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Energy Ponds – l'état des lieux
Krzysztof_Wasniewski renewable energy August 19, 2022 August 19, 2022 28 Minutes
I drift away from investor-relations sites, and I go back to my 'Energy Ponds' concept. I feel like going through it once again. First thing first, I want to lay out the idea such as I have figured it out so far. The second of the first things is that I am describing a yet-unimplemented, tentative technological solution, which combines water management with the generation of renewable energies. Ram-pumps are installed in the stream of a river. Kinetic energy of the river creates a by-flow through the ram-pumps, endowed with its own kinetic energy and flow rate, derived from those of the river. That by-flow is utilized in two ways. Some of it, within the limits of environmental sustainability of the riverine ecosystem, is pumped into wetland-type structures, which serve the purpose of water retention. On the way to wetlands, that sub-stream passes through elevated tanks, which create a secondary hydraulic head and allow placing hydroelectric turbines on pipes leading from elevated tanks to wetlands, i.e. back to ground level. The remaining part of the ram-pumped by-flow, before going back into the river, is recirculated through hydroelectric turbines located close to the ram-pump. The basic idea is shown graphically in Figure 1.
The remaining part of the article develops a complex proof of concept for 'Energy Ponds'. Component solutions are discussed against the background of relevant literature, and a quantitative simulation of its basic parameters is presented, for simulated location in Poland, author's home country.
'Energy Ponds' are supposed to create a system of water retention with as little invasive change in the landscape as possible. Typical reservoirs, such as artificial ponds and lakes, need space, and that space ought to be taken away from other employments thereof. This is a dilemma in land management: do we use a given portion of terrain for a retention reservoir or do we use it for other purposes? In densely populated regions, that dilemma becomes acute, when it comes to mutual arrangement of human architectural structures, agricultural land, and something which, fault of a better word, can be called 'natural landscape' (quotation marks refer to the fact that many landscapes which we intuitively gauge as 'natural' are actually man-made and artificially maintained).
Water management, as a distinct field of technology, with an environmental edge, could benefit from innovation-boosting tools typical for other technological fields (Wehn & Montalvo 2018[1]; Mvulirwenande & Wehn 2020[2]). Technological change as regards water management is needed both in rural areas and in cities. Interestingly enough, urban environments seem to be more conservative than agriculture in terms of water management (Wong, Rogers & Brown 2020[3]). There is a quest for scientifically based constants in water management, such as the required quantity of water per person per day; Hogeboom (2020[4]) argues it is roughly 3800 liters after covering all the conventional uses of water. On the other hand, Mohamed et al. (2020[5]) claim that the concept of 'arid region', so far reserved for desertic environments, is de facto a type of environmental context when we systematically lack accurate environmental data as regards quickly changing availability of water. Kumar et al. (2020[6]) go even further and postulate something called 'socio-hydrology': human societies seem to develop characteristically differentiated patterns of collective behaviour in different hydrological conditions. Other research suggests that societies adapt to increased use of water by visibly increasing the productivity of that use, whilst increased income per capita seems being correlated with increased productivity in the use of water (Bagstad et al. 2020[7]).
In the 'Energy Ponds' concept, retention of water is supposed to be a slow, looped recirculation through local ecosystems, rather than accumulation in fixed reservoirs. Once water has been ram-pumped from a river into wetlands, the latter allow slow runoff, via ground waters, back into the hydrological system of the river basin. It is as if rain was falling once again in that river basin, with rainwater progressively collected by the drainage of the river. In hydrology, such a system is frequently referred to as quasi-reservoirs (Harvey et al. 2009[8]; Phiri et al. 2021[9]). Groundwater seems being the main factor of the observable water storage anomalies (Neves, Nunes, & Monteiro 2020[10]). Purposeful control of the size and density in the patches of green vegetation seems to be a good practical regulator of water availability, whence the interest in using wetlands as reservoirs (Chisola, Van der Laan, & Bristow 2020[11]).
Ram-pumps placed in the stream of a river become distributed energy resources based on renewable energy: they collect and divert part of the kinetic energy conveyed by the flow of water. Of course, one can ask: isn't it simpler to put just hydroelectric turbines in that stream, without ram-pumps as intermediary? A ram-pump, properly instrumented with piping, becomes a versatile source of kinetic energy, which can be used for many purposes. In 'Energy Ponds', the idea is to use that energy both for creating a system of water retention, and for generating electricity. The former has its constraints. The amount of water to adsorb from the river is limited by the acceptable impact on ecosystems downstream. That impact can be twofold. Excessive adsorption upstream can expose the downstream ecosystems to dangerously low water levels, yet the opposite can happen as well: when we consider wetlands as pseudo-reservoirs, and thus as a reserve of water, its presence can stabilize the flow downstream (Hunt et al. 2022[12]), and the biological traits of ecosystems downstream are not necessarily at risk (Zhao et al. 2020[13]). Strong local idiosyncrasies can appear in that respect (Xu et al. 2020[14]).
Major rivers, even those in plains, have a hydraulic head counted in dozens of meters and a flow rate per second in the hundreds of cubic meters per second. With the typical efficiency of ram-pumps ranging from 35% to 66%, the basic physical model of ram-pumping (Fatahi-Alkouhi et al. 2019[15]; Zeidan & Ostfeld 2021[16]) allows pumping from the river more water than it is possible to divert into the local wetlands.
Thus, two sub-streams are supposed to be ram-pumped in the 'Energy Ponds' system: one sub-stream ultimately directed to and retained in the local wetlands, and another one being the non-retainable excess, to be redirected immediately back into the river. The latter can immediately flow through hydroelectric turbines placed as close as possible to ram-pumps, in order not to lose kinetic energy. The other goes further, through the system of elevated tanks. Why introducing elevated tanks in the system? Isn't it better to direct the retainable flow of water as directly as possible to wetlands, thus along a trajectory as flat as is feasible in the given terrain? The intuition behind elevated tanks is the general concept of Roman siphon (e.g. Angelakis et al. 2020[17]). When we place an artificially elevated tank along the flow of water from the river to the wetlands, it allows transporting water over a longer distance without losing kinetic energy in that flow. Therefore, the wetlands themselves, as well as the points of discharge from the piping of 'Energy Ponds' can be spread over a greater radius from the point of intake from the river. That gives flexibility as regards adapting the spatial distribution of the whole installation to the landscape at hand. Elevated water tanks can increase the efficiency of water management (Abunada et al. 2014[18]; Njepu, Zhang & Xia 2019[19]).
A water tank placed at the top of the Roman siphon is a reserve of energy in pumped storage, and thus allows creating a flow with the same kinetic energy as was generated by ram-pumps, yet further away from the point of intake in the river. Depending on the volumetric capacity and the relative height of the elevated tank, various amounts of energy can be stored. Two points are to consider in that respect. 'Energy Ponds' is supposed to be a solution as friendly as possible to the landscape. Big water towers are probably to exclude, and the right solution for elevated tanks seems closer to those encountered in farms, with relatively light structure. If there is need to store more energy in a local installation of 'Energy Ponds', there can be more such elevated tanks, scattered across the landscape. With respect to the relative height, documented research indicates a maximum cost-effective elevation between 30 and 50 meters, with 30 looking like a pragmatically conservative estimate (Inthachot et al. 2015[20]; Guo et al. 2018[21]; Li et al. 2021[22]). Elevated tanks such as conceived in 'Energy Ponds' can be various combinations of small equalizing tanks (serving just to level up intermittence in the flow of water), and structures akin raingardens (see e.g. Bortolini & Zanin 2019[23]), thus elevated platforms with embedded vegetal structures, capable of retaining substantial amounts of water.
As an alternative to artificial elevated tanks, and to the extent of possibilities offered by natural landscape, a mutation of the STORES technology (short-term off-river energy storage) can be used (Lu et al. 2021[24]; Stocks et al. 2021[25]). The landscape needed for that specific solution is a low hill, located next to the river and to the wetland. The top of such hill can host a water reservoir.
The whole structure of 'Energy Ponds', such as conceptually set for now, looks like a wetland, adjacent to the channel of a river, combined with tubular structures for water conduction, ram pumps and hydroelectric turbines. As for the latter, we keep in mind the high likelihood of dual stream: one close to ram-pumps, the other one after the elevated tanks. Proper distribution of power between the generating units can substantially reduce the amount of water used to generate the same amount of energy (Cordova et al. 2014[26]).
Hydroelectricity is collected in energy storage installations, which sell electricity to its end users. The whole concept follows the general stream of research on creating distributed energy resources coupled with landscape restoration (e.g. Vilanova & Balestieri 2014[27]; Vieira et al. 2015[28]; Arthur et al. 2020[29] ; Cai, Ye & Gholinia 2020[30] ; Syahputra & Soesanti 2021[31]). In that path of research, combinations of energy sources (small hydro, wind and photovoltaic) plus battery backup, seem to be privileged as viable solutions, and seem allowing investment in RES installations with an expected payback time of approximately 10 – 11 years (Ali et al. 2021[32]). For the sake of clarity in the here-presented conceptualization of 'Energy Ponds', only the use of hydropower is considered, whilst, of course, the whole solution is open to adding other power sources to the mix, with limitations imposed by the landscape. As wetlands are an integral component of the whole concept, big windfarms seem excluded from the scope of energy sources, as they need solid support in the ground. Still, other combinations are possible. Once there is one type of RES exploited in the given location, it creates, with time, a surplus of energy which can be conducive to installing other types of RES power stations. The claim seems counterintuitive (if one source of energy is sufficient, then it is simply sufficient and crowds out other sources), yet there is evidence that local communities can consider RES according to the principle that 'appetite grows as we eat' (Sterl et al. 2020[33]). Among different solutions, floating solar farms, located on the surface of the wetland, could be an interesting extension of the 'Energy Ponds' concept (Farfan & Breyer 2018[34]; Sanchez et al. 2021[35]).
