As couples begin thinking about their wedding, they are often confused as to how much to spend, where to obtain specialized services, and how to choose vendors. After the euphoria wears off and the reality settles in, it's shocking to discover of how much preparation is involved.
Couples are faced with decisions about everything from invitation wording to planning their honeymoon. Couples often find they want experienced professional help.
Not long ago, a wedding coordinator was thought of as a luxury, only used by the wealthy. Now a coordinator is mostly essential to the well-planned affair. It is no longer "trendy" to engage a coordinator.. The coordinator can take advantage of discounts not available to private parties and avoid costly mistakes, while turning your dream to have a special wedding on the Lakes into reality.
So, a wedding planner is a consultant to help you plan your special day.
Wedding coordinators are not here to make decisions for you, but is a private consultant to guide and assist you in making informed decisions. Her or his training, knowledge, and experience will turn your dreams and expectations into reality. She or he can act as the family counsellor for apprehensive brides and the mothers; a wedding coordinator can become as close as your best friend.
Trust is important in any relationship. You should feel completely comfortable with the coordinator and feel assured that he or she completely understands what your needs are.
A professional wedding planner knows etiquette from the socially correct formats through proper planning and organization of your wedding.
As your planner she or he has necessary contacts to match you with the right wedding professionals on the Lakes. As a coordinator will also work with your wedding professionals that you have chosen to make sure all the details are set just the way you want them. The planner will help you organize your dream wedding on the beautiful scenarios of the Lakes and keep you within your budget by suggesting ways to save money.
You can afford a wedding planner since it is not an extra expense if you consider the planning part of your wedding budget. Your wedding planner will even be able to save you money, she or he knows very well Lakes area and she or he will be able to suggest the appropriate vendors that will provide professional services to accommodate your budget.
It is money well spent to have a wedding planner overseeing the wedding professionals that you have spent an investment with to insure that your day goes just as you have paid for and planned.
Of course you may also opt to plan the entire wedding yourself or have a family member and even a friend to help, which is sometimes part of the fun of the wedding.
However, it can also be a huge hassle and a headache especially if you, your family member, or friend does not have the proper professional wedding training that most professional wedding planners have and experienced without considering the deep knowledge of Lakes are that you may not have.
In addition to just finding wedding vendors, you'll need to check out sources, make sure all the details are in place, and worry about whether you're getting the best deal, and, ultimately, if everything will turn out right.
A professional wedding planner has the training and experience to do the groundwork, and make sure it all works the way you want it to, while you relax and enjoy your staying on the Lakes.
When you hire a wedding planner you know that you are buying quality, service, knowledge, professionalism, creativity, guidance, legwork, a stress reliever, an etiquette expert and a personal assistant and friend.
As a wedding coordinator I travel a lot in Piemonte organizing events: Langhe, Monferrato, Olympic valleys near Sestriere, up to Stresa and Pallanza on Lake Maggiore.
This was also in for Luisa and Massimiliano's wedding.
A Saturday in the beginning of this summer. The day begins with a shady sun that soon turns in a wonderful, sunny and warm day. Just like Luisa wished.
Luisa and I have worked together for months, just one close to the other to plan her wedding in every single detail.
Right after the photographs in stunning main square of Orta, Luisa is getting closer to the great moment.


text:
/*
 * DynArray.h
 *
 *  Created on: Dec 27, 2016
 *      Author: brian-dev
 */

#ifndef UTIL_DYNARRAY_H_
#define UTIL_DYNARRAY_H_

namespace VulpUtil
{

template <class T>
class DynArray
{
public:
	DynArray(unsigned int size);
	virtual ~DynArray();

	void push(T item);
	T pop();

private:
	T dynarray[];
	void realloc();
};

} /* namespace VulpUtil */

#endif /* UTIL_DYNARRAY_H_ */

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Ducati posts record sales in 2021
Italian motorcycle manufacturer saw growth in all major countries.
Ducati ended 2021 with record sales, with the Italian manufacturer delivering 59,447 motorcycles to customers worldwide during the year.
It represents an increase of 24 per cent over 2020's sales figures and 12 per cent over 2019's.
The year of Ducati! 2021 was a magical year with a record over 59,000 units distributed from Ducati to the world. Add the 2021 Constructor's Title championship, and we couldn't be more proud. Thanks to all passionate Ducatisti for the continued support! https://t.co/W90G7Nrp57 pic.twitter.com/BLFN3DEGok
— Ducati (@DucatiMotor) January 12, 2022
The firm's Multistrada V4 was its best-selling model in 2021, with 9,957 examples shifted to riders across the globe. The United States was Ducati's leading market, with 9,007 motorcycles sent to the country – a 32 per cent increase on 2020 – followed by the firm's native Italy, which bought 8,707 bikes, an increase of 23 per cent on the year prior.
Germany was next with 6,107 units, followed by China, France and the UK with sales of 4,901, 4,352 and 2,941 respectively.
Plenty of suspension travel means the DesertX can tackle tough conditions
Claudio Domenicali, Ducati CEO, said: "2021 was a magical year for Ducati. We delivered over 59,000 motorcycles, a number never achieved before in 95 years of the company's history. We also won the title of MotoGP Constructors' World Champion for the second consecutive year, and we started the electric era of our company with the V21L prototype, which foresees the bike that will race in the MotoE championship from 2023.
"The pandemic, which is still underway, in addition to generating so much suffering, has also made activities more complex, forcing us to conduct a continuous internal reorganisation."
The Ducati Scrambler family of motorcycles also proved popular during 2021, with 9,059 units shifted globally, only slightly ahead of the Monster, which saw sales of 8,734. The firm also showcased many future models in 2021, including the off-road focused DesertX, which aims to take advantage of the flourishing demand for adventure bikes.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Отворено првенство Катара 2012. је био професионални тениски турнир за жене који се играо на отвореним теренима са тврдом подлогом. Турнир се играо десети пут, у Дохи, у Катару, од 13. до 19. фебруара.

Учеснице

Носиоци

 1 Пласман на ВТА листи од 6. фебруара 2012.

Остале учеснице
Тенисерке које су добиле специјалну позивницу за учешће на турниру:
  Фатма ал Набхани
  Онс Јабеур
  Нађа Лалами

Тенисерке које су до главног жреба дошле играјући квалификације:
  Катерина Бондаренко
  Вера Душевина
  Каролина Гарсија
  Ен Киотавонг
  Варвара Лепченко
  Уршула Радвањска
  Виржини Разано
  Александра Вознијак

Побједнице

Појединачно

 Викторија Азаренка је побиједила Саманту Стосур, 6–1, 6–2.

