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Failed Bolts Bedevil a Nuclear Plant
Neil Sheehan
Public Affairs Officer
Truly novel issues are, generally speaking, few and far between at U.S. nuclear power plants. Whether it's a specific type of pipe that springs a leak or an electrical relay that goes on the fritz, chances are good that the problem has been experienced before somewhere across the nation's fleet of commercial power reactors during the many decades they have been in operation.
An issue that has drawn attention at the Salem Unit 2 nuclear power plant, a pressurized-water reactor in southern New Jersey, has to do with the failure of small bolts contained in four reactor coolant pumps. The bolts, measuring 1 inch in diameter and 4 inches in length, are used to secure a turning vane inside the pumps.
These pumps stand about 30 feet tall and provide forced flow of coolant, or water, through the reactor to transport heat from the fuel to the steam generators. The steam generators, in turn, make use of that heat by converting it to steam. The steam is then piped to the turbine to spin it and generate electricity.
As can be seen in the graphic, water is drawn upward through the suction nozzle at the bottom of the pump via an impeller. The turning vane directly above the impeller then redirects the water toward an opening on the side, from which it flows into the reactor vessel.
When a refueling and maintenance outage began at the plant this spring and evaluation and maintenance work got under way, a number of turning vane boltheads were found in piping associated with one of the reactor coolant pumps and in the reactor vessel. (Similar discovery of these boltheads, albeit just a handful of them, had been observed in two prior outages.) Subsequent reviews, which have now included the examination of all of the pumps, have identified dozens of failed or sheared turning vane bolts in all of them.
Update: Here is an additional image.
Each pump has 20 such bolts. (The arrow shows the approximate location of the bolts.) A majority of the failed boltheads, though separated from the bolt shanks, remained in place thanks to mechanical restraints or tack welds.
While this is not a significant safety concern in terms of potentially causing a reactor core damage accident, there are several related operational issues. For one, the boltheads are considered foreign material that could have an adverse impact on reactor coolant system performance if they were to impact key components inside the system. For another, the turning vane could conceivably drop down and come into contact with the impeller and impede or halt its functioning.
The cause of the bolts' failure remains under review, but one possibility is stress-corrosion cracking. Indeed, the NRC issued Information Notices to the industry in the 1990s regarding this phenomenon.
A 1994 Information Notice put out by the agency was designed to make the industry aware of stress-corrosion cracking that caused turning vane cap screws to fail at the Millstone Unit 3 nuclear power plant. Also, a 1990 Information Notice discussed the failure of turning vane bolts at a foreign reactor.
In a 1995 Information Notice, the NRC made plant owners aware of the loss of integrity for bolt-locking devices in the turning vanes of reactor coolant pumps at the Seabrook nuclear power plant but for a different reason: flow-induced vibrations.
PSEG, the owner and operator of the Salem and Hope Creek plants, will have to not only repair the Salem Unit 2 pumps but evaluate what went wrong. For now, the plant remains out of service while this work is taking place. NRC inspectors and specialists will closely follow these activities.
One area for consideration will be whether the problem could have been avoided based on previously available information.
Author ModeratorPosted on June 26, 2014 February 11, 2015 Categories Operating ReactorsTags NRC, nuclear power plant, Salem Unit 2
20 thoughts on "Failed Bolts Bedevil a Nuclear Plant"
BC says:
I would suggest examining the internal parts of the pump in contact with the primary coolant, especially the ones made of low alloy steel lined with (thin) stainless steel. There should be a streak of rust, beginning with a dent/spike (can be as small as 50 microns) and ending with a crack through the lining. It may be indifferently in the inlet nozzle, the outlet or inside the bowl. The streak can be a few mm or several inches or more. The primary coolant penetrates through the crack and permeates beneath the lining from high pressure (150 bars) towards lower pressure regions (atmospheric). Typically, the bolts that are not designed to provide full tightness at these pressures. Depending on the pressure gradient, the vaporization will occur at 85 bars, so anywhere between the crack and the bolts, but most probably at one of the two ends. In this case it happened at the bolts where the primary containment boundary ends (junction lining/steel body). The destruction can be very fast (days?), helped with the locally increasing concentration of boric acid. See NRC bulletins 82-02, 86-108, 94-63, generic letter 88-05,… and hundreds of cases around the world, the most famous being probably Davis Besse in 2002. The problem is called cavitation. I actually believe that cavitation was also involved at TMI-2, before the accident started.
andrea s says:
Nuclear power is dangerous, we might be able to seek more energy alternative with more environmentally friendly
The arrow is pointing to the seal housing bolts within the motor stand. The bolts are below the main flange within the pump, not above.
We've added two additional images to the original post, one of which offers a better view of the turning vane bolt location. The bolts were internal to the pump, but on the small graphic it could be confused with those used outside the pump (but within the motor stand) for the nearby seal package.
No, the arrow is pointing to the seal housing bolts within the motor stand. The bolts are below the main flange within the pump, not above.
dick0645 says:
It is especially important in this very risky nuclear business to learn from experience. Every nuclear plant has an operating experience group. They are tasked with looking hard at all relevant industry operating experience. But when the NRC drops the ball on an information notice we know who the real culprit is. This mistake is even more outrageous when you consider all the time the NRC had to Monday-morning quarterback this Millstone event.
Wow! Very disheartening! Repeat problems plague the industry. Repeat problems lead to repeat accidents. Until the NRC takes a hardline with respect to repeat problems public safety is compromised.
Subhash Chandra says:
I was an engineering supervisor at Northeast Utilities when Millstone 3 reactor coolant pump turning vane bolts pumps failed during operation and was responsible for addressing the issue. I remember what a horror show it was to fix it. We came up with a fix but we clearly said that the fix was for only one cycle. The info notice that NRC is referring did not say anything about the fix being for one cycle only. That might have given other utilities false sense of security and they may not have done all that was necessary to address this problem. It is distressing to learn that these bolts are still failing after nearly two decades.
The boltheads on a 1-inch diameter bolt are about 1½ inches across, which is too large to allow them to move past the flow openings in the bottom nozzle of the fuel assembly. While the boltheads restrict upward flow in a local area, pressurized-water reactor fuel is not covered by fuel channels. Thus, cross-flow from adjacent flowpaths would ensure cooling flow and avoided any localized overheating.
The metal impact monitoring system at Salem went into operation several years prior to the identification of the RCP bolting issue. The system has a limited number of sensor locations, i.e., on the upper and lower reactor vessel and on each of steam generators. In addition, the boltheads are relatively small in size and are believed to have reached their final resting place in the reactor coolant system relatively quickly. Therefore, there are no indications that the system would have identified a sustained acoustic signal alerting the operators to loose boltheads of this size and in this location.
As discussed in this blog post, the bolting in question is limited to a reactor coolant pump (RCP) design used at only three plants: Salem Unit 2 and Surry 1 & 2. The findings at Salem were quickly shared with Dominion, the owner-operator for Surry, and NRC Region II inspectors to evaluate their significance. The findings to date from the internal inspections of the four RCPs at Salem have not suggested that the failed bolting will cause a significant safety issue.
The RCP issue at Salem Unit 2 will be discussed in the next NRC quarterly inspection report, which is scheduled to be publicly issued in early August. The issue was first identified in the middle of the current inspection period, which is why you have not seen information published to date. We intend to share information in this matter openly with the public, just as we would any other potential nuclear safety issue, as more details and analysis becomes available and our technical staff in Region I and NRC Headquarters evaluates this information thoroughly.
With regard to formally reporting this matter to the NRC, to date the condition does not rise to the level necessitating a report under any specific requirements of 10 CFR 50.72. However, PSEG made a voluntary report of this event (see Event Notification 50176 on our website) on June 6, 2014. We would note that our inspectors observed the starting of two of the four RCPs in early May. The pumps started properly with no signs of vibration outside of expected values. Analysis of the corrosion of the bolt heads and shanks suggest that this condition existed for some time with no detrimental impact on the RCPs. We continue to evaluate this issue, and are assessing the Surry units for the potential impact on that plant's RCPs.
