With 17,385 users in Hotjar and only a small team to build and support the product, as well as run the company – we quickly realized we have to be smart and efficient in the way we communicate with our users. We're also obsessed about delivering great service.
1. We use Intercom to communicate with our users right within the Hotjar interface. Intercom is a SaaS tool that shows you who is using your product and makes it easy to personally communicate with them through behavior-driven email and in-app messages. It's made it much easier for the Hotjar team to communicate quickly and efficiently with our users.
2. We use Trello boards to keep track of our users' ideas, issues and requests. Trello is a collaboration tool that organizes your projects into boards. In one glance, Trello tells you what's being worked on, who's working on what, and where something is in a process. Once we complete any item in one of our trello boards we inform any users that requested an item for feedback.
3. We use FreshDesk to receive inbound 'Contact Us' messages and queries in our Support / Community forum. Freshdesk is an online help desk software. (We don't wholeheartedly recommend FreshDesk – the user experience is far from ideal and their support is not responsive or helpful at all – we're looking for alternatives). We also update our Knowledge Base on an ongoing basis. This allows us to quickly link to articles or FAQs on the fly in our communications. FreshDesk also allows us to manage our Twitter account on a team level.
4. We use HipChat to get notified as soon as we receive a new message via Intercom or FreshDesk. HipChat is a Web service for internal/private chat and instant messaging. We also use it for all internal team communication.
5. We use aText (a text expander) to minimize typing time by creating shortcuts for repetitive phrases, answers and links to articles.
6. Obviously we also use the feedback tools within Hotjar to collect feedback from our users. Hotjar is an 'all in one' analytics and feedback tool that helps you improve your site's UX and conversion rates.
We use Feedback polls to quickly get feedback about the content we create. We use surveys to collect profiling information from users as soon as they sign up, feedback from Beta users 2 weeks into using Hotjar or collect details about users that are interested in programs or features that are not yet available.
We don't believe in building up a support team that deals with all the problems and queries from users.
Instead, the whole Hotjar team is involved in speaking with our users. Everyone from business development to engineering is involved in the process. That includes me – the CEO. I personally answer users at planned slots during the day – or when the subject of the messages means it will be assigned to me.
This 'team approach' allows us to make our users' pains our own pains – making it easier to prioritize addressing the issues that create the queries or messages in the first place. It's an ambitious plan, but we firmly believe it will make a big difference, in the long run (i.e. better service delivered and a streamlined product that is easier to use).
Although the entire team is involved we also have a very simple 'chain of command' when it comes to picking up new conversations and assigning them to each other. At each step, we have defined clear areas of responsibility.
We also have response time targets and monitor these over time (via Intercom).
To make it easier to quickly address all types of incoming messages we've also created 5 categories of message types. For each category, we have very simple guidelines of what to say (and how) as well as how that message moves along in our pipeline.
They have invested their time to use the tool and give us feedback.
They have risked their money, peace of mind… and possibly their neck or their business!
By treating our users as gods, we want to aim at delivering the ultimate service experience. You might be thinking – "The customer is not always right...". While this might be right we think this is irrelevant. What does being 'right' or 'wrong' have anything to do with delivering a great service?
So how do we go about talking to our 'gods'?
Over the last 6 months, we have put together a list of guidelines and rules that we stand by. They help us to be consistent with our service and tone used.
Few things feel more gratifying than gratitude – and few services express gratitude as much as they should.
You cannot thank your users enough. Keep thanking!!
Be honest. Don't over promise.
Never give a hard date unless you are personally accountable. Where in doubt ask your colleagues for an ETA.
Say P.M. – deliver A.M.
When things change COMMUNICATE asap. There is no point in waiting.
No one wants to hear 'difficult' or 'impossible'.
Investigate, discuss with the team and get back to the user.
If it's complex or rare just be honest about it.
Show them you are listening and took the time to understand.
Our users need our help. We should NEVER ridicule their sites or their comments in any way.
We should never joke about our users – this can easily lead to the wrong mindset.
5. We are guilty – until proven innocent.
Do not be defensive. Always apologise in advance.
Nothing is worse than a supplier being defensive about their tool. You will instantly lose credibility.
Make it clear we will investigate their claims / comments. Make it clear that we take all comments seriously.
NEVER say 'we've never seen this before' or 'it never happened before'. These just sound like POOR excuses.
6. It's ALWAYS our fault.
Since we built it – it's always our fault.
The best approach is just to avoid using the word FAULT all together... at the end of the day fault has nothing to do with it.
Always re-read your message at least once before you send it.
Nothing makes you look more unprofessional than stupid spelling mistakes.
8. Answer quick – update often.
Don't wait to find a solution… reply as quickly as possible.
Once you read a message reply there and then – don't postpone or assign it to someone else. That's just a waste of time.
Because of the previous point, plan time slots during the day when you are focused only on replying to users.
If a user is waiting for us, check in every now and then to update on the status and thank them for their patience.
More often than we think, the small things make a big difference.
In most cases it's not superior knowledge or talent that wins – it's just something tiny like a quick reply or personal advice.
(Read more about the stats behind this).
10. Always be reading – learning.
Reading helps you improve your language, communication, and personal skills.
Learn about user psychology and behaviour.
How do you manage communication with your users? Do you agree or disagree with any of the ideas above? I'd love to hear about it – just comment below.


text:
Jobs at SAVAE
Earthquake 2015 South Asia
SAVAE celebrates World Environment Day June 5, 2020
SAVAE awards young trekker of Kashmir aged only three years July 6, 2019
Hydro-diplomats: How a water data sharing platform can ease the water crisis in South Asia April 16, 2019
UN Environment, Google, EC partnership effective to depoliticize water crisis in South Asia March 23, 2019
We need more than donations to achieve equality for women in South Asia March 19, 2019
Massive earthquake of 7.5 magnitude shook South Asia
22:05 hrs European commissioner for humanitarian aid and crisis management Christos Stylianides says, 'My thoughts are with victims & families of the earthquake in Afghanistan & Pakistan. Closely following the situation. EU ready 2 help'.
21:40: hrs Google Person Finder helps people reconnect with friends and loved ones in the aftermath of natural and humanitarian disasters.
21:20: hrs An estimate from the United States Geological Survey's (USGS) PAGER algorithm shows about 1,000 may have been killed in Monday's earthquake.
21:05 hrs Plan International's country director for Pakistan, Rashid Javed, says 'After an earthquake like this, access to clean water and proper sanitation are vital. People also need to be aware of the dangers of aftershocks, especially as they are being repeatedly felt across the region.'
20:55 hrs  Médecins Sans Frontières says, 'our staff & patients were evacuated but have since returned. We are assessing needs in region'
20:45 hrs The Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, tweeted about a conversation he had with the president of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, 'I offered all possible assistance'.
20:01 hrs At least 180 people killed in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Inayatullah Khan, Pakistan's provincial minister, told the death toll from the earthquake in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province alone has has jumped to 121.
19:40 hrs Pakistani TV says 94 people have died due to the earthquake in Afghanistan, bringing the region-wide toll to 129. Another two people died in Kashmir region.
18:45 hrs According to Reuters at least 100 people have been killed in the earthquake. These include 24 in Afghanistan and 76 in neighboring Pakistan.
18:30 hrs According to an Iranian news agency -Tasnim News Agency- Government of Iran it is ready to send aid and rescue teams to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
18:05 hrs The Chief Executive of Afghanistan, Abdullah Abdullah, has said that the earthquake was 'the strongest one felt in recent decades'.
18:00 hrs Reports coming in that 70 dead in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Copyright © 2022 Your Name. All rights reserved.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Mount Bark Farm is a small-holding located in a tranquil corner of picturesque Nidderdale, North Yorkshire, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Scott and Sarah Fisher have recently completed the conversion of a large barn into two luxurious self-contained cottages on their isolated small-holding. Barn Owl Cottage comfortably sleeps up to seven and Little Owl Cottage offers a romantic retreat for a couple or cosy accommodation for up to four.
The original barn dates back to the 1800s and the character of the old stone building is mirrored in the cottages with high, open ceilings and wood beams throughout. The cottages are finished to the highest standards with wood burning stoves and oak floors adding to the feel of real luxury.
The cottages are south-facing and enjoy wonderful views over the surrounding countryside and our lake, where you can watch the antics of a wide range of resident and visiting birds. Both cottages have pretty gardens and barbecue areas. An evening stroll up our long private track or a walk through the fields to say good night to our Badger Face Sheep can help to round off a busy day.
If you have any questions then just contact us.