Парови

 Лизел Хубер и  Лиса Рејмонд су побиједиле  Абигејл Спирс и  Ракел Копс-Џоунс, 6–3, 6–1.

Спољашње везе
 Званична интернет презентација

Тенис 2012.
Отворено првенство Катара за жене

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Where I can Buy Raspberry Ketones in Lombardei Italy?
Reviews » Raspberry Ketone » Where I can Buy Raspberry Ketones in Lombardei Italy?
You could now get Raspberry Ketones in Lombardei Italy.
Furthermore there are a few things you need to find out about this new weight loss supplement that most customers do not discover and well aid you recognize the difference in between an actual ketone supplement and the many artificial ones available.
Given that the Dr Oz diet regimen show where he recommended raspberry ketones they have turneded into one of the most well-liked weight loss procedure that you can do right at home.
Let's take a look at exactly what the raspberry ketones do and just how they help you drop weight. So you can start by looking at this weight loss supplement as a turbo-charger for your body's energy levels.
It will increase weight loss by protecting against the absorption of fatty tissue while raising your metabolic rate which burns alreadying existing fatty tissue cells. This makes this one of finest weight loss supplements on the market.
You can lose weight with regular diet/exercise likewise yet just what's making this supplement so prominent is that it will securely speed up the procedure.
Truth is raspberry ketone isn't really going to amazingly improve your physical body into losing 30 or 40 pounds in a week and web site with such cases need to be stayed clear of. Nonetheless, if you exercise routinely, raspberry ketones will make it less complicated to burn fat and remain it off.
Raspberry ketones Lombardei Italy has currently helped countless Lombardei Italy folks to reduce weight and we here from our client regularly informing us exactly how our formula has helped them. You can be the next success story. We believe in our raspberry ketone supplement, and you will certainly also after you try it.
There are several one-of-a-kind wellness benefits offered by actual Ketones taken from raspberries and we have provided the 5 major benefits for you and exactly how they function.
Weight Loss-- Medical researches were carried out on mice that reveal significant reduction in belly fat in those that were given ketone doses daily. Weight loss is the primary benefit of raspberry ketones when taken daily. A lot of customers view noticeably results in within a week or two, depending on their diet, existing weight and exercise degrees. Feedback for individuals which have taken ketones have actually reported weight loss of approximately 10lbs, 20lbs and in some cases even 30lbs+ within the initial 3 months.
Lowers Bad Cholesterol levels-- In human test clinical researches, researchers checked the cholesterol levels ratings and found that ketones decreases higher LDL (Bad Cholesterol levels) degrees while on the other side increased HDL degrees (Good cholesterol). Higher levels of HDL have been revealed to shield versus heart attacks. Low degrees of HDL (less than 40 mg/dL) also raise the risk of heart disease.
Gets rid of Free Radicals-- Red raspberries and it's ketones are well known as a superb source of antioxidants just by themselves. Raspberry ketone consists of some of the most effective antioxidants, which will certainly eliminate risky cost-free radicals from the body. Free radicals decrease our physical bodies food digestion processes and damage our skin, so it is essential to eliminate them via purifying.
Lowers Blood Pressure - Scientific research studies performed in the United States have shown that taking a raspberry ketone supplement can help lower blood stress naturally. These researches show that after about a month, users had dropped their blood stress levels by about 15 %. Every one of the people were borderline hypertensive prior to the research study and were thought about to be healthy at the end of the research study.
Enhanced Brain Feature-- Newer research studies now reveal that using raspberry ketone can help improve key brain functions, including memory. A few of our raspberry ketone consumers have informed us that our supplement has actually boosted their concentration, concentration and memory recognition.
Where to Buy Raspberry Ketone in Lombardei Italy?
Here are a few methods you can sort out good supplements from poor quality supplements for your safety.
Free Delivery Provides-- Looks like a large amount but fact is retailers can deliver completely free since it's a lower top quality supplement. Commonly poor quality implies a man-made ketone produced in a laboratory which amounted to a whole lot much less to make.
High Dose of Raspberry Ketone-- This is an excellent way to locate grainy supplements. If you see offers for 200- 600mg of ketones each pill stay way. Once more they effectively could be this high of a dose yet it's possibly not pure. If it actually is then truth expense of the item would be about $60-- $120 a container. In this case the much more it amounted to the better possibility you have of acquiring an actual Ketone supplement.
Here's exactly what you can do to prevent buying low quality weight loss supplements. Looking for an active ingredient tag won't consistently assist given that it's legal to put an artificial ketone on the tag despite the fact that it's not pure or organic so you can go by rate as a beginning fact. If it's under $35 it's probably best to steer clear of.
The best spots to buy Raspberry Ketone Supplements in Lombardei Italy is from a relied on source with real and natural substances.
If you seen the Dr. Oz Episode were he was endorsing Raspberry Ketones he and his visitor suggest taking 2, 100mg supplements a day. When in the morning to provide you a natural improvement to begin the day and as soon as around noon time to get you through the afternoon.
Do not take this supplement at night because it may remain you awake through the night. Your metabolism will slow at night normally and you do not want to interrupt this procedure as the body prepares for Fasting assumed the night.
To take additional then this recommend raspberry ketone dose can be a waste of money. The physical body merely could not process more than this as it will discard the remainder as waste definition you'll be wasting your cash.
Where to Buy Raspberry Ketone Plus in West Bengal India?
Where to Buy Raspberry Ketone Plus in Falcon Venezuela?


Zak Anderson is a native Texan and a Dallas area local. Raised in McKinney, Texas, Zak has seen the Dallas/Collin/Denton County areas grow rapidly to where they are today and continues to be excited about the growth and opportunity to come in the future. Zak graduated from Baylor University in May 2002 with a BBA in Marketing with a focus on International Business. While attending Baylor he served as president of the Baylor University Men's Volleyball Team for two years and was active as a player (four years) and coach. At Baylor, he attended the European Business Seminars – a Baylor Hankamer School of Business study-abroad program. The EBS focused on many important topics such as international market penetration, multi-national marketing strategies, product placement, international culture and many other areas. After graduation from Baylor University, he went to work for the Northwestern Mutual Financial Network as a Financial Sales Representative and was trained extensively by certified instructors in the sales, marketing and prospecting arenas.
He has since worked for Vail Resorts Development Company in Breckenridge, Colorado and the Sewell Automotive Group in Dallas, Texas, as well as an international trading and consulting company, ETCetera International, where he was extensively exposed to international business commerce, trading, and negotiations. Zak earned Rookie of The Year his first full year in the residential real estate industry. Zak brings over eight years of sales and consulting experience to Ebby, as well as the ability to develop effective and beneficial negotiation strategies, establish creative ideas and solutions, and create and launch marketing plans – domestic and international. He exercises organizational and interpersonal skills in a professional environment and possesses the ability to build a rapport with prospective clientele quickly and effectively. In his spare time, Zak enjoys spending time with his wife, Erica, and his two dogs (Bailey and Pico), as well as recreational activities such as volleyball, wakeboarding, snowboarding, mountain biking, reading, and traveling.


