Computer Forensics and How to Get Computer Forensics Job

There is little debate that electronic technology including computers and the Internet are one of the most important developments of recent times. Tasks that took days to complete and that demanded hundreds of man hours to effectively execute can now be easily done at the touch of a button. But the growing importance of technology is not without its drawbacks with probably the most major one being internet and computer enabled crime.

The growing capability of computers and applications as well as the ever increasing level of interconnectivity and information sharing has made it easier for persons with malicious intent to use computers to plan terrorism attacks, conduct intellectual property theft, credit card fraud and hack computer systems to gain access to confidential information. The sophisticated nature of these crimes has seen the growing need for experts in computer forensics.

Computer forensics experts are law enforcement officers, private investigators or members of corporate audit teams whose core duties revolve around the identification, collection and analysis of electronic evidence that demonstrates the occurrence of a crime or lack thereof. Sometimes referred to as cyber cops, digital detectives or cyber investigators, their goal is not only reactive where they piece together pieces of computer data from a crime scene - it is also proactive where the computer forensics expert will recommend the best approaches that can be used to seal system security gaps and reduce the risk of computer based crime from materializing.

Computer Forensics and How to Get Computer Forensics Job

Computer forensic jobs will often be found in the military, law enforcement agencies, government intelligence outfits, private investigators office, technology security consultants and audit firms. To have better chances of being called up for a computer forensic job interview, one must have a degree in computer science, computer engineering, electronic engineering or a related discipline. Knowledge of the criminal justice system and especially laws around cyber crime and management of digital evidence including gathering and storing the evidence are key. Due to the sensitive nature of this role, persons working as computer forensic experts must obtain security clearance.

A good understanding of at least one major programming language with working knowledge of others is also important. Computer forensic experts must know the workings of computer storage devices and the major operating systems.

Many persons that end up in computer forensic careers do not necessarily start in this line. Working in the general IT industry or in the general IT security niche for at least two years provides a good foundation for understanding the core workings of computer systems and the areas of control weakness that cyber criminals may explore.

The details that these digital detectives have to sift through require that one have a keen eye for detail if they are not to miss anything. Other than technical computer skills, the forensic experts must be analytical and have high integrity. The ability to work well in a high pressure environment is a must as many times, the forensics expert will be required to provide rapid feedback on an adverse incident.

Note: Please feel free to reprint or republish this article. The only requirement is that the links be live links.

Computer Forensics and How to Get Computer Forensics Job Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

Copywrite Kenneth Echie. Kenneth is a writer, expert author, and publisher. He currently writes for Criminal Justice Schools. Get free scholarship report and learn to Become Computer Forensics Investigator by visiting.

watch mobile phone Best Price 36 Sampson Grate For 121 44

Source: http://cheapibmmemobatterybestprice.blogspot.com/2013/01/computer-forensics-and-how-to-get.html

Bcs Bowl Chuck Hagel ncaa football irs CES russell wilson Pokemon

Video: Roundtable reflects on Ryan interview

A Second Take on Meeting the Press: From an up-close look at Rachel Maddow's sneakers to an in-depth look at Jon Krakauer's latest book ? it's all fair game in our "Meet the Press: Take Two" web extra. Log on Sundays to see David Gregory's post-show conversations with leading newsmakers, authors and roundtable guests. Videos are available on-demand by 12 p.m. ET on Sundays.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032608/vp/50606278#50606278

super bowl commercials florida primary 2012 super bowl matthew broderick tax refund calculator huntington disease west memphis three

The Winners and Losers in the Fiscal-Cliff Deal

President Barack Obama delivers remarks about the fiscal cliff negotiations on Monday.

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

Senate Democrats and Republicans reached a deal to undo the majority of the so-called ?fiscal cliff? by extending most of the Bush tax cuts while levying Clinton-era rates on households with more than $450,000 in income. The sequester cuts agreed to as part of the 2011 deal on the debt ceiling will be delayed for two months and perhaps ultimately replaced by some other package. But the details packed into this deal reveal the real winners and losers:

Rich people: Raising the threshold for higher taxes from $250,000 to $450,000 is a big tax cut for all kinds of rich people, not just those with adjusted gross incomes between the two figures. That?s because taxes are assessed on marginal income, meaning that even if you make $600,000 or even $1 million a year you still have a very large share of your income that?s taxed at a lower rate thanks to this deal.

