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India's leg-up for Instagram
The Signal - India's leg-up for Instagram
Also in today's edition: Pak's new security mantra; Check your facts, YouTube; Africa in a Chinese knot
Also in today's edition: Pak's new security mantra; Check your facts, YouTube; Africa in a Chinese knot
Venkat Ananth and Debarati Bhattacharjee
Good morning! What's in a name? A business idea if it's Snoop Dogg! It comes as no surprise then that the rapper's next venture is selling hot dogs. This is six years after he swore to never eat a hot dog again. Well, never say never.
In the latest episode, we discuss why the government is keen on regulating the Indian edtech sector. The otherwise competitive industry appears to have joined hands to form its own "code of conduct". Also do you like word games? Well, Josh Wardle and his partner definitely do. What are we talking about? Tune into The Signal Daily to find out!
Indian Edtech Wants A Rule Book
By The Signal
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The Market Signal
Stocks: Although benchmarks closed in the green markets were tentative. Indices see-sawed as rising retail inflation and slowing factory output reflected in stocks. Metals gained but private banks lost ground. The Paytm stock dropped to less than half of its IPO price.
Pakistan's Olive Branch To India
It would be a first. Pakistan is expected to release a 100-year no-hostility with India security policy today. The code will focus on internal and external security issues.
Huge potential: The hostile neighbour had cut off trade ties after India abolished Kashmir's statehood. The new policy is expected to revive economic ties and trade in the region. The World Bank had earlier estimated India-Pakistan trade potential at $37 billion.
Even with borders shut, the two countries use another route—Dubai—to unofficially send goods. It does increase costs but business happens. India is also close to signing a free trade deal with the UAE, which would give a boost to the workaround should the borders remain closed.
Tracking The Third Wave
The numbers tell a story. India needs to get its citizens jabbed. Stat. India notched up the highest number for the second consecutive day.
There's no relief in current curbs in Maharashtra as cases are still high. A whopping 96% admitted to Mumbai hospitals are unvaccinated. Cases are rising in Delhi. Over 18,000 cases were registered in Bengaluru on Thursday.
The ICMR has made testing optional for patients. Doctors are concerned.
Elsewhere: Thailand will collect fees to revive tourism. China's port city Dalian is the epicentre of an outbreak and could potentially clog the global supply chain. Cases are ebbing in NYC. French President Emmanuel Macron was serious about annoying his citizens. France has passed the vaccine pass.
Meanwhile, EU regulators say frequent boosters aren't a great idea.
Instagram Has India To Thank
Instagram had a great finish to 2021, powering past 2 billion monthly active users, a good many of them from India. The timeline coincides with a government ban on short-video app TikTok in June 2020. A Sensor Tower report shows that Instagram's installs in India "climbed 135% from Q2 2020 (TikTok ban) to Q4 2021." That's massive.
(Source: Sensor Tower via TechCrunch)
What the numbers say: Simple. Indians are missing TikTok.
At the time of the TikTok ban, "approximately 21% of Instagram were from India." That number rose to "39% by Q4 2021." On a year-on-year basis, India contributed to about a fourth of the app's downloads in 2020. Cut to 2021, and that number grew to 36%.
None of this should be surprising. While the ban irrefutably fired up Instagram, it kept hacking growth too.
As we wrote last year, Instagram has been gradually metamorphosing into a TikTok. That pivot started in India with Reels in July 2020. It later doubled down on Reels with India-specific tweaks. The clone paid rich dividends.
This also coincides with copycats emerging soon after the TikTok ban, fragmenting the short-video content space for both creators and users. The rise and rise of D2C commerce in India, and Instagram emerging as a critical discovery and acquisition channel also played a part.
Take-Two: Fact-checkers vs Platforms
Fact-checkers aren't too pleased with YouTube. So much so that nearly 80 of them have shot off an open letter to YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki. Their concern: YouTube's role as a "major conduit of online misinformation and disinformation worldwide."
Stop Joe: Beyond YouTube, scientists and doctors have also written to Spotify to "implement a misinformation policy" over the latest controversy surrounding Joe Rogan, and his prior misdemeanours, where he allegedly "spread vaccine misinformation and discouraged vaccines".
Big Tech elsewhere: Twitter is back in Nigeria after complying with its government requirements. Stateside, as the Senate considers an antitrust bill for markup, lobby groups representing Big Tech are not happy with a "rushed process". And well, a Chinese app called Bilibili has banned live streaming of "violent" games such as Grand Theft Auto and Witcher 3.
(Disclosure: One of the co-founders of Frontpage Media Technologies Pvt Ltd, that publishes The Signal, is also the publisher of Newschecker.in, a fact-checking website. The copy has been independently curated and written, and does not bear any editorial inputs from Newschecker, its publisher or any of its staffers)
Africa Ensnared In China's Debt Trap
Crisis-hit Sri Lanka last week not only asked Beijing for easier debt repayment terms, but also sought fresh loans. Sri Lanka is not the only one with massive IOUs to China. It is merely an early sufferer of Beijing's debt-trap diplomacy.
Debt trap: China is one of the world's largest creditors. It is estimated to have secretly lent $385 billion to 165 countries along its Belt and Road Initiative.
African crisis: Over a 20-year lending spree, Chinese banks have left more than 20 African countries highly indebted. The pandemic has eroded their repayment capacity and they are on the verge of losing strategic assets. Uganda may lose the Entebbe airport, Financial Times reported. Beijing denied reports that it is slowing down lending because of repayment worries.
Putting in cash: Qatar Insurance and others bought OYO stake worth ₹230 crore. Edtech firm Lead School became the third unicorn of 2022 with a $100 million fundraise. WayCool Foods, India's fastest growing agritech firm raised $117 million and gaming community platform Turnip raised $12.5 million.
Buy out: Flipkart Group bought Yaantra for $40 million to expand its reverse commerce business. Vedanta has offered $12 billion to buy refiner Bharat Petroleum.
Big shift: Private equity firm TPG's restructuring of performance fees ahead of its $1 billion IPO is expected to fundamentally change conventions in the buyout industry.
Shake hands: South Korea's POSCO and Adani Group signed a $5 billion multi-industry investment deal that includes setting up a green steel plant in Gujarat.
Richest Asian: Binance CEO becomes Asia's richest, beats Mukesh Ambani with an estimated net worth of at least $96.5 billion.
New player: GM gets into used car space with CarBravo. It will compete with Carvana, CarMax and other used car sellers.
To be taxed: Incentives for crypto exchange employees paid in cryptocurrencies would likely be taxed soon.
