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OnePlus 6T first impressions: All about trade-offs
If you don't own a OnePlus 6 but you want to join the OnePlus family, the decision between the OnePlus 6 and 6T is a difficult trade-off.
Jimmy Westenberg
Well, we're here. After months of leaks, rumors, and statements, OnePlus has finally taken the veil off the OnePlus 6T. I've only been using the device since the evening of October 24, so I don't feel comfortable delivering a complete OnePlus 6T review quite yet. That being said, I think a few days is more than enough time to deliver my first impressions, so here they all in all their glory. But first, let's look at the essential details you should know.
OnePlus 6T: The facts
As soon as you hold the OnePlus 6T in your hand, you'll notice it's a bit thicker than the OnePlus 6, to make room for a bigger battery. OnePlus has also changed the curve of the phone to be more defined, and I was told this was done to make it fit in your palm better.
The battery is now 3,700mAh, which isn't the most massive battery we've seen, but man, does it pack a punch. I got 7-8 hours of screen-on time on this device, topping off at 8 hours and 8 minutes with 5 percent battery remaining. This is probably the best battery life I've ever seen in an Android smartphone, proving that battery capacity doesn't tell the whole story. OxygenOS is extremely lightweight as it is, which is likely why the battery life is so great.
Probably the best battery life I've ever seen in an Android smartphone
OnePlus has removed the rear-facing fingerprint reader on the 6T, switching to a new in-screen optical solution. This leaves the rear of the phone looking fairly clean overall, but I really didn't mind the fingerprint reader in the first place – I loved it on the back of the OnePlus 6. You'll find the dual camera lenses in the same position as before, seated atop the OnePlus emblem in the center of the device. The cameras are also less extruded than the OnePlus 6 due to the OnePlus 6T's increased thickness. The back of the device uses the newer Gorilla Glass 6 from Corning.
The #phonepocalypse is over, here are the highlights from October launches
The cameras are 16 and 20MP f/1.7 sensors just like they were on the OnePlus 6, and image quality seems extremely similar. The main 16MP shooter has OIS and EIS. The big changes here are the new Nightscape Mode, as well as new studio lighting modes. The OnePlus 6T can also shoot 4K 60fps video and shoot 1080p at 240fps and 720p at 480fps.
The ports and buttons are seated in roughly the same positions as on the OnePlus 6. The power button on the side is now slightly more centered, and the headphone jack on the bottom has been replaced with a faux speaker grille to match the grille on the left side of the device. OnePlus says it has used the extra space from the missing headphone jack to increase the size of the resonance chamber.
OnePlus says it has used the extra space from the missing headphone jack to increase the size of the resonance chamber
The front of the device is where you'll see the biggest difference. The notch from the OnePlus 6 has been shrunk to leave a smaller "teardrop" notch for the front-facing 16MP f/2 camera. The earpiece has been shifted up into the frame of the device in the form of a thin slit. The result is a larger 6.41-inch AMOLED display with an aspect ratio of 19.5.9 and a resolution of 2340 x 1080. The brightness has been increased compared to the OnePlus 6 for better viewing.
The biggest change in this display is the addition of a new in-screen fingerprint reader. OnePlus says this is the fastest reader in the industry, unlocking the phone in just 0.34 seconds. In my time with it, I found it to be quite a bit slower than that, taking considerably longer than the Huawei Mate 20 Pro to unlock the device. It isn't slow by any means, but it is noticeably slower than Huawei's solution.
On the software front, the OnePlus 6T comes with Android 9.0 Pie, with some updated navigation gestures that remind me a lot of the iPhone, and that's not a bad thing. The company has also updated Gaming Mode to introduce floating notifications so you can see your notifications at a glance.
Smart Boost is a new software feature in the OnePlus 6T that stores app data in memory to improve cold boot times. OnePlus says this should increase app launch times by 5 to 20 percent, playing into the "Fast and Smooth" initiative OnePlus tries to implement into their devices.
The OnePlus 6T is running the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset as the OnePlus 6 and will be available in 6/128GB, 8/128GB, and 8/256GB RAM/storage variants for $549, $579, and $629 respectively. While the price of the base model has been increased by $20, you're also getting twice as much storage space compared to the OnePlus 6. The other variants will cost the same as the OnePlus 6.
Smart Boost stores app data in memory to improve cold boot times by up to 20%
In quite a monumental move for the company, the OnePlus 6T will be sold at T-Mobile stores in the 8/128GB variant. Customers can pick up the device at the T-Mobile popup store in New York's Times Square today at 6 PM, but otherwise, you'll be able to order it November 1. The OnePlus 6T is also officially certified to work on Verizon Wireless, though you'll need to buy it from OnePlus directly or pay off the device in full from T-Mobile.
My OnePlus 6T impressions
So those are the hard facts, but here's how the OnePlus 6T actually feels in daily use.
I am not a huge fan of the added thickness and new shape of the device compared to the OnePlus 6. While it's not extreme, it definitely gives the 6T a more rounded feel, which I usually associate with budget devices. That being said, the battery life is amazing. The OnePlus 6 didn't have bad battery life at all, topping out at about six and a half hours, but the OnePlus 6T breaking eight hours is incredible to me.
I am not a huge fan of the added thickness and new shape of the device compared to the OnePlus 6
While I didn't mind the notch on the OnePlus 6 due to its small size, the teardrop notch is definitely better when watching expanded media. Watching something like YouTube with only a small portion cut off is appreciated, though it wasn't that bad on the OnePlus 6 either.
The software is incredible. OxygenOS is still my favorite Android skin of all time, bringing optimizations and additions that are actually useful, as opposed to pointless gimmicks. That being said, all the new software additions and optimizations from the OnePlus 6T will be ported to the OnePlus 6.
So the question is, should you switch?
Pocophone F1 vs OnePlus 6: Can Pocophone steal the crown?
At effectively the same price as the OnePlus 6, I see the OnePlus 6T as a horizontal option for users. Personally, I don't think the in-screen fingerprint reader, smaller notch and bigger battery are worth it over the flatter design and headphone jack found on the OnePlus 6. If you're already a OnePlus 6 user, skip the 6T. You'll get much more bang for your buck by waiting for the OnePlus 7 or even the OnePlus 7T.
If you don't own a OnePlus 6 but you want to join the OnePlus family, the decision between the OnePlus 6 and 6T is a difficult trade-off. If you absolutely want a headphone jack and like flatter designs better, get the OnePlus 6. It is still one of my favorite Android phones of all time, and I love how it looks and feels in my hand.
I see the OnePlus 6T as a horizontal option for users
If you're already a wireless headphones user and want a bigger battery and some cutting edge tech in the form of an in-screen fingerprint reader, the 6T could be for you. It's still hard to beat OnePlus in the pricing category, even as the cost of its phones has gone up over time. You definitely won't be disappointed by this device.
More OnePlus 6T coverage
OnePlus 6T announced: Everything you need to know
OnePlus 6T: Where to buy, when, and how much
OnePlus 6T specs: Everything you wish the OnePlus 6 was (but the headphone jack)
What are your thoughts on the phone? Is this device worth it over the OnePlus 6? Let us know.


Welcome to the middle of the week! 3 days to the Preakness (more on that tomorrow). And the weather prospects, at least here in Minnesota, are actually looking good for the weekend! What more could you ask for?!
So today I have an unfortunate follow-up to Monday's rant about Brewers P Eric Gagne. Then I'll talk about some baseball history that was made Monday night. And finally, it' s this week's "Peek at the Picks" segment.
I should've known on Monday when I went on my rant about the completion of Phase 1 of "Operation: Release Gags" that it wouldn't be that simple. Sure enough, two days after requesting a "mental break" from the pressure of closing, Gags begged back in to the closers role and earned his 10th save of the season as the Brewers defeated the Dodgers 5-3 last night.
So now what Crew fans? Another month of nail-biting late innings? More weeks of wondering whether your closer's going to mentally burn out yet again? Seriously, I don't know how you people are handling this. If I had to deal with this circus, I'd be tempted to abandon ship completely!
I tried to gauge the feelings of Brewer Nation by reading a Q&A session with one of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's beat writers. And after reading said session, I was left with the impression that Ned Yost might not want to let the family dog out into the front yard anytime soon. (For you non-Midwest folks, Google: "Dan Devine Dog" and you'll get the reference.) I don't get the impression that there's a lot of pressure coming from inside the organization for his ouster. At least not yet. But if the natives are getting restless, that can't be a good sign.
Last night's win got the Brewers back above .500. So maybe I'm wrong and the Crew's on the way back to contending in the NL Central (they're currently 4th). But I've got to tell you folks, I don't feel good about this. Not even one bit. Phase 1 is back to the drawing board I guess.
Next up, for those of you that missed the Indians/Blue Jays double header Monday, there was a small slice of MLB history involved. In the 5th inning of Game 2 of the twin bill, Indians 2B Asdrubal Cabrera (definitely in the starting line-up for my "best baseball names" team) turned only the 14th unassisted Triple Play in MLB history.
With runners attempting a double steal, Cabrera made a diving stab of a Lyle Overbay line-drive for one out, stepped on second to double-off the runner there, and then tagged Marco Scutaro who was on the move from first. Now, I'd love to embed the video for your viewing pleasure, the hip and happening folks at MLB's front offices haven't quite grasped the concept that making your video highlights free and easily usable by the public actually promotes your product! What a concept!
14 times. That's all. There have been more perfect games than there have been unassisted triple-plays. There have been more 4-Home Run games than there have been unassisted triple plays. And at the risk of a reader backlash, I'll point out that 6 separate teams have had at least 14 players bat for the cycle. So you get a sense of how rare unassisted triple plays actually are.
So enjoy the historical goodness of it all. After all, that's what makes baseball so special!
Finally, it's time for this week's Peek at the Picks segment!
Yes, the Florida Freaking Marlins are still atop the NL East. They've slipped off the top of the baseball mountain with the Arizona Diamondbacks reclaiming the title of "Best team in Baseball", but the Marlins are still right there. The Mets are in 3rd, but still well within striking distance.
It's still a dogfight in the Central. The Cubs and the Cards have been trading the division lead for the last couple of weeks. And now the Astros have gotten into the act, passing the Brewers and moving into 3rd place, a game and a half behind the Cubs.
The Dodgers winning ways came to an abrupt halt as of late. Dropping 5 in a row has put them 4.5 games behind Arizona. No one else in the division has shown any signs of coming back from the dead, so the Snakes are still in a really good spot.
The Tampa Bay Rays?! You want to know how surprising this is? This is the first time in team history that the Rays have been 7 games above .500. And it has to be the first time they've been alone in 1st place this late in the season. The wackiness in Florida continues.
The Twins' lead in the Central has slimmed as of late as the Indians have finally started coming on. The Tigers? I don't know. I keep waiting for them to get on a hot streak. Maybe as the weather gets better in June, they'll get it going. But it's looked bloody awful so far.
Good gawd. The Mariners are behind the Texas Rangers for heaven's sake! Has the John McLaren watch begun? I'd have to think so. It's one thing to not be as good as the Angels, but to be in the basement out West after making the trade for Eric Bedard and positioning yourself as a legitimate contender? That's just flat out unacceptable.
So right now I'm 2 of 6, but I'm within 5 games in 5 of 6, so I still feel pretty good about the picks. Memorial Day's the first major signpost along the road that is the MLB season, so we'll see where I'm at in a couple of weeks!
That's all for today. Back at you tomorrow with the Post Positions and Picks for the 133rd Preakness Stakes and then more Baseball wonder on Friday!
I like how the one announcer said "Triple Play." as soon as Asdrubal made the diving catch.
I also thought it was kinda funny how the guy when he got to second, kinda stood around, looking like, "What am I supposed to do now? Coach, gimme a sign..."
Poor Marco... He did sorta get hung out to dry on that one.
Asdrubal... I just can't stop saying that. If I ever own a horse or something, I'm calling it Asdrubal!