Red State Democrats: Democrats currently hold a majority of seats in the Senate thanks to senators from such not-so-liberal states such as Louisiana, Arkansas, South Dakota, and West Virginia. If we went over the cliff, this is the group that would be caught in the Obama-Boehner crossfire. A deal lets them duck partisan controversy, which is right where they want to be.

Unemployed people: The deal includes funding for a one-year extension of supplemental unemployment insurance benefits. It?s easy for liberals to dismiss this as a GOP concession on a temporary issue in exchange for permanent tax cuts, but it?ll make a big difference in the lives of the unemployed.

Doctors: Neither Democrats nor Republicans favored implementing the large cuts in Medicare reimbursement rates for physicians that were scheduled by law, but there was a partisan dispute about how to orchestrate a so-called ?doc fix? for 2013 and cliff diving might have at least temporarily hit doctors in their wallets. This deal completely punts on all kinds of substantive issues related to the reimbursement rate issue, but it guarantees that the money will keep flowing for now.

The elderly: As recently as yesterday morning, it was taken for granted that one of the major provisions of an alternative to the fiscal cliff would be cuts in the federal retirement security programs that are the main long-term drivers of deficits. But ultimately Democrats cared more about avoiding spending cuts than securing tax revenues, and Republicans cared more about low taxes than cutting spending. Old people are the winners.

?Grand Bargaineers?: David Weigel has written elegantly for Slate about Pete Peterson?s decades-long failure to move the needle on deficit reduction, and this week Peterson has failed yet again. The ?fiscal cliff? was his best chance yet to secure a grand bargain of big tax hikes and major spending cuts by creating an artificial political crisis that supposedly could only be defused with a huge deficit reduction package. But the win for the elderly was a catastrophic defeat for the grand bargain.

Fighting Democrats: The Obama administration has gotten a lot done since Inauguration Day 2009, but what it?s never done is give strong partisan Democrats the kind of to-the-mattresses battle against the GOP that they crave. Most liberals think?and I agree?that had we simply gone over the cliff and had Obama simply insisted on a new tax cut bill with a $250,000 threshold, he ultimately would have won. But success was by no means guaranteed, and ultimately the White House chose not to risk further re-enforcing a sense that the president is a weak poker player.

Grover Norquist: The leader of Americans for Tax Reform is hardly the key to anti-tax thinking on the right. But his particular gimmick, a ?pledge? to never cast an affirmative vote for higher taxes, had become influential on its own terms. The White House and other pro-deal Democrats see breaking this taboo as an important precedent-setter in its own right.

The economy: The deal is being characterized as one aimed at ?stopping taxes from going up on middle class families,? but in fact the expiration of the payroll tax holiday means that taxes will go up on working people. Obama started the fiscal cliff talks aiming to extend the holiday or replace it with some other new stimulus ideas. That?s all fallen by the wayside now and for the next two months, the markets will have the shadow of a debt ceiling standoff lurking over its head.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=9687856ecbb62508c3b63a3b066b51ee

superbowl 2012 kickoff time what time is the super bowl 2012 nfl mvp lana del rey snl performance

Slow, Steady Growth to Continue for Franchise Businesses in 2013 ...

Slow, Steady Growth to Continue for Franchise Businesses in 2013

Dec 31, 2012

The Franchise Sector is Projected to Create 162,000 New Jobs in 2013?But the Industry Still Faces Strong Headwinds Due to Uncertainty Over Public Policy Decisions

WASHINGTON, DC - December 31, 2012 - Franchise businesses will grow at a slightly slower pace in 2013 than in 2012, yet the franchise industry will continue to outpace growth in other business sectors according to an IHS Global Insight report prepared for the International Franchise Association Educational Foundation.