Something for everyone: The best deals are on the Buy Nothing group on Facebook. There's no barter here. You just give away stuff you don't want for free. In fact, it's grown so popular that the digital community now has an app of its own.
Abandoned glory: India's first indigenously designed and manufactured car, Pingle, built by a Hyderabadi engineer in early 1950s was found half-dumped in a scrapyard. The daughter-in-law of the owner of Pingle plans to restore the vintage car.
Money talks: Real estate prices are soaring. Investors are pumping in millions. But this is for a piece of land in the metaverse. In fact, it is so popular that prices for virtual plots went up by 500%.
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Adarsh Palm Retreat, Bellandur, Bengaluru, Karnataka
Edtech's feint
Just deserts for crypto? Grim outlook for emerging economies, Omicron ravages Europe, A twister called Wordle
Yolo folks are out to shop
Also in today's edition: Poaching for metaverse, Vodafone's new master, Covid surges in the US, Airlines hope to fly high
Why work? Just Chill
Also in today's edition: BigBasket in small towns; Capital year; China crisis percolates down
Deltacron is here
Also in today's edition: iMessage snobbery; Crypto crashes; GDP bounces; Back to Zoom
Brace for the terrible 2
Savvy investors are expecting a steep correction in stocks. History agrees


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365 Days of Texas True Crime
Tawny The Rock Chick Published: April 26, 2021
On this day in 2001 an article in the Odessa American announced to it's readers the long overdue arrest of a murderer. Three years before a wife and mother of five went missing from her home in Greenwood leaving her loved ones with no answers to where or why she disappeared.
Daytina Blair Hulslander
According to an article in the Odessa American, Daytina Blair Hulslander was last seen at her home by her husband on April 27th, 1998. She didn't take anything with her but the clothes on her back apparently. Her parents and her children agonized over her mysterious disappearance everyday leading up to the discovery of her remains by quail hunters in Glasscock County, just three miles southwest of Garden City. When she disappeared her three sons went to stay with her parents and her two daughters remained in the home in Greenwood with their father.
Daytinas sons
The article in the Odessa American on this day back in 2001, exactly 20 years ago to the date, announced the arrest of the person they believed to be responsible for her death, the person that the late Sheriff Painter had his eye on since day one...her husband. Allen Dee Hulslander was finally charged and arrested for his wife's murder. His trail begin a year later with Hulslander hiring a nationally known San Antonio attorney, Gerald H. Goldstein. Goldstein has defended what some would say were the worst kind of criminals, notorious drug dealers, accused polygamist child abusers, a theater owner who showed the X rated film "Deep Throat" and others.... Wonder why he felt the need to get the big guns on his case? Hulslander ended up pleading nolo contendo, which means he knew he was gonna loose even with his fancy attorney on board. Allen Dee Hulslander murdered his wife and the mother of five young children and left her body on a ranch to be ravaged by the harsh west texas elements. I haven't been able to figure out how long he actually spent in prison for what he did to Daytina but there is no record of him as being currently incarcerated so not near enough.
Filed Under: Texas true crime

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Home Past Prizes 2015 Prize British Council Ukraine
British Council Ukraine
In March 2015, the British Council offered Ukrainian theatres an opportunity to produce a new – to Ukraine – production of Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale, in co-operation with a UK stage designer who will be selected from the finalists of the 2015 Linbury Prize.
An open call submission competition was held in Ukraine to find a theatre company to stage this new production and in May 2015, a panel of Ukrainian experts reviewed the entries and selected the Lviv based Les Kurbas Theatre as the winner.
Les Kurbas Theatre representatives will travel to London in July 2015, to present their idea to the shortlisted Linbury Prize candidates and identify one designer whose style matches the Ukrainian director's vision for the production.
The final production of A Winter's Tale was due to premiere in Ukraine on 23 April 2016.
British Council and Ukraine partnership gallery


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To have faith in God is to have the faith of God. Now someone may be saying how can I know the faith of God? Well, the Bible—our guide for living the Christian life—is the Word of God and is full of examples of how God uses faith. I used the present tense because the scriptures teaches that Jesus, (who was God in the flesh), is the same today as he was in the beginning (Hebrews 13:8).
The Word of God shows us that God spoke the world into existence and everything He spoke is still in operation. The one alteration is that He has given us the authority to operate as He. It is our responsibility to operate and live by the faith of God (Rom 1:17).
To do that properly, we must use the power of the Word of God—coming out of our mouths—to make a difference in our lives (Proverbs 18:21). We don't have to accept things the way they are in our lives…we have the power to change.
Circumstances are subject to God; therefore, they are subject to us. If we use the power given to us through the power of speech, we can take a hard situation and see it turn around. How? By using the directive Jesus gave to the Apostles in the above scripture.


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Home >Industry >Telecom >Inside Reliance Jio's game plan for 5G
Jio has just 29 telecom patents—all technologies included. It is not clear how many are 5G related.
Inside Reliance Jio's game plan for 5G
10 min read . Updated: 08 Sep 2020, 06:55 AM IST Samarth Bansal
Jio wants to build a Made in India telecom network. How viable is that plan and how far can it go?
What matters is the version of 5G Jio wants to build: the company is lobbying to push a deployment strategy in telecom standards called Option 6, which can't exploit the full potential of 5G
NEW DELHI : In March, press reports created a buzz in the Indian telecom industry: Reliance Jio has replaced Nokia and Oracle's 4G voice technology with their own components, and built end-to-end network gear for 5G, the reports said, illustrating how India's largest telecom operator is now capable of building network equipment.
However, no major swap had taken place, Nokia's Chief Marketing Officer Barry French clarified on the company's website. Jio had replaced only one among the dozens of Nokia's components in its core network and the European company's technology continues to power Jio's infrastructure.
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Four months later, at Reliance's 43rd Annual General Meeting in July, Jio's chief Mukesh Ambani formally declared the company's ambitions: "Jio has created a complete 5G solution from scratch, that will enable us to launch a world-class 5G service in India, using 100% home grown technologies and solutions."
The company, however, has yet not shared details on how it transformed itself into an equipment provider with the capacity to build network technology from scratch, and how it solved India's decades-long challenge of boosting local telecom manufacturing—90% of telecom gear is currently imported.
Interviews with 5G researchers, telecom engineers, industry analysts and a review of public statements by Jio officials suggest it is unlikely that the telco is building a network from scratch with 100% indigenous technology. "Jio is not going to be 'making in India'," said Shiv Putcha, founder of Mandala Insights, an analyst firm focused on networking technologies. "Jio has made acquisitions and investments that will help them build the network, but they are not getting into manufacturing per se," he said.