Your comments also referenced impeller cracking and vessel foreign material exclusion at the Palisades nuclear power plant and questioned whether the recent maintenance outage there was related to it. However, the piece of primary coolant pump impeller stuck in the Palisades reactor vessel is from the "C" pump and it broke off of the impeller in October 2011. There was no measurable impact to plant operation. The plant's owner-operator installed a new seal package and impeller during a refueling and maintenance outage in early 2014. But after plant startup from the outage, part of the new seal package started to degrade. After monitoring the degradation, the company decided to shut down the plant to replace the seal, which was done last week. The cause of the prematurely degraded seal package is under evaluation.
Public Pit Bull says:
NRC Reg Guide 1.133 (Loose-Part Detection Program for the Primary System) states…
"The presence of a loose (i.e., disengaged and drifting) part in the primary coolant system can be indicative of degraded reactor safety resulting from failure or weakening of a safety-related component. A loose part, whether it be from a failed or weakened component or from an item inadvertently left in the primary system during construction, refueling, or maintenance procedures, can contribute to component damage and material wear by frequent impacting with other parts in the system. A loose part can pose a serious threat of partial flow blockage with attendant departure from nucleate boiling (DNB) which in turn could result in failure of fuel cladding. In addition, a loose part increases the potential for control-rod jamming and for accumulation of increased levels of radioactive crud in the primary system."
Does not sound like the NRC or the licensee took prompt action considering the potential safety significance of this problem.
Are you saying that even these small boltheads will be stopped by the flow holes in the core support plate? Or are you saying that if they do get through they are small enough not to damage fuel or to cause localized overheating due to flow channel blockage?
Also would you address the status of the loose parts monitoring system at Salem? Why didn't this system detect these loose parts and alert plant operators?
The NRC staff is continuing to assess the performance of plant personnel during previous refueling and maintenance outages as they relate to the failed bolting issue. Results of those reviews will be included in an upcoming inspection report for the Salem plant. The broken boltheads involved are small and analysis shows they would not adversely impact the operability of the plant's Reactor Coolant System. Regarding the possible blocking of the fuel cooling channels, the core plate inside the reactor would prevent that from occurring.
We used a graphic that was similar to the Salem Unit 2 Reactor Coolant Pump because it had a better cut-away view. The arrow correctly points to the location of the bolts. The turning vane is the green component located between the bolts and the impeller. It is a large (greater than 17,000 pounds), one-piece stainless steel device used to optimize flow from the vertical outlet of the impeller to the horizontal outlet of the pump.
steamshovel2002 says:
Call me crazy, I don't think the NRC used the right reactor coolant pump picture. They got up the one without the diffuser?
I bet you Salem was operating outside the pump design and plant licensing like Palisades…this is cavitation and NPSH related?
Why wasn't this problem wrestled to the ground when it was first discovered a couple of outages ago? Foreign material of any kind in the reactor coolant system is a big problem especially of this magnitude. Foreign material can block nuclear fuel cooling channels and actually cause fuel damage due to impingement.
CaptD says:
Great blog article, which points out how small parts can affect reactor safety, if they fail at the wrong time. Not mentioned in this article is what the effect would have been if this reactor had suffered a large earthquake while at full power and most if not all the bolts failed t the same time!
I am glad that the reactor is not in operation and urge those looking into this failure to closely examine the radius where the bolt head meets the bolt, since that area is usually a very high stressed, especially if it is rough (on a microscopic level) from machining during manufacturing.
I hope that the operator will be required to much more frequent inspections of all of these bolts, in order to assess the lifespan of any new bolts and/or bolt materials they finally decide to replace the old bolts with.
Dr. A.David Rossin says:
Bolt problems have bee found over the years. It was the Reactor Owners Groups and EPRI who presented the early experience and data to AEC and NRC and also INPO which helped inform the licensees. NRC confirmed and approved the findings and solutions proposed and implemented by the licensees.
Montgomery, Jeff says:
Thanks for pointing this out.
Had heard that PSEG might have encountered broken bolts on "several" previous refueling turnarounds, and replaced those broken, but not all of them.
Anything come up to date that suggests the problem was seen more than once or twice before? Any summary of what the NRC is going to require of the owner in addition to prior to restart, or does it remain an issue where they can repair and restart without explicit NRC assessment and approval?
Mike Mulligan says:
My blog: http://steamshovel2002.blogspot.com/
Well, another question, why didn't the NRC have the skills and education to figure out the importance of this emergent new information and use their influence to head off a worsening situation? I do get it with the NRC and these utilities with their nothing-ever-matters philosophies and every egregious and unprofessional behavior is always safe. Why can't the agency use their influence and power to head off events like this for the good of the nation and the rate payers? Why is their so much unnecessary secrecy with RCP?
I request all plants with identical and similar pumps to be immediately shutdown for inspection…
What is the worst sin in this deal, this has been a cover-up! Events like this aren't reportable with the RCP and recirc pumps and disclosed to the public. Why are problems like this so secret? All broken parts like this and inappropriate maintenance issues should be in a LER and discussed thoroughly in a inspection report. This doesn't happen now and you know it! The Palisades PCP broken impeller pieces and blades flung all around in the coolant for over decades is an example of this also.
By the way, we are wondering if the broken blades in Palisades and the shutdown for the seal job ongoing now are related? What pump is the seal job? Is the seal job the same pump who was found with two huge missing impeller blade pieces this last outage?
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Jurasteig Trail: through the heart of Bavaria
The Jurasteig is a 237km quality-certified circular walking trail running through the heart of Bavaria – taking in its most beautiful river scenery on the Danube, Altmühl, Weisse Laber, Schwarze Laber, Lauterach, Vils and Naab rivers. ...
City:	Kelheim
Country:	Germany
It's best to allow a bit of time for the Jurasteig Trail. First, there are the 13 varied stages, which deserve to be savoured as they slowly reveal their treasures, and then there are also up to 18 loops that branch off the main route and which are well worth the odd detour.
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Heading west, the Jurasteig Trail now runs along a narrow path up the Blaugrund towards Hohenburg with its pretty market square and the castle ruin on Schlossberg hill. The route continues through orchid-rich pine forests until suddenly, just before it reaches Kastl, the forest opens out and reveals the impressive panorama of Klosterburg Abbey towering over this market town. Just half an hour later the route reaches Pfaffenhofen and nearby Schweppermannsburg Castle. Before heading for the day's final destination in Oberwiesenacker, the pilgrimage church Maria Heil der Kranken is well worth a visit – at 621 metres above sea level it is the highest point on the Jurasteig Trail. Soon the trail runs through wide expanses of forest and meadow once again, past Rothenfels, the pretty pilgrimage church in Lengenbach, and Arzthofen to Deining. From here the Jurasteig Trail follows the valley of the Weisse Laber river, in a region that boasts 1,000 springs, until it reaches picturesque Holnstein, from where it continues to Dietfurt an der Altmühl, also known as the town of seven valleys. On the other side of the Altmühl river the route runs through Deising and up to Rosskopf plateau with its magnificent panoramic views, before becoming more challenging on its way to Riedenburg, the pearl of the Altmühl valley.
The last and also perhaps the most beautiful leg of the journey through the Altmühl and Danube valleys runs through the Klamm woodland reserve and leads across the Tatzlwurm, one of the longest wooden bridges in Europe, to Weltenburg Abbey. On the last few kilometres towards Kelheim walkers can enjoy an unspoilt riverscape with beech forests and mighty rock faces in the Weltenburger Enge conservation area. It's a shame that from here it's only a short distance to Kelheim, where the route ends at the boat landing stage where it began. But there's always next time.
Danube Gorge and surroundings
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Bad Gögging
There is certainly evidence that the ancient Roman...
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Cosy family-run hotel in the countryside of the Al...
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The Hotel am Fluss in Neuburg an der Donau warmly ...
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The traditional, caringly managed "Family Hotel An...
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The Haus im Moos (House in the moor) is an open ai...
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By allcleared|2018-10-01T22:42:22+00:00May 12th, 2017|Comments Off on Do I have a criminal record with a conditional discharge?
You may have a criminal record with a discharge if it happened less than three years ago. A conditional discharge is not a conviction, but it is evidence of guilt. As a matter of law, it will appear on your criminal record for three years. An absolute discharge will remain on your record for one year. If you do not comply with the conditions of a discharge, it can be revoked and replaced with a conviction.
