12Steps

MECHANICAL APPROACH TO THE 12 STEPS

• Step 1: I had an "Old Clunker" parked in the driveway. I had just about given up on it but decided to make a wholehearted attempt to restore it.
• Step 2: I couldn't fix it, but I came to believe someone could.
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• Step 3: I turned the car over to a mechanic.
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• Step 4: I took an inventory of all that was wrong with the "Old Clunker."
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• Step 5: I shared the inventory with the mechanic.
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• Step 6: I helped take off the old parts.
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• Step 7: I let the mechanic handle the rest.
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• Step 8: We made a list of all the parts that were needed and got together and went over them.
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• Step 9: I admitted I hadn't checked the oil and fluids properly, or fixed the other things that were going wrong. It was my responsibility to take care of the car, and I had not. I wanted to help, but being unfamiliar with the process, I allowed the mechanic to fix things. The car turned out beautifully!
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• Step 10: I checked the oil, fluids, tires etc. more regularly, and when I didn't the engine didn't hum...
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• Step 11:1 called on the mechanic whenever there was trouble, asking him to fix the car.
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• Step 12: That mechanic and I had become such close friends that we decided to take a trip across the country, and we stopped to help all that needed it along the way.

Stay connected, I need you,

{hugs}

--

http://leag.webs.com/index.htm

INDIA TREES FOUNDATION

Local Environment Action Group,

a fellowship of tree lovers and volunteers of India Trees Foundation, which is a charitable trust registered in India to spread awareness amongst the public and community the role of trees in our life and the need to protect and planting of trees for environmental restoration, practice of urban forestry and act as a primary communicator of the benefits of trees and forest on our planet earth.

In order to reach out to the public at the grass root level, India Trees Foundation promote, support and encourage volunteers and tree lovers residing in each and every locality of the country to get together and form LOCAL ENVIRONMENT ACTION GROUP in their respective locality/neighborhood and play an active role in spreading the awareness for protecting the trees and environment in their neighborhood and act as the watchdogs and whistle blowers against wanton destruction of trees and/or actions leading to the pollution of neighborhood environment.

Yes, please join and let us together do our mite to save this planet earth from the perils of climate change and global warming!


Volunteers' contact addresses:

1. Mr Ajoy Bose, Director, LEAG OF GOLF GREEN,Tel: 033 2409 7012

email: ajaybose@sify.com

2. Mr Suvra Mukherjee, PRO, LEAG OF GOLF GREEN, Tel 98306 78376

email: suvrasayakmukherjee@gmail.com

3. Ms Pallavi Gogoi, Convenor,LEAG OF GOLF GREEN, Tel:99035 39362

4. Mr Deepak Mitra, Director, LEAG OF KALIGHAT, Tel:033 24643709

email: deeprima@rediffmail.com

5. Mrs Mahua Banerjee, Convener, LEAG OF KALIGHAT, Tel 98311 00860

email: mahuabanerjee@ymail.com

6. Miss Sreemoyee Chakravorty, Convener, LEAG OF BECKBAGAN,Tel:98360 13877



7. Mr Ravi Menon, ex-officio, India Trees Foundation, Tel: 94330 11424 email: trrmenon@yahoo.com

GLOBAL WARMING

http://weblog.greenpeace.org/balticsea2006/index.rdf

http://weblog.greenpeace.org/



It is time to end Global Warming--act now!!! Ask me How?

Climate change is causing the Himalayan source the Ganges, Hinduism's holiest river, to dry up. And because the 1,568-mile river holds deep religious and ritualistic significance to India's 800 million Hindus, its ultimate demise could throw into turmoil the intimate religious traditions of the nation's devotees.

The Gangotri glacier, which provides up to 70 percent of the water of the Ganges during the dry summer months, is shrinking at a rate of 40 yards per year—nearly twice as fast as it was 20 years ago, according to scientists. In March, the World Wildlife Fund listed the Ganges among the world's most endangered rivers.

"This may be the first place on earth where global warming could hurt our very religion. We are becoming an endangered species of Hindus," says a Renowned Environment Specialist.

The Himalayan glaciers that feed directly into the Ganges could vanish by 2030 because of rising temperatures, according to a UN climate report.

The shrinking glaciers also bode ill for Asia's fresh water supply—in India alone, the Ganges provides water for drinking and farming for more than 500 million people. Although the glacier recession produces a short-lived surplus of water, the supply will eventually run out. Experts predict that the Ganges will become a seasonal river largely dependent on monsoon rains.