Instead, Jio is integrating different components of the telecom network, building some on its own, procuring the rest—a strategy made possible by a global push towards open standards and softwarisation of telecom networks.
"The electronics and component manufacturing ecosystem is not quite ready. It will take several years for India to get there," a senior Reliance Jio executive said on the condition of anonymity. "Even if we accelerate, it will take time for end-to-end manufacturing."
"What is possible for now is design locally and build components in Taiwan or Korea," the executive added, explaining that Jio aims to control design and Intellectual Property. But even with that, he said, "our strategy would be a mix of buy and build."
What also matters is the version of 5G Jio wants to build in the near future: the company is lobbying to push a deployment strategy in telecom standards called Option 6, which, experts said, can't exploit the full potential of 5G. It will save costs for the company, allowing it to leverage parts of the existing 4G network for providing 5G service, at least initially. The outcome will likely be a better version of 4G with higher capacity, rather than the "true 5G" the world is anticipating.
Jio did not respond to Mint's detailed questionnaire.
Homegrown networks
There has been a growing call worldwide for homegrown telecom networks. While China leads the world in 5G, there is reluctance to use Chinese products, owing to the suspicion that Huawei and ZTE deploy backdoors in their equipment to snoop on data on behalf of their government. The US, UK and Australia have already banned Chinese products in their network gear. While India has not announced a formal ban, it practically remains so, especially following the escalating Indo-China border dispute.
For Jio's perspective, European vendors like Nokia and Ericsson, which appear relatively trustworthy, are expensive. The market is heavily concentrated among the big giants, leaving little choice for telcos. "Equipment vendors sold end-to-end network devices, both software and hardware, as fully-integrated proprietary solutions," said Dr. SaiDhiraj Amuru, adjunct assistant professor at IIT-Hyderabad. "Telcos realized that this dependency was hurting them and they had no bargaining power," he said.
Vendors enjoyed this power because telecom networks involve complex engineering. It has two major parts. One, the radio access network, or RAN: the primary wireless component which connects your phone to the nearest base station, and includes hardware components like antennas and towers. Second is the core network: once the signals arrive at the base station, it connects to a more software-focussed core that links to the wider internet.
As the dominance of vendors started pinching operators, they accelerated the process to find alternatives, culminating in an open source movement called Open RAN. The idea is simple in theory: instead of buying the entire network from one company, get each component from a provider of your choice, and integrate it at your end.
This shift—which is fundamental to Jio's ambitions—is best illustrated through the radio part, which consumes a bulk of the capital expenditure that is required to build a wireless network (estimates range from 60-80% of the total capex costs). "Open RAN aims to break the big black box of telecom networks into several small black boxes. You can pick individual boxes from different vendors or build your own," Amuru explained.
The key thing is for the boxes to have the ability to talk to each other through established standards, which Open RAN aims to accomplish for the first time with 5G deployment. In December 2018, Jio joined the ORAN Alliance.
Jio's version of 5G
The focus on Open RAN is important for another reason: it is linked to the version of 5G Jio wants to build for India in the near future. Broadly speaking, there are two deployment modes: standalone and non-standalone, and each has variants depending on how the radio part of the network connects with the core.
Most 5G deployments plan to begin with one of the non-standalone mode options, where a 5G radio co-exists with 4G radio, and both connect to the 4G core—this is option 3. That came up because operators wanted faster deployment, and did not want to wait long enough for core development to finish to roll out 5G. A software upgrade in the 4G core will allow the network to understand messages coming in from 5G radio.
Eventually, the idea is to move to a standalone mode, where 4G components are phased out, and a 5G radio connects to a 5G core.
But Jio has a unique problem. In September 2019, at a conference hosted by the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), Satish Jamadagni, vice president, network planning engineering at Reliance Jio, and vice chair of Telecommunications Standards Development Society, India (TSDSI), made a revealing statement: The non-standalone mode is not suitable for India (at least Jio) as the 4G network is running at almost full capacity due to an exponential rise in user base.
"In our country, LTE [4G] cells are 90-98% clogged," Jamadagni said, in contrast to other countries which are at 5 to 40% capacity. "We are already clogged." "We are being forced to move into something called a standalone option," he added. Jio doesn't want to invest in a 5G core in the near future and is pushing for Option 6 deployment: a standalone strategy where 5G radio connects with 4G core.
"The whole 5G core is a sham," Jamadagni said. "Why should I be willing to pay 500 million to 1 billion dollars for it? Why would I want to deploy it?" he asked. 5G core is functionally the same thing as a 4G core—especially if you virtualize it—and brings no additional benefits, he claimed. "You please advance in your technology. We want to be behind. We are happy with being behind. If it takes a billion dollars, we are perfectly happy being behind," he said, in reference to 5G core.
Independent experts don't agree with Jamadagni's characterisation.
Shivendra Panwar, a professor at New York University and a researcher at NYU Wireless, said: "You can't get all the advanced 5G features with a 4G core. There are too many delays built in and you can't get low latency communication," he said with regard to Option 6. One can expect improvement in broadband applications—like video streaming and downloads—which would keep subscribers happy, he said, and that may be all that Jio wishes to do for now.
Sandeep Nag, director of 5G at Capgemini, and a former employee at Jio, echoed Panwar's concerns about Option 6: "Enhanced mobile broadband will be possible but you can't guarantee end-to-end slicing that delivers quality of service for mission critical use cases like remote surgery and time sensitive industrial manufacturing," he said. "Vodafone India is doing trials on option 3 with Nokia," he said.
In an emailed response, Jamadagni said his remarks don't constitute "Jio opinion" and were made in his capacity as vice chairperson of industry standards body TSDSI.
The patents puzzle
But even to create this version of 5G with homegrown tech is not an easy task. To build the radio box, for instance, antenna and chipset suppliers are required, among others. How will Jio build each of these components from scratch, using 100% homegrown technology?
Huawei spends around $20billion annually in research and development—45% of its workforce (~80,000 employees) doing just that. A recent study found that six companies (Huawei, Samsung, LG, Nokia, Ericsson and Qualcomm) owned 80% of the most closely connected patents to the 5G standards. Huawei has the highest count: 2,386. In contrast, Jio has just 29 patents—all technologies included. It is not clear how many are 5G related.
At the ICWA conference, Jio's Jamadagni argued that the firms developing the new process architectures are small startups: "If we shell out about two hundred million dollars, we can buy off a few companies in the US and we are done. We are on par with anybody on the computer side."