A conditional discharge does appear on criminal record checks, including pre-employment screening, during the one- or three-year period before it is purged from the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) database. It can appear if you travel outside the country, even though the discharge is not the same as a conviction.
You do not have to ask for your discharge to disappear from your criminal record. That should happen automatically once the one-year or three-year period, calculated from the date of sentence, is complete. However, discharges that were registered before July 24, 1992, are removed only upon request to the RCMP.
If you are not sure if an old discharge is still on your criminal record, you should take steps to verify its removal. There are services to help you make sure your record is clean and you do not face barriers to employment or travel because of an old mistake.


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Board Games News
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Zero Hour : Game Overview
"Humanity has proven itself singularly unsuitable for the stewardship of this planet. Maybe the roaches will fare better."
— 'The Manifesto of Dr. Mutos' (excerpt)
The CDC believes that nearly 25% of the US population is now at Stage 3 of infection by the Z-B13 virus, leaving them reduced to shambling husks. The numbers of Afflicted, as they're being called, are growing by the day. Major metropolitan areas through the US Midwest are emptying as healthy citizens flee for the coasts and as roving gangs stake their claims on the neighboring lands. On the Internet, a madman just released his manifesto — he developed the Z-B13 virus for a reason, and he will continue to experiment on humanity until his demands are met.
Zero Hour, designed by Jay Little (X-Wing, Star Wars RPG), is a pulp adventure co-operative dice game for one to four players, with a playtime of 60-75 minutes. In Zero Hour, you undertake the search for the person responsible for the apocalyptic outbreak of the Z-B13 virus. Immune from the effects of the virus (so far), your characters will band together and travel from city to city, scavenging for the clues and resources that will lead them to a final confrontation against this madman. Between cities, time will pass, virus mutations will be eradicated (or will bloom, impeding their progress and possibly creating an incurable mutation), your characters will rest and heal, and you will have to make difficult decisions as they encounter other survivors, raiding parties, and the Afflicted. Hopefully, you will reach the next city before Night falls…
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The Final Showdown
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Here's another way to build furniture.
Sorry but I don't have any contact in Japanese wood working. I could work on this as I have some close contacts in Japan but I'm actually lacking the necessary time. I'm like you and would love to know more about Japanese crafts. If you need a contact in Japan you can contact a friend I have over there who is not in wood working but she might be able to help. Let me know if your interested and I'll send you her contact details via email.
Very interesting video! That is the first time I have seen the use of a "dove-tail mitre" joint… Ingenious! (of course, coming from a "very" novice woodworking hobbyist).
What surprises me is that they seem to do all of the work without any fancy machinery (obviously, giving precision) and their precision seems to be spot-on, none-the-less.
The pure workmanship of these guys is astounding and shows not only thousands of hours of practice but also the amazing capabilities of us humans to produce beauty.
It's absolutely amazing how with practice we can equal and even surpass machines.


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Home » News »Daily news
Securing Your Digital Reputation Is Important for Survival in the Interconnected Era - Kaspersky
CSA Editorial
In today's digital era, the Internet has become an important aspect of our everyday lives. Whether through browsing, e-commerce or social networking sites, we are now connected more than ever before – but perhaps too much that making just one mistake could get your reputation immediately ruined both online and offline.
"Reputation is this widespread belief of something or an idea that we need to carry. We need to live up to expectations – how we behave and everything. But looking at how time evolves and looking at how everything is being digitised, we need to carry our reputation digital as well," explained Jesmond Chang, Head of Corporate Communications, Asia Pacific, Kaspersky, in the virtual Kaspersky Cybersecurity Weekend APAC 2020.
Such reputation is important for individuals, and even more so for companies whose entire business is on the line. In a survey of 1,240 working professionals and active social media users from APAC, Kaspersky found that 50% avoid companies who had received negative news coverage online.
In addition, 4 in 10 also stopped using a company's products or services once they were embroiled in some crisis online. Vitaly Kamluk, Director, Global Research and Analysis Team Asia Pacific, Kaspersky, then discussed the rising threats in the APAC region and how they affect the digital reputation era.
"I can say that our acts in life are always going through a subjective analysis and lens of people who see us and judge us by what we do. This subjectivity quite often causes misunderstanding and even conflicts," said Vitaly, saying that digital reputation is harder to maintain, especially in the era of numerous cyber threats.
For example, Vitaly mentioned some large organisations that have been subjected to data breaches before, such as Yahoo! whose 3 billion data records were leaked and Lazada Thailand with 13 million records stolen. He explained that such attacks hurt a lot for companies when it comes to business and collective digital reputation. "Not only your customers can turn away from you, but you may also be questioned by the government. Competitors can learn some of your secrets and definitely each incident has a negative effect on the business," added Vitaly.
Aside from data breaches, there is also a type of attack which Vitaly calls "The Cybersecurity Disease of 2020" – targeted ransomware or "Ransomware 2.0". Vitaly explained that the modus operandi of cybercriminals using targeted ransomware involves infiltrating and stealing data, encrypting data, and demanding for ransom and if the demands are not met, cybercriminals will shame the victim company by publishing the data.
This form of attack greatly affects the digital reputation of organisations, and as a company, you are locked between different fields of pressure to save your face and your business. One is business continuity. If your important files are encrypted, your business cannot run any longer, so you care about restoring the business as soon as possible.
"Exposure of the data breached and the database system itself actually creates strong pressure that comes from the government, from the business partners that may actually turn away from you and from the public opinion, whether with existing or future customers," added Vitaly.
He revealed that targeted ransomware has been a problem for many enterprises in the APAC region, with over 61 organisations breached in 2020. He added that in some cases, Maze ransomware gang claimed responsibility and published stolen data from the compromised companies. The Maze group was formed last year, with its first victim having 700MB of internal data leaked.
"Maze group just announced that they are closing down, but this gang just triggered the beginning of this trend. A successful targeted ransomware attack is a PR crisis, which can damage an organisation's reputation, online and offline. Financial toll aside, fixing one's name is quite a harder task to take, which is why we urge public and private entities to take their security seriously," said Vitaly.
To remain protected against these threats, Vitaly suggests enterprises and organisations to:
Stay ahead of your enemy: make backups, simulate attacks, prepare an action plan for disaster recovery.
Deploy sensors everywhere: monitor software activity on endpoints, record traffic, check hardware integrity.
Never follow the demands of the criminals. Do not fight alone - contact Law Enforcement, CERT, security vendors like Kaspersky.
Train your staff while they work remotely: digital forensics, basic malware analysis, PR crisis management.
Follow the latest trends via premium threat intelligence subscriptions, like Kaspersky APT Intelligence Service.
Know your enemy: identify new undetected malware on-premises with Kaspersky Threat Attribution Engine.
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This address focuses on the legislative design for payment or ecosystem services (PES) since most countries do not have specific legislation that addresses the subject. Brazil is in the process of drafting national legislation on ecosystem services and there are several important issues that can be learnt from this experience.
I am delighted to speak on the theme of this workshop that I find most relevant to the development of environmental law around the world. Indeed, Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) can be seen as one of the most important issues in environmental law nowadays. It is a topic that is still emerging and frankly not well explored by the legal scholarship. In this introductory speech, I will focus on the legislative design for PES since, as we speak, most countries do not have specific legislation that addresses the subject. Brazil for instance is in the process of drafting its national legislation on Ecosystem Services and there are several important issues that can be raised from this experience.
In a new area of law, and in this case in a new area of environmental law, the first aspect to be addressed is the definition of what we have in mind. This means that legislators will have to define the concept of Ecosystem Services (ES), with the contribution of lawyers and environmental law scholars.
So, what are ES? Environmental scientists might have their view of what ES represent from the scientific perspective, but this is not what we will focus on here.
It is according to legal constructions that we will be able to reach some sort of agreement on the definition of ES and that we will be able to make sure that this definition does not conflict with existing legislation and with the other environmental problems that we face.
It is also important to define one word within the expression PES, which is the word payment. To do this we need to answer the following four questions: Payments to whom? Payments for what? On what basis? And for how much?
Let's start with the basis. What are the constitutional constraints or the constitutional formulations at the national level (for example in Brazil or South Africa) that any legislative effort to define and organise the payment of ES will have to respect? Many countries already have clear constitutional provisions either alluding to or including a definition of the environment or of natural resources (e.g. the constitutional language addressing genetic resources). In including such language within their text, those constitutions have often addressed issues of ownership. In a number of countries water and even watersheds, for example, are considered State property.