"There has never been a greater threat for the Ganges," said an dedicated environmental lawyer who did filed lawsuits against corporations dumping toxins into the Ganges, and now redirecting his efforts toward the melting glaciers. "If humans don't change their interference, our very religion, our livelihoods are under threat."
We the sane citizents of India want our government to enforce strict reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions. During last month's Group of Eight conference of the major industrialized nations, however, India joined China and the United States in refusing to support mandatory caps on emissions.
The Sundarbans are among the world’s largest collection of river delta islands. In geological terms they are young and still under formation, cut by an intricate network of streams and tributaries that straddle the border between India and Bangladesh. Ever since the British settled them 150 years ago in pursuit of timber, the mangroves have been steadily depleted — half of the islands have lost their forest cover — and the population has grown.

Today the rising sea and destruction of forests threaten the Sundarbans’ most storied inhabitant, the royal Bengal tiger, which drinks these salty waters and has an appetite for human flesh. Environmental degradation also threatens the unsung human residents: four million people live here on the Indian side of the border alone.
The Gangotri glacier, which provides up to 70 percent of the water of the Ganges during the dry summer months, is shrinking at a rate of 40 yards a year, nearly twice as fast as two decades ago, scientists say.
The immediate effect of glacier recession is a short-lived surplus of water. But eventually the supply runs out, and experts predict that the Ganges eventually will become a seasonal river, largely dependent on monsoon rains.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that global warming, spurred by the buildup of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere, could raise the ocean’s surface as much as 23 inches by 2100. "According to the panel’s latest report, released in early April, the ecology and people of this river delta system are among the most vulnerable in the world".Even as India prospers, the Sundarbans have been left with little to no protection, and certainly none of the measures that wealthy low-lying countries like the Netherlands have undertaken to deal with the ravages of the sea.
Every year at least two cyclones pound the islands; scientists say the storms have grown increasingly intense, though less frequent. The mud embankments built over the years around these young, fragile islands are too feeble to keep away the tide. One storm, and one breach, can destroy a lifetime’s labor on the land.

The government should realize that climate change will hurt not just communities, but also businesses and even the Ganga itself, our most sacred river. When the Ganga River is threatened, Indians will have to wake up the government to this crisis. So ACT NOW.
Mail me at sayak50@yahoo.co.uk to know how you can help.

Help is here

Managing Your Boss

Q. How do you manage the prototypical "difficult boss?"

A. Successfully managing a difficult boss is a challenge but often feasible. First, you should try to understand the reasons for your bossí difficult behavior. Assuming your boss generally behaves in a fairly reasonable manner, and that his/her difficult behavior seems to be a result of stress overload rather than his/her character, chances are good that the behavior can be modified. If your bossí behavior seems to reflect a chronically hostile, abusive style of interacting regardless of the amount of stress in the worksite, the chances are less positive that the behavior can change. In fact, you may want to consider seeking counsel from a trusted mentor or human resources professional to evaluate your options.

Second, you have to manage your own negative emotions regarding his/her behavior so that you do not engage in self-defeating behavior (e.g. stonewalling, or counter-attacking your boss).

Third, once you understand and have managed your own negative reactions, you may work to communicate your issues/concerns -- but framed in a helpful positive manner -- creating an atmosphere for problem resolution.

Q. If you feel you've been criticized unfairly by your boss, what's the best way to confront the boss with your concerns?

A. You should discuss your concerns -- not confront your boss. There is a difference. You need to carry out the discussion of your concerns in a non-adversarial way. Like a marriage, you should try to handle your complaints in a manner that does not do further damage to your relationship.

Q. What's the best way to respond to criticism from your boss?

A. Try to see the criticism as valuable information about how to do better, not as a personal attack. Try to separate your personal ego from your business persona. Try hard to control your impulses to react emotionally or defensively. Try to see the criticism as an opportunity to work together with your boss on a development plan. See yourself as a partner with your boss on this plan, rather than on seeing yourself as a victim of a power struggle.

Q. What's the current trend of job stress? Is there more or less?

A. The downsizing and reorganization of corporate America in the last 10-15 years has set off unmistakable pressures and stresses. There is a very real and persistent fear of loss of employment and job insecurity in the majority of employees. The impact of job loss on individuals and families has been enormous. According to the New York Times, more than 43 million jobs have been lost in the U.S. since 1979.