Reliance has begun to do just that. In 2018, the company acquired US-owned Radisys which has a presence in Bengaluru. The startup, which had built expertise in open systems and virtualisation, is now working on Jio's Open RAN software stack, analysts said. "The Radisys acquisition was the first signal that Jio wanted to be more than a telecom network and wanted to create bits of the network on its own," said the UK-based technology analyst Dean Bubley, founder of Disruptive Analysis, a consulting firm.
India also has an emerging ecosystem of companies specialising in network equipment and software: SignalChip, Saankhya Labs, Tejas Networks, Sterlite Technologies, VVDN Technologies, among others. Technology built by these Indian companies can contribute to different parts of the Indian 5G network stack.
But how far can Jio go with its 100% homegrown technologies claim and how does it want to pace it? "There is going to be more localisation of some pieces, but everything cannot be localised. You still need Silicon; you still need antennas. The network will have these physical components," Bubley said. "It ultimately depends on how you define what is a national supply chain."
In the eyes of the industry, the company's trajectory closely resembles that of Rakuten, rather than Huawei. Rakuten is a Japanese e-commerce giant which is now embracing Open RAN to get into the telecom business. There is even a common link between the two firms: Tareeq Amin, the CTO of Rakuten, earlier held a senior position at Jio, which he joined in 2013 and left in 2018.
Engineers Mint spoke to said that while Rakuten and Jio appear to be on the same track, their public messaging is different: Rakuten is clearly saying they are partnering and integrating, but Jio is claiming they are building all on their own. "Jio is integrating. They are optimising the cost which is a smart business move. But there are no technological breakthroughs," said an engineer on condition of anonymity.
To be fair, the complete Jio playbook will unravel in greater detail in the coming years. Industry insiders say that Jio's announcement has boosted the momentum for self-reliance in telecom . With the alignment of geopolitical and business interests, this could be the moment the industry has been waiting for.
But NYU's Panwar feels India needs to look ahead. "If India truly wants to get in the business, it needs to jump ahead to 6G and do R&D right now, and get international patents. 5G is over in terms of intellectual property," he said.
Samarth Bansal is a freelance journalist who writes about technology and policy
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Stop This Flame: Brighton-Raised Celeste Returns With New Music After Topping BBC Sound Of 2020 Poll
There's a quiet softness to the Brighton-raised Celeste that makes you feel instantly relaxed by her presence. Her demeanour is unexpected following the recent announcement that she was the winner of the 2020 BRITs Rising Star award, as well as securing first place in the prestigious BBC Sound of 2020 poll.
Celeste's voice has that natural ease that seems to just escape her throat, but contains so much detail, so many stories, such complex personal histories.
The 24-year-old shares much with the greats, both modern and old: Amy, Etta, Ella, Otis, etc.
Like their voices, hers doesn't belong to a specific time or place.
And now the British-Jamaican artist is set to release Stop This Flame, her first taste of new music in what is set to be a very busy year, with the BRITs win landing her a prestigious performance at the upcoming ceremony next month.
"In essence, Stop This Flame is a song about seeing it through to the end," Celeste reveals.
"Whether it's about not letting go of love, not letting go of a dream or stridently coming through some form of adversity.
"The song has always evoked those feelings within me."
From her bedroom in West London, she talks about where her voice and perspective came from, and she does so at length.
Celeste can talk for Britain. She grew up in Brighton but she was born in Los Angeles.
"It's an odd and long story," she laughs, remembering the tiniest fractions of sensory memory as she paints scenes from her young life.
Celeste is mixed race. Her mum is from Dagenham, and her dad is from Jamaica, and both of them wound up wherever the wind would blow.
At the age of three, Celeste moved from LA to Dagenham with her mum and lived with her grandparents until she was six.
Her granddad was the one who'd expose her to music.
"The first singer I remember hearing was Aretha Franklin," she recalls, offering details of hearing a cassette in her granddad's old Jaguar.
"He could tell I liked it and played 24 more of her songs."
They'd listen to tapes of Aretha and Ella Fitzgerald on repeat.
On a trip to Romford Market she discovered Otis Redding when she was buying a gift for her granddad.
She didn't realise it back then but there was something in the raw emotion of those singers that she connected with.
"In my songwriting I'm far more inspired by heartbreak," she says.
"There's a darkness even though some songs are underlined with optimism. Those moments were far more thought-provoking for me."
She and her mum moved to Brighton when she was six.
At school she made friends quickly, but more importantly she found herself struck by the compulsory church hymns, even though she wasn't religious.
"I loved singing them and hearing everyone's voices blend together."
Even now she's obsessed with choirs and religious iconography, but at the time it was her first vehicle for communal singing.
She remembers her first music teacher – down to her colour of stockings.
"There was so much freedom in that class compared to others," she recalls.
"I looked forward to it."
The seeds were being sowed but it wasn't until Celeste was in her mid-teens that she started basing life decisions upon her love for music, deliberating over university versus pursuing a career as an artist.
Her time at college had been testy and coincided with her dad's death.
"I'd never experienced that heartbreak in my life," she says, revealing that she kept it more or less secret.
"I was brought up to be optimistic. My outlook was positive in terms of the unpredictable nature of life.
"It shocked me and affected my confidence in the world and I became anxious for a year."
She stopped turning up to class, she stopped hanging out with her friends. She wouldn't leave the house. She nearly got kicked out of school.
After she plodded through that difficult year she felt a new sense of purpose, and a strong desire to use the opportunity of college as a means for self-discovery.
At the age of eighteen she'd befriended a group of young talented local boys.
Celeste would sing. She'd never performed for people before.
They'd rehearse covers of Sly And The Family Stone, The Clash, The Specials, The Moody Blues, Alice Coltrane, Janice Joplin, Thelonius Monk and Ray Charles, turning each other on to classic discoveries.
Eventually she began to write original material with the boys.
"The more time I spent playing music with my friends and doing shows the more I wanted to do it as a career," she says.
Celeste posted a blurry video of her and the boys jamming in the garden and herfirst manager stumbled across it.
He booked her writing sessions with credible songwriters in London.
For two years, she'd jostle working in pubs in Brighton with staying with friends in London for half the week, taking sessions, finding her sound, etching out several EPs on her way to signing with a major.
"I understand my sound and how I want me to be perceived as an artist. Realising that making music isn't just about singing, it's about having something to say," she says now.
The journey was long but there was always a little light whenever things got too dark.
The music she's making and releasing now feels rooted in pain.
"I'm not a dramatic person at all but small things affect people in a huge way," she says.
