AIRING: Romney is spending roughly $1.3 million to run the ad in Iowa, North Carolina, Virginia and Ohio
KEY IMAGES: Romney does not speak in the ad, which shows video and still photos of him speaking to voters, along with separate images of construction equipment and workers in hard hats, underscoring the campaign's focus on the economy.
SCRIPT: Backed by upbeat music, a male narrator says that Romney would, on "Day One," approve the Keystone XL pipeline to create "thousands of jobs," introduce tax cuts and "begin replacing" President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, which the narrator calls Obamacare. "That's what a Romney presidency would look like," the narrator concludes.
ANALYSIS: In his first television advertisement of the general election, Romney is reinforcing his focus on the economy while attacking two of Obama's more polarizing policies in a nod to skeptical conservatives ? along with some independents ? in battleground states. The campaign also produced a Spanish version of the ad, acknowledging the growing political influence of the nation's Hispanics.
The positive tone is a stark contrast to the latest ad from Obama's re-election campaign, which attacks Romney's business career. The tone is not a surprise, however, for a Republican candidate who is still unknown by large swaths of the electorate. Romney is trying to brighten his image before Obama can define him in a less flattering way.
But Romney's ad oversimplifies complicated issues and exaggerates his potential influence as president. He's outlining plans he can't accomplish on his first day in office without significant cooperation from parties beyond his control.
The narrator promises Romney would issue an order "to begin replacing Obamacare" on his first day in office. While he sometimes gets big cheers on the campaign trail by promising to repeal the law, Romney knows he cannot do away with Obama's landmark health care bill on his own. His use of the word, "begin" gives him some wiggle room but also hedges the "day one" theme.
Romney has outlined plans to issue an executive order allowing individual states to opt out of the federal legislation. While his authority to do so is unclear, it is clear that a full repeal of the law promises to be as much a slog as was its creation. With the help of Congress, Romney could try to strip the law's funding. But congressional cooperation would depend on the balance of power on Capitol Hill next year.
Full repeal of the law would be an even steeper climb. It would require a larger Republican congressional majority to move forward and to clinch 60 votes in the Senate ? all this as the law increasingly takes root in the nation's medical and insurance system.
But Romney's decision to address health care in his premier ad speaks directly to skeptical conservatives who refused to support the former Massachusetts governor during the bitter GOP primary. Their reluctance was due, in part, to Romney's support as governor for a Massachusetts bill that contains the same individual mandate to buy insurance as Obama's bill.
Romney addresses another red-meat issue in going after the Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry oil from tar sands in western Canada to refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast. Obama blocked the pipeline earlier this year amid questions over its route through environmentally sensitive land in Nebraska.
Obama's decision drew fire from Republicans and industry groups who say it delays creation of thousands of jobs and hampers new oil production that could help reduce dependence on oil from the Middle East.
Romney's statement that he would approve the pipeline on day one is missing some caveats.
For one, it is possible that the project may already be approved before the next presidential term begins in January. If Romney were to be elected and inherit the issue, the need for environmental reviews would still exist, and they may not be completed immediately. The pipeline also is subject to review by Nebraska, whose officials have said their evaluation of a new route will take six to nine months.
Finally, Romney's promise to introduce tax cuts that "reward job creators" oversimplifies a plan that could have huge ramifications for the nation's taxpayers. Tax cuts would add to the federal deficit, which Romney has vowed to shrink. He says any tax cuts would be paid for by closing certain deductions and loopholes but has refused to provide any details on plans that may ultimately affect popular deductions like those on mortgage interest.
___
Associated Press writer Matthew Daly contributed to this report.
[ [ [['A picture is worth a thousand words', 5]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/why-facebook-bought-instagram-4-theories-160400376.html', '[Related: Why Facebook bought Instagram: 4 theories]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 9]], 'http://contributor.yahoo.com/join/yahoonews_virginiabeach', '[Did you witness the jet crash? Share your story with Yahoo! News]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Dick Clark', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/dick-clark-dies-at-82-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/c/21/c217c61aa2d5872244c08caa13c16ec5.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'Reuters', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['Titanic', 7]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/titanic-anniversary/', ' ', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/b/4e/b4e5ad9f00b5dfeeec2226d53e173569.jpeg', '550', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]
[ [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]
Smartphones a big help to visually impairedPublic release date: 16-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jim ritter jritter@lumc.edu 708-216-2445 Loyola University Health System
But many doctors are not recommending them to patients
MAYWOOD, Ill. -- iPhones and other smartphones can be a huge help to the visually impaired, but few vision doctors are recommending them to patients, according to a study co-authored by a Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine ophthalmologist.