text:
Art Vienna
Vienna is full of art museums, but also private galleries. And the Art Vienna fair brings the latter together to present a selection of contemporary art to an international audience.
International modern art fair inside the Hofburg palace
Next dates: TBA
See also: Vienna events | Leopold Museum | MAK museum
What's Art Vienna?
The clue is in the title. Whereby we're not talking court portraits from the 17th century. Think Dalí, rather than Dürer.
2019 was the second Art Vienna fair, the first having attracted over 15,000 visitors back in 2017. Various galleries come together to present works from across the contemporary art, modernism, and design spectrum. The featured artists include both established global names, local favourites, and upcoming talent.
The 2019 event took place in the Hofburg, the former seat of the Habsburgs – a family and location with a rich artistic tradition of their own; the monarchs as collectors, the palace as a gallery for the contemporary art of its time.
The Hofburg now serves various functions, one of which is to combine Imperial elegance with modern facilities in the form of a congress centre.
Dates & tickets
I don't yet have dates for the next art fair. Soon as I get any information, I'll post it here. In 2019, the event ran from Friday, March 15th to Sunday, March 17th, 11 am to 7 pm; a day ticket cost €13 for adults, with kids and students (under 27) free.
In the absence of details of any future fair, here a reminder of what happened at Art Vienna 2019, where some 28 galleries exhibited such works as:
Water Lilies with Willows by Roy Lichtenstein, the pop art genius whose Masterpiece sold for $165 million in 2017
Jean-Michel Basquiat's Flexible
Works by Gottfried Helnwein, Jean Mirós, Josef Mikl and Arnulf Rainer (who gets his own exhibition at Vienna's Albertina later in the year in celebration of his 90th birthday)
According to the organisers, works by Andy Warhol, Banksy and many other sold at the fair.
The fair also included a special Hofburg under the Carpet art exhibition.
Participating artists each took a specific carpet from the Hofburg as a starting point for developing unique artwork that examines issues around power structures. It's a theme with some resonance, given the palace was the centre of political power in the Austrian Empire for hundreds of year.
How to get to the Hofburg
As the former residence of the Emperor, it's no surprise to find the Hofburg congress centre in the old town and within walking distance of many of Vienna's main tourist locations (in fact, the Hofburg is a main tourist location).
Subway: The Hofburg sits at the centre of a circle formed by five subway stations, all of which are a few minutes walk away: Karlsplatz (U1, U2, U4 lines), Stephansplatz (U1, U3), Herrengasse (U3), Museumsquartier (U2), Volkstheater (U2, U3)
Tram/bus: You want the Burgring station, which stops almost outside the building. Take the tram lines that run along the Ringstrassen (1, 2, D and 71)
If you're in the Hofburg area and interested in art and design, pop into the Weltmuseum across the square as well. This is a museum of people and cultures, featuring artifacts from across the world and through history.
And the Museumsquartier is not far away, home to three modern art museums (including the Leopold Museum, host of the first Art Vienna).
Address: Kongresszentrum Hofburg Vienna, Heldenplatz, 1010 Vienna | Website
Ad: Vienna Sightseeing Pass
Events & activities by month
What to do in July
What to do with kids
Vienna at Christmas
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The Musikverein
The New Year's Concert
…at Christmas
Opera in Vienna
English cinemas
Ad: Book your tickets
Discover Vienna:
Sightseeing in Vienna
At Easter
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Vienna Pass
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Save time/money
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Using your car
Musician & artist trails
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Local food and drink
Eating out & shopping
Visiting Vienna is an independent tourist and visitor information guide written by a local resident
Privacy and data protection policy | About, Contact and Impressum
Disclaimer: Check locally for up-to-date information on the topics/places/events covered here before you travel or book
*I accept no payments from websites to talk about them in an article. However, some like to give me a small "finder's fee" if a visitor follows my links and then buys something at their website. Such text links are marked with a *. I try not to let this affect my objectivity (I link to vastly more attractions and services that pay no finder's fee).
All text and photos copyright Mark Brownlow 2005-2019 unless otherwise indicated


text:
Q: Sending discord direct message by user ID using Python i made a discord bot that sends messages by user id.
the problem is that i cannot run this bot.
the code is:
import discord
from discord.ext import commands
import json

bot = commands.Bot(command_prefix='?')

@bot.event
async def on_ready():
    print(' [!] messaging..\n')

    with open("ids.json", "r") as file:
        data = json.load(file)

    indx = 0
    for i in data:
        indx += 1
        member = await bot.fetch_user(i)
        try:
            await member.send("message to send")
            print(f" [+] Sent message {indx} / {len(data)}")
        except Exception as e:
            print(f" [!] {e}")

    print(" [+] Done")

bot.run("bot token", bot = False)

And the error I get is:
Ignoring exception in on_ready
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/opt/virtualenvs/python3/lib/python3.8/site-packages/discord/client.py", line 343, in _run_event
    await coro(*args, **kwargs)
  File "main.py", line 17, in on_ready
    member = await bot.fetch_user(i)
  File "/opt/virtualenvs/python3/lib/python3.8/site-packages/discord/client.py", line 1384, in fetch_user
    data = await self.http.get_user(user_id)
  File "/opt/virtualenvs/python3/lib/python3.8/site-packages/discord/http.py", line 250, in request
    raise NotFound(r, data)
discord.errors.NotFound: 404 Not Found (error code: 10013): Unknown User

A: Error 404 means not found.
So in discord error 404 means user not found.
So check your user id and try again

A: IDs need to be ints
with open("ids.json", "r") as file:
    data = json.load(file)

indx = 0
for i in data:
    indx += 1
    member = await bot.fetch_user(i)
    # and so on...

