FUJAIRAH F2 TEAM

HSE NEWSLETTER

APR – JUN 2016

Message From the

Plant General Manager

Measuring improvements is not an easy task with HSE

statistics. Safety depends on luck and hard work and a good safety

program shifts this balance to heavily rely on the initiatives you put in

place. Unreported close calls and near misses that were very close to

disaster easily fall through the reporting cracks and the opportunity

to learn from these acts and conditions falls by the wayside.

A key component to a successfully HSE plan is to give employees every opportunity to report

unsafe acts and conditions. It is clear that the F2 staff have undertaken this responsibility as

the numbers put on the board this year tell a story of continuing improvement in our HSE

program. Important measured items include the HSE Committee involvement, Management

Walkdowns and a significant decrease in near misses year on year.

However, the most visible statistic that can be seen today is the increase in reported

conditions by all of the F2 staff. Not only have the number of reported items increased over the

past year, but what really tells the story is that the severity of these items is on the

decrease. This tells me that all of you are taking less risks, looking out for each other, guiding

the contract staff to adapt our safety culture and really do see that zero harm to the staff is of

the utmost importance at F2. This statistic also tells me that all of our eyes are trained to spot

things that just don’t look right and warrants reporting. We can only learn from the unsafe acts

and conditions that we report and we can only improve what we measure. I am excited about

further improving our safety program with fresh ideas and knowing that each of you are

committed to keeping safety as the top priority at the Fujairah 2 Power and Desalination Plant.

Happy Ramadan to all the staff, contractors and service providers at F2. Keep safe over the

summer both at the worksite, at home and on holiday during the vacation period.

Shawn Madore

Plant General Manager

HSE MANAGER MESSAGE

Throughout the quarter we have undertaken a number of activities that are part of

our targets and objectives for 2016, such as emergency drills, HSE training for working

at heights, heat stress awareness and 3rd party site HSE visits. All of these items are

aimed to help continually improve what we are doing here at F2 and ensure that we

continually stay focused on the subject of HSE.

The next few months will bring specific hazards to the workplace as we are now into

summer season and Heat related Illnesses must become one of our main focuses,

particularly during the final phase of Ramadan whilst people are fasting. The safety in

the heat programme has been rolled out to staff and awareness campaigns will

continue with Toobox Talks etc. and we must ensure that we do everything possible to

ensure that controls are implemented during any works being undertaken on site.

Working outside during the hours of 12:30 – 15:00 for non critical activities is also not

allowed as per the summer working rules governed by the USE Government.

Remember if you feel unwell, or, somebody tells you that they feel unwell, ensure that

you inform a first aider immediately.

There are new things on the agenda for the 3rd quarter of 2016, we will be focusing

on closing out open action items from internal and external audits, continue with safety

improvements around the site, management walkarounds, completion of electrical

panel identification, introduction of recycling at site for certain materials and making a

start on producing a safe system of work document.

Hello Everyone,

Again we have completed another successful quarter with

Zero Harm to any of our staff, contractors or visitors. This is

not achieved without everyone’s hard work and commitment

to HSE. We have had some celebrations including the HSE

lunch and awards ceremony where people were awarded their

gifts for 2015’s observations and also the commencement of

the HSE Ambassador award which will continue throughout

2016.

There is some areas on site where I would like people to focus more of their attention

during their day to day activities as these specific items are observed on a daily basis

and there appears to be little improvement in these specific areas and these are;

HSE MANAGER MESSAGE

I would like to thank everyone for helping to complete another successful quarter, and also ask

people to keep up their good work over the coming months. Our next milestone is 365 days

without an injury to any persons at F2 and we should achieve this in the last week of July, so

please remain focused over the next couple of weeks and ensure that you continue to ensure

people are put to work safely, they have the right tools and equipment, understand the task at

hand and controls for heat related illnesses are in place during outdoor work.

Warm Regards Liam

Chemical / oil storage – There is consistent

observations of oils and chemical not being stored

properly in the correct location or without self

containment. Just for clarity these should be stored in

the designated locations, chemical stores or oil stores. If

stored outside of these bunded locations they must be

stored on temporary bunds and they also must be

correctly labelled and a spill kit must be placed in close

vicinity. If we get audited and there is observations of

chemicals without containment this can result in a non

conformity being raised as we are able to pollute the

environment.