text:
The Adventure Map You Should Have Been Building All Along
October 8, 2018 · Erica Ho · 2 minute read
Emre Arolat Architecture
The sense of wonder often starts young. I remember digging through stories of archaeology, history and Indiana Jones until I realized it would most likely require an encounter with a bug at some point. (Still do not like bugs.)
Most of us learn about cool things and places all the time, but rarely do we register to mark it down on a list as a place to visit until the trip is happening. By this point, you've probably forgotten about it. This is the map we should all be building, the one where we're constantly learning about the world around us.
It also probably helps to make it a literal map.
Some places like the Xochimilco canals and Isla de las Muñecas near Mexico City have gathered so much folkloric legend that it isn't hard to remember (besides, nothing like an island of dolls to commemorate a girl that once drowned). But other times, cool things fade into the obscure recesses of our mind amidst, well, life shit.
Next time Netflix gets fired up, it doesn't hurt to keep the phone handy for quick bookmarking. Build a master list of adventure. That way, when you're setting off near the vicinity, you can quickly look at it to make sure you're not missing anything.
Because there's nothing like kicking yourself once you could realize you were only once half an hour away from it, in Istanbul, ugh.
Chinese antiquity, from the Sanxingdui culture. (momo / Flickr)
Create a Google Map, or use Atlas Obscura.
Our friends at Atlas Obscura have created sort of the definitive, well, atlas of sorts, that includes unique curiosities around the world. It's a great starting point, but if you need to take it a step further, Google is the most comprehensive tool available.
Google is the best for not only marking objects of antiquity, but for more recent and obscure modern developments. These latter structures and attractions tend to take some time to generate interest and notoriety in the public consciousness.1
Plus, I don't know how much you may be really into Bedouin yogurt chocolates.
One such example is the Sancaklar Mosque2 in Büyükçekmece, Turkey, located about half an hour from Istanbul. Constructed in 2012, this modern mosque shuns a traditional dome and minaret, and is designed in a style far, far away from its other counterparts like the better-known Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque.
But how many people make the day trip to go see it? The mosque has won awards for its inventive design, including the Royal Institute of British Architects Award for International Excellence in 2018.
If anything, the stark, contemporary black minimalism seems like a great place to ponder the import and power of God.
Inside the mosque. (Emre Arolat Architecture)
Other lesser known examples also include the Sanxingdui and Jinsha archaeological sites in China, near Chengdu, China. Basically, where the pandas are. If you keep driving for about an hour north after you feed those guys.
These archaeological sites, discovered in the last 30 years or so, have been hailed as the "ninth wonder" of the world, and have fascinated archaeologists, challenging the traditional narrative of Chinese civilization spreading from the central plain of the Yellow River (not true, I guess).
One brief look at the Sanxingdui artifacts quickly reveals that these artifacts are a far departure from traditional Han Chinese style, in cubist bronze and jade cast structures. Though it is absolutely unclear what happened to the Bronze Age civilization that spawned these alien-like statues, what is clear is that they capture a moment in time that is completely unique.
It is said that Task Rosen, the chief archaeologist of the British Museum, considered them to be more outstanding than the Terracotta Army in Xi'an around the time they were discovered.
It's a great addendum while making the trip to Jiuzhaigou, one of the most beautiful places we've ever been, and eating má là xiāng guō (麻辣香锅), or pure spicy deliciousness.
Ancient Chinese civilization. (momo / Flickr)
Besides, how else is a girl supposed to remember that on the spring and fall equinox, the sunrise lines up directly with the main temple at Angkor Wat if she doesn't write it down?
Others, like Museo Soumaya in Mexico City, often garner instant fame due to its high-profile and politically contentious owner, Carlos Slim, and, of course, Instagram-ability. ↩
If you have a low attention span for video, skip to 5:17 for pictures of the exterior, and 6:38 for pictures of the interior. The first portion of the video clearly caters to architecture geeks. ↩
How To Mastermind Car Rental Corporate Codes Without Getting Caught
The Credit Cards You Should Pick Based on Airline Frequent Flyer Program
Don't ever to forget your own inner Indiana Jones. Build an actual adventure map, so you don't miss it on the next trip.


Lenox Photo Album, Best Wishes 25th Anniversary 4" x 6"
Silver anniversary. Look back on your happiest times together with this Best Wishes photo album, featuring a polished silver-plated cover engraved with "25th Anniversary." A thoughtful gift, from Lenox.
View More In Wedding Albums.


The Regimen is helping me clear up those nasty whiteheads but i keep getting red marks everywhere and discolored skin? does anyone have any suggestions on how to "smooth" my skin out so it doesn't look so weird?
I'm going to move this to the Red Marks forum.
If you're on the regimen, I recommend that you read up on using AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids, such as lactic and glycolic) to help with red marks.


If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #06REYKJAVIK226.
Icelandic MFA Human Rights Officer Ingibjorg Davidsdottir June 13.
¶2.  The Ambassador will reiterate the importance that the U.S.


text:
#ifndef YHASH_H
#define YHASH_H

#ifdef  __cplusplus
extern "C" {
#endif

#include "ydef.h"

//#define DEBUG_WP_LOCK
//#define DEBUG_WP

#define HASH_BUF_SIZE 28
#define HASH_BUF_POW   5 /* HASH_BUF_POW = log_2(HASH_BUF_SIZE+2+2) */
#ifdef __C30__
#define NB_MAX_HASH_ENTRIES 1023     /* keep hash table size <32KB on Yocto-Hub */
#define NB_MAX_DEVICES        80     /* base hub + up to 15 shields (up to 4 slave ports) */
#else
#define NB_MAX_HASH_ENTRIES 8192
#define NB_MAX_DEVICES       256
#endif

#define YSTRREF_EMPTY_STRING   0x00ff /* yStrRef value for the empty string    */
#define YSTRREF_MODULE_STRING  0x0020 /* yStrRef value for the string 'Module' */
#define YSTRREF_mODULE_STRING  0x00a3 /* yStrRef value for the string 'module' */
#define YSTRREF_HUBPORT_STRING 0x00d6 /* yStrRef value for the string 'HubPort' */

#ifndef CPU_BIG_ENDIAN
#define WORD_TEXT_PR           0x5250
#define WORD_TEXT_OG           0x474f
#else
#define WORD_TEXT_PR           0x5052
#define WORD_TEXT_OG           0x4f47
#endif

typedef enum {
    Y_WP_SERIALNUMBER,
    Y_WP_LOGICALNAME,
    Y_WP_PRODUCTNAME,
    Y_WP_PRODUCTID,
    Y_WP_NETWORKURL,
    Y_WP_BEACON,
    Y_WP_INDEX
} yWPAttribute;

#define YBLKID_WPENTRY    0xf0
#define YBLKID_YPCATEG    0xf1
#define YBLKID_YPARRAY    0xf2
#define YBLKID_YPENTRY    0xf3
#define YBLKID_YPENTRYEND (YBLKID_YPENTRY+YOCTO_N_BASECLASSES-1)

typedef struct {
    u8          devYdx;
    u8          blkId;
    yBlkHdl     nextPtr;
    yStrRef     serial;
    yStrRef     name;
    yStrRef     product;
    u16         devid;
    yUrlRef     url;
    u16         flags;
} yWhitePageEntry;

// WP entry flags
#define YWP_MARK_FOR_UNREGISTER 0x02
#define YWP_BEACON_ON           0x01

typedef struct {
    u8          posYdx;
    u8          blkId;
    yBlkHdl     nextPtr;
    yBlkHdl     entries[6];
} yYellowPageArray;

typedef struct {
    u8          funYdx;
    u8          blkId;
    yBlkHdl     nextPtr;
    union {
      struct {
#ifndef CPU_BIG_ENDIAN
        yStrRef serialNum;
        yStrRef funcId;
#else
        yStrRef funcId;
        yStrRef serialNum;
#endif
      };
      YAPI_FUNCTION hwId;
    };
    yStrRef     funcName;
    union {
        char    funcVal[YOCTO_PUBVAL_SIZE];
        u16     funcValWords[YOCTO_PUBVAL_SIZE/2];
    };
} yYellowPageEntry;

typedef struct {
    u8          catYdx;
    u8          blkId;
    yBlkHdl     nextPtr;
    yStrRef     name;
    yBlkHdl     entries;
} yYellowPageCateg;

typedef union{
    struct {
        u16     hash;
        yHash   next;
        u8      buff[HASH_BUF_SIZE];
    };
    union {
        struct {
            u8      ydx;
            u8      blkId;
            yBlkHdl nextPtr;
        };
        yWhitePageEntry     wpEntry;
        yYellowPageEntry    ypEntry;
        yYellowPageCateg    ypCateg;
        yYellowPageArray    ypArray;
    } blk[2];
} YHashSlot;

extern char SerialNumberStr[YOCTO_SERIAL_LEN];
extern yStrRef SerialRef;
extern yBlkHdl yWpListHead;
extern yBlkHdl yYpListHead;

#define YMAX_HUB_URL_DEEP           11
#define YOCTO_HOSTNAME_NAME         (HASH_BUF_SIZE*2+2)

typedef struct{
    union{
        struct{
            yStrRef   host;
            yStrRef   domaine;
            u16       port;
        }byname;
        struct{
            yStrRef   ip;
            yHash     invalid;
            u16       port;
        }byip;
        struct{
            yHash     invalid1;
            yHash     invalid2;
            yStrRef   serial;
        }byusb;
    };
    yStrRef path[YMAX_HUB_URL_DEEP];
} yAbsUrl;

typedef enum {
    USB_URL,
    IP_URL,
    NAME_URL
} yAsbUrlType;