The problem here is that JSON keys (assuming the data is a object, if it's a array then just make the items int by removing the quotes) cannot be anything other than strings, but fetch_user expects an int. another thing is that fetch_user does an API call in order to get the user, you should use get_user instead to avoid spamming the API. another thing is that you should use enumerate instead of making a variable then increasing that variable on each iteration
So the reformatted code is
with open("ids.json", "r") as file:
    data = json.load(file)

for indx, i in enumerate(data, start=1):
    indx += 1
    member = bot.get_user(int((i))
    # and so on...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
This Week In Forest Carbon: Lima Call For Action Undergoes Surgery
Steve Zwick
The Lima Call for Action set a procedure for countries to submit their contributions to fighting climate change, but the guidance on how to include land-use is thin so far. In other news, private investors have committed $365 million to restore 20 million hectares in Latin America and the Caribbean, a REDD+ pilot in Tanzania is stalling as it waits on a second phase of investment and an airplane laser-beamed an Alaskan forest to measure its carbon.
23 December 2014 | Officials participating in the United Nations (UN) climate talks in Lima, Peru often debated well past the witching hour, but had to pare down the negotiating text to scare up agreement on a final document.
Singapore Environment Minister Vivian Balakrishnan offered a colorful (and somewhat disturbing) metaphor for the compromise: "Before embarking on any surgery, the most important question is whether it is necessary, and you have to ask, 'What are the potential complications?'" he said. "If you are submitting for circumcision, be careful it doesn't become an amputation because the surgeon used too big a knife and took too much flesh."
The "surgery" went forward nonetheless, and the 50-page document shrunk down to a sleek 22 paragraphs. The "Lima Call for Action" set a procedure for countries to submit their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) – the country-level emissions-reductions proposals that will serve as the basis of the climate deal expected to be inked in Paris next year. While the previous document included a fair amount of detail, such as several options for including land-use provisions in INDCs, the "circumcised" one is less prescriptive, simply asking countries to explain their "land-use accounting approaches and expected use of market mechanisms."
Going forward, a key point of contention will continue to be the decades-old rift between the developed countries that have historically emitted the most carbon dioxide and the developing countries that currently bear the brunt of the consequences of climate change. But these developing nations are also poised to spew out a dangerous amount of carbon pollution in the coming decades if they do not soon steer towards a low-emissions development path.
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) established during the 16th Conference of Parties (COP 16) in Cancun, Mexico aimed to finance this transition, with developed countries pledging $100 billion per year by 2020 for mitigation and adaptation. Countries have been slow in ponying up the dough, but the GCF did reach a critical milestone in Lima as contributions from Norway and Belgium pushed it over the$10 billion threshold.
The onus is now on the GCF to assess and secure board approval for projects ahead of COP 21 in Paris. REDD projects could be among those fast-tracked since forest management and land-use have been defined as focus areas of the GCF.
"I would be more than delighted if some of the projects approved include forestry projects," said Héla Cheikhrouhou, GCF's Executive Director. But given the short time frame to Paris, she warned: "Don't bring us concepts that will take years to develop."
Here at Ecosystem Marketplace, we're wrapping up 2014 with some reflections, and we invite you to submit yours. What do you think were the top forest carbon stories of 2014? Rank the stories here, and make sure to give us your 2015 predictions for forest carbon, too! We'll publish select ones in our New Year's edition.
Wishing you a happy holiday.
The Governors' Climate and Forests (GCF) Fund issued a call for proposals to its members for efforts to monitor, report, and verify carbon stocks; address key gap areas in the design of jurisdictional programs; and enhance alignment with national efforts to reduce deforestation. Civil society organizations are encouraged to partner with GCF tropical forest member states. Under this round, the GCF Fund is seeking to support projects in Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Indonesia and Nigeria. Proposals are due January 24, 2015.
Despite the casual dress code declared due to limited air conditioning, COP 20 in Lima left the largest carbon footprint of any UN climate negotiations, emitting more than 50,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Jorge Alvarez, project coordinator for the UN Development Programme broke it down: 20% of the emissions came from the construction of the venue on Peru's army headquarters, 30% came from air travel as 11,000 people flew to Lima; 15-20% came from local transport (most delegates spent an hour or two per day on buses to get to and from the venue); and the remaining 30-35% came from electricity and food consumed on-site. The emissions were, however, offset with investments in 1,500 square miles of forest protection.
20/20 vision
Seven Latin American and Caribbean countries and two regional programs committed to restore 20 million hectares of degraded land by 2020, an area larger than Uruguay. The Initiative 20×20, officially launched at COP 20, is a major contribution to the Bonn Challenge, a global effort to restore 150 million hectares by the end of the decade. The initiative comes with $365 million in new private investment: $120 million from Althelia, $100 million from Permian Global, $80 million from Moringa, $60 million from Terra Bella, and $5 million from Rare. Projects will restore both natural forests and mosaic landscapes of trees, crops and livestock.
NATIONAL STRATEGY & CAPACITY
Ready to get results
Heru Prasetyo, head of Indonesia's REDD+ Agency, said the country will be ready for results-based payments for reducing deforestation by the end of 2016. The first step was submitting reference levels on Indonesia's historical deforestation to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – a task completed last week. The reference levels include both deforestation and degradation between 2000 and 2012 and projects that land-use change in Indonesia will result in 439 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year by 2020 under a business-as-usual scenario. Creating the reference level required pulling together disparate data from several sources across the country and getting different institutions to work together – a massive undertaking, according to the REDD+ Agency.
A busy day in Korea
The Korean Forest Service (KFS) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Cambodia to cooperate on UN-REDD programs. "Cambodia has a big presence among the REDD+ countries. Cambodia's experience and our business know-how from Indonesian projects will help us gain certified emissions reduction credits," a KFS spokesman told The Korea Herald. On the same day, KFS also signed an MOU with Myanmar on investing in afforestation, in a move they hope will pave the way for future climate investments. The deals were signed at special ministerial meetings on forestry held in Busan, South Korea.
A neutral meeting
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) committed to purchasing 1,070 carbon offsets to neutralize the emissions from an international event organized by the council. The offsets will come from a REDD+ project in the Shipibo Conibo and Cacataibo indigenous communities in Ucayali, Peru. Developed by Peruvian project developer AIDER under the Verified Carbon Standard and the Climate, Community, and Biodiversity Standards, the project is expected to reduce almost a million tonnes of carbon dioxide. Kim Carstensen, FSC Director General, noted it is difficult for an international organization to avoid travel (and the related emissions) altogether. "The fact that the carbon footprint of an event in Spain can be neutralized by communities in Peru is evidence of the truly global nature of sustainability," she said.
Not the greatest expectations
In 2009, the Jane Goodall Institute received $20,000 in start-up money from Norway to pilot REDD+ in seven villages in the Kigoma region of Tanzania. The villages competed for the cash based on their forest management efforts and even started using innovative smartphone monitoring. Everything seemed to be moving forward – but then the first installment of funding dried up, with uncertainty about a second phase. "Everyone – Norway and the proponents – underestimated the amount of money and work needed to do REDD+, to set up the process. They expected that by now we would be selling carbon, but that has not yet happened," said Demetrius Kweka, a researcher who has been analyzing REDD initiatives for a new book.
Coffee as collateral
Althelia Climate Fund has issued Peru's Cordillera Azul National Park a loan secured by more than eight million carbon offsets for forest conservation and agro-forestry, including activities such as coffee and cocao production. The agreement was announced by Peru's Environment Deputy Minister Gabriel Quijandria and US Ambassador to Peru Brian Nichols at an event at COP 20 last week. The loan will go to the Center for Conservation, Research and Management of Natural Areas, which manages the 1.4 million hectare park. Cordillera Azul spans tropical cloud and montane forests in the regions of San Martín, Ucayali, Huanuco and Loreto in Peru.