Researchers surveyed 46 low-vision adults from the Chicago Lighthouse and the Spectrios Institute for Low Vision in Wheaton, Ill. Participants' best-corrected vision ranged from 20/70 to complete blindness.
Researchers found that only 15 percent of patients reported that a vision doctor had recommended smartphones for the devices' accessibility features.
Eleven of the 46 patients (24 percent) used smartphones. Their average age was 36. Thirty patients (65 percent) used basic cell phones; their average age was 67. Five patients (11 percent) did not own any cell phones.
"Young, visually impaired patients are getting ahead of their doctors," said Loyola ophthalmologist Dr. Walter M. Jay, senior author of the study, which was presented at the 2012 ARVO Annual Meeting. "Low-vision specialists should be getting out in front on this, rather than being behind the curve."
Jay said these are among the accessibility features that smartphones offer to the visually impaired:
Font sizes can be increased to as large as 56 pt., enabling users with very poor vision to text and email.
The screen can be brightened considerably.
GPS and voice features help the visually impaired to navigate.
"Smartphones can dramatically improve the quality of life of people with poor vision," Jay said.
###
Jay is the John M. Krasa, MD Professor of Ophthalmology in the Department of Ophthalmology of Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.
Co-authors of the study are Raman Bhakhri, OD, (first author), Robert Chun, OD and John Coalter, OD.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Smartphones a big help to visually impairedPublic release date: 16-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jim ritter jritter@lumc.edu 708-216-2445 Loyola University Health System
But many doctors are not recommending them to patients
MAYWOOD, Ill. -- iPhones and other smartphones can be a huge help to the visually impaired, but few vision doctors are recommending them to patients, according to a study co-authored by a Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine ophthalmologist.
Researchers surveyed 46 low-vision adults from the Chicago Lighthouse and the Spectrios Institute for Low Vision in Wheaton, Ill. Participants' best-corrected vision ranged from 20/70 to complete blindness.
Researchers found that only 15 percent of patients reported that a vision doctor had recommended smartphones for the devices' accessibility features.
Eleven of the 46 patients (24 percent) used smartphones. Their average age was 36. Thirty patients (65 percent) used basic cell phones; their average age was 67. Five patients (11 percent) did not own any cell phones.
"Young, visually impaired patients are getting ahead of their doctors," said Loyola ophthalmologist Dr. Walter M. Jay, senior author of the study, which was presented at the 2012 ARVO Annual Meeting. "Low-vision specialists should be getting out in front on this, rather than being behind the curve."
Jay said these are among the accessibility features that smartphones offer to the visually impaired:
Font sizes can be increased to as large as 56 pt., enabling users with very poor vision to text and email.
The screen can be brightened considerably.
GPS and voice features help the visually impaired to navigate.
"Smartphones can dramatically improve the quality of life of people with poor vision," Jay said.
###
Jay is the John M. Krasa, MD Professor of Ophthalmology in the Department of Ophthalmology of Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.
Co-authors of the study are Raman Bhakhri, OD, (first author), Robert Chun, OD and John Coalter, OD.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Not all of us want to be locked into a long term contract with a wireless carrier. Especially when it comes to data-only devices that might not get used on a regular basis. For those that want to grab a 4G dongle or a mobile hotspot and go, without the need sign their life over, T-Mobile is launching four new pre-paid data options. The 4G passes start at $15 for 300MB over the course of a week, all the way up to 5GB for $50 over the course of a month. The plans are available on the Sonic 4G and plain ol' T-Mobile 4G mobile hotspots as well as the Rocket 3.0 laptop stick, but tablet users can also hop on the bandwagon. The Galaxy Tab 10.1, 7,0 Plus and SpringBoard are all eligible for the No Annual Contract mobile broadband passes. You can start topping off your megabytes instead of your minutes on May 20th. For more details check out the PR after the break.