Thank you for your kind and beautiful words, we were both worried that you might be disappointed by our decision to be exclusive so soon as your opinion and thoughts hold a lot of weight (especially for me). A true client testimonial to Shannon Davidoff Perfect Partners most amazing cupid.
Dating "M" is wonderful, so different to any other man I have dated for so many different reasons (I had a good chuckle to myself as I declined to meet someone his age earlier in the process who Inge had sent and here I am with a guy 11 years my senior who I totally adore).
I must be honest though I am grateful for my next 3 weeks of travel as it will give me time to process these changes and get to know "M" a bit better…even though via phone. True to my nature I need to cognitively decipher this magic but at the same time so blessed as M is an excellent communicator (seriously amazing) and about as cognitive as I am.
My approach with Perfect Partners was to take the journey little did I know who I would find and where it would lead me and what I would learn (I thought I knew it all!).wow, wow, wow….. WOW!
This is truly the beginning of a new and wonderful chapter ….no matter where it takes me, having this experience and time with "M" is magical…..he has restored my faith in men and allowed me to see a part of myself I have never seen before……..and your gentle date coaching has opened my eyes! No more dating by default!
Thank you for all date coaching, relationship guidance and sound advice, it is invaluable, non-invasive, but every email you reply to and your weekly newsletters on matters trending in the singles would, are extremely enlightening and food for thought…..so I have subconsciously learnt much and I would not be here, saying I believe love has found me, without all your date tips and hands-on, caring conversations! I was ready to love again!!
We will definitely keep you up to speed with developments and would love to keep in contact as you are a very precious person to me.


SHEBOYGAN, Wis. (AP) — "Here's our thistle! This is a rare, very rare plant," retired wetland ecologist Pat Trochlell exclaimed as she stood at the edge of Lake Michigan on a clear, windy and unseasonably cool day in October.
Trochlell said the DNR completed its environmental assessment before seeing detailed plans from Kohler — backward of the normal process. She assumed Kohler's request for a wetland permit, required to build the golf course, would never be granted. She was wrong.
The agency approved the permit for the project, which would also require removal of up to 120 acres of forest. Trochlell believes the loss of trees, installation of fertilized turf and other changes would negatively affect the area's dunes and wetlands.
"I was in a meeting with managers . and I asked the question of what would happen if we wouldn't sign off on these permits, and I was told that if we didn't sign off on these permits, we would be . moved to another job or fired, I think that's how I interpreted it," Trochlell recalled.


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"The Mitten" Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
August 28, 2018 - "The Mitten" Shot - Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore A couple weeks ago we rented a pontoon boat, with friends, on Lak...
Roam-Inn Review
March 05, 2018 - Roam-Inn Review Recently my wife and I had the good fortune to spend a weekend at the Roam Inn, in Munising Michigan, fo...
Root Beer Falls in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
September 11, 2017 - Root Beer Falls (Wakefield Township) in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan Last Autumn, I spent a week trekking around the...
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August 25, 2017 - Mosquito Falls at Pictured Rocks in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan A couple weeks ago, a friend invited me on a hike t...
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Hyundai is busy refreshing its entire range, to save everyone some time they're even doing it in pairs now with the Creta and Tucson.
I'm sure you've heard of the custom that bumping into a friend for the second (or third) time in quick succession means you should go for coffee together? Well, I firmly believe in this and when it comes to cars, the new Hyundai Tucson and I are going for coffee, muffins, cappuccino and a light brunch.
Recently I was involved in a discussion – or possibly an intervention – where I was accused of being too critical of new cars. I'll save you my whining retorts but promised all participants that I can indeed be positive about deserving automobiles. And wouldn't you know it, the Hyundai Creta is a perfect example.
Driving in silence, it may be more fun than you think.
Going electric has always been a very vague concept, yet it's been in the automotive industry for as long as the latter existed. How can you convince a petrolhead that driving on battery power might actually be fun?


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Coaching Articles
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Flatter Blocks
Thu, 01/30/2014 - 14:26 — Larry Hodges
Yesterday's Coaching Events
Had a lot of interesting things happen yesterday - here's a rundown!
For the second time, those months when I was about twelve where I learned how to pick locks paid off, making me a hero. On Tuesday night someone accidentally closed the bathroom door while it was locked. We have two bathrooms at MDTTC, but this was the one where we stored paper towels and toilet paper - and the other bathroom was running low. When I came in Wednesday afternoon they hadn't been able to open it, and were about to call a locksmith. So I grabbed a credit card and a paper clip, and picked the lock. I was a hero!!! For future cases, I taught Coach Jack how to pick that particular lock. The previous time my lock-picking made me a hero was about 15 years ago at a U.S. Open or Nationals, where nobody came to unlock the playing hall at 8AM, and about 100 of us were stuck outside, with events to start at 9AM. I picked the lock, to thunderous applause.
During a practice session a student mentioned that some of my blocks against his loop came out flatter than others. There's a simple reason for that - when the ball lands at normal depth or deep, a player blocks normally. But when the ball lands shorter and you have to reach forward, there is sometimes a tendency to block flatter. This is also why players who block right off the bounce tend to block flatter.
One student tended to block from about five feet off the table. So we spent some time working on blocking within an arm's length. There are generally two types of blockers: those who take it right off the bounce (and go for quickness, consistency, angles, and change-of-pace - penholders with conventional backhands are notorious for this) and those who take it a bit later, but still on the rise, and focus on blocking more aggressively.
I did drills with one player where he had to loop to my middle. This is easier when backhand looping then with forehand looping. Why? For the simple reason that when backhand looping the opponent is in front of you, clearly in sight, while for forehand looping you are looking to the side, and so can't see the opponent. I know several top players who are great at finding my middle with their backhands, but aren't so good at doing this with their forehands.
One of the sessions was a lot of fun. Why? The student had had recent problems against players who lobbed and fished. And so I spent a good 20 minutes lobbing and fishing to him! This happens to be a strength of mine, and so we had some vicious rallies. I can lob down pretty much anyone under 1800 level, and (at my peak, when I was faster) most 2000 players.
Had one of the most interesting conversations ever while driving kids to the club - see next segment!
Blue Whales at the MDTTC
Recently we've started an afterschool program where I pick up some of our students from their schools and take them to the club. Yesterday I picked up a 7-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl. What follows is a rough synopsis of the conversation, mostly with the 7-year-old. Be forewarned - it gets silly, and if you're not in a silly mood, skip ahead or it'll ruin your non-silliness by making you laugh. (And there's plenty of other table tennis stuff afterwards.)
Me: "I'm going to drive the car up the Washington Monument, which is 555 feet tall, and drive off the top."
7-year-old: "No, don't do it! We'll all die! And the police will arrest you!"
Me: "I'll drive off the top so fast we'll land in the Atlantic Ocean and get swallowed by a blue whale."
7-year-old: "You won't make it to the Washington Monument because the police will stop you with their bazookas!"
Me: "They'd arrest me for driving off the top of the Washington Monument?"
7-year-old: "Yes!"
Me: "But then they'd have to wait until I'd actually driven off the Washington Monument before they could arrest me for driving off the Washington Monument. Then they'd only have three seconds to do so. Besides, the hungry blue whale will stop them from arresting us."
7-year-old: "Blue whales don't eat people, they eat plankton!"
Me: "Ah, I see you know your whales. But this is a special man-eating whale that's realized that in one bite, it can save hours of scouring the ocean for plankton."
7-year-old: "The police will kill the blue whale with their bazookas!"
Me: "No way. In a fight between a 100-foot blue whale weighing 200 tons, and a few puny humans with bazookas, the blue whale would win."
7-year-old: "Not if I bring in the army!"
Me: "If you bring in the army, I'll bring in a gang of octopuses with machine guns. And I think the plural of octopus is octopi."
7-year-old: "Then I'll bring in all the rest of the animals in the world!"
Me: "Then I'll bring in blood-sucking vampire cheetahs, since you missed them since they are dead."
7-year-old: "I'll bring in tanks!"
Me: "I'll bring in super-plankton, this little plankton that's been lifting weights and beating up blue whales everywhere! He's small but deadly."
7-year-old: "I'll eat your plankton!"
Me: "I'll bring in the planet Mars, and smash your policemen, armies, animals, and tanks."
7-year-old: "I'll smash your Mars with Jupiter!"
10-year-old, joining in for first time: "I'll smash Mars and Jupiter with my Jupiter-sized fists, which are made of rock."
Me: "Okay, now I'm scared."
[We arrive at club.]
Me: "But this raises the age-old question: How many blue whales could we fit in the Maryland Table Tennis Center?"
7-year-old: "None, they're too big."
Me: "I think we could fit four across the floor, and stack four more on top, so we could fit eight of them."
7-year-old: "How are you going to get them into the club? You can't carry eight blue whales!"
Me: "I'll toss them over my shoulder, one by one, of course."
10-year-old: "I'll smash your blue whales with my giant fists."
7-year-old: "But blue whales won't fit in the club!"
Me: "Let's find out."
And so I paced off the club, and got its dimensions: 77' wide and 126' long. By measuring the size of the panels on one wall that went up to the ceiling, I calculated the height at 18 feet. (Technically, we have two bathrooms sticking out of one wall, which reduce the volume, but we also have a back room of about the same size.)
Now according to my Internet research, an adult blue whale is roughly 100 feet long, and (when lying out of water on dry land) about 10 feet tall and 25 feet wide at its widest. The 10 feet tall thing is problematic since that would make it difficult to stack them since the ceilings are 18 feet high, but I'm going to assume we can squeeze them down a bit more and stack them two high - but this would make them wider, perhaps 30 feet wide. Since the club is 77 feet wide, we would be able to fit two side by side, and two on top of that. Then we'd have 17 feet left on the side. We should be able to squeeze one more in there. But the club is 126 feet long, so we have an area 26 feet by 77 feet left over. Taking into account that the whales don't take up as much space with their flukes, and being careful to load them into the club fluke first, we should be able to jam in one more blue whale, left to right, if we fold its flukes back over. So that makes us a six blue whale club.
Here's another way of looking at this. A blue whale's density is pretty close to water. A blue whale can weigh up to 200 tons, let's assume we have a very large one at 200 tons. Now if MDTTC's dimensions are 77x126x18, then it has a volume of 174,636 square feet. A square foot of water weighs about 62.4 pounds. So MDTTC could hold up to 10,897,286 pounds of water, or about 5448 tons, which equates to 27.24 blue whales at 200 tons each. Suddenly I'm realizing that my blue whale packaging above wasn't very efficient. So now we're a 27 blue whale club, assuming we can fold and perhaps cut up the whales to make them fit. The key question - will they pay membership?
Balancing Training of Strengths and Weaknesses
Here's the article from Table Tennis Master.
The Laughmaster of Ping-Pong - Adam Bobrow
Here's an article on this entertaining player, "The Laughmaster Of Ping-Pong, Adam Bobrow Combines Comedy And Table Tennis And Tours The World In Leopard Print," which includes a link to a video (4:08) that compiles some of his adventures.
Liu Shiwen Criticized by Liu Guoliang
Here's the article, which includes a link to a video (18:06).
Top Ten Table Tennis Points of 2013
Here's the video (3:37).
Top Ten Shots of the ITTF World Tour Grand Finals
Here's the video (4:24) from the ITTF.
Eager Thief Tries to Gift Wrap Table Tennis Table
Here's the article! (Alas, it links to a video that is no longer available, which I saw last night, with video footage of the hapless criminal actually trying to wrap the table.)
Cat Smacking in Forehands
Here's the latest cat-playing-table-tennis video (27 sec) starring an acrobatic cat with a world-class forehand, I mean forepaw.
Will Ferrell Playing Table Tennis
Here's the picture, where he demonstrates his unique penhold grip - while wearing white with a white ball, the cheater.
Send us your own coaching news!
Adam Bobrow
Blue Whales
Cat Smacking Forehands
Gift Wrap Table
Laughmaster
Liu Shiwen
Lobbing and Fishing
Picking Lock
Playing Middle
Top Ten Points
Top Ten Shots
Larry Hodges's blog