Compared to 2012, The Franchise Business Economic Outlook: 2013 forecasts very similar growth rates in new franchise business formation, job creation, output and contributions to U.S. gross domestic product (GDP).?While we are pleased the industry continues growing at faster rates than other sectors of the economy, we could be growing much faster, creating more new jobs and businesses, if Washington addressed the tax, spending and regulatory uncertainty plaguing the small business community in a meaningful way,? said IFA President & CEO Steve Caldeira.

?Franchise businesses emerged from the recession stronger due to the strength of the franchise business model and the strong support of franchisors working with franchisees to sustain profitability. Franchise businesses are now poised to accelerate growth plans, but industry leaders say the lack of confidence in our leaders in Washington to address the fundamental challenges facing our economy is keeping them and prospective investors on the sidelines.?According to the report, the macroeconomic outlook for 2013 is another year of only modest improvement in employment and consumer spending, with overall economic growth held back by slower growth of business investment and a bigger decline in federal government spending.? The expected resolution of the fiscal cliff will eliminate some of the uncertainty that has restrained the franchise sector, but it will also bring higher taxes that create a drag on growth.?

The basic indicators of the health of the franchise sector will show a slight slowdown.? Yet the franchise sector will continue to do well within the industries where franchise businesses are concentrated.

According to the forecast:???

• The number of franchise establishments in the United States will increase by 1.4 percent in 2013, just short of the 1.5 percent growth in 2012, from 746,828 to 757,055 (an increase of 10,227).???
  
• The gross domestic product (GDP) of the franchise sector is projected to increase 4.1 percent in 2013 (following a 4.6 percent increase in 2012) from $454 billion to $472 billion (an increase of $18 billion). This is approximately 3.4 percent of U.S. GDP in nominal dollars. ???
  
• The number of jobs in franchise establishments will increase 2.0 percent in 2013 (following a gain of 2.1 percent in 2012) from 8.1 million to 8.262 million (an increase of 162,000).
• The output of franchise establishments in nominal dollars in 2013 will increase 4.3 percent (following a 4.9 percent increase in 2012) from $769 billion to $802 billion (an increase of $33 billion).?

Franchise Business Leader Sentiment
The IFA Annual Business Leader Survey, conducted Nov. 13-28 indicates that investing in franchise businesses is still a good option for aspiring entrepreneurs, and franchisors remain generally optimistic about expansion in 2013. ?Some 81.3 percent say they plan to increase units, with 29 percent saying they plan to increase units by 6 percent or more and 52.3 percent saying they expect a moderate increase in the number of units (less than 6 percent).? A small percentage of franchisors (8.4 percent compared to 4.7 percent one year ago) expect to see a decline in units.However, the survey confirms that franchisors and franchisees remain frustrated with the pace of the economic recovery and the uncertainty of numerous regulatory and public policy challenges. Asked to identify their top issue of concern in 2013 among a range of business and policy challenges, 27 percent of franchisors cite franchise sales and development and 20 percent cite the Affordable Care Act. Among franchisees, the Affordable Care Act was cited by 31 percent as their top concern, followed by taxes (17 percent).

Health Care
Healthcare continues to be the top concern for franchisees and is the second biggest concern for franchisors.? 31 percent of franchisees and 20 percent of franchisors plan to cut jobs to get under the Affordable Care Act?s 50-employee threshold. Some 64 percent of franchisors report the Affordable Care Act will create some significant uncertainty in long-term planning.? Healthcare reforms will create significant uncertainty in long-term planning for 71.6 percent of franchisee respondents, and 10.4 percent agreed with the statement: ?We are no longer confident that our business model is profitable.?

Taxes
Franchise business growth could grind to a screeching halt if the nation does not extend current tax rates scheduled to expire at the end of 2012 as part of the fiscal cliff.? Among respondents, 79 percent of franchisees and 73 percent of franchisors believe failure by Congress to extend current tax rates at all levels will have a negative impact on hiring and growth plans moving forward.

Credit Access
While improving slightly, limited access to credit continues to hamper the ability of franchisees to get financing, with 52.9 percent of franchisees indicating the lack of small business lending ??continues to have a negative impact on their business, compared to 55.5 percent one year ago.

Same Store Sales
The franchisor outlook for same store sales is almost identical to 2012. ?Among franchisors, 77.9 percent expect some increase in same store sales in 2013, compared to 77 percent in 2012.

