L.i.f.e – Tasty meals, tasty words.

This is amazing

L. I. F. E - Living In Five Emotions

The old adage, “it is a matter of taste” , was evidently carved out of wisdom. Of all the senses of the human body, taste is arguably the most powerful. The sense of taste helps us to differentiate between what is Sweet or bitter, cold or cold etc. It has the ability to trigger deeply embedded memories and caution us against danger, it is also our quickest to process, allowing us to trust our first instincts when we would ordinarily second-guess ourselves.
The tongue is not the only part of the body that helps in tasting, smell also plays a major role.The olfactory receptors in the nose help process smell and the gustatory receptors of the tongue process taste. This isi why sometimes the smell of the food alone triggers your taste buds. At the most basic level, we have to ask ourselves, “who wants to eat a bowl of…

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Mountains; The Mighty Mounds on Earth.

MOUNTAINS

On top of Mount Everest,
all covered with snow,
a skiing gorilla
yelled, “Look out below!”

He skied down the mountain
at breathtaking speed
as everyone cheered at
his daredevil deed.

(Kenn Nesbitt, 2009)

When watched from the skies, the surface of the earth is masked with a rumble of elevations and depressions. These landforms deform the flatness of the earth’s surface. Mountains, as these landforms are called, is defined by Britannica as a “landform that rises prominently above its surroundings, generally exhibiting steep slopes, a relatively confined summit area, and considerable local relief.” Mountains are generally understood to be larger than hills, however the term has no standardized geological meaning. Most geologists classify a mountain as a landform that rises at least 1,000 feet (300 meters) or more above its surrounding area. It is very rare for mountains to occur individually. In most cases, they are found in elongated ranges or chains. A mountain range is a series or chain of mountains that are close together. When an array of such ranges is linked together, it constitutes a mountain belt.

The mighty chunks of mountains rise all over the world, including the midst of the depths of oceans where seldomly, they form islands. Mountains usually have steep, sloping sides and sharp or rounded ridges, and a high point, called a peak or summit.

HOW ARE MOUNTAINS FORMED?

The world’s tallest mountain ranges formed when pieces of the Earth’s crust, called plates, crash against each other in a process called plate tectonics, and buckle up like the hood of a car in a head-on collision. These kind of mountains are called fold mountains. The Himalaya in Asia was formed from one such massive wreck that started about 55 million years ago. Thirty of the world’s highest mountains have the Himalaya as its home. The summit of Mount Everest, at 29,035 feet (8,850 meters), is the highest point on Earth. However, the highest mountain in the world, when measured from top to bottom is Mauna Kea which stands at 33,474 feet (10,203 meters) tall, though it only rises 13,796 feet (4,205 meters) above the sea. Mauna Kea is an inactive volcano which is found on the island of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean.

Volcanic mountains are formed when molten rock from deep inside the Earth erupts through the crust and piles up on itself. The islands of Hawaii, for instance, were formed by undersea volcanoes, and the islands seen above water today are the remaining volcanic tops. It is believed by some geologists that the continents are products of millions of years of volcanic activities. Well-known volcanoes on land include Mount St. Helens in Washington State and Mount Fuji in Japan. Sometimes certain volcanic eruptions break down mountains instead of building them up. An instance is the 1980 eruption that blew the top off Mount St. Helens.

Some mountains are formed when stresses within and between the tectonic plates of the earth lead to cracking and faulting of the Earth’s surface. This forces blocks of rock to move up and down. The resulting depression creates what is known as fault-block mountains. Block faulting can occur when blocks are thrust, or pushed, over neighbouring valleys, as has occurred in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah in the western United States or as is now occurring in the Tien Shan, an east – west range in western China and Central Asia.

ARE MOUNTAINS IMPORTANT ?

Mountains have several political, economic and social benefits. These benefits become the backbone of the economies of nations where mountains provide adequate resources.

Mountains often serve as geographic features that define natural borders of countries. Most communities are built on mountains. It is believed that it gave their inhabitants protection from their enemies in the prehistoric era. They cover around one-quarter of the earth’s land surface and are home to 720 million people around the world, which makes up about 13 percent of the world’s population.