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CarbonTaxNetwork.org
Author: James Handley
James Handley coordinates the Carbon Tax Network. From its inception in 2007 until 2016, James served as policy analyst and Washington representative of the Carbon Tax Center. In that capacity, he attended Congressional hearings, studied and digested climate economics and climate policy literature; providing timely reports, summaries and blog posts for CTC's website while building a network of activists, academics and policymakers to support and advance transparent taxes on carbon pollution. Prior to CTC, James represented environmental and citizen organizations, including Beyond Pesticides and the National Organic Consumers Association in public interest litigation. Prior to private law practice, he served 14 years at EPA, enforcing environmental law, where he also served as an officer in EPA's union, representing science and legal professionals, especially whistleblowers. Before law school, James specialized in environmental and energy-efficient design at Brown & Root, Inc. and Scott Paper Co. James holds degrees in Chemical Engineering (Economics minor), Law (JD), and Environmental Law (LLM, highest honors).
Economists Unanimously Applaud Bipartisan Carbon Tax Proposal
A modest, steadily-rising carbon tax as proposed a month ago by the Climate Leadership Council would be more effective and globally-replicable than existing greenhouse gas regulations. That was the unanimous conclusion of three energy economists and one oceanographer turned climate lobbyist who spoke at a forum yesterday at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington DC. Moreover, the panel stressed, both climate activists and legislators seeking to improve the efficiency and fairness of the tax code have good reasons to seriously consider such a replacement strategy.
Danny Richter, legislative director of Citizens' Climate Lobby suggested that a revenue-neutral carbon tax can help depoliticize climate policy. In conversations on Capitol Hill, Richter said some Republicans seem to be looking for issues where they can show independence from the Trump administration and instead align themselves with science. Richter thinks climate policy may be their golden opportunity. Richter pointed out House Resolution 424, sponsored by 16 Republicans, calling for "American ingenuity, innovation and exceptionalism to create and support… to study and address the causes and effects of measured changes to our global and regional climates…" Richter said CCL is seeking support from another two dozen Republicans to create an effective, conservative pro-climate voting bloc in the House.
Marc Hafstead, a research fellow at Resources for the Future, discussed the results of the macro-economic model he developed with pioneering climate economist Lawrence Goulder. The model compares effectiveness and economic effects of climate policies. Hafstead reported that CLC's proposed tax of $40/T CO2 rising 2% annually would easily surpass the emissions reductions from EPA's Clean Power Plan. He seemed to prefer a more modest starting price of $20/T CO2 with a more aggressive 4% annual ramp-up, but he concluded that either carbon tax proposal would easily out-perform EPA regulations. CLC's proposal to return carbon tax revenue as a lump-sum "dividend" is distributionally-progressive (benefitting low income households the most) but Hafstead pointed out that it is more costly in the aggregate (as measured by GDP) than using revenue to cut other taxes that slow economic growth. Hafstead finds that cutting the top corporate income tax rate, a long-standing Republican policy goal, is the most efficient revenue option. Hafstead concluded by underscoring the dual benefits of reducing climate risk by taxing carbon while simultaneously spurring growth by cutting distortionary taxes.
Adele Morris is a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution who served at the State Department as a climate negotiator in 2000. Morris congratulated the Climate Leadership Council for re-starting and focusing the conversation about how to design and implement a carbon tax which she finds more interesting than tiresome debate about "hoaxes" and whether climate policy is needed at all. Morris stressed that the substantial, growing revenue stream from a modestly-rising carbon tax offers attractive options for embedding it in broader tax reform. And she emphasized that a carbon tax would maximize U.S. leverage in climate negotiations; a price instrument would facilitate transparent comparison of national ambition in those negotiations. She observed that it's relatively easy to compare prices, but it's complicated to negotiate and verify achievement of quantity-based targets. Morris responded to critics of carbon taxes who assert that carbon taxes aren't efficient unless the price is set optimally. She pointed out that because the incremental damage from carbon emissions increases non-linearly over time, the potential cost of excess abatement is likely to be tiny compared to the benefits of getting ahead of that ominous upward-curving climate damage function. Morris' top-line message: a carbon tax will be much more cost effective, transparent, replicable than regulations.
Noah Kaufman, a climate economist at the World Resources Institute, recently served at the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Kaufman suggested that carbon taxes may not need to rise to the high levels that standard economic modeling predicts. Observing the brisk pace of recent energy technology innovation, Kaufman suggested that even a modest carbon price could spur even more rapid low-carbon energy innovation and implementation. He also pointed out that the carbon tax in British Columbia has been more effective than standard models predicted. He speculated that the high visibility of the carbon tax led to greater behavior change than equivalent price changes normally do. Finally, Kaufman pointed out that a modest carbon tax such as the CLC proposal could obviate the Clean Power Plan. He expects that even a modest federal carbon tax would reduce emissions enough that states would be in compliance with the EPA rule. That suggests a possible compromise, perhaps avoiding a conflict over repealing the CPP that environmental organizations struggled to promulgate.
Climate Solutions Caucus expands to 24, Citizens' Climate Lobby (February 10, 2017).
Macroeconomic Analysis of Federal Carbon Taxes, Marc Hafstead, Lawrence H. Goulder, Raymond J. Kopp, Roberton C. Williams III (Resources for the Future, June 2016).
Options for Reducing the Deficit (Option 42: Carbon Tax), Congressional Budget Office (December 8, 2016).
Methodology for Analyzing a Carbon Tax, John Horowitz, Julie-Anne Cronin, Hannah Hawkins, Laura Konda, and Alex Yuskavage (Department of the Treasury, January 2017).
How To Use Carbon Tax Revenues, Donald B. Marron, Adele C. Morris (Tax Policy Center, 2016).
Republican-Proposed "Carbon Dividend" Is a Great Sign of Progress, Noah Kaufman (World Resources Institute, February 10, 2017).
Putting a Price on Carbon: Ensuring Equity, Noah Kaufman, Eleanor Krause (World Resources Institute, 2016).
Author James HandleyPosted on March 9, 2017 March 25, 2017 Categories Uncategorized2 Comments on Economists Unanimously Applaud Bipartisan Carbon Tax Proposal
Why Trump Should Embrace a Carbon Tax
Adele Morris, Climate and Energy Economics policy director, Brookings Institution
Brookings economist Adele Morris and R St Institute's Catrina Rorke shined like diamonds as they made the case for truth-in-energy pricing at Cato Institute yesterday. Morris argued that a carbon tax could help Trump and Republicans advance their stated goals of tax & regulatory reform and fund transition assistance to coal country.
Catrina Rorke, Energy Policy Director, R St. Institute
Rorke pointed out that industrial policy propping up fossil fuels distorts markets and cheats us of technological innovation. Cato hosts Robert Bradley & Peter Russo seemed to inch away from Cato's longstanding denialist stance, coming out as "lukewarmers" who at least admit global warming, but claim it may be beneficial. Tell that to folks battling scorching heat and raging fires in Australia and Oklahoma.
Author James HandleyPosted on February 23, 2017 February 23, 2017 Categories UncategorizedLeave a comment on Why Trump Should Embrace a Carbon Tax
Yes, Tax Carbon. Ditch "Revenue-Neutral" Shibboleth
My response to "Progressives Need to Get Over Themselves and Support This GOP-Backed Carbon-Tax Plan" by Charles Komanoff (The Nation):
Mr. Komanoff blames environmental and environmental justice advocates for the failure of Washington State's carbon tax ballot initiative, I-732. But the story is more nuanced.* Advocates of I-732 turned down a late offer from environmental and EJ groups to collaborate if carbon tax revenue were used for forestry management (in a state devastated by wildfires), water projects (to mitigate drought) and assistance for front-line communities. Credible polling showed their proposal was far more popular. But instead of collaborating, I-732 advocates stuck to their revenue-neutral approach intended to win support from Republicans and businesses. That support did not materialize.
Komanoff chides environmental advocates who don't fully trust economists who assert that the "almost magic wand" of a rising price on CO2 pollution will transform the global economy from fossil dependence toward renewables and efficiency if only the tax level rises high enough. That's a big IF. As Mark Jaccard and colleagues at Simon Frazer University in Vancouver have shown, carbon pricing tends to reach a political resistance point at a relatively low price. British Columbia's revenue-neutral carbon tax rose briskly from $CN10/tonne CO2 to $30 where it is stuck. Yes, the new Baker/Shultz Carbon Leadership Council proposal is a welcome sign. But its proposed tax of $40/T CO2 would rise only 2%/year, nothing like the more aggressive $5/year Mr. Komanoff espouses and nowhere near the trajectory needed to reduce emissions 80% by 2050.
Elected Republicans have shown no interest in carbon taxes, revenue-neutral or otherwise. And even where carbon taxes have been enacted, they have not risen to levels or been comprehensive enough to induce the scale of energy transformation needed. Why blame environmental, EJ and climate activists for pressing to spend carbon revenue in ways that are popular and enhance the effect of its price signal? Let's ditch the "revenue-neutral" shibboleth and start discussing constructive ways to spend (at least some) carbon tax revenue that can unite the climate, environmental and EJ movements. We don't need more divisiveness and finger-pointing as we face Republican denialists and "lukewarmers" in all three branches of federal government.
* Both factions seemed to put their revenue preferences ahead of the larger goal: a rising price on CO2 pollution. On that score, I-732 was certainly worth enacting. See analysis by Sightline Institute.
The Design and Implementation of Policies to Protect Low-Income Households under a Carbon Tax, Chad Stone (Resources for the Future, 2015).
Author James HandleyPosted on February 15, 2017 February 16, 2017 Categories Uncategorized6 Comments on Yes, Tax Carbon. Ditch "Revenue-Neutral" Shibboleth
Trump: Deal-maker for a Carbon Tax Swap?
This morning, at the historic Willard Hotel in Washington DC, where on a November morning in 1861 Julia Ward Howe penned the Battle Hymn of the Republic, Harvard economics professor and former Obama climate adviser Joseph Aldy issued a clarion call of his own. At a moment of palpable despair, Aldy urged climate policy analysts, advocates and policymakers to consider "The Great Swap," a carbon tax to advance Republicans' especially President-elect Trump's avowed goals of reducing taxes that hold back U.S. economic growth, while also reducing regulatory burdens. Aldy suggested that if Trump wants to live up to his reputation as a deal-maker, he will not pass up the opportunity for a carbon tax to help fund tax reform and eliminate EPA greenhouse gas regulations, goals that Republicans have long espoused. He noted that a carbon tax would also provide businesses with climate policy certainty while cost-effectively avoiding the international repercussions of U.S. repudiation of the Paris climate agreement.