void  yHashInit(void);
void  yHashFree(void);
yHash yHashPutBuf(const u8 *buf, u16 len);
yHash yHashPutStr(const char *str);
yHash yHashTestBuf(const u8 *buf, u16 len);
yHash yHashTestStr(const char *str);
void  yHashGetBuf(yHash yhash, u8 *destbuf, u16 bufsize);
void  yHashGetStr(yHash yhash, char *destbuf, u16 bufsize);
u16   yHashGetStrLen(yHash yhash);
char  *yHashGetStrPtr(yHash yhash);
#ifndef MICROCHIP_API
yUrlRef yHashUrlFromRef(yUrlRef urlref, const char *rootUrl);
yUrlRef yHashUrl(const char *host, const char *rootUrl, u8 testonly, char *errmsg);
yAsbUrlType  yHashGetUrlPort(yUrlRef urlref, char *url,u16 *port);
#endif
yUrlRef yHashUrlUSB(yHash serial);
yUrlRef yHashUrlAPI(void);
yBlkHdl yBlkAlloc(void);
void    yBlkFree(yBlkHdl hdl);
u16     yBlkListLength(yBlkHdl hdl);
yBlkHdl yBlkListSeek(yBlkHdl hdl, u16 pos);
int     wpRegister(int devYdx, yStrRef serial, yStrRef logicalName, yStrRef productName, u16 productId, yUrlRef devUrl, s8 beacon);
yStrRef wpGetAttribute(yBlkHdl hdl, yWPAttribute attridx);
void    wpGetSerial(yBlkHdl hdl, char *serial);
void    wpGetLogicalName(yBlkHdl hdl, char *logicalName);
#ifdef DEBUG_WP_LOCK
void    wpPreventUnregisterDbg(const char *file, u32 line);
void    wpAllowUnregisterDbg(const char *file, u32 line);
#define wpPreventUnregister()   wpPreventUnregisterDbg(__FILE__,__LINE__)
#define wpAllowUnregister()     wpAllowUnregisterDbg(__FILE__,__LINE__)
#else
void    wpPreventUnregisterEx(void);
void    wpAllowUnregisterEx(void);
#define wpPreventUnregister()   wpPreventUnregisterEx()
#define wpAllowUnregister()     wpAllowUnregisterEx()
#endif
int     wpMarkForUnregister(yStrRef serial);
u16     wpEntryCount(void);
int     wpGetDevYdx(yStrRef serial);
YAPI_DEVICE wpSearchEx(yStrRef strref);
YAPI_DEVICE wpSearch(const char *device_str);
YAPI_DEVICE wpSearchByNameHash(yStrRef strref);
#ifndef MICROCHIP_API
YAPI_DEVICE wpSearchByUrl(const char *host, const char *rootUrl);
int     wpGetAllDevUsingHubUrl( yUrlRef hubUrl, yStrRef *buffer,int sizeInStrRef);
#endif
int     wpGetDeviceInfo(YAPI_DEVICE devdesc, u16 *deviceid, char *productname, char *serial, char *logicalname, u8 *beacon);
yUrlRef wpGetDeviceUrlRef(YAPI_DEVICE devdesc);
int     wpGetDeviceUrl(YAPI_DEVICE devdesc, char *roothubserial, char *request, int requestsize, int *neededsize);
int     ypRegister(yStrRef categ, yStrRef serial, yStrRef funcId, yStrRef funcName, int funClass, int funYdx, const char *funcVal);
int     ypRegisterByYdx(u8 devYdx, u8 funYdx, const char *funcVal, YAPI_FUNCTION *fundesc);
void    ypGetCategory(yBlkHdl hdl, char *name, yBlkHdl *entries);
int     ypGetAttributes(yBlkHdl hdl, yStrRef *serial, yStrRef *funcId, yStrRef *funcName, char *funcVal);
int     ypGetType(yBlkHdl hdl);
YAPI_FUNCTION ypSearch(const char *class_str, const char *func_str);
int     ypGetBootDevHdl(const char *serial);
s16     ypFindBootloaders(yStrRef *serials, u16 maxSerials);
int     ypGetFunctions(const char *class_str, YAPI_DEVICE devdesc, YAPI_FUNCTION prevfundesc,
                       YAPI_FUNCTION *buffer,int maxsize,int *neededsize);
int     ypGetFunctionInfo(YAPI_FUNCTION fundesc, char *serial, char *funcId, char *funcName, char *funcVal);

#ifdef  __cplusplus
}
#endif
#endif

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Green senior Tayte Carver was joined in celebration by his teammates after scoring his 1000th career point.
Trojans senior point guard Danny Lattimore finished Wednesday's win over Green with 14 points and 9 assists.
PORTSMOUTH – It wouldn't be a basketball season if the Portsmouth Trojans weren't playing a great brand of basketball in the early stages of the year.
That's exactly what they showed in a 78-46 win over a limited SOC and Scioto County foe Green on Wednesday on the opening night of the Buckeye Elite National Showcase held on the Trojans home court.
Yes, the Bobcats were with out two of their starters, Tanner Kimbler and Gage Sampson, but they were able to hang tight with the Trojans for a good portion of the first three quarters.
Ultimately, Portsmouth's athleticism and scoring led by junior guard Matthew Fraulini proved too much to handle in the Bobcats second game in as many days.
Both sides had a number of great looks on the offensive end in the first quarter, but the Trojans managed to edge out a 20-18 lead going into the second, one in which they wouldn't look back from.
A big reason Portsmouth had a 41-30 lead going into the second quarter was the play of Fraulini who had 15 at the break.
Green would do a better job in the second half defending Fraulini, limiting him to just 7 second half points, giving the junior guard a game high 22 points in his 2018-19 home opening game.
Another bright spot for the Trojans offensively was Danny Lattimore. The senior guard, who was also the starting quarterback for the Trojans football team, had 14 points and 9 assists in his first home game leading the offense from the starting role, something Collins was pleased to see from one of his senior leaders.
The other players who led the Trojans were senior Myquel McKinley who had the second highest number of points on his team with 16, as well as Myles Shipp who contributed 12 points from the inside.
With two starters out for the game, leading the Bobcats in scoring was Tayte Carver with 13 points and Caden Blizzard with 10 points.
Carver was sitting on 999 career points with his 9 points entering the halftime break. But with 5:56 left in the third quarter., Carver scored again to break the 1,000th point mark for his career, a moment in which the senior guard is likely to not soon forget.
The Trojans will prepare for a quick turnaround on Thursday when the will host Huntington St. Joe on Thursday in the lone Thursday game of the Buckeye Elite National Showcase on their home court.
The Bobcats will get ready for their home opener on Friday night after three straight road games against OVC opponents. Their home opener will be against the Clay Panthers as both teams will look to get a win in their opening game of their SOC I slate.


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Image Title: Duck Egg Green Corner Console Table Free Uk Shipping Vinterior Inside Decorations 11. Filename: duck-egg-green-corner-console-table-free-uk-shipping-vinterior-inside-decorations-11.jpg. Image Dimension: 900 x 600 pixels. Images Format: jpg/jpeg. Publisher/Author: divinodessert. Uploaded Date: Sunday - March 04th. 2018 16:41:21 PM. Category: Architecture. Image Source: hgtv.com.