"For me, significant things jerk me or make me overthink and inspire me to write."
Celeste is going to be huge in 2020. Check-out her music HERE.
Celeste Celeste - Watch & Listen


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The Coliseum is one of the seven wonders of the world, the most famous amphitheatre in the history of humanity. Your guide will bring them back to life, explaining the imposing structure and recreating the days when it was filled with the sounds of roaring animals, crowds and twisted swords of gladiators. The splendour, the glory and the show that made the Coliseum the most refined and technologically advanced entertainment complex of its time ….all this is at your fingertips!
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Korea's Kim Elevates Son
Delegates arriving Monday at Pyongyang station ahead of North Korea's ruling Worker's Party meeting, the biggest party gathering in decades.
By Evan Ramstad
Updated Sept. 27, 2010 12:01 am ET
(See Correction & Amplification below.)
SEOUL—North Korean leader Kim Jong Il appointed his third son and his sister as senior generals in the country's army, the biggest sign yet of his bid to maintain family control over the isolated country of 24 million.


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TVP3 Gdańsk — польський регіональний телеканал, регіональна філія суспільного мовника «TVP» з центром мовлення у Гданську.

Місцева студія телеканалу є в Слупську.

Історія
 10 травня 1955 року створен Комітет суспільного телебачення.
 26 грудня 1958 року в ефір вийшла перша експериментальна місцева програма.
 10 лютого 1959 року розпочав роботу телецентр у Гданську.
 6 березня 1959 року запущено роботу ретранслятора та розпочато систематичну ретрансляцію програм з Варшави.
 28 червня 1961 року розпочато трансляцію програм «Telewizja Gdańsk» по всій території Польщі.
 25 серпня 1961 року перша трансляція з Міжнародного фестивалю пісні в Сопоті.
 1 липня 1965 року відкрито нову студію телеканалу.
 1 листопада 1967 року телеканал отримав перший репортерський автомомбіль з передавачем.
 2 березня 1970 року вийшов в ефір перший випуск програми «Panorama».
 У липні 1977 року телеканал тарнслював показ фестивалю «Сопот-77».
 4 серпня 1980 року «Panorama» вперше вийшла з кольоровим зображення.
 21 липня 1990 року в ефір вийшла передача «Rodnô zemia» кашубською мовою.
 3 листопада 1992 року розпочато мовлення незалежної регіональної програми, спочатку під назвою «Telewizja Neptun».
 У червні 1993 року «Telewizja Gdańsk» отримала новий репортерський автомобіль, оснащений сучасним телевізійним обладнанням.
 18 грудня 1996 року редакція та офіс телеканалу перемістилися до нового приміщення.
 23 грудня 2001 року на 23-му каналі замість кодованого «Canal+ Premium», передавач якого було закрито в червні 2001 року було розпочато мовлення телеканалу на Ольштин.
 3 березня 2002 року приєднався до загальнодержавної регіональної телемережі — TVP3.
 1 січня 2005 року Вармінсько-Мазурське воєводство охоплено покриттям новоствореного «TVP3 Olsztyn».
 14 лютого 2011 року «TVP Gdańsk» разом із «TVP Info» перейшли до мовлення у форматі 16 9 з логотипом, який до 23 січня 2012 року при трансляції програм у 16:9 був адаптований до формату 4:3.
 1 вересня 2013 року телеканал ввійшов до програми регіональної програми TVP.
 2 січня 2016 року змінив назву на «TVP3 Gdańsk».

Див. також
 Список польських телеканалів

Примітки

Посилання
 Офіційний сайт

Телеканали Польщі
Засновані в Польщі 1958
Поморське воєводство
Підприємства Гданська

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Ahead of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2019, Australia, the defending champions, are still sweating over the fitness of fast bowler Josh Hazlewood. The pacer himself is optimistic that he'll be ready in time for the big tournament.
Hazlewood has been out of commission since the Sydney Test against India in January, when he reaggravated a back stress fracture that had kept him out for six months last year.
A timeline for a return is yet to be set, although follow-up scans on Friday should provide a clearer picture. "I think we'll know a lot more after tomorrow, to be honest. Hopefully in the coming weeks, we'll start working through it," Hazlewood said on Thursday, 14 February.
Hazlewood has already been ruled out of the limited-overs tours of India, and the UAE, where Australia take on Pakistan in five ODIs.
A regular in Tests, Hazlewood has been used sparingly in ODIs, where he has been limited to just six appearances since the 2017 Champions Trophy.
We'll just work back from the World Cup, really, and make sure everything's right for that, which gives me plenty of time.
However, Hazlewood felt the warm-up window ahead of the World Cup, comprising three practice matches against New Zealand in Brisbane, and official games against England and Sri Lanka in England, should suffice to get back into the groove.
"I haven't played too much one-day cricket in the last 12 to 18 months, which is a bit frustrating, a bit of a shame," Hazlewood said. "We've got three games in Brisbane in May against New Zealand, and then three in England once we get over there. That's quite enough to be ready, I think, so I'll be happy with where I'm at."
Hazlewood's scan results would be eagerly awaited by an Australian side hit by the injury bug on the road to the World Cup. Mitchell Starc is recovering from a pectoral injury that will keep him out of the India series, while the returns of Steve Smith and David Warner from their respective year-long bans have been muddled, with both men recovering from elbow surgeries.
Australia kick off their World Cup campaign against Afghanistan in Bristol on 1 June.
Kiran More, the former India wicket-keeper, has said that MS Dhoni will be a vital cog for the Indian team at the upcoming ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2019.