Aldy opens his glossy 38-page paper,[1] citing the robust economic consensus that a carbon tax would reduce CO2 emissions at far lower cost than the current unstable patchwork of regulations and subsidies. Aldy, who advised President Obama whose signature climate achievement was EPA's Clean Power Plan, pointedly suggests that EPA's sector-by-sector approach is grossly inadequate to meet long term climate goals and would achieve its near-term goals at unnecessarily high cost. In his remarks, Aldy went further: He suggested that Congress "repeal and replace" the Clean Power Plan with a carbon tax. Moreover, Aldy noted that a modest carbon tax, starting at $25/T CO2 rising 5% annually in real terms, would generate revenue of $100 – 200 billion that could be used to reduce individual and corporate income taxes without increasing the deficit.
Discussing design options, Aldy's paper cites the growing body of economics literature showing that a carbon tax "swap" can be distributionally-progressive (e.g., by using revenue to cut payroll taxes[2]) and growth-inducing (e.g., by cutting corporate income taxes[3]) or both (by allocating some revenue for each[4]). He suggests that every five years Congress should adjust the carbon tax rate and its annual percentage increase based on emissions data supplied by EPA, tax revenue and economic data from the Treasury Department and data on other countries' emissions reductions from the State Department. Aldy concludes by pointing out that a carbon tax with "border tax adjustments" to impose equivalent carbon taxes on imported goods would protect the competitive position of U.S. businesses, even energy-intensive industry.[5] He further notes that border adjustments offer leverage for the U.S. to induce similar policies by our major trading partners.[6]
The economic and political case Aldy presented was hardly new to those who have studied climate policy, but he did manage to articulate a plausible scenario in what appears now to be a dire political situation for climate policy.
Following Aldy's presentation, Hannah Hess of E & E News moderated a panel discussion featuring John Larsen of Johns Hopkins University and the Rhodium Group, Jerry Taylor of the Libertarian Niskanen Center, Todd Wooten of the Senate Finance Committee and Catrina Rorke of R Street Institute. Taylor registered skepticism, quipping, "Business wants certainty? Here it is: no more federal greenhouse gas involvement." And Wooton opined that Congress will not "repeal and replace" the Clean Power plan, it will just "repeal, ASAP." For her part, Rorke called on Republicans not to stand aside on climate policy the way they have left health policy to Democrats. She urged them to enact conservative "free market" climate policy to avoid further alienating young voters who understand and accept climate science.
While Professor Aldy's proposal assumes a decidedly rosy scenario, maybe it is not beyond the pale to hope that Mr. Trump and at least some Republicans get past their climate science aversion to advance policy that comports with their stated principles, advances their tax reform and regulatory relief goals and could even help the U.S. lead on low-carbon innovation and technology.
[1] Joseph Aldy, "Long Term Carbon Policy: The Great Swap," Progressive Policy Institute, 2016.
[2] Gilbert Metcalf, "A Green Employment Tax Swap: Using A Carbon Tax to Finance Payroll Tax Relief," Brookings Institution, 2007. Rep. Bob Inglis (R-SC) proposed a carbon tax for payroll tax swap in his "Raise Wages, Cut Carbon Act of 2009," HR 2380, 111th Congress.
[3] Donald Marron and Eric Toder, "Carbon Taxes and Corporate Tax Reform," 2013.
[4] The "Tax Pollution, Not Profits Act" by Rep. John Delaney, HR 2202 (2015), would apply half of carbon tax revenue to reduce the corporate income tax rate, with the other half returned in lump sum to low and moderate income households and to fund transition assistance and early retirement for displaced coal workers.
[5] Jennifer Hillman, "Changing Climate for Carbon Taxes: Who's Afraid of the WTO?," German Marshall Fund, Climate Advisors, American Action Forum, 2013.
Author James HandleyPosted on December 1, 2016 December 3, 2016 Categories Uncategorized2 Comments on Trump: Deal-maker for a Carbon Tax Swap?
WikiLeaks, Carbon Taxes and 115th Congress
John Podesta (January 2015): Polling on carbon taxes "all sucks." But revenue options change voters' minds.
WikiLeaks Reveals "Sanders Effect" on Climate Policy
WikiLeaks released e-mails this week showing that in January 2015, Hillary Clinton's campaign staff studied carbon taxes, but avoided publicly advocating them because voter surveys indicated weak support.[1] Clinton's polling confirms what others have found: Standing alone, carbon taxes are not an easy sell. But a more recent survey suggests that when the purpose and effect of carbon taxes are explained and the policy is coupled with a tax credit to offset financial impacts on low- and moderate-income households, plus assistance for displaced coal workers and reduced regulatory burdens, 66% of voters register support,[2] including 44% of Republicans and a whopping 86% of Democrats.[3]
"Americans on Clean Power," Steven Kull (U. Md.) Sept. 2016.
During the 2016 presidential primaries, Senator Sanders advocated carbon taxes as a key climate policy. By July, reporters were asking Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta and energy adviser Trevor Hauser about carbon taxes. Both said that a Clinton administration would consider a carbon tax if Congress proposes it.[4] And Senator Schumer, on track to become Majority Leader, predicted that a carbon tax is "likely to pass the Senate" if Democrats regain the majority.[5]
In this context, the next Congress and the next presidential term may offer a long-awaited opportunity to enact carbon taxes, perhaps as part of broader tax and regulatory reform.
Carbon taxes might more fairly be called "carbon pollution fees" because they impose a fee for each ton of carbon dioxide dumped into the atmosphere, thereby creating economic conditions for a rapid, efficient shift to renewable energy and efficiency.[6] Furthermore, carbon taxes can reduce or avoid the need for more costly regulations and subsidies, appealing to libertarians and "free market" conservatives.[7]
And unlike regulations and subsidies, carbon taxes offer a substantial revenue stream that will grow for decades. Starting at $42/T CO2, the current official "Social Cost of Carbon," a carbon tax would generate roughly $220 billion in its first year, approximately 5% of federal revenue.[8] A carbon price trajectory aggressive enough to drive down U.S. CO2 emissions 80% by 2050 would need to ramp up to about $440/T by 2050,[9] and would generate roughly $440 billion/year by mid-century even with only 20% of today's carbon emissions. That's approximately $11 trillion in cumulative revenue over the next 36 years.
The climate benefits of a carbon tax derive from its persistent, ubiquitous and rising price signal, efficiently directing investment and economic activity in all sectors away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy and efficiency.[10] Furthermore, carbon taxes can reduce or eliminate the need for more costly and intrusive regulations and subsidies that do not produce revenue. From a climate policy perspective, the choice of how to allocate carbon tax revenue is secondary[11] with the caveat that a distributionally-fair design must protect purchasing power of low- and moderate-income households in order to remain politically viable. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that approximately 27% of net carbon tax revenue would be needed to fully compensate low and moderate-income households;[12] existing mechanisms could efficiently distribute those funds without new programs or payment systems.[13] And that leaves 73% of the revenue from a carbon fee available for other purposes.[14]
Carbon Revenue Options for Congress
Funding sustainable infrastructure[15] or renewable energy with carbon tax revenue could magnify the climate benefits of "internalizing" the cost of climate pollution. In his 2016 State of the Union Address, President Obama proposed a $10 per barrel oil fee to fund infrastructure, a modest first step toward internalizing fossil fuel costs to fund a high priority and potentially transformative investment in public capital. Both major presidential candidates call for drastically increased infrastructure spending to help transform the U.S. economy and spur employment. Hillary Clinton calls for $125 billion/year; Donald Trump has suggested even higher figures.[16] Repair and maintenance of existing transportation infrastructure offers an especially high return on public investment[17] and is broadly supported by voters[18] increasingly irritated at traffic jams, transit and train delays.
Other attractive revenue options include payroll tax relief which would offset regressive impacts while spurring employment and economic growth.[19] Many economists and policymakers, including some conservatives and libertarians,[20] call for comprehensive tax and regulatory reform (a "grand bargain"), which could include carbon taxes to fund reductions in other taxes that inhibit economic growth.[21]
The list of revenue options and combinations is virtually unlimited. A basic tenant of public finance is that appropriations decisions should be based on public priorities. Earmarks and slush funds constrain appropriators, effectively letting special interests cut in line. Similarly, climate policy advocates should not latch on too tightly to their preferred revenue options.[22] Our focus must be on enacting a broad-based, briskly-rising carbon tax to create investor and consumer price expectations that make it pay to start reducing carbon pollution immediately and to continue de-carbonizing for the next half century.[23]
Next year could be our big chance for simple, effective and globally-replicable climate policy. Get ready for carbon taxes in 2017!
[1] "We have done extensive polling on carbon tax. It all sucks," Podesta said in a leaked January 2015 memo. "WIKILEAKS: The carbon tax that Clinton decided not to use: $42," ClimateWire, 10/21/16.
[2] Steven Kull et al, "Americans on Clean Power," University of Maryland, 9/12/16, at p. 33-35. (Kull is Senior Research Scholar and director of the Program for Public Consultation. The survey was conducted from April – June 2016.)
[3] Id., at p. 34.
[4] During the Democratic Convention, reporters asked Podesta about Clinton's views. Podesta conceded that "if Congress wants to come forward with [a carbon tax proposal], we'll take a look at it." "Carbon tax debate is back,"Politico, 07/27/16.
[5] Timothy Cama,"Clinton walks fine line on carbon tax," The Hill, 7/31/16.
[6] For a clear, balanced overview of recent literature on carbon taxes, see Donald Marron, Eric Toder, and Lydia Austin, "Taxing Carbon: What, Why and How," Tax Policy Center, June 2015. (Marron has earned impressive conservative credentials, including a stint on George W. Bush's Council of Economic Advisers.)
[7] Jerry Taylor, "The Conservative Case for a Carbon Tax," Niskanen Center, March 2015.
[8] Greg Dotson, "Carbon Pricing in a Fiscal Context," Center for American Progress, 6/29/16.
[9] Alan Fawcett, Leon C. Clarke and John P. Weyant, "Carbon Taxes to Achieve Emissions Targets," 2014, included in compilation book by Ian Parry, Adele Morris & Roberton C. Williams, "Implementing a U.S. Carbon Tax," 2015.