text:
Jarryd Hayne charged with sexual assault
7:11 am on 20 November 2018
Australian rugby league player Jarryd Hayne has been charged with aggravated sexual assault by Australian police.
Fiji's Jarryd Hayne celebrates with fans after Fiji's win over the Kiwis Photo: Photosport
The 30-year-old is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in Hunter Valley, north of Sydney, on 30 September.
New South Wales Police said he has been bailed pending a court appearance in Burwood on 10 December.
Police said they launched an investigation after receiving reports a woman had been sexually assaulted by a man she met on social media.
The investigation is being led by detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad.
Hayne is currently a free agent having left the Parramatta Eels at the end of the season.
He helped the Eels reach the 2009 Grand Final, scoring 121 tries in 214 NRL games, and has twice won the Dally M Medal awarded to the NRL's player of the year.
Hayne has played 11 Tests for Australia, helping them to win the 2013 World Cup, but has also represented Fiji, where his father hails from.
He left the Eels to play American football in 2015 with the San Francisco 49ers but returned to Australia the following year.
-BBC
History favours Team NZ retaining America's Cup - sailing veteran
Winning Team UK boat broke rules
Pace trio to turn out in Super Smash
We have regular online commentary of local and international sport.
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text:
Sustain a Future
Is the green bond market taking off?
February 18, 2019 olgagalinLeave a comment
Green bonds seem to be all the rage these days. January 2019 saw a record number issued, yet again drawing investor attention to this niche but growing asset class. According to an SEB report, green bond issuance rose to US$ 17.2bn in January this year, a 17% YoY increase. From its inception in 2007, with the issuance of the first green bond by the European Investment Bank, this market has grown to a record annual issuance of US$ 183bn in 2018.
With the term green bond now cropping up on a regular basis, this post will explore what actually is a green bond and what are the qualification criteria. It will also consider the growth potential of this asset class.
The simplest definition of a green bond is a bond whose proceeds are used to finance projects with positive environmental or climate benefits. Most green bonds are classified as "use of proceeds" or asset-linked bonds. This means that while the proceeds of such bonds are earmarked for green project, the bonds are backed by the issuer's whole balance sheet. Green bonds have been issued by a whole range of players, from corporates to municipalities to supranational organisations. For example, 2019 has seen the telecoms industry entering the green bond market for the first time with issuances by both Telefonica (EUR 1bn) and Verizon (US$ 1bn).
With growing investor demand in green bonds, there is also a growing concern about greenwashing and the need for stricter standards, assurance and certification of genuine green bonds. The Climate Bonds Initiative, an international investor-focused not-for-profit, has established the Climate Bonds Standard and Certification Scheme, a FairTrade-like labelling scheme for bonds to enable investors to assess the green integrity of bonds. The Standard is backed by the Climate Bonds Standard Board of investor representatives which between them represent US$ 34tn of assets under management. The Standard consists of a certification process, pre-issuance requirements, post-issuance requirements and a number of sector-specific eligibility and guidance documents. Sector guidance is currently available for water infrastructure, solar, wind, low carbon buildings, geothermal energy, marine renewable energy and low carbon transport. Guidance for forestry, bioenergy and land use is awaiting final adoption by the board. However, although it is widely agreed that such objective standards are crucial to ensure the future growth and development of the green bond market, adhering to these standards imposes a high cost on issuers and may therefore hinder their entry onto the market.
These cost hurdles and the fact that the green bond market still represents only 2% of global fixed income issuance, leads some to question whether the green bond market will ever succeed in going mainstream. Indeed, it may be that the main role for the green bond market going forward is to encourage a higher level of transparency and ESG (environmental, social and governance) disclosure for all issued bonds. For example, a standard form ESG scorecard could be required for every bond issued, enabling investors to form a clearer idea about the ESG impact of their investment. A requirement to have such standardised ESG disclosures would have a profound effect on the way bond issuers address ESG issues, making them an integral part of the issuer's strategy.
From its humble beginnings a decade ago, the green bond market has grown into a established, albeit niche asset class. It is likely that annual issuances of green bonds will continue to grow as new issuers experiment with green bonds and unlock alternative sources of finance for environmentally green projects. However, it also seems likely that the green bond market will have an increasingly more powerful role to play in holding the mainstream bond market to account on ESG matters by encouraging stricter transparency and ESG disclosures. The green bond market may be small, but it sure is mighty.
Green bondClimate bond, Climate bond initiative, Climate bonds standard and certification scheme, Environmental, ESG, Governance, SEB, Social, Telefonica, Verizon
Put a price on it
August 13, 2018 olgagalin1 Comment
Having spent this summer interning at Equinor*, one of my key takeaways is about the importance of carbon pricing.
Prior to joining the Norwegian energy giant, carbon pricing was something I had only ever considered as part of my undergraduate economics degree. However, Equinor is a great example of how effective a carbon tax can be. In 2016, the company's upstream oil and gas portfolio had a carbon intensity (i.e. the amount of carbon emitted per barrel produced) of 10kg of CO₂ per barrel of oil equivalent, compared to an industry average of 17kg. Equinor is aiming to reduce this to 9kg by 2020 and 8kg by 2030. Both targets look within reach.
In large part, Equinor's high carbon efficiency is driven by the carbon tax that has been in place in Norway since 1991. According to the OECD's Effective Carbon Rates 2016 publication, in 2012, in Norway, 38% of carbon emissions are subject to a price at or above EUR 30 per tonne of CO₂, 81% are subject to a price at or above EUR 5 per tonne of CO₂ and only 19% of carbon emissions are subject to no price at all. This compares to only 10% of emissions across all other countries being subject to a price at or above EUR 30 per tonne, 30% of emissions being subject to a price at or above EUR 5 per tonne and a massive 60% of emissions not being subject to any price at all. The highest carbon tax in Norway is EUR 56.
So what does carbon pricing mean and how does it actually work? Putting a price on carbon means putting a cost on the emission of carbon dioxide (and other greenhouse gases). This internalises the otherwise external and unpaid for cost of emissions (such as the cost of climate change) and puts the responsibility back on the emitter to either reduce emissions or pay for the right to emit. A carbon price creates an economic signal for emitters and enables them to incorporate the price into their financial planning. It encourages them to improve efficiencies and pursue clean technology innovations as the lower their emissions are, the less they are required to pay. Hence, Equinor's low carbon intensity. It also informs investment decisions, promoting cleaner alternatives.
Carbon pricing can be introduced either in the form of a tax or an emissions trading system (ETS). A carbon tax puts a direct cost on each tonne of greenhouse gas emitted or on the carbon content of fossil fuels. This does not determine how much emissions will be reduced by, but it sets a firm price on carbon. An ETS caps the total permissible emissions within a given area. Low emitters are permitted to sell their carbon credits to higher emitters thereby establishing a market price for carbon. The cap ensures that overall emissions are reduced.
Carbon pricing initiatives are becoming more common and acceptable. In 2018, 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions are covered by carbon pricing initiatives, which have now increased to a total of 51 worldwide. These include:
The EU introduced the world's first international carbon trading system in 2005. It remains the world's biggest carbon market, but it has been plagued since inception by problems of credit over-supply and a poor pricing mechanism. Nevertheless, a post-2020 reform plan has been agreed pursuant to which the cap on aggregate emissions will be lowered at a faster pace. The market surplus is set to fall by more than 1 billion tonnes (more than 60%) between 2019-2023. The allowance price has responded by increasing from 4-5 EUR per tonne of CO2 in April 2017 to a 12-14 EUR per tonne range one year later.
Countries across Central and South America have embarked on introducing a variety of carbon pricing mechanisms. Argentina adopted a carbon tax of US$ 10 per tonne of CO2 in December 2017, which is expected to cover about 20% of the country's greenhouse gas emissions. Colombia has introduced a carbon tax on all liquid and gaseous fuels used for combustion. Revenues raised are being earmarked for the Colombia in Peace Fund to support ecosystem protection and coastal erosion management. Chile introduced a carbon tax in January 2017, which is intended to help the country meet its aim of cutting its greenhouse gas emissions by 20% below 2007 levels by 2020. In 2017, Mexico launched a year-long ETS simulation. On the back of this experience, it has now started a pilot ETS which is expected to be formally launched in 2022.
Countries in Asia are also looking into carbon pricing, most notably China, which launched a national ETS in December 2017. Once fully operational, this ETS is expected to be the largest in the world.
One notable exception to the general trend of adopting carbon pricing is the US. Last month, Carlos Curbelo, the Republican member of the House of Representatives proposed a bill to introduce a carbon tax of US$ 24 per tonne of CO2 to be levied on coal mines, refineries, gas processing plants and other industrial facilities. Revenues raised would be used to abolish a federal tax on petrol, invest in roads and bridges and smaller amounts would go towards grants for low-income families, flood protections and research into energy innovation. However, it looks very unlikely that Mr Curbelo's bill will ever be adopted in law as the same week the House passed a resolution arguing that "a carbon tax would be detrimental to American families and businesses, and is not in the best interest of the United States". Nevertheless, even if the US federal government does not seem in favour, individual states, including California, Washington and Massachusetts, have either introduced or scheduled the introduction of an ETS. This indicates that, just as the "We Are Still In" coalition in response to President's Trump decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, action at the sub-national level in the US may yet introduce countrywide carbon pricing through the back door.
The final piece of the puzzle is the private sector. In recent years, internal carbon pricing has emerged as an effective mechanism to help companies manage the risks and evaluate the opportunities of embarking on the transition to low carbon. In 2017, 1300 companies disclosed that they currently use an internal price of carbon or intend to do so within two years. This includes over 100 Fortune Global 500 companies with combined annual revenues of approximately US$ 7 trillion. Incidentally, Equinor applies a US$ 50 internal price of carbon outside of Norway.
Momentum towards the introduction of carbon pricing across the board is clearly building – economists, business and many governments agree that this is an elegant and effective way of reducing emissions and dealing with climate change. However, huge emitters in the Middle East, Russia and India remain outside the fold, together with, of course, the US government. This does not prevent business from leading the way by introducing internal carbon pricing and focussing on investments into cleaner, more efficient solutions, which in turn will make them more profitable in the long-run. Time to take the baton!
*Disclaimer: All views expressed in this blog post are my own and are not intended to reflect or represent the views of Equinor or any of its employees.
Climate Change, EnergyAmerica, Carbon, Carbon pricing, Carbon tax, Carlos Curbelo, Chile, China, Colombia, Colombia in Peace Fund, Equinor, ETS, Mexico, Norway, OECD, USA, We are still in
March 27, 2018 olgagalinLeave a comment