Front-line monitors
A new video released by AIDESEP, a national group representing Amazonian indigenous peoples in Peru, explains their "Veeduría Forestal," a community-based forest monitoring system that is projected to cover the 12 million hectares of titled forests that their communities inhabit. Through the program, forest monitors are trained in local forestry laws and to create a management plan in order to keep tabs on tree extraction, much of which is illegal. "It's important for us to have sufficient financing, to be able to guarantee that illegal logging doesn't continue in native communities," said Daysi Zapata, the Vice President of AIDESEP. Communities are waiting for official title to an additional 20 million hectares of land that are, in practice, community-managed.
Marching to the beat
Modeled after the People's Climate March in New York City last September, thousands of people took to Lima's streets on December 10th for their own call for climate action – the largest ever in Latin America. The marchers included Peruvians, Bolivians, Ecuadorians and many others, including strong indigenous contingents from all over the world – many of whom risk their lives to oppose extraction projects and are skeptical of pro-business solutions proposed within the UN climate negotiations. "It's very important to say there is no homogenous position regarding development," Ivonne Yánez of Acción Ecológica/Oil Watch in Ecuador told The Guardian. "A lot of the people here reject oil, reject mining. They even reject business projects that are supposed to be for forests."
Not much on the menu
A world without forests would be a hotter and drier one, with serious implications for food production, according to a new study published in Nature Climate Change. Even without taking into account the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from deforestation, a world with forest-bare tropics would be 0.7 degrees Celsius warmer and deforested areas would receive between 10% and 15% less rainfall, on average. "Tropical forests are often talked about as the 'lungs of the earth,' but they're more like the sweat glands," said Deborah Lawrence, the study's lead author. She found that there are likely "tipping points" of deforestation and that forest clearing in the tropics can affect climates in agricultural regions thousands of miles away.
Inhale, exhale
The UN's Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) just released its estimates for GHG emissions from the agriculture, forestry and land-use sector in 2012. Here's the damage: 5.4 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) from agriculture, 3.7 billion tCO2e from land conversion (a proxy for deforestation), 0.8 billion tCO2e from degraded peatlands, and 0.4 billion tCO2e from biomass fires. On the other side of the equation, forests absorbed 1.9 billion tCO2e in 2012. The numbers represent an all-time high for agricultural emissions, up 1% over 2011 due to increases in synthetic fertilizer applications, but land-use change emissions decreased as deforestation rates in several countries declined.
The best game of laser tag ever
For five weeks last summer, a flying, carbon-counting laser flew over the Tanana Valley of Alaska, which contains an Iowa-sized chunk of boreal forest. Throughout the mission a sensor called G-LiHT fired three different sensors at the landscape – lidar lasers to create a 3-D model of the trees; a hyper-spectral camera to pick up color changes that could indicate trees' age, type, and health; and a thermal camera that determines whether the soil is frozen, melted or dried-out. The data will be used to create a detailed inventory of the forest's stored carbon, but there is more work to be done. The Tanana Valley contains only about a fifth of Alaska's unmapped carbon.
The best possible outcome
The Global Landscapes Forum that was sandwiched in between two busy weeks of negotiations in Lima drew 1,700 participants from around the world, and an outcome statement outlines nine key messages that emerged from the event. Among them was the need to scale up landscape finance by reducing risks for investment and transforming capital markets. "Neither REDD+ nor supply chain action can succeed on their own, but these two approaches combined have the potential to achieve the goal of halting deforestation by 2030," the document states.
A multitasking plant
Bamboo forests could store more than one million tCO2e in China alone by 2050, according to a new report from the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR). Because bamboo grows quickly and can thrive on degraded sites, it could be used in efforts to combat climate change, according to INBAR,which includes 40 member countries. The plant has multiple uses, from construction to fuelwood to furniture, and in Rwanda there is a legal mandate to plant it along riverbanks to control erosion. In May, EcoPlanet Bamboo verified the first carbon offsetsfrom a bamboo plantation. The company's Nicaragua project is expected to reduce 1.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions over 20 years.
Carbon Research Assistant, Winter/Spring 2015 – Ecosystem Marketplace
Based in Washington D.C., the Research Assistant will be able to commit to 35-40 hours per week to support a range of activities under the Ecosystem Marketplace Carbon Markets Program, including supporting the development of the State of the Forest Carbon/Voluntary Carbon Markets reports. The ideal candidate will have a graduate degree, an interest in conservation finance/payments for ecosystem services and basic knowledge of the carbon markets or another ecosystem service market; excellent writing, verbal communications, research and organizational skills; and excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Excel.
– Read more about the position here
Director of Development – Earth Innovation Institute
Based in San Francisco, California, the Director of Development will design and lead the implementation strategy of an institutional development strategy for the organization. The position requires working closely with the Executive Director and Board of Directors, and researching individuals and foundations capable of making substantial gifts. The successful candidate will have multiple years of relevant experience at a management level with a not-for-profit as well as demonstrated success in securing revenue targets from both private and public sources.
Indigenous Advisor, Social Policy and Practice Program – Conservation International
Based in Arlington, Virginia, the Indigenous Advisor will inform and advise the organization on indigenous peoples' policy positions and needs related to biodiversity and climate change adaptation and mitigation, particularly REDD+. A bachelor's degree in anthropology, education, political science, indigenous issues or a related field is required, along with five years of experience involving indigenous peoples' issues. The position involves traveling 35% of the time, often to remote forest areas in developing countries.
Communications Manager – Nexus Carbon for Development
Based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the Communications Manager will manage communication with stakeholders as Nexus expands beyond the carbon markets to open up new mechanisms such as crowdfunding and a working capital fund. The position involves managing a team of two to three people, conducting a revamp of the organization's websites, developing marketing materials, and creating visual content. The successful candidate will have a minimum of five years of experience in communications or marketing, excellent writing skills, experience managing a team, and strong knowledge of energy and climate change issues.
Vietnam Integrated Landscape and Climate Change Planner – Winrock International
Based in Hanoi, Vietnam, the Integrated Landscape and Climate Change Planner will develop a process for mainstreaming climate change into government land-use planning practices and direct development from areas in Nam Dinh Province exposed to high climate risk. The position requires master's level qualifications in land-use planning and at least 10 years of relevant experience. Strong technical skills in spatial planning, familiarity with Geographic Information Systems and direct experience in Vietnam are desirable.
ABOUT THE FOREST CARBON PORTALThe Forest Carbon Portal provides relevant daily news, a bi-weekly news brief, feature articles, a calendar of events, a searchable member directory, a jobs board, a library of tools and resources. The Portal also includes the Forest Carbon Project Inventory, an international database of projects including those in the pipeline. Projects are described with consistent 'nutrition labels' and allow viewers to contact project developers.
ABOUT THE ECOSYSTEM MARKETPLACEEcosystem Marketplace is a project of Forest Trends, a tax-exempt corporation under Section 501(c)3. This newsletter and other dimensions of our voluntary carbon markets program are funded by a series of international development agencies, philanthropic foundations, and private sector organizations. For more information on donating to Ecosystem Marketplace, please contact [email protected].
Steve Zwick is a freelance writer and produces the Bionic Planet podcast. Previously, he was Managing Editor of Ecosystem Marketplace, and prior to that he covered European business for Time Magazine and Fortune Magazine and produced the award-winning program Money Talks on Deutsche Welle Radio in Bonn, Germany.


