Competition for North Pole

All scientists believe that the temperature of the earth is increasing due to the effect of global warming. There could be an debate regarding the cause and effect of global warming. Most of the scientists and policy makers agree to the point that it is due to human activities, still there is small number who say that there is also dominating natural cause. The bad impact of global warming has been told by in many sectors. It causes the melting of Himalayan snow which provides drinking water to downstream population. And the melted water raise the water level of the sea causing millions of people displaced. Global average temperature is increased by about 0.6C in the 20th Century. Sea levels have risen 10-20cm - thought to be caused mainly by the expansion of warming oceans. If nothing is done to reduce emissions(green house gases), current climate models predict a global temperature increase of 1.4-5.8°C by 2100. Climate change is another bad effect of global warming.

The effect of warming in North pole has been monitored these years very carefully. It has been found that the rate of shrinkage of ice on the north pole-arctic region is faster than that it was expected before. US scientists have confirmed that Arctic sea ice shrank to the smallest to the smallest area on record this year. You can see the shrinkage of ice on the picture below. The red line represents the 30 year average ice in the area.

Due to this faster shrinkage of ice, countries surrounding the arctic region have started to claim that part of the region lies in their territory. There are disputes involving all of the five - the United States, Canada, Russia, Norway and Denmark.
The US and Canada argue over rights in the North West Passage, Norway and Russia over the Barents Sea, Canada and Denmark are competing over a small island off Greenland, the Russian parliament is refusing to ratify an agreement with the US over the Bering Sea and Denmark is seeking to trump everyone by claiming the North Pole itself.
But why? do you know it?

According to US geological society, about one fourth of the worlds oil depository lies in this area and ice is still main barrier to get it. So, they hope that with less ice in the area, they will be able to dig oil wells.Russian explorers have planted their country's flag on the seabed 4,200m (14,000ft) below the North Pole to further Moscow's claims to the Arctic. Danish researchers had set sail for the North Pole to collect geological data last month, on a mission similar to Russia's trip.The month-long Danish expedition will study the Lomonosov Ridge. Russia believes the underwater feature is linked to its territory. Canada has announced plans for six naval patrol vessels and a deep-water port in the north to assert its claim to territorial waters in the Arctic.

And, according to ESA(the European Space Agency), the most direct shipping route from Europe to Asia is fully clear of ice for the first time since records began.

If you want to know much more about this here is a useful link.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6995999.stm

Amazing fight! Lions and buffaloes are fighting

Few lions are sitting on the side of the water(may be river or lake). Looks like they are eagerly waiting for their food. A few number of buffaloes are also going somewhere through the way. When the buffaloes are nearby to the lions they realized that their life are in danger and started run away. But it was too late. Lions are able to catch one young member of buffalo community. It falls into water. Lions try hard to pull their 'nice food' away from water to the land. The young buffalo is still alive. The other buffaloes who escaped from the attack of lions and survived for that time come up with more buffaloes, actually hundreds of them and attack lions. They cry after seeing their young member having very hard time. They finally are able to get rid of the lions.

I liked this video very much because it shows working together is far more better than being alone in this world. It is a lesson for us. There is famous saying in Nepali that " ekle thuki suki, sayele thuki nadi". It means that if there is one drop it dries, and if there are group of drops it makes river.

On the other hand it is nature. Nature balance its diversity if not disturbed by human activity.

Its 08.23 min long video from youtube and have been viewed by 68,318,981.

Enjoy it.

तीज को रहर आयो बरिलै-तीज को लहर गयो बरिलै

आज तीज।
बिहानै दिदि बहिनिले नुहाई धुहाई गरि अस्ति बाले बजारबाट ल्याइदेका नया लुगा लगाउने तरखर गर्दै छन ।पहिले आमाले ब्रत लिन्थिन आजकल त कहिले काहि मात्रै। उता दिदि-बहिनि त जागरनै गर्दैनन। उनिहरुले बुझिसके ब्रत बसेर उनिहरुले केहि पाउदैनन भनेर।कसैले राम्रो श्रीमान पाउला भनेर ब्रत बस्छन।तर उनिहरुले पनि भने जस्तो पाएनन क्यारे।आजकलका केटिहरु ब्रत बस्ने भन्दा पनि रमाइलो गरेर तीज मनाउछन।दिदि र फुपै हिजो आफ्ना घर बाट आएका हुन। उनिहरुका घरमा पनि चेलिबेटि आएका छनरे अनि सबै काम आफ्ना घरकाले-गर्नु पर्छ भनेर गुनगुनाउदै छन।