The general method of studying the feasibility of 'Energy Ponds' is always specific to a location, and it unfolds at two levels: a) calibrating the basic physical properties of the installation and b) assessing its economic viability. Hydrological determinants are strongly idiosyncratic, especially the amount of water possible do adsorb from the local river and to retain in wetlands, and the impact of retention in wetlands upon the ecosystems downstream. With wetlands as a vital component, the conceptual scheme of the 'Energy Ponds' naturally belongs to plains, as well as to wide river valleys surrounded by higher grounds. That kept in mind, there are conceptual developments as regards artificially created wetlands in the mountains (Shih & Hsu 2021[36]).
The local feasibility of 'Energy Ponds' starts with the possible location and size of wetlands. Places where wetlands either already exist or used to exist in the past, before being drained, seem to be the most natural, as local ecosystems are likely to be more receptive to newly created or expanded wetlands. Conflicts in land management between wetlands and, respectively, farmland and urban settlements, should be studied. It seems that the former type is sharper than the latter. There is documented technological development as regards the so-called Sponge Cities, where urban and peri-urban areas can be transformed into water-retaining structures, including the wetland-type ones (Sun et al. 2020[37]; Köster 2021[38]; Hamidi, Ramavandi & Sorial 2021[39]). On the other hand, farmland is a precious resource and conflicts between retention of water and agriculture are (and probably should be) settled in favour of agriculture.
Quantitatively, data regarding rivers boils down to the flow rate in cubic meters per second, and to the hydraulic head. Flow and head are the elementary empirical observables of the here-presented method, and they enter into the basic equation of ram-pumping, as introduced by Zeidan & Ostfeld (2021 op.cit.), namely:
HR*QR*η = HT*QT (1)
…where HR is the hydraulic head of the river, QR is its flow rate in m3/s, HT is the relative elevation where water is being ram-pumped, QT is the quantity of pumped water, and η is a coefficient of general efficiency in the ram-pumps installed. That efficiency depends mostly on the length of pipes and their diameter, and ranges between 35% and 66% in the solutions currently available in the market. Knowing that QT is a pre-set percentage p of QR and, given the known research, p = QT/QR ≤ 20%, it can be written that QT = QRp. Therefore, equation (1) can be transformed:
η = [HT*QR*p] / [HR*QR] = HT*p / HR (2)
The coefficient η is predictable within the range that comes with the producer's technology. It is exogenous to the 'Energy Ponds' system as such unless we assume producing special ram-pumps in the project. With a given flow per second in the river, efficiency η natural dictates the amount of water being ram-pumped, thus the coefficient of adsorption p. Dual utilization of the ram-pumped flow (i.e. retention in wetlands and simple recirculation through proximate turbines) allows transforming equation (1) into equivalence (3):
{[HRQRHTp / HR] = [HRQC + HTQW] }  {QRHTp = [HRQC + HTQW]} (3)
…where QC stands for the sub-flow that is just being recirculated through turbines, without retention in wetlands, and QW is the amount retained. The balance of proportions between QC and QW is an environmental cornerstone in the 'Energy Ponds' concept, with QW being limited by two factors: the imperative of supplying enough water to ecosystems downstream, and the retentive capacity of the local wetlands. The latter is always a puzzle, and its thorough understanding requires many years of empirical observation. Still, a more practical method is proposed here: observable change in the surface of wetlands informs about changes in the amount of water stored. Of course, this is a crude observable, yet it can serve for regulating the amount of water conducted into the wetland.
The hydraulic head of the river (HR) is given by the physical properties thereof, and thus naturally exogenous. Therefore, the fundamental technological choice in 'Energy Ponds' articulates into four 'big' variables: a) the producer-specific technology of ram-pumping b) the relative height HT of elevated tanks c) the workable fork of magnitudes in the amount of water QW to store in wetlands, and d) the exact technology of energy storage for hydroelectricity. These 4 decisions together form the first level of feasibility as regards the 'Energy Ponds' concept. They are essentially adaptive: they manifest the right choice for the given location, with its natural and social ecosystem.
A local installation of 'Energy Ponds' impacts the local environment at two levels, namely the retention of water, and the supply of energy. Water retained in wetlands has a beneficial impact on the ecosystem, yet it is not directly consumable: it needs to pass through the local system of supply in potable water first. The direct consumable generated by 'Energy Ponds' is hydroelectricity. Besides, there is some empirical evidence for a positive impact of wetlands upon the value of the adjacent, residential real estate (Mahan et al. 2000[40]; Tapsuwan et al. 2009[41]; Du & Huang 2018[42]). Thus comes the second level of feasibility for 'Energy Ponds', namely the socio-economic one. As 'Energy Ponds' is an early-stage concept, bearing significant uncertainty, the Net Present Value (NPV) of discounted cash flows seems suitable in that respect. Can the thing pay its own bills, and bring a surplus?
Answering that question connects once again to the basic hydrological metrics, namely head and flow. Hydroelectric power is calculated, in watts, as: water density (1000 kg/m3) * gravity acceleration constant (9,8 m/s2) * Net Head (meters) * Q (water flow rate m3/s). The output of electricity is derived from the power generated. It is safe to assume 50 weeks per year of continuous hydrogeneration, with the remaining time reserved for maintenance, which gives 50*7*24 = 8400 hours. Based on the previous formulations, power W generated in an installation of 'Energy Ponds' can be expressed with equation (4), and the resulting output E of electricity is given by equation (5):
W[kW] = ρ * g * (HRQC + HTQW) = 9,81 * (HRQC + HTQW) (4)
E[kWh] = 8400 * W (5)
The Net Present Value (NPV) of cash flow in an 'Energy Ponds' project is the residual part of revenue from the sales of electricity, as in equation (6).
The revenue is calculated as RE = PE*E , with PE standing for the price of electricity per 1 kWh. Investment outlays and the current costs of maintenance can be derived from the head and the flow specific to the given location. In that respect, the here-presented method, including parameters in equation (6), follows that by Hatata, El-Saadawi, & Saad (2019[43]). A realistic, technological lifecycle of an installation can be estimated at 12 years. Crossflow turbines seem optimal for flow rates inferior or equal to 20 m3 per second, whilst above 20 m3 Kaplan turbines look like the best choice. Investment and maintenance costs relative to ram pumps, elevated tanks, and the necessary piping remain largely uncertain, and seemingly idiosyncratic as regards the exact location and its physical characteristics. That methodological difficulty, seemingly inherent to the early conceptual phase of development in the 'Energy Ponds' concept, can be provisionally bypassed with the assumption that those hydraulic installations will consume the cost which would normally correspond to the diversion weir and intake, as well as to the cost of the powerhouse building. The variable IH corresponds to investment outlays in the strictly hydrological part of 'Energy Ponds' (i.e. ram-pumps, piping, and elevated tanks), whilst the ITU component, on the other hand, represents investment in the strictly spoken turbines and the adjacent power equipment (generator, electrical and mechanical auxiliary, transformer, and switchyard). The LCOS variable in equation (6) is the Levelized Cost of Storage, estimated for a discharge capacity of 6 hours in Li-Ion batteries, at €0,28 per 1 kWh (Salvini & Giovannelli 2022[44]; Chadly et al. 2022[45]). The '0,000714' factor in equation (6) corresponds to the 6 hours of discharge as a fraction of the total 8400 working hours of the system over 1 year.
Case study with calculations
The here presented case study simulates the environmental and economic impact which could possibly come from the hypothetical development of the 'Energy Ponds' concept in author's own country, namely Poland. The concept is simulated in the mouths of 32 Polish rivers, namely: Wisła, Odra, Warta, Narew, Bug, Noteć, San, Wieprz, Pilica, Bzura, Biebrza, Bóbr, Łyna, Drwęca, Barycz, Wkra, Gwda, Prosna, Dunajec, Brda, Pisa, Wisłoka, Nida, Nysa Kłodzka, Wisłok, Drawa, Krzna, Parsęta, Rega, Liwiec, Wełna, Nysa Łużycka (the spelling is original Polish). Flow rates, in cubic meters per second, as observed in those mouths, are taken as the quantitative basis for further calculations, and they are provided in Table 1, below. Figure 1, further below, presents the same graphically, on the map of Poland. The corresponding locations are marked with dark ovals. There are just 28 ovals on the map, as those located near Warsaw encompass more than one river mouth. That specific place in Poland is exceptionally dense in terms of fluvial network. Further in this section, one particular location is studied, namely the mouth of the Narew River, and it is marked on the map as a red oval.
River name Mouth opening on… Average flow rate [m3/s] River name Mouth opening on… Average flow rate [m3/s]
Wisła Baltic Sea 1080 Prosna Warta 17,4
Odra Baltic Sea 567 Dunajec Wisła 85,5
Warta Odra 216 Brda Wisła 28
Narew Wisła 313 Pisa Narew 26,8
Bug Narew 155 Wisłoka Wisła 35,5
Noteć Warta 76,6 Nida Wisła 21,1
San Wisła 129 Nysa Kłodzka Odra 37,7
Wieprz Wisła 36,4 Wisłok San 24,5
Pilica Wisła 47,4 Drawa Noteć 21,3
Bzura Wisła 28,6 Krzna Bug 11,4
Biebrza Narew 35,3 Parsęta Baltic Sea 29,1
Bóbr Odra 44,8 Rega Baltic Sea 21,1
Łyna Pregoła[46] 34,7 Liwiec Bug 12,1
Drwęca Wisła 30 Wełna Warta 9,2
Barycz Odra 18,8 Nysa Łużycka Odra 31
Wkra Narew 22,3
The hypothetical location of Energy Ponds installations at the mouths of rivers is based on the availability of hydrological data, and more specifically the flow rate in cubic meters per second. That variable is being consistently observed at the mouths of rivers, for the most part, unless some specific research is conducted. Thus, locating the simulated Energy Ponds at the mouths of rivers is not a substantive choice. Real locations should be selected on the grounds of observable properties in the local ecosystem, mostly as regards the possibility of storing water in wetlands.
The map of location chosen for this simulation goes pretty much across all the available fluvial valleys in Poland, the physical geography of which naturally makes rivers grow as they head North, and therefore the northern part of the country gives the most water to derive from rivers. Once again, when choosing real locations for the Energy Ponds installations, more elevated ground is a plausible location as well. Most of the brown ovals on the map are in the broad vicinity of cities. This is another feature of the Polish geography: high density of population, the latter being clearly concentrated along rivers. This is also an insight into the function of Energy Ponds in real life. Such as it is simulated in Poland, i.e. in a densely populated environment, it is a true challenge to balance environmental services provided by wetlands, on the one hand, and the need for agricultural land, on the other hand. The simulation allows guessing that Energy Ponds can give more to city dwellers than to those living in the countryside.