text:
Eartha Mae Kitt (n. 17 ianuarie 1927 – d. 25 decembrie 2008) a fost o actriță americană de film și televiziune. Era cunoscută pentru vocea distinctă și melodiile sale populare din 1953, "C'est si bon" și "Santa Baby". Ambele cântece au ajuns în top 10 în clasamentul Billboard Hot 100. Orson Welles a numit-o "cea mai incitantă femeie din lume".

Carierea lui Kitt începe în 1942, când apare pe Broadway în musicalul Carib Song. În anii '50, a avut șase hituri în top 30, inclusiv melodiile Uska dara și I Want to Be Evil. Alte înregistrări de top 10 în Regatul Unit includ melodiile Under the Bridges of Paris (1954), Just an Old Fashioned Girl (1956), Where is My Man (1983). Apare în serialul de televiziune Batman în al treilea și ultimul sezon, interpretând rolul lui Catwoman.

În 1968, cariera sa suferă după niște serie de remarci făcute la Casa Albă împotriva Războiului din Vietnam. Zece ani mai târziu, se întoarce cu succes pe Broadway în producția din 1978 a musicalului Timbuktu!, pentru care a primit una dintre cele două nominalizări ale sale la Premiile Tony. A doua a fost pentru musicalul The Wild Party. Kitt a scris și publicat trei autobiografii.

În 2000, Kitt este prezentată unei noi generații de fani datorită filmului animat Împăratul Vrăjit în care joacă rolul lui Yzma.

Biografie

Eartha Mae Kitt s-a născut pe 17 ianuarie 1927, pe o plantație de bumbac din statul american South Carolina. Mama sa, Annie Mae Keith, era de origini africane și amerindiene. Se crede că tatăl lui Kitt era deținătorul fermei unde s-a născut, ea fiind rezultatul unui viol. A fost abuzată în copilărie. După moartea mamei sale, trăiește alături de o rudă în Harlem, New York City și învață la Metropolitan Vocational High School.

Kitt și-a început cariera ca parte a trupei lui Katherine Dunham în 1943 și a rămas membră a formației artistice până în 1948. O voce și o prezență distinctă, a înregistrat hiturile "Let's Do It", "Champagne Taste", "C'est si bon", "Just an Old Fashioned Girl", "Monotonous", "Je cherche un homme", "Love for Sale", "I'd Rather Be Burned as a Witch", "Kâtibim" (melodie turcească), "Mink, Schmink", "Under the Bridges of Paris" și cel mai mare hit al său, "Santa Baby", lansat în 1953. Datorită anilor petrecuți cântând prin Europa, stilul lui Kitt se îmbogățește și devine fluentă în franceză. Vorbea patru limbi (engleză, franceză, germană și olandeză) și cânta în unsprezece, ca dovadă stând filmările multora dintre prestațiile sale de pe scenă. Diana Ross a afirmat că, în calitate de membră a formației The Supremes, și-a format mult look-ul și stilul după cel al lui Kitt.

În 1950, Orson Welles i-a oferit lui Kitt primul său rol de film, interpretând-o pe Elena din Troia în pelicula Dr. Faustus. Deși s-a speculat că Welles și Kitt aveau o relație amoroasă, Kitt răspunde zvonurilor în 2001, declarând revistei Vanity Fair: "Nu am făcut niciodată sex cu Orson Welles". Kitt a adăugat: "A fost o relație de colegialitate  și nimic altceva". Alte filme ale sale din anii '50 sunt The Mark of the Hawk (1957), St. Louis Blues (1958) și Anna Lucasta (1958).

În 1960, Kitt primește o stea pe Hollywood Walk of Fame.

În ianuarie 1961, pe când președintele Statelor Unite era Lyndon B. Johnson, Eartha Kitt se confruntă cu un regres profesional major după ce face câteva remarci anti-război în timpul unui dejun oficial la Casa Albă. Kitt a fost întrebată despre Războiul din Vietnam de către prima doamnă Lady Bird Johnson. Kitt a răspuns: "Îi trimiteți pe cei mai buni ai țării să fie împușcați și schilodiți. Nu e de mirare că lumea se revoltă și se droghează." După o sesiune de întrebări, răspunsurile lui Kitt o fac pe Lady Bird Johnson să bufnească în plâns. După acest incident, Eartha Kitt este sabotată și trecută pe lista neagră a CIA, care încearcă să o defăimeze. Se întocmește un dosar ce conținea detalii despre viața sa sexuală, istoria familială și comentarii negative aduse de anumiți colegi de breaslă. Cariera sa în Statele Unite este încheiată brusc, iar ea își planifică următoarele concerte în Europa și Asia.