यसपालि त 'नयागाउ' जानु पर्छ रा-म हेर्न। पोहोर थापाटोल गाको रमाइलोनै भएन के।बहिनि आमालाई फकाउछे।हेर्दा हेर्दै काइला-बन्जातनि उनका लावालस्कर् सहित अैपुगिन।हैन इन्ले कति ढिलो गरेका।बेर भैसक्यो के।चाडै गर-कति नक्कल पार्न परेको हो यि नक्कलिलाइ।बन्जातनि कडकियिन।हेर्दा हेर्दै पारिबाट लामै लस्कर अैसक्यो।नयागाउ जानेहरुको।सबैले राता लुगा लाएका छन।अनि सबैका नया लुगा।तिन्को गन्ध नै भिन्दै छ। नयागाउमा ठुला-ठुला बर र पीपलका रुखमुनि हजारौ महिलाहरु जम्म भयेका छन्- आ-आफ्ना समुहमा।हाम्रा टोल्काले पनि आफ्नो छुट्टै ग्रुप बनएर गाउन र नाच्न सुरु गरे।ुता 'चर्खे' र 'डोरे' पीङ खेल्नेको घुइचो छ। चर्खे पीङमा आफ्ना चेलिबेटि लाई पीङ खेलाउन केटाहरु तल्लिन छन। आफ्नो ग्रुपबाट आर्को ग्रुप्मा जानलाई ठिटीहरु उठे। बुढिहरुको समुहमा रमाइलो भएनरे उनिहरुलाई। होस पनि कसरि। पुरानो पुस्ताको आफ्नै तालका गीत अनि आफ्नै तालका नाच।

हामी पनि हेरौ है त कस्ता कस्ता गीत गाउने रैछन अनि कसरी कम्मर मर्काइ-मर्काइ नाच्ने रैछन। केहि मलाई मन परेका भिडियोहरु।ल त रङगले हेर्नुस।
सबैलाई तीज को शुभकामना!

सबैलाई तीज को शुभकामना!

बहिनीले दिदि सङग भिनाजुको कुरा लाउदै
भाग १

भाग २

ढल्की-ढल्की नाच दिदि बहिनी

मेरो त कम्मर खायो बरिलै-अब लोकतन्त्र आयो बरिलै

मैना मादल ठोक-काठमान्डु वरिपरिको तीज
आधुनिक हुन खोज्ने आफ्ना श्रीमानको बखान सङी हरुसङ गर्दै

दुध र घिउ खानि भा-चट्ट कपाल कोर मैया माइत जानिभा
दुध र घिउ खानि हो-एक्लै बस म त बुडा माइत जानि हो

एुटा ग्रामिण परिवारको आन्तरिक समस्या

My First Year in Corvallis

It was 9/11 last year I entered United States of America. The day was remarkable in the world’s history and in the US because it is remembered as the terrorist attack on the twin tower buildings in New York City in 2001. Just before few days of my departure from Kathmandu, one Plane was hijacked in Europe and air-travel was very tight during that time. While booking my ticket, I did not take into consideration of that date. During my travel I realized the importance of the day.

I came to the USA as PhD student in Chemistry @ Oregon State University. My first year was focused to this goal. During this time, I took 6 courses and 3 seminar courses. I decided to work with Prof Staci and it was very important decision. I filed my graduate program of study with the formation of graduate advisory committee to the graduate school.

In the mean time I have traveled to three neighboring states other than Oregon. They are California, Nevada and Washington. First out of state tour started in last winter. It was 15 days travel to Nevada and California. I visited Reno, Lake Tahoe, and San Francisco. I like to visit different places and meet people. This summer I went to Seattle. Other places I have visited so far in Oregon are Portland, Salem, Eugene, Albany, Mary’s Peak, and Crater Lake. Recently I went to Red Wood national park to spend 3 days Labor Day weekend(Sep 1-3). To know about my Crater Lake, Seattle and Red Wood trip please see previous blogs.

http://giri25.blogspot.com/2007/09/labor-day-weekend-in-red-wood-national.html

http://giri25.blogspot.com/2007/07/crater-lake-with-friends.html

http://giri25.blogspot.com/2007/07/trip-to-seattle.html

Obviously, during this period I miss my family, friends in Kathmandu, though I am contact with my family and to some of friends through telephone and internet. I also miss festivals Dashain, Tihar Teej etc. I used to go to Maurighat-my home town at least in Dashain after I moved to Kathmandu for my higher studies. I liked the specific way women of my town celebrate Teej. Whatever you do in your childhood greatly influences.

At this moment I would like to thank Dr. Kailash Ghimire and family,Suva and other Nepalese in Corvallis for their generous help.

Nepalese community in Corvallis

Labor day Weekend in Red Wood National Park

Redwood national and state parks in US are well known for tall and wide trees. These parks are recognized as both a World Heritage Site and an International Biosphere Reserve. The redwood trees are tallest trees in the world upto 379 feet high and wider- wider to pass your car through them.

A drive through redwood tree. With big drive through door this tree stands tall. We drove through the tree.

Roosevelt elk (Cervus elaphus ssp. roosevelti)

These were once about to extinct but now you can see many of them there. We were lucky during our hiking to redwood hiking trail, we saw a heard of Elks. It was 4 hours hiking. We were having rest and having lunch on the river side. At the same moment, we saw them sitting on the other side of the river. They started to look at us. Elks are like deer but much more bigger.

Our group members looking at the Elks.

It was good time to see sun set from sea beach. Actually that was my first time to be on the sea beach. I really enjoyed the time.

Posing at the time of sun setting.

Water of the ocean was very cold. We stayed on the beach for 2 hours looking at the sea waves and we saw whale and sea lions there.

Poll result

Time to vote on poll has been expired. When I started writing blog, I wanted to know how other people like my blog. I wanted to know their view about the content and layout of the blog. For this I had started a poll with question "How did you like my blog?" There were four options- good, ok, not bad and don't want to comment. Time to vote was 40 days. Withing that period I got 15 votes. 60% voted for good, 33.33% for ok and 6.66% for not bad, and nobody wanted not to comment.This poll has inspired to write blog and continue it.