Some mountains serve as the bellies within which are buried mineral resources of diverse kinds. For instance, minerals found in the Rocky Mountains of North America include significant deposits of copper,gold, lead, molybdenum, silver, tungsten, and zinc.

Mountains are relevant to the water cycle. Most rivers have their sources from rocks embedded in mountains while others shade lakes, protecting them from the direct glare of the sun. Their height can influence weather patterns, stalling storms that roll off the oceans and squeezing water from the clouds. Mountains also protect valleys from extremes in weather. The role of mountains in regulating Earth’s climate and fresh water systems is vital for the sustenance of all life, as majority of Earth’s rivers originate in them. The windward side of mountains usually experience high levels of rainfall while their leeward sides are mostly dry.

Mountains serve as tourist centers. They serve both recreational and religious purposes. In Ghana paragliding events are held at the Ejuanema Mountains annually during the Easter season while the Atwea Mountain also serve as home to several Christian prayer camps. Most preachers of various religious organizations also have what is called a prayer mountain where they worship their respective gods.

Agricultural activities also take place on mountains as they usually have very fertile soil necessary for plant growth. They also provide biodiversity conservation of fauna and flora of various kinds within its mountain forests.

Mountains are the beginning and the end of all of natures sceneries and the major hold on life.

Thank you for reading.

Picture source :http://scorpionghana.net

:http://photoeverywhere.co.uk

Wealth In The Belly Of The Earth 🌍.

MINERALS

Someone once told me, that the richest place in the known universe is the earth. The earth receives all the untapped ideas of man, it gives birth to all the fruits of the field and it is impregnated with several kinds of precious minerals.

The wealth of nations is basically weighed by the amount of tapped natural resources they own and/or trade in. However most countries suffer from what Economists call “the resource curse syndrome”. The resource curse, also known as the paradox of plenty, refers to the paradox that countries with an abundance of natural resources (like fossil fuels and certain minerals), tend to have less economic growth, less democracy, and worse development outcomes than countries with fewer natural resources. This is absolutely the case especially of African countries.

” A mineral is not a rock whereas a rock could be made up of more than one mineral. A mineral has one specific chemical composition, whereas a rock can be an aggregate of different minerals or mineraloids. The study of minerals is called mineralogy.

Common examples of minerals include gold, diamond, manganese, lithium and bauxite, among others. Lithium is the latest mineral which has been discovered in Ghana. This was announced by the Minerals Commission of Ghana in January, 2018.

METHODS OF MINING MINERALS

Mining methods can be divided into two main excavation types, surface mining and underground mining methods.

Surface mining, including strip mining, open-pit mining and mountaintop removal mining, is a broad category of mining in which soil and rock overlying the mineral deposit are removed. This is in contrast to underground mining, in which the overlying rock is left in place, and the mineral removed through deep shafts.

Underground mining has to do with breaking through hard rocks to obtain the minerals buried in them. It refers to various underground mining techniques used to excavate hard minerals. These usually are those containing gold, diamond, silver, iron, copper, zinc, nickel, tin and lead, among others. These minerals are usually mined by the deep shaft method of underground mining. The drilling of crude oil also comes under this category.

MINING IN GHANA

Minerals are mined in several towns in Ghana. The most popular is Obuasi where gold has been mined for over a century. The Mining industry of Ghana accounts for 5% of the country’s GDP and minerals make up 37% of total exports, of which gold contributes over 90% of the total mineral exports. Thus, the main focus of Ghana’s mining and minerals development industry remains focused on gold. Ghana is Africa’s second largest producer of gold, producing a total gold output of 4.1 million ounce in 2016. Ghana is also a major producer of bauxite, manganese and diamonds.

