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Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4 Episode 5 Episode 6 Episode 7 Episode 8 Episode 9 Episode 10 Episode 11 Episode 12 Episode 13 Episode 14 Episode 15 Episode 16 Episode 17 Episode 18 Episode 19 Episode 20 Episode 21 Episode 22
Watch Botched Online
Watch Botched Full Series Online Free. In the multi-billion dollar world of plastic surgery, beauty is in the eye of the beholder… or is it? For some patients, their quest for ultimate perfection ends in disastrous results. World renowned doctors Paul Nassif and Terry Dubrow — the best of the best and leaders in their field — will be tasked with some of the most difficult operations of their careers when they try to reverse the effects of horrendous plastic surgeries.
Actors: Paul Nassif, Terry Dubrow
Studio: Evolution Media
Duration: 43,42 min
Networks: E!
Watch All Rise Full Series Online. A look at the personal and professional lives of the judges, lawyers, clerks, bailiffs and cops who work at an L.A. County courthouse.
Watch Transporter: The Series Full Online. The adventures of professional transporter Frank Martin, who can always be counted on to get the job done—discreetly. Operating in a seedy underworld of…
Watch Catch-22 Full Series Online. Pianosa Island, Italy, World War II. Bombardier John Yossarian tries to fulfill his duty, maintain sanity and return home as soon as possible, but incompetence…
Genre: Comedy, Drama, War & Politics
Watch ZeroZeroZero Full Series Online. Based on the book of the same name by bestselling author Roberto Saviano, ZeroZeroZero is an unforgettable exploration of the inner workings of the global…
Watch This Old House Full Series Online. TV's original home-improvement show, following one whole-house renovation over several episodes.
Mark of a Killer
Watch Mark of a Killer Full Series Online. All serial killers commit murder to satisfy their grand fantasies, but the murderers featured in this true-crime docuseries take it one step…
Watch The Right Stuff Full Series Online. At the height of the Cold War, newly formed NASA selects seven of the military's best test pilots to become astronauts. Competing to…
Watch Mrs. Fletcher Full Series Online. A dual coming-of-age comedy exploring the impact of internet porn and social media, Mrs. Fletcher follows empty nest divorcée Eve Fletcher — as she…
Watch Central Park Full Series Online. An animated musical comedy about the Tillermans, a family that lives in a castle in Central Park. Owen, the park manager, and Paige, his…
Watch Eureka Full Series Online. The sleepy Pacific Northwest town of Eureka is hiding a mysterious secret. The government has been relocating the world's geniuses and their families to this…
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
The Mists of Avalon
Watch The Mists of Avalon Full Series Online. The Mists of Avalon is a 2001 miniseries based on the novel of the same name by Marion Zimmer Bradley. It was…
Watch Stumptown Full Series Online. Dex Parios is a strong, assertive, and unapologetically sharp-witted Army veteran working as a P.I. in Portland, Oregon. With a complicated personal history and only…
Trailer: Botched


Hi! I'm Kristen Dunlap-Berg, and I was born with Tetralogy of Fallot in June 1988. I had open-heart surgery when I was 6 months old and 17 months old. The rest of my childhood was very normal. I was told I would need another open-heart surgery to replace my pulmonary valve someday, but my amazing pediatric cardiologist, Dr. Johns, said technology would probably be so good by then that it wouldn't even be open-heart surgery. My ten-year-old self was skeptical.
In early adulthood I switched to an adult congenital cardiologist, who continued to monitor my pulmonary valve. In 2018, it was decided it was time for my pulmonary valve replacement. I was referred to my hospital's sister children's hospital, because lo and behold they were doing a clinical trial for pulmonary valve replacements in people with my CHD using a catheter. Not open-heart surgery! Dr. Johns with his medical degree was right! I had my pulmonary valve replaced via catheter in August 2018! I'm honest when it I say it was an answer to my prayers.
In 2018, I was diagnosed with an arrhythmia, which is common for people with TOF. I underwent a procedure called an ablation, and later in the year, I had surgery to get an internal defibrillator implanted. 2018 was a wild year!
This May, I graduate with my Master of Social Work. I do not know where I'll live and work after graduation, so I'm taking part in the Virtual Walk.
I'm grateful for the Adult Congenital Heart Association, University of Alabama-Birmingham Children's Hospital, Vanderbilt Medical Center, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis Children's Hospital, and my friends and family for all the love, care, and support I've received throughout the years.


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'Woke' Gen. Mark Milley, in July: 'Afghan Security Forces Have the Capacity to … Defend Their Country'
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley told reporters less than four weeks before the Taliban entered Kabul that the local military was fully capable of defending Afghanistan from the insurgent Islamic terrorist militia.
In a press conference on July 21, Milley said:
General Miller and his team, along with CENTCOM and many others in the joint force, have paved the path for a safe, orderly and responsible transition.
The Afghan Security Forces have the capacity to sufficiently fight and defend their country, and we will continue to support the Afghan Security Forces where necessary in accordance with the guidance from the president and the secretary of defense.
The future of Afghanistan is squarely in the hands of the Afghan people, and there are a range of possible outcome in Afghanistan. And I want to emphasis repeatedly, and I've said this before, a negative outcome, a Taliban automatic military takeover, is not a forgone conclusion. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and make adjustments as necessary.
Milley has become notorious recently for his obeisance to the political left. Last June, he apologized for accompanying President Donald Trump on a walk through Lafayette Square, as officials struggled to restore order to the nation's capital.
In June, Milley defended the use of Critical Race Theory materials in a suggested reading list for members of the U.S. Navy, saying that such materials may be necessary to understand the "white rage" that he believed motivated the Capitol riot. In July, he dodged questions about a report that he had warned that President Trump might stage a "coup" after the election.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. His recent book, RED NOVEMBER, tells the story of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary from a conservative perspective. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
National SecurityPoliticsAfghanistanCritical Race TheoryKabulMark MilleyTaliban
California Tries to Blame Trump for $30 Billion in Unemployment Fraud
Jobless Claims Fall Again As 'Extremely Tight' Labor Market Persists

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


An important part of any serious financial plan, and one often neglected for emotional reasons, – protection insurance – enables you to rest assured that should a disaster occur then your family will be financially well provided for.
Today's increasingly sophisticated products cater to nearly every eventuality and can combine components from the four main protection insurance categories. And, with a savings element, your insurance cover need not only be enjoyed after your demise.
To help you calculate the level of cover you should consider insuring for, please go the Family Protection Calculator.


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PH Privacy
Brexit Update – What does this mean for data privacy?
By By Sarah Pearce, Ashley Webber on Apr 01, 2019
Posted in Regulation and Enforcement
On 29 March 2019, MPs in the UK rejected the government's Withdrawal Agreement with a vote of 344 to 286, a margin of 58. This means the UK has missed an EU deadline to delay Brexit to 22 May and faces a new deadline of 12 April to come up with a way forward or leave without a deal. The EU is planning an emergency summit on 10 April to discuss its next move.
So what does this mean for data privacy? If the UK were to leave the EU today i.e. with no deal, all EU laws within the UK will cease to apply in the UK and the UK will become effectively a third country under the GDPR. For further information, please see Section II (Withdrawal Agreement not ratified by the Exit Date – Implications on Data flows from the EEA to the U.K.) of the International Data Transfers in the Limbo of Brexit. As can be seen in International Data Transfers in the Limbo of Brexit alert, the fundamental impact Brexit will have, from a data privacy perspective, is in relation to transfers of personal data from a country in the EU to the UK. To combat this impact, additional measures will be necessary in order to lawfully transfer the personal data.
While the outcome of Brexit is still unknown, even with the date so close, it is essential that organisations transferring personal data prepare themselves for the possibility of the UK leaving the EU without a deal. That means identifying the processing of data which will be affected, determining the appropriate safeguard needed to lawfully transfer the personal data and implementing said safeguard. Should the UK find itself on 12 April to be leaving the EU with a Withdrawal Agreement in place (and therefore the transfer safeguards may not be necessary), we do not believe this preparatory work will have been a waste of time or resource as the risk of leaving the EU without these measures in place can be said to be higher.
Behnam Dayanim
Follow @PHPrivacy
Subscribe to PH Privacy
Regulation and Enforcement
About our Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice


The project was addressed to primary school pupils and teachers. It was intended e.g. to raise the awareness of global interrelations among teachers, educators and employees of non-governmental organisations. It was inspired by a diagnosis according to which teaching aids related to global education available in Poland do not sufficiently develop critical thinking skills. Moreover, there are no specific and effective exercises with form and content adjusted to needs of this age group. In consequence, teachers do not have proper resources that could be used as teaching aids in the education of primary school children.
The project involved training dedicated to the methods of philosophical enquiries and their tools. The training was attended by 72 participants. The current state of knowledge of the youngest children about global education was assessed on the basis of the results of surveys conducted in primary schools with 2 160 children. In addition, a set of 15 lesson plans for primary school children was developed. In order to develop critical thinking skills in the youngest pupils, a series of classes related to global education were organised in schools. It is estimated that the number of beneficiaries of this project (both teachers and students) amounted together to ca. 4 500 people.