Barriers – Barrier tape is being put up for items that can

cause zero harm to people whatsoever. Some examples

are small leaks, around equipment that is stored, and

around chemicals or oils that are placed on bunds. This is

completely unnecessary. Barriers should be used where

there is a specific hazard that can cause harm and should

must be meaningful. We have purchased new type barriers

to help eliminate the tape and will soon be placing barrier

stations around site with some guidelines for when they

should be erected.

Electrical panels – Electrical panels are being left open

by staff. Sometimes we can ec9ome desensitised to the

hazards posed by electricity as we work with electricity

every day however electricity kills this is a fact and

panel doors must remain closed to prevent people

coming into contact with electricity, so there is a clear

message to all staff to ensure electrical panels are kept

locked and only opened when required then closed

after use

HSE INCENTIVE AWARDS

On May the 2nd, Shawn Madore accompanied by Liam Gooding and Mark Rollo presented the

HSE incentive awards to the top 4 observers. This was a new concept introduced at F2, and with

the amount of observations raised over the course of the year, it proved to be a successful

initiative. These observations are a way to get people to think about and identify hazards within

the work place. It also helps people to think about how to reduce and mitigate the risk as well as

discussing with their fellow co-workers the importance of safety first. We applaud everyone one

who participated, we also encourage everyone to keep up the great work!

Affruzulla Beig Fahad Saleem

Muhammad Mazhar Iqbal Sherif Hassan

F2 Q2 TRAINING AND

DEVELOPMENT Employee health and safety training is an important part of occupational

health and safety programs

F2 O&M Co. is entitled to educate employees on all workplace safety

standards and the hazards that employees may face while on the job,

and providing effective safety training meets the requirements.

There are a number of myths that organizations have about training. The

first myth is if you send an unskilled employee to training, when they

come back there is immediately a changed, improved, skilled worker.

That is an erroneous assumption. It is much more complex than that.

We take the time to analyze what employees training needs are. This is the first step in doing

training is to do a training-needs analysis, figuring out who needs training and what kind.

The next step is to evaluate how well employees have learned. Or if they do, they usually stop at the

first level of evaluation—the reaction data. Companies think that if there is a positive reaction to

the training, then people will learn. But what we know is that the correlation is very weak between

reaction to training and actual learning.

Third, we need very clear and precise learning objectives, clear feedback, a form of measurement

or assessment and regular opportunities to practice and get feedback.

Fourth, you can have the best training in the world. Top-notch. But the organization may not be

ready to receive the training and doesn't set the conditions so that when you go back to your job,

you have the right supervisory support, the opportunity to practice and the conditions that allow you

to apply the skills you just learned and to motivate you to sustain this.

The following trainings have been conducted in Q2 of 2016 to ensure our employees’ skills, abilities

and knowledge levels are in the required standard

• Incident controller

• Introduction of working at height – life saving rules

• RPO – Radiography

• First aid ( CPR & AED )

• Heat stress awareness

• Personal development plan

• CIPD

• Advance MS EXCEL 2010

• Innovation & Work Excellence

• Public Speaking Mastery

• Scaffolding inspector

• HV interconnected system for DP

• ICS Cyber Security Awareness

Thanks Ahmed Maher, for your contribution to this newsletter!

TAKING (AWAY) RESPONSIBILITY

Here is an article I read recently on Judith Hackitt's blog on

hse.gov.uk:

"

One of the lasting impressions of my first full time employment

after graduating from university was the emphasis my employer

placed on safety, from day one – and every day after that.

As I drove into Fawley refinery each day I was greeted by the face

of a man painted on the side of a large storage tank declaring to

every person who drove through those gates “You are responsible

for safety”. That was 40 years ago and it’s a message that has

stayed with me – we are all responsible for our own safety and for

the safety of those around us – regardless of role, seniority or job

title.

So, at a conference I attended recently, I watched an extremely good role play exercise put

together by a legal firm who regularly represents companies and their employees in cases

investigated by HSE. The role play involved someone acting as an HSE inspector interviewing a

first line supervisor, with his solicitor in attendance. The ‘incident’ involved a worker who had

suffered a serious injury in the workplace. He was known to have bypassed procedures in the

past and on this occasion he had performed a task and been badly injured [...].