Another important trait of this specific simulation for Energy Ponds is the fact that virtually all the locations on the map correspond to places where wetlands used to exist in the past, before being drained and dried for the needs of human settlements. Geological and hydrological conditions are naturally conducive to swamp and pond formation in these ecosystems. It is important to prevent any ideological take on these facts. The present article is far from pushing simplistic claims such as "nature is better than civilisation". Still, the draining and drying of wetlands in the past happened in the context of technologies which did not really allow reliable construction amidst a wetland-type environment. Today, we dispose of a much better technological base, such as comfortable barge-based houses, for example. The question of cohabitation between wetlands and human habitat can be reconsidered productively.
Three levels of impact upon the riverine ecosystem are simulated as three hypothetical percentages of adsorption from the river through ram pumping: 5% of the flow, 10% and 20%, where 20% corresponds to the maximum possible pump-out as regards environmental impact. With these assumptions, the complete hypothetical set of 32 installations would yield 5 163 231 600 m3 a year at 5% of adsorption, and, respectively 10 326 463 200 m3 and 20 652 926 400 m3 with the adsorption rates at 10% and 20%. In 2020, the annual precipitations were around 201,8 billion of m3, which means the 32 hypothetical installations of Energy Ponds could recirculate from 2,5% to 10% of that total volume, and that, in turn, translates into a significant environmental impact.
Let's focus on one particular location in order to further understand the environmental impact: the place where the Narew River mouths into Vistula River, north of Warsaw. The town of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki, population 28 615, is located right at this junction of rivers. With the average consumption of water at the level of households being around 33,7 m3 a year, that local population consumes annually some 964 326 m3 of water. The flow rate in the Narew River close to its mouth into Vistula is 313 m3 per second, which amounts to a total of 9 870 768 000,00 m3 a year. Adsorbing 5%, 10% or 20% from that total flow amounts to, respectively, 493 538 400 m3, 987 076 800 m3, and 1 974 153 600 m3. From another angle, the same annual consumption of water in households, in Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki, corresponds to 0,0098% of the annual waterflow in the river mouth. The 'Energy Ponds' concept would allow to recirculate easily into the surrounding ecosystem the entire annual household consumption of water in this one single town.
Let's stay in this specific location and translate water into energy, and further into investment. The first issue to treat is a workable approach to using the capacity of ram-pumps in that specific location, or, in other words, a realistic estimation of the total pumped volume QC + QW . Metric flow per second at the mouth of the Narew River is 313 m3 on average. It is out of the question to install ram-pumps across the entire width of the stream, i.e. some 300 metres on average, as Narew is a navigable river. Still, what if we replaced width with length, i.e. what if a row of ram-pumps was placed along one bank of the river, over a total length of 1 km? Then, with the average efficiency of ram-pumps pegged at 50,5%, it can be assumed that 50,5% of the total flow per second, thus 50,5%*313 m3/s = 158,065 m3/s would flow through ram-pumps. With the baseline head of the Narew River being 92 meters, Table 2 below offers an estimation of the electric power thus possible to generate at the mouth, in an installation of 'Energy Ponds', according to equation (4).
Table 2 – Electric power [kW] possible to generate in an installation of 'Energy Ponds' at the mouth of the Narew River, Poland.
Percentage of the total flow to be stored in wetlands (QW)
The relative height of elevated tanks 5% 10% 20%
10 meters 130 067,65 117 478,48 92 300,13
30 meters 133 138,18 123 619,54 104 582,25
Source: author's
When the highest possible elevated tanks are chosen (30 m), combined with the lowest percentage of the flow retained in wetlands (5%), electric power generated is the greatest, i.e. 133,138 MW. The optimal point derives logically from natural conditions. Comparatively to the artificially elevated tanks and their 30 meters maximum, the head of the river itself (92 meters) is an overwhelming factor. An interesting aspect of the 'Energy Ponds' concept comes out: the most power can be derived from the natural denivelation of terrain, with elevated tanks and their Roman siphon being just an additional source of potential energy. Further calculations, as regards the necessary investment outlays and the cost of storage, demonstrate that the lowest investment per unit of useful power – 987,16 Polish Zloty (PLN) per 1 kW – is reached precisely at the same point. Comparatively, the lowest power – generated at 20% of the flow adsorbed into wetlands and the lowest height of 10 meters of elevated tanks – is connected to the highest investment per unit, namely 1 111,13 PLN per 1 kW.
The local urban population in Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki represents an annual consumption of electricity amounting to 828 752 048 kWh, and electricity hypothetically generated at that greatest power amounts to 1 118 360 718,72 kWh a year, thus covering, with an overhead, the local needs. This output of energy would be currently worth PLN 845,48 million a year at the retail prices of electricity[47] (i.e. when sold in a local peer-to-peer market). Should it be sold at wholesale prices[48], to the national power grid, it would represent PLN 766,08 million annually. Corrected with an annual Levelized Cost of Storage estimated at 107 161,99 PLN for Li-Ion batteries, that stream of revenue gives a 12-year discounted present value of PLN 5 134 million at retail prices, and PLN 4 647 million at wholesale prices. With investment outlays estimated, according to the method presented earlier in this article, at some PLN 131,43 million, the project seems largely profitable. As a matter of fact, it could reach a positive Net Present Value already on the first year.
Comparatively, at the point of lowest power and highest investment per unit thereof, thus at 20% of adsorption into wetlands and 10 meters of height in elevated tanks, the 12-year discounted stream of revenue corrected for LCOS would be PLN 3 555,3 million (retail) and PLN 3 217,8 million (wholesale), against an investment of PLN 102,56 million.
The above-presented case study in the hypothetical implementation of the 'Energy Ponds' concept sums up optimistically. Still, the 'Energy Ponds' is still just a concept, and the study of its possible feasibility is hypothetical. That suggests caution, and the need to take a devil's advocate's stance. The case study can be utilized for both outlining the positive potential in 'Energy Ponds' and showing the possible angles of stress-testing the concept. The real financial value and the real engineering difficulty of investment in the basic hydraulic infrastructure of 'Energy Ponds' has been just touched upon, and essentially bypassed with a few assumptions. Those assumptions seem to be holding when written down, but confrontation with real life can bring about unpredicted challenges. This superficiality stems from the author's own limitations, as an economist attempting to form an essentially engineering solution. Still, even from the economic point of view, one factor of uncertainty emerges: the pace of technological change. The method used for this feasibility study is a textbook one, similar to calculating the Levelized Cost of Energy: there is an initial investment, which we spread over the expected lifecycle of the technology in question. However, technologies can change at an unexpected pace, and the actual lifecycle of an installation – especially a highly experimental one – might be much shorter than expected. In the author's (very intuitive) perspective, technological uncertainty is a big pinch of salt to add to the results of the case study.
Another factor of uncertainty is the real possibility of restoring wetlands in densely populated areas. Whilst new technologies in construction and agriculture do allow better overlapping between wetlands, cities, and farming, this is still just overlapping. At the bottom line, wetlands objectively take land away from many other possible uses. Literature is far from decisive about solutions in that respect. The great majority of known projects in the restoration of wetlands aim at and end up in restoring wildlife, not in assuring smooth coexistence between nature and civilisation. Some serious socio-economic experimentation might be involved in projects such as 'Energy Ponds'.
Hydrogeneration in 'Energy Ponds' belongs to the category of Distributed Energy Resources (DER). DER systems become more and more popular, across the world, and they prove to be workable solutions in very different conditions of physical geography (McIlwaine et al. 2021[49]). Connection to local markets of energy, and into local smart grids, seems critical for the optimization of DER systems (Zakeri et al. 2021[50]; Touzani et al. 2021[51]; Haider et al. 2021[52]; Zhang et al. 2022[53]). How necessary is the co-existence – or pre-existence – of such a local network for the economically successful deployment of 'Energy Ponds'? What happens when the local installation of 'Energy Ponds' is the only Distributed Energy Resource around?
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[8] Harvey, J.W., Schaffranek, R.W., Noe, G.B., Larsen, L.G., Nowacki, D.J., O'Connor, B.L., 2009. Hydroecological factors governing surface water flow on a low-gradient floodplain. Water Resour. Res. 45, W03421, https://doi.org/10.1029/2008WR007129.
[9] Phiri, W. K., Vanzo, D., Banda, K., Nyirenda, E., & Nyambe, I. A. (2021). A pseudo-reservoir concept in SWAT model for the simulation of an alluvial floodplain in a complex tropical river system. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 33, 100770. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2020.100770.
[10] Neves, M. C., Nunes, L. M., & Monteiro, J. P. (2020). Evaluation of GRACE data for water resource management in Iberia: a case study of groundwater storage monitoring in the Algarve region. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 32, 100734. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2020.100734
[11] Chisola, M. N., Van der Laan, M., & Bristow, K. L. (2020). A landscape hydrology approach to inform sustainable water resource management under a changing environment. A case study for the Kaleya River Catchment, Zambia. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 32, 100762. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2020.100762
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[14] Xu, D., Lyon, S. W., Mao, J., Dai, H., & Jarsjö, J. (2020). Impacts of multi-purpose reservoir construction, land-use change and climate change on runoff characteristics in the Poyang Lake basin, China. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 29, 100694. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2020.100694