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Promoting the greater good of North Dakota
January 10, 2020 -- Winter Sunset
The glorious colors of a winter sunset over Watford City are captured in this photo
taken from the parking lot of the new McKenzie County Public Works facility.
Property Taxes Key to Solving
Education Funding Debate
Establishing the appropriate level of property taxes in rapidly-growing school districts will be one of the key components in ensuring equity in the state's education funding formula.
State lawmakers on the Education Funding Formula Review Committee discussed nearly a dozen different components of the formula at a meeting this week at the Capitol. Among them was a requirement in state law that school districts levy 60 mills to support local education. It's intended to ensure all districts are making a "local effort" to fund education, but as committee members learned at their last meeting (see Oct. 4 newsletter), there is wide variation in the value of a mill.
Another state law that limits property tax increases to 12 percent has created a problem in western North Dakota districts that experienced huge increases in property values the past decade. For example in the McKenzie County School District, the district's local level was down to 34.77 mills last year, but because property values have increased, that levy still contributed 19 percent of the district's total school revenue. By contrast in West Fargo, another rapidly growing district, its 58.29 mills generated just 17 percent of the district's total revenue.
Despite such disparities, state law requires all districts to move toward 60 mills and provides that those that don't reach that level will see a reduction in funds the district receives through the funding formula.
McKenzie County Superintendent Steve Holen, who serves as an ex-officio member of the committee, said requiring his district and others to increases taxes to get to the 60-mill level will create a funding inequity for those districts.
"If you now go to 60-mills across-the-board where everybody has to pay equal, the shift is going to be to the other end because your markets have gone up more than other areas," Holen said. "If you're going to be compared to another district that's at 60 mills, your taxes actually went up more and you've created another inequity."
Holen said he would like a solution that doesn't require districts to impose a large tax increase on local residents who've already seen their taxes go up because their property value has gone up.
"If we go to 60 (mills), has it gone too far? Is it over-balanced now because not only have you had fixed income residents go up twice as much in the taxable value of their home as other areas of the state, now you're going to tax them at the same level?" Holen said. "Is there a middle ground that would account for the fact that you're living in an area where valuations have gone up for one very basic reason?"
The funding committee is chaired by Senator Don Schaible, R-Mott, who indicated the panel would meet at least three more times during the 2019-20 interim.
Company Plans Williams County Gas Plant
Denver-based Outrigger Energy II announced this week plans to construct a 250 million cubic feet/day natural gas processing plant west of Williston in Williams County.
The plan includes a long-term gas gathering and processing agreement with XTO Energy, Inc. to service XTO's Williams County production. The gathering system will include a 70-mile, 20- and 24-inch diameter, rich gas pipeline originating in eastern Williams County and terminating at the plant west of Williston. Plans are also under consideration for expanding the proposed processing plant with an additional capacity of 200 MMcfd, for total gas processing capacity of 450 MMcfd.
Outrigger will construct, own and operate the cryogenic processing plant and gathering system, which will include ethane recovery and rejection capabilities that will provide direct market access to the Northern Border Pipeline for residue gas and the ONEOK NGL pipeline system for natural gas liquids. Future NGL fractionation facilities may be added to provide finished NGL products for local markets.
Outrigger is a privately-owned, full service midstream company specializing in greenfield project development with a current focus on liquids-rich natural gas and crude oil infrastructure in the DJ Basin of Colorado and Wyoming and the Williston Basin. In its announcement, Outrigger CEO Dave Keanini said positioning of the company's gathering line will provide other Williston Basin operators access to processing capacity.
"This additional midstream capacity for gas production north of the Missouri River allows the state of North Dakota to make strides towards its goal of minimizing gas flaring in the Basin," Keanini said. "Over the last six years, the Outrigger team has achieved an excellent track record of project execution, safe and reliable operations and customer service in the Delaware, Midland, Powder River and DJ Basins, and we couldn't be more excited for the opportunity to do the same in North Dakota."
Click here for additional details from Renée Jean in the Williston Herald.
Trump Proposes Much Needed NEPA Reform
Gov. Burgum Applauds Streamlining Regulations
Gov. Doug Burgum applauded a proposal announced by the Trump Administration this week to modernize the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process to streamline permitting of infrastructure projects.
The proposal by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) follows an executive order issued by President Trump in 2017 establishing a two-year goal for completing environmental reviews for major infrastructure projects and directing the CEQ to consider revisions to modernize the regulations that federal agencies use to implement NEPA.
"No one cares more about North Dakota's environment than the people who live here, but the 40-year-old NEPA process has become increasingly complex, cumbersome and time-consuming, resulting in unnecessary, multi-year delays and cost increases for key infrastructure projects including highways, pipelines and critical flood protection," Burgum said.
Since it was signed into law in 1970, NEPA has required federal agencies to assess the environmental impacts of their actions before making decisions. Actions covered by NEPA includes permits, land management and construction of highways and other public facilities. The NEPA process provides opportunities for public review and comment, which typically leads to years of bureaucratic delay.
Click here to read more state and local reaction in the Williston Herald.
Beulah Voters Approve School Bond Issue
Patrons of the Beulah School District voted this week to approve a $6.9 million bond issue to fund an addition and renovation work on the district's high school.
Results from Tuesday's election showed that about 71% of voters approved the project. Portions of the high school have become dilapidated, and there are problems with plumbing and poor insulation. The work will include demolition of a portion of an addition built in 1963, to be replaced by new construction.
The positive result was a sharp turnaround from a December 2018 vote in which voters by a 3-to-1 margin rejected a $17.5 million bond to refurbish the high school. This district conducted a community survey after the failed vote, which found that 94% of voters felt the previous project was too expensive.
Passage of the bond issue will result in a $69.39 increase in residential property taxes per $100,000 of taxable valuation, which could be slightly lower if the district is able to obtain a low interest loan through the Bank of North Dakota. The maximum cost of the project is $10.1 million, which will include money from the district's building fund.
Energy Generation Conference Set for Bismarck
The 41st Annual Energy Generation Conference organized by regional coal and utility interests will be held January 28-30 at the Bismarck Event Center.
The event was first held in 1978 as a Power Plant Operations Conference that included the displays of just six vendors. But the event has grown over the years to a show with more than 300 exhibitors and around 2,500 attendees.
This year's planning committee chair Kelly Cozby said Tuesday's opening day includes an open house for the public between 4:30 and 6:00 pm. Presentations during the event are usually technical in nature, but Cozby said there's always something new for attendees.
Click here to listen to Cozby's comments.
Click here to see the conference agenda. Click here to register. Click here for the conference registration brochure which contains additional details about speakers and the agenda.
Beams Arrive for Long X Bridge
Huge pre-stressed concrete beams that will become part of the new Long X Bridge arrived at the site south of Watford City this week.
The bridge on Highway 85 crosses the Little Missouri River. The ND Department of Transportation awarded a nearly $34 million contract earlier this year to Ames Construction to build the new bridge and dismantle the old one (see June 7, 2019 newsletter). The company is based in Burnsville, Minnesota.
The first span of beams were set this week for the new bridge. The 156-foot long pre-stressed concrete beams were designed by Dale Schwindt, engineer for Forterra Inc., and produced at the company's Menoken plant (Dale also supplied the photo).
Highway 85 is a major north-south feeder route for moving equipment and products into and out of North Dakota's oil patch. The new bridge, which is being built east of the existing structure, will be about 800 feet long and 80 feet wide. The bridge will have four 12-foot driving lanes, 12-foot emergency/breakdown lanes on either side, as well as a six-foot lane down the center. The bridge is expected to be open by the end of next fall's construction season, after which demolition of the old structure will begin. That's due for completion by July 2021.
Click here to see NDLTAP's Facebook post about the arrival of the beams.
Hwy 85: More Heavy Trucks than I-94 or I-29
Below are Highway 85 traffic counts reported by the North Dakota Highway Patrol. The numbers show the two-lane highway carries more oversize truck traffic than either of the interstate highways in the state.
Roundtable Presentations On-Line
The Western Dakota Energy Association and the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute/NDLTAP co-hosted a western North Dakota roads roundtable December 18 in Watford City to bring together county road managers and oilfield trucking interests to discuss common issues and concerns.
With support from the NDDOT, the Federal Highway Administration and the Minot Air Force Base, more than 120 transportation users, owners and industry leaders attended.
Links to all the presentations are now available on the UGPTI website, or click any of the links below.
Dale Heglund, NDLTAP - Better Roads = Better Business: Oil Country Roundtable (PDF 5502K)
Mark Schrader, FWHA - CaCl2 Stabilization (PDF 1435K)
Tommy Kenville, iSight Services - Drones & Utility Line Inspection (PDF 280K)
Brad Wentz, UGPTI - GRIT - Construction Planning (PDF 936K)
Toby Romo, Whiting - How Do Road Closures Affect Operations on the Pad? (PDF 1127K)
Daniel Stenberg, McKenzie County - McKenzie County Community Update (PDF 535K)
Brent Bogar - Oil Tax Spending & Operation Prairie Dog Overview (PDF 424K)
Dana Larsen, Ward County - Road Design Basics (PDF 1003K)
Alan Dybing, UGPTI - Road Needs Assessment, 2019-2021 (PDF 853K)
Genny Dienstmann, NDACo - Strength of Our Counties (PDF 342K)
Geoff Simon, WDEA - Top Legislative Issues for Western Counties (PDF 1163K)
Jonathan Rosencrans, WDEA - Wise Roads Project (PDF 1110K)
Curt Glasoe, NDLTAP - Weather Stations out West: What Is Wise Roads? (PDF 2528K)
Write it Down on Your Calendar!
WDEA 2020 Annual Meeting
Get this date on your calendar! The Annual Meeting of the Western Dakota Energy Association will be held:
The Grand Williston Hotel & Conference Center
It's Nearly Go-Time for the 2020 Census!
Getting a complete population count in western North Dakota is crucial to obtaining additional representation in the state legislature, determining the distribution of federal dollars for road projects, community planning and more.
Ensuring the oilfield community completes the Census is an essential part of getting a complete count. Those working in North Dakota should understand it doesn't matter what your driver's license says for purposes of completing the Census. It's where you live and sleep most of the time that matters.
Individuals or companies that would like to be engaged with Census outreach efforts at a local level, or just want to learn more, are urged to contact the local Complete Count Committee.
In McKenzie County, contact Daniel Stenberg. In Williams County/Williston, contact Lindsey Harriman.
Those who live elsewhere can search for their local committee here.
Complete Count Committee to hold Workshop at BSC
North Dakota's Complete Count Committee has scheduled a workshop to be held at the Bismarck State College National Energy Center of Excellence on February 3 for Census volunteers and anyone who wants to know more about the impact the decennial event has on the state of North Dakota.
Registration opens at 9:00 a.m. for the event which is scheduled to run from 10:00 - 3:00. Lunch will be included. Attendees can expect to hear:
Remarks from the Governor's Office and Commissioner Michelle Kommer
Introductions from the North Dakota State Task Force and US Federal Census
Breakout sessions by geographic region for formed and newly formed CCC's
Media panel with updates and materials for your complete count committees
Networking breaks to connect with others in your same position
Click here to see the agenda. Click here to register to get free tickets.
Engaging the Workforce
GNDC Hosts CEO Roundtable
The Greater North Dakota Chamber is hosting its first 2020 CEO Roundtable on Wednesday, January 15, at the Hess Corporation office in Minot. Held four times a year, the CEO Roundtable brings CEOs, presidents and company owners together for an exchange of information, ideas and insights.
The theme of this roundtable, Engaging Workforce, impacts all companies no matter their size, industry or location. This event will feature MBI Energy Services VP of Human Resources Patrick Bertagnolli along with Katie Ralston, the manager of workforce projects and programs at the ND Department of Commerce. Organizational Development Specialist from Gate City Bank, Heather Ostrowski, will be presenting with a panel of representatives from Generation Z.
The event runs from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and is open to CEO/C-Suite leadership as well as company owners, managers, supervisors, and other company leaders to come together to exchange information, spark ideas, and network.
Click here to see the full agenda and registration information.
Williston Basin Petroleum Conference
After a long, cold winter it will be nice to see springtime and the 2020 Williston Basin Petroleum Conference scheduled for Bismarck. Along with green grass and spring temperatures, expect to see another excellent line-up of speakers plus a sold-out trade show.
The new conference website features opportunities to enhance the participant experience and increase exposure. Registration is now open for the event scheduled for May 19-21. Click here to register.
The website also features new information and features for exhibitors including an interactive map to allow vendors to select specific booths. Space will fill quickly so conference organizers suggest making plans now.
Energy Impact Grants Available
The Board of University and School Lands is accepting applications for grants available to oil and gas development-impacted political subdivisions including cities, counties, school districts, and other taxing districts.
The grants are targeted to offset costs incurred for an emergency or unanticipated incident where the damage is directly related to, or impacted by, current oil and gas development. An advisory committee will review the eligible applications and make recommendations to the Land Board, which will make the final decision to award the grants.
The Energy Infrastructure and Impact Office will accept applications from eligible political subdivisions through 5:00 p.m. CST on January 31. Late applications will not be considered.
Click here for additional information or email energyimpact@nd.gov.
Denbury EOR project key to future energy economics -- Williston Herald
Reflecting on decade of building and change with oil growth -- Tioga Tribune
Companies to prevent/detect leaks with new technology -- Bismarck Tribune
NDPC's Ron Ness: Bakken -- The best is yet to come -- Bismarck Tribune
Meridian Energy refinery planned near Belfield hurt by funding, lawsuits -- Bismarck Tribune
California rep introduces crude-by-rail safety bill, similar to state of Washington -- The Reporter
Six wind farms miss deadline for installing new tower lighting systems -- Prairie Public Radio
North Dakota oil and agriculture could soon see benefits from the USMCA -- KFYR-TV
Gavel goes to new chief justice Jon Jensen from retiring Gerald VandeWalle-- Bismarck Tribune
North Dakota Democrats, Republicans set nominating conventions for March -- KXMB-TV
Republican State Rep. Dan Johnston a candidate for state treasurer -- Grand Forks Herald
ND Libertarian Party's ballot status restored with successful petition -- Bismarck Tribune
TrainND boosts its well control training program; custom training for Bakken -- Williston Herald
Parshall High School gets new building, started moving before Christmas -- KFYR-TV
New Town Middle School expecting more students, planning to expand building -- KX News
Dickinson State University to discuss leasing property to local business -- Dickinson Press
DSU President Easton proposes layoffs to help with budget woes -- Prairie Public Radio
Slope County and Amidon set to sell Marmarth school in spring -- Bowman County Pioneer
Dickinson High School working on plan to address discipline problem -- Dickinson Press
Current flood threat eases on Missouri, steady downward trend noticed -- Bismarck Tribune
U.S. Army Corps anticipates high runoff season for Missouri River -- Minot Daily News
U.S. Army Corps trying to make more space for Missouri River runoff -- Associated Press
Watford City: Housing and childcare identified as top issues -- McKenzie County Farmer
ND Department of Human Services offers heating assistance program -- KFYR-TV
Bond refinancing puts focus on Ward County sales tax extension -- Minot Daily News
Trio of new surveys offer both good news and bad news for North Dakota -- KXMB-TV
Oil rally fizzles amid lack of supply threat in ongoing Middle East tensions -- S&P Global
State of American Energy 2020: America embraces global energy leadership -- Energy in Depth
Cyber attack issue heating up for utilities, huge consequences possible -- Inside Sources
Trump administration scores big on energy from public lands - Institute for Energy Research
Factoid of the Week
Statistics from the winter storm that passed through North Dakota December 28 include more than just inches of snow. NDDOT mobilized 182 plow trucks, 17 tractors/blowers/graders plus 257 NDDOT team members worked during the weekend storm. NDDOT spread 685 tons of salt and sand and 26,400 gallons of brine on roads. The Highway Patrol issued more than 50 citations to motorists for driving around "road closed" signs.
Source: Winter storm impact measured in more than inches fallen – KXMB-TV
Interim Employee Benefits Programs Committee
GNDC CEO Roundtable
Interim Commerce Committee
ND Industrial Commission
Board of University and School Lands
NDACE County Roads Conference
We're Counting on You Census Workshop
Interim Judiciary Committee
PSC Hearing on Denbury CO2 Pipeline
39th Annual Chili Cook-off -- Williston Basin API
Interim Energy Development and Transmission Committee
Interim Workers' Compensation Review Committee
February 19-20
Legacy Fund Earnings Committee (tentative)
NDSC 47th Annual Safety & Health Conference
8th Annual ND Reclamation Conference
North Dakota Democratic Party Nominating Convention
North Dakota Republican Party Nominating Convention
Oil prices and rig count
WTI Crude: $59.04
Brent Crude: $64.98
Natural Gas: $2.20
North Dakota Active Rigs: 55 (unchg) 1/10/2019 -- 66 rigs
Click here to subscribe to this weekly newsletter
Geoff Simon
Editor/Executive Director
geoff@ndenergy.org
http://ndenergy.org


