2012 Doomsday

      Is the world really going to come to an end in 2012?  Is the government preparing to save and protect the elite while leaving the rest of us to defend ourselves?  Why have claims of top secret underground bunkers suddenly emerged in places like the Nevada desert, White House, Yamantau, and below a major metropolitan airport?  What's behind the Mayan Calendar's prophecy that the world will end in 2012?
       To see what's really behind this prophecy, you need to understand the Mayan Calendar.  This calendar is recorded as a carving on the Aztec "sun stone".  Our modern calendar, the Gregorian Calendar, is comprised of days, weeks, months, and years.  The Mayan Calender is much more complex because it consists of three calendars at the same time.  In the religious calendar, it takes 260 days to complete a full religious cycle.  It consists of 20 weeks each made up of 13 days.  Each week has a special name, graphic logo, and unique meaning associated with it.  The solar calendar has 365 days that are divided into 18 months with 20 days in each.  After all months have passed, the five remaining days are considered to be unlucky because they don't belong to a month.  Just as the weeks in the religious calendar, each month has a special name, graphic logo, and something significant about it.  The long count calendar is a linear number of days starting from the first day, "1", and counting through each day to the present.  Any day in history can be recorded through the long count and with some simple math, the corresponding religious week and solar month can also be found.
     Now that we understand the basics of this calendar, how do we know when it will end?  The days in the long count are numbered in an unusual system.  Instead of writing numbers from right to left as we do with each place being a multiple of 10, the Mayans used only 5 places.  The first place recorded a number from 0 to 20.  Left of that, the second number had a range of 0 to 17, the third 0 to 19, the fourth 0 to 19, and the last from 0 to 12.  The numbers were written from right to left, like our system, and separated by a dot.  Instead of multiples of 10, the first place had a 1 like our system, the second place a multiple of 20, the third a multiple of 360, the fourth a multiple of 7200, and the fifth a multiple of 144000.  Therefore, the maximum number that can be recorded is 12.19.19.17.20  This amounts to a long count of 1,872,000 days or 5125.36 years of our modern calculations.  Obviously, a very old calendar.
     Archeologists have found carved monuments recording the long counts for known dates in Mayan history.  Once a date was fixed in time, it was easy to determine "day 1" as August 11, 3114 BC.  Knowing that, we could calculate the date the calendar would end as December 21, 2012.  Why didn't the Mayans calculate a date beyond this point in time?  Using astronomy and astrophysics, we will take a closer look at December 21, 2012.
     The sun plays a key role in the final day of the "long count".  The barycenter is the "center of gravity" of an object.  That means it's the exact center of all matter (mass) that makes up an object.  Regarding the Earth and the sun, both bodies revolve, or spin, around the center of gravity between them (this point is called the barycenter).  Every two objects are "connected" by the gravity pulling them together.  That said, the barycenter between Earth and the sun is almost the very center of the sun.
     The new cycle has already begun but some surprising activity on March 27, 2008 showed huge eruptions near the sun's equator.  There eruptions suggest a barycenter of disturbance from an object more massive than Jupiter.  Could this be the start of the Galaxy's effects on the sun?
       Scientists have realized that when Jupiter and Saturn are aligned on the same side of the sun, the solar maximum (the period with the most sunspots and flares) is at its weakest.  When they're on opposite sides of the sun, the solar maximum is at its strongest.  The positions of the two planets on doomsday are ideal for extreme solar activity because it is the solar maximum of that cycle.  In 2001, the last solar cycle was at its maximum.  Most flares are small but even a small one can be dangerous.  In 1989, a flare hit North America frying electric lines, zapping power grids in the US and Canada, and creating large power blackouts.  They can also effect our moods and physical health.  In theory, a large flare impacting Earth could zap the ionosphere (wrecking cell phones, satellites, GPS...) and irradiate the surface killing every living organism it collided with.
     After an unusually long period of of quiet solar activity, some people at NASA concluded that this cycle would be a very quiet cycle.  They are now taking back their previous claims of a quiet cycle now that the activity has sprung up again agreeing with their earlier predictions that it would be a very violent cycle.
         Our solar system is part of the Milky Way which is a huge disc shaped collection of stars and planets.  We are currently located on the edge but on December 21, 2012, we will begin moving to the bottom of this disc.  On the same day the sun will be at its solar maximum, the ecliptic (the great circle formed by the intersection of of the plane of the earth's orbit with the celestial sphere) of our solar system will intersect with the Galactic plane.  This is something that's never happened in thousands of eons of time.  On December 21, 2012, we will be at the Galactic Equator where the galactic gravity is the strongest.  As if that wasn't enough, we will be intersecting with the Galactic Equator precisely aligned with the center of the galaxy where there is maximum mass meaning more gravity.  More gravity will result in more influence from the barycenter in our sun.  This means exponential increases in solar disruptions all on the same day.  December 21, 2012 will be a special day.  It will have the maximum possible influence of solar flares the universe can provide.  Whether all this activity is enough to doom us all is uncertain.
       Throughout the course of history, many prophets have failed to predict doomsday.  Some gave up after failing while others "recalculated" their claims.  This is obviously a very unreliable way to predict the future.  Every two objects exert a gravitational fore and are aligned with each other.  Many dispute doomsday findings because they say we don't know exactly when it started.  How can we know when it will end if we don't even know when it started?  The claims of underground bunkers throughout the world do not in any way suggest the world is coming to an end.  If in fact the events described above really do take place in such magnitude, I believe an underground bunker would not be an adequate source of refuge.  There really isn't much we can do to brace for impact.  If this phenomenon has startled you, live life to your fullest and count each day as a blessing despite its hardships.  This is one thing we will just have to wait and see about.  I personally do not think the world will come to an end in December 2012.  View the products below for more information on Doomsday.
   