Q. How can empowering employees help lessen stress agents in the workplace?

A.When employees feel less like "victims of circumstances out of their control," they feel more empowered. Employees who are given candid timely and consistent communications from management about the status of their careers, as well as more responsibility to directly manage their careers and their work relationships, they tend to be less anxious and more highly motivated. Although few employees believe that job security is a guarantee anymore, employees who are empowered with ore information and responsibility over their future, tend as a whole, to cope more effectively -- because they feel less powerless.

Q. Sometimes employees are hesitant to speak to their boss about criticism. Is there a way to overcome that fear or retribution?

A. The chances that your fear of retribution will turn into reality will be significantly reduced to the degree that you can discuss criticism with your boss in a reasonable non-emotional, non-defensive manner. You can avoid setting up your boss to be angry at you and therefore risk retribution by careful planning and diplomatic communication.

Q. What's the best way to deal with stress in the workplace?

A. Stress is always in the eye of the beholder. What may cause one employee stress in the workplace, may not even cause a ripple of concern to another. The key to dealing with stress is knowing the specific stresses on the work environment that you are particularly sensitive to and the warning signs in your own body and mind that signal stress overload. Once you have identified your vulnerability, you can create on-going stress management strategies to cope with the issues.

If you feel unable to manage this process yourself, or feel overwhelmed, it may be a good idea to consult an objective professional, such as a psychologist. Your collaboration with a professional may go a long way in making you feel more empowered to manage the stresses.

Thanks to Marilyn Puder-York, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in New York who specializes in workplace stress issues

As you read God is Blessing You

Today

Be sure to read up to the end!!!

Dear God...
I know you're watching over me
And I'm feeling truly blest
For no matter what I pray for
You always know what's best!

I have this circle of E-mail friends,
Who mean a lot to me;
Some days I "send" and "send,"
At other times, I let them be.




I am so blessed to have these friends,
With whom I've grown so close;
So this little poem I dedicate to them,
Because to me they are the "Most"!

When I see each name download,
And view the message they've sent;
I know they've thought of me that day,
And "well wishes" were their intent.

So to you, my friends, I would like to say,
Thank you for being a part;
Of all my daily contacts,
This comes right from my heart.