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Corporate FX strategies will be tested in the year 2023, Convera study finds
Patrick Gauthier, Chief Executive Officer at Convera
Corporate foreign exchange strategies will be tested to new levels in 2023, due to continued pressure from rising interest rates, geopolitical tensions, and a worsening energy crisis, according to the new 'Are You Ready for 2023?' Report published recently by Convera.
What is the report about?
The report analyzes the 2023 market outlook and provides forecasts for the year ahead, predicting it will be a challenging year for companies as interest rates, inflation, and looming recession drive currency volatility. It also predicts that constraints on access to goods, skills and low-cost labor will have a significant effect on global trade next year.
Convera, the largest non-bank in global cross-border business-to-business (B2B) payments, creates the report as a guide to aid both customers and the industry as a whole in making smarter planning decisions for the year ahead. Ongoing geopolitical issues like the war in Ukraine & questions over China-Taiwan relations have contributed to slowed supply chains, the energy crisis in Europe & currency fluctuations across the euro, dollar, & sterling.
With 83% of the globe experiencing inflation above 6%, companies will need special attention for their strategy overseas payments in 2023. This is underlined by the fact that to counter inflation, 90 central banks hiked interest rates 260 times in 2022. These sudden, central bank moves have generated higher-than-usual levels of volatility, especially in FX markets.
This volatility is having a profound impact on global trading, according to businesses surveyed by Convera; 82% of organizations said that the challenge of managing currency volatility is already harder than pre- pandemic, making it more difficult to conduct international business. Sentiment for the year ahead is gloomy, with 71% of organizations expecting that disruptions from high inflation and interest rates will last at least 12 months or longer.
What were the thoughts from the executive?
Commenting on the report's findings, Patrick Gauthier, CEO of Convera, said: "In the coming year, companies operating internationally will need to pay special attention to their strategy for overseas payments as currency volatility is set to last, leading to complex decisions."
"The global economy is experiencing the long tail impacts of Covid stimulus packages, coupled with a shift from hyper globalization to a bipolar power dynamic due to increased geopolitical tensions. For corporations, this will mean slowed supply chains and decreased access to products, skilled people and low-cost labor. We can also expect to see the strong dollar having differing impacts on the economy in the US and overseas," Gautheir added.
"Our 'Are You Ready for 2023?' Report aims to arm financial decisions makers, whether they're our customers or businesses in the wider industry, with quality insights. We want to enable businesses to make more informed international trade and payment decisions which may lead to better financial outcomes," Patrick Gauthier said in conclusion.
The report also underlines the potential impact on broader policies, predicting that green policies may take a back seat next year as countries grapple with the energy crisis, with the amount of electricity produced by coal set to reach a record in 2022 – a sharp turnaround after a decade-long decline. The question of whether green tech can meet the demands of the energy crisis will be fundamental in this decade, according to the authors of the report.
How will this global turbulence impact these regions?
In the US, the stronger US dollar has caused domestic companies to outperform businesses with a global reach, as the euro hit a 20-year low against the dollar, and sterling fell to historic lows. While the US dollar remains high, this trend is likely to continue. The Federal Reserve's actions to combat inflation in the US is having a severe negative impact by tightening financial conditions around the rest of the world.
In the Eurozone, a rally in the euro in 2023 is possible but will depend on the bloc's ability to weather a formidable energy crisis this winter.
The UK, however, faces tougher challenges as it is set to be the worst performing G7 economy in 2023 and a recession that could last more than a year. Any recovery in the GBP will depend on a slowdown in inflation and the policies pursued by the new UK government.
Over the longer term, the UK needs improved productivity performance & greater access to renewable energy sources. After 20yrs of record growth, China is expected to experience a continued growth slowdown in 2023 as it faces new challenges due to high debt, falling real estate values and the impact of prolonged "Covid zero" policies, as well as increased unease around China – Taiwan tensions & the challenges posed by an aging population.
What could turn mkts positive? If the Fed signals an end to tightening & intention to cut rates, & geopolitical tensions dissipate, a USD fall would positively impact global financial mkts.
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How Big Should Wildlife Habitat Burns Be? [spoiler alert] Really Effin Big!
by Mark LR Hall | Apr 16, 2018 | Blog | 0 comments
10,000 Years in the Making
It has been suggested that the extinction of the Mammoth led to an increase in vegetation biomass which is then said to have given rise to the era of fire. Over the last 10 to 11,000 years, almost every ecosystem in British Columbia has evolved with its own unique fire regime. Because of this evolution, a significant proportion B.C.'s flora and fauna are adapted to or dependent on fire in some way or another.
British Columbia is one of the most biologically rich regions in North America. Most of its ecosystems have evolved with fire.
Strategies in an Era of Fire
In the era of fire, some plant species have evolved to be fire resistant while others have become fire dependent, or fire tolerant. A few have not changed, so they are classified as fire intolerant.
Fire resistant plants have evolved strategies to resist the lethal effects of fire, such as thick bark that insulates living tissue from lethal temperatures.
Fire dependent plants require fire to perpetuate at least one stage of their life cycle, such as using fire to make sure their seeds germinate. Fire dependent wildlife needs the types of habitat that fire creates. Without fire, fire dependent plants and wildlife species disappear.
Fire tolerant plants can withstand being burned, and they recover quickly after the fire because of their ability to re-sprout from their roots. An example of a fire tolerant plant in is the iconic Trembling aspen tree.
Fire intolerant plants and wildlife are very sensitive to changes in their habitat caused by fire. Fire can cause fire intolerant species to decline or even disappear.
Animals aren't resistant to or tolerant of fire per se; they are actually fairly flammable. However, their tolerance to fire is due to their avoidance strategies such as retreating to or living in habitats where the lethal effects of fire cannot physically harm them. Plants can also use avoidance strategies to tolerate living in fire prone regions by growing strictly in the habitats where fire cannot burn into very easily, such as riparian areas and rocky habitat.
What is a Fire Regime?
A fire regime is a combination of two factors.
1) The severity of the fire, which is measured by the amount of vegetation mortality caused by a fire and,
2) How often fire occurs.
Fire severity is controlled by the amount and type of combustible vegetation on the landscape and the sensitivity of that vegetation (i.e., resistant, tolerant or intolerant). How often fire occurs on the landscape is expressed as a "fire return interval" or "fire frequency." Fire frequency is regulated by the interactions of climate and weather in the way that creates lightning – nature's way of starting fires. Some ecosystems are more "lighting prone" than others, so they experience more frequent fires. Science also recognizes the use of fire by First Nations as contributing to the uniqueness of some of North America's historical fire regimes. The other variables that help define a fire regime include the pattern, size, continuity and season of burning. All these factors work together to create unique fire regimes across the landscape at different points in time.
Generally, low severity fires that occur frequently create what are referred to as "Fire-Maintained Ecosystems." Fire-maintained ecosystems are characterized by fire that is predominantly non-lethal to most of the vegetation in the ecosystem. On the other side of the coin, high severity fires that burn less frequently tend to be lethal to most of the vegetation, so they are often referred to as "Replacing Fires." High levels of biodiversity are often correlated to ecosystems that experience mixed–severity fire regimes. Mixed-severity fire regimes are made up of a mixture of high and low severity fires at varying scales, patterns and timing across the landscape. The resulting pattern of mixed-severity fires is often referred to as a fire mosaic.
Example of a low severity "Maintaining" type fire
Example of high severity "Replacing" type fire
What is a Fire Mosaic?
Fire mosaic is the pattern of burned and un-burned vegetation distributed across a landscape after a fire. Mosaic fires create diverse patterns of vegetation, edge conditions and different micro climates which together provide habitats for a diversity of wildlife species. Ecotone gradients are a pattern of ecological communities where high levels of biodiversity are often found. An example of an ecotone gradient is where open grasslands and closed forests come together and where sub-alpine forest gives way to alpine habitats. Fire plays an important role in maintaining ecotone gradients because fire reverses the forest's encroachment onto the grasslands or into the alpine.
Example of a Fire Mosaic
The Importance of Fire to Biodiversity – The Bottom Line
Fundamentally, fire creates complexity on the landscape which allows for plant diversity. Plant diversity creates wildlife diversity. Diverse ecosystems are resilient ecosystems. Resilient ecosystems are better capable of resisting or recovering from stresses and disturbances.
Importance of Fire for Ungulates
Ungulate populations are driven by female adult survival and juvenile recruitment. The relationship between female adult survival and juvenile recruitment determines whether populations are increasing, stable or decreasing. External factors that regulate populations are grouped into "top down" and "bottom up" regulators.
Top down regulators represent consumers in the food web (i.e., natural predation, human hunting).
Bottom up regulators represent the resources available to a population (i.e., habitat and nutrition).
Two critical concepts regarding population regulation include:
Predation or hunting might not be limiting population growth when poor nutrition is affecting the population.
Conversely, predation or hunting may be very strongly impacting wildlife populations when the habitat is severely degraded.
Regulators of ungulate populations.
Winter range has always been considered to be the factor limiting ungulate populations in British Columbia; however, summer range nutrition is reported in the scientific literature to play a very significant role in population dynamics. Spring and summer are critical times for adult females and their offspring. Their access to highly nutritious food is vital for their survival and collective ability to grow their population.
There are a number of reported negative population feedback mechanisms that are attributed to poor summer range nutrition including:
Low pregnancy rates,
Low offspring production,
Poor female body condition and body mass,
Low juvenile survival and,
Increased vulnerability to predation and hunter harvest.
The bottom line – poor nutrition can lead to population declines and unstable populations.
Ungulate populations are driven by adult female and offspring survival. Much of their survival is tied to the nutritional value of their early season habitats.
Fire's Influence on Nutrition
Fire has a significant influence over the nutrition available to grazing and browsing herbivores.
For example, decomposition of plant material in conifer forests is slow and, consequently, nutrient cycling is even slower. Nutrient cycling is important to herbivores because rapid nutrient cycling is linked to the palatability and quality of forage and browse. Fires tend to shift plant communities from conifer forests to deciduous-herb-grass habitats. Deciduous-herb-grass habitats tend to cycle nutrients much quicker than conifer forests. Consequently, deciduous-herb-grass habitats often produce some of the most nutritious food for herbivores including wildflowers, berry producing shrubs, aspen and lush herbaceous plants. Species that are depended on old growth like caribou, which rely on slow growing lichens, do not respond well to fire, so they tend to inhabit ecosystems where fire does not happen very often (i.e., fire intervals in the order of 100s to 1000s of years).
Ungulates prefer vegetation that regrows after a fire because it has higher digestibility and more crude protein than unburned vegetation. The high quality vegetation that grows after a fire explains why herbivores often seek out habitats renewing themselves after forest fires. The high nutritional value of the forage and browse typically only lasts about 5 to 7 years for grasses and 11 to 20 years for shrubs. But the importance of wildlife having perpetual access to new burns somewhere within their homes range is critical for many species. Stone's Sheep in Northeastern B.C., for example, are reported to have higher lamb to ewe ratios and lower incidence of lungworm when they have access to burned habitats. This is why it is important to burn critical forage and browse habitats on a frequent basis (i.e., 7 to 15 years).
Stone's Sheep in Northeastern B.C., are reported to have higher lamb to ewe ratios and lower incidence of lungworm when they have access to burned habitats.
How do Ungulates Respond after a Big Fire?
For the most part, there is very little hard evidence in B.C. that shows how animals in this province respond to big landscape-scale fires. It's just not something biologists have done a particularly good job at studying. However, in 2003, the Okanagan Mountain Park Fire burned approximately 25,000 ha (62,000 ac) of dry forest habitat south of Kelowna. 10 years prior to the fire, the Mountain Goats in Okanagan Mountain Park numbered around 8 animals. Ten years after the fire, the goat's population grew to 85 animals (a whopping 962% increase). This increase is directly attributed to fire having improved habitat in the goats' home range.
In 2003 the Okanagan Mountain Park Fire burned 25,000 ha of dry forest-grass habitat near Kelowna B.C.
In wildlife management units MU 8-9 and 8-10 where the Okanagan Mountain Park Fire burned, the hunter harvest of mule deer and elk increased 32% and 144% respectively in the decade following the fire. This increase in harvest occurred with about a 15% decrease in the number of hunters and 15% decrease in the number of hunter days in those management units. There was no wildlife inventory data for deer and elk before and after the fire, so directly correlating increases in hunter harvest to increases in populations is not a firm conclusion; however, an increase in elk and deer abundance due to the fire can't be discounted either.
Prior to the Okanagan Mountain Park Fire, there were no mountain sheep in the area. Between 2007 and 2009 a total of 53 sheep were transplanted to the burned habitat, and over the next 6 years, the herd size increased by an amazing 14%. It is likely the favorable habitat and nutritious forage created by the fire favored lamb survival, and that powered their population growth.
Response of ungulates to the 2003 Okanagan Mountain Park Fire. Data courtesy of FLNRO
What About Da Bears?