November Franchise Business Index Down Due to Fiscal CliffIn another economic indicator, the IFA monthly Franchise Business Index (FBI), an index of the economic health of the franchise sector, fell 0.3 percent in November. ?The index declined to 108.5 (Jan 2000=100).? Compared with November 2011, the index was up 1.3 percent. The fall in the index was driven by a large decline in the small business optimism index, precipitated by the impending fiscal cliff.

These research reports were underwritten by a grant from Jani-King International to the IFA Educational Foundation.

For an infographic fact sheet about the Franchise Business Economic Forecast: 2013,?click here.??

About the International Franchise Association
The International Franchise Association is the world's oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. Celebrating over 50 years of excellence, education and advocacy, IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising. Through its media awareness campaign highlighting the theme, Franchising: Building Local Businesses, One Opportunity at a Time, IFA promotes the economic impact of the more than 825,000 franchise establishments, which support nearly 18 million jobs and $2.1 trillion of economic output for the U.S. economy. IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees and companies that support the industry in marketing, law and business development.

Source: http://www.midlandsbiz.com/articles/12945/

brad paisley zac brown band aubrey born to run pranks pregnancy test april fools day 2012

Green Stories Of 2012: Environmental News In Review (PHOTOS)

Shell Arctic Drilling

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/31/shell-arctic-ocean-drilling_n_2051872.html">Shell's exploratory drilling in the Arctic</a> sparked anger this year among concerned locals and environmentalists. According to the Associated Press, Shell finished preliminary drilling at a well in the Chukchi Sea and one in the Beaufort Sea. In this July 14 photo, a Shell drilling ship drifts near the Alaska coast, raising questions about the company's preparedness. Greenpeace and The Yes Lab launched a hoax campaign to challenge <a href="http://arcticready.com/">Shell's drilling plans</a>, and Paul McCartney argued, "<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-mccartney/come-together-to-save-the_b_1694616.html">As the ice retreats,</a> the oil giants are moving in. Instead of seeing the melting as a grave warning to humanity, they're eyeing the previously inaccessible oil beneath the seabed at the top of the world. They're exploiting the disappearance of the ice to drill for the very same fuel that caused the melting in the first place."

Superstorm Sandy

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/hurricane-sandy-2012">Hurricane Sandy </a>made landfall in Jamaica on Wednesday, October 24, 2012. The storm turned deadly in the Caribbean, and a hurricane/winter storm hybrid decimated regions along the U.S. East Coast. In the storm's aftermath, HuffPost found that some of Sandy's damage was the result of <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/12/hurricane-sandy-damage_n_2114525.html">poor coastal development plans</a> and emergency preparedness failures.

2012 Election's 'Climate Silence'

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/23/climate-change-presidential-debate_n_2004067.html">Climate change</a> was not mentioned in any of the presidential debates for the first time in a generation, sparking <a href="http://climatesilence.org/">ClimateSilence.org</a>'s Brad Johnson to remark, "President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Governor Mitt Romney, and Representative Paul Ryan have failed to debate the greatest challenge of our time. Climate change threatens us all: the candidates' silence threatens to seal our fate." In <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/14/obama-climate-change_n_2131419.html">Obama's first press conference</a> after winning reelection, the president declared, "I am a firm believer that climate change is real, that it is impacted by human behavior and carbon emissions. And as a consequence, I think we've got an obligation to future generations to do something about it."

Fracking Debate

The <a href="http://huffingtonpost.com/news/fracking">hydraulic fracturing</a> debate heated up this year as multiple states contemplated the natural gas drilling process. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his Department of Environmental Conservation considered whether to lift a fracking moratorium. Engineering professor Anthony Ingraffea told HuffPost's James Gerken, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/07/artists-against-fracking-yoko-ono-sean-lennon_n_1843469.html">"It's the [initial] drilling,</a> the cementing and the casing of the wells that are causing most of the problems with contamination of drinking water supplies." <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/21/natural-gas-fracking-chemicals-testing-disclosure_n_2170030.html">According to HuffPost's Lynne Peeples</a>, "critics suggest the purported "filtering" of testing data is just one of the ways people are left in the dark about the assortment of heavy metals and other toxic contaminants that may be in their air and water as a result of drilling, hydraulic fracturing and other phases of natural gas production. Recent studies have identified <a href="http://tedx.org/chemicals.journalarticle.php">more than 600 chemicals</a> used throughout the process of natural gas production, and often left undisclosed by companies. Additionally, natural but equally hazardous substances can be released from the wells."

