanity. A 3 degree increase in tropical ocean temperatures is the temperature predicted to occur if humanity's carbon dioxide emissions continue on their current trajectory.

The unusual finding suggests that some fish may have an innate ability to cope with increased sea temperatures greater than previously thought, the researchers say.

However they caution it applies so far only to a single coral reef fish species, and does not address the more complex issue of the survival of the coral habitat itself, and the effects of warming on plankton in the food chains on which fish depend.

Also, there are likely to be penalties for fish that successfully adapt to higher temperatures, Jennifer Donelson says. Initial observations suggest that the acclimatized offspring are on average smaller than their parents, and we still do not know if they are able to reproduce at the same rate as their predecessors.

Although the experiment has yet to run its full course, the researchers also say they do not expect the fishes' ability to adjust to higher temperatures to continue past 3 degrees.

"At such a level of planetary warming there will be profound changes in Earth's ecosystems, affecting all forms of life, including humans," says Prof. Munday.

However, assuming humans manage to gradually bring global warming under control, it is important to understand how well animals and plants can cope with higher temperatures, in order to manage ecosystems for optimum survival of their species and the services they provide. This research provides an early insight into the adaptive capacity of fish, the team says.

This study reveals that transgenerational acclimation is a potentially important mechanism for coping with rapid climate change. Such acclimation could reduce the impact of warming temperatures and allow some fish populations to persist across their current range, instead of having to move away in search of cooler waters.

###

"Rapid transgenerational acclimation of a tropical reef fish to climate change" by J. M. Donelson, P. L. Munday, M. I. McCormick and C. R. Pitcher, appears in the latest issue of the journal Nature Climate Change.

ARC Centre of Excellence in Coral Reef Studies: http://www.coralcoe.org.au/

Thanks to ARC Centre of Excellence in Coral Reef Studies for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/115716/When_the_heat_s_on__fish_can_cope

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