Huckleberries are fire tolerant, and fire creates the conditions for huckleberry plants to thrive, expand and persist on the landscape by preventing forests from overgrowing huckleberry patches. The most nutritious huckleberries for bears grow in full sunlight. Since the early 1900s, the Flathead grizzly bear population management unit (GPMU) in Southeastern B.C. has had the shortest fire return intervals (i.e., most frequent fire) and the highest percentage of the land base burned by fire on an annual basis compared to other units in Southeastern B.C. Because of the unique fire regime in the Flathead and the abundance of huckleberry plants, huckleberry production is a strong bottom up regulating factor for grizzly bears in the Flathead. The graph below shows how grizzly bear adult female density, over the years, has increased with increasing berry production and has decreased with decreasing berry production.
Correlation between female grizzly bear density and huckleberry abundance in the Flathead Valley. Credit: Dr. Bruce McLellan
The New Frontier of Fire Research in B.C.
In 2017, the Elephant Hill Fire in Southcentral B.C. burned over 191,000 ha (472,000 ac). A wildlife research project led by Dr. Adam Ford from the University of British Columbia-Okanagan campus and Dr. Sophie Gilbert from the University of Idaho, in cooperation with the B.C. Wildlife Federation and Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, is studying the effects of the Elephant Hill Fire on mule deer population dynamics. It's an exciting time for wildlife science and the future of effin big habitat burns in B.C. (hint hint).
An Obvious Question is, "Won't Nature Take Care of it if We Just Let Fires Burn?"
Moonscapes. Let burn policies can be catastrophic when habitat has been pushed beyond its historical fire regime. Fitkin, S., Wa. State Dept of Fish and Wildlife
The year 1850 is the date where the fire history record, as recorded in the rings of ancient fire survived trees, shows that the European colonization of western North America began to disrupt the natural fire regimes. 1940 is the date recognized where the post-war fire suppression effort began to exacerbate the disruption of natural fire regimes that was started by early settlers. The overall influence of humans on natural fire cycles is one of decreasing the frequency and size of fires on the landscape and increasing the severity of fires when they occur.
The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), an El Niño-like warm phase of the Pacific Ocean that lasts much longer than El Niño (20 to 30 years vs. 1 to1.5 years) is known to influence fire behavior as well as some ungulate populations in North America. The PDO ceased to be a dominant natural influence on fire cycles in B.C. after 1940 due to modern fire suppression that prevented fires during PDO season from growing to historical sizes. For example, after 1940 in Southeastern B.C., there have been very few landscape fires greater than 500 sq. km (200 sq. mi). The influence of the PDO still persists today, and the oscillation of this ocean current created peak fire seasons in B.C. in 1960, 1985 and 2000; however, the area burned during those years was much lower than the area burned prior to 1940 due to modern fire suppression that limited fires from growing to their historic sizes.
Climate influenced by the Pacific Decadal Oscillation had a major influence on the size of fires in southern B.C. until about 1940. Nielsen, S. & Nielsen. C., 2010
Since 1850 and more so since 1940, ecosystems have been accumulating more biomass in the absence of natural fires. The result of this biomass accumulation, or fuel loading as it is most often called, is that some ecosystems are experiencing fire severities at levels that the ecosystems are not adapted to. Un-natural catastrophic fire can cause the reduction of ecosystem resilience, loss of wildlife habitat and loss of biodiversity. Ecosystems subject to un-natural catastrophic fires might not ever recover to their former conditions or functions. So conservationists have to be very cautious about advocating for a "let it burn policy" in wildfire management because of the potential negative consequences that un-natural fire regimes can have on ecosystem resilience.
Historically, B.C. experienced some very large fires. In fact, the second largest fire recorded in North America, the Wisp Fire, burned between 1.4 and 1.7 million ha (3.5 to 4.2 million ac) in 1950 between Ft. St. John and northern Alberta. In 1958, the Ketch Fire burned about 225,000 ha (556,000 ac) in the Ketchika Valley in Northern B.C. For comparison, 2017, which is touted as the worst fire year in British Columbia's history, burned a total of 1.2 million ha (297 million ac), which is still smaller than Wisp Fire. Setting aside economic damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure, 2017 was by no means a record year for area burned. Instead, 2017 was maybe just a little bit closer to the typical fire years pre-1850.
From 2006 to 2016, wildfires in B.C. burned a total of 12,000 to 370,000 ha per year (30,000 to 914,000 ac). Some notably large scale fires have burned during this time period; however, the majority of fires during this ten year span ranged from 5 to 250 ha in size (12 to 600 ac). The average fire size during the 2006 to 2016 period was only 75 ha (185 ac). So on average, wildlife is not benefiting from the kinds of fire disturbances on the land that they need. 2006 to 2016 is also a period where we have seen dramatic declines in many wildlife species in the province.
Looking at the sizes of the home ranges of the largest wildlife species in B.C., as reported in the literature, the average upper home range size for all these species combined is somewhere in the range of 500 sq. km (75 to 190 sq. mi). The lower end is somewhere around 200 sq. km. In the face of modern fire suppression, nature is no longer able to create fires at a scale important to the survival of fire dependent wildlife and plant species.
Upper home range sizes of large mammals in B.C.
The Next Obvious Question is, "Doesn't Clearcutting Take the Place of Fire?"
In classical forestry education, students were taught that most forests in B.C. originated from stand replacing fire regimes. After stand replacing fires, the new forests establish over a short period of time and grow into what Foresters call "even-aged" forests. Clearcutting causes forests to also establish and mature into even-aged forests, especially when they are artificially planted right after logging is finished. Classical forestry theory often suggests that clearcutting mimics or is a substitute for natural stand replacing wildfire. So the premise in forest management is to put out wildfires, log the timber and all will be good for biodiversity.
Twenty or 30 years after logging, it can be hard to discern if you are standing in an old logging block or in an old natural burn; however, that's where the similarity ends. Even with natural replacing fires, there is still a tremendous amount of habitat structure and diversity left immediately after the fire. "Snag forests," the type of habitat left after a forest fire, provide valuable habitat for many wildlife species including moose, bears, furbearers, rodents, insects and many species of birds including woodpeckers. To the moose, these standing dead forests provide enough visual cover that allows them feed on the regrowth and not been seen as easily as they would if they were in the middle of salvage logged block. A moose's long legs are an adaption for living in deep snow and in wet habitats, but they are also thought to be an adaptation to living in old burns where the dead standing trees eventually fall over and become crisscrossed. The ability to live in the tangled old burns may be a strategy of moose to avoid predators. Old burns are a type of fortified moose sanctuary. This type of important moose habitat is lacking in B.C. because of our obsession with giving burnt trees rides to sawmills.
The "snag forest". There is a lot of structure left after a forest fire that benefit wildlife including moose.
A typical clear in B.C. lacking any kind of structural diversity. Expect for the wildlife tree patch in the background. Note all the moose living in it.
Wildlife habitat burns and forestry silviculture burns were well-used land management tools between 1980 and 1994 in B.C. At its peak, the use of prescribed fire approached 50% of the total area burned by wildfire even during some of the worst fires seasons. Between 1970 and 2000, prescribed fire use even exceeded the total area burned by wildfire. 1970 to 2000 was an era where land managers were managing the landscape with fire. Fear about using prescribed after the severe 1985 fire season began to erode political and public support for prescribed fire as a land management tool, so land managers chose the option that protected their careers. Less fire became a good thing.
The possible correlation between the decline in the use of prescribed fire on the landscape and the amount of property loss due to wildfires after 2000 is an interesting one to look at more closely. Progress is being made by the province on a number of policy and funding initiatives with respect to restoring the use of prescribed fire as management tool, but progress is not moving remotely fast enough to keep up with what wildlife need. Significant work still needs to be done to reduce liabilities (perceived and real) around the use of prescribed fire by the forest industry and government agencies. Too many folks are scared of prescribed fire.
The trend of wildlife habitat burns, silviculture forestry burns and natural wildfires in B.C. 1970 to 2015. Courtesy of Peter Fuglem.
What about Ecosystem Restoration? We Hear A Lot About it.
Southeast B.C. has one of the most aggressive habitat restoration programs in the entire province. The program is aimed at restoring fire-maintained ecosystems in the Rocky Mountain Trench, yet over the last 20 years, the program has only managed to reach about 40% of the area identified as needing to be burned. Species like elk in the Rocky Mountain Trench that should have benefited from 20 years of habitat restoration have declined nearly 50% between 2008 and 2018. Not a great outcome for the province's poster child in ecosystem restoration.
The photo below shows prescribed burns (red) that were planned for the Galton Range in Southeastern B.C. The Galton's have historically sustained amazing mule deer and bighorn sheep herds for hundreds of years. Now the Galton's are mostly covered by dense forest. Like many herds of mule deer and sheep, the Galton sheep and deer populations have dwindled. Sheep have declined about 40% in the last 10 years alone. The proposed habitat burns for the Galton's total a mere few hundred hectares. It's a drop in the bucket compared to the hundreds of thousands of hectares that these ungulate's home ranges cover. I call these types of habitat enhancement projects for large ranging mammals "micro burns." When I look at the home range size of most large mammals combined with the fact these species need access to large burns within their home ranges, it is clear that our thinking on habitat enhancement burning needs to be on a scale that is meaningful to wildlife and not simply at a scale that suggest that wildlife managers are doing "something."
Galton Mountain Range of Southeast B.C. showing mule deer and bighorn sheep "micro-burns" (red areas)
Galton Mountain Range with the Okanagan Mountain Fire (25,000ha) superimposed over the micro habitat burns. Now that's an effin big habitat burn.
In the photo above, the orange shaded area represents the size of the 2003 Okanagan Mountain Park Fire. This shows you what an effin big habitat burn really looks like in comparison to the micro burns that were planned for the area. If we want resilient ecosystems to help recover dwindling wildlife populations and to protect biodiversity, we need effin big burns not micro burns!
My Key Take Home Messages are:
Habitat biologists need to change their paradigm and execute prescribed burns in the order of 100-500 sq. km per wildlife population unit. Ditch the micro burns!
Prescribed fire objectives need to be linked to wildlife population objectives.
Habitat biologists need to focus on enhancing plant nutrition and to understand optimal fire regimes that make high quality nutrition available to herbivores on a perpetual basis.
Habitat biologists need to expand burning away from winter range and into spring/summer calving and lambing areas to ensure the best forage surrounds the most critical natal and pre-natal habitats.
Habitat biologists need to be measuring success of habitat burns by monitoring wildlife population metrics rather than tallying the total area burned.
Forest managers need to accept that some fire-killed "snag forests" are off limits to salvage logging in order to restore diversity on the landscape, especially for moose. (I can hear the gasps now).
When I tell wildlife and fire managers what size habitat burns should really be, they get a little freaked out. In the southern half of the province, safely executing habitat burns on a big scale likely won't happen in one single burn – that's the reality of our situation given where most of our population and infrastructure is located. But if habitat biologists were dedicated to burning habitat at a meaningful scale for wildlife, and they staggered a series of systematically inter-connected burns over a 5 year time frame, I think our fire management experts in B.C. and the nail biting land managers could handle that. There is a saying that every new idea goes through 3 stages – resistance, discussion and then adoption. Most of what I have written about here is not new, so I hope we are able to get passed stage 1 fairly quickly. Wildlife is disappearing while they wait for us to figure this fire thing out. The time for effin big fires is right now.
Effin big fire
What Can Conservationists do to Help Advocate for Effin Big Fires on the Landscape?
Always be engaging your local habitat biologists to help them identify critical areas for habitat burns (draw really big circles on their maps).
Demand habitat biologists responsible for prescribed burns either go big or go home.
Demand that habitat biologists demonstrate how habitat burns are linked to firm population objectives (no wishy washing stuff).
Become familiar with your local Wildfire Center's Fire Management Plan because it should show areas where the fire management objectives call for "modified responses" – aka let-burn-but-keep-an-eye-on-it approach. Hold fire managers accountable to letting fire burn where the objective is to let it burn. Tell them there will be no sneaking in to put out fires in those areas just because fire crews are on overtime.
Help support habitat projects and contribute third party funding to effin big habitat burns. Boycott funding for micro burns.
Engage your local politicians and government decision makers to educate them about the benefits of effin big burns. Help build their confidence in B.C.'s wildfire management experts' abilities to execute effin big habitat burns. Tell them effin big habitat burns help protect communities from nasty wildfires. Tell them effin big fires will increase wildlife populations which will help get them re-elected.
Use social media and local newspapers to praise habitat burns (yes even micro burns).
Counter people who are complaining about smoke from habitat burns and tell them it's the sweet smell of biodiversity. Super Natural B.C. = smoke once and while.
Be like a woodpecker looking for a grub deep inside a dry snag and relentlessly pound away on all the above items. The future of healthy wildlife populations depends on your hammering away at making effin big habitat burns a reality. Failure here is not an option folks.
I Will Leave You with One Final Thought
Responsible stewardship of wildlife should not involve an obsession with top down regulators when so many habitats in B.C. are skewed from their natural states.
A Vision for a Modern Wildlife Habitat Management Framework for British Columbia
British Columbia's War on Moose (Guest Article)
The Burnt Forest is Alive – A Photo Essay