[10] British Columbia's carbon tax, enacted in 2008, covers approximately 2/3 of the province's emissions. Starting at $10/t CO2, (Cdn) the tax rose in annual $5 increments from to $30/t CO2 by 2012. This relatively modest corrective has reduced emissions about 10%. See, Brian C. Murray and Nicholas Rivers, "British Columbia's Revenue-Neutral Carbon Tax: A Review of the Latest 'Grand Experiment' in Environmental Policy," Nicholas Institute at Duke University, May 2015.
[11] Donald B. Marron and Adele C. Morris, "How to Use Carbon Tax Revenues," Tax Policy Center, February 2016.
[12] Terry Dinan, "Offsetting a Carbon Tax's Costs on Low-Income Households," Congressional Budget Office, November 2012.
[13] Chad Stone, "Designing Rebates to Protect Low-Income Households under a Carbon Tax," Resources for the Future, 9/24/15.
[14] Adele Morris and Aparna Mathur, "A Carbon Tax in Broader U.S. Fiscal Reform: Design and Distributional Issues, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, May 2014.
[15] Zia Qureshi, "Meeting the Challenge of Sustainable Infrastructure," Brookings, June 2016. "Seventy nine percent of Americans, including 72% of Republicans support this idea." See also, "Building for the 21st Century: American support for sustainable communities, A national opinion survey," Smart Growth America, March 2011.
[16] Derek Thompson, "One Issue Clinton and Trump Agree On," The Atlantic, 8/16/16.
[17] Ezra Klein, "The one thing Trump and Clinton agree on is infrastructure. This economist thinks they're both wrong," Vox.com, 10/4/16. (Quoting Harvard economist Edward Glaeser.)
[18] "Poll: Infrastructure Unites Voters in Divisive Election Year — Republicans and Democrats Both Want Federal Government to Improve U.S. Infrastructure," PR Newswire, 8/6/16.
[19] Gilbert E. Metcalf, "A Green Employment Tax Swap: Using A Carbon Tax to Finance Payroll Tax Relief," Brookings Institution & World Resources Institute, June 2007. Representatives of both parties: Bob Inglis (R-SC) and John Larson (D-CT) have proposed carbon taxes whose revenue would reduce payroll taxes. (Sadly, after Inglis dared to acknowledge global warming and propose a revenue-neutral carbon tax, the Koch brothers funded challenger Trey Gowdy who defeated Inglis in a 2010 primary. Gowdy's sponsorship by the Koch brothers is reported in "The Benghazi Committee's Out of Control Effort to Destroy Hillary Clinton at All Costs," Huffington Post, 10/22/15.)
[20] See Taylor, The Conservative Case for a Carbon Tax, supra note 7.
[22] For example, Citizen's Climate Lobby insists, "Any proposal that does not return the proceeds of the tax to citizens through rebates won't receive the Citizens Climate Lobby's support." (Quote from "Why Texas holds the key to carbon taxes," Houston Chronicle, 9/30/16.) And on the other extreme, in Washington state, the Alliance for Jobs and Clean Energy is opposing I-732, a ballot initiative for a substantial carbon tax whose proceeds would cut the state sales taxes and supplement the Earned Income Tax Credit, out of disagreement with its revenue distribution. (As reported by Dave Roberts in "The left vs. a carbon tax," Vox.com, 10/18/16.)
[23] See Fawcett et al, supra note 9.
Author James HandleyPosted on October 22, 2016 October 25, 2016 Categories UncategorizedTags Adele Morris, Aparna Mathur, Bernie Sanders, Bob Inglis, Carbon Fee, Carbon Tax, Citizens Climate Lobby, Donald Marron, Gilbert Metcalf, Greg Dotson, Hillary Clinton, Jerry Taylor, John Larson, John Podesta, Steve Kull, Tax Reform, WikiLeaksLeave a comment on WikiLeaks, Carbon Taxes and 115th Congress
Clinton Silent. Trump in Denial. Scalise Attempts Burial.
But Carbon Taxes Aren't Dead — Seven Key Reasons
Hillary Clinton has avoided even mentioning carbon taxes.[1] Donald Trump (currently) asserts that global warming is a "chinese hoax."[2] And all but one House Republican recently voted to condemn carbon taxes.[3] Nevertheless, there are signs that the public and many members of Congress are (excruciatingly slowly) absorbing the economic message that carbon taxes offer superior climate benefits at lower cost than other policies, and the political message that the revenue from a carbon tax will be large and how those funds are spent (or re-distributed) will be vitally important. But unlike regulations and mandates (which generate no revenue) and subsidies (which cost taxpayers dearly), carbon taxes generate substantial revenue, offering them special salience in the context of fiscal policy and tax reform. An oft-repeated Capitol Hill truism is that tax reform "seems impossible until fifteen minutes before it happens." As pressure mounts to address climate risk, to reform the tax code in order to improve our economy and to close revenue short-falls, carbon taxes are sure to come up again.
Below I sketch seven key reasons why, despite extreme political shenanigans, carbon taxes are "not dead yet."[4]
Superior Effectiveness:
Carbon taxes are the most potent, straightforward climate policy.[5] Economists, even conservative economists[6] and some libertarians[7] consistently conclude from both theoretical analysis and from accumulating empirical evidence[8] that carbon taxes reduce climate pollution more broadly and at far lower cost than regulations, mandates and subsidies.[9] And that should matter to anyone concerned about either climate or economy (or both) because the transition to sustainable energy won't be easy or cheap.[10] Second or third-best policies (and waiting too long to start) are making the transition a lot more costly and dangerous.[11] And despite Donald Trump's promise to "tear up" the Paris climate accord, the U.S. will need to implement efficient policies to reduce emissions[12] and would benefit by leadership in low-carbon technology.[13]
Prices DO Change Behavior:
Contrary to recent assertions by Mary Nichols of the California Air Resources Board that carbon taxes might not be effective at reducing emissions[14] (echoing similar nonsense by then-Senator John Kerry, seven years ago[15]) we know very well that the demand for energy does decline with price. (In economic parlance: Demand curves slope downward — a principle about as fundamental to economics as gravity is to Newtonian physics.)
Carbon taxes work by explicitly building hidden costs of climate pollution into fossil fuel prices. Tax rates are set in proportion to the carbon comprising each fuel.[16] Per unit of energy released, coal releases about 30% more CO2 than gasoline, while natural gas releases about 20% less.[17] Carbon taxes transmit that "price signal" to every energy decision-maker, ranging from gasoline buyers to global investors, encouraging all of us to innovate, choose more climate-friendly options, and to plan ahead with climate costs in mind in the most cost-effective ways we can think of. Over time, consumer and industrial decisions are sensitive to price expectations, measured by economists as "price elasticity."[18] The recent shale gas boom provides a striking example: cheaper natural gas is rapidly displacing coal as the primary fuel to generate electricity.[19] Similarly, a carbon tax will encourage replacement of fossil fuels with low-carbon energy such as wind, solar, hydro, geo-thermal and, for better or worse, nuclear power. Plus, of course, energy efficiency will pay off more handsomely than ever.[20]
We Need The Revenue:
An effective carbon tax would raise substantial revenue. Starting modestly at $42/ton CO2, a U.S. carbon tax would raise about $220 billion per year, about 1/10 of the revenue raised by federal income taxes.[21] Because national level carbon prices will need to keep rising for decades if we are serious about reducing the risk of catastrophic climate outcomes,[22] carbon tax revenue will also keep growing for decades. At some point, one hopes that policymakers will see that large and growing revenue stream as an opportunity.[23] (Of course, as carbon emissions decline, carbon tax revenue will eventually decline even more rapidly than the carbon tax increases. When that problem actually arises, it will be cause for celebration by our children and grandchildren.)
Tax Reform Can Boost Economic Growth, Carbon Taxes Can Help:
Some analysts and policymakers suggest pairing a carbon tax with tax cuts in other areas, making the net effect "revenue-neutral."[24] Taxes on wages tend to discourage work[25] and some evidence suggests that the U.S.'s higher-than-average marginal corporate income tax rates discourage investment and deter job growth.[26] Thus, cutting wage and corporate income taxes with the funds from an increasing a tax on carbon pollution offers a potential win-win, spurring economic growth while reducing climate pollution.[27]
Other "Carbon Pricing" And Regulatory Systems Are Clumsy, and They're Failing:
Theoretically, emissions trading systems (a.k.a., "cap-and-trade") can "put a price on carbon" to reduce climate pollution in much the same way a carbon tax would.[28] But emissions trading has proven much more complex and less effective than hoped. The European Union's emissions trading system,[29] California's AB-32[30] and the Northeastern States' Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative[31] are all plagued by anemic and volatile carbon prices. Emissions trading systems have not generated the price expectations needed to guide consumers and investors over the long term. Similarly, regulatory approaches such as EPA's Clean Power Plan have limited scope, scalability and cannot be expected to continue driving innovation and efficiency in the way a persistent economy-wide price signal will. In contrast, carbon taxes in British Columbia (Canada),[32] as well as Norway and Sweden have proven more effective and durable. The International Monetary Fund is encouraging nations of all sizes and stages of economic development to try carbon taxes both for their climate benefits and as choice fiscal policy.[33]
"We Shall Overcome" (Science Denial and Economics Denial):
Political resistance looks like a huge obstacle to carbon taxes in the U.S. Last month, all but one Republican representative voted for a (non-binding) resolution by Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) condemning carbon taxes.[34] Some do not agree that carbon emissions need to be reduced in the first place. Others eschew new taxes, despite the potential to use carbon tax revenue to reduce growth-dampening taxes on work and investment. The vote is a setback for climate policy, but House Republicans' bluster suggests that maybe they sense momentum.
Regulations Can Work as a "Backstop" To Carbon Taxes:
Some Democrats and environmental groups support carbon taxes, but many do not fully embrace the principle of price elasticity (or even the "rational actor" assumption); they feel more certain about the effectiveness of regulations, subsidies and mandates which have been their primary tools for five decades. After years of arduous struggle to enact regulations, subsidies and mandates, Democrats and environmental groups are reluctant to even discuss replacing them with a more powerful tool, a carbon tax. They fear losing the ground they have gained. But existing programs could be used as a "backstop" that would engage only if carbon taxes do not effectuate sufficient emissions reductions. And that's a very good bet: rising carbon taxes will continue to be effective at reducing emissions if the price level marches predictably upward.[35] Thus, those who dislike regulatory bureaucracy[36] should prefer carbon taxes which leave energy decisions to those who can best make them. And those who have labored to enact greenhouse gas regulations should be willing to add a new more powerful tool, if they can be assured by a regulatory backstop.
In short: there's still potential for a "grand bargain" over tax and regulatory reform (perhaps early next year); we should make sure carbon taxes are included.