A lot it would seem, if you're a large oil and gas company repositioning yourself as a low-carbon committed energy company. So, on 15 March, Statoil announced that it would be changing its name to Equinor, a name that signals equality and a return to its Norwegian roots. The proposed name change is now subject to a shareholder vote at the company's AGM on 15 May but given the support of the Norwegian government, which is a majority shareholder, it is unlikely that there will be any dissent. The name change, which is rumoured to cost approximately US$32 million, will remove "oil" from the company's name and fits nicely with its low carbon strategy unveiled last year. Will the new name embolden the company to accelerate its transition to a sustainable energy mix ahead of its current 2030 milestone? Time will tell.
Statoil's name change comes after Orsted (previously Dong Energy) underwent a similar name transformation late last year. Orsted is a Danish energy company that started its existence with a heavy dependence on coal. It began its green transformation about a decade ago, phasing out coal consumption by 73% in 2017 and targeting a full withdrawal from coal by 2023. The company also divested all of its oil and gas assets in 2017 and is focussing on being a global leader in offshore wind. It currently holds a 25% market share in the industry, powering 9.5 million people. Its aim is to power 30 million people by 2025. The name Orsted is a homage to Hans Christian Orsted, a Danish scientist who discovered electromagnetism.
Full scale name changes are not the only ways the big oil and gas companies are trying to prove their commitment to the energy transition. Companies, such as Shell, are rebranding themselves as full service "energy" companies (not oil and gas companies). Indeed Shell is currently being pressed by an activist shareholder group to make a radical shift away from fossil fuels. This shareholder group, called Follow This, contends that Shell's current commitment to reduce its carbon footprint by 50% by 2050 is not sufficient to meet Paris Agreement thresholds. A similar resolution brought by Follow This last year was rejected by 94% of Shell's shareholders. However, with climate change, the Paris Agreement and global warming now regularly in the headlines, perhaps this year the resolution will find more traction, especially following this week's publication by Shell of the radical Sky Scenarios report. The report focusses on technically feasibly but challenging steps that need to be taken over the next 50 years to ensure the Paris Agreement targets are met. The seven key steps outlined in the report are:
"1. A change in consumer mindset means that people preferentially choose low-carbon, high-efficiency options to meet their energy service needs.
2. A step-change in the efficiency of energy use leads to gains above historical trends.
3. Carbon-pricing mechanisms are adopted by governments globally over the 2020s, leading to a meaningful cost of CO 2 embedded within consumer goods and services.
4. The rate of electrification of final energy more than triples, with global electricity generation reaching a level nearly five times today's level.
5. New energy sources grow up to fifty-fold, with primary energy from renewables eclipsing fossil fuels in the 2050s.
6. Some 10,000 large carbon capture and storage facilities are built, compared to fewer than 50 in operation in 2020.
7. Net-zero deforestation is achieved. In addition, an area the size of Brazil being reforested offers the possibility of limiting warming to 1.5°C, the ultimate ambition of the Paris Agreement."
Source: Sky Scenarios report, Shell
The increased activity among the large oil and gas companies to embrace transition is commendable. Whether they are doing this out of genuine concerns for the future of the planet or because investors are now rapidly starting to pull out of oil and gas stocks is debatable. Either way, though, provided the net effect is that we witness a sustainable realignment of the energy mix, all such news is good news.
Climate Change, EnergyDong Energy, Equinor, Follow This, Orsted, Paris Agreement, Paris Climate Change Agreement, Shell, Sky scenarios, Statoil, Sustain a Future, Wind power
Plastic un-fantastic
January 12, 2018 olgagalin1 Comment
So far in the UK, 2018 has been dominated by the topic of plastic.
In December 2017, China announced that it would cease importing most types of plastic waste for recycling, a move that has unnerved both the government and businesses in the UK. Previously, plastic was an "out of sight, out of mind" problem for the UK. But now with the Chinese ban in imports, the UK will have to address its plastic waste problem urgently as it currently does not have the means to recycle or deal with the amount of plastic waste it generates every year. According to Greenpeace, the UK has sent over 2.7 million tonnes of plastic waste to China and Hong Kong since 2012, amounting to 2/3 of the UK's total export of plastic waste.
In response to the ban, Theresa May, the UK Prime Minister, yesterday unveiled a 25 year environmental plan which aims to tackle the UK's plastic problem. The plan aims to eradicate all avoidable plastic waste in the UK by 2042. The key provisions are:
introduction of "plastic-free" aisles in supermarkets;
extension of 5p carrier bag charge to all retailers in England;
potential introduction of taxes on single-use, plastic takeaway containers;
establishment of government fund for plastics innovation; and
commitment to use UK aid to help developing nations tackle plastic waste and pollution.
Although the announcement was widely welcomed, environmental groups were not impressed that the promises are wooly and have no legal force. Many also baulked at the 25-year timeframe, criticising the lack of urgent action. There is the cynical view that the announcement was just a clever bit of electioneering to attract more young voters for whom the environment is an important issue. However, the plastic problem is a salient one and we can therefore only hope that each of these promises will be put into action sooner rather than later.
One positive piece of plastic-related news that has come out of the UK in the last few days is the coming into force of the plastic microbeads ban on 9 January. Initially the ban only covers manufacturing but as of July this year, it will also be extended to the sale of products with microbeads. Thousands of tonnes of plastic microbeads end up in the oceans each year, harming the flora and fauna and eventually ending up in the food that we eat. The UK is the first country to introduce a wholesale, robust ban and it is hoped that more will follow suit. Ireland is already looking to introduce its own ban in late 2018.
However, government "stick" is not the only way to achieve reductions in plastic waste. Companies should proactively review their plastic consumption and outputs and seek ways to improve efficiencies and reduce waste. For example, certain coffee shops in the UK already offer a 25p discount to people who bring in their own reusable coffee mugs or thermoses. However, this is poorly advertised. Starbucks is also planning to pilot a 5p surcharge on plastic cups in some London stores in February. These are positive steps forward. But are they enough?
Finally, on the back of the China ban, we may seem the emergence of a whole new local recycling industry. For example, Group Machiels, a waste management company, is planning to convert waste from landfill sites into energy and building materials using a technology called plasma. Eventually, the company aims to turn emptied landfill sites into local parks. Unfortunately, local support for such extensive landfill site excavations is currently low but this does sound like an innovative way to tackle one side of the problem.
One thing is for sure, plastic waste around the world is a catastrophic problem for our environment and ultimately for our health. The problem needs to be addressed both at source with a significant reduction in the generation of plastic products and through effective recycling of used plastics. The UK government's 25 year plan is a positive step in the right direction, but it needs to be accelerated. Businesses and consumer attitudes also need to change. Plastic reduction must start today.
Plastic pollutionChina, Environment, Environmental ban, Greenpeace, Group Machiels, Ireland, Plastic, Plastic microbeads ban, Pollution, Starbucks, Theresa May, UK
Sustain a Future's 2017 Review
December 29, 2017 December 29, 2017 olgagalinLeave a comment
2017 was a year when sustainability, climate change and emissions reductions came to the fore on both private and public agendas. And so as we tumble towards 2018, I would like to do a run-down of the year's developments that are helping to sustain a future.
One of the biggest developments early in 2017 was President Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement (see blog). However, this only served to galvanise worldwide support for the agreement and as of today, 172 out of 197 countries have ratified it. The President's actions also gave birth to the "We Are Still In" movement of over 2700 US companies, cities and states, together representing $6.2 trillion of the US economy, coming together to pledge allegiance to the Paris Agreement goals and ensure that America abides by its commitments, even when it withdraws from the agreement. The US withdrawal has also opened the door for Emmanuel Macron to become a leading voice in the fight against climate change, as evidenced at the One Planet Summit this December.
2017 also saw a reassessment of forecasts relating to electric vehicles. In a report published in July, Bloomberg New Energy Finance stated that it estimates that by 2040, 54% of new car sales and 33% of the global car fleet will be electric (see blog), a much more bullish forecast than it had issued just a year before. Added to this, a number of countries and car companies announced the ban or phase out of petrol-only vehicles. For example, Volvo announced that it would be going all-electric with every car in its range to have an electric train by 2019 and the UK and France announced a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2040.
Renewable power generation
Records were set in renewable energy generation in 2017. In the UK, low-carbon energy sources made up 52% of the energy mix throughout the year, making 2017 the "greenest" year on record for the UK. The country also succeeded in having a full 24 hours of coal-free power generation in May 2017 (see blog). Furthermore, in October 2017, wind power provided nearly a quarter of all energy generation in Europe as a whole. These records have been assisted by the continued falling costs of solar and wind power technology and renewed investment in renewable energy infrastructure. For example, earlier this year the world's first floating wind farm came into operation offshore Scotland, operated by Statoil.
On the business side, the RE100 group of companies committed to 100% renewable power (see blog) grew again this year to 116 members including Google, Apple, Unilever, Walmart, ABInv Bev…to name but a few! These huge, multinational companies have each set the goal of obtaining 100% of their electricity from renewable sources within the next decade or so. Traditional oil and gas companies have also embarked on the energy transition journey. Shell now commits $1 billion annually to investments in clean energy. BP is committed to a lower-carbon future with a move towards greater investments in gas and carbon capture and storage technology. Both companies are also members of the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (see blog), which includes the world's biggest oil and gas companies. These companies have committed US$1 billion of funding to be invested over the next decade in innovative technologies and start-ups which propose solutions to substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
2017 also witnessed the first UN Ocean Conference, which highlighted the plight of our oceans due to growing plastic pollution and climate change (see blog). The Ocean Conference raised $5.24 billion in commitments to protect the oceans and created a Call for Action which affirmed the signatories' "strong commitment to conserve and sustainably use our oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development". Greater awareness of the dangers of plastic pollution have also resulted in individual action to fight plastic pollution, including the Ocean Cleanup whose plastic waste collection system aims to remove half of plastic waste in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in five years; Adidas teaming up with Parley to develop trainers out of plastic and Plastic Odyssey which has developed a boat that can be powered by plastic.
A look to the future…
So what are the predictions for 2018? I think that the key themes will be:
a broader conversation about peak oil, but due to falling demand rather than supply;
the role of gas in the future energy mix;
the use of blockchain to facilitate peer to peer energy transactions;
the rise of electric vehicle alternatives, such as the hydrogen motor; and
more innovative uses of existing technologies – such as the solar panelled motorway in China that intends to charge cars as they drive using wireless technology.
It's been an eventful year and so for now, I wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year!