Ghana’s mining industry include large scale mining companies, small scale mining companies and local artisanal miners known as galamsey (gather and sell) miners. Ghana has over 23 large-scale mining companies producing gold, diamonds, bauxite and manganese, and, there are also over 300 registered small scale mining groups. However most of these companies are foreign and thus, remit their profits back to their home countries. For instance, since 2010, a large number of Chinese nationals has been in the country, engaging in the galamsey mining business with a new twist. They introduced heavy earth moving machines as opposed to the indigenous method of pickaxe and shovels. Many arable lands has been rendered inappropriate for cultivation and vast acres of virgin forests has been destroyed. Moreover, the beautiful rivers of Ghana have turned muddy as a result of these modern galamsey operations. Despite depleting Ghana’s forests and rivers, these Chinese always send back their earnings into their home country and dodging the payment of taxes in most cases. As a result Ghana is continually suffering from the resource curse syndrome.

Nevertheless, Ghana’s mining industry is one of the main backbones of the economy of the country. With the rise in galamsey, the industry employed a large number of Ghanaians. The International Growth Center, in their article, “The Footprints of Galamsey in Ghana” (2007), argue that due to their detrimental environmental effects, illegal mining (galamsey) “outweigh any possible economic and cultural justifications.” According to their findings, an estimate $250 million is required to reclaim lands and water bodies affected by galamsey activities in the Western Region alone.

USES OF MINERALS

Minerals have several uses, ranging from the making of cheap jeweleries to more expensive ones and in the production of certain components of automobiles. Some minerals like salt is used in food preparation and preservation. Lithium is used in some components of electronic gadgets.

Diamonds

Diamond is a very important mineral. They are known particularly for their use in jewelry, such as rings or necklaces, because of their durability and their luster. However, most diamonds are used industrially. Diamond has an unconquerable hardness and has been known since antiquity as a “Stone of Invincibility,” bringing victory, superior strength, fortitude and courage to its wearer. Because diamonds are so hard and durable, they are ideal for grinding, cutting, drilling, and polishing. They are also uses as an abrasive. When used as such, very small pieces of diamond are embedded into grinding wheels, saw blades, or drill bits.

Bauxite is the world’s principal ore in aluminum production. Aluminum is used in the production of kitchen utensils and some parts of automobiles.

Luxurious minerals are usually used in high priced luxurious items. For instance, gold is used in some parts of Rolls Royce vehicles. In 2011, A Middle Eastern businessman paid $8 Million For A gold-plated Rolls Royce designed by Stuart Hughes.

Mineral resources are the wealth that controls trade in the world. When they are mined through well proven means, their contribution to national development will not go unnoticed. The resource curse syndrome which affects most mining communities can be reversed if governments take the initiative to channel more development projects to such areas. The effect of this is Johannesburg as opposed to Obuasi.

Thank you for reading.

Image source :http://www.premimagroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Diamond-1.jpg

Google images.

Our water our life.

What is a water body?

Water is the source of life for any living thing be it an animal or a plant. A water body is a significant accumulation of water usually covering the earth 🌍 or another planet. It is divided into natural and artificial. Natural water bodies include, oceans, rivers,seas, lakes, lagoons etc. Artificial ones include, pools and ponds and sometimes lakes since some lakes are man made.

Water covers 3/4 of the land surface. They differ in size and shapes. Man cannot survive without water. The earth looses its spherical shape when there is no water. It makes nature beautiful and makes the environment look refreshing and pleasant to live in. Clean water bodies around brightens the environment.

Oceans

Oceans are deep bodies of water that separate the continents from one another. It contains approximately 71% of the earth’s water. The oceans in the world are five different ones. These are, Atlantic ocean, Antarctic ocean, Arctic ocean, Pacific ocean and Indian ocean. The deepest amongst the oceans in the world is Pacific ocean,followed by the Atlantic ocean. They serve as source of minerals. They provide energy and valuable resources.

Seas

A large body of salt water that is surrounded in whole or in part by land. Sea is also classified as big water body on earth but oceans are bigger than seas. The sea eventually connects to the ocean. For example, the Mediterranean Sea is attached to the Atlantic ocean.

We have the red sea, black sea, Arabia sea, Caribbean sea and Mediterranean sea. Valleys and mountains are found under the sea. Other landforms are present under the sea. The sea provides us with food just like the way the ocean provides us with rich minerals. We have sea foods such as oyster, lobster, crap,snail, shrimps etc. They provide us with salt which is used for cooking and experimentation. The sea also serves as means of transport by using ships and canoes. They also serve as beaches for tourist attraction.