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Posts Tagged 'pittsburgh post gazette'
"Friends of the Marcellus Shale" Rally Support for Responsible Natural Gas Development
March 11th, 2011 | Author: otreva
ICYMI — "Friends of the Marcellus Shale" Rally Support for Responsible Natural Gas Development
· An hour before the hearing began, a group calling itself "Friends of the Marcellus Shale" held a rally that drew about 40 people to the portico of the City-County Building, next to the courthouse on Grant Street. "Say yes to Marcellus," they chanted. Asked why they were there, rally participants talked about jobs and spin-off economic benefits that Marcellus Shale drilling have brought to the region. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 3/11/11)
Natural gas worker Robert Henwood: "It comes down to jobs and our families. … I just had a baby, he's two months old and I want to feed him." (KDKA-TV, 3/10/11
Supporters of drilling demonstrate on Thursday evening in front of the City County Building, Downtown,
while a public hearing is conducted before Allegheny County Council. (Tribune-Review, 3/11/11)
Terry Clark, of Arlington Heights, said natural gas production created a win-win situation. "It creates jobs, helps us with our energy problems and boosts tax revenues," the retired Pittsburgh firefighter said. Joe Myzak said he had experienced the practical benefits of the gas boom. His company, Myzak Hydraulics of Houston, Pa., which rents heavy equipment to the industry, has grown from 12 to 52 workers in two years, he said. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 3/11/11)
· Natural gas worker Mike Yilit: "You reap the benefits of it. It's a natural resource. In Western Pennsylvania…there are 40,000 jobs that have been created." (WPXI-TV, 3/10/11)
State-of-the-art technologies, transparency and strict regulation are assuring that natural gas drilling is being done responsibly in southwestern Pennsylvania, Steve Forde told council. He is policy and communications director for the Marcellus Shale Coalition, an industry group. Mr. Forde said he had personal reasons for wanting to assure that extraction is done safely. He, his wife and two young daughters make their home in Cranberry. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 3/11/11)
* * To view more pictures from yesterday's "Friends of Marcellus" rally,
visit the Marcellus Shale Coalition's Facebook page. * *
* * * Interested in becoming a "Friend of the Marcellus"? Join our team today.
Posted in Marcellus Shale Coalition | Tags: pittsburgh post gazette, Rally | Comments Closed
Ridge pushes for environmentally safe gas drilling
August 17th, 2010 | Author: otreva
By Joe Smydo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Published: Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Former Gov. Tom Ridge this afternoon called Marcellus Shale gas production a "transformative opportunity" for Pennsylvania during an appearance Downtown in his new role as a strategic adviser to an industry group.
Still dressed in the jeans and checkered shirt that he wore to inspect production operations in Washington County earlier in the day, Mr. Ridge hailed the industry's economic potential but also stressed the need to manage environmental concerns.
"We're only getting one chance to get it right," Mr. Ridge said, speaking at an energy conference sponsored by the Pittsburgh Business Times.
Speaking to reporters before and after the speech, Mr. Ridge said he hoped Pittsburgh City Councilman Doug Shields' call to ban natural gas drilling in the city would be the "first chapter in a broader discussion" about the industry's future here.
Mr. Ridge said he also opposed a one-year moratorium on new drilling statewide that's been proposed by state Sen. Jim Ferlo, D-Highland Park. Mr. Ferlo proposed the moratorium to give officials time to ponder tighter regulations of the industry, but Mr. Ridge said the concerns can be addressed without a one-year delay in new permits.
Mr. Ridge and his two consulting firms accepted a $900,000, one-year contract to serve as advisers to the Cecil-based Marcellus Shale Coalition.
Earlier today, Mr. Shields unveiled his bill to ban natural gas extraction in the city, saying he won't let the city return to its steel-era days as a center of pollution.
Mr. Shields said he knows the bill, if passed, would draw a legal challenge from the coalition of gas producers. But he said at a news conference he wants to assert the city's sovereign authority to protect itself from a potentially harmful industry and preserve the environmental advances made since the smoky-city era.
"You want that back?" he said of the pollution.
Ben Price, who helped draft the bill as projects director for the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund in Franklin County, said the city's right to protect residents from the hazards of drilling should trump any state claim of authority over drilling matters.
"Rights precede the state," he said. "Rights precede government. Rights precede state statues and are superior to them."
Mr. Shields plans to introduce the bill Sept. 7. He criticized Mayor Luke Ravenstahl for opposing a ban and wondered which neighborhood the mayor considers suitable for drilling.
In response to Mr. Shields' bill, Kathryn Klaber, president and executive director of the coalition, issued a statement saying the industry has a lot to offer.
"At a time when Pittsburghers are feeling uncertain about the current state and future direction of our economy, policymakers and our elected officials should recognize that all economic opportunities should be considered in full," she said. "The shale gas industry has brought to my hometown new jobs, an expansion of our tax base, and environmental stewardship and a safety culture that pervades our daily work.
"The effort announced today by Councilman Shields furthers none of these tremendous benefits to Pittsburgh residents and taxpayers."
Joe Smydo: jsmydo@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1548.
Copyright: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Posted in Blog, Marcellus Shale Coalition, Pennsylvania Natural Gas Drilling | Tags: gas, pittsburgh post gazette | Comments Closed
What They're Saying: Responsible Marcellus Shale Development Allowing Family Farmers to Realize Their Dreams
August 3rd, 2010 | Author: otreva
Marcellus production "will enable us all to keep our farms"
"Farmers are making investments in their farms that were just dreams before the Marcellus Shale"
Marcellus development pumping "hundreds of millions of dollars into the state's economy"
Family farmers say Marcellus development "will enable us all to keep our farms": "Some see it as a way to keep their farms, which have been in their families for generations. … Nor do they have concerns over the hydraulic fracturing process, which some environmentalists claim can contaminate water wells and pollute rivers and streams. "We've been stewards of the farms for years," said Ward, a fourth-generation farm owner. McMurray's family has owned its land since 1811, and Bird's since 1821. "It will enable us all to keep our farms," said Wright-Croft. Ward believes that farmers have the most to lose from gas drilling since they rely on private wells to water livestock as well as drink it themselves. "You're not going to find anyone with more concerns about the water than us," he said. (Observer-Reporter, 8/3/10)
Marcellus development pumping "hundreds of millions of dollars into the state's economy": "With lease payments ranging from $750 per acre to $3,600 per acre – and royalties set from 12.5 percent to 18.75 percent – the Marcellus Shale contracts Chesapeake has signed with local property owners has pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into the state's economy. … The natural gas company presently employs 636 Mountain State residents, with plans to hire more local workers in the future once those potential employees receive proper training. Chesapeake has spent $46 million with West Virginia-based vendors so far this year, including $1 million in shops based in Marshall and Wetzel counties and several million dollars more with a company in St. Marys, W.Va. The company also donated more than $400,000 to community organizations within Marshall and Wetzel counties during the past two years, Chesapeake leaders note. (Wheeling News-Register, 8/1/10)