 

Global Warming

         Do you really think the Earth is undergoing abnormal temperature increases?  Do you really think that greenhouse gases emitted from human activities such as fossil fuel burning and deforestation are causing massive changes in our climate?  How harmful do you think the 1 degree Fahrenheit world wide rise in surface temperature over the course of the 20th century could really be?  Is global warming really real or are some people just using the issue to make billions of dollars and increase the government's role in our lives from the cars we drive to the foods we eat?
     Global warming is more than just surface temperatures increasing.  A lot of research into temperature changes in the upper layers of the atmosphere as well as the deep oceans shows warming.  More obvious signs include the retreat of glaciers in Greenland, Alaska, Himalaya, and the Antarctic Peninsula.  Also, the disappearance of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean during summer, melting permafrost in Canada, Alaska, and Siberia, and the rise of sea levels and increases of extreme weather all indicate that global warming and climate change are really happening.
     The cause of global warming can be described through the greenhouse effect.  This means that gases in the atmosphere prevent some sunlight from being reflected back into space.  By keeping sunlight that has been reflected, this causes the Earth  to warm.
     The greenhouse effect isn't a bad thing and is essential for life on Earth.  If the greenhouse effect was non existent, temperatures would swing wildly from 225 degrees Fahrenheit during the day to -243 degrees Fahrenheit at night.  This would not be a good place for life.  The greenhouse effect is only troublesome when it occurs too rapidly and things warm too much which is what is currently happening.  For the last 150 years,  people of industrialized nations have extracted vast amounts of buried fossil fuels and burned them.  Since the start of the Industrial Revolution, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased nearly 30 percent, methane has more than doubled, and the nitrous oxide concentration are up about 15 percent.  These extra greenhouse gases mean increased amounts of solar energy is being trapped in the atmosphere speeding the greenhouse effect and making things warmer.
     But what are the effects of global warming?  Some of the devastating effects of global warming include heat waves, droughts, increased hurricanes, and massive sea-level rise.  The effects which are happening all around us include more intense heat waves that will disproportionately affect the elderly and poor, more severe storms that wreak havoc in our homes and communities, and all kinds of changing cycles in the natural world.  Regarding the economy, global warming is big business.  Some economists say that a warmer climate would benefit some crops and the farming communities.  However, property insurers predict that worsening storms caused by global warming could eventually bankrupt the insurance industry.
     The causes of global warming include carbon dioxide from power plants, cars, trucks, airplanes, buildings, and deforestation.  Methane, another cause of global warming, is emitted from sources including rice paddies, bacteria in bogs, and fossil fuel production.  Most of the world's rice is grown on flooded fields causing the organic matter in the soil to decompose releasing methane into the atmosphere by chemical reactions that involve sunlight.  Nitrous oxide, another source, is commonly known as "laughing gas" and is sometimes used as an anesthetic.  Man-made sources include nylon and nitric acid production, the use of fertilizers in agriculture, cars with catalytic converters, and the burning of organic matter.  Nitrous oxide is broken down in the atmosphere by chemical reactions involving sunlight.