I am referring to the constitution as the basis for payments since these fundamental issues related to the environment should be addressed not by a statute but by a constitutional provision, since any law passed by Parliament will have to be examined for legality in the light of the provisions of the constitution already in place.
To whom should the payments be made?
Based on the definition of ES, we need to address to whom any payment has to be made. The constitutions that I have compared do not use the terminology of ES, but there are constitutional provisions which allude to essential ecological processes, which is a concept not far from ES. If a constitution already recognises state or public ownership of such ecological processes, then it will be complicated to assess PES and to privatise those payments. Indeed, if the State owns the essential ecological processes, how can we justify the payment for such processes to private individuals? It seems that the decision will be based not on ownership but rather on people's level of management of those natural ecosystems. (For instance, in managing those ecosystems indigenous and local communities (ILCs) often end up protecting those components of nature that we want to secure.) Of course, it is easier to recognise payments to private individuals for ES if the constitution does not recognise public or state ownership of those natural resources. However, it is also important to stress that sometimes, even when those constitutional provisions recognise the private ownership of natural resources, the constitution might say (and some constitutions do) that the intangible aspects of natural resources, the socalled ecological processes, belong to everyone, meaning to all of the citizens of a particular country.
The other question that parliamentarians will have to address when working on PES is to determine what the payment will be for. Is a PES a payment for not doing what the legal system allows the person to do? Or is it payment for not violating the obligations that are imposed on private owners in accordance with the Constitution and the laws put in place? Determining what the payment will be for is an important question because the risk is that we may end up paying for people to comply with legal requirements that are in fact applicable to everyone. This would mean that at end of the day, instead of strengthening compliance, there will be an incentive for people to pretend not to comply, or to threaten not to comply with the law in order to be paid for conserving nature while actually doing what the legislation in place already requires.
Finally, there is the issue of how much to pay, and it is even more than that since it has to do not just with the amount to be paid but also with the nature of the payment. Is this a direct payment (in Dollars, Real, Euros or other currencies) that will be given to those that are eligible for that payment? Or do we envision payments that can better protect the environment as we want it to be, for example through tax incentives or subsidized credits?
It is a fascinating and a necessary topic to explore. We know that traditional command-and-control models for protecting the environment have not succeeded as well as we wanted them to. However, they have not failed either. We therefore need to complement the systems that are in place while at the same time recognising that there are difficulties; technical difficulties, but also difficulties in harmonizing a new concept with a system that has been in place for not more than 40 years.
I will end with one example in which we will see that, depending on the way in which we draft any statute in respect to PES, we may inadvertently cause tragic collateral damage to nature as we attempt to protect it. Think in terms of Protected Areas: governments are required to pay compensation to property owners when they expropriate land in order to establish Protected Areas like national parks, reserves, national forests and so on. If the land is private, the State has to pay compensation. We pretty much know how to assess this type of payment: look at the market value for that type of property, and that's the amount that the government will have to pay as compensation. If we add to that an amount of compensation for the intangible ES, depending on how we do it, we might end up with a bill that will be so high and which will make it so expensive for governments to expropriate land in order to protect a critically endangered species, that governments, especially in periods of economic crisis, will hesitate to do so and will eventually not even consider taking those direct actions to protect nature.


Loket nad Ohří, 10 km from Karlovy Vary: House located directly in the historical town centre, just a couple of meters from the picturesque city square below the castle. Very comfortable, historical manor house "Podhradí", from the 19th century, renovated in 2008. In the centre, in a central, sunny, elevated position in the residential district. Private: well-kept garden with lawn. Patio, terrace, garden furniture, barbecue. In the house: WiFi, storage room for bicycles, central heating system, washing machine, tumble dryer. Motor access to the house. Parking at the house, single garage at the house. Shop, grocery 150 m, shopping centre 12 km, restaurant 150 m, bus stop 300 m, railway station "Loket" 900 m, indoor swimming pool 10 km, thermal baths 10 km. Golf course (18 hole) 16 km, tennis 10 km. The place with its cycling paths is also suitable for cycling and you can also rent boats and float the river.
4-room house 200 m2 on 2 levels. Spacious, comfortable and tasteful furnishings: entrance hall. Large living room with 1 double sofabed, Scandinavian wood stove, cable TV and DVD. 1 double bedroom. Open kitchen (oven, dishwasher, 4 ceramic glass hob hotplates, microwave, freezer, electric coffee machine) with dining table. Exit to the garden, to the balcony. Bath/WC, whirlpool. Upper floor: (spiral staircase), 1 room with 1 double sofabed and 1 double bed. 1 room with 4 beds. Shower/WC. Gas heating. Balcony, patio, garden. Terrace furniture, barbecue, box-room. Beautiful view of the countryside and the river. Facilities: washing machine, dryer, children's high chair, baby cot. Internet (WiFi, free). Reserved parking, garage at the house. Please note: non-smoking house.


That was George Cadbury's maxim. And that's how we approach our residential architecture.
We want to create thriving communities that will last long into the future.
We want to create places for people. Where there's green space for children to play and nature to grow. Where homes are affordable, cared for and ready for new technology. Where humans come before vehicles.
See examples of our residential architecture below, or help us in Shaping Future Places.
A brush with the future.


3D printing is a huge passion of mine. Ever since grade nine I have built four of my own 3D printers - one of which I designed and built from scratch!
I make a great Schulich Leader because I possess a genuine love for engineering and technology, and a self-motivation that allows me to apply my ideas to achieve my goals. My whole life I have worked hard to realize my goals in inventive ways; I have done so in the classroom, in my community, and in my personal projects. I strive to innovate, and that is what being a Schulich Leader is all about.


The regulatory foundation for CPAs in the United States is over 100 years old, and has served the public interest by producing high quality professionals. The entrance requirements include education, examination and experience. Furthermore, model legislation has been developed to promote consistency among the 55 jurisdictions and ensure that cross-border practice is a seamless process. NASBA recognizes the importance of assisting other countries with the development of their accounting profession and, to help achieve this goal, will provide implementation tools through the website.
Enforcement is a critical part of any successful regulatory scheme. As companies, professionals, and currencies move beyond domestic borders, regulatory bodies must develop global enforcement models. Research has been developed to guide the direction of international accounting and auditing regulators. As more evidence becomes available, NASBA will incorporate that into an enforcement web to be utilized by all countries with a comprehensive professional accountant program.
We take great pride in providing a platform for the international community to address current and emerging issues impacting accounting regulation. This annual event, held in locations around the world, supports and fosters enhanced knowledge of regulatory activities and promotes the exchange of ideas. To learn more or to attend, visit our Conferences section.
An abundant amount of uncertainty revolves around the education of accounting students who may be entering a world in which International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) are the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. As university curriculums are filled with mandated courses, academicians seek to supplement international training through a variety of mechanisms. NASBA's International Department, in response to this need – and a commitment to protect the public interest – works to advance the awareness about international issues such as IFRS, International Standards for Audit (ISA) and the world economy to students, professors and educators.


text:
Kurt Warner's Epilogue
By Liam McKeone
Kurt Warner
The word that comes to mind when hearing Kurt Warner speak is poised. The delivery of his thoughts is smooth and uninterrupted regardless of the subject matter. He digests a question, considers it, and gives an authentic yet polished answer. This is unsurprising, given Warner has spent a decade in front of cameras for NFL Network, analyzing the football landscape. But it's not a persona that was born overnight. In fact, it's been decades in the making.
"When I was in college and sitting on the bench for four years, when you get into moments like that, you're forced to think about, 'Okay, what if football doesn't work out?'" Warner tells The Big Lead. "As much as you never want that to enter your mind, you're kind of forced to. So you get a different plan. The only other plan I could ever really think of … Well, I love sports. I wanted to get into media. That's the direction that I wanted to go."
Of course, as we know now, Warner didn't need that plan. Not immediately, anyway. As documented in his new movie, American Underdog, Warner managed to make it off the bench at Northern Iowa and battled his way to the NFL ranks in an unprecedented journey – which included stops with the Green Bay Packers, at a grocery store, and the Arena Football League. His story is not just about a love of football. It's about dedication to family and ignoring the odds, continuing to fight for a dream. It is a tale of perseverance and battling through adversity, one of the greatest underdog stories in sports history.