[1] Coral Davenport, "Hillary Clinton's Ambitious Climate Change Plan Avoids Carbon Tax," (New York Times — July 2, 2016); "Clinton climate push will get Sanders voters, define Trump," (The Hill — June 20, 2016); Anne C. Mulkern, "Hillary Clinton's Plan to Combat Climate Change," (ClimateWire – May 9, 2016, reproduced in Scientific American) .
[2] Louis Jacobson, "Yes, Donald Trump did call climate change a Chinese hoax," (PolitiFact — June 3, 2016).
[3] "The Grand Oil Party: House Republicans denounce a carbon tax," (The Guardian — June 13, 2016). Rep. David Jolly (R-FL) abstained from the vote.
[4] Pace, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" (1975).
[5] Joseph E. Aldy, "The Case for a U.S. Carbon Tax," (Oxford Energy Forum, 2013).
[6] Greg Mankiw, "The Key Role of Conservatives in Taxing Carbon" (New York Times – September 4, 2015).
[7] Jerry Taylor, "The Conservative Case for a Carbon Tax," (Niskanen Center, 2015).
[8] Brian C. Murray and Nicholas Rivers, "British Columbia's Revenue-Neutral Carbon Tax: A Review," (Nicholas Institute, 2015).
[9] Roberton C. Williams, "Environmental Taxation," (Resources for the Future, 2016).
[10] David Timmons, Jonathan M. Harris and Brian Roach, "The Economics of Renewable Energy," (Tufts University, 2014).
[11] Warwick J. McKibbin, Adele Morris and Peter J. Wilcoxen, "The Economic Consequences of Delay in U.S. Climate Policy," (Brookings, 2014).
[12] "What it will take to deliver on the Paris climate agreement" (Brookings, 2016).
[13] "The Benefits of a Low-Carbon Future," (WorldWatch Institute, 2013).
[14] Ben Adler,"Sanders and Clinton teams fight over climate language in Democratic platform" (Grist, June 2016).
[15] James Handley, "Memo to Sen. Kerry: Climate Science Includes Economics" (Carbon Tax Center, 2009).
[16] Gilbert E. Metcalf and David Weisbach, "The Design of a Carbon Tax," (Harvard Environmental Law Review, 2009).
[17] U.S. Energy Information Agency, "How much carbon dioxide is produced when different fuels are burned?" (FAQ's 2016).
[18] Congressional Budget Office, "Gasoline Prices and Vehicle Markets" (2007); Houston Chronicle, "Falling gas prices are driving consumers back to bigger vehicles" (June 2016).
[19] Energy Information Agency, "Natural gas expected to surpass coal in mix of fuel used for U.S. power generation in 2016" (March 2016).
[20] International Energy Agency, "Energy Efficiency Policy and Carbon Pricing," (2011).
[21] Greg Dotson and Ben Bovarnick, "Carbon Pricing in a Fiscal Context," (Center for American Progress, 2016).
[22] Alan Fawcett, Leon C. Clarke and John P. Weyant, "Carbon Taxes to Achieve Emissions Targets" (2014), included in compilation book by Ian Parry, Adele Morris & Roberton C. Williams, "Implementing a U.S. Carbon Tax" (2015).
[23] One such opportunity is the potential for a carbon tax to partially fund a "Universal Basic Income." See, Judith Shulevitz "It's Payback Time for Women" (New York Times – January 8, 2016). In some ways, UBI would be a grander version of the proposal by Citizens' Climate Lobby for a "carbon fee and dividend." In his State of the Union address, President Obama raised another potentially popular revenue opportunity when he proposed an "oil fee" to fund sustainable infrastructure.
[24] Donald Marron and Adele Morris, "How To Use Carbon Tax Revenues," (Brookings, 2016).
[25] Douglas Elmendorf (Testimony), "Policies for Increasing Economic Growth and Employment in the Short Term," Congressional Budget Office (2010).
[26] Alexander Ljungqvist and Michael Smolyansky, "To Cut or Not to Cut? On the Impact of Corporate Taxes on Employment and Income," (National Bureau of Economic Research, 2014).
[27] Lawrence H. Goulder, "Environmental Taxation and the Double Dividend: A Reader's Guide," (International Tax Public Finance, 1995).
[28] Kevin Kennedy, Michael Obeiter and Noah Kaufman, Getting Serious About Carbon Pricing, (World Resources Institute, 2016).
[29] Dallas Burtraw, Åsa Löfgren and Lars Zetterberg, "A Price Floor Solution to the Allowance Surplus in the EU Emissions Trading System" (Resources for the Future, 2015).
[30] Rory Carroll, "California's landmark cap and trade program faces uncertain future," (Reuters – June 15, 2016).
[31] Jonathan L. Ramseur, "The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative: Lessons Learned and Issues for Congress" (Congressional Research Service, 2015).
[32] Brian C. Murray and Nicholas Rivers, "British Columbia's Revenue-Neutral Carbon Tax: A Review…" (Nicholas Institute, 2015).
[33] "Fiscal Policy to Address Energy's Environmental Impacts" (International Monetary Fund, 2014).
[34] "House votes to condemn carbon tax," (The Hill — June 10, 2016).
[35] James Handley, "Don't Anchor a Carbon Tax to the Social Cost of Carbon" (Carbon Tax Center, 2015). British Columbia's carbon tax success story is tainted by its "frozen" price level that prevents the tax from continuing to reduce emissions as it did when the tax was rising by $5 every year. See "B.C. businesses call on Clark to lift carbon tax freeze," (Globe and Mail — March 31, 2016).
[36] Kelsey Snell, "Ryan releases plan to roll back Obama regulations," (Washington Post — June 14, 2016).
Author James HandleyPosted on July 3, 2016 July 15, 2016 Categories UncategorizedLeave a comment on Clinton Silent. Trump in Denial. Scalise Attempts Burial.
Welcome to the Carbon Tax Network
The best way to crowd-source climate action is by arming each and every one of us with more truthful energy prices…
Almost daily, we are pummeled by new scientific reports warning that Earth's climate is heating up at a record-breaking clip. Last week, as we celebrated Earth Day, world leaders gathered to sign the ambitious Paris climate treaty. And some presidential candidates have opened debate about effective climate policy, daring to break the taboo against even mentioning the notion of taxing carbon pollution.
Truth in energy pricing will spur a crowd-sourced transition to clean energy
Accelerating climate trends, the bold promise of the Paris agreement and the nascent domestic climate debate must converge on broad, transparent policies that open up long term business opportunities for newer, cleaner energy and efficiency to displace dirty fossil fuels. No single policy can possibly meet that enormous, multi-generational challenge. But we need everyone's active participation in this monumental transition that will affect every aspect of our lives. The best way to crowd-source climate action is by arming each and every one of us with more truthful energy prices and leaving us charge of making sound investment and purchasing decisions that reflect climate costs. Explicit and rising taxes on carbon pollution are the simplest and most direct way to convey the cost of climate risk through energy markets to every single investor and consumer so each of us can make the choices needed to drive down emissions. And carbon taxes are transparent and flexible enough to work within existing trade agreements to encourage and reinforce similar policies abroad. What's more, carbon taxes offer tremendous opportunities to make our overall tax system fairer and more efficient by shifting tax burdens off productive activity and onto pollution, while assisting impacted communities and funding more efficient infrastructure.
My aim is to offer:
A timely selection of relevant analysis, writing and discussion about carbon taxes as well as options to reform and simplify other climate and energy polices so they more effectively and transparently price climate costs. I am encouraged by the robust blossoming of climate policy literature in the past decade; I especially applaud and seek to disseminate the spade work: empirical analysis to confirm, quantify and refine theoretical predictions, in effect sharpening the available policy tools.
A forum linking policy analysts, climate activists and policymakers to one another and to a "reference library" of cutting-edge information. I welcome your participation, feedback and support.
Author James HandleyPosted on April 24, 2016 April 24, 2016 Categories UncategorizedLeave a comment on Welcome to the Carbon Tax Network
Prices are the primary information signals in our market economy. As long as energy prices leave out climate and health costs, "free markets" are a lie; the un-priced cost of climate damage threatens to end our civilization.
How Neo-Liberals Shattered the New Deal Coalition… and How Sunrise is Melding it Back Together
Why We Can't Afford NOT To Do the Green New Deal — NOW!
How Strategic Racism Has Thwarted Climate Progress for Decades
Book Review: "Paying for Pollution: Why a Carbon Tax is Good for America"
Fast Thaw — What Are Arctic Lakes Telling Us?
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Hotel Cozumel & Resort is well known among families and divers for being whithin walking distance to the gorgeous downtown. Also because it features cozy and comfortable rooms and facilities, friendly staff and lots of entertainment for kids and grown-ups. We are certain that in Hotel Cozumel & Resort you will find home away home.
174 air conditioning standard room with one king or two double beds, satellite TV, direct dial telephone, coffee maker, radio/alarm-clock, safety deposit box, iron and ironing board. Bathroom is provided with shower and bathtub, hairdryer and toiletries.
All rooms with private balcony and most of them overlook the largest swimming pool in Cozumel. Occupancy: 3 adults or 2 adults + 2 children under 12 years old.
6 air conditioning deluxe rooms with king size bed. These spacious rooms feature a small and cozy hall, satellite TV, direct dial telephone, coffee maker, radio/alarm-clock, safety deposit box, iron and ironing board. Bathroom is provided with shower and bathtub, hairdryer and deluxe toiletries.
All rooms with private balcony with Jacuzzi overlooking the beautiful Caribbean Sea.
1 Master Suite. This air conditioning spacious suite is ideal for families or for an intimate and unforgettable vacation. This Suite features a comfortable living room with a plasma screen TV with DVD and direct dial telephone, a dinning room for 6 and equipped kitchen. The master room has been equipped with king size bed, plasma screen TV, direct dial telephone, walk-in closet, radio/alarm-clock, safety deposit box, spacious marble finished bathroom with bathtub, shower, hairdryer and deluxe toiletries.
Occupancy: up to 6 adults + 2 children under 12 years old.
The additional room is equipped with two double beds, closet, plasma screen TV, direct dial telephone and adjoining bathroom.
This suite is complimented with a huge terrace overlooking the swimming pool, Jacuzzi and sun terrace.
LOS ARCOS: It is the main restaurant located by the front desk, serving the perfect morning start buffet breakfast and dinner.
LOBBY BAR: Offers a wide variety or domestic liquors and beer. A perfect place to watch a favorite sport or to play some of our table games.
LOS PERICOS Grill. It serves snacks and beverages in a relaxing atmosphere by the largest pool of Cozumel.
Hours service: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm.
LOS GIRASOLES Enjoy an extraordinary ocean view during the lunch; this restaurant is open from 12:00 pm -4:00 pm.
European Plan: this is based on room only. The rates displayed in our "Reservations Link" are subject to the applicable taxes and do not include gratuities.
Due to the short distance between our hotel and downtown, besides enjoying a relaxed walk you will be able to find many restaurants and bar offering a wide variety of food; regional, Mexican, Italian, fusion and international. However, Hotel Cozumel & Resort features 3 restaurants and 4 bars (see below). You as our guest have 20% off in Food and Beverages.
All Inclusive: With this program everything comes inclusive; applicable taxes, gratuities, breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner, beverages, day and night entertainment, open air gym, pool tables and a beautiful kid´s club.