Kitt se căsătorește cu asociatul John William McDonald în data de 9 iunie 1960. Împreună cei doi au o fată pe nume Kitt McDonald, născută pe 26 noiembrie 1961. Cei doi au divorțat în 1965. Kitt a locuit o perioadă lungă de timp în statul Connecticut, unde era activă în organizații caritabile locale.
Eartha Kitt moare pe 25 decembrie 2008 de cancer de colon, cu trei săptămâni înainte de a împlini 82 de ani.

Filmografie

Filme
 1948 - Casbah
 1951 - Parigi è sempre Parigi
 1954 - New Faces
 1957 - The Mark of the Hawk
 1958 - St. Louis Blues
 1958 - Anna Lucasta
 1961 - Saint of Devil's Island
 1965 - Uncle Tom's Cabin
 1965 - Synanon
 1971 - Up the Chastity Belt
 1975 - Friday Foster
 1979 - Butterflies in Heat
 1985 - The Serpent Warriors
 1987 - Master of Dragonard Hill
 1987 - Dragonard
 1987 - The Pink Chiquitas
 1989 - Eric the Viking
 1990 - Living Doll
 1991 - Ernest Scared Stupid
 1992 - Boomerang
 1993 - Fatal Instinct
 1996 - Harriet the Spy
 1997 - Ill Gotten Gains
 1998 - I Woke Up Early the Day I Died
 1998 - The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story
 2000 - Împăratul Vrăjit (voce)
 2002 - Anything But Love
 2003 - Holes
 2005 - Preaching to the Choir
 2005 - Noua viață a lui Kronk (voce)
 2007 - And Then Came Love

Seriale TV
 1965 - I Spy
 1967 - Mission: Impossible
 1967-1968 - Batman
 1974 - The Protectors
 1978 - Police Woman
 1978 - To Kill a Cop
 1985 - Miami Vice
 1993 - Jack's Place
 1993 - Matrix
 1995 - Autobuzul Magic (voce)
 1995 - New York Undercover
 1995 - Living single
 2005 - Viața mea de tânăr robot (voce)
 2006-2008 - Noua școală a împăratului (voce)

Note

Legături externe

Nașteri în 1927
Decese în 2008
Nașteri pe 17 ianuarie
Actori de film americani
Actori de televiziune americani


At 0825 BST, the FTSE 100 was 0.1% firmer at 7,425.55, while the pound was flat against the dollar at 1.3062 and 0.2% lower versus the euro at 1.1576.
CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson said: "Reports of additional progress on a US-China trade deal don't appear to have been enough to prompt much interest with most attention set to be on today's Q1 numbers from US banks JP Morgan and Wells Fargo, both important bellwethers of the US economy.
Market participants were also digesting the latest trade figures out of China, which showed exports rose 14.2% in March from the previous year following a 20.7% slump in February, but imports dropped 7.6% compared to a 5.2% fall the month before. Analysts had been expecting exports to rise 7.3% and imports to decline by 1.3%.
On the UK corporate front, gaming retailer Games Workshop rallied after saying that trading since January has "continued well" with sales and profits ahead of last year.
Transport company National Express was in the green as it announced the acquisition of a 60% stake in WeDriveU, an employee shuttle company in San Francisco's Silicon Valley, for $84.3m (£64.5m) with an option to buy the rest over three years.
On the downside, online trading platform Plus500 saw its shares tumble 34% as it posted a 65% drop in first-quarter revenue amid "subdued" financial markets, with the number of active customers and average revenue per user both down amid low levels of volatility. Sector peers IG Group, Playtech and CMC Markets all lost ground.
Entertainment One was in the red as the Peppa Pig owner dropped from its all-time high after successfully placing 28.9m shares at a discounted price of 450p, raising £130m to help fund the acquisition of UK music brand Audio Network.
In broker note action, Johnson Matthey was knocked lower by a downgrade to 'sell' at Investec and Micro Focus was hit by a downgrade to 'equalweight' at Barclays.
Elsewhere, Intermediate Capital was initiated at 'overweight' by Barclays, while BAE was started at 'neutral' by MainFirst.


The main mineral of high alumina cement is aluminate calcium (CA), and the secondary mineral is Calcium Dialuminate (CA2). The hydration products CAH10 and C2AH8 of high alumina cement at room temperature belong to metastable products, they change to a stable C3AH6 at temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius.
CAH10 and C2AH8 are flake crystals, and C3AH6 is cubic crystal. The binding force of C3AH6 is lower than that of CAH10 and C2AH8.
In the process of crystal transformation, the crystalline water is released and the porosity increases.
The Al (OH) 3 formed in early stage of hydration or under low temperature is colloid and fills the crystal to enhance the performance. But after the temperature goes up, alumina cement turns into crystals of gibbsite (Al2O3 – 3H2O) and decrease the enhancement effect of colloid.
Therefore, the use of high alumina cement alone for structural engineering needs to be cautious. However, the hydration products of high alumina cement do not appear to have free Ca (OH) 2, nor are there C2S minerals like in Portland cement. So there won't be problem to use high alumina refractory cement as refractory concrete binder, since there will not be volume instability as in Portland cement of repeated formation of CaO and Ca (OH) 2 while heating and cooling, and the polycrystalline transformation of beta -C2S.
Moreover, high alumina cement has the early strength ability, and in the construction of the kiln, it can shorten the curing period as much as possible, that is called "day concrete". Therefore, high alumina cement is widely used in refractory industry.
The hydrated products CAH10 and C2AH8 of the high alumina cement react with the hydrated product C-S-H of the silicate cement to form hydrated calcium aluminosilicate,also known as hydrated gehlenite, C2ASH8. Because of the formation of C2ASH8, the strength degradation of CAH10 and C2AH8 due to conversion to C3AH6 is avoided.
The proper addition of high alumina cement can make the mixture with Portland cement obtain satisfactory hydration property, which can obtain high early strength and retain good long-term strength. When the addition amount of high alumina cement is 10%, the strength of 6 hours can be obtained, and the strength will increase continuously in the course of curing.
In a word, the mixture of high alumina cement and Portland cement can change the properties of the two kinds of cement, and develop new cementing materials.
Gesso bauxite expansive cement, anhydrite bauxite cement, self-stressing cement and cement expansive material are all the use of the reaction principle.
Welcome to buy high alumina cement at Rongsheng Kiln Refractory Co., Ltd.