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Kim V. Goldsmith
Creatively connecting communities
What my top Insta posts tell me
As a digital marketer, it's important that I use my own accounts to not only promote my own business but as a place to experiment – testing tactics, content, hashtags and more.
Instagram is part of my social channel mix but a place where I'm still working out the fit with my business – a mix of community engagement/marketing strategy AND arts-focussed creative output. Since January this year, I've made a concerted effort to see just what could happen if one 'played' the Instagram game. I've hit on a formula that is working in terms of building a steady flow of followers, boosting engagement levels, prompting conversations, directing web traffic and more.
While engagement rates on Instagram are far outperforming those of Facebook and Twitter, one should still be asking if that engagement is with the right audience.
Engagement is the metric I look at more than anything, regardless of the platform – the caveat being you still need to have a decent number of followers (the vanity metric) to make the engagement significant and to build a good audience profile. One of the problems is that for many accounts who pull big numbers of followers, engagement rates are as low as 1-2 percent, complicated all the more by the algorithms of the day.
Looking at my top performing content over the last quarter, I've achieved engagement rates on Twitter of 2 – 8 percent, Facebook 2 – 19 percent (not including boosted posts), and on Instagram 45 – 69 percent engagement. I regularly look at how I can possibly replicate or improve on these results every month I plan content. My competitors are pulling engagement rates between 2 – 14 percent.
In terms of my followers, I seek to have enough to build a solid audience profile (this is important for targeting your organic and paid content), but not so many that I can't meaningfully engage with them on a regular basis. Celebrity Selena Gomez has 116 million followers on Instagram – her last post pulled 1.97 million likes and almost 19 thousand comments, equating to 1.71 percent engagement.
While engagement rates on Instagram are far outperforming those of Facebook and Twitter, one should still be asking if that engagement is with the right audience. It's taken a couple of months, but as well as seeing consistently higher engagement rates, I'm also now seeing the right metrics in Instagram Insights in terms of who my followers are (after a drop off with the switch to Instagram Business last year*).
In 2015, Forrester Research described Instagram as the "King of Social" at a time when engagement rates were falling across the board on all platforms, including Instagram. In the two years since then, more features have been added to these platforms to beef up opportunities for followers to share the love of your brand. But are they?
These are big brands and yet average engagement rates were all less than 2 percent.
In early 2016, influencer marketing agency MediaKix took a look at some of the top brands on Instagram, breaking them down by industry. Not surprisingly, some industries perform better than others on this platform; the top three positions going to Fashion, Media/Entertainment, and Beauty/Fitness brands. There are big names in these categories and yet average engagement rates were all less than 2 percent.
In summary, question everything but if you decide to go ahead on Instagram, showcase what you're best at – particularly if it's visual, and talk to your chosen audience as if you have them in the room – stay on message and to the point.
Be authentic and original, as there are enough stock photos and famous quotes out there to last a lifetime – create your own gems and keep it relevant. Do this and you'll find your people. And yes, you must use relevant, researched hashtags, as well as being consistent and measured in your timing and frequency.
Here are my Top 10 Instagram photo posts for engagement for the first quarter of 2017 – nine of the ten are my own photos (the curious cats are a stock pic) and all of them are my words – truths I've come to learn through business and life, often the hard way. You'll notice these are all photos or graphics. Photos still outperform video, although I've had two short videos in the total Top 10 posts, so I'll be experimenting with more to see how they perform over time.
If you need a hand with content creation for your social media marketing, connect with me about content creation and curation packages for your business. I also provide training and coaching in best practice for digital marketing through the Social Media Matters workshop and coaching program.
*I switched from a personal Instagram account to a business account when the option became available rather than creating a new account. This has been problematic in terms of gaining traction and my advice would be to consider a new account even if you are the brand.
April 10, 2017 by kvgoldsmith	analytics, content creation, digital marketing, engagement, Instagram, small business, social media health
2 thoughts on "What my top Insta posts tell me"
bberry@bobberry.com.au says:
Very interesting Kim. Thanks for update.
kvgoldsmith says:
My pleasure, Bob. All platforms require a degree of experimentation to get the best results.
Creatively connecting communities since 1996.
Talk to me today about how I can help communicate your story.
kim@kvgoldsmith.com
Creatively connecting communities since 1996
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Edmonds was born in February 25, 1957 and went to Indiana University, where he began to further expand his musical ambitions. Taking I.U. Soul Revue, an extensive course in music theory, performing, and the business, Edmonds began to see music as a real career. Pursuing this idea, he started the group After 7 with his brother, Melvin Edmonds, and his classmate in Soul Revue, Keith Mitchell.
The group did shows in local clubs, but on graduation went on to standard 9-5 jobs. However, brother Kenneth was moving up the ladder with L.A. Reid and when they signed a deal with Virgin Records, one of the acts they brought up was their relatives in After 7.
As a member of After 7, Kevon had some huge successes, earning a platinum album as well as several gold singles. They continued to tour the country and established themselves as one of R&B's top performing groups. After their 1995 album, Reflections, After 7 left Virgin Records due to frustrations with the label. The departure from Virgin Records allowed the members to pursue their own personal projects and over time, saw the group separate.
At roughly the same time, Babyface brought his brothers, as well as siblings K-Ci & JoJo of Jodeci on for a project in a fictional group Milestone. The group performed in the movie Soul Food and had a hit single with the track "I Care About You". For a brief period, Milestone nearly became a real group, instead of just the fictional group portrayed in the movie, but label conflicts caused the project to collapse.
In 1999, Kevon released his first solo album, 24/7. The title track from the album was a big hit, going gold and reaching #10 on the Hot 100. The album's second single, "No Love", performed moderately well, reaching #25 on the R&B charts.
Edmonds' second solo CD, Who Knew, is scheduled for release on October 13, 2009 through Make Entertainment/Image Distribution. The first single was released in early August and is titled "Oh."
"Who Knew" has generated mainly positive reviews since its release. Thomas Leo on Grown Folks Music rated the album 4/5 citing "What he did was give r&b fans a very solid album full of good music in a time when the genre seems to be moving away from what it once was."
In a recent interview, he promised fans they won't have to wait another 10 years for his next album: "I can assure you that you won't have to wait another ten. *Laughs* "Oh yes, new album 2019, I'm going to be dropping a new album." *Laughs* No, I'll be back long before, that is a promise."