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Review: Whiplash
A frenzied journey of self-discovery
theatre review (adelaide) | Read in About 2 minutes query_builder
By Emma O'Connell-Doherty
Scott Wings, a Melbourne-based spoken word performer, has won awards for his previous show Icarus Falling. And it is easy to see why – he uses no props, and his show is entirely without ornament save for some musical interludes and basic lighting changes. Yet for much of his show he has the audience transfixed.
He delivers the material with a Jim Carrey-esque knack for physical comedy. Given his extreme physicality as a performer, it makes sense that in the first portion of the show he takes a look at the body and its processes. Each body part is its own character. Think Disney and Pixar's Inside Out if the protagonist was a 35-year-old man haunted by bad relationships and life choices. A segment towards the end of the show, in which Wings takes aim at the deluge of pointless information on social media, is another highlight.
Wings' rich use of language and his raucously foul comedic sensibility gives balance to his self-help-style material. Material that could, in other hands, be a load of saccharine new-age codswallop laden with well-worn platitudes about finding yourself and following your heart, ad nauseam. But here it manages to be raw and irreverently funny – a rare treat for the genre.


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#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>

#import "RCTDefines.h"

/**
 * Returns the optimal context size for an image drawn using the clip rect
 * returned by RCTClipRect.
 */
RCT_EXTERN CGSize RCTTargetSizeForClipRect(CGRect clipRect);

/**
 * This function takes an input content size & scale (typically from an image),
 * a target size & scale that it will be drawn into (typically a CGContext) and
 * then calculates the optimal rectangle to draw the image into so that it will
 * be sized and positioned correctly if drawn using the specified content mode.
 */
RCT_EXTERN CGRect RCTClipRect(CGSize sourceSize, CGFloat sourceScale,
                              CGSize destSize, CGFloat destScale,
                              UIViewContentMode resizeMode);

/**
 * This function takes an input content size & scale (typically from an image),
 * a target size & scale that it will be displayed at, and determines if the
 * source will need to be upscaled to fit (which may result in pixelization).
 */
RCT_EXTERN BOOL RCTUpscalingRequired(CGSize sourceSize, CGFloat sourceScale,
                                     CGSize destSize, CGFloat destScale,
                                     UIViewContentMode resizeMode);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Restaurants, cafes and best clothes bargain are not the only things Bandung is famous for. Bandung has beautiful natural surroundings which are located slightly outskirt of the city center. While there are many famous places for its beauty in Bandung, there is a newly discovered place: Stone Garden or known as Taman Batu Geo Park. Well, it is not that new as people living nearby the area have known the place for many years. It was not accessible before it was opened for public in 2014. Taman Batu Geo Park only gains its popularity recently when a local travel TV programme aired the beauty of the place.
We were so curious about "Taman Batu" when we heard it for the first time and immediately googled it. To our surprise it is not on Wikipedia page just yet by the time we went there (and while this post was written). Finding the information in English was still a challenge for off the beaten path spot like Stone Garden. At this point in time, I feel lucky for being Indonesian thus I could easily understand the stories written by local travel bloggers. Needless to say we visited Stone Garden after reading and looking at pictures captured by those local travel bloggers.
It took us nearly 30 minutes from Bandung to reach the exit toll road gate of Padalarang. It took another 45 minutes from the toll road exit gate to reach parking lot of the Stone Garden because of the traffic and the bad condition of entrance road to the Stone Garden. The road to enter the site has not been paved just yet. I could not drive faster than 20km/hour after getting to the entrance road to the Stone Garden. Our first impression was that the efforts to turn Stone Garden as a tourist spot are underway. Simple/traditional toilets are available on site, a parking space is available and a modest entrance locket is also available. We were a little bit shock knowing the entrance fee was only IDR 5,000 or less than USD .50 cent and parking only costed us less than USD 1.
Splendid, that was our first impression the moment we saw a formation of stones on the hill. If you ask me to come up with a list of must do things in Bandung, I would put a visit to Stone Garden on top of the list.
Pawon Cave or Gua Pawon in Indonesian is an important archaeology site located nearby the Stone Garden. The archaeologists discovered ancient fossil inside the Cave when they explored the site. The exact spot where the fossil was discovered is fenced and close for entrance but replica of the fossil is displayed within the fence. It is believed that the Cave was once a house of ancient people with rooms and windows.
There are stairs to reach the main point of the Cave which make it easy to enter the Cave. A pungent smell of bats (or rather bats turd) greets you the moment you step into the cave. It is best to wear mask if you cannot stand bad smell. The Cave may not be a huge place to explore but still it requires good stamina to duck down in some places. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes.
Taking public transportation is not recommended in all over places in Indonesia for cleanliness, efficiency and safety reason. The easiest and most comfortable way to reach Taman Batu Geo Park is by car.
Stone Garden: take toll road heading to Padalarang and exit at Padalarang Gate, then go straight ahead toward Kota Baru Parahyangan and exit Kota Baru Parahyangan heading toward Cianjur. Continue on driving to Jalan Raya Cipatat and take a right turn to a black gate.
Pawon Cave: getting out from Stone Garden road, turn right toward Cianjur direction and continue driving for about 1 kilometer and take a right turn to a black gate.
Entrance Ticket: IDR 5,000/pax, Parking fee: IDR 3,000 – 5,000.
Best time to visit: early in the morning before it gets too hot and after 0400 pm. Avoid visiting the site on rainy days because it will get slippery in most of places.
Have you heard about Stone Garden and Pawon Cave before? Will you spare time to visit Stone Garden and Pawon Cave while traveling to Bandung?