Arctic Ice Melt

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/19/arctic-sea-ice-loss-record-low_n_1897602.html">Arctic sea ice levels</a> hit record lows this September, the ice extent covering 49 percent below the 1979 average, when satellite records began. Scientists continued to emphasize the role that humans play in these changes. "It's crystal clear. If we burn all the fossil fuels, we create certain disaster," NASA scientist James Hansen warned.

Nuclear Secrets

The safety of nuclear power plants in the U.S. was questioned this year, as plants from <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/20/indian-point-nuclear-threat-oconee_n_2338549.html">New York</a> to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/29/san-onofre-nuclear-plant-sabotage_n_2215260.html">California</a> came under scrutiny. In October, HuffPost's Tom Zeller examined an <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/19/nuclear-plant-flood-threat-leak_n_1983005.html">un-redacted version of a Nuclear Regulatory Commission report</a>. He wrote that this version "highlights the threat that flooding poses to nuclear power plants located near large dams -- and suggests that the NRC has misled the public for years about the severity of the threat, according to engineers and nuclear safety advocates." <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/04/nuclear-power-whistleblowers_n_2232108.html">NRC whistleblowers</a> accused the organization of being dangerously secretive about serious threats facing U.S. nuclear plants.

Toxic Chemical Concerns

Parents were given more to worry about this year as reports suggested that the<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/28/flame-retardants-couches_n_2203242.html"> chemicals replacing their problematic predecessors</a> were similarly toxic. One concerned parent expressed her worry about the "toxic land mines that we're dodging every day," to HuffPost's Lynne Peeples. The<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/23/toxic-chemical-bpa-alternatives_n_1297222.html"> "BPA-free" label</a> also faced scrutiny this year, as experts questioned the labeling regulation process.

Undercover Factory Farm Abuse

Disturbing undercover footage documenting alleged animal abuse emerged from multiple factory farms this year. An <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/21/humane-society-wyoming-premium_n_1528541.html">undercover investigator at a Wyoming pig farm</a> documented workers appearing to prod, punch and sit on a pig with a broken leg, and flipping young piglets through the air. The investigator told HuffPost's Joanna Zelman, "They would just kick a sow in the face to get her to turn around, and the sow would scream and run away... And they think it is normal, because they?ve just been doing it for so long, or because that?s just how everybody else does it, or just because that's the easiest way." According to the Humane Society, 9 employees were later <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/24/wyoming-premium-farms-charge-animal-cruelty_n_2359465.html">charged with animal cruelty</a>. Following an <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/01/seaboard-corporation-pig-video_n_1244229.html">undercover investigation at pig breeding facilities in Oklahoma</a>, a complaint was filed alleging that thousands of sows had their movement severely restricted and some with large sores, torn vulvas and ripped skin were left untreated. In <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/12/chicken-abuse-lawsuit-cal-cruz-hatcheries_n_1199714.html">California, a chicken hatchery was sued</a> after footage revealed hatchlings with ripped skin and exposed organs being thrown into bins, trapped under machinery and drowned. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/14/butterball-turkey-abuse_n_2129646.html">Butterball again faced scrutiny </a>when another undercover video from a plant connected to company emerged. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/16/butterball-turkey-raid_n_1282308.html">Butterball employees </a>in North Carolina had previously been charged with animal cruelty.

BP Oil Spill Aftermath

In November, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/15/bp-oil-spill_n_2136063.html">BP pleaded guilty</a> to felony charges related to the Gulf oil spill, including charges of manslaughter and lying to Congress about the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/08/bp-oil-spill-flow-rate-emails_n_2260275.html">size of the leak</a>. For these charges, the company is expected to pay $4.5 billion, the biggest corporate criminal penalty in U.S. history. In December, U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier gave final approval on <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/21/bp-settlement_n_2349295.html">BP's oil spill settlement</a> with businesses and individuals. According to the Associated Press, the company estimates it will pay $7.8 billion.