The light bulb moment for me came when the ‘inspector’ asked the ‘supervisor’ if he had

considered the risks involved in the job and the potential for this worker to take short cuts which

would put him as risk of harm. The supervisor’s response was clear and unequivocal "That’s not

my job – that’s the health and safety manager’s responsibility."

Why light bulb? Because when the role play was over, the real solicitor told the audience that

“not my responsibility” is the most common phrase they hear from supervisors, managers and

workers when involved in investigations.

I asked myself, how did we get to this point? Surely the role of the health and safety professional

in any organisation has to be to ensure others understand their role and their responsibilities

not do it for them? The responsibility should always lay with those doing the work and those who

supervise the job."

TAKING (AWAY) RESPONSIBILITY

I have been questioned several times in the last years about HSE, and, for sure, more in the

last months. It, to my eyes, allows our organisations to leave no HSE subject unattended and to

implement together mitigation and control measures with clear statements regarding

responsibilities.

This is what I call professionalism: everybody knows what they have to do and how. Operation

and maintenance can then be performed safely and with serenity.

Let's keep on striving to be ahead on Safety.

Thus, I tried to imagine our own company in this situation, in order to get an insight into the true

safety culture of our organisations (F2 and Veolia): Would we accept our responsibilities or

would we point somebody else?

I truly believe that each of us is aware about their own HSE responsibilities. PTW system (incl.

risk assessment and job plans), training, HSE awareness meetings, Tool-Box-Talks, site visits

and even this HSE newsletter, are showing results.

Everybody knows that raising a question before acting is 100 times better than leaving space to

doubt and then to a possible incident.

Thanks Cyril de Vomecourt for your contribution to this newsletter

A PERSONAL BEST This article is not the smart ones who do exercise regularly; but for the one

who has to start at least now, for you to feel good for yourself

I am a kind of person who can sweat by seeing a treadmill itself or seeing

somebody walking or jogging on the beach. I dislike doing exercises and to

justify that statement I have a sugar coated thought of satisfaction that -

the walking I do while at work is more than enough for maintaining good

health. I have heard people saying behind my back and also to my face that

“you have a high cholesterol” observing my gut of taking risk to achieve my

set goals and dreams. I tend to ignore all the “petty talks” and keep myself busy with what I would

like to do or feel like doing. But just before 3 weeks, the medical report that I received was a bolt

from the blue. “You have high cholesterol”, said the doctor. I could not ignore it and kept moving

myself- with the heavy bag filled with tablets for months on end. ( I really wonder if is it a blessing

to have a medical insurance or not; additional concerns of the doctors stuns me at times, even for

common colds and fevers – many boxes of tablets which actually makes me feel more sick). I sat

back and thought; is there any “short cuts” or “cut and paste remedies” route to avoid taking all

of this medicine daily. No positive “pop up” messages but ended getting an acute headache with

the question “what do it do now!?”

It was another day at work; I saw the young gentleman with his “green smoothie” bottle in

front of him. He was busy with work, and while I was preparing myself a cup of “green tea”, it

was like something struck me. So I went to his cubical - I had heard that he had high

cholesterol - I decided to ask him how he was able to control it, and bring it down to normal

level. We had a healthy chat and after seeing my report; he gave me some tips to

accommodate changes in my eating habits. The first positive message from his mouth was

“it’s 80% food and 20% exercise”. In my mind I thought the opposite. If at all, if he would have

said it is 80% exercise’ and would have asked me to have that green smoothie for sure, I

would have stopped talking to him on this subject and preferred to take the pills happily. He

suggested various ways to start exercising and making it routine; I encountered him with “this

and that” ways to avoid the kick-start. At last I gave up arguing and realized that he was

working out plans for my benefit and I should just go for it. He said” Lily, just 30 minutes for

your health”. I said “just 30 minutes? I can do that! “.

I went to gym that evening. The moment I went in I started sweating, seeing the weights, big

and heavy machines and those 6 pack giants. I felt dizzy; I thought I should go back to my

comfort zone – my couch ; But I heard a whispering voice in my mind “ Lily, Just do it”. Another

thought was “what shall I answer to the young man, if he asks me tomorrow?” I couldn’t just

lie. With the traumatic mind but acting so bold, I stepped on a treadmill. It was just 15

minutes I felt very dizzy , I could not continue. I stepped down and said to myself: “never

again”.

A PERSONAL BEST

I thought to myself “this is it…. Cheers to my kick start”.