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Testing the Mint Floor-Cleaning Robot
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When the Roomba began stumbling over carpets everywhere in 2002, mankind's dual fascination with robots and avoiding housework finally coalesced. But the Mint tweaked its original concept, gaining nods from all hardwood, tile or linoleum floors with few area rugs.
Roomba began in 2002, combining mankind's fascination with robots and abhorrence to housework. But its original concept was tweaked by Mint's automatic floor cleaner. It replaces the suction with wet/dry Swiffer cloth, in addition to a remotely synced GPS-like movement guide. The Mint is smaller, and it's a square machine that sweeps and mops the floor. Its locomotion is guided by another sensor placed somewhere in the room that needs cleaning. It cleans in a zig-zag pattern, and returns to its starting point after making sure that everything is spic and span. It can sweep and mop, depending on the Swiffer cloth that is attached to it.
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It would be easy just to classify Hologram Earth as another djent disciple of Meshuggah. And to be honest, they are quite similar when it comes to the basics of polyrhythms and palm muting. But there's A LOT different about this band and their album "Black Cell Program" that it does merit a much closer look. And that look really pays off.
Vocally, the band are quite different. There's a mix of harsh and clean vocals on the album. While I don't think the harsh vocals are on par with Jens Kidman, the clean vocals do offer dynamics that Kidman simply isn't capable of. Also, Hologram Earth are willing to take real risks like including horns, and a slight Middle Eastern vibe on "Outnumbered" which definitely pays off.
Having the album mastered by the great Jens Borgen certainly gives the album a great sound. It helps out especially on the more subtle parts (another difference with Hologram Earth is that they HAVE subtle parts) on tracks like "Circadian." Before the track kicks in, it just sounds other worldly. The chorus on this track is really hooky as well. The key solo is just flat out prog.
In this way they remind me more of VOLA than Meshuggah. In some ways, Hologram Earth are the missing link between these bands. Not as brutal as Meshuggah yet quite heavy, and not as melodic as VOLA but very melodic at times. I even hear some Tool in spots. There is a lot going on on "Black Cell Program" which is another reason the album is such a great listen. There's a lot to be discovered over time.
The band also enlisted the help of Shining mainman Jørgen Munkeby for the track "Moment of Despair." The song is certainly heavy yet ethereal and somewhat jazzy (BLACKJAZZ!). "Rebirth" pushes the band into an epic territory: tons of space and dripping in atmosphere. This is an incredible track. The horns on it remind me a bit of Bowie's "Blackstar." And don't get too comfortable because it does get heavy eventually.
The title track is another djent-fest which bookends the album well. While I like it, I think the moments where the band take their sound all over the place is more interesting than when they just kick onto a Meshuggah ladened groove. Said groove is just a small piece of the overall puzzle that is Hologram Earth. "Black Cell Program" is a fascinating album which hopefully is just the start of the journey for this band. It's clear to me that they could really go in any direction!
This entry was posted in atmospheric metal, djent, experimental rock, extreme metal, progressive metal and tagged music review. Bookmark the permalink.


Super soft hoodie with cute personalised unicorn design. Printed on your choice of colour in white glitter! Please check 'Make this item a Gift' put the name you require in the message box, alternatively please send us a message. - Brand New supersoft Hoodie! - Printed on your choice of colour in white glitter! - Personalised with your name, just select as gift and add in message box! - Wash at low temperature, Iron inside out!
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Health Minister Jonathan Coleman today launched a new national Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI) prevention programme.
"This Government believes in supporting women and families to have healthy babies who grow up to be healthy kids," says Dr Coleman.
"Our current SUDI rate is approximately 0.7 in every 1,000 babies born, and 1.59 for every 1,000 Maori babies born. We are working to reduce this rate to 0.1 in every 1,000 births by 2025.
"This new national programme will help to reduce the overall rate of SUDI by 86 per cent overall, and by 94 per cent for Maori, by 2025. This would reduce the number of SUDI deaths from 44 to six.
"Hâpai Te Hauora has been selected as the provider to deliver the new national SUDI prevention coordination service.
"They will provide national coordination of SUDI prevention services to strengthen regional and local responsiveness to families whose new baby is identified as being at higher risk of SUDI.
"The national prevention programme will target two of the biggest preventable risks for SUDI, which are being exposed to tobacco smoke during pregnancy and having the baby sharing a bed.
"It will better utilise innovative approaches to reduce smoking, including smoking cessation incentive programmes. From September we will be providing safe sleep devices such as wahakura or pepipods to families identified as needing them during the baby's first year of life.
"A range of other evidence-based risk and protective factors will also be incorporated into the national prevention programme. These include encouraging immunisation, breastfeeding, and sleeping baby on their back.
"This strengthened national prevention programme will help to protect the 60,000 babies born each year in New Zealand to ensure they have the best chance for a healthy and long future.
This programme is being supported by the $888 million being invested into Vote Health this year, taking its total budget to a record $16.8 billion.


Bartolotta's Lake Park Bistro's beautiful setting in a park pavilion overlooking Lake Michigan and its award-winning cuisine have made it the premier dining and special event destination in Milwaukee since 1995. The menu ranges from traditional to modern.
Originally from the North Shore of Chicago, Bartolotta's Lake Park Bistro Executive Chef, Adam Siegel unknowingly began his culinary career helping out at Michael's, his stepfather's restaurant, at the tender age of 14. He has since worked throughout the United States with three James Beard Award-winning Chefs on both coasts and in some very prestigious Michelin star restaurants in Italy and France. Adam, an alumnus of the culinary school at Kendall College in Chicago received his formative training at Spiaggia under his mentor and James Beard award-winning Chef Paul Bartolotta. During his 3 years at Spiaggia, Siegel worked in every station in the kitchen before requesting Chef Bartolotta arrange for him to study with Chef Julian Serrano at Masa's in San Francisco, where he remained for more than 2 years. From there, Siegel ventured to Italy for a year at the Michelin two-star Ristorante San Domenico di Imola with Chef Valentino Marcattilii, returning stateside to open Olives in Washington D.C. with yet another James Beard Award winner Chef Todd English.
When a Chef de Cuisine was needed at Bartolotta's Lake Park Bistro, Siegel's credentials made him the obvious choice. In 2000, Paul Bartolotta summoned his protégé home. During the two-and-a-half years as Chef de Cuisine, Siegel continued his culinary and cultural education traveling extensively in France studying the nuances of French cuisine and working brief stages at La Regalade in Paris with Chef Yves Camdeborde and at L'Ardoise with Chef Pierre Jay. Chef Siegel was perfectly prepared for his present position as Executive Chef of Bartolotta's Lake Park Bistro.
Since taking over the helm as Executive Chef, Adam has made the menu his own demonstrating three distinctive cooking styles. Les Plats Classique represents Lake Park Bistro's signature dishes; Les Plats Traditionnel are traditionally prepared Regional French Bistro fare and La Cuisine Modern du Chef are Chef Siegel's modern and contemporary interpretations of today's ever-evolving French bistro cuisine. In 2005, Adam added to his duties by taking over the kitchen of Bacchus – A Bartolotta Restaurant as its Executive Chef. At Bacchus, Adam has broadened his cooking repertoire by creating stellar contemporary American dishes.
In 2007, Adam returned to France to work with Michelin 2 star chef Thierry Marx at his top restaurant in Bordeaux, Cordeillan Bages, and also at Francois Pasteau's l'Epi Dupin in Paris. In April 2007 Adam received a James Beard Award nomination for Best Chef in the Midwest. Adam did not take the award that year but was again nominated in 2008. 2008 would prove to be Adam's year; he won the James Beard Award for Best Chef Midwest 2008 on June 8, 2008.
Since the prestigious James Beard Award, Adam has been cooking with some of the best chefs in the country. In 2009 he hosted a Top Chef dinner in Milwaukee with season three and four winners as well as other top named James Beard Award-Winning Chefs. Thomas Keller also shared a kitchen with Adam in 2009 for an Ad Hoc dinner. In 2010 Adam was a guest on No Reservations, which airs on the food network with host Anthony Bourdain. Adam took Bourdain around town and showed off the cuisine that made Milwaukee famous.
John Raymond is a Wisconsin native with more than 30 years of experience in the culinary arts industry. He's been a well-known executive chef in Milwaukee for over 20 years. You may recall him as Owner/Chef of Roots Restaurant in Brewer's Hill and now of course, as Chef de Cuisine of Lake Park Bistro. An avid farmer, urban edible landscape designer, and accomplished forager, John is passionate about all things food and food culture.