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[17] Angelakis, A. N., Voudouris, K. S., & Tchobanoglous, G. (2020). Evolution of water supplies in the Hellenic world focusing on water treatment and modern parallels. Water Supply, 20(3), 773-786 https://doi.org/10.3390/w13081069
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[19] Njepu, A., Zhang, L., & Xia, X. (2019). Optimal tank sizing and operation of energy-water supply systems in residences. Energy Procedia, 159, 352-357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2019.01.003
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[21] Guo, X., Li, J., Yang, K., Fu, H., Wang, T., Guo, Y., … & Huang, W. (2018). Optimal design and performance analysis of hydraulic ram pump system. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part A: Journal of Power and Energy, 232(7), 841-855. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0957650918756761
[22] Li, J., Yang, K., Guo, X., Huang, W., Wang, T., Guo, Y., & Fu, H. (2021). Structural design and parameter optimization on a waste valve for hydraulic ram pumps. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part A: Journal of Power and Energy, 235(4), 747–765. https://doi.org/10.1177/0957650920967489
[23] Bortolini, L., & Zanin, G. (2019). Reprint of: Hydrological behaviour of rain gardens and plant suitability: A study in the Veneto plain (north-eastern Italy) conditions. Urban forestry & urban greening, 37, 74-86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2018.07.003
[24] Lu, B., Blakers, A., Stocks, M., & Do, T. N. (2021). Low-cost, low-emission 100% renewable electricity in Southeast Asia supported by pumped hydro storage. Energy, 121387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2021.121387
[25] Stocks, M., Stocks, R., Lu, B., Cheng, C., & Blakers, A. (2021). Global atlas of closed-loop pumped hydro energy storage. Joule, 5(1), 270-284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2020.11.015
[26] Cordova M, Finardi E, Ribas F, de Matos V, Scuzziato M. Performance evaluation and energy production optimization in the real-time operation of hydropower plants. Electr Pow Syst Res 2014;116:201–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsr.2014.06.012
[27] Vilanova, M. R. N., & Balestieri, J. A. P. (2014). Hydropower recovery in water supply systems: Models and case study. Energy conversion and management, 84, 414-426. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2014.04.057
[28] Vieira, D. A. G., Guedes, L. S. M., Lisboa, A. C., & Saldanha, R. R. (2015). Formulations for hydroelectric energy production with optimality conditions. Energy Conversion and Management, 89, 781-788. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2014.10.048
[29] Arthur, E., Anyemedu, F. O. K., Gyamfi, C., Asantewaa-Tannor, P., Adjei, K. A., Anornu, G. K., & Odai, S. N. (2020). Potential for small hydropower development in the Lower Pra River Basin, Ghana. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 32, 100757. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2020.100757
[30] Cai, X., Ye, F., & Gholinia, F. (2020). Application of artificial neural network and Soil and Water Assessment Tools in evaluating power generation of small hydropower stations. Energy Reports, 6, 2106-2118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2020.08.010.
[31] Syahputra, R., & Soesanti, I. (2021). Renewable energy systems based on micro-hydro and solar photovoltaic for rural areas: A case study in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Energy Reports, 7, 472-490. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2021.01.015
[32] Ali, M., Wazir, R., Imran, K., Ullah, K., Janjua, A. K., Ulasyar, A., … & Guerrero, J. M. (2021). Techno-economic assessment and sustainability impact of hybrid energy systems in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. Energy Reports, 7, 2546-2562. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2021.04.036
[33] Sterl, S., Donk, P., Willems, P., & Thiery, W. (2020). Turbines of the Caribbean: Decarbonising Suriname's electricity mix through hydro-supported integration of wind power. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 134, 110352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2020.110352
[34] Farfan, J., & Breyer, C. (2018). Combining floating solar photovoltaic power plants and hydropower reservoirs: a virtual battery of great global potential. Energy Procedia, 155, 403-411.
[35] Sanchez, R. G., Kougias, I., Moner-Girona, M., Fahl, F., & Jäger-Waldau, A. (2021). Assessment of floating solar photovoltaics potential in existing hydropower reservoirs in Africa. Renewable Energy, 169, 687-699. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2021.01.041
[36] Shih, S. S., & Hsu, Y. W. (2021). Unit hydrographs for estimating surface runoff and refining the water budget model of a mountain wetland. Ecological Engineering, 173, 106435, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2021.106435
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[44] Salvini, C., & Giovannelli, A. (2022). Techno-economic comparison of diabatic CAES with artificial air reservoir and battery energy storage systems. Energy Reports, 8, 601-607.
[45] Chadly, A., Azar, E., Maalouf, M., & Mayyas, A. (2022). Techno-economic analysis of energy storage systems using reversible fuel cells and rechargeable batteries in green buildings. Energy, 247, 123466. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2022.123466
[46] The Pregoła river is located in the Russian Kaliningrad district, whilst much of the Łyna river is located in Poland. The hypothetical location of Energy Ponds is assumed to be in Poland, thus upstream from the mouth into Pregoła.
[47] https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/Poland/electricity_prices/ last access May 17th, 2022
[48] https://www.statista.com/statistics/1066654/poland-wholesale-electricity-prices/ last access May 17th, 2022
[49] McIlwaine, N., Foley, A. M., Morrow, D. J., Al Kez, D., Zhang, C., Lu, X., & Best, R. J. (2021). A state-of-the-art techno-economic review of distributed and embedded energy storage for energy systems. Energy, 229, 120461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2021.120461
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[51] Touzani, S., Prakash, A. K., Wang, Z., Agarwal, S., Pritoni, M., Kiran, M., … & Granderson, J. (2021). Controlling distributed energy resources via deep reinforcement learning for load flexibility and energy efficiency. Applied Energy, 304, 117733. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.117733
[52] Haider, R., D'Achiardi, D., Venkataramanan, V., Srivastava, A., Bose, A., & Annaswamy, A. M. (2021). Reinventing the utility for distributed energy resources: A proposal for retail electricity markets. Advances in Applied Energy, 2, 100026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adapen.2021.100026
[53] Zhang, S., May, D., Gül, M., Musilek, P., (2022) Reinforcement learning-driven local transactive energy market for distributed energy resources. Energy and AI (2022), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyai.2022.100150
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text:
John le Carre's spy secrets including 'very bad things' could finally be published
Author Robert Harris said his late thriller writer friend - who began his career as a real-life spy - helped him write his biography as long as he promised not to publish until after his death
British writer John John le Carré died on the weekend aged 89 (
Image: Getty)
Matt RoperFeatures writer
His gripping tales of intrigue and espionage made him a best-selling author.
But John le Carré's most explosive book may not yet be published – revealing his greatest secrets.
The thriller writer who died on Saturday aged 89, began his career as a spy in post-war Europe.
He wrote his first novel, Call For the Dead published in 1961, while working undercover for MI6 at the British embassy in Bonn, where he recruited and ran secret agents and conducted interrogations at the height of Cold War tensions.
But while his novels appeared to allude to real life events, the author remained tight-lipped about what he knew about the British spy operations he had been part of.
The reclusive writer only confirmed he was "for a time engaged in that work" and said later: "We did very bad things."
Author Robert Harris befriended the reclusive former spy
John Le Carre dead: Legendary writer dies aged 89 after a short illness
Donald Trump officially loses (again) as Joe Biden victory approved by Electoral College
He did authorise a biographer to reveal secrets about his life, allowing him access to private papers on Britain's Cold War activity, but the agreement came with a significant clause.
Author Robert Harris said that after he approached Le Carré, real name David Cornwell, in the 1990s "he agreed to help if I agreed not to publish until after his death".
Harris added: "David has got a great story to tell. Will people find it shocking? Some will."
Revelations might include details about the scandal that ended Le Carré's secret service career – his MI6 colleague Kim Philby being exposed in 1963 as a Soviet double-agent.
Le Carré served in MI5 and MI6 during a turbulent time for British intelligence, when a number of spies were exposed as Communist traitors.
Most of what happened during that time has not been told – and Le Carré wanted to keep it that way during his lifetime.
The thriller writer's MI6 ex-colleague MI6 colleague Kim Philby was exposed as a Soviet double-agent (
Chris Whitty says the vaccine should still work on new coronavirus mutation
Once, after declining a request to be interviewed about his intelligence work, he said: "It's a matter of pride to me that nobody who knows the reality has so far accused me of revealing it."
He also went to great lengths to suppress attempts to publish details about his personal life.
When one writer, Graham Lord, approached publishers with a proposal for a biography, including salacious details about Le Carré's mistresses as well as his secret service work, Le Carré's lawyers bombarded him with threatening letters.
Lord said: "It was probably the worst time of my life."
Le Carré did eventually permit fans to know a little more about him when he collaborated with a biography by Adam Sisman in 2015.
It revealed a life as intriguing as any of his fictional characters.
He was born in Poole, Dorset, in 1931.
His mum left five years later, and he did not meet her again until he was 21.
He was thrust into a secretive world at an early age because his dad was a conman who had been in jail.
Helping his father dodge the authorities and bailiffs taught Le Carré the art of subterfuge.
He said: "I became a little spy. You either spied on him or for him."
Le Carré joined the Intelligence Corps of the Army in 1950.
Based in Austria, he worked with agents crossing the Iron Curtain into Eastern Europe.
After returning two years later to study at Oxford, he worked with MI5 to try to identify Soviet spies.
He wed in 1954 and had three sons. In 1960 he was transferred to MI6 and was sent to Germany, posing as a diplomat.
He wrote under a pen name as intelligence service rules meant he could not use his real name.
Le Carré insisted his novels were all made up, saying: "I'm a liar. Born to lying, bred to it, trained to it by an industry that lies for a living."
After leaving the Foreign Office, he got divorced, re-married and had another son – author Nick Harkaway.
Le Carré moved near to Land's End in Cornwall where he remained an enigma.
"A good writer is an expert on nothing except himself," he once said. "And on that subject, if he is wise, he holds his tongue."
British ArmyMI6MI5Foreign OfficeRobert HarrisJohn Le CarreCold WarArmed forces

