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Read Wild: Cli-fi, How Books Can Start Conversations and Inspire Action
April 25, 2019 by Karen Jensen, TLT 2 Comments
According to a recent NPR/Ipsos poll, more than 80% of parents want climate change taught in schools. And that statistic is pretty solid regardless of political affiliation, with 66% of Republicans and 90% of Democrats agreeing that climate change should be taught. Sounds great, right? The problem is that the same poll also revealed that while teachers are very supportive of teaching climate change, more than half of those surveyed are not teaching it and almost 2/3rds said that's because it's outside of their subject area.
What's the answer to this conundrum? Stories, of course! In 2015, Ed Maibach, director of George Mason's Center for Climate Change Communication, said at a White House meeting on climate change that "Numbers numb, stories sell. We don't deal well with numbers — it tends to suspend our sense of emotion — but we respond very, very well to stories."
Cli-fi, or climate fiction, has been around for ages, though the term entered popular use in the 21st century. It's defined as a fictional story that includes the effects of climate change. These stories might explore things like natural disasters, global warming, water shortages, natural resource access, fossil fuels, loss of species, or anything else related to our changing planet. Adult fiction is full of cli-fi, including The Overstory, this year's winner of the Pulitzer Prize. Luckily, children's and YA literature are also confronting climate change head-on through cli-fi. Sharing cli-fi books with teens is a great way to engage students in one of the biggest issues of their (and our) lifetime.
I've been using cli-fi books in one of the literature circle units I run in my 9th grade English class and they always inspire passionate conversations. In addition, they often inspire students to get involved by writing letters to the editor, joining our school's Roots & Shoots club, and even in pursuing sustainability majors in college.
Reading a cli-fi book is one of the #readwild challenges I'm asking readers to engage in this year, so I've rounded up a few of my recent favorites below.
Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman: Before reading Dry you need to understand that it is absolutely terrifying. Set in a very near-future, Dry is the story of a group of teens caught in the middle when California's drought escalates from inconvenient to life and death. Quiet suburbs are suddenly warzones, neighbors are stealing from neighbors, and families have turned against each other. Neal and Jarrod Shusterman have crafted a terrifying story that made me have to stop reading at points. This is great to pair with news articles about Flint and the drought history in California.
The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline: Dimaline's book is set in a near future after the world has been ravaged by climate change. Climate change has led to people losing the ability to dream, so people are descending into madness. However, North America's Indigenous people can still dream. Unfortunately, their bone marrow holds the cure for the rest of the world. With terrifying parallels to how Indigenous people were and are treated, The Marrow Thieves has been very popular with my teen readers. It pairs well with history classes and current events.
The Beast of Cretacea by Todd Strasser: Part Moby Dick and part cli-fi, The Beast of Cretacea is the story of a group ofteens sent to other planets to harvest resources and bring them back to Earth. Earth has been completely ravaged, so Ishmael is one of the teens sent into space. However, he isn't just there to enjoy the clean air and cool weather; Ishmael risks his life to help his foster parents escape from the crumbling planet Earth. Pair it with Moby Dick to talk about environmental justice
These are just a few of the YA cli-fi books out there. Check out this great list Natalie Korsavidis posted on TeenLibrarianToolbox in 2017 for even more ideas. And don't forget to share your progress on the #readwild reading challenge on social media!
Additional Resource:
Teaching Climate Change to Adolescents: Reading, Writing, and Making a Difference (published by the National Council of Teachers of English) is a fantastic resource for those looking for more ways to talk about climate change outside of science class.
Meet Sarah Mulhern Gross
I am a National Board Certified teacher who teaches ninth-grade and twelfth-grade English at High Technology High School in Lincroft, New Jersey. I am a contributor to the New York Times Learning Network and my writing has appeared in Scientific American, Edutopia, ASCD, and The Washington Post's Answer Sheet. In 2017 I completed my Master's degree in teaching biology with Project Dragonfly at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio with a focus on defeating nature-deficit disorder in adolescents through interdisciplinary work.