I always have a nostalgic and a proud feeling while I walk wearing my 1 1/2 inch heels and that’s

one of my indications to all staff that I am out of my place and going on a mission but for the

first time I felt so energetic and felt so good walking in my flat shoes with a feeling “I am the

princess of my own world”. Now I walk chin up with my flats.

Though I do not see much changes in my physical appearance; I feel good and light hearted to

the winning-It was just the start that disliked the most.

Another weakness of mine is “can’t say No”…especially I can’t say NO to sweets. I just read a

motivating quote

“ Learning to say NO is one of the hardest things to do, but also the most liberating”.

When I decided to take on this decision; a BIG box of Chocolala chocolates was brought in by

another gentle man on his new arrival. I felt jolly good, on saying NO to chocolates, which

brings smiles to face and enhances my mood; I could not say NO; instead I just nodded my

head from right to left for the first time, swallowing the whole lump of saliva inside me

burying my grabbing thoughts to have all of them.

It is just the beginning …. I still have got a long way to go for a change and to choose a

healthy eating lifestyle. I need to make exercise be a part of my life to remain in the throne of

my kingdom as Princess forever!

Thanks Lily Guna, for your contribution to this newsletter

The next day the young man interrogated me; I told him the truth “just 15 minutes”. I

thought he would laugh at me and would give up on me. Instead he said; just try again

for another 15 minutes. I went again the next day, yes, I did it for 25 minutes and then on

the cycle for 10 minutes! Then the next day I did 25 minutes on the tread mill, 10

minutes on the standing bike and then 10 minutes on the cycle”. I did it and I felt so

good.

HSE SITE CLEAN-UP

On Monday May 2nd 2016, F2 employees, Veolia staff and our permanent

contractors all participated in our post outage clean up. It was another successful day

with everyone participating in the event. We collected quite a bit of trash on site; there

has also been a substantial reduction in trash related to the construction of the plant.

This activity plays a vital role as a reminder to everyone on how important it is to put

waste in the respective bin to minimize the effect that F2 has on the environment.

With regular site clean ups we instill our commitment to the Environment, as well as

for everyone who calls Fujairah Home.

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE Hello Everyone!

Over the last few weeks I’ve had a few co-workers coming to me and

asking for help with their health. Questions about weight loss, proper

dieting, exercise and overall health are the common questions. As an

HSE manager, both Liam and I put a lot of focus on the Safety related

aspect of HSE because safety is for everyone; it affects businesses and

its employees in many ways. However, Health is also just as important.

In general, when you go grocery shopping you are making the decision as to what you and your

family will be ingesting throughout the week. Your healthy choices of food at the grocery store are

usually lined along the parameter of the store. They will have the produce, meat, poultry, fish, and

grains. Stay away from the inside isles as much as you can because the majority of food that is put

into boxes or bags are heavily processed, or refined (which makes the item lose its nutritional value)

and full of substances that we humans are not meant to ingest. Read the labels! That information on

the package is the key that will help you make the right decision. Stay away from most things that

contain sugar. Pop, fizzy drinks, are one of the easiest ways to consume massive amounts of sugar.

Which is detrimental to one’s health, I highly recommend you to stop drinking. It is also important to

stay away from things that say reduced

Health is a funny subject because not to many people think

about their health on a daily basis. Health for most people only

becomes a concern when we get older, or when we go to the

doctor and we get diagnosed with an illness or a condition that

is usually preventable. Health is another facet that affects

businesses, one being financially, insurance for companies

costs a lot of money. Rather than taking pills that the doctor

prescribes to you, be proactive and start looking at your health

now. If you make healthy life style choices now, chances are

that in the future, you can avoid taking prescribed medicine

and will not be diagnosed with a preventable disease.

As I had written about the effects of shift work on an individual’s health during the outages, I

started looking at my own. I had gained weight, felt sluggish during the day, and my mood swings

were unpredictable. I started to do some research, and began connecting the dots. Lack of sleep,

poor nutrition, and inconsistent exercise were the combined culprits of my poor life style choices.