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


For a limited time only, hop on over to Target.com where they have the popular Hatchimals HatchiBabies on sale for just $48.99 (regularly $59.99).
Note that if shopping in-store, this sale is valid through November 3rd.
Even sweeter, through November 10th, Target is offering a 25% off one toy, sporting goods item or craft activity kit digital coupon when you text TOY to 827438 (limit one). This discount can be used in-store and online. To use in-store, just present the barcode on your mobile device to the cashier. If you are using it online, enter the exclusive promo code at checkout.
Excludes video games, Nintendo LABO, LEGO, Fisher-Price Imaginext Jurassic Rex, Thomas & Friends Super Station Trackset, Hot Wheel Corkscrew Crash Trackset, L.O.L. Surprise House and Barbie Dreamhouse. Cannot be used with any other department or category coupon.
*If you have a Target REDcard, you'll save an additional 5% making it $34.90 shipped!
Save BIG on the L.O.L. Doll Bigger Surprise!


A screenshot of the area covered by the Great Lakes Coastal Reporting Tool.
LAKE SUPERIOR - A mid-November storm brought rarely-seen waves to Lake Superior and caused considerable damage to sections of the lake's shoreline.
According to climatologist Dr. John Lenters, storms waves north of Marquette were documented at 24.2 feet, the highest waves recorded on any of the Great Lakes over the last two years.
The recent storms combined with high water levels have led to an increase in coastal erosion and damage to waterfront infrastructure according to the Superior Watershed Partnership, a non-profit dedicated to pollution prevention and the implementation of science-based programs.
To help assist landowners and residents near Lake Superior, the SWP has developed the Great Lakes Coastal Reporting Tool which allows users to upload information and photos as it pertains to storm damage.
The tool, launched on Dec. 1, will allow the SWP to prioritize site visits and provide assistance.
The SWP uses state, federal and private grants to complete coastal erosion control, dune restoration, public access improvement and wetland restoration.
According to a news release, the tool is specifically designed for the coastlines of Lake Superior, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron in the Upper Peninsula.
It covers approximately 1,250 miles of shoreline. Users can upload photos and enter information such as wave height, length, depth and location.


Vancouver, B.C. - April 8, 2016: San Marco Resources Inc. (SMN: TSX-V) announces that its private placement announced March 15, 2016 is over-subscribed and it has increased the placement to up to 6,000,000 (formerly 3,000,000) units at $0.05 per unit for gross proceeds of up to $300,000 (formerly $150,000). San Marco may, if warranted, further increase the size of the placement by up to a further 10%.
Each unit will consist of one common share and one non-transferable warrant, each warrant exercisable to purchase a further share for a period of three years at $0.05 per share in the first year, $0.10 per share in the second year and $0.15 per share in the third year. After the four month restricted resale period expires, the expiry of the warrants may be accelerated if the closing price of San Marco's shares equals or exceeds, for 15 consecutive trading days, $0.10 per share in the first year, $0.20 per share in the second year or $0.30 per share in the third year and San Marco gives notice to the warrant holders advising, and issues a news release announcing, within two trading days after such 15 day period, that the warrants will expire in 20 trading days.
Finders' fees of 7% will be paid in shares to qualified finders. The placement remains subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval.
San Marco Resources Inc. is a Canadian mineral exploration company (www.sanmarcocorp.com) with a portfolio of three promising projects in mining-friendly Mexico, including the Cuatro de Mayo Project in Sonora State on which the Company is currently active, and an alliance with GlobeTrotters Resource Group Inc. pursuant to which they will jointly initiate a state-wide effort to generate and acquire new high potential and overlooked mineral targets in Sonora State, Mexico. The Company has a committed management team with extensive experience in Mexico and a proven track record of building shareholder value.


Though of course the greek philosopher Socrates did not leave us any writings, this description of himself in Xenophon's Symposium V, 4-9 is the closest we get to a self-portrait.
In the dialogue, Socrates uses his ugliness to probe Critobulus' unquestioned ideas of beauty. He thus puts to test the traditional concept of καλοκἀγαθία (kalokagathìa), which affirmed the correspondence between outer and inner beauty.
The "naturalism" of Socrates' self-representation is clearly polemical.
Socrates had a great sense of humour it seems.
Absolutely. And he used it productively, as you can see.


text:
Gay Activists March in Calif. Ahead of Showdown
By By Associated Press Writer Lis ( [email protected] ) Mar 05, 2009 11:31 AM EST Comment
Diana Parker, 21, of Philadelphia, right, and supporters of gay marriage gather for a vigil and march to the California Supreme Court building in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday, March 4, 2009. (Photo: AP Images / Jason Redmond)
SAN FRANCISCO – Same-sex marriage advocates are pinning their hopes on California's highest court as it prepares to hear arguments on a trio of lawsuits seeking to overturn the state's voter-approved ban on gay unions.
Thursday's three-hour hearing was expected to draw an audience much larger than the California Supreme Court's courtroom can accommodate. Gay rights groups rented out a nearby auditorium and a big screen television for the outdoor plaza where a group of clergy scheduled a pre-argument prayer service.
"It's important to show the Supreme Court justices history is on our side," said Paul Sousa, 22, of Boston, who flew to San Francisco on Wednesday and planned to camp out by the courthouse overnight to be closer to the action. "Courts often can be a couple steps ahead of the curve on civil rights issues. We just have to help them get there."
The ballot initiative, which passed with 52 percent of the vote in November, changed the California Constitution to trump last year's 4-3 Supreme Court decision that held that denying same-sex couples the right to wed was an unconstitutional civil rights violation.
On Wednesday night, several thousand people marched from San Francisco's pro-gay Castro District to City Hall both to demonstrate public support for invalidating Proposition 8 and as an outlet for their anxiety. The Supreme Court's seven justices have 90 days after the oral arguments in which to issue a ruling.
"This is really about what the rest of the world sees — the rest of the world seeing there are huge numbers of people this issue touches," said Cherie Tony, 52, of San Francisco, who was among the crowd carrying candles and chanting "What do we want? Equal rights! When we do we want it? Now!"
Similar vigils were held in Los Angeles, other California cities, and as far away as New York. At the Los Angeles event, gay and lesbian couples decked out in wedding finery participated in a public "recommitment" ceremony.
Todd Barrett said he and his partner Joe Witmore, who were married during the 4 1/2-month window last year when same-sex couples could wed in California, brought their 5-year-old daughter to show that Proposition 8's passage affected families.
"I don't know how I would explain to her that Daddy and Pappa aren't married anymore," Barrett said.
The coalition of religious and conservative groups that sponsored the ballot initiative organized a statewide day of prayer last Sunday to rally support for upholding the measure and encouraged supporters to peacefully join same-sex marriage advocates outside the Supreme Court on Thursday.
"Our only purpose is to remind the media, Californians and Americans everywhere that support for traditional marriage is the majority position in the state," Ron Prentice, chairman of the ProtectMarriage coalition, said in a statement. "We won the Prop 8 election. The constitution has been amended. The will of the people should now prevail."
Gay rights groups, couples and more than a dozen local governments are urging the court to overturn the measure on the grounds that it was put before voters improperly, or at least prematurely. Under state law, the Legislature must approve significant constitutional changes before they can go on the ballot.
Attorney General Jerry Brown has taken the unusual step of refusing to defend the gay marriage ban in court. His office argues that because the court has already recognized marriage as a fundamental right and gays as a minority group deserving of judicial protection, outlawing same-sex marriage is a constitutional breach.
Both Brown and the parties behind the lawsuits also claim that the ballot measure abrogates the court's role as the ultimate guardian of civil rights and if allowed to stand would leave other groups vulnerable to having their liberties curtailed.
The Supreme Court has asked the attorney general and lawyers for the couples, local governments and Proposition 8's sponsors to limit their arguments to three specific questions:
• Is Proposition 8 invalid because it constitutes a revision of, rather than an amendment to, the California Constitution?
• Does Proposition 8 violate the separation of powers doctrine under the California Constitution?
• If Proposition 8 is not unconstitutional, what is its effect, if any, on the marriages of same-sex couples performed before the adoption of Proposition 8?
Proposition 8's sponsors are being represented in court by former Pepperdine law school dean Kenneth Starr, who investigated President Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky scandal. He argues that the ballot initiative was approved correctly and that it would be a miscarriage of justice for the court to overturn the results of a fair election.
Associated Press writer Raquel Dillon in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Thousands Rally Against Gay Civil Unions in Hawaii
Thousands crowded the Hawaii State Capitol on Sunday to rally against a bill that would legalize same-sex civil unions in the state.
Calif. High Court to Take Up Gay Marriage Ban
SAN FRANCISCO – California's highest court agreed Wednesday to hear several legal challenges to the state's new ban on same-sex marriage but refused to allow gay couples to resume marrying before it rules.
Californians Pass Gay Marriage Ban
After weeks of prayer and intense campaigning on both sides, Californians passed a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.


text:
À l'ombre de moi-même est un livre de Catherine Deneuve publié en 2004 (éditions Stock).

Elle y a rassemblé les carnets de tournage de six films, les seuls qu'elle ait tenus durant sa carrière, rédigés entre 1968 (Folies d'avril) et 1999 (Dancer in the Dark). Le livre comprend aussi un entretien avec le cinéaste Pascal Bonitzer.