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Filed Under: Read Wild Tagged With: Cherie Dimaline, Climate Change, Dry, Neal Shusterman, The Beast of Cretacea, The Marrow Thieves, Todd Strasser
Read Wild: Nature Deficit Disorder and its implications for teens
April 22, 2019 by Karen Jensen, TLT 1 Comment
Today is Earth Day and we're kicking it off here at TLT by introducing you to Sarah Mulhern Gross and her new regular feature, #ReadWild. We're going to be having an ongoing discussion about connecting teens with nature, discussing issues like climate change, and sharing titles that help you do both. In this post, we're also introducing you to our #ReadWild Reading Challenge and giving you some background information on Nature Deficit Disorder.
American students are stressed. Since 2013, teens have reported feeling more stress than adults, according to the American Psychological Association. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 3.1 million American teenagers (between 12 -17) had at least one major depressive episode in the last year. Constant access to technology, with its notifications and messages, often brings more stress. A 2013 study conducted by Karla Klein Murdock of Washington and Lee University found that text messages and social media messaging left college students vulnerable to interpersonal stress, leading to sleep problems and lower levels of emotional well-being. Yet our schools have added computers in every class, adopted "bring your own device" policies, and cut gym classes and recess in favor of trying to raise test scores. Most of my high school students tell me they spend little to no time outside on a daily basis.
Nature-deficit disorder is a term used to describe the loss that children and teens experience when they are not given opportunities to have direct contact with nature. Journalist and author Richard Louv coined the term when researchers began to realize the impact that nature had on children's health and ability to learn. Students who do not spend time outdoors engaging in exploration and play often feel disconnected from nature and environmental issues as adults. Without that connection to nature there may be no conservationists in the future.
Being outside has important benefits for kids and teens. According to the Children & Nature Network, increased time outside has public health benefits. Time outside has been found to improve children's sleep, boost performance in school and enhance creativity, and increase focus and engagement. And the effects of nature are long-term: childhood nature exposure can help predict adult mental well-being. When my own students spend time outside during field studies or on nature walks they report feeling less stressed. Florence Williams' book The Nature Fix highlights the fact that as few as 15 minutes in the woods has been shown to reduce levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. When nature exposure is increased to 45 minutes there is an increase in cognitive ability.
Research shows that formative experiences in nature during childhood and adolescence are the most important source of environmental appreciation later in life; adults who are active in conservation often cite childhood experiences with the natural world as one of their most critical inspirations. Yet our schools are designed in a manner that denies students the opportunity to observe the world around them. In a time when the environment is under attack from our own government officials, we need to make sure the next generation will value the world around them.
How can we help kids and teens connect more with nature? Through books, of course!
Over the course of the next year, I will be sharing books that can inspire readers to get outdoors. In order to help you get more out of your reading experience (personally and professionally!), I've designed the #readwild reading challenge. I challenge you to build a wider repertoire of nature books and get outside more, too! Beginning this week, I'll share books and activities that you can do with the teens in your life. Happy Earth Day and Happy Reading!
Share your favorite nature reads with us on social media using the hashtag #readwild!
I am a National Board Certified teacher who team-teaches an integrated humanities, science, and technology program to ninth grade students at High Technology High School in Lincroft, New Jersey. I am a regular contributor to the New York Times Learning Network and my writing has appeared in Scientific American, Edutopia, ASCD, and The Washington Post's Answer Sheet. I also help teach a middle school science enrichment program through the STARS Challenge program at Monmouth University and I serve as a board member for the curiousYoungwriters blog, which provides a platform for publishing student writing that describes a nontraditional animal model in biomed research.
TheReadingZone Blog
wilddelight blog– Focused on integrating science and English class
Filed Under: Earth Day Tagged With: Climate Change, Nature Deficit Disorder, Read Wild
#ReadForChange: Reading into Hurricane Season with Joanne O'Sullivan's Between Two Skies
July 19, 2018 by Amanda MacGregor Leave a Comment
Teen Librarian Toolbox is excited to be partnering with Marie Marquardt for her #ReadForChange project. Hop on over to this post to learn more about the initiative. Today, she and Joanne O'Sullivan join us for a conversation about Hurricane Katrina, climate change, taking action, and O'Sullivan's 2017 book Between Two Skies.