LONDON (Reuters) - Bank of England Governor Mervyn King left the door open for more support for the struggling economy on Wednesday despite higher inflation in the near term as the escalating dangers from the euro zone debt crisis pose risks to a gradual recovery.
The central bank took a gloomier view of growth ahead, though it surprised observes by lowering its medium-term inflation prediction - a sign that while more stimulus is not immediately on the cards it could come if conditions worsen.
The economy has not fully recovered from its 2008-2009 slump that left many Britons poorer. But the central bank opted to halt the money printing press last week although the economy slipped back into recession earlier this year.
"We don't know when the storm clouds will move away. But there are good reasons to believe that growth will recover and inflation will fall back," he told a news conference, presenting the bank's latest forecasts.
But King warned against the long and treacherous road ahead.
"We have been through a big global financial crisis, the biggest downturn in world output since the 1930s, the biggest banking crisis in this country's history, the biggest fiscal deficit in our peacetime history and our biggest trading partner, the euro area, is tearing itself apart without any obvious solution," he said.
"The idea that we could reasonably hope to sail serenely through this with growth close to the long-run average and inflation at 2 percent strikes me as wholly unrealistic. We're bound to be buffeted by this and affected by it."
AUSTERITY
The lack of growth in Britain has led to criticism of the Bank and Britain's Conservative-led government, part-way through a five-year austerity programme which it is finding harder to defend as growth in Britain and the euro zone falters.
Most economists think that the central bank will be reluctant to engage in another round of asset purchases with newly created money, known as quantitative easing, after buying a total of 325 billion pounds in gilts, as inflation has proven stickier than so far forecast.
But King said more stimulus remained an option, and analysts took the unexpectedly low two-year inflation forecast as a sign that the policymakers had room to do more if needed.
"That back door to more QE is still firmly wedged open," Investec analyst Victoria Cadman said.
Sterling fell to a fresh four-week low against the dollar and a session low against the euro, while gilt futures reversed losses after the quarterly inflation report gave a weaker growth outlook.
Britain's economy shrank again in the first quarter and the central bank indicated that an extra day off for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee would hit growth in the second quarter.
Business surveys have painted a more positive picture of the economy and, in another sign of some underlying resilience, the number of Britons out of work fell at the fastest pace in nearly a year in the three months to March.
Like in previous Inflation Reports since the crisis, the central bank had to revise up its near-term inflation forecast and cut its growth outlook.
Inflation was now likely to remain above the 2 percent target for the next year or so, it said. In two years' time, inflation is forecast to be around 1.6 percent, compared to 1.8 percent in the Bank's February forecast.
At this point, annual growth will have recovered to around 2.7 percent, about 0.3 percentage points lower than previously forecast. As well as high inflation, there will also be headwinds to growth from tight credit and public spending cuts, the Bank said.
(Additional reporting by Peter Griffiths, Michelle Martin, Olesya Dmitracova and Yeganeh Torbati; writing by Sven Egenter. Editing by Jeremy Gaunt.)
The monthly bills can be really overwhelming when you are going through a tough financial period. This is the time when many people try to consolidate debt in order to reduce the monthly payments. The only way to do it is to borrow money against your car and home in order to cover other existing debts or loans. This allows you to reduce the number of creditors and simplify the management of your bank account. Moreover, you could get better loan conditions with a smaller interest rate.botox cost seattle?
The decision to consolidate debt should not be taken lightly even if the prospects of paying other loans or cumbersome bills seems tempting. Consolidation should be carefully analyzed in order to make a good financial decision. Here are a few suggestions to think about under such circumstances:radiesse in Seattle
Negotiate with the lender to get lower interest rates.
When you borrow against the house or the car, you have to make sure that you can afford the payment.
Evaluate all the options. Besides official lenders, you can also borrow ?money against the life insurance policy or the retirement plan.
Debt elimination services often hide scams which is why you should choose your consolidation carefully.
Do not try to consolidate debt unless your credit score is at least decent.
Do not try to consolidate debt before talking to your lenders to check whether you can get lower rates.