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Bill Fincher Net Worth 2018: What is this baseball player worth?
Bill Fincher was a pro baseball player who played Pitcher. Fincher was born on May 26, 1894, in Atlanta. Fincher died on May 7, 1946, in Shreveport, Louisiana. This page will take a closer look at Bill Fincher's net worth.
Bill Fincher Career, Earnings
Fincher batted Right and threw Right. Fincher debuted in the MLB on April 23, mlby1916 for the St. Louis Browns. In all, Fincher played for the St. Louis Browns. Fincher's career ended with the St. Louis Browns in mlby
Some of Fincher's most prominent statistics in the MLB included a Win stat of 0-1, a Earned run average stat of 2.14, and a Strikeouts stat of 5.
Bill Fincher Net Worth 2018
Player compensation can range widely. In Major League Baseball, the average player earns near $3 million per year. Top baseball players can receive $25 million or more annually, and lower rated players earn $1 million or less. Outside the MLB, most contracts are worth less than $10,000 a year.
Bill Fincher net worth: baseball salary distribution
So what was baseball player Bill Fincher's net worth at the time of death? Our estimate for Bill Fincher's net worth at death is:
Want to see some related net worth articles? Check out these: Frank Herrmann, Mitch Lyden, Erick Aybar, Geoff Zahn, Harry Heilmann, Matt Quatraro, Don Hurst, Choi Joo-hwan, Homer Peel, Brian Duensing, and Pat Kelly.