Climate Change, Electric cars, Energy, Oceans2017, 2018, Adidas, Apple, Blockchain, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, BNEF, BP, Climate Change, Donald Trump, Electricity, Emmanuel Macron, Energy, Environment, France, Gas, Google, OGCI, Oil and Gas Climate Initiative, Oil and gas companies, Paris Agreement, Paris Climate Change Agreement, Parley, Plastic Odyssey, Pollution, RE100, Renewable energy, Scotland, Shell, Solar power, Statoil, UK, UN Ocean Conference, Volvo, Wal-Mart, We are still in, Wind power
COP23 Roundup
November 20, 2017 November 20, 2017 olgagalinLeave a comment
Last week, the latest UN Climate Change Conference was held in Bonn, Germany. It was the first such conference to take place since the US's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and with Syria becoming a signatory during the conference, the US is now the only country in the world not to be a party to the agreement.
The conference again brought the topic of climate change to the centre of the international political arena and amid the general calls for action and greater urgency, concrete commitments were made. I will discuss some of the key take-aways here.
1. Launch of Powering Past Coal Alliance
The UK and Canada spearheaded the launch of a new initiative aimed at phasing out traditional coal power. Although there is no firm timeframe commitment, the alliance's declaration states that traditional coal power needs to be phased out by no later than 2030 in the OECD and EU28, and no later than 2050 in the rest of the world.
The alliance was joined by more than 20 entities including Denmark, Finland, Italy, New Zealand, Ethiopia, Mexico, the Marshall Islands and the US states of Washington and Oregon. Michael Bloomberg also pledged $50m to expanding his anti-coal US campaign to Europe.
However, notable abstainees from the pledge included the US, China, India and Germany.
2. Launch of Ocean Pathway Initiative
With Fiji holding the rotating presidency at COP23, it was expected that there would be an initiative focussing on the oceans and climate change. As a Pacific Small Island Developing State (SIDS), Fiji is particularly vulnerable to the destructive effects of climate change on the oceans, through rising sea levels to overheating.
The Ocean Pathway initiative has reaffirmed the Call for Action issued at the UN Ocean Conference earlier this year and seeks funding for ocean health and maintenance of ecosystems from UN climate change funding initiatives. The initiative has also launched the Oceans Pathway Partnership to link existing ocean activities and promote cooperation.
3. Financing climate action
During the conference, a number of significant funding commitments were announced, including:
Adaptation Fund: This fund, established under the Kyoto Protocol, finances projects and programmes that help vulnerable communities in developing countries adapt to climate change. To date, it has committed US$462 million in 73 countries. This year, it was officially committed to serve under the Paris Agreement framework and country contributions have exceeds the 2017 target with contributions of EUR 50 million from Germany and EUR 7 million from Italy.
Norway and Unilever fund: US$400 million fund established for public and private investment in more resilient socioeconomic development. The fund will invest in business models that combine investments in high productivity agriculture, smallholder inclusion and forest protection.
Amazon rainforest fund: Germany and the UK have committed US$ 153 million to fight climate change and deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.
Initiative 20×20 investment: World Resources Institute announced a US$ 2.1 billion investment to restore degraded lands in Latin America and the Caribbean.
4. Launch of Below50 Initiative
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) launched the below50 initiative, initially in North America, South America and Australia, to create greater demand and more markets for sustainable fuels, i.e. fuels that produce at least 50% less CO2 emissions than conventional fossil fuels. The initiative aims to bring together the entire value-chain for sustainable fuels and scale up their deployment.
Finally, despite US' withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, Michael Bloomberg's "We're Still In" coalition of US cities, states and companies, was out in force at COP23, showing the world that large parts of America are still fully committed to the targets set out in the Paris Agreement.
And as the conference delegates begin to reflect on the week's achievements, the biggest hope is that the commitments are kept and promises are delivered. With record levels of funding now being directed towards tackling climate change, there really is no excuse not to act.
Climate Change, OceansAdaptation Fund, Call for Action, Climate Change, COP23, Energy, Environment, Fiji, Germany, Initiative 20x20, Italy, Michael Bloomberg, Norway, Ocean Pathways, Powering Past Coal Alliance, UK, UNFCCC, Unilever, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, United States, We are still in
Coming off the grid
October 11, 2017 olgagalinLeave a comment
This year, we have watched in utter horror as hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Jose and Maria thrashed the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico and the southern United States. This hurricane season has had the highest number of storms since 2010 and the most accumulated cyclone energy since 2005. Damage from the hurricanes is now estimated to stand at US$186.7 billion!
But amid all of this destruction, flickers of hope emerge…
Late last week we learnt that Elon Musk, of Tesla, has been in conversation with the governor of Puerto Rico offering for Tesla to rebuild the island's power grid with batteries and solar power. For Tesla, in addition to coming to the aid of an island in dire need of assistance, this provides a perfect platform to demonstrate its technological prowess.
The technology Tesla plans to use has already been deployed on a number of other smaller islands and according to Musk, there are no scalability issues. For example, the island of Ta'u in American Samoa is powered by a solar grid which can store enough electricity to power the entire island for three days without sun.
A Tesla-built Puerto Rico grid sounds like a brilliant option for the island and, with a promised 100 day turnaround, it couldn't come quickly enough!
The rise of local renewable mini-grids or standalone grids has been a growing trend since 2016, spurred by falling solar technology costs, technological advances in battery storage capacity and the continued spread of innovative customer payment solutions. Standalone grids provide much-needed electrification to areas that are poorly accessible or that are far from established electric grid infrastructure. According to the IEA World Economic Outlook 2016, there are 1.185 billion people without access to electricity in the developing world, the majority of them in Africa. Mini-grids and standalone grids would be an energy efficient and affordable (from the consumer perspective) solution to this problem.
However, as with any disruptive technology, in order to scale up, it requires a regulatory regime that is fit for purpose and funding. Most regulatory regimes do not cater for the off-grid market and so it continues to operate in somewhat of a grey area. A more encompassing regulatory regime would pave the way for more market entrants. On the funding side, there have been some breakthroughs. Indeed, just yesterday M-Kopa Solar, a leader in the pay-as-you-go energy provision market, announced that it had secured commercial debt funding of US$80 million, proving that the off-grid electricity market can be financial viable. However, such announcements remain an exception, rather than the norm.
Perhaps Tesla's involvement will spark a renewed interest in the off-grid market and will encourage greater investment…here's hoping!
EnergyBattery, Caribbean, Electricity, Elon Musk, Energy, Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Jose, Hurricane Maria, IEA, M-Kopa Solar, Mini-grid, Off-grid, Puerto Rico, Renewable energy, Solar power, Tesla, United States, World Economic Outlook 2016
ChangeNOW!
September 30, 2017 September 30, 2017 olgagalinLeave a comment
This weekend your blogger went along to the inaugural ChangeNow! conference in Paris. The conference describes itself as one of the first international events on the topic of "innovations for good". It focussed on the UN Sustainability Goals in the fields of energy, circular economy, healthcare, education, sustainable cities and tech for good.
A couple of key take-aways from the conference:
On the topic of energy, we heard from a variety of speakers, including Jerome Schmitt, Senior VP Innovation and Energy Efficiency at TOTAL Gas and Power, Dr Michael Dorsey, full member at the Club of Rome, global energy expert and co-founder and principal at Around the Corner Capital, and energy industry disruptors Meteoswift, Echy and Zephyr Solar. A number of key themes emerged.
Firstly, Jerome Schmitt discussed the important role that traditional oil and gas companies should play in the energy transition. He acknowledged that companies such as TOTAL are not safe from renewable energy and clean tech distruptors. However, the cost and technology race in solar and wind power over the last few years has actually resulted in many start-up renewable energy companies going bankrupt. Schmitt believes that oil and gas companies should partner with renewable energy companies and provide the necessary funding to enable them to scale-up. For example, since 2011, TOTAL has owned a majority stake in Sunpower, a solar energy company.
Secondly, both Jerome Schmitt and Michael Dorsey discussed the trend of decentralisation in the energy supply industry with the rise of microgrids and the use of blockchain technology to permit peer-to-peer energy supply. However, Dr Dorsey contended that large utility companies may drag down such innovative progress by preventing third parties from supplying existing grids or by lobbying governments to introduce restrictive regulations.
Thirdly, one other way that the energy industry may evolve is through the development of innovative non-electricity reliant solutions. For example, Echy has developed technology to harness sunlight to light-up buildings with natural daylight. The technology results in electricity savings of approximately 68% as Echy lighting does not use electricity. Many of the speakers predicted that more and more such non-electricity reliant solutions will come to the fore in the next 5-10 years.
Tech for good
The theme of tech for good was prevalent throughout the entire conference. Ynse de Boer, Managing Director at Accenture, delivered the introductory talk on this topic.
De Boer proposed four ways to ensure that technology is used as a force for good. Firstly, companies using technological solutions must ensure that their customers are protected, supported and educated about how their data and information are used. Secondly, businesses and governments need to anticipate that the jobs of the future will not be the same as the jobs of today but instead of using technology to eradicate jobs, it should be used to complement them, improving productivity. Thirdly, technology should be directed towards delivering innovative products and services and used to solve largescale social issues. Finally, technology should be used to create transparent and inclusive value chains, facilitated through the use of mobile and digital technology.
According to de Boer, governments, business and not-for-profit organisations all need to work together to ensure that technology is used efficiently and always as a force for good.
Cleaning the oceans
The session on ocean clean-up introduced three different companies that are working on cleaning up our oceans – TheSeaCleaners, Adidas and Plastic Odyssey.
TheSeaCleaners work on removing rubbish from seas, harbours and oceans. Since 2002, their team has removed over 5.1 million litres of rubbish and they are continuing to gain momentum.
Adidas has recently teamed up with Parley to develop a range of trainers made from discarded plastic. According to Adidas, each pair of these trainers prevents approximately 11 plastic bottles from entering the oceans.
Finally, Plastic Odyssey are working to create innovative, small scale, local solutions to plastic waste. They are developing a boat that will spend three years travelling between Africa, Asia and South America, fuelled exclusively by plastic collected from the oceans and converted into fuel. The boat will stop off at numerous locations to work with local communities to understand their recycling needs and develop unique solutions.
The conference also included sessions on the future of agriculture, healthcare and the creation of sustainable cities.
It was heartening to see such enthusiasm and creative buzz for positive impact projects and issues. Governments and business can no longer ignore the need for purposeful investment and regulatory structures that are favourable to the social entrepreneur. The trend has started and it won't be long before it really takes off! Are you ready?
Climate Change, Energy, OceansAccenture, Adidas, ChangeNOW2017, Club of Rome, Echy, Energy, Environment, Jerome Schmitt, Meteoswift, Michael Dorsey, Oceans, Parley, Plastic Odyssey, Postive impact, Social entrepreneur, Sunpower, Sustainable Development Goals, Tech for good, TheSeaCleaners, Total, Total Gas and Power, Ynse de Boer, Zephyr Solar
Clean Britannia
July 26, 2017 olgagalinLeave a comment