Can you pay back the money you lend?
If you have a house to use as a collateral, you have higher chances to consolidate debt in optimal conditions. You can also benefit from tax deduction that results from home equity home interest. Even so, borrowing against the asset is not a decision to jump into lightly. The risk here is to lose the house you live in.juvederm in Seattle
When you consolidate debt, you actually extend the life of your loans. When you want to make the payments sooner, you will have to pay an extra sum every month. You jeopardize the financial security when you stretch out the payments for too long.
Only a reliable consultant will be able to provide professional financial assistance for your situation. Do not borrow against the home before going through this stage. Be fully aware of your debt consolidation implications, before taking such a course of action.
[ [ [['A picture is worth a thousand words', 5]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/why-facebook-bought-instagram-4-theories-160400376.html', '[Related: Why Facebook bought Instagram: 4 theories]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 9]], 'http://contributor.yahoo.com/join/yahoonews_virginiabeach', '[Did you witness the jet crash? Share your story with Yahoo! News]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Dick Clark', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/dick-clark-dies-at-82-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/c/21/c217c61aa2d5872244c08caa13c16ec5.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'Reuters', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['Titanic', 7]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/titanic-anniversary/', ' ', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/b/4e/b4e5ad9f00b5dfeeec2226d53e173569.jpeg', '550', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]
[ [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]
The government's star witness, strength and conditioning coach Brian McNamee told a jury today that he personally injected Roger Clemens with steroids. Clemens is charged with lying to Congress about whether he used the performance enhancing drug. NBC's Pete Williams reports.
USGS details effects of climate change on water availability in 14 local basins nationwidePublic release date: 16-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Kara Capelli kcapelli@usgs.gov 571-420-9408 United States Geological Survey
Climate change projections indicate a steady increase in temperature progressing through the 21st century, generally resulting in snowpack reductions, changes to the timing of snowmelt, altered streamflows, and reductions in soil moisture, all of which could affect water management, agriculture, recreation, hazard mitigation, and ecosystems across the nation. Despite some widespread similarities in climate change trends, climate change will affect specific water basins in the U.S. differently, based on the particular hydrologic and geologic conditions in that area.
New USGS modeling studies project changes in water availability due to climate change at the local level. So far, the USGS has applied these models to fourteen basins, including:
Sprague River Basin, Oregon
Sagehen Creek Basin, California
Feather River Basin, California
Naches River Basin, Washington
Yampa River Basin, Colorado
East River Basin, Colorado
Black Earth Creek Basin, Wisconsin
Flint River Basin, Georgia
Pomperaug River Watershed, Connecticut
Clear Creek Basin, Iowa
Cathance Stream Basin, Maine
Trout Lake Basin, Wisconsin
Starkweather Coulee Basin, North Dakota
South Fork of the Flathead River, Montana
"The advantage of these studies is that they demonstrate that there is not just one hydrological response to climate change: the predictions account for essential local factors that will govern the timing, severity, and type of impact, whether it be water shortage, drought, or flood," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "This is exactly the sort of information communities need to know now, because we are unlikely to see a 'water-as-usual' future."
These local projections are based on General Circulation Models (GCM) that predict how climate change will affect temperature, precipitation, and emissions for large regional areas. The USGS's Precipitation Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) applies information from the downscaled GCM projections to local watersheds, where impacts of climate change on water availability will depend on local conditions. These local-scale hydrologic projections will allow managers to plan for changes in water resources that are specific to their area.
For example, the USGS models project that changes to snow pack in the Sprague River Basin in Oregon could cause annual peak streamflows to occur earlier in the spring as overall basin storage decreases, which may force managers to modify storage operation and reprioritize water deliveries for environmental and human needs. Reduced snowpack in headwaters of the Colorado River could affect the amount and timing of streamflow to the Colorado River and also impact important recreation areas. Portions of Maine may see higher streamflows which could affect populations of endangered Atlantic salmon. Areas of the already drought-stressed Flint River Basin, one of Atlanta's primary drinking water supplies, are projected to become even drier.
The results for each basin present a complex story due to uncertainty associated with the future climate projections and their effect on the hydrological response of the different geographical regions of the nation.