À l'exception du Vent de la nuit de Philippe Garrel, ces carnets ont été écrits lors de tournages à l'étranger.

Ils n'ont pas, à l'origine, été rédigés en vue de leur publication.

Les films en question
1968 : The April Fools (Folies d'avril) de Stuart Rosenberg
1969 : Tristana de Luis Buñuel
1991 : Indochine de Régis Wargnier
1998 : Est-Ouest de Régis Wargnier
1998 : Le Vent de la nuit de Philippe Garrel
1999 : Dancer in the Dark de Lars von Trier

Journal intime
Cinéma français
Catherine Deneuve

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Students examine how Electoral College works, compare and contrast candidates or issues, and discuss importance of becoming registered, active voting individuals.
Learners take a closer look at presidential elections. In this Electoral College lesson, students participate in a classroom simulation that requires them to form a political party that puts forth a candidate to run for election.
Learners gain an understanding of how the winner of the popular vote might not be the winner of the electoral vote by voting on a snack. They be divided into groups with a representative.
In this presidential election activity worksheet, students examine 16 election-related terms and then put those terms into alphabetical order.


text:
Mark Irwin (ur. 7 sierpnia 1950 r. w Toronto) − kanadyjski operator filmowy. Członek elitarnych stowarzyszeń: American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) i Canadian Society of Cinematographers (CSC).

Wybrana filmografia
Pełna filmografia Irwina obejmuje ponad sto tytułów − przede wszystkim filmy kinowe i telewizyjne, rzadziej seriale tv. Poniżej zawarto wybór owych projektów:
 Wideodrom (1983), reż. David Cronenberg
 Martwa strefa (The Dead Zone, 1983), reż. David Cronenberg
 Youngblood (1986), reż. Peter Markle
 Mucha (The Fly, 1986), reż. David Cronenberg
 Plazma (The Blob, 1988), reż. Chuck Russell
 Postrach nocy 2 (Fright Night 2, 1988), reż. Tommy Lee Wallace
 Bat 21 (Bat*21, 1988), reż. Peter Markle
 Opowieści z krypty (Tales from the Crypt, 1990) (serial TV, praca przy jednym odcinku)
 Klasa 1999 (Class of 1999, 1990), reż. Mark L. Lester
 Mroczny anioł (Dark Angel, 1990), reż. Craig R. Baxley
 Ostry poker w Małym Tokio (Showdown in Little Tokyo, 1991), reż. Mark L. Lester
 Pasażer 57 (Passenger 57, 1992), reż. Kevin Hooks
 Nowy koszmar Wesa Cravena (New Nightmare, 1994), reż. Wes Craven
 Głupi i głupszy (Dumb & Dumber, 1994), reż. Bobby Farrelly i Peter Farrelly
 Wampir w Brooklynie (Vampire in Brooklyn, 1995), reż. Wes Craven
 Kręglogłowi (Kingpin, 1996), reż. Bobby Farrelly i Peter Farrelly
 Krzyk (Scream, 1996), reż. Wes Craven
 Sposób na blondynkę (There's Something About Mary, 1998), reż. Bobby Farrelly i Peter Farrelly
 Zakochana złośnica (10 Things I Hate About You, 1999), reż. Gil Junger
 Ostra jazda (Road Trip, 2000), reż. Todd Phillips
 Ja, Irena i Ja (Me, Myself & Irene, 2000), reż. Bobby Farrelly i Peter Farrelly
 Osmosis Jones (2001), reż. Piet Kroon, Bobby Farrelly i Peter Farrelly
 American Pie 2 (2001), reż. James B. Rogers
 Powiedz, że to nie tak (Say It Isn't So, 2001), reż. James B. Rogers
 Straszny film 3 (Scary Movie 3, 2003), reż. David Zucker
 Old School: Niezaliczona (Old School, 2003), reż. Todd Phillips
 Raperzy z Malibu (Malibu's Most Wanted, 2003), reż. John Whitesell
 Wesołych świąt (Deck the Halls, 2006), reż. John Whitesell
 Agent XXL 2 (Big Momma's House 2, 2006), reż. John Whitesell
 Sydney i siedmiu nieudaczników (Sydney White and the Seven Dorks, 2007), reż. Joe Nussbaum

Nagrody i wyróżnienia
 1984, Canadian Society of Cinematographers Awards:
 nagroda CSC w kategorii najlepsze zdjęcia do filmu kinowego (Wideodrom)
 1984, Genie Awards:
 nominacja do nagrody Genie w kategorii największe osiągnięcie w dziedzinie operatorstwa filmowego (Wideodrom)
 1985, Canadian Society of Cinematographers Awards:
 nagroda CSC w kategorii najlepsze zdjęcia do filmu kinowego (Martwa strefa)
 1986, Canadian Society of Cinematographers Awards:
 nagroda CSC w kategorii najlepsze zdjęcia do filmu kinowego (Youngblood)
 1987, Canadian Society of Cinematographers Awards:
 nagroda CSC w kategorii najlepsze zdjęcia do filmu kinowego (Mucha)

Linki zewnętrzne

Kanadyjscy operatorzy filmowi
Ludzie związani z Toronto
Urodzeni w 1950


Earlier this month saw Drake follow both Fortnite and Twitch streamer Ninja on Instagram, but now he's taking things to the next level.
Last night, the 6 God linked up with Tyler "Ninja" Blevins for a gaming session, which they live streamed to the rest of the world. Not only that, but Travis Scott, and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver, JuJu Smith-Schuster, filled up the rest of the squad. Drizzy played as TheBoyDuddus, Trav played as cactus_jackk92 and JuJu played as FaZeJuJu_19, with the stream racking up a record 600,000 viewers at the same time.
Drake even called out Logic for a game at one point, and Bobby responded. JuJu also said the session was better than scoring a touchdown.


text:
Morad Davari
Religion: Presumed Muslim
Date of Killing: March 27, 1990
Location of Killing: Arak, Markazi Province, Iran
Mode of Killing: Unspecified execution method
Charges: Murder
The accused, including political dissidents, were arrested and detained for months without trial, and sometimes without being informed of the charges against them. Detainees were routinely subjected to torture in order to coerce confessions of guilt. A single individual, the judge, was in charge of both the investigation and the interrogation.
Trials, particularly in the cases of prisoners of opinion, were held in camera. Despite the fact that a 1991 law authorized the presence of a defense attorney, there was no evidence that defendants were permitted access to legal counsel.
The judgment of the revolutionary court was not subject to appeal. A 1988 law gave defendants tried by penal courts a right to appeal to the Supreme Court in certain circumstances, such as in cases of false testimony or procedural violations. However, if the appeal was accepted, the case was retried by the penal court--not a higher court. Executions were often carried out shortly after the judgment.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Article 3; International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Article 9.1.
The right not to be punished for any crime on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a criminal offence, under national or international law, at the time it was committed.
UDHR, Article 11.2; ICCPR, Article 15, Article 6.2.
The right to due process
The right to counsel of one's own choosing or the right to legal aid. The right to communicate with one's own attorney in confidence
ICCPR, Article 14.3.b and Article 14.3.d; Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, Article 1, Article 2 Article 5, Article 6, Article 8.
The right not to be subjected to torture and to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
The right to defense through an attorney or legal aid. The right to examine, or have examined, the witnesses against one and to obtain the attendance and examination of witnesses on one's behalf under the same conditions as prosecution witnesses.
ICCPR, Article 14.3.d and Article 14.3.e.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Article 3; International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Article 6.1; Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty, Article 1.1, Article 1.2.
The execution of Mr. Morad Davari was mentioned in a list provided to the Special representative of the United Nation's Commission on Human Rights, Professor Reynaldo Galindo Pohl, by the Government of Iran This list was published in a Report of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations on The Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran. A/45/697.
The validity of the criminal charges brought against this defendant cannot be ascertained in the absence of the basic guarantees of a fair trial. International human rights organizations have drawn attention to reports indicating that the Islamic Republic's authorities have brought trumped up charges against their political opponents and executed them for drug trafficking, sexual, and other criminal offences. Each year, Iranian authorities sentence to death hundreds of alleged common criminals, following judicial processes that fail to meet international standards. The exact number of people convicted based on trumped-up charges is unknown.
The circumstances of this defendant's arrest and detention are not known.
No information is available on the defendant's trial. However, it has been reported to the special representative: "That trials before Islamic revolutionary courts have usually taken place in secret, sometimes inside prisons, that defendants have not usually enjoyed the right to be represented by a lawyer, and often have not even been made aware that the proceedings were in fact a trial and not an interrogation session.
The defendant was charged with murder.
The report of this execution does not contain information regarding the evidence provided against the defendant.
No information is available on Mr. Davari's defense.
Mr. Davari was sentenced to death. He was executed with two other defendants. No further information is available about this case.