Like all good things, it ended. Warner retired in 2010 after a 12-year career. He played in three Super Bowls and threw for 32,344 yards and 208 touchdowns. It was, in every regard, a storybook journey that ended with Warner's induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As the credits roll in American Underdog, Warner is shown standing next to the iconic bronze bust every HoF member receives. The screen fades to black. That may mark the end of the movie, but Warner's journey was still far from over. With no football left to play, he turned his eyes to a new set of goals, striving for more challenges to overcome. He joined the media. As was his plan long ago, before he ever stepped foot on an NFL field.
Warner went straight from football to covering football, the kind of immediate transition that few athletes make. It was a move he spent years preparing for.
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"It was something I started to think about during the middle of my career," Warner says. "So I became very conscious to do a lot of speaking engagements, to put myself out there, to learn how to communicate better. I made myself available as a means to show people that I could handle myself and I could communicate well.
"Because what you realize at the end of the day is, as good as it sounds, it's like, 'If I have a Hall of Fame career, I'll just be a shoo-in for a job.' Well, there's a bunch of guys that retire every year and a bunch of really great players that retire every year and you have to tell yourself, okay, how am I going to separate myself? How am I gonna be different from those other guys?"
The move to media, as it is for many athletes, seemed like a natural segue. In Warner's case, he says his family will be the first to tell everybody that he can't sit still. Playing golf all day was never going to be in the cards. Warner didn't just want a new challenge after football, he needed it. It's who he is. He does admit this challenge was a bit tougher than he first anticipated– which only motivated him further.
"I wanted to dive right into something else. I wanted to challenge myself in a new way," he explains. "When I made the move, I think, initially, I thought I was gonna be easy. Like, stand up in front of a camera and talk about football, like how hard can it really be? But when you've done one thing for 35 years of your life and you've never really practiced or learned anything else, there was a distinct challenge in it. That's what really drew me in the most was this challenge. I like the challenge of having to think on your feet, having to be different, having to figure out how to use what you learned on the football field and pertain it to what you're doing off the football field."
Warner had a variety of outlets to choose from, but NFL Network immediately stood out because Warner is a self-described "football guy." He knew he would be at his best if he got to talk football and only football. More importantly, Warner's wife and seven children were living in Arizona. Even if he knew he needed to keep himself busy post-football, Warner had no desire to travel every weekend or work out of a studio based in the East Coast. Family has been and always will be Warner's first priority, so the LA-based NFL Network studios were a natural fit for how he wanted to live out his retirement.
Warner believes being a successful in-studio analyst requires a similar skillset to his previous profession of quarterback. All the best-laid plans can go down the drain after the red light goes on, just as it can when under center, and thinking on his feet goes a long way towards putting on a good show. But what is key to understanding Warner as an analyst and a person is understanding his process for success.
"A lot of guys that get out of the game, they just naturally think, 'Well I had a good career and I know the game well enough.' They just show up and get on camera and they punched the clock and they move on," he says. "When I was a player, I wasn't gifted like that where I could just show up and put a ball in my hands and just be better than everybody. So preparation and the work that I put in when I was playing is what separated me. It allowed me to accentuate what I was good at.
"And so it was something I learned when I was playing and it's something that I directly applied when I got out, is that I work harder than everybody else. And I found what I was good at. I found where I could separate myself. I found where I could be different than other people. That's what I always said when I was playing. I'm not always going to be more talented than everybody else. So what can I do on the football field that's different that will separate me from everyone else? You've got to separate yourself in some way and that was really my approach that I took from playing."
This isn't exactly a revolutionary formula for success in sports media. Personalities battle to differentiate themselves in various mediums every day of the week in this era of media. There are plenty of different avenues to traverse to accomplish that. When transitioning from football player to football personality, Warner knew exactly what path he wanted to walk.
"If you're good at anything or you want to be good at anything, you look at the way other people do it. When I was playing, I would study other guys and I would see what they did well and what they didn't do well and then try to apply that. I did that when I got on TV as well. I would watch other people and go, okay, do I like that? What stands out about that? What don't I like? And I would try to shape what I was really good at," says Warner. "I went into this thing and said, 'Yeah, I have personality, but I'm not going to base my character on TV on personality.' I want to base it on my knowledge, being able to to really share and teach the game. So when I first went into it, I really made a conscious effort of almost not showing too much personality at all. Like, just be really good at winning the fans over because of what you bring to the table and then once you do that and they know that you have that, now you can start bringing the other things and becoming more of a complete broadcaster.
"Be the smart guy, be the smartest guy in the room every time you step into the room that will always sustain you and then develop who you want to be from a character standpoint after that."
Ten years later, Warner has separated himself from the pack. He dishes out some of the best quarterback analysis in the game on a weekly basis. He has his own subscription-based online QB school, QB Confidential, helping usher the younger generation along and bringing a deeper understanding of football to anyone who wants it. In the long-term, becoming a color commentator is a goal of Warner's; he says it's the only job in media that comes close to emulating the second-to-second pressure of quarterbacking, with only moments to process what's unfolding and deliver sharp analysis while the pressure is on. He's established himself once again as among the best in his chosen field. Now Warner believes that it is his responsibility to help others understand the game he was blessed to play at the highest level.
"I love the fact that I've been able to have the career that I did and have all this knowledge in my head about this game," he says. "I was so blessed to play this game and have all this knowledge and the freedom to be able to share it.
"I remember going to college and my quarterback coach said, 'Get up on the board and draw cover four.' And I remember thinking to myself, oh my gosh, I have no idea what to say. I was never taught. I was embarrassed, but nobody ever taught me. I never really had a chance. I remember thinking to myself, I don't want any kid to have to be in that situation. If they're serious about wanting to chase that dream, I want to give them a platform to be able to learn that."
American Underdog is the story of Kurt Warner defying all the odds to reach the pinnacle of his profession, the sort of heights most can only dream. But in real life, all storybook endings have an epilogue. Warner's involves teaching the game that gave him everything with the same level of passion and knowledge that led him to the NFL mountaintop. He has his family beside him and a constant challenge in front of him. It was a little easier than his football journey, but Warner has found his place yet again– and he isn't done yet.


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Author Gaydecki, P.
Title Automated moth flight analysis in the vicinity of artificial light Type Journal Article
Year 2018 Publication Bulletin of Entomological Research Abbreviated Journal Bull Entomol Res
Volume 109 Issue 1 Pages 127-140
Keywords Instrumentation; Animals
Abstract Instrumentation and software for the automated analysis of insect flight trajectories is described, intended for quantifying the behavioural dynamics of moths in the vicinity of artificial light. For its time, this moth imaging system was relatively advanced and revealed hitherto undocumented insights into moth flight behaviour. The illumination source comprised a 125 W mercury vapour light, operating in the visible and near ultraviolet wavelengths, mounted on top of a mobile telescopic mast at heights of 5 and 7.1 m, depending upon the experiment. Moths were imaged in early September, at night and in field conditions, using a ground level video camera with associated optics including a heated steering mirror, wide angle lens and an electronic image intensifier. Moth flight coordinates were recorded at a rate of 50 images per second (fields) and transferred to a computer using a light pen (the only non-automated operation in the processing sequence). Software extracted ground speed vectors and, by instantaneous subtraction of wind speed data supplied by fast-response anemometers, the airspeed vectors. Accumulated density profiles of the track data revealed that moths spend most of their time at a radius of between 40 and 50 cm from the source, and rarely fly directly above it, from close range. Furthermore, the proportion of insects caught by the trap as a proportion of the number influenced by the light (and within the field of view of the camera) was very low; of 1600 individual tracks recorded over five nights, a total of only 12 were caught. Although trap efficiency is strongly dependent on trap height, time of night, season, moonlight and weather, the data analysis confirmed that moths do not exhibit straightforward positive phototaxis. In general, trajectory patterns become more complex with reduced distance from the illumination, with higher recorded values of speeds and angular velocities. However, these characteristics are further qualified by the direction of travel of the insect; the highest accelerations tended to occur when the insect was at close range, but moving away from the source. Rather than manifesting a simple positive phototaxis, the trajectories were suggestive of disorientation. Based on the data and the complex behavioural response, mathematical models were developed that described ideal density distribution in calm air and light wind speed conditions. The models did not offer a physiological hypothesis regarding the behavioural changes, but rather were tools for quantification and prediction. Since the time that the system was developed, instrumentation, computers and software have advanced considerably, allowing much more to be achieved at a small fraction of the original cost. Nevertheless, the analytical tools remain useful for automated trajectory analysis of airborne insects.