Marcellus bringing hope to family farmers: "As an accountant who works for many farmers in the northern tier, I have witnessed first-hand the financial stress this important industry has experienced for the past 30 years. In the past two years, I also see the hope that Marcellus Shale brings to these farm families. … Today, these farmers are making investments in their farms that were just dreams before the Marcellus Shale. Also because of these new investments by farmers, I see a rebuilding of the northern tier agriculture infrastructure that was at risk. (Daily Item, 7/28/10)
Marcellus production "good for everybody"; Helping counties "meet their bottom line": "Marcellus Shale drilling is boosting local water sales and helping to push the Quemahoning pipeline close to its permitted capacity. Bruce Hottle, president of the Lincoln Township Municipal Authority, said the nonprofit has been selling close to 3 million gallons per month to Dallas-based Chief Oil & Gas. Drillers use several million gallons of water to "frack" each Marcellus Shale gas well. "It's given us some decent cash flow we wouldn't normally have," Hottle said. "It's probably doubled our water sales for the months of June and July." … "This helps us get out of the hole sooner. It's been good for everybody," Hottle said. … As for the county, Commissioner Pamela Tokar-Ickes said the increased usage is helping them meet their bottom line. "The more water we sell the better for the Que pipeline project," Tokar-Ickes said. "We hope it continues." (Daily America, 7/30/10)
More new jobs on the way thanks to the Marcellus: "A partnership between Medico Industries Inc. and a South American company looks to tap into the Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling boom with the opening of a manufacturing facility in Hanover Township. … Medico Industries received a $500,000 low-interest loan through the Luzerne County Business Development Loan program to install and purchase machinery. The company is investing nearly $960,000 in the project. It's estimated 20 jobs will be created. (Times-Leader, 7/31/10)
Marcellus-related jobs "another strong performer": "The Pittsburgh region's growth in all four of those sectors ranked between third and seventh best among the 40 largest regions in the country. Another strong performer was the natural resources and mining sector; although it only added 500 jobs, that was more than any region other than Houston, likely reflecting the impact of Marcellus Shale drilling. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 8/1/10)
Posted in Marcellus Shale Coalition | Tags: accountant, America, Bruce Hottle, Chesapeake, Commissioner, DALLAS, fracturing, gas drilling, Hanover Township, HOUSTON, Lincoln Township Municipal Authority, manufacturing facility, Marcellus Shale, Marshall, Medico Industries Inc., natural gas, natural-gas drilling boom, Observer-Reporter, Pamela Tokar-Ickes, Pittsburgh, pittsburgh post gazette, president, purchase machinery, Quemahoning pipeline, St. Marys, tier agriculture infrastructure, Times Leader, USD, Ward, West Virginia, Wetzel | Comments Closed
What They're Saying: Marcellus Shale "a wonderful thing"; Creating tens of thousands of "family-sustaining jobs"
June 24th, 2010 | Author: otreva
"There were a lot of people around here who had a nicer Christmas last year because of the gas busines
"The greatest economic and clean-energy opportunity of our lifetime
"This is a good thing for us"
Marcellus Shale creating "family-sustaining jobs": John Moran Jr., president of Moran Industries, described the arrival of the natural gas industry as "a wonderful thing" that will both create "family-sustaining jobs" and lead people to finally "really believe the clouds (have) parted." He likened the gas industry to "a blessing from God" and predicted a trickle-down effect and creation of new wealth unlike anything seen here since the long-ago lumber era. Heinz said the gas industry brings to the area "unlimited" business and employment opportunities. (Williamsport Sun-Gazette, 6/23/10)
Responsible Marcellus development benefiting "the mom-and-pops": "The burst in industrial activity creates new business opportunities and spinoff benefits for established companies, said Marilyn Morgan, president of the Greater Montrose Chamber of Commerce. "We've got a lot of entrepreneurs," she said, including vendors selling food at drilling sites and start-up laundry services cleaning clothes for gas-field workers. "The mom-and-pops are starting to see some economic benefits," Morgan said. "Restaurants are seeing a difference." (Towanda Daily-Review, 6/23/10)
Sen. Mary Jo White: Marcellus Shale "the greatest economic, clean-energy opportunity of our lifetime": "It must be noted that this activity has generated billions of dollars for landowners, including the state, through lease and royalty payments, as well as hundreds of millions of tax dollars through corporate and personal income, sales, fuel and other taxes. … Without question, we must ensure that drilling occurs in a responsible manner. Thanks to increased permitting fees, we now have twice as many permit reviewers and inspectors on the ground than before the Marcellus rush. … The Marcellus Shale presents perhaps the greatest economic and clean-energy opportunity of our lifetime. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 6/23/10)
Marcellus Shale expanding PA's workforce, small businesses: "According to Heinz, M-I SWACO initially will employ about 20 to 30 people at or working out of the Moran site, but he predicted the numbers will grow. … Among the employment opportunities are skilled positions for field engineers. Those hired locally will be those with both high school and college degrees, who will train before going out to well sites, according to Heinz. (Williamsport Sun-Gazette, 6/23/10)
Congressman Joe Pitts: Marcellus Shale will benefit local companies, "reduce energy costs while improving air quality": "A Penn State University estimate shows that there is now enough gas in the Marcellus Shale to supply the entire U.S. for more than 14 years. Obviously, the Shale is not going to be tapped all at once and will not be the sole source of gas in the U.S., meaning that wells in Pennsylvania will provide a source of natural for decades. It is estimated that natural gas exploration could lead to more than 100,000 jobs statewide. While Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District is not located above the shale,local companies will certainly benefit. … With many Pennsylvanians looking for work we shouldn't pass up this opportunity to create new jobs. Responsible development of the Marcellus Shale can reduce energy costs while improving air quality. (Pottstown Mercury,6/23/10)
Marcellus Shale generating new jobs, significant revenue for local, regional businesses: "Larry Mostoller's company moves up to 1 million gallons of water a day for Cabot Oil and Gas Corp. "My company has grown 300 percent in one year." "I employ 80 percent of my workforce from Susquehanna and Wyoming counties," he said. "I'm definitely going to go over 100 (employees) this year." Despite controversy about the economic, environmental and employment impacts of Marcellus Shale natural gas development, the industry generates new jobs and significant revenue for regional businesses. … A recent Penn State University study financed by the gas industry concluded that drilling companies spent $4.5 billion in the state in 2009 and helped create 44,000 jobs. (Citizens Voice, 6/23/10)
Marcellus development helping local school districts, "Taxpayers like the idea": "A school district in Bradford County is now caught up in the natural gas boom. Towanda Area School District agreed Monday night to a $500,000 gas lease with Chesapeake Energy. … "This is added money that we didn't have before, new money," said school board vice president Pete Alesky. … There won't be big gas drilling rigs on the actual school property. The lease only allows the gas company to drill underneath the land. If the gas company finds gas there, then the school district can make more money by getting 20 percent royalties. "They should get in it. The opportunity is there to get some money and they should get it," said taxpayer Howard Shaw of Wysox Township. … Taxpayers who talked with Newswatch 16 liked the idea of the district getting the surge of cash. (WNEP-TV, 6/22/10)