Detailed information about watershed responses to climate change can be found at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2011/5077/. Additionally, a collection of USGS studies that contributed to these basin-wide analyses was published in the journal Earth Interactions and can be found at http://journals.ametsoc.org/page/Watershed.
The downscaled GCM models are obtained from the World Climate Research Programme's Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 3 multi-model dataset archive. The USGS PRMS models were developed as part of the USGS National Research Program (NRP) in cooperation with USGS Water Science Centers. The NRP develops new information, theories, and techniques to anticipate, understand, and solve problems facing resources managers and is a national leader in understanding the effects of climate change on water resources.
These USGS models are just one of several tools developed and used by agencies within the Department of the Interior to study potential impacts from climate change and to provide tools to resource managers to adapt to those changes. For example, the Bureau of Reclamation recently unveiled a user-friendly tool for calculating future streamflow and water supplies at 195 sites in the western United States to help increase accessibility of science-based information and ease understanding of how climate variations will impact water availability for local communities.
###
USGS provides science for a changing world. Visit USGS.gov, and follow us on Twitter @USGS and our other social media channels.
Subscribe to our news releases via e-mail, RSS or Twitter.
Links and contacts within this release are valid at the time of publication.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
USGS details effects of climate change on water availability in 14 local basins nationwidePublic release date: 16-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Kara Capelli kcapelli@usgs.gov 571-420-9408 United States Geological Survey
Climate change projections indicate a steady increase in temperature progressing through the 21st century, generally resulting in snowpack reductions, changes to the timing of snowmelt, altered streamflows, and reductions in soil moisture, all of which could affect water management, agriculture, recreation, hazard mitigation, and ecosystems across the nation. Despite some widespread similarities in climate change trends, climate change will affect specific water basins in the U.S. differently, based on the particular hydrologic and geologic conditions in that area.
New USGS modeling studies project changes in water availability due to climate change at the local level. So far, the USGS has applied these models to fourteen basins, including:
Sprague River Basin, Oregon
Sagehen Creek Basin, California
Feather River Basin, California
Naches River Basin, Washington
Yampa River Basin, Colorado
East River Basin, Colorado
Black Earth Creek Basin, Wisconsin
Flint River Basin, Georgia
Pomperaug River Watershed, Connecticut
Clear Creek Basin, Iowa
Cathance Stream Basin, Maine
Trout Lake Basin, Wisconsin
Starkweather Coulee Basin, North Dakota
South Fork of the Flathead River, Montana
"The advantage of these studies is that they demonstrate that there is not just one hydrological response to climate change: the predictions account for essential local factors that will govern the timing, severity, and type of impact, whether it be water shortage, drought, or flood," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "This is exactly the sort of information communities need to know now, because we are unlikely to see a 'water-as-usual' future."
These local projections are based on General Circulation Models (GCM) that predict how climate change will affect temperature, precipitation, and emissions for large regional areas. The USGS's Precipitation Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) applies information from the downscaled GCM projections to local watersheds, where impacts of climate change on water availability will depend on local conditions. These local-scale hydrologic projections will allow managers to plan for changes in water resources that are specific to their area.
For example, the USGS models project that changes to snow pack in the Sprague River Basin in Oregon could cause annual peak streamflows to occur earlier in the spring as overall basin storage decreases, which may force managers to modify storage operation and reprioritize water deliveries for environmental and human needs. Reduced snowpack in headwaters of the Colorado River could affect the amount and timing of streamflow to the Colorado River and also impact important recreation areas. Portions of Maine may see higher streamflows which could affect populations of endangered Atlantic salmon. Areas of the already drought-stressed Flint River Basin, one of Atlanta's primary drinking water supplies, are projected to become even drier.
The results for each basin present a complex story due to uncertainty associated with the future climate projections and their effect on the hydrological response of the different geographical regions of the nation.
Detailed information about watershed responses to climate change can be found at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2011/5077/. Additionally, a collection of USGS studies that contributed to these basin-wide analyses was published in the journal Earth Interactions and can be found at http://journals.ametsoc.org/page/Watershed.