Happy New Year of the Rooster. Happy New Moon in Aquarius. 28 Jan.
the King he will clean the stables for nothing. The King does not believe him. No one does anything for free. He challenges Hercules to clean the stables in one day and he will give him 1/10th of his cattle, but if he fails Hercules life and fortune will belong to the King. Hercules labours to divert the two rivers to create a rushing torrent which clears away the dung. The King is suspicious and says Hercules deceived him and refused to give him his reward and banished him from the land saying if he does not leave he will have his head chopped off. Charming!


Oxford, UK : Immunocore Limited, a world-leading biotechnology company developing novel T cell receptor (TCR) based biological drugs to treat cancer, viral infections and autoimmune disease, announced that GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has selected the first clinical candidate as part of a discovery collaboration, resulting in an undisclosed milestone payment to Immunocore.
The candidate selected ImmTAC addresses a target relevant in a number of different cancer indications including synovial sarcoma, bladder and non-small cell lung (NSCL) cancers.
Immunocore will now undertake further preclinical testing and cGMP manufacture before progressing the ImmTAC to phase I clinical development.


SpectruMed is a trusted provider of aesthetic laser equipment in the Philippines. We source our products from industry leaders to bring our clients unparalleled quality. We have treatment systems for an extensive range of aesthetic procedures, from non-invasive skin tightening, pigmentation, hair and acne removal to skin and vaginal rejuvenation. Our list of reputable partners consists of brands known around the world with clinically proven and certified patient and user safety.
All of the products in our portfolio feature state-of-the-art technology that gives you the ability to deliver better clinical results and achieve higher profitability. Whether you are a seasoned aesthetic doctor or a general practitioner about to expand into the aesthetic business, rely on our products to fulfil the standards your practice wishes to uphold.
Beyond product quality, we are committed to deliver exceptional clinical, technical, and marketing support. What we offer is a true partnership with you that supports your long-term clinical success.


Local political crusader Sydney Becky McAmanda has been superfluously active on Twitter as of late, claiming she has single-handedly discovered the source of mankind's evil after a recent drunken jaunt to the local Chipotle. Ms. McAmanda took to Twitter at approximately 3:13am on Tuesday morning, minutes after arriving home at her trendy sorority co-op community housing house.
When questioned by Cardinal Correspondents as to why the herb was responsible for all the evils of mankind the following morning, McAmanda had (surprisingly) not much more to say.
McAmanda's claim is (even more surprisingly) not unfounded; scientific studies have proven genetic variants near smelly sensors and chemical receptors in the brain polarize cilantro-eaters drastically. They either taste some sort of herb, or they are disgusted by the soapy-dirty Devil spawn they've happened to miss in their food and have forgotten to throw on the floor and set on fire prior to consumption.
While research has proven cilantro to be the actual Devil's lettuce for many people and demands it be collected and completely destroyed, never to be consumed by humans or be used to excessively season everything on Chipotle's menu ever again, political science experts know it can't be that simple.
Cardinal Correspondents wait to see how the complete eradication of cilantro will aid this country in addressing it's arguably more serious issues.


Taking care of your skin is important, but since everyone is a little different, individual skin care needs will vary. Keep reading to learn more about creating a skin care routine that suits you.
If you're fighting a breakout, you should tweak your skin care routine to help eliminate acne and prevent scarring.
Use a facial cleanser designed to treat acne and gently wash your face. Then pat it dry.
Use an oil free moisturizer to protect your face from drying out.
Don't pop your zits. Apply an acne cream with benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid.
Apply as little makeup as possible to keep your skin clear.
Style your hair away from your face.
Wash your hands throughout the day and avoid touching your face.
Use a wipe or soft cloth to wash your face off after exercise or other activities that cause you to sweat to prevent further breakouts.
Clean off all of your makeup.
Sleep on a clean pillowcase.
The right skin care routine can help you reduce signs of aging and improve your appearance.
Cleanse your skin with a Clarisonic device.
Apply moisturizer with sunscreen to your face and your neck.
Use concealer under your eyes to cover dark circles, but keep your makeup light and natural.
Rinse off your face after working out.
Apply a night cream with retinol to your face and neck.
Even if you're happy with the skin you're in, it is never too early to start taking care of your skin. In most cases, you can use the same skin care routine suggested for someone who wants to minimize signs of aging. The sooner you start taking great care of your skin and using moisturizer and retinol cream, the longer your skin will look young and healthy.
For more information on our services, call our office to make an appointment.
Keep up with practice and receive exclusive offers.


What drives an eliminated team to their limits in a World Cup football match? One would expect the players to be deflated and not on the ball, to say the least.
Yet, that was not the case on Monday when Spain battled against Morocco who managed to score their very first goal in the tournament just after the first 14 minutes, and went on to score another in the second half.
Last night's match, S Korea – Germany was full of highlights, especially after 4 – time winners Germany were crashed out of the World Cup in an ignominious fashion. It took 94 minutes before their doomed destiny was clear. A deft kick from Kim set both teams and fans on edge while the VAR decided if the goal should go up on the scoreboard. And after an excruciating couple of minutes dragged by, the goal slipped up to reassure the world that the ever powerful Germany was going to be eliminated in the first round.
But like a Greek tragedy, worse was yet to come for the world's number one ranked team. Deep into stoppage time, an increasingly desperate goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer was found in the opponent's side leaving a free net for S Korea's star forward, Son Heung-min, to tap the ball gently in. This time no VAR was needed and the German footballers fell to their knees in despair and anguish. For the first time since 1938 Germany had not got through round one.
Once again, like a Greek tragedy, worse was yet to come as it became clear Germany had finished bottom of their group. Group F!


According to a recent article published in the journal Cancer, the cytoprotective agent Ethyol® (amifostine) may allow for greater delivery of chemotherapy in the treatment of head and neck cancer. Future trials are necessary to determine if this will result in improved survival for these patients.
Approximately 40,000 people in the US are diagnosed with head and neck cancer every year. Cancers of the head and neck include cancers of the nasal cavity and sinuses, mouth, and throat. According to the American Cancer Society, 11,000 people died from head and neck cancer in 2004.
Standard treatment for head and neck cancer is largely determined by the stage (extent to which the cancer has spread) and by the specific locations within the head or neck area where the cancer has spread. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy tend to be commonly used.
Unfortunately, side effects caused by radiation therapy (ulcers, dry mouth, burning of the tissue at the site the radiation is aimed) are common. In addition to drastically reducing the quality of life of patients, these side effects often cause administration of chemotherapy or additional radiation therapy to be delayed or cancelled. Postponing of missing just one dose of therapy may result in compromised outcomes, including a worsening of overall survival. Therefore, preventing these side effects from occurring altogether or reducing their severity is crucial in providing optimal outcomes.
Over the past 50 years, many drugs called radiation protectors have been tested in the laboratory for prevention of radiation damage to normal cells and tissues. For such drugs to effectively treat cancer, they must protect only normal cells-not the cancer cells-from radiation. Ethyol is a radiation protector and the only drug that has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in patients receiving radiation therapy for cancers of the head and neck.
A multi-institution clinical trial was recently conducted to evaluate Ethyol in the treatment of head and neck cancer. This trial included 36 patients with advanced head and neck cancer. Patients were treated with radiation therapy plus the chemotherapy agent Taxol® (paclitaxel). Twenty-eight of these patients received Ethyol; eight received no amifostine.
Patients treated with amifostine could tolerate an additional cycle of Taxol compared to those not treated with amifostine. At approximately 30 months, both progression-free and overall survival was 66% in the whole group of patients (researchers had not separated results from those who were treated with amifostine versus those who were not).
The researchers concluded that amifostine allows patients with advanced head and neck cancer who are also undergoing radiation therapy to tolerate extra cycle of chemotherapy. Longer follow-up is necessary to determine if this will result in improved survival for these patients, and future clinical trials are necessary to provide confirmed results. Patients with head and neck cancer who are to undergo radiation therapy may wish to speak with their physician regarding their individual risks and benefits of treatment with Ethyol.
Reference: Amrein P, Clark J, Supko J, et al. Phase I trial and pharmacokinetics of escalating doses of paclitaxel and concurrent hyperfractionated radiotherapy with or without amifostine in patients with advanced head and neck carcinoma. Cancer. 2005;104:1418-1427.