text:
Senate Judiciary Committee Targets Data-Mining Programs
Wesley Clark: Is Iran Next?
Wild Attack on General Wesley Clark
ACLU To Target Bush-Cheney Torture and Spying
Pentagon Continuing To Whitewash Torture at Guantanamo
Bush-Cheney Plans for New Nuclear Warhead
From Volume 6, Issue Number 3 of EIR Online, Published Jan. 16, 2007
United States News Digest
The first hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee, held on Jan. 10, focussed on what Committee chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt) called a "dramatic increase" in the Bush Administration's use of data mining—"the collection and monitoring of large volumes of sensitive personal information" to attempt to identify patterns or relationships. Leahy said that there are at least 199 different data-mining programs spread across 52 Federal agencies.
Leahy said that he and other Senators, both Democrats and Republicans, are attempting to restore Congressional oversight, by introducing the Federal Agency Data Mining Act of 2007, which "would begin to restore checks and balances," by requiring Federal agencies to report on their data-mining activities.
Former Republican Congressman and former CIA attorney Bob Barr was asked about reports that, even though Congress passed a law banning it, the Administration is still operating the Total Information Awareness (TIA) program, which had been initiated by Adm. John Poindexter (ret.), of Iran-Contra fame.
"I am very concerned about this," Barr said, "as a former prosecutor, as a former member of the House of Representatives, and as a citizen." This Administration "does what it wants," he charged, and "it breeds contempt for the law." Until Congress addresses this issue, Barr said, the Administration will continue "to thumb its nose at the Congress and do what it wants."
When Barr raised the likelihood that the Administration is reading people's private mail, Leahy announced that he will call Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in front of the committee, and that he will question Gonzales as to whether there is a mail-opening program.
Speaking at the press conference organized by Senate Democrats on Jan. 10, the former Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, Gen. Wesley Clark (ret.), repeatedly attacked what he called "the neo-conservative vision" for regime change in the Middle East. Clark pointed out that under the Administration's plan, Iraq was supposed to be the first to go, followed by Syria, Iran, and others.
Identifying the "surge"—Bush's plan to escalate the war in Iran—is a tactical measure, not a strategy, Clark asked: "How does the surge contribute to the outcome? How does it help us deal with the larger regional issues?" He then asked, whether the surge is "to prepare for what comes next, in Iran?"
During the question period, EIR asked Clark to elaborate on this, and what would be the effect of a U.S. or Israeli attack on Iran, on U.S. forces in Iraq.
Clark said that he is sure that "there have been intelligence studies done on this," but he hastened to add that he was not referring to these. "It's just common sense that the Iranians have looked at this possibility, and that they have put in place some preparatory measures.... There is no doubt that the presence of American troops provides an accessible target for the Iranians, should they choose to use it."
He said that the United States can hit Iran with plenty of ordnance, but that this should be "a last, last, last resort," and that "hopefully, it will never come to this."
"I've yet to see the Administration disavow the neo-conservative strategy and vision for the region," Clark told EIR during impromptu questions afterwards. "I think that is a precondition for establishing some stability in the region. As long as the governments in the region believe, rightly or wrongly, that the United States has declared war on them and is committed to throw them out, then they're going to resist in any way they can."
The Jewish Republican Coalition, founded by the late, gangster-linked Max Fisher, lashed out against former NATO Commander Wesley Clark, who has been warning about a potential U.S. attack on Iran. The remarks in question, made to columnist Arianna Huffington, are also quoted in Jeffrey Steinberg's article, "Bush's Tragic Southwest Asian 'Peloponnesian War,'" in the Jan. 12 EIR. Clark said that he was concerned about a U.S. preventive strike on Iran, explaining: "You just have to read what's in the Israeli press. The Jewish community is divided, but there is so much pressure being channeled from the New York money people to the office seekers."
Selectively taking quotes from Clark, the RJC says that, "By prefacing the observation with a remark about the Jewish community, Clark made it clear to anyone who failed to read between the lines exactly which New York money people he had in mind." The RJC Executive Director stated that "Wesley Clark owes American Jews an apology, and I sincerely hope Democratic leaders will join the RJC in urging him to retract his reckless comments."
Anthony Romero, executive director of the ACLU, and Caroline Fredrickson, director of the ACLU's Washington office, told reporters Jan. 9, that the group would be working closely with the new Congress to roll back the Bush Administration's erosion of civil liberties. Among the measures they will be working for are the following:
* Restore habeas corpus and conduct oversight of the Military Commissions Act.
* Investigate and stop warrantless wiretapping by the National Security Agency, and conduct vigorous oversight of its activities to include learning the scope of the program and how the information acquired is being used.
* Repeal provisions of the Patriot Act that invade privacy and block unwarranted data-mining programs.
* Investigate and stop torture, abuse, and rendition, and determine where these illegal policies originated.
* Curb the abuse of state secrets privilege that is being used to hide embarrassing information from the public.
Romero noted that, with the Democrats now in charge of the Congress, the ACLU expects much greater success in overturning these measures, though nothing should be taken for granted.
Lawyers representing prisoners at Guantanamo said, on Jan. 9, that there is a continued effort by the Pentagon to whitewash the situation at Guantanamo prison; despite the Adminstration's protestations, the conditions there are not humane. Many of the detainees are in isolation cells, subjected to environmental manipulation, such as 24-hour lighting, sleep disruption, and temperature extremes. This is designed to drive them mad, and the techniques are all taken from the CIA's (1963) Kubark interrogation manual. As a result, many detainees are showing signs of mental illness, and can't assist in their litigation. This is similar, the lawyers said, to what was done to Jose Padilla.
Speakers reviewed the five-year history of the fight around Gitmo, including the Administration's denial that detainees had any rights, two Supreme Court decisions saying that they do, then the Administration going to Congress to get laws passed saying they don't. EIR asked what happens if the Cheney-directed Administration again defies the courts and Congress—doesn't this raise the question of impeachment? Center for Constitutional Rights head Michael Ratner said that if the White House were to defy a Supreme Court ruling, people in Congress would be looking at impeachment; but, he said, he isn't prepared yet to say that we have reached the point where our system of checks and balances is out the window.
The speakers, all affiliated with the Center for Constitutional Rights, said that they are hoping to get hearings in the new Congress, where there would be witnesses from the military, the diplomatic corps (regarding the image that Guantanamo represents internationally), and some former detainees.
The Bush-Cheney Administration will announce plans for a new nuclear warhead, reported the New York Times on Jan. 8. The announcement, to be made by the interagency Nuclear Weapons Council, will reportedly be of a hybrid design, taking elements from two competing designs, one by Los Alamos, the other by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The big question now, the Times quoted arms experts as saying, is whether such a mix-and-match approach "will produce a clever hybrid or an unworkable dud."
Congress authorized research, but not development, for new nuclear warheads three years ago. If the Administration goes ahead with the new design, the Times predicted, this will set off a debate in the new Democratic-controlled Congress, and also among both allies and adversaries abroad. Many have argued that this is the wrong time for Washington to produce a new nuclear warhead of any kind—when the U.S. is trying to persuade other countries to put sanctions on North Korea and Iran to halt their nuclear programs; the U.S. project would be viewed as hypocritical, and as an attempt by the U.S. to extend its nuclear lead over other countries. It is likely that, if the U.S. tests the new weapon, China and Russia would likewise feel free to do the same under their own nuclear modernization programs.
As a signatory to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, the U.S. and other nuclear weapons states are committed, on paper, to reducing, and ultimately eliminating, all of their existing stockpiles of nuclear weapons.