Grassroots Movements

Grassroots movements organized this year in efforts to tackle some of the greatest environmental challenges facing the planet today. The <a href="http://www.350.org/">international climate campaign 350.org</a> pushed to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/05/climate-impacts-day-extreme-weather-climate-change_n_1483420.html">"connect the dots"</a> between climate change and extreme weather events. In July, 350.org's Bill McKibben wrote a viral Rolling Stone article arguing that most <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/global-warmings-terrifying-new-math-20120719?page=2">fossil fuel reserves must stay underground</a> to prevent disastrous climate change. McKibben then launched a <a href="http://math.350.org/">"Do The Math"</a> tour, sparking an ongoing <a href="http://gofossilfree.org/">fossil fuel divestment campaign</a>. As McKibben explained, "<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-zeller-jr/climate-change-math-politicians_b_2147001.html">If we can show people that fossil fuels</a> are to the planet's safety what the tobacco industry is to our individual health, we may be able to loosen their grip on policy-making."

Keystone XL Battle

TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline plans continued to face obstacles this year. The proposed pipeline, aiming to carry tar sands oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast, was <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/18/keystone-pipeline-obama-administration_n_1213136.html">blocked by President Obama</a> earlier this year, but he later offered support for the lower portion. Construction has begun on the southern segment between Oklahoma and Texas, but faces challenges from <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-mckibben/transcanada-turns-sadisti_b_1917264.html">protesters</a> and some <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/11/michael-bishop-keystone-xl-texas_n_2278463.html">landowners</a>. While supporters claim the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-zeller-jr/keystone-xl-in-a-debate-m_b_1163644.html">pipeline will create jobs</a>, NASA's James Hansen argues that <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/10/opinion/game-over-for-the-climate.html?_r=4&ref=opinion">Canada's exploitation of oil </a>from the tar sands could mean "game over for the climate."

Camp Lejeune Water Contamination

In January, HuffPost's Lynne Peeples reported on government watchdogs slamming the U.S. Navy for redacting information in a federal report on the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/24/camp-lejeune-water-contamination-watchdog-groups_n_1228041.html">drinking water supply at the Marine Corps' Camp Lejeune</a>. The site has been at the center of a pollution scandal after links were made between chemical exposures in the 1950s-80s and high disease prevalence among former residents. In August, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/07/camp-lejeune-water-bill_n_1749646.html">President Obama signed a bill </a>providing health benefits to exposed Marines and families.

SeaWorld Lawsuits

SeaWorld was in the spotlight this year as video emerged of a 2006 "near death" incident <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/near-death-at-seaworld-wo_b_1697243.html">between a trainer and a SeaWorld orca</a>. The footage was shown at a trial on the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/09/peta-seaworld-slavery-_n_1265014.html">SeaWorld was also accused by PETA</a> of violating the 13th Amendment on slavery. PETA complaining that the whales "were forcibly taken from their families and natural habitats, are held captive at SeaWorld San Diego and SeaWorld Orlando, denied everything that is natural to them, subjected to artificial insemination or sperm collection to breed performers for Defendants' shows, and forced to perform, all for Defendants' profit." The historic case was later dismissed by a federal judge.

West Nile Outbreak

The U.S. experienced one of its worst <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-12-26/lifestyle/sns-rt-us-usa-yearend-healthbre8bp0gx-20121226_1_cases-of-spinal-infections-meningitis-outbreak-fungal-meningitis">West Nile virus outbreaks</a> ever, thanks in part to weather conditions. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/18/pesticide-spray-west-nile-mosquitoes_n_1895014.html">The aerial spraying of pesticides</a> to battle disease-carrying mosquitoes faced opposition from some residents and scientists who argued it's ineffective and potentially dangerous. As one concerned activist told HuffPost's Lynne Peeples, "How many times have they told us something was safe and then 10 years later it comes out that it's not safe?"