Adrianna Adarme's Pancakes is filled with recipes, color photos and anecdotes set in place by the founder of A Cozy Kitchen blog. The book is a well-made paperback edition with glossy, thick paper covers. Covers extend longer than the pages, are folded front and back … useful for holding the page last perused, and have notes regarding the recipes, the author and her blog. Teri Lyn Fisher's photos are colorful, representative of the particular recipes to be found in the book and often shown as 1 of a 2-page spread of photo and recipe.
I found the Introduction to be particularly informative, especially for the novice cook; it begins with a charming recollection of the writer's childhood as she learned to prepare pancake batter under the tutelage of her dad. While the pancakes produced were from a mix, and did not taste as do the ones offered by the writer; she was provided with a lovely reminisce of childhood, along with a determination to better the batter.
The book has information on such things as use of buttermilk, buttermilk powder, vinegar, lemon juice and milk, mixing tips, what to do with too thin or thick batters, fruit and other add ins to the batter, size of the cakes, perfect cooking temperature, use of the oven, syrups, especially the delicious use of real maple syrup, salt and a nice section on Pancake tools and Supplies. The author explains the best skillets to use, use of bowls, liquid measuring cups, and pancake spatula, The first section provides classic pancake recipes: Buttermilk, Vegan, Gluten free and Crepes. These are perfect as is, and work well with add-ins to suit personal taste. Personally I like to add chocolate bits to any and everything, especially pancakes.
The second section is Breakfast Pancakes; an offering of 28 pancakes suitable for breakfast, snacks and anytime the notion strikes. Beginning with orange and chocolate chip pancakes, the reader is made hungry with photos of some plainish, and other really fanciful offerings; apple pie is one. Carrot cake pancakes drizzled with Cream Cheese Glaze are delish, as are the banana bread. In this section Adarme provides some offerings perhaps not always thought of when preparing pancakes. Dutch babies, popovers, crepes as well as spiced pumpkin and gingerbread for the holidays, oatmeal and multi grain for the health conscious, several varieties of chocolate, or with fruit add-ins are all included. The third section, Dinner Pancakes, begins with zip-jalapeno corn cakes, as well as 21 separate, easy to prepare, delicious to eat recipes. Latkes include sour cream and cheese, and sweet potato. From spicy black bean cakes, to fried mac and cheese, to parmesan mushroom risotto cakes, zucchini fritters, cheddar chive or garlic and parmesan popovers, a super gruyere and ham Dutch baby and buckwheat crepes; there is something to please every diner. Pretty green spinach pancakes are a delight for St Paddy's.
The last section is all about toppings. Beginning with a selection berry butters, fruit syrups, an avocado butter; this section may inspire a cook to try various combinations to create their own butters, syrups and tasty toppings. A four-page index at the end of the book compliments the table of contents to enable adventuresome cooks to find just the right recipe for breakfast, lunch, snack or supper.
Pancakes and waffles too have been a long standing meal beginning for my family. Fêted across all ethnic groups, prepared through use of a diversity of ingredients and prepared by varied cultures worldwide, throughout time; pancakes are the definitive universal food. I found the book to be well-made. The long over-lap type covers are perfect for indicating the recipe to be tried, the one in preparation or the one last used. The shiny, smooth cover can easily be wiped cleaned without worry that the paper will soon deteriorate should a spill happen. Binding is glued pages … and so far no problem, the pages are staying glued despite multi uses.
Striking photographs invite the reader to try their hand using the pictured pancake result. Recipes are easily read and easily followed, with the ingredient list placed along the left or right margin to make shopping easy. The author includes anecdotes as a short italicized paragraph atop the recipe directions themselves. I like that.
This is a book to be referred to often, to help the cook begin to think of pancakes as something more than a circle of cooked batter on the plate, smooshed with butter and doused with syrup; it is a selection of recipes sure to intrigue, delight and satisfy, whether used for creating a hearty breakfast, or for a winter supper filled with good scents in the kitchen and delicious food on the table. Many of the recipes, the four basic recipes, honey and oat, whole wheat, and banana bread lend themselves very well to being prepared as waffles too.


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Netherlands: Ambitious Targets…
Netherlands: Ambitious Targets for Sluggish Market
Mon, 20 July 2015
The newly installed collector area in the Netherlands has not grown by a significant margin since 2011, and it even decreased slightly in 2013 (see the chart on the left). According to the Dutch industry association Holland Solar, this is to be considered a fair outcome, as the number of new residential construction permits has declined in recent years. Residential construction is by far the most important market for solar thermal technology in the country. There have not yet been any statistics on the newly installed collector area in 2014, but considering that the number of building permits was twice as much in 2014 than in the previous year, experts estimate that solar thermal sales will at least have remained at their previous levels. The authors from the German-Dutch Chamber of Commerce, DNHK, see a silver lining for 2015 in a market analysis published in May 2015 in the framework of the German Renewable Energies Export Initiative (see the attached PDF in German).
Source: Central Office for Statistics in the Netherlands, CBS
According to the DNHK publication, prospects for 2015 are quite good, as the first quarter revealed 90 % more building permits compared to the same period in 2014 and the number of newbuilds increased by 11 %. This recuperation of the residential construction sector might contribute to a growth in solar thermal sales. The authors expect high potential for solar thermal use not only in the residential sector, however: Heat accounts for half of the Dutch energy demand, including space heating, hot water and process heat. Transport accounts for 30 % and electricity for only 20 % of total energy needs. But this potential is far from being utilised properly. The experts believe that 20 % of the total heat demand could be provided by solar thermal, whereas today it accounts for only 1 %.
National subsidy scheme SDE+ disadvantages solar thermal
Holland Solar has often – but so far, unsuccessfully – called for an equal treatment of solar heating and cooling and photovoltaics in the national renewable energy promotion programme SDE+ 2015. SDE stands for Stimulering Duurzame Energieproductie (Stimulating Sustainable Energy Production), a national subsidy scheme which has been in force since 2008 and was amended several times.
The programme provides feed-in tariffs for all sorts of renewable technologies, as well as combined heat and power plants, but only includes solar thermal installations of more than 100 m². Most solar thermal heating installations in the Netherlands, however, do not meet the size requirement, but range from 20 to 100 m². Solar thermal installations must have a capacity of 70 kW in order to profit from SDE+, whereas photovoltaics installations only have to provide about 15 kWp. Hence, there are very few solar thermal applications within SDE+. In 2013, there were five solar thermal applications with a grant volume of EUR 1 million out of a total budget of EUR 3 billion. Regarding 2014, statistics show 14 solar heating projects with a total support of EUR 3 million as part of the EUR 3.5 billion funding.
Ambitious targets: 6 PJ produced by 3.7 million m² collector area by 2023
If the Dutch government wants to meet the minimum targets for renewable energy, solar thermal technology will have to expand drastically over the coming years. Holland Solar has managed to establish a 6 PJ target for solar heating and cooling to be achieved until 2023 in the so-called energy agreement for sustainable growth launched by the Dutch cabinet in 2013. 6 PJ corresponds to 1,667 GWh, which could be produced by 3.7 million m² of collector area. According to the annual market statistics of the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF), the total collector area in operation was 560,693 m² at the end of 2014.
This goal might seem ambitious as the target had been much more modest so far (2 PJ in 2023). The authors of the study emphasise that 6 PJ could be achievable, but only through a number of effective support measures. There have already been two stimulating factors: The foster growth in the construction sector and the regulation for energy efficiency in new construction which makes zero-energy houses obligatory by 2020.
http://www.hollandsolar.nl
This news was written by Vanessa Kriele, a German freelance journalist specialised in renewable energies and world economics.
https://solarthermalworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/zma_niederlande_2015-st.pdf
German Renewable Energies Export Initiativemarket developmentSDE+ 2015
GermanyNetherlands
Domestic Hot Water and Heating


The AML/CFT Healthcheck contains functionality to support the completion of AML/CFT Annual Compliance Reports, which are provided to the relevant AML/CFT Supervisor.
We have re-created the content for the following countries, which have a common AML/CFT Annual Compliance Report format so that these can be completed within the AML/CFT Healthcheck Tool, generating a downloadable PDF which is retained within the application but can easily be used to provide a copy to the AML/CFT Supervisor.
We are currently examining the AML/CFT Annual Compliance Report requirements for other countries and will include these as part of the development roadmap for the AML/CFT Healthcheck.


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STEVE DIGIORGIO Names The One Song He Wishes TESTAMENT Would Bring Back Live
It's a Lombardo cut, too.
Testament has plenty of tracks to choose from live, but there's one in particular that bassist Steve DiGiorgio wishes they've bring back. In an interview with The Necrosexual, DiGiorgio names The Gathering track "Down For Life" as the one he'd love to break out live. And what better time to do it? The Gathering is the only Testament album to feature Dave Lombardo, who recently just rejoined the band!
"When [drummer Gene Hoglan] was in the band, we would always try to redo the setlist and pick all these killer songs off Demonic or Low. There's a lot of good songs and you know, the OGs – [guitarists Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick alongside vocalist Chuck Billy] – would be like 'we don't wanna do that.' We're like, 'we're arguing for songs on your catalog. Let's go! Let's make this heavy!' But they like the classics."
"Some of the deeper cuts… I like 'Down For Life.' I don't know if it's a deep cut 'cause it's the second track on Gathering. We played it a lot when the album came out, and then once that song fell off the list, it never came back. It's real Testament to me. It's got the cool drive, it's got thrash, Chuck is singing on point. I wish we could bring that one back."
According to Setlist.fm, Testament played the song quite a bit between 1999 and 2003, and then broke it out a few times in 2018 and 2019. So it's definitely time to bring it back!