Lakes

Lake is a water body surrounded by land on all sides. Lakes are not islands but the opposite of islands. They could be salty depending on the evaporation taking place. Some lakes are man made for example, lake Victoria , lake Powell, lake Volta, etc. Some lakes are natural whereas others are man made. An example of a man made lake is lake bosomtwe in Ghana.

Rivers

These are large streams that flows over the land. They are water bodies which usually end up in an ocean or sea. They could be snow fed rivers or rain fed rivers. They generally originate in mountainous areas. For example, Ohio River, Mississippi River, River Pra etc.

Lagoons

Lagoons are lakes separated from the open sea by sand or rocks. They are commonly divided into coastal lagoons and atoll lagoons. Lagoons are often called estuaries, bays or even lakes. Lake Chilika in Orissa, India is an example of a lagoon.

Waterfalls.

When a river flows over an edge of hard rock and falls from a height and lands on the ground, it is termed is called a waterfall. They make the environment beautiful. The natural water that flows attracts people which serves as tourist attraction. They help in hydroelectric power. Example is Iguazu falls in Argentina /Brazil. I personally love the site of a waterfall. It refreshes the environment making the place look bright. They are clean and could be drunk. Most natural mineral water are gotten from there. Examples are Wli waterfalls, Kintampo waterfalls, Boti falls etc.

In Ghana, we have rivers like black Volta and white Volta in the Northern region and these have attracted tourists and contributed to the nation’s development through enormous foreign exchange gained. Water can also be a source of power usually termed as hydro-electric power example is Akosombo Dam in Ghana . Water is one of the most important gifts of nature and we all depend on It. Some industries use these clean water to make some of their products which makes them natural. Therefore, it should be protected so that it can last longer.

Thank you for reading.

Images :

https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/epic-photos-of-the-worlds-most-beautiful-waterfalls

https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/peru-amazon-amazon-river-bends-in-the-nanay-river-a-tributary-of-the-picture-id126560362

Plants;the heart of nature.

What is nature ?

One would say nature is anything concerning what God has created. Another school of thought defines nature as the phenomena of the physical world collectively including, plants ,animals, the landscape and other features and other products of the earth as opposed to humans or human creations. The most amazing thing about nature is its infinite variety.

Plants

God created plants for a lot of purposes. To give shelter,medicine,furniture,timber. The trees in the forest are used for timber since they have big stems .Some trees are also used to make furniture due to how good and durable they are .Some of the botanical names are ‘wawa, odum, mahogany, sapele’. A good carpenter looks for the best wood which would be long lasting or durable to make furniture and looks for what is suitable for other uses such as plywoods,doors windows and the like. Some plants contains nutrients which could be used for preparing stew,soup for example ,moringa leaves,cocoyam leaves,dandelion etc. Some trees are created to give shade where some animals hide in for shelter. They contain some nutrients which are used for making herbal medicines.

Some trees have nice flowers which beautifies the environment to make the place look nice and colourful..Isn’t nature just nice!! God created plants and vegetations in such a way that it makes the environment look nice and convenient with its nature.

Did you know that plants produce cleaner air? Well it really does. Research has shown that they absorb pollutants such as dust and more that are present in the air which improves the quality of an environment. The more the plants are available,the cleaner air translates to a more relaxing and a healthier environment. This prevents sickness and absence from work,school and other places..

Stress,Depression,fatigue and anxiety are some occurrences one cannot avoid when working especially. The load at work makes people stressed out. Plants help lessen these effects. Plants mitigates stress-related conditions as mentioned above. Plants make the environment appear calm and serene. This increases in the health of people and also help employees at their work places which leads to higher productivity levels. In America and Europe ,when a friend or a loved one is stressed,sad,ill or something of that sort,flowers are given to the person to make he/she gain his or her composure or make the person smile. The right choice of flowers from plants will do the magic.

Picture source # Google images.

Thank you for reading .