God bless you all is my prayer today,
I'm honored to call you "friend";
I pray God will keep you safe,
Until we write again.
~~~~~~~~~~~
I LOVE THIS.

Have you ever been just sitting there and all of a sudden you feel like doing something nice for someone you care for? THAT'S GOD talking to you through the Holy Spirit.

Have you ever been down and out and nobody seems to be around for you to talk to? THAT'S GOD wanting you to talk to Him.


Have you ever been thinking about somebody that you haven't seen in a long time and then next thing you know you see them or receive a phone call from them? THAT'S GOD. There is no such thing as coincidence.


Have you ever received something wonderful that you didn't even ask for, like money in the mail, a debt that had mysteriously been cleared, or a coupon to a department store where you had just seen something you needed, but couldn't afford? THAT'S GOD knowing the desires of your heart.


Have you ever been in a situation and you had no clue how it was going to get better, how the hurting would stop, how the pain would ease, but now you look back on it. . THAT'S GOD passing us through tribulation to see a brighter day.

Do you think that this e-mail was accidentally sent to you?
NO! I was thinking of you! !

Save Energy--Tips

Help me fight climate change The swaying palms, the gentle surf lapping upon the sandA gentle breeze so keen to please slowly gusts across our land Our island home is all we have known as centuries rolled byOur island people stood alone on reefs so barren and dry.But as years go by we wonder why the shoreline is not the sameThe things we knew as always true somehow do not remain The breakers break on higher ground - the outer palms are falling downThe taro pits begin to die and the village elders wonder why.For what is happening to the beautiful isles we know?Tuvalu, Kiribati and Tokelau - the Marshall isles, that place of smiles The rising sea will reclaim our ground - nothing but water will aboundOur people forced to leave for higher ground.Look Around now and Help me fight climate change. Wanna make a difference? Mail me and ask How?

ElectricityElectricity consumption in households differs immensely throughout the world. Even within the OECD (industrialised countries), an average European household consumes 4,667 kWh, whereas a household in the US consumes 11,209 kWh and in Japan 5,945kWh per year . A US household uses three times more electricity for lighting, and twice as much in refrigerators than in the EU. This does not necessarily reflect a difference in comfort. As we will explain, there are high efficiency appliances that consume two to 10 times less electricity for an equal functionality, and that are most often also of higher quality. Using only highly efficient and money saving appliances can reduce the electricity consumption of an average household to as low as 1,300 kWh/y, without any loss of comfort. This is almost 10 times less than the US average.

1. Use efficient lightingReplace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents (CFLs). Compact fluorescents use four times less energy, and last eight times longer (8,000h instead of 1,000h) than incandescent light bulbs. For example, a typical 75W incandescent bulb will be replaced by an 18W compact fluorescent. The compact fluorescent will be more expensive to buy, but you will need to replace it eight times less often and it will use less electricity, which often makes it the biggest electricity saver in your house. At a minimum, we recommend replacing the bulbs in all lamps that are used for 30min/day or more.Fluorescent tubes are even more efficient than compact fluorescent lamps, and last even longer (10,000-20,000h). Only use tubes with a modern ballast starter that avoids flickering and lights immediately - good ones add another 20 percent efficiency. Another option is a CFL with a dedicated fixture. The electronic ballast which is part of the fixture lasts 40,000 hours and bulbs can be replaced separately at lower cost. Both CFLs and fluorescent tubes are available in a dimmable fixtures. This can increase comfort, save even more energy and extend the lifetime of the bulb.Especially avoid halogen floor lamps, which typically have a power of 300W or more, produce lots of heat and are actually so hot (some 500° Celsius) that they can cause serious burns and start fires. Besides, on hot summer days they are very uncomfortable to be around. A CFL floor lamp only uses 50-80W at 40° Celsius. They can save loads of energy and even your life.Also pay attention to the light fixtures. Clever use of reflectors, and directional lamps to get the light where you need it can save you another 50 percent energy cost and improve your comfort! Well thought out use of efficient lights can thus reduce electricity needs up to 8 times.CFLs at the end of their operating life should be disposed of properly so the mercury inside can be recycled. To be clear, even if not recycled, CFLs are still the better choice, since the inefficiency of incandescent and halogen lights causes far greater environmental damage - including mercury emissions from coal fired power plants. (But please do recycle the CFLs.)Also, conversion to efficient lighting often leads to an increase in the use of light. To some degree, this can be a positive effect, as it can increase comfort and your well-being. But it can also lead to wasting light, such as leaving lamps on when there is no need to (e.g. when you leave the room). This is reinforced by the misconception that turning CLFs on and off is expensive. As a general rule, always turn off the lights when you leave the room or the house.

Save the Planet

For too long, marine life has been largely open for the taking by anyone possessing the means to exploit it. Rapid advances in technology have meant that the ability, reach and power of vessels and equipment used to exploit marine life now far outweigh nature's ability to maintain it. If left unchecked, this will have far reaching consequences for the marine environment and for people who depend on it.

The key threats facing our oceans include:

Industrial fishingGiant ships, using state-of-the-art equipment, can pinpoint schools of fish quickly and accurately. These industrial fishing fleets have exceeded the ocean's ecological limits. As larger fish are wiped out, the next smaller fish species are targeted and so on. (Canadian Fisheries expert Dr Daniel Pauly warns that if this continues our children will be eating jellyfish.)

BycatchModern fishing practices are incredibly wasteful. Every year, fishing nets kill up to 300,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises globally. Entanglement is the greatest threat to the survival of many species. Moreover, some fishing practices destroy habitat as well as inhabitants. Bottom trawling, for example, destroys entire ancient deep-sea coral forests and other delicate ecosystems. In some areas it is the equivalent of ploughing a field several times a year.

Unfair fisheriesAs traditional fishing grounds in the north have collapsed, fishing capacity has increasingly turned to Africa and the Pacific. Pirates that ignore regulations and effectively steal fish are denying some of the poorest regions of the world much needed food security and income, and those fleets fishing legally are only giving a small percentage of the profit to African or Pacific States

The ocean and its inhabitants will be irreversibly affected by the impacts of global warming and climate change. Scientists say that global warming, by increasing sea water temperatures, will raise sea levels and change ocean currents. The effects are already beginning to be felt. Whole species of marine animals and fish are at risk due to the temperature rise - they simply cannot survive in the changed conditions. For example, increased water temperatures are thought to be responsible for large areas of corals turning white and dying (bleaching).

Defending our oceansFundamental changes need to be made in the way our oceans are managed. This means that we must act to make sure that human activities are sustainable, in other words that they meet human needs of current and future generations without causing harm to the environment. Accordingly, governments must set aside 40 percent of our oceans as marine reserves. Marine reserves can be defined as areas of the ocean in which the exploitation of all living resources is prevented, together with the exploitation of non-living resources such as sand and gravel and other minerals.