Address School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Manchester,Manchester M13 9PL,UK
Author Tauc, M.J.; Fristrup, K.M.; Repasky, K.S.; Shaw, J.A.
Title Field demonstration of a wing-beat modulation lidar for the 3D mapping of flying insects Type Journal Article
Year 2019 Publication OSA Continuum Abbreviated Journal OSA Continuum
Volume 2 Issue 2 Pages 332
Abstract We describe a wing-beat modulation lidar system designed for the 3D mapping of flying insects in ecological or entomological studies. To better understand the signals from this instrument, we analyzed simulated signals to identify how they were affected by various imperfections, such as variations in the spacing and amplitude of each individual wing-beat reflection. In addition, a radiometric model was used to estimate signal-to-noise ratio to gain insight into the relationships between the optical system design and insect parameters (e.g., wing size, reflectivity, or diffusivity).
Author Windle, A. E., Hooley, D. S., & Johnston, D. W.
Title Robotic Vehicles Enable High-Resolution Light Pollution Sampling of Sea Turtle Nesting Beaches Type Journal Article
Year 2018 Publication Frontiers in Marine Science Abbreviated Journal
Volume 5 Issue 493 Pages
Keywords Instrumentation; Animals; Skyglow
Abstract Nesting sea turtles appear to avoid brightly lit beaches and often turn back to sea prematurely when exposed to artificial light. Observations and experiments have noted that nesting turtles prefer darker areas where buildings and high dunes act as light barriers. As a result, sea turtles often nest on darker beaches, creating spatial concentrations of nests. Artificial nighttime light, or light pollution, has been quantified using a variety of methods. However, it has proven challenging to make accurate measurements of ambient light at fine scales and on smaller nesting beaches. Additionally, light has traditionally been measured from stationary tripods perpendicular to beach vegetation, disregarding the point of view of a nesting sea turtle. In the present study, nighttime ambient light conditions were assessed on three beaches in central North Carolina: a developed coastline of a barrier island, a nearby State Park on the same barrier island comprised of protected and undeveloped land, and a completely uninhabited wilderness on an adjacent barrier island in the Cape Lookout National Seashore. Using an autonomous terrestrial rover, high resolution light measurements (mag/arcsec2) were collected every minute with two ambient light sensors along transects on each beach. Spatial comparisons between ambient light and nesting density at and between these locations reveal that highest densities of nests occur in regions with lowest light levels, supporting the hypothesis that light pollution from coastal development may influence turtle nesting distribution. These results can be used to support ongoing management strategies to mitigate this pressing conservation issue.
ISSN ISBN Medium
Call Number IDA @ intern @ Serial 2315
Author Bará, S.
Title Characterizing the zenithal night sky brightness in large territories: how many samples per square kilometre are needed? Type Journal Article
Year 2017 Publication Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Abbreviated Journal
Volume 473 Issue 3 Pages 4164-4173
Keywords Instrumentation; atmospheric effects; light pollution; numerical methods; photometry
Abstract A recurring question arises when trying to characterize, by means of measurements or theoretical calculations, the zenithal night sky brightness throughout a large territory: how many samples per square kilometre are needed? The optimum sampling distance should allow reconstructing, with sufficient accuracy, the continuous zenithal brightness map across the whole region, whilst at the same time avoiding unnecessary and redundant oversampling. This paper attempts to provide some tentative answers to this issue, using two complementary tools: the luminance structure function and the Nyquist–Shannon spatial sampling theorem. The analysis of several regions of the world, based on the data from the New world atlas of artificial night sky brightness, suggests that, as a rule of thumb, about one measurement per square kilometre could be sufficient for determining the zenithal night sky brightness of artificial origin at any point in a region to within ±0.1 magV arcsec–2 (in the root-mean-square sense) of its true value in the Johnson–Cousins V band. The exact reconstruction of the zenithal night sky brightness maps from samples taken at the Nyquist rate seems to be considerably more demanding.
Address 1Departamento de Física Aplicada, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, E-15782 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain; salva.bara(at)usc.es
Publisher Oxford Academic Place of Publication Editor
Author Bará, S.; Tapia, C.; Zamorano, J.
Title Absolute Radiometric Calibration of TESS-W and SQM Night Sky Brightness Sensors Type Journal Article
Year 2019 Publication Sensors Abbreviated Journal Sensors
Volume 19 Issue 6 Pages 1336
Keywords Instrumentation; calibration; SQM; TESS; photometer; sky brightness
Abstract We develop a general optical model and describe the absolute radiometric calibration of the readings provided by two widely-used night sky brightness sensors based on irradiance-to-frequency conversion. The calibration involves the precise determination of the overall spectral sensitivity of the devices and also the constant G relating the output frequency of the light-to-frequency converter chip to the actual band-weighted and field-of-view averaged spectral radiance incident on the detector (brightness). From these parameters, we show how to define a rigorous astronomical absolute photometric system in which the sensor measurements can be reported in units of magnitudes per square arcsecond with precise physical meaning.
Address Departmento Física Aplicada, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain; salva.bara(at)usc.es
Publisher MDPI Place of Publication Editor


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You Are Here: Home → 2014 → March → 11 → ERC to decide on another Meralco rate hike
ERC to decide on another Meralco rate hike
Marya Salamat March 11, 2014 ERC, Meralco, Power Rate Hike
Even as the Supreme Court has yet to decide on petitions against its November-December rate hike, Meralco is asking for the approval of a "provisional" hike, reasoning that the second tranche of the stalled rate hike is not covered by the high court's TRO.
MANILA – While the implementation of Manila Electric Co.'s historic rate hike (nearly P10 or $ 0.23 in total) is awaiting the decision of the Supreme Court, the company announced this Monday a P0.45- per-kilowatt-hour (kWh) reduction in electricity bills for March. The cut is attributed to a P0.33- per-kWh decrease in this month's generation charge, or the cost of electricity bought and distributed by Meralco to its 5.5 million customers.
It is the second month that the generation charge registered a reduction, following public outcry against Meralco's November-December historic rate hike. The implementation of the first tranche (P4.15/KwH) of the rate hike has been temporarily suspended by the Supreme Court since December.
But even with Meralco's rate cut by less than half a peso, it still remains under fire as critics continue to oppose its moves to get its historic rate hike implemented. Meralco has been petitioning the Energy Regulatory Commission to allow it to increase its rate by more than P5 ($0.11), saying the second tranche of its total demanded rate hike was not covered by the high court's TRO. The company also caused confusion among customers after it included in its bill for the past month the SC-frozen hike.
Against these moves by Meralco, members of POWER (People Opposed to Unwarranted Electricity Rates) held a picket in front of the building housing the office of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC). Shortly after the picket, some of their representatives went up to the ERC office to submit a petition for intervention. They asked the ERC to oppose Meralco's demanded P5.33/KwH ($ 0.12) rate hike.
Meralco's historic rate hike "obviously baseless"
The P5.33 ($ 0.12) "provisional" rate hike being demanded by Meralco is being described as baseless and too burdensome.
"We appeal to the ERC to fulfill its mandate of protecting electricity consumers. At the very least they should await the SC ruling on Meralco's P4.15 rate hike since the new P5.33 ($ 0.12) rate hike is based on the same factors," said Teddy Casiño, POWER convener and former Bayan Muna representative.
POWER believes Meralco and its supplier, the Aboitiz-owned Therma Mobile, acted deliberately in artificially jacking up prices in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) even after the Malampaya shutdown last November to December.
POWER petitioners show copy of latest submitted petition for intervention on Meralco's latest attempt to hike rates.
In its petition, POWER shared the results of its investigation, which revealed that Meralco, through Therma Mobile, made at least four bids "in the fantastic amount of P62 in November 2013 which led to the P4.15 hike."