text:
Rejection, acceptance and the spectrum between: understanding male attitudes and experiences towards conflict-related sexual violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
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Enhancing efficiency and effectiveness of Food Security Cluster Coordination
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Siege: Evidence of SAF Encirclement of the Kauda Valley
Erica Nelson
Jérôme Grimaud
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Searching for Lasting Peace: Population-Based Survey on Perceptions and Attitudes about Peace, Security and Justice in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
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The dynamics of contemporary conflicts have made the way in which international actors understand and support local agencies increasingly important. As we have seen, states have become much more assertive in the way in which they relate to humanitarian actors and the building... Jul 2014
Recommendations and Follow-up Measures in Monitoring, Reporting
This paper examines follow-up measures that have been undertaken in the wake of reports published by monitoring, reporting, and fact-finding missions tasked to investigate alleged violations of international humanitarian law and human rights. Section 1 explores the perspectives of both MRF... Aug 2014
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It is estimated that half of the world's population currently resides in urban areas, and this number is expected to rise to 5 billion by 2030, with the largest cities emerging in Africa and Asia. Rapid urbanization has led to increased density, overcrowding, and strain on local... Sep 2014
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Recent high-profile attacks on humanitarian professionals in Syria and Iraq call attention to a disturbing trend: humanitarian agencies face growing threats and attacks on their staff. These attacks endanger their lives, violate international humanitarian law, and jeopardize the effective... Nov 2014
GRID: A Methodology Integrating Witness Testimony and Satellite Imagery Analysis for Documenting Alleged Mass Atrocities
This article documents the development and initial use case of the GRID (Ground Reporting through Imagery Delivery) methodology by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI). GRID was created to support corroboration of witness testimony of mass atrocity related-events using satellite... Nov 2014
A New Forensics: Developing Standard Remote Sensing Methodologies to Detect and Document Mass Atrocities
The aim of this article is to highlight potential methods applicable to a standard forensic approach for the analysis of high-resolution satellite imagery that may contain evidence of alleged mass atrocities. The primary method employed is the retrospective analysis of a case study involving the... Nov 2014
From Design to Implementation: The Interpretation of Fact-finding Mandates
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The Bioenergy Alliance Network of the Rockies (BANR)– a consortium of academic, industry, and government organizations led by Colorado State University – has been awarded $10 million by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to research the viability of using beetle-killed trees in the Rockies as a sustainable source for creating biofuels.
Beetle damage in West Elk Mountains, Colorado. Photo by Jimmy Gekas.
This isn't a new concern, and warming winters over the last several seasons have greatly exacerbated the growth of beetle populations and forest destruction.
Colorado State University explained the role of extreme cold in controlling beetle populations, saying, "For winter mortality to be a significant factor, a severe freeze is necessary while the insect is in its most vulnerable stage, i.e., in the fall before the larvae have metabolized glycerols, or in late spring when the insect is molting into the pupal stage.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has just finalized a plan to clean up the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, N.Y., which is considered one of the most polluted bodies of water in the country.
Gowanus Canal, Brooklyn, N.Y. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Completed in 1869, the canal has been one of the nation's busiest commercial waterways, serving industries including: gas works (manufactured gas plants), coal yards, cement makers, soap makers, tanneries, paint and ink factories, machine shops, chemical plants, and oil refineries.
In recent decades, the canal has been used as a repository for untreated industrial wastes, raw sewage, and runoff.
Today, the EPA says that although much of the industrial activity along the canal has ceased, high levels of contamination remain in its groundwater and sediment. Contamination stills flows into the canal from overflows of sewer systems that carry sanitary waste from homes, as well as from rainwater coming from storm drains and industrial pollutants.
The EPA's remedial investigation of the site found that it has been polluted with high levels of over a dozen contaminants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and heavy metals, including mercury, lead, and cooper.
PAHs and heavy metals were also found in the canal water. PAHs are a group of chemicals that are formed during the incomplete burning of coal, oil, gas, wood, garbage, or other organic substances.
PCBs were used as coolants and lubricants in transformers, capacitors, and other electrical equipment, and their manufacture was banned in 1979.
Food desert. Image created by Leigh Burmesch.
Generally speaking, a food desert is an area where residents live at least a mile from a large supermarket or grocery store, where they can buy quality meats, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables.
The USDA found in 2009 that about "23.5 million people live in low-income areas that are more than one mile from a supermarket or large grocery store.
While it's a growing concern at the national level, the problem of food deserts and healthy eating is proving to be an issue primary being acted on at the local city level.
Over the past several years, Chicago has taken on the task of becoming a leader in making progress in combating food deserts and health-related issues, primarily obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Shell's Deer Park Refinery, Texas. Photo courtesy of Roy Luck.
Shell Oil Co. and its affiliated partners have agreed to resolve allegations against the refinery and chemical plant in Deer Park, Texas, just outside of Houston.
They are accused of improperly operating 12 steam-assisted flaring devices in a way that caused excess volatile organic compounds, including benzene and other hazardous pollutants to be emitted into the atmosphere, according to a complaint filed by the U.S. Justice Department on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
To understand things a little better, flare stacks are gas combustion devices used primarily to burn off flammable gases. These flare stacks are used largely in industrial facilities such as petroleum refineries, chemical plants, and natural gas processing plants. They are also commonly used within oil and gas production sites that have oil wells, gas wells, offshore oil and gas rigs, and landfills.
In this settlement, Shell and its partner Deer Park Refining LP, have agreed spend over $115 million in efforts to control air pollution from its industrial flares and other processes, as well as paying about $2.6 million in civil penalties as part of resolving alleged violations against the Clean Air Act.
Specifically, Shell Oil operates the refinery, which is owned by Deer Park Refining. Shell Chemical LP owns and operates the chemical plant.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finally released the most recent data on the health of about 2,000 rivers and streams from across the country – and the results aren't pretty.
The New River originates in Mexico and flows into the United States through Calexico, California. The river eventually meets up with the Salton Sea, a large inland sea. The New River is reported to be the most polluted river flowing into the U.S. from Mexico, says the California Report. Photo courtesy of the California Report.
States and tribes participated in the data collection, and found that 55 percent of the country's rivers and streams are in poor condition based on their ability to support life.
The information was published in a collaborative survey report called the 2008-2009 National Rivers and Streams Assessment. The report looked at random samplings from river systems as large as the Mississippi River to as small as mountain headwater streams.
The report looked at how major stressors – both chemical and physical – are affecting these aquatic systems over time.
Chemical stress factors on the rivers and streams included excessive levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and mercury.
To begin with, the report showed that 28 percent of the country's rivers and streams had excessive levels of nitrogen, and 40 percent had high levels of phosphorus.
Known as nutrient pollutants, the EPA explains that too much nitrogen and phosphorus in water can cause significant increases in algae that can harm water quality, food resources, habitats, and decrease the oxygen that fish and other aquatic life need to survive.