Marcellus Shale 'crop' sustaining family farms: "Natural gas is a new crop for farmers in many parts of the state. It is harvested thousands of feet below the topsoil. This new revenue it generates has allowed countless farms to stay in business, repair and upgrade their barns and buy new equipment to plant their crops. The lease revenue has saved many farms from development and allowed farmers to invest in modern no-till equipment to farm in a more efficient and environmentally friendly way – both are good for water quality and the environment. (Wilkes-Barre Times Leader LTE, 6/22/10)
Marcellus Shale send rail yards booming, boosting "overall economic development": "A $500,000 upgrade of the historic rail yard in Fell Twp., which was built in 1825 to help ignite the region's coal boom, is a good example of the region's new gas industry's ability to boost overall economic development and of the growing importance of rail freight to the region. The project will make possible the easy delivery, by rail rather than truck alone, of many of the materials used in the booming Marcellus Shale drilling industry. … The rail yard upgrade is a good example of how to use the gas industry to boost general economic activity. (Scranton Times-Tribune Editorial, 6/22/10)
PA prof.: Marcellus "energy, income, jobs a good thing for us": "Debate about the economic effect may overlook the impact on the ground, said John Sumansky, Ph.D., an economist at Misericordia University in Dallas. "The burst of energy and income and jobs coming from this spills over to a sector where the economy has been lagging in this region," Sumansky said. "This is a good thing for us, especially in the fields of transportation and construction." It is a good thing for Latona Trucking and Excavating Inc., a Pittston company that does well-site preparation and hauls water for Chesapeake. On some days, up to 60 of the company's 120 employs do gas-related work, said Joseph Latona, company vice president. … "This will probably be our best year ever in business." (Towanda Daily-Review,6/23/10)
200,000 well-paying jobs will be generated over the next decade: "It is likely, with the continued development of the Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale and the aging of the current natural gas industry workforce, that more than 200,000 well-paying jobs will be generated over the next decade, with an even greater number as drilling activity increases. … There is an immediate need for truck drivers/operators, equipment operators, drillers, rig hands, geologists/geophysical staff, production workers, well tenders, engineers, land agents and more. (PA Business Central, 6/22/10)
Marcellus Shale is saving small businesses, allowing folks to have "a nicer Christmas": "Donald Lockhart sees a big difference over the last two years at his restaurant and gas station in South Montrose along Route 29, a major artery for drilling-related traffic. "We've better than tripled our business since last year," Lockhart said as he sat in a booth in the dining area while a flatbed truck hauling an industrial generator idled outside. "I'm selling more Tastykake than they are in the grocery store." … "They saved my business by coming here." … Dozens of small businesses in the Endless Mountains region benefit from gas development, Mostoller said. … "My employees live better because they work in this industry," Mostoller said. "There were a lot of people around here who had a nicer Christmas last year because of the gas business," Lockhart said. (Towanda Daily-Review, 6/23/10)
The game-changing resource of the decade: "The extraction of shale natural gas is set to become a major growth industry in the United States. Recently, Amy Myers Jaffa wrote in the Wall Street Journal that natural gas could become "the game-changing resource of the decade." Already Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Louisiana, and other states are beginning to reap the economic benefits of a natural gas boom. A study by Penn State University predicted that the natural gas industry in Pennsylvania alone will be responsible for the creation of 111,000 jobs and for bringing in an additional $987 million in tax revenue to the state by 2011. Natural gas extraction has been one of few industries growing (without government subsidies) during this recession. (Biggovernment.com Op-Ed, 6/23/10)
Copyright: Marcelluscoalition.org
Posted in Blog, Marcellus Shale Coalition, Pennsylvania Natural Gas Drilling, Times Leader | Tags: Already Pennsylvania, Amy Myers Jaffa, Bradford County, cabot oil and gas corp, Chesapeake Energy, Christmas, clean-energy opportunity, Donald Lockhart, economist, Endless Mountains, energy, Excavating Inc., gas, gas company finds, gas development, gas drilling, gas industry, gas station, gas-field workers, gas-lease, general economic activity, Greater Montrose Chamber of Commerce, Heinz, Howard Shaw, Joe Pitts, John Moran Jr., John Sumansky, Joseph Latona, Larry Mostoller, Louisiana, Marilyn Morgan, Mary Jo White, Misericordia University, Misericordia University in Dallas, Moran Industries, natural gas, natural gas boom, natural gas development, natural gas exploration, natural gas extraction, natural gas industry, natural gas industry workforce, no-till equipment, Penn State University, Pennsylvania, Pete Alesky, pittsburgh post gazette, Pittston company, president, school board, Scranton Times, shale natural gas, start-up laundry services, Susquehanna, the Wall Street Journal, Towanda Area School District, transportation, Tribune, United States, USD, vendors selling food, Vice President, Wall Street Journal, West Virginia, Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, williamsport sun gazette, WNEP-TV, Wyoming, Wysox Township | Comments Closed
The EPA is right to study drilling's health impact
March 25th, 2010 | Author: DLP Law
(Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) tracking By Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Mar. 24–The discovery and development of the Marcellus shale natural gas deposits has been big news in Pennsylvania and neighboring states for several reasons.
One is the massive energy resource it represents. Another is the jump in jobs it could create. A third is the tax revenue that might be reaped. And one more is the concern that widespread drilling poses for the environment.
That worry covers a range of issues, but a major one to catch the eye of the Environmental Protection Agency is "fracking," the hydraulic fracturing technology that breaks the rock deep in the ground to release the gas. The process injects millions of gallons of water mixed with chemicals and sand under great pressure into a gas well to crack the shale. How should drillers best dispose of this water?
While fracking has been used for decades at shallow depths, the EPA said last Thursday it would do a $1.9 million study of the potential adverse effects of the process at a mile or more underground. The EPA wants to gauge the impact on water quality and public health — and that makes this money well spent.
In Pennsylvania alone, 2,500 drilling permits were issued by the state for Marcellus shale gas wells between 2007 and 2009, with another 5,000 expected this year. The Marcellus Shale Coalition, a trade group, says 1,100 Marcellus shale wells have been drilled so far, as a way to get to some of the estimated 363 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
While the coalition and others in the industry say they are committed to ensuring a safe approach to treatment and disposal of wastewater due to fracking, it's good to know the EPA study will provide an objective, scientific view on how well they are doing.
It's unfortunate the study could take two years to complete, but Americans should be willing to sacrifice speed for thoroughness on a question that involves community health.
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Copyright (c) 2010, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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