After the outage I wanted to kick start my healthy life style, I wanted to feel good all day and have

the energy needed to get through the day. So, I do what anyone would do when they need to learn, I

did some research. First, I took a look at what I was putting into my body. Food is the

fuel that gives us energy, energy in turn that helps us power through

the day. Some foods are obviously better for you than others. When

looking at the food you are consuming, you need to understand the

affects it will have on your body at a cellular level. It sounds more

complicated than it actually is. In order to get a healthy balance of

good nutrition you have to consume the right amount at the right

time. In general you need to be consuming healthy proteins,

vegetables, fruits, grains and dairy as well as healthy fats on a daily

basis.

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE sugar, low fat, etc. For manufactures to get you to buy these items they trick you in to false

advertising, yes, they’ve ‘reduced the sugar content’, but they then will substitute with an even

worse additive. Look out for artificial sweeteners, and corn syrups. All of these additives will raise

your blood pressure, and will make you feel more even more tired than you actually are. Saturated

and Trans fats are another link in the unhealthy food chain. They can be found in all types of food,

including; fast food, deep fried food, chips (or crisps), chocolate, again, anything that is processed.

These fats clog your arteries and can lead to heart conditions. Again, educate and know what you

are putting into your body!

Healthy fats can be found in various nuts, avocados, olive oils (if cooking use small quantities) fish, and eggs. Proteins can be found in meat such as chicken, beef, fish, and beans. Vegetables, rule of thumb, the more color on your plate, the healthier the meal. Same idea goes with your fruits. I’ve done some research and have found various healthy recipes of my favorite foods. When you do your research you can make changes to your meals to incorporate a healthier selection of food along with ensuring you are consuming the right amount. I had to cut out some items that were not agreeing with my digestive system, with doing so, I’m no longer gassy, blotted or feel tired after eating my meals.

I heard a slogan a few weeks ago that stuck with me. Your body is made in the kitchen and

sculpted in the gym. Nutrition and diet play an extremely important role in a healthy life style, as

does exercise.

Exercise play a vital role in a healthy life style as it helps to maintain weight, increase energy

levels, reduce your risk cardiovascular disease, reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes and metabolic

syndrome, reduce your risk of some cancers, strengthen your bones and muscles, improve your

mental health and mood.

Everyone is different when it comes to exercise, however, exercise, is extremely important.

Without regular exercise, your body becomes sluggish, which in turn slows you down. Exercise acts

as a stimulant; it helps in keeping up your energy levels high. Everyone, no matter size, shape, age,

should be getting at least 20 minutes of active movement, every day. Walking, biking, playing with

your kids. Get up and move! However not everyone has the same goals. I decided to get back to the

gym for a healthier life style, help reduce my cholesterol levels and to increase my energy levels.

Other people hit the gym to boost confidence, lose weight, train for an event or simply get in the

recommended 20 minutes of active movement. However, in order to see results, you have to stay

consistent, plan your day so that you can get the time needed for physical activity. If you stay

constant with your schedule you will not have trouble keeping up with your goals. There is a lot of

information out on the internet, so do your research specific to the goals you want.

I hope this article will inspire people to think about their health, and ways to improve it. Every little

bit helps, and in time you will become a better you!

With regular physical activity added into my daily routine, I feel a great surge of energy, I feel more

motivated, and I feel a lot stronger and overall, my mood has improved.

SAFETY GUIDELINES OF

INDUSTRIAL PLUGS AND SOCKETS Industrial Plugs and Sockets are widely used in our plant for

connection of Portable equipment with the 415/220V AC Power

Supply. This Provides higher rating power source as compare to

domestic plugs and sockets.

Therefore it is mandatory requirement to maintain the safe

practice of use. There are following mandatory checks which

ensure maximum safety and maintain the higher standards • Check PAT (Portable Appliance Test) Tag and its Validity.

• Make sure the Portable Appliance Earth Cable is intact.

• Check the Equipment Current and Voltage Rating before use.

• Identify the correct socket type as per requirement. Red color socket is designated for

3P, 415VAC and blue color socket is for 1P, 230VAC. (PIC03).

• Use the rated Plug or Socket based on the equipment current and voltage rating.

• Perform the visual checks on the Portable Appliance cable for damaged insulation or

hot spot.

• Don’t use domestic plug in our plant premises except few locations like Control Room,

Admin Building where no industrial plug is available.

• Always use Industrial Plug type extension board.

• Never use a plug which has loose conducting pin (L1/L2/L3/N/PE-PIC02).

• Make sure the plug cap is intact in order to avoid the water ingress as depicted in PIC-

01.