It's been a busy week for the British clean energy industry.
On Monday, the business secretary, Greg Clark, announced the launch of phase one of a £246 million four-year Government investment in revolutionising the UK energy grid through the development and improvement of battery technology and storage. Phase one includes the creation of a £45 million "Battery Institute" competition to establish a centre for research into making battery technology more affordable and accessible. One of the longterm goals is the creation of giant battery facilities around the National Grid which would store excess wind and solar energy to be deployed at times of peak energy demand.
The investment, known as the "Faraday Challenge", is part of the Government's Industrial Strategy. It is split into three streams of research, innovation and scale-up and is being seen as a "game-changer" for the UK, enabling the UK to be a world leader in clean energy and transportation.
Responding to the announcement, Professor Philip Nelson, Chief Executive of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), said: "Batteries will form a cornerstone of a low carbon economy, whether in cars, aircraft, consumer electronics, district or grid storage. To deliver the UK's low carbon economy we must consolidate and grow our capabilities in novel battery technology."
Another aspect of the announcement is the introduction of new rules over the next year to enable households with solar panels to generate and store their own electricity with the help of new battery technology and to sell this electricity back to the National Grid. The rules would move away from the traditional tariff model which solar panel owners currently have to pay to import electricity from or export electricity to the National Grid. The new rules would also reduce energy costs for people and businesses that agree to use less electricity during peak times. Overall, the intention is to provide for greater flexibility in the electricity system. The Government and Energy regulator Ofgem estimate that consumers could save between £17 billion and £40 billion by 2050.
These developments will be facilitated by the roll-out of smart meters and the development and installation of smart gadgets and appliances, enabling a washing machine to be turned on by the internet during a period of high energy supply or a freezer being turned off for a few minutes to regulate demand. Tech companies, such as Google and Amazon, are already eyeing up opportunities in this new market to act as energy suppliers on the back of Ofgem agreeing to relax licencing and data sharing rules. This would give such companies direct control over appliances in a customer's home, which has raised some serious concerns over privacy and security.
In other developments, earlier this week, the world's first floating wind farm began trials off the coast of Scotland. Using revolutionary technology, this trial if successful, would enable wind energy to be generated in waters that are too deep for bottom-standing turbines, opening a new frontier for wind energy. Although currently much more expensive that traditional wind turbines, producers are hopeful that the cost of floating turbines will fall, just as it has for traditional turbines.
Finally, the UK has made a bold announcement to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2040, following on from a similar announcement made by France earlier this month. Perhaps somewhat fortuitously, this announcement was followed by BMW announcing that it would start developing a fully electric Mini car at its plant in Oxford, UK.
After years of ignoring clean energy and environmental issues, it looks like the UK Government is finally starting to sit up and take notice. This week's developments are an excellent step forward. However, much more investment and innovation is still needed for the UK to meet its 2030 Agenda commitments.
Electric cars, EnergyAmazon, Battery Institute, BMW, Electric cars, Faraday Challenge, Floating wind farm, Google, Industrial Strategy, Mini, National Grid, Ofgem, Oxford, Scotland, Smart meters, Solar power, Wind power, Wind turbine
G20 2017 Climate and Energy Action Plan
July 17, 2017 July 17, 2017 olgagalinLeave a comment
Among the many topics discussed at this year's G20 Summit, was climate and energy. The summit culminated in the issue of a joint declaration summarising the agreements reached and the plans adopted by the G20 leaders. With respect to climate and energy, the declaration was decidedly split between the "G19" and the US, acknowledging the US' desire to pull out of the Paris Agreement and its continued support for the use of fossil fuels, albeit "more cleanly and efficiently".
As part of the summit, the G20 leaders also adopted the G20 Hamburg Climate and Energy Action Plan for Growth. The Action Plan identifies six key areas of development, which include developing strategies for long-term low greenhouse gas emissions; creating a reliable and secure framework for the transition of the energy sector, which involves the promotion of energy efficiency and the scaling up of renewable and other sustainable sources of energy; realising access to modern and sustainable energy services for all; and aligning finance flows.
Although only the last-mentioned area of development specifically refers to finance, a recurring theme throughout the whole Action Plan is the need to secure more private and public investment. And this seems to be one of the biggest hurdles to meeting the Paris Agreement targets and to transitioning to clean energy.
The Action Plan identifies that significant levels of investment, both private and public, will be required to modernise infrastructure in line with the Action Plan's goals and to continue the scaling up of renewable and sustainable energy. In addition to achieving climate and energy goals, such investment is likely to also generate local growth, employment and help with poverty eradication. Addressing several Sustainable Development Goals at the same time!
The Action Plan specifically notes the role played to date by Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) in mobilising "climate finance" and calls on them to further enhance their involvement. In 2015, the following MDBs, the African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank Group, issued a joint statement at COP21 committing to work together to "substantially increase climate investments from public and private sectors to support". This existing commitment is applauded but the Action Plan further encourages the MDBs to cooperate and coordinate efforts to finance ambitious energy and climate adaptation and mitigation projects and new technologies, and to identify how the private finance sector can assist with meeting the 2030 Agenda objectives and the Paris Agreement goals.
The investment question has also be considered in detail in the UN Green Finance Report published on 14 July 2017 by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The report identifies that the G20 in particular has made significant progress in mobilising private and public capital for climate and clean energy developments and initiatives. An example, is the recent joint commitment by eleven global banks to develop tools for assessing climate-related financial risks and opportunities; and to make more disclosures in relation to climate investments, making the sector more transparent. The banks are ANZ, Barclays, Bradesco, Citi, Itaú, National Australia Bank, Royal Bank of Canada, Santander, Standard Chartered, TD Bank Group, and UBS.
Commenting on the new Green Finance Report, the Executive Director of UNEP, Erik Solheim said: "This new research […] shows encouraging progress in this regard. From a record number of new green finance measures to ambitious plans for green finance hubs, we are seeing the smart money move to green financing." He further added: "The challenge now is to rapidly increase capital flows to investments that will support our sustainable development objectives and create commercially viable green businesses for decades to come."
The challenge has been set and the rewards are great economically, environmentally and socially. So let's hope the investment starts to flow in the right direction!
Climate Change, EnergyAfrican Development Bank, ANZ, Asian Development Bank, Barclays, Bradesco, Citi, COP21, Energy efficiency, Environment, Erik Solheim, European Bank of Reconstruction and Development, European Investment Bank, G20, G20 Hamburg Climate and Energy Action Plan for Growth, G20 Summit, GHGs, Green finance, Greenhouse gas emissions, Hamburg, Inter-American Development Bank, Itau, MDB, Multilateral Development Bank, National Australia Bank, Paris Agreement, Renewable energy, Royal Bank of Canada, Santander, Standard Chartered, TD Bank Group, UBS, UN Green Finance Report, UNEP, United Nations Environment Programme, World Bank Group
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I took the package from here and slid the lid off. The hollow eyes of a mask stared back at me, its mouth curved in a fixed smile. I took it out carefully, barely allowing myself to touch the cold porcelain. It felt delicate and light, like it would shatter if I breathed too heavily.
"Here, let me help you put it on." My mother smiled, revealing the dimple on her left cheek, and tied the ribbons that bound the mask to my head. I lowered my hands slowly, half expecting the mask to fall to the floor. It stayed, though it felt heavier on my face than it had in my hands.
"My nose itches." I reached for the ribbons, trying to untie the knots.
"What was that? Oh, darling, don't take it off yet." She clasped my hand and gently pulled me along as she walked.
"But my nose itches," I protested louder.
The next day I sat in my seat at the front of the school room. I did my best to ignore the pointing, giggles, and whispers that erupted around me. They all kept whispering until the teacher arrived.
"Nem can!" called someone behind me. The rest of the class giggled.
"It's thirty-four and one quarter," I replied.
"Nem, wait to be called on before you speak," she admonished.
"That's what I got!" called out Samson.
"But you just said to wait to be called on," I mumbled.
When our teacher dismissed us at the end of the day, we all rushed out. I quickly unknotted the ribbons on my mask and took it off to enjoy the cool evening air on my face. Everyone else had raced home by then, so I walked back slowly by myself.
I tried not wearing it the next day, but my teacher didn't let me. At least the whispers died off over the next few days. I kept walking by myself, though; no one wanted to wait for me to take off the mask before we left. I couldn't run with them because if I fell and broke the mask my parents wouldn't be happy. So they went without me.
One evening I came back to hear voices in the house. I stepped through the door, hung my mask on its hook, and walked toward the sound. As I got closer I recognized the voices of my parents, then of our neighbors – Rose's parents. I saw them as I rounded the corner, but they hadn't noticed me yet.
"There are days when I wonder why we do," chuckled my father.
I slunk outside and hid in the middle of the abandoned field. I cried, tears trapped behind my mask. Hands trembling, I slowly took off the mask and dried it with my shirt. In the moonlight, it reminded me of a skull.
After I calmed down I walked slowly and carefully out of the field, but ended up on the far side. I had never been to the far side, and why should I? There was supposed to be nothing here. But instead, I saw a simple grave marker, cold stone almost black in the moonlight. I hesitated, then walked toward it. There was no name, no carvings, nothing to honor the person buried here. But next to it was a small, white shard. I picked it up: it was a single scrap of porcelain. It looked like it might be from the forehead of a mask, but if so, the mask had been even smaller than mine.
I ran home and hid under my bed. My stomach growled, but I didn't come out until morning. I waited until I heard my mother leave for market.
That night I slipped into the storeroom with my bag and stuffed it with food. I took my father's spare waterskin to fill at the well. Then I slipped out the door, my mask leering at me from its hook on the wall. I hated to leave it, but smashing it would make too much noise.
I began my march to the next village under the cover of a cloudy night. I had never been that far from home, but I had heard it was a two days journey. I could get more food and move on to the next village before anyone found me. If anyone bothered to search, that is. But I knew I had to keep moving.
I limped into the next village three days later with no food and an empty waterskin. I told everyone I was on a journey to visit my nonexistent uncle the next town over, so they let me restock in exchange for helping the baker with chores. I left the next day for the next town. So it went for a long time. Eventually I established myself as a merchant of sorts, bringing goods from one town to another, but never staying too long, and never really fitting in anywhere.
I only went back to my village years and years later. I bring myself to go into town, but I did stop to pay my respects at the unmarked grave. This time, though, there was a second grave. Atop it laid my old mask, grinning back at me.
I left again, but this time I never looked back.