     The good news is it is not too late to act.  One way to stop global warming is the nuclear option.  Nuclear power produces clean energy but at a high risk.  Take the 1986 Chernobyl accident in Ukraine, where serious contamination spread throughout Ukraine and Russia.  Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated and millions were left to live in areas that were dangerous to their health and lives.  Studies show that the full consequences of the Chernobyl disaster could cause up to 250,000 cancer cases with nearly 100,00 that were fatal.  Dangerous situations including uncontrolled reactions have occurred in the last ten years in Japan, the US, UK, Sweden, Bulgaria, and other places.  Recently, the Spanish Asco nuclear plant experienced numerous errors and safety system failures resulting in radioactivity being released.  In my opinion, nuclear power is just not worth the risk.
     Another solution is creating a new power grid.  We could do this by using Super Cables to transport energy in both chemical and electrical form.  Using such system, electricity would travel nearly resistance-free through pipes made of a super conducting material.  Chilled hydrogen in liquid form inside the conductors would keep the temperature near absolute zero.  Transitioning to a Super Grid would take at least a century to complete.  The evolution would incorporate new technologies into every level of the energy infrastructure: generators, transformers, power transmission, and consumption.  This system would greatly increase efficiency, reliability, and our ability to harness electricity from renewable energy.
     Another plan is Greenpeace's Energy Revolution.  This plan demonstrates that phasing out nuclear power and massively reducing carbon dioxide emissions is possible.  The plan comes close to completely phasing out fossil fuels and reducing CO2 emissions by 80 percent by 2050.  It incorporates green technologies including wind energy, solar energy, hydro power, geothermal energy, biomass, and wave-tidal energy.  Click Energy Revolution to view this plan.
     But how can we act on the individual level?  Green Living is the latest trend.  Green living is a lifestyle intended to insure that one's impact on the environment is as minimal as possible.  An easy ways you can make a big difference is by replacing your light bulbs with energy efficient CFLs.  It will save you about $30 dollars over its life time and pay for itself in about six months.  They last about ten times longer and use 75 percent less electricity than an incandescent bulb.  Another way is to reduce the amount you drive by carpooling, using public transit, cycling, and walking.  Also, you can install a low flow shower head.  This will reduce the energy used by the hot water system and reduce your water consumption.  Additionally, you can turn off appliances when you are not using them, shop with a reusable bag, lower the brightness of your computer screen, buy locally grown food, buy alternative energy, and wash your clothes with cold water.
     All this climate change data seems pretty straightforward, so why do some people deny global warming?  Solving global warming will require government action.  Most people don't want any more governmental control in their lives.  The fear that individual freedoms will be infringed on may make some people think it's a governmental hoax.  Some have close ties with the huge fossil fuel industry.  Some people deny it because they passively absorb misinformation from various media outlets or their social groups.
     I think global warming is a serious threat to our well being and survival.  The evidence is clear, the Earth is warming at a pace never before seen.  Global warming has occurred throughout the history of our planet but the rate at which it is occurring is too quick for life to evolve.  As a result, we are undergoing mass extinctions.  Fossil records show that in previous warming cycles, animals didn't become extinct at rates anywhere near what they currently are.  I think that if we are going to prevent catastrophic consequences from occurring, we have to act NOW!  From replacing our grid, to replacing our gas hogging cars with electric and fuel cell powered cars, to using more efficient appliances, to ending our fossil fuel addiction, we must act now before it is too late.  On the individual level, we can go green.  If you don't think a one degree Fahrenheit temperature increase is that much, think about when you have a fever and that one degree is making the difference between your well being and sickness.  The evidence is clear that the Earth is experiencing unprecedented increases in temperature, storm intensity, and glacier melting.  Act now before it is too late. 

