Consider The Clouds

Our Daily Bread is hosted by Les Lamborn

READ: Job 37:1-16

Do you know how the clouds are balanced? —Job 37:16

One day many years ago my boys and I were lying on our backs in the yard watching the clouds drift by. “Dad,” one asked, “why do clouds float?” “Well, son,” I began, intending to give him the benefit of my vast knowledge, but then I lapsed into silence. “I don’t know,” I admitted, “but I’ll find out for you.”

The answer, I discovered, is that condensed moisture, descending by gravity, meets warmer temperatures rising from the land. That moisture then changes into vapor and ascends back into the air. That’s a natural explanation for the phenomenon.

But natural explanations are not final answers. Clouds float because God in His wisdom has ordered the natural laws in such a way that they reveal the “wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge” (Job 37:16). Clouds then can be thought of as a symbol—an outward and visible sign of God’s goodness and grace in creation.

Correlations Between Childhood Academic Performance and Indoor Air Quality

For most parents, the academic success of their children is crucial, in that it is the very foundation that a child’s future is built upon. It is because of this, that a child’s ability to attend school on a regular basis is extremely important to their overall academic performance. Many people are unaware of the importance the environment plays in a child’s ability to succeed academically. One factor that can substantially limit a child’s ability to thrive physically and academically is that of poor indoor air quality. It is important to understand the part that indoor air quality plays in our school systems and how to improve it.

There have been numerous case studies and physical evidence that have highlighted the affects of poor IAQ on the respiratory system, and how it contributes to the onset of asthma. “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, asthma is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism.” The evidence indicates that a child’s “overall performance decreases with illnesses or absences from school.” If a child is unable to attend classes or focus while at school, their grades will suffer because of this. Since many school professionals and parents are unaware of how detrimental poor IAQ can be to a child’s health and performance, they may attribute the child’s struggle to some other factor.

Infants and Indoor Air Pollution

For many new mothers, bringing a baby into the world can be an amazing, and yet terrifying, event. It can be scary due to the overwhelming amount of things that can threaten a child’s life in their first 6 months. The reason for this is that during this period of time a baby is growing and maturing very quickly. One of these parts of the body that is growing very rapidly at this time is the lungs. If you are living in a home with poor indoor air quality and have an infant, it can be very damaging to your child’s health. Records of infant mortality rates in the United States around 2005 indicate that respiratory distress in newborns is the 7th most common cause of death.

Poor indoor air quality as a result of Indoor Air Pollution has been rated one of the top five environmental dangers in regards to human health by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). This is especially the case for individuals with comprised immune systems like that of the elderly and, of course, small children. Poor Indoor Air Quality can be the result of several factors, often thanks to inadequate ventilation due to improper construction of buildings by making them air tight to achieve energy efficiency combined with chemical contaminants, also known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These can be emitted from several common household materials, such as paint or carpeting, resulting in poor IAQ . Some of the VOC’s include carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide and many others. With nitrogen dioxide for example, there have been studies conducted that have shown that exposure can cause bronchitis in asthmatic children. For developing lungs, the precursor to childhood asthma can be triggered by several factors, including poor indoor air quality. Finally, the biological contaminants that contribute to poor indoor air quality include: mold, bacteria, mildew, viruses and pollen. Moisture intrusion and stagnant water are the environments where these contaminants fester the easiest. All the above contaminants can cause poor IAQ, most of which cannot be detected by the naked eye.

Indoor Air Quality and Pollution Awareness

Many Americans are aware of the dangers of poor air quality from pollution in the outside world. Pollen counts and air quality index readings are reported alongside the temperature and humidity in daily weather forecasts. Warning labels and news stories have long alerted Americans to hazards found in tap water, consumer goods, and food products, some of the common means of ingesting potentially harmful biological and chemical compounds. However, surveys indicate that the general public does not share the same level of awareness with indoor air quality (IAQ). Although many Americans may feel as though the air they breathe when they are indoors is cleaner and safer than the air they breathe outside, research suggests that, in reality, the exact opposite is true. Generally speaking, indoor air contains much higher levels of toxins and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Chemicals from building products, harmful levels of mold, dust mites, indoor allergens, and other indoor pollutants all contribute to poor IAQ. Polluted indoor air is becoming increasingly damaging to the health of Americans, despite their unfamiliarity with the issue.

Three Steps to Reduce Humidity in Your Home

Excess indoor humidity can make life miserable. People who suffer through humid air in their homes can experience a wide range of problems—anything from frizzy hair, to sleeplessness, to respiratory system illnesses. There are many potential causes for indoor humidity, but they can be remedied rather simply. You can, and should, gain control over the humidity level in your home. Doing so could save you and your family from any number of adverse reactions caused by unwanted moisture in the air.

The first step in effectively combating any recurring problem is to determine the underlying cause. What is humidity in the first place, and why is it in your home? In the most general sense, humidity is the presence of water vapor in the air. Water vapor enters the Earth’s air, or atmosphere, in two main ways: 1) heat from the sun evaporates water from oceans, lakes, and ice, and 2) plants sweat water out in the process of transpiration. Water vapor usually doesn’t stay in the atmosphere very long. It accumulates and then returns to the Earth as precipitation.

What is relative humidity and how does it affect how I feel outside?

If the air is at 100-percent relative humidity, sweat will not evaporate into the air. As a result, we feel much hotter than the actual temperature when the relative humidity is high.

Karl Weatherly/Getty Images

Humidity is somethi­ng we hear about daily in weather reports. Humidity is to blame for that muggy, steam-room feeling you experience on certain summer days.

Humidity can be measured in several ways, but relative humidity is the most common. In order to understand relative humidity, it is helpful to first understand absolute humidity.

The Secrets of Airplane Food

Airline chefs share what foods taste awesome mid-air

Posted by Marcy Franklin, Editor  

 

While some airlines are splurging for top chefs and decadent in-flight meals to attract customers, the reality is that most airline food tastes as good as the wing of the Boeing 747 would. While airline chefs readily admit the challenges and defeats of preparing in-flight meals, some recently shared their recommendations of what tastes best mid-air. Read on to learn what to order when the flight attendant stops at your row on your next flght. 

What Tastes Good:

• Stew: Fritz Gross, director of culinary excellence at LSG Sky Chefs Asia Pacific, says it's an easy meal to reheat and will consistently taste the same.

• Veggies, Fried Rice, and Fish: The challenge with most airline food isn't the preparation, but the serving — reheating can often be difficult during a flight, which means some meals are left out to dry. Surprisingly, these simply meals can retain their moisture when done right.

What Doesn't Taste Good:

• Pasta: The number of things that could go wrong with a pasta dish is endless. Gross says the pasta should be done al dente for it to taste OK, plus the amount of sauce (too much, too little) can ruin it.

• Deep-Fried Dishes and Chicken: They're difficult to reheat in a galley, and won't keep their moisture, says Gross. (Unless you're on an LSG flight in Asia — order the vaccuum-marinated sweet and sour pork, he says.

http://www.thedailymeal.com/secrets-airplane-food