text:
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/The-secret-underground-Fremont-s-Mission-Creek-2765066.php
The secret underground / Fremont's Mission Creek rehabbed to near-natural status
Rick DelVecchio, Chronicle Staff Writer
Published 4:00 am PDT, Friday, April 23, 2004
ebmissioncreek_002_jlt.jpg While some eucalyptus remain, 100 were removed to open up the creekbed. Here, schoolchildren (top) stroll along the new pathway where historic Mission Creek in Fremont, CA has been given a 1/2 mile facelift by scientists and schoolkids. Banks have been cleared of brush, dangerously undercut banks have been restored, and new plantings put in place. CHRONICLE PHOTO BY JERRY TELFER Event on 3/30/04 in Fremont. Jerry Telfer / The Chronicle less
ebmissioncreek_002_jlt.jpg While some eucalyptus remain, 100 were removed to open up the creekbed. Here, schoolchildren (top) stroll along the new pathway where historic Mission Creek in Fremont, CA has been ... more
Photo: Jerry Telfer
Water. Under its browning hills and suburban pavements, Fremont bubbles with water. Few know the story as well as Joyce Blueford, who has just helped bring a creek back to life.
Blueford's creek is Mission Creek. It rises from a spring on Mount Allison, meanders through the Mission San Jose district and feeds Lake Elizabeth in Central Park. Flowing year-round, it signifies the role water has played in every phase of the natural and human history of the southeastern slopes of the East Bay.
Water is the unbroken link from the giant animals of the Ice Age, which left one of the richest fossil beds in California in the gravel beds under what is now Interstate 680, to the Ohlone, the Spanish, the Mexicans, the farms and towns that followed the Gold Rush, and finally the urban consumers who rely on dams hidden in the hills.
Blueford has played a part in restoring just a small piece of what once was a network of a dozen creeks flowing from Mission Peak toward the bay. The healed portion of Mission Creek runs only a half-mile -- from Driscoll Boulevard to Palm Avenue behind Hopkins Middle School and Mission San Jose High School.
But for Blueford, a sedimentary geologist and science educator, the microcosm opens up large possibilities for residents to experience the environment as it was before development transformed it by covering it up, cutting it into pieces, diverting it into channels and sometimes just blocking it behind fences.
"Our bureaucracy doesn't make us see how important water is -- they kind of hide it," Blueford said.
Looking at a map or taking a drive around Fremont, it takes some effort to find nature's pulse under the suburban flatness. What trails, streams and wetlands exist tend to be sliced by the city's grid. This is by design, for taming streams to make it safe for people to build houses has been part of the reality of Fremont since the city was incorporated. Fremont was to be the ultimate planned city.
"There was a gigantic flood in the '50s, just before incorporation," said Bob Wieckowski, board chairman at the Tri-City Ecology Center, an environmental group in southern Alameda County. "Huge floods -- Mission Creek overflowed, Alameda Creek overflowed, Coyote Creek. Eisenhower was president. The Army Corps of Engineers had lots of money.
"How are we going to solve this problem? Cement it -- cement everything. "
The restored portion of Mission Creek puts the riparian environment in full view for the first time since the creek system was turned into a ditch system.
On Saturday, the groups involved in the restoration will celebrate the project with an open house. Exhibits on the path along the creek will tell the story of the cleanup and the creek's rebounding ecosystem. The restoration was a joint effort by Blueford's group, the nonprofit Math/Science Nucleus, along with the Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, the City of Fremont, the Union Sanitary District, the Fremont Unified School District, Tri-City Ecology and the Mission San Jose High Green Club.
The project cost $1.4 million. The state Department of Water Resources provided the funding, along with the city and the flood-control and sanitary districts.
Fremont is a city of more than 200,000 with a strong stance toward economic development. Blueford sees the project as a demonstration of residents' growing sensitivity toward the environment.
"I think a lot of people are getting sick of this pro-growth, pro-growth, " she said. "There's no place else to grow."
Wieckowski said he hopes the project will inspire a push to restore creeks throughout the city. He said the city government could take the next step by identifying sites for trails and wetlands rehabilitation, then taking their ideas to the county agencies that control the creek system.
"Fremont's done a wonderful job protecting the hills," he said. "I want to take our waterways and make them a vibrant part of our city."
The main task of the restoration was to realign the stream from a flood- control channel to a natural meander. Decades of heavy rains had gouged the bed. Plus, a sewage pipeline was dangerously exposed, and a 10-foot waterfall created a hazard for kids playing in the creek.
Animal, bird and insect life couldn't get a foothold because the stream lacked protected pools. Eucalyptus trees introduced by pioneers hogged space that normally would be filled with native trees like oaks and sycamores.
Engineers slowed the stream by creating terraces and protected the banks by placing logs made of coconut-husk fibers and root structures of previously cut trees.
Of the 160 eucalyptus trees in the stream, 60 were removed, and the clearing created a flood plain terrace, which today blooms with newly seeded native flowers like lupine, clover and California poppy. Native trees and shrubs had been planted in the new meadow, which in time will resemble the familiar multistoried environment of any unmolested stream in the Bay Area: oaks above, willows below.
The restoration site ends at Palm Avenue, where access to the stream is blocked by a fence. The fence keeps hikers and bikers away from the backyards of pricey neighborhood homes. Dominated by oaks, the stream bed beyond the fence looks unchanged by development. Parts of the environment are much older than the homes surrounding it: one oak is 300 years old, predating the founding of Mission San Jose upstream by about 100 years.
Blueford compared the oak-shaded spot to the restoration area. "This is what this looked like in the '50s," she said as she looked through the fence. "They wiped out the oaks -- ridiculous."
By rights, the 100 remaining eucalyptus should have been taken out to make way for more native species. They not only crowd out native plants but also drive them away with chemicals they emit. But some remain as a concession to a people-engineered environment. The tall trees provide a screen for nearby homes. They also serve as roosts for some 200 turkey vultures, which have been displaced from upstream areas by development in the hills.
"We as a group decided that eucalyptus aren't bad, especially when we learned that turkey vultures didn't have a place to go," Blueford said. "We felt we owed it to them."
Other forms of wildlife are discovering the stream. "We counted 10 nesting pairs of mallards," Blueford said.
The creek itself is reasonably healthy, according to a chemical analysis by members of the Mission San Jose High Green Club. It appears to be in condition for a full restoration in 10 to 15 years, when the native trees are re-established.
"Hopefully, we'll get back to the natural, native environment," said Norman Howell, the club's adviser.
A page on Blueford's Web site -- www.msnucleus.org/watersheds/index.html -- tells the story of the restoration and details the watershed's geology and natural history. The site features lesson plans designed for students in first and second grades. It describes every animal, plant and microorganism found in the creek.
The site includes an animated story, "Through a Frog's Eyes," written by Mission San Jose High students April Yang and Frances Kwong. The story imagines the restoration as told by an amphibian named Little Pacifica Frog.
Little Pacifica questions her grandma on how the creek was changed so that it was no longer the healthiest place for animals.
The grandma explains as human figures stride across green lawns:
"Many suns ago, there appeared some colorful giants. They built homes and grew orchards. They didn't think about the creek critters and what we needed to survive. Many creek critters left for wetter areas.
"The giants' selfish use of the water and paving of the ground with concrete and asphalt caused erosion."
People came to Mission Creek long before there were freeways and subdivisions. They came for the same reason animals did: it was a choice spot.
For the Ohlone, the creek was a waterway from the bay to their village in the foothills, called Oroysom. It was also a place to hunt and drink.
In 1776, Anza, the explorer of Alta California, camped nearby at what is now Alameda Creek and noted its deep pools and groves of sycamores, cottonwoods and oaks. About 20 years later, Spanish explorers looking for a place for a new mission noted the "perennial stream through the land" and were impressed that the Ohlone had built a reservoir.
In 1797, the Spanish built their mission, one of the richest in the chain. Free-flowing streams watered their livestock and supported crops and orchards. Warm water came from nearby Warm Springs, a source that seismic action later squeezed dry.
After America's military defeat of Mexico and the Gold Rush, the pioneers moved in, among them explorer John C. Fremont.
The Mission San Jose Water Co. began selling water to Oakland and San Francisco in 1878. Juan Gallegos built a huge winery, using the water to irrigate miles of vines. Railroad tycoon Leland Stanford had a fancy home with mud baths.
The pioneers built towns and farms to grow food for San Francisco. The valley was much like the Salinas Valley is today, but only one produce farm remains in Fremont.
In the history of Fremont, rocks and water go together. As a geologist and a science teacher, Blueford can tell both sides of the story.
In the Pleistocene era, 1.3 million years ago, water that seeped from the twisted layers of sandstone forming the hills supported an Africa-like ecosystem dominated by large vertebrates, such as horses, sloths, camels, sabertooth cats, wolves and a four-pronged antelope. There were fowl, a musk ox-like animal, a giant mouse and a 14-foot-tall bear named after Fremont's Irvington district. Fossils have been found as young as 11,500 years old.
From 1944 to the 1950s, paleontologists removed more than 150,000 pieces from the fossil beds known as the Irvington Gravels. The state later built I- 680 over the gravel pit that yielded the fossils, a quarter-mile south of the intersection of Osgood Road and Washington Boulevard. The occasional fossil fragment gets loosened by floods.
"No doubt, there are washings that come down from the creeks," said Phil E. Gordon, a retired teacher and son of the late paleontologist Wesley Gordon. "I have heard rumors that there are some pieces of bone that somehow end up in science classrooms."
He said 54 animals were described in the Irvington beds. The theory is that the heart of the environment was a river that flowed from where Hollister is today and emptied into the ocean near the Farallones. The bay was a plain and the Golden Gate a canyon.
"That river came through and had some extensive backwashes where floating dead animals would get caught in slower water," Gordon said.
Geological changes gradually pushed the river north and the giant mammals could no longer survive in the East Bay.
The Mission Creek restoration celebration is 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday at Mission Creek trail between Palm Avenue and Driscoll Boulevard. (510) 790- 6284; www.msnuceus.org.
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