In December, Therma Mobile reportedly made at least 16 bids of P62 ($1.40), one of it happened on Dec 11, 2013, two days after the end of the Malampaya shutdown.
With the controversy and subsequent outcry surrounding the unprecedented maximum bid price of P62 ($1.40), (the average rate in WESM is pegged at P11/KwH or $0.25), especially when the P62 bid was successfully dispatched for the first time, the energy department later ordered the WESM price cap lowered by almost half to P32 ($0.72).
This, and the subsequent buck passing between Meralco and power generators indicate collusion, according to Casiño. "It is clear that Meralco, WESM and Therma Mobile manipulated the bidding at the spot market."
Casiño added that the ERC should have rejected outright the Meralco petition for the unprecedentedly high rate hike considering the questionable bases.
In a dialogue, ERC executive director Francis Saturnino C. Juan – who said he left a meeting to talk with the POWER petitioners – said the ERC will not yet act on Meralco's petitioned P5.33/KwH ($ 0.12) rate hike.
"The petition submitted by Bayan Muna will be considered in the holding of hearing on Meralco's petition to increase rate based on their generation charges," Juan said.
But he did not rule out a rate increase. In Filipino, he said they in "the ERC could not yet say that there will be no rate hike because the amount (of increase) has not yet been determined."


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Frederick George Binney
Revision as of 10:07, 8 March 2016 by RozB (talk | contribs) (Created page with "thumb| 1924. Ref AA below Sir Frederick George Binney (DSO) (23 September 1900–1972) was a noted arctic explorer and Royal Naval Res...")
1924. Ref AA below
Sir Frederick George Binney (DSO) (23 September 1900–1972) was a noted arctic explorer and Royal Naval Reserve commander. During World War II, he led or was involved in efforts, including Operation Rubble, to procure supplies of Swedish ball bearings for Britain.
He was a pioneer in the use of seaplanes for Arctic survey work and wrote up this experience in his 1925 book With Seaplane and Sledge in the Arctic. The Avro 504 seaplane used was supplied by A. V. Roe and Co., Ltd. and its 180-h.p. Lynx air-cooled engine provided by Armstrong-Siddeley. He was awarded the Royal Geographical Society's Back Award in 1927.
1937 The Aeroplane Directory of the Aviation and Allied Industries
Retrieved from "https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/index.php?title=Frederick_George_Binney&oldid=824275"


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Honda N-One Updated, Including New RS Model With Six-Speed Manual
The little hatchback comes standard with an advanced suite of driver assistance tech.
The Honda N-One originally went on sale in Japan in 2012. Now, the model gets a major update, including the introduction of a sporty new RS trim that gets a six-speed manual. The updated hatchback goes on sale in Japan this fall.
Looking at the exterior, the latest Honda N-One doesn't look much different from the original. The company even addresses this on the model's promo page with a message that translates to: "It doesn't seem to have changed, but it has changed so much."
Gallery: 2020 Honda N-One
There are changes that drivers should appreciate, though. The vehicle now comes standard with full LED headlights. All trim levels also get the Honda Sensing safety suite that includes adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist, collision mitigation braking, pedestrian avoidance, traffic sign recognition, lane keep assist, rear parking sensors, and automatic high beams.
To comply with Japan's Kei car class, the N-One can't produce more than 63 horsepower (47 kilowatts). The base Original and mid-range Premium trim levels come with a CVT and are available with front- or all-wheel drive.
The RS is the really exciting addition to the lineup. It has the same horsepower output as the others but gives customers the option of a six-speed manual, in addition to the CVT. This grade is exclusively front-wheel drive. On the outside, there are LED fog lights and black 15-inch wheels. The cabin has a leather covering for the gearshift and steering wheel.
Honda also has some accessories on the way for the new N-One. The entry-level Original is available with a carbon fiber decal over the headlight surround and a matte gray stripes. The Premium gets also gets stripes, in addition to a wood-grain decal and chrome-plated splitter. Finally, the RS (pictured above) gets a blacked-out decal for the hood, Crystal Black Pearl trim for the lower fascia, and a dark chrome covering for the fuel filler door.
Volkswagen Starts Deliveries Of ID.3 1ST
BMW Uses Customer's Driving Data To Improve Its In-Car Features
An Electric Car Tax Is Back On The Agenda In Florida
Hotter Aston Martin DBX S Spied For First Time With New Face
Audi A6 E-Tron Rendered In Production Clothes
« 2021 Honda Passport Prices and Features Revealed
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His Own People Must Stop Putting Stumbling Blocks Before this President [Opinion]
September 26, 2017 Respvblica Opinion, Trump, US Politics 0
Juda Engelmayer for Respvblica
In the Bible (Leviticus 19:14) we learn not to place a stumbling block before the blind – or in Hebrew, lif'nei iver. This lesson has been taught to inform us that knowingly giving bad advice to another person is wrong, or helping or causing another to sin is wrong and placing any kind of prohibited temptation in front of someone is also wrong. That lesson talks of how one must deal with another, and it seems so pertinent for President trump and his team of advisors and administration. So many near him have been doing this lately, and Trump himself seems to fall victim, and even does it to himself.
Hillary Clinton's private email server became a serious source of contention during the 2016 election cycle, prompting the controversial decision by then FBI Director James Comey that Clinton claims cost her the election. The email server stirred chants of "Lock Her Up" at Donald Trump's rallies, and was fodder used by the then candidate Trump to criticize his opponent, even implying criminality.
Whether it was criminal or not, or whether it was Comey who stymied her election or Clinton's many missteps themselves that ended her political run, are less important now than what is happening currently. It was revealed today that Presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner has been using his private email to send White House staff messages; and that is a problem.
To be clear here – I am not in a position to comment on the legality of Kushner's emails. He has claimed they were benign emails, and often merely links to, or news articles about Trump and various issues or policies. That may be, but still, after that bout with Clinton and her emails, shouldn't we expect Trump's own people to be more careful? If for no other reason than to not give extra fodder to the news media to criticize, Kushner should be smarter than that.
Trump has had a very tumultuous start as president, and even among those who support him and believe in what he can accomplish, his staff turnover and Twitter use has been somewhat alarming. The missteps of Michael Flynn, the chaotic weeklong run of Anthony Scaramucci, and of course, the Comey firing itself, have all contributed to the media fodder that President Trump constantly challenges in his fight against "fake news."
The left will not stop beating their drums against Trump, his presidency or his team. At every turn it seems to be the most "Breaking News" the likes of Don Lemon and Anderson Cooper can come up with.
As a side bar, it is worth a mention that while the storms were ravaging Texas and Florida, CNN turned to 24-hour coverage of their effects on the people, states and country, and seemed to find very little time for Trump. Trump is who is he is, and assuredly did not stop doing what he does during those times. Yet, Hurricane Donald seemingly did not stir enough "Breaking News" for CNN to focus on during Harvey and Irma – which may be telling about what they choose to cover and why.
Now that the storms have ended for now and the massive cleanup is not as newsworthy as video of the actual news anchors blowing in the wind as the hurricanes ripped, Trump is again making top news. With that, he and his team need to be so careful as to not make any obvious missteps that will continue to give cause to rip at him.
Donald Trump is a smart guy who has built an empire on his personality, his unique oratory discourse, and his branding acumen. He has brought smart people in to help him run many parts of the government, and even put in his pick for the United States Supreme Court. The expectation anyone who backed him has is that he would bring all of that to the presidency and "make America great again", but when more distractions occur, writers such as New York Times' Maggie Haberman can tweet, "Once upon a time, Trump claimed he fired Comey because of how he handled Clinton email issue. Today, his son in law is using private email."
It is just the latest in a litany of poor judgement and lapses that seems to plague this Administration.
To some, my opinion may be naïve, but I believe that when there seems to be a target on your back, you do not need to mark it with a laser for your enemies. In this case, Trump makes is too easy.
As a public relations professional, these issues exasperate me. Here, a master of his own PR does not know how to limit the attacks on him through some very basic steps, the number one step being never give fuel to your opponent. They will find enough to attack you on for your opinions and policies, but this new left in America will find every fault and beat it into the public incessantly. Kushner's emails may be insignificant, but they will be made to be larger than the sum of their parts.