Extreme Weather

The U.S. suffered through a severe <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/11/heat-wave-western-us_n_1768755.html">heat wave</a>, the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/29/us-drought-2012-midwest-winter_n_2214061.html">worst drought</a> since 1988, and a raging <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/25/colorado-wildfires-2012-v_n_1623695.html">wildfire</a> season. Outside of the U.S., other nations also experienced extreme weather, and the Philippines was recently hit by <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/typhoon-bopha">Typhoon Bopha</a>, which killed over 1,000 people. Many researchers are connecting the dots between <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/04/climate-change-heat-wave-global-warming_n_1742653.html">some extreme weather trends and climate change</a>. This year, NASA scientist James Hansen blamed three past heat waves on climate change, warning, "There is still time to act and avoid a worsening climate, but we are wasting precious time."

Coal Export Protests

In December, Pacific Northwest activists protested <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-anne-hitt/massive-crowds-turning-ou_b_2294852.html">proposed coal export terminals</a>. In May, Waterkeeper Alliance's Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke against the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/11/coal-exports-pacific-northwest-asia-public-health_n_1510000.html">export of Montana and Wyoming coal through ports</a> in Oregon and Washington, arguing, "They're coming to ship their poison, so that they can poison the people in China, and that poison is going to come back here and poison your salmon and your children."

Drowning Nations

Some low-lying countries and coastal cities grew increasingly concerned this year as projections suggested<a href="http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/06/26/506225/three-new-studies-on-sea-level-rise-make-clear-we-must-act-now/"> sea levels could rise</a>, largely due to climate change, up to three feet by the year 2100. Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed expressed concern about his country, which could be <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2011/05/25/25climatewire-island-nations-may-keep-some-sovereignty-if-63590.html">uninhabitable</a> by 2100, in his new documentary, <a href="http://theislandpresident.com/">"The Island President."</a> He warned in a HuffPost interview, ?<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/02/the-island-president-mohamed-nasheed_n_1383413.html">What happens to the Maldives</a> today is going to happen to everyone else tomorrow.?

Japan Tsunami Debris

The 2011 <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/25/japan-tsunami-debris-west-coast-_n_2362525.html?utm_hp_ref=green">March tsunami in Japan</a> carried about five million tons of debris into the ocean, according to the Associated Press. Some of that debris has begun to wash up on the U.S. west coast. AP reports: <blockquote>Of the more than 1,400 tsunami debris sightings reported to NOAA, the agency only traced 17 pieces back to the event, including small fishing boats, soccer balls, a dock and a shipping container housing a Harley-Davidson motorcycle with Japanese license plates.</blockquote>

Doha Climate Conference

The <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/08/un-climate-conference-kyoto-doha-qatar_n_2262371.html">U.N. climate conference</a> in Doha, Qatar resulted in the extension of the Kyoto Protocol, although the treaty will only cover about 15 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Associated Press, the talks also lead to "vague promises of financing to help poor countries cope with climate change, and an affirmation of a previous decision to adopt a new global climate pact by 2015." In one of the most memorable moments of the conference, the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OpI-PD6weG8">Philippines' lead negotiator</a>, representing a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-henn/hurricane-sandys-sister-t_b_2258957.html">nation damaged by Typhoon Bopha</a>, addressed fellow delegates in tears. He said, "I appeal to leaders from all over the world to open our eyes to the stark reality that we face... If not us, then who? If not now, then when?"

Viral Animals

From the hoax <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/19/eagle-grabs-baby-video-montreal-bird-child_n_2327209.html">baby-snatching eagle</a> video to the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/09/great-shark-stalks-cape-kayaker_n_1659000.html">shark stalking a kayaker</a>, animals continued to make headlines this year. One of the most popular stories of the year emerged from photos suggesting a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/08/lioness-befriends-baby-antelope_n_1948686.html">lioness "befriended" a baby antelope</a>, although the true <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/11/baby-antelope-lioness-photos-pictures_n_1957683.html">motives of the lioness</a> were later questioned.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/31/green-stories-of-2012-environment-news-photos_n_2295053.html

martin luther king jr. zappos john elway john elway i have a dream speech fox news debate martin luther king jr