During the four weeks of Advent, I want to explore four pictures of Jesus in the Old Testament.
Having looked at Jesus as Creator and how He modeled redemption through creation, now I want to look at the Akedah. Arguably the most important scene in the Old Testament. The binding of Isaac. The moment where love drove Abraham to sacrifice his only son.
My oldest son is an anomaly in my home. He is quiet obedience. Chore-after-chore, from spider killing to vomit cleaning, I've come to take it for granted that he will say 'okay' and head off to do whatever I ask of him.
Considering the fact that he is sandwiched between two headstrong sisters who employ a host of theatrics to voice their dissatisfaction, I probably take advantage of his compliant attitude too often.
He does have his limits though. And I'm sure I'd see an immediate spark a rebellion if I asked him to lug a pile of wood up the hill out back so I could sacrifice him.
I've always wondered about Isaac. Was he oblivious? Too young to understand? Unquestioningly obedient to authority? Blindly stupid? What would compel him to traipse alongside his dad, obediently carrying the bundle of wood he was going to die on?
In Antiquities of the Jews, Josephus, the Jewish historian, claimed that Isaac was twenty-five years old at this point. The 18th-century British theologian, Adam Clarke, commentated that it was more likely Isaac was thirty-three at the time of his sacrifice.
Thirty-three. That puts a different filter on the picture.
Now the picture I see is that of an obedient and fully cognizant son in the prime of his life, willingly submitting to his father.
Why a burnt offering? When Jesus would later be nailed to a Roman cross, why would God direct Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt offering? Leviticus 3:1-5 instructs the Israelites on the Peace offering. This offering would be slayed outside the tent of meeting and after, it was to be sacrificed and burnt. The aroma would symbolically rise (or ascend) to the Lord as a pleasing, soothing fragrance.
In Genesis 22:3, God instructed Abraham to travel to the land of Moriah, to a specific mountain,to offer his son as a burnt offering.
The temple mount in Jerusalem is traditionally recognized as the location of Abraham's sacrifice. Jerusalem means City of Peace. God instructed Abraham to travel to the City of Peace where the Son of Promise would be slayed on a hill outside the tent of meeting after which he would ascend to God—the ultimate sacrifice for our peace.
It was Jesus who said, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these [the Scriptures] that testify about Me" John 5:39.
As the fully cognizant and completely obedient Son, he understood the type of his sacrifice and his ascension. He had commanded Abraham to portray it. He had inspired Moses to record it.
Abraham who received the command of death, took Isaac on a three-day journey of death to Jerusalem, steadfastly believing that God would raise his only begotten son back to life.
Isaac willingly carried the wood for his sacrifice up the hill where Jerusalem would later stand. To the city where Jesus would complete the picture. Mount Moriah has fascinating entymology. Moriah can connect to the Hebrew word marah which means bitter. It can also connect to the Hebrew word for mor (myrrh).
It is interesting to note that in Mark 15:23, Jesus was offered a cup of wine mixed with myrrh (mor) as he hung on the cross. This was an ancient narcotic-like painkiller. He did not take it, choosing instead to bear the full brunt of our sins. He did later take the bitter (marah) wine they offered, this was given as a refreshment, not to dull or ease pain.
I'm not smart enough or brave enough to touch the idea that Abraham carried the knife and the fire and that the father and son walked that hill alone. However, I do see the picture of Jesus, bleeding and bruised, abandoned by all friends, but walking that road with his Father.
Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together.
Jesus, the horn of our salvation, was caught in a thicket of thorns himself and then bound instead of Isaac—to die in our place.
On a mountain, in the land of Moriah, Jesus provided Himself for our salvation, our forgiveness, our righteousness, our redemption, our freedom. What can we do but respond as Abraham and Isaac would, in loving obedience to our King?
Oh Stephanie, this is profound beyond words. The scriptures you aligned, where the Old and New Testament accounts echo back and forth, are truly incredible. I will be meditating on this for a while. "Jesus, the horn of our salvation, was caught in a thicket of thorns himself and then bound instead of Isaac—to die in our place." What a gift. You are right in your conclusion, our best response is to live a life pleasing before Him in holiness and gratitude. God bless you and your ministry!
Thank you for your encouragement, Melissa. I'm thankful this post resonated with you and I truly appreciate your comments.
This is amazing! I learned so much reading this today. I have always pictured Isaac as a little boy, so that was something new to think about. And what a great reminder of all the connections between Jesus' death and Abraham's almost-sacrifice of his son. Thank you for giving me so much to think about!
I always had the felt-board picture of an old Abraham and a little boy Isaac, walking up the mountain in my mind. It does exercise our preconceptions to view it this way. But as someone commented on Instagram, even had Isaac been a boy still he could have easily overpowered his elderly father. That too gave me something to think about. Thank you for reading, Emily!
Great theology in this post, Stephanie. I didn't know that Jerusalem meant "City of Peace." WOW! And isn't it ironic that it has been the place of historical unrest? I mean, Israel in general has been the target of wars and all kinds of political challenges.
Yes, Lisa. That is an interesting point. It reminds me of what my pastor said once regarding conflict. He said he loves resolution more than he hates conflict. Is that the heart of Jesus? That to be the Prince of Peace, to bring ultimate peace, he must love resolution enough to bring the necessary conflict it will take to achieve it?
I am enjoying your messages. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. The sacrifices made for us are amazing and at times, hard to understand. We are blessed by His love for us.
Amazing. Hard to understand. Blessed by love. That sums it up, Melissa! Concise truth.
Hi Stephanie. I loved Part 1, and now Part 2. This is shaping up to be a very thought provoking, awe-inspiring series. Really good stuff! I don't think I've every considered all the parallels between the sacrifices of Isaac and Jesus – not all in one sitting, anyway. And how breathtaking it is to consider my passionate reluctance to be in the shoes of both Abraham and Isaac, while the Father and the Son planned and followed through so willingly with our favor in their hearts. How can we not respond by offering ourselves. Thank you for this inspiring post.
I'm with you, Stephen. I'd never really sat down and thought through it all in one sitting until recently. And I know I'm missing so much more. But parallel after parallel just started exploding on the page and it put me more in awe of our Awesome Savior. Thank you for your thoughts.
The Christmas Mass at my son's church last Christmas Eve featured a discussion of Isaac as foreshadowing Christ's sacrifice. I had not thought of that before.
I too wonder about Isaac's submission to sacrifice. Surely he could have taken the elderly father and escaped.
The Holy Spirit is amazing in every age.
God is truly amazing. To reflect on him is such a delight. Merry Christmas to you as well, Nancy!
I learned so much from your post and from all research and digging you did for this blog. I had never made the connection between Issac and Jesus before reading you post and it makes so much sense.
Yvonne, thank you for the encouragement. It makes all the research and digging so much more rewarding when I know that it has impacted someone else as well.
First, it's like you were describing my kids! I have a wonderfully compliant son who is helpful and faithful to the bone. He's sandwiched between 2 spirited sisters. Jeez!
As far as the story, I've always been bothered by this story. I suppose that's why it's such a powerful testimony. What kind of God asks that of his followers? Then I remember, God volunteered as tribute. He submitted to his own demands for blood to wipe out sin. That is the tragedy and the hope of the cross.
We had a guest preacher say recently that Moriah and Golgotha are the same mountain geographically and spiritually. I thought that was pretty profound. Good thoughts as usual, Stephanie.
Maybe it's boys vs. girls. ? But, a very interesting pop culture reference that paints a poignant picture, Chip. "God volunteered as tribute." I love it!
Thank you, Karen. What an amazing Savior we serve.
What a deep, awe-inspiring post! There is so much here. I love how you wove the two stories of Isaac and Jesus together. It really painted the picture well and helped me see the foreshadowing of Jesus in the story of Isaac. Your challenge of our response is both uplifting and encouraging but also convicting.
Thank you, Elaine. I'm touched that it spoke to you.


text:
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CultureTV
Why is Laura Kuenssberg leaving the BBC? Where is she going - and who will replace her as political editor
Laura Kuenssberg has confirmed that she is stepping down from her high profile role - here's who could replace her
By NationalWorld Team
Monday, 20th December 2021, 1:06 pm
The BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg has announced that she is stepping down from her role in the new year.
In October it was reported that the 45-year-old journalist was negotiating an exit from her role of the past six years as part of a major reshuffle of the BBC's on-air staff, which she has now confirmed.
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Her departure leaves open the key role of political editor at a time when the future of the BBC licence fee is being negotiated.
Kuenssberg's announcement comes hot on the heels of the departure of another high profile BBC star, Andrew Marr, who hosted his final show on Sunday (20 December).
She will leave her role next Easter to take up a "senior presenting and reporting position" across the BBC that will take in TV, radio and online.
It remains to be seen whether this will be on Radio 4's Today programme, as was previously reported, or whether it could even be the Sunday slot vacated by Andrew Marr.
Boris Johnson interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in 2015 (Photo: Getty)
What has Laura Kuenssberg said?
Announcing her departure, Kuenssberg said: "I've been so lucky to do the best daily reporting job in the business, with the best colleagues anyone could wish for. It's been incredible to occupy the chair during a time of such huge change and to try to make sense of it for our viewers, listeners and readers online.
"I'll miss the daily drama, and our wonderful team in Westminster, immensely. But after nearly seven years and what feels like decades' worth of headlines, it's time for the next move."
Writing on Twitter, she said: "After nearly 7 years, in April I'm moving on from best daily reporting job + the most wonderful team in the business. It's been an honour and an amazing ride - more to come in 2022! With love + thanks to all at @BBCPolitics."
She added: "Huge thanks to all the viewers, listeners and readers who've shared their stories over the years... I'm taking a break for Christmas, but there will be PLENTY of news to come over the next few weeks and while I'm still in the chair until April!"
What has the BBC said?
The BBC's director-general Tim Davie said: "Laura has been an outstanding BBC political editor throughout the most turbulent political times in living memory. Her incisive commentary, tough questioning and astute insight have guided our audiences through the last seven years.
"She's a superb interviewer and engaging presenter, and I'm thrilled that we are keeping her on our screens and airwaves. I'm looking forward to her next chapter."
The BBC's outgoing director of news, Fran Unsworth, said: "Laura's a born journalist and she's done an amazing job as political editor. She's an energetic and determined story-getter, who gets straight to the heart of the issue and knows exactly the right questions to ask.
"Our political coverage would have been immeasurably poorer without Laura as political editor. We're lucky to have her."
Who is Laura Kuenssberg?
Kuenssberg succeeded Nick Robinson as political editor at the BBC in 2015.
She was the first woman to hold the high-profile role and had also worked for ITV News as Business Editor and as a chief correspondent on Newsnight.
Kuenssberg has been a contentious figure during her tenure as political editor, a time which included the Brexit referendum and two general elections.
She faced accusations of bias from across the political spectrum through the UK's departure from the EU, and amid concerns for her safety was forced to attend the Autumn party conference season with a bodyguard.
Kuenssberg was born in Italy in 1976 to Sally and Nick Kuenssberg.
She grew up in Glasgow and attended the University of Edinburgh before doing a journalism course in Washington DC.
Kuenssberg joined the industry in 2000 and worked her way up to one of the biggest roles in journalism.
She is married to management consultant James Kelly, who also studied at Edinburgh, and the couple have no children.
Who could replace Laura Kuenssberg as BBC political editor?
One of the favourites to step into Kuenssberg's shoes is Jon Sopel. He has been the BBC's North America but recently returned to the UK, sparking rumours that he is in line to take over - although he did say he plans to take a "long break" to write a book.
He is a well-known face through his coverage of Donald Trump and US politics, and co-presented the Americast podcast with Emily Maitlis last year.
Another bookies' favourite is Vicki Young, currently the BBC's deputy political editor, who is widely respected at the corporation and in Westminster. There is reportedly an appetite in the BBC that the role stays with a female journalist.
Among the other favourites for the new vacancy are Amol Rajan, the BBC's media editor and a presenter on the Today programme, Faisal Islam, the BBC economics editor who was previously at Sky News and Channel 4, and Alex Forsyth, who has worked as the BBC's home affairs correspondent, education correspondent and Middle East correspondent.
Other names in the frame include BBC diplomatic correspondent James Landale, Any Questions anchor Chris Mason, Newsnight's policy editor Lewis Goodall and political editor Nick Watt, former Scotland editor Sarah Smith, and Beth Rigby and Sam Coates from Sky News.
Dominic Cummings interview: what did Boris Johnson's ex-aide say in TV sit down with BBC's Laura Kuenssberg?
Christmas TV guide 2021: schedule over Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year's Eve - from BBC to ITV and C4 and 5
Why did Louise Minchin leave BBC Breakfast? Why presenter left - as she appears in I'm A Celebrity 2021
How much is Laura Kuenssberg paid?
The BBC's annual report into its highest earners showed that Kuenssberg's salary was £290,000 in 2020.
It was a £40,000 pay increase from the previous year.
Thank you for reading. NationalWorld is a new national news brand, produced by a team of journalists, editors, video producers and designers who live and work across the UK. Find out more about who's who in the team, and our editorial values. We want to start a community among our readers, so please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and keep the conversation going.
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