The downscaled GCM models are obtained from the World Climate Research Programme's Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 3 multi-model dataset archive. The USGS PRMS models were developed as part of the USGS National Research Program (NRP) in cooperation with USGS Water Science Centers. The NRP develops new information, theories, and techniques to anticipate, understand, and solve problems facing resources managers and is a national leader in understanding the effects of climate change on water resources.
These USGS models are just one of several tools developed and used by agencies within the Department of the Interior to study potential impacts from climate change and to provide tools to resource managers to adapt to those changes. For example, the Bureau of Reclamation recently unveiled a user-friendly tool for calculating future streamflow and water supplies at 195 sites in the western United States to help increase accessibility of science-based information and ease understanding of how climate variations will impact water availability for local communities.
###
USGS provides science for a changing world. Visit USGS.gov, and follow us on Twitter @USGS and our other social media channels.
Subscribe to our news releases via e-mail, RSS or Twitter.
Links and contacts within this release are valid at the time of publication.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Residence enterprises can be the two thrilling along with a small frightening. You might ask yourself how to begin. What makes a residence company successful? Initially, cope with these concerns. Gratefully, right here there are actually useful tips how better to make your home-based business be successful.
Attire for function, as if your customers will find you. In the event you work at home, you possibly will not give significantly thought to the things you put on to work. Wear function-suitable clothing just as if you were actually travelling. This enables you to be successful and focused entirely on your projects.
Usually do not work with a PO Pack amount as your official organization deal with, instead make use of actual address. Buyers feel better about buying from an entity they can see. They are going to have a higher standard of rely on within your reliability plus your accessibility.
Investigate your competition when your are preparing your business. Use competitor?s charges to beneath cut their price ranges and set your own prices. It?s essential that you demand a price that is worth the significance you offer, which permits you to create the dollars you require.
Starting up a property enterprise requires a great deal of time as well as operate. A company that is going to desire large alterations in your family?s daily day-to-day lives may not be the best fit to your specific condition.
Look at employing a specialist accountant to cope with all of your current business?s income tax requires. This is valuable as you may utilize your time to operate your small business instead of to discover tax regulations.
When start a house organization, you have to make a website that can encourage and then sell on your merchandise. Having an on the internet appearance will give you the opportunity target a broader viewers, which can cause a rise in revenue. You will get your website done quicker if you utilize an expert to be of assistance.
Take a trip for your enterprise. Company outings are typically partly deductible close to taxes time. Keep in mind that one could always get some eyesight finding in when with a seminar based in a getaway location. This lets you compose away from journey bills without having the danger of getting audited with the Internal revenue service.
In case you have a property business, you will want to have a next mobile phone series. You would probably prosper to determine a different mobile phone range for the company. By getting yet another mobile phone, you?ll have the ability to silence it if you aren?t readily available.
Determination is crucial. Don?t raise your hopes of success way too high when you are beginning to create your home business. Building an profitable home based business needs time and continual work. If you wish your company to achieve success, and find out continued achievement, you are going to usually will need perseverance and determination.
If investors lend you cash, they will anticipate seeing specifics of your organization, that may leave you available to exterior inspection. Concentrate on doing your best with the amount of money available at the moment.
You will find that there are a variety of home based business users on the internet. Visit numerous discussion boards or discussion boards, the two in and outside of your specific niche categories. You will find that beneficial enterprise advice will come from unpredicted spots. Even completely different enterprises can show you one thing great about online business.
As was talked about earlier in the following paragraphs, a property business can be equally appealing and intimidating. Ideally you have gleaned some terrific information and facts and assistance in the tips discussed in the following paragraphs. Placed that guidance into measures, and enjoy as stuff set out to work far more efficiently for your residence company.
If for any reason you crave supplementary information on http://day-online-trading.com/ check out Latonya B. Swanhart?s site there?s a lot of points not detailed in this article, take a look at Author?s website to uncover added details.
In the never-ending scramble to find the early front-runners for Academy Award consideration, Ben Affleck's third directorial effort "Argo" has been popping up in most conversations for all the usual reasons. (Those reasons do not include Affleck's sideburns.) First, Affleck is coming off of two critical and financial successes in a row with "Gone Baby [...]
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 16-May-2012
Share ] 