Sure, it is hypocrisy at its very core, but only stalwarts know that. Paul Waldman said it well in a Washington Post opinion piece, "The truth is that there are very few things that each party won't condemn when the other side does it but defend when their own side does it. But it's the job of the press to sort out what's meaningful from what isn't."
Here, many in the media act like they are part of a political party – the Liberal, (née Democratic) party, but that is not news, and Trump has been calling them out since he became the frontrunner and now president. How much more careful need he and his team need be with that knowledge!
Donald Trump is our president and whether one supported him or not, we should all want the best for our country and for him to succeed. He should want that too, and to begin with, he needs to take a stern look at his and his team's actions, and at the very least, remove the easy stumbling blocks before him and focus on the real work at hand – immigration, health care, taxes and international leadership against the evils threatening us all.
Trump needs no added temptations for media and the leftist legions to harp on. I would hope that he can begin to gain a stronger hold of the people around him so that these distractions do not stop his attempts at progress.
Juda Engelmayer
Hook Line, and Sinker, All the Press Takes President's Bait
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My new life in Burgenland: Rain, Glorious Rain.
At last the heavens gave way.
We have all been sweltering and wilting away in these extremely hot temperatures lately. It felt like forever but perhaps was only for a week or two. Enough though to give colour to most of our faces.
The hot and humid climes have been a constant companion day and night. Unless blessed with an air-conditioner, life is pretty much spent trying our best to shake off this awful cloying heat. Sleep, what sleep, mainly next to an open window although that has its own dangers...a slew of late night re-runs of Medical Detectives makes any leaf turning over a danger equipped with a knife.
Since about ten this morning clouds of all shapes, sizes and colours have fought for front row positions above us. Only now, several hours later have they clashed enough to sprinkle rain drops on us. Not many but enough to let us know that an end to the horrid heat wave might be on the cards.
Farmers conceivably have felt that famous itch in their palm / finger / toes as most of the fields and acres surrounding our villages have been mowed, harvested and turned. A selected few have had the pleasure of getting soaked in manure. Fresh ones, from the odor wafting from it.
Alas, the famous raindrops of a moment ago have whittled down to a few spits and splats barely enough to satisfy a thirsty garden. Never mind, we still have a day or two's worth of rain water saved up from the last bout of rain and once that is finished, we can use our well at the top garden.


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State of the States for 30 March: Voting reform in Pennsylvania, Oklahoma raises taxes to pay teachers, and the OC opposes California's sanctuary law
USAPP Managing Editor, Chris Gilson, looks at the week in US state blogging.
On Sunday, New Hampshire's Granite Grok writes on what they say is the state's "super-enfranchised voter loophole", referring to the state's same-day voter registration policy, which allows people to vote there without any identification.
Moving on to the Green Mountain State, VTDigger reports that after intense debate, Vermont's state Senate has finally passed bills which would introduce new restrictions on gun use and ownership in the wake of the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida.
In Rhode Island, RIPR talks on US Representative Joe Kennedy III (RFK's grandson) who spoke in the state this week. Kennedy has been getting more attention following his delivery of the Democrats' response to Donald Trump's recent State of the Union address.
This week the New York State legislature has been locked in budget negotiations. On Friday, Capitol Confidential says that "one element" remains to hold up the more than $168 billion deal: a demand from a Democratic state Senator to exempt Orthodox religious schools from increased academic oversight.
PoliticsPA this week has the news that Keystone State governor Tom Wolf has announced proposals to reform the state's voting system which include same day voter registration, automatic voter registration and no-excuse absentee ballots.
Save Jersey looks at proposals from the state Assembly Republicans to create an elected "taxpayer advocate" who will parallel paid lobbyists. They point out that advocating for taxpayers should be the job of legislators.
On Saturday, Maryland's monoblogue reckons that this year's primary season in some of the state's county districts is "just not that exciting", and even in the state's GOP gubernatorial primary, state Republicans who are annoyed with the incumbent, Larry Hogan, have been unable to find a primary opponent for him.
Better Georgia this week wonders why state conservatives are afraid of there being more voters after the state House of Representatives passed a bill which would create a new, very white, city from an existing one. The new city would cut the number of black voting age people while increasing the number of whites.
Florida Politics writes that the state is an outlier compared to many other states in its current restrictions for restoring the vote to those who have been convicted of felony offenses. Governor Rick Scott, along with the state's cabinet have one month to revamp the current system after a ruling from a US District court judge.
Heading on to Alabama, Yellowhammer reports that state lawmakers have ended their election year session amid disputes over legislation covering ethics, racial profiling and procedural disputes over the speed of voting.
Big Jolly Times wonders Thursday if state Republicans are tired of governing, commenting that, in the Lone Star State, the GOP seems to be done with the "whole governing thing" despite there being a plethora of issues which need addressing such as the state's transportation system, addressing coastal flooding, and pre-K.
Moving on Oklahoma, The Okie has the news that the state House has passed an $447 million tax increase in order to fund a salary increase for teachers, support personnel and state employees.
On Sunday, Howey Politics Indiana wonders if state Democrats will be able to ride the blue wave which appears to be approaching for the 2018 midterm elections. The most important factor, they write, is whether the party has candidates of good enough quality.
Heading west, RightWisconsin argues this week that Democratic state representative Chris Taylor's new reform proposals to change the state's Bill of Rights would not be able to shift power away from the state legislature. Breaking down Taylor's manifesto, they say that she would gut the Second Amendment, provide a right to an abortion, destroy the state's finances with healthcare reform, and hurt jobs with a Living Wage guarantee.
The Iowa Republican reports that GOP gubernatorial candidate, Ron Corbett has been disqualified from the primary ballot after a challenge to his nomination petitions. This means that Governor Kim Reynolds will be the only Republican to contest the party's primary come June.
In the Mount Rushmore State, South Dakota War College questions state Democrats' claims that they have filled all 105 State Legislative slots with candidates, commenting that they have only counted 92 such filings. Staying in South Dakota, Dakota Free Press says that the state's legislature has been using ranked choice voting. The legislature's Executive Board has been basing its choices of what to study this summer with results from the voting system.
Heading up to North Dakota, Say Anything blog comments that the state's US Senator, Heidi Heitkamp's campaign has been skirting election laws by coordinating with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's Political Action Committee, despite arguing against dark money in politics.
On Tuesday, WyoFile writes that Governor Matt Mead has used his veto in order to curtail what they say is the state legislature's overreach by striking down "poorly written laws". Bills vetoed by Mead include one which would have increased penalties for industrial protests and an infrastructure bill.
Moving on to Idaho, Eye on Boise says that Governor Butch Otter has offered tours of the state's execution chamber to the state's gubernatorial hopefuls, citing that the decision to carry out the death penalty is "the toughest decision he's faced as governor".
Colorado Peak Politics wonders what the real reason Lucia Guzman, leader of the state's Senate Democrats has stepped down. They suggest that it might be because she's lost control of her caucus.
Over in California, Fox & Hounds looks at opposition in Orange County to the state's sanctuary law. Following the passage of the bill in the state legislature, the Los Alamitos city council voted to oppose it, and now other nearby communities are considering actions to oppose the law. On Wednesday, CALmatters has the news that incumbent US Senator, Dianne Feinstein is in the lead in her upcoming Democratic primary, but that she is taking "heavy fire" from the left wing of her own party.
Heading out west, Honolulu Civil Beat writes that racial inequality in the Aloha State is far worse than many might think, with Japanese, Okinawan and white residents more likely to be wealthier than Native Hawaiians and other more recent immigrants.
Featured image credit: Curtis Perry CC BY NC SA 2.0
Shortened URL for this post: http://bit.ly/2GzO99X
Posted In: State of the States
State of the States for 6 October: Virginia Governor's race gets dirty, Idaho Freedom Caucus plans fall flat, and California's Sanctuary State symbolism
State of the States for 2 February: The war on democracy in Virginia, Cuomo's war chest, and Idaho's 'Kansas-style' tax cut
State of the States for 12 January: Chris Christie takes a victory lap, Virginia Democrats out of options, and the brawl for San Francisco mayor
State of the States: Virginia's bellwether Circuit Court vote, Iowa Democrats in the wilderness, and is L.A.'s Garcetti in a dead-end job?: 4 – 10 March


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