• For more information on global warming and climate change, visit my environmental website at www.makeearthabetterplace.org       
• Check out the products below and take action before it is too late.

HAARP

      Think the U.S. Government wouldn't construct a facility that is capable of destroying or disabling enemy spacecraft or disrupt communications world wide?  Some conspiracy theorists claim it can change weather patterns over whole continents, disrupt mental processes (mind control), and manipulate the Earth's upper atmosphere?  If you think the government wouldn't construct such a facility, you might want to think again.
     The High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) is jointly funded by the US Airforce, US Navy, the University of Alaska, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.  It's purpose is to investigate the Ionosphere and establish whether such facility can be used for surveillance or communication purposes.  The facility operates a VHF and UHF radar, a fluxgate magnetometer, a digisonde, an induction magnetometer, as well as the transmitter facilities.
     VHF (Very High Frequency) is the radio frequency range between 30 MHz and 300 MHz.  UHF (Ultra High Frequency) are electromagnetic waves with frequencies ranging from 300 MHz to 3 GHz (3,000 MHz).
     HAARP is located north of Gakona, Alaska.  HAARP's primary instrument is the Ionospheric Research Instrument (IRI).  This is a high frequency transmitter system used to temporarily energize a portion of the Ionosphere.  During active research, the transmitter system generates a signal that is delivered to the antenna, which is transmitted in an upward direction, and gets partially absorbed at an altitude between 43 and 217 miles above the site (depending on the operating frequency).  The signal intensity is tens of thousands of times weaker than the Sun's electromagnetic radiation reaching the Earth.  The small effects are then observed with the scientific instruments installed at the facility.  This information can provide new information about the dynamics of plasmas and the processes of solar-terrestrial interactions.
     There are currently three ionospheric heating facilities in the US.  There are also facilities in Norway and Russia.  Measuring the ionosphere is very difficult.  The air is too thin for balloons to reach but too thick for satellites.  HAARP however is able to perform such experiments.  HAARP research includes:

1. Ionospheric heating
2. Plasma line observations
3. Stimulated electron emission observations
4. The effect of ionospheric disturbances on GPS satellite signal quality
5. Radio observations of meteors
6. Response and recovery of the ionosphere from solar flares and geomagnetic storms 

     A lot of speculation has occurred because of the large role the military has in the project suggesting HAARP might be used as a weapon.  Some people believe that HAARP can alter weather patterns significantly and have linked it to hurricanes (such as Hurricane Katrina), tsunamis, and other weather related incidents.  It is also believed that such high frequency radio waves could have the ability to destroy enemy satellites which would be a form of space warfare.  Regarding the disruption of mental processes, the frequencies that HAARP emits are the same as the ones that mind control instruments emit.  This means the HAARP could control the minds of innocent people without them even knowing it.
     I think that we shouldn't be altering our environment faced with the potential risks and consequences.  The fact that HARP emits signals in the mind control range makes me suspicious of the project.  Why would the military have such a large role in this project  if it was for scientific purposes?  Could this really be altering our weather to the extent that hurricanes, tsunamis, and other weather related incidents occur?  The more scientific knowledge we have, the better off our civilization will be but is this type of research worth the risk?  The consequences of such device could be deadly and I don't think we should be taking any chances.  I don't support this facility at this point and believe much more research is needed on this subject before a conclusion of the safety of such device is formed.  For more information, I recommend geting the book above.
By: Shawn M.