If any abnormality found then stop using this appliance and Inform Electrical department for

healthiness check. Following abnormalities must be reported immediately.

• If Power cable is damaged.

• If PAT Tag is expired or detached.

• If overheating of appliance power cable is observed while using.

• If Industrial plug or socket is loose at the cable end or any sign of smoldering.

• If source MCB (Miniature Circuit Breaker) or ELCB (Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker)

trips due to some electrical fault. It must not be switched on again until the problem is

identified and rectified.

• If anybody feel confused about current/voltage rating then seek help of Electrical

Technician to identify the correct rating source as per the load.

In Addition to this following steps should be followed while inserting/Removing the plug with

socket.

Do not try to switch ON the isolator before inserting the plug as isolator is interlocked with

plug.

Insert the plug by matching the slot key in order to ensure that all the conducting pins match

correctly. If it is wrongly inserted then it creates short circuit.

Turn the Plug in order to lock it properly otherwise loose connection makes overheating and

sparks.

Never pull out the plug forcefully before switching off the isolator. It has been observed that

many plugs are damaged because of mishandling while removing the plug.

Thanks Gopal Chawla, for your contribution to this newsletter

UNDERWATER DIVING SAFETY Underwater diving is going under water either with breathing a

apparatus (scuba diving) and also surface supplied diving.

We successfully completed all the diving jobs during our outages at

sea water intake at site as well as at offshore area with high

standards. Carrying out such a critical job required lot of planning,

preparation and execution, so we reviewed all the job steps and made

Improvements done in all aspects right from calling the diving

supervisor to site visit and discussed how we can proceed

and what equipment was required to carry out the job. We also got their detailed method

statement and risk assessment and also emergency rescue plan for the jobs along with our

HSE department and also reviewed the divers & equipment certificates prior to execution.

As these diving jobs also involve different teams like divers, technicians, crane operators and

riggers etc. Care should be taken in all activities like lifting, rigging etc

Handling such critical jobs gives lot of confidence to me as well as our team to carry out any

kind diving activities in future safely. Checking and fulfilling all the diving procedure

requirements along with good communication with divers is KEY for safe diving activity.

Diving statistics from the USA, UK, Canada

and Japans all show diving death rates of

15–30

per 100,000 divers per year, overall with

the statistical chance of a fatality being

about 2-3 per 100,000 dives

Professional divers have a much higher

death rate than recreational divers,

especially when operating from deep sea

oil rigs. Death rates up to 4.8 per thousand

divers per year have been reported

STATISTICS

Thanks Sandeep Cherukuri for your contribution to this newsletter

UNDERWATER DIVING SAFETY

DIVER WITH SCUBA DIVER WITH UMBILICAL

Thanks Sandeep Cherukuri for your contribution to this newsletter

6 UNEXPECTED AFFECTS OF

CLIMATE CHANGE Along with its anxiety-inducing effects, climate change also offers an

interesting opportunity to consider fascinating, interconnected

processes on Earth. The smallest to the largest components of the

planet – from bacteria to volcanoes – all somehow feel the effects of

a changing climate. Here are six of the most unexpected ways

climate change impacts Earth.

1. Desert bacteria dies:

Desert soil may appear desolate and void of life, but it actually

teems with bacteria. Bacterial colonies can grow so thick that

they form sturdy layers called bio crusts that stabilize soil against

erosion.

A study of these bio crusts across deserts showed that different types of desert bacteria

thrive in different temperature regimes. Some prefer the sweltering heat while others fare

better in the cooler climate. As temperatures become more erratic with climate change,

desert bacteria may struggle to adapt, leaving desert soil more prone to erosion.

2. Volcanic eruptions explode:

As glacial meltwater floods into oceans and the global sea level rises

with climate change, the distribution of weight on the Earth's crust will

shift from land to sea. This shift in weight distribution could cause

volcanoes to erupt more often, some studies suggest. Evidence of this

phenomenon has been detected in the rock record, with remnants of

more abundant volcanic eruptions correlating with periods of glacial

melt at several points in Earth history. Humans in the 21st century

probably won't experience this shift, however, since this effect seems

to lag by up to about 2,500

3. Oceans darken:

Climate change will increase precipitation in some regions of the

world, resulting in stronger-flowing rivers. Stronger river currents stir

up more silt and debris, which all eventually flows into the ocean and

makes the ocean more opaque. Regions along the coast of Norway

have already experienced increasingly darker and murkier ocean

water with increased precipitation and snow melt in recent decades.

Some researchers have speculated that the murkiness is responsible

for changes in regional ecosystems, including a spike in jellyfish

populations.

6 UNEXPECTED AFFECTS OF

CLIMATE CHANGE 4. Allergies worsen:

As climate change causes springtime to spring out earlier in

the year, sneeze-inducing pollen will ride the airwaves that

much earlier in the year as well. This will increase the

overall pollen load each year, and could make people's

allergies worse. Some temperature and precipitation

models have shown that pollen levels could more than

double by the year 2040.

5. Ant invasions slow:

Pheidole megacephala, also known as the big-headed ant,

is one of the top 100 most invasive species on Earth.

Hoards of these insects thrive in South America, Australia

and Africa, and their voracious populations spread rapidly.

As invasive animals, they steal habitat and resources from

native species, disrupting regional ecosystems and

jeopardizing biodiversity.

They have even been known to hunt bird hatchlings. Researchers have estimated that 18.5

percent of the land on Earth currently supports the big-headed ant. But as temperatures shift in

the coming decades, the habitat range of these cold-blooded animals will likely shrink

substantially. Some climate models suggest that the ant's range will decrease by one-fifth by the

year 2080. How native insects will respond to these changes, however, remains unclear.

6. Sunlight floods polar seafloor:

As sea ice melts, more sunlight will bathe shallow coastal

regions around the poles. Seafloor communities of worms,

sponges, and other invertebrates accustomed to existing in

darkness will begin to experience longer periods of sunlight

each summer. Recent research has shown that this shift

could significantly alter these communities, by allowing

seaweeds and other marine plant-life to smother

invertebrates. This transition from invertebrate-dominated

communities to algae-dominated communities has already

been observed in pockets of both the Arctic and Antarctic

coastlines, and could significantly decrease biodiversity in

these regions.

Thanks Ahmed Habib, for your contribution to this newsletter

FOOD IDEAS When researching healthy food ideas, I found more than I can cook. So I’ve decided to create a

section in this newsletter dedicated to at least 1 healthy meal that might have you thinking

differently about healthy eating.

Hummus Quesadilla

Ingredients

1/4 cup Red Pepper Hummus

10oz chicken breast raw

4 small 100-calorie multigrain tortillas

1 small avocado (sliced into 4 equal

portions)

4 tablespoons goat cheese

1/2 cup chopped red onion

2 tablespoons minced garlic

fresh cilantro (garnish)

pico de gallo (garnish)

coconut oil spray Steps:

1. Spray a nonstick skillet with coconut oil spray and set on medium-high heat.

2. Add chicken breast. Cook the chicken for about 12 to 15 minutes or until the meat is white

when cut and the juices run clear.

3. Chop vegetables. Thinly slice red onions, chop up fresh cilantro and remove the pit from the

avocado and cut into thin slices.

4. Spread about 2 tablespoons (1/8 cup) of red pepper hummus on each whole wheat tortilla.

5. On one side of the tortilla, add half of chopped chicken breast, a few red onion slices, one

tablespoon goat cheese, a fourth portion of avocado and fresh cilantro.

6. Fold the quesadilla in half.

7. Spray a nonstick skillet with coconut oil and set on medium heat. Allow the skillet to heat up.

8. Add the quesadilla to the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Be sure to press

down on the quesadilla using a spatula so that it flattens out.

9. Remove from the skillet and enjoy with fresh pico de gallo, Greek yogurt or salsa.

Life Is for Living

If each day you’d return,

To your children and wife.

To the ones you should value,

The most in your life.

You should always remember,

With each risk that you take.

It’s not only your life,

And your health that’s at stake.

Consider the burden

You’d place on your wife.

If you should get killed,

Or crippled for life.

But — Maybe you’re lucky,

Or fate’s on your side.

You might be the reason,

A friend of yours died.

And stop and just think,

For you might be the one.

That gets buried tomorrow,

For something he’s done.

It’s quite easy to say,

It won’t happen to me.

But you’ll find the statistics,

In no way agree.

If we’re taking chances,

Then we’re acting like fools.

For we’re risking To Much,

When we break SAFETY RULES!

By: Don Merrell

POETRY & COMICS