Before Hurricane Katrina, I always felt like I could come back home. And home was a real place, and also it had this mythical weight for me. Because of the way that Hurricane Katrina ripped everything away, it cast that idea in doubt.
Jesmyn Ward, author
Leaving Home, Leaving the Lost Bayou
As we near the one-year anniversary of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, we still occasionally see news headlines about the slow pace of recovery, particularly in Puerto Rico. We are reminded that many communities still need our support, and many of us heed the call by donating to great programs like the Hispanic Federation's UNIDOS or traveling to support recovering communities.
But, unless we are among those directly affected, we have a hard time grasping the profound upheaval that hurricanes cause in the lives of so many. We don't think much about the slow process of building new lives, new communities – especially for those who no longer have a place to call home. I adore Joanne O'Sullivan's 2017 historical YA novel, Between Two Skies, because it brings us intimately into the story of one family that lost everything it knew as home, and then struggled to build a new life together.
As Hurricane Katrina's waters rose to cover her family's coastal Louisiana fishing village, Evangeline (a "white, mostly" girl, with deep roots in the Bayou) watched from a south-Georgia hotel room, where she expected to wait for a few days, until the storm passed. Needless to say, the storm did pass, but the waters didn't recede. With her town of Bayou Perdu submerged underwater, Evangeline and her family soon found themselves living as "hurricane refugees" in landlocked Atlanta, trying to adjust to a new school and new home, where the calls of birds on the Bayou have been replaced with the whoosh of cars on the interstate.
Evangeline is a wonderful protagonist. She is impossible not to love from the first moment we meet her, days before Katrina hits. Evangeline is "about to make history" for wearing jeans, white rubber boots, and not "an ounce of hairspray or a drop of makeup" as she prepares to be crowned Bayou Perdu's 2005 Shrimp Queen.
While developing a beautiful sense of place and a wonderful, memorable cast of characters, Between Two Skies also dives deep into the disorientation of exile. Through Evangeline, readers experience the anxiety of separation, the loss of close friendships, and the profound longing for those smells, tastes, rhythms and sounds of home. The story also explores so many subtle new things that come in the wake of loss: a new gender dynamic in the family, as her mother sets off to office work while her dad struggles to find meaningful employment; a new awareness of social class, as her older sister, a prom-queen-bound cheerleader in Bayou Perdu, comes to terms with her much lower status in their wealthy suburban Atlanta school; and, for Evangeline, a beautiful aching new love. She finds this love with Tru, A Vietnamese-American boy who also spends time in Atlanta as an exile from the storm.
For fans of poetry, there's an added bonus: the story in some ways parallels that of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's epic poem entitled Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie. Evangeline's story in Between Two Skies echoes the heartache, searching, and exile of the poem, while also building a gentle, often innocent, and ultimately hopeful story.
"I wrote Between Two Skies to bear witness": A Conversation with Joanne O'Sullivan
MARIE: Tell us about the moment when you knew that this story had to be written, and that you needed to be the one to write it.
JOANNE: I spent a lot of time after Hurricane Katrina reading narratives from people both in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast and their stories resonated deeply with me in part because of my own experiences in that part of the world. Although Hurricane Katrina took place in 2005, it was in 2010 after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill off the coast of Louisiana that made me turn my attention to the long-term impacts of both climate change and environmental justice in natural and man-made disasters.
The same people who had been displaced and lost their livelihoods during Katrina were once again hit with a devastating blow. A way of life based on deep reverence for nature and community is coming to an end and in a way, I wrote BETWEEN TWO SKIES to bear witness to it.
Coastal communities are the canary in the coalmine for the effects of climate change and rising sea level. People who already live on the margins are often pushed into poverty as a result of natural disasters. While recovering from the many losses that can come with a natural disaster is difficult for everyone, it's much more difficult for those who don't have the resources to bounce back.
In the days and weeks following a disaster, there's a lot of attention. But it quickly fades. My story looks at what happens next. Sadly, there are a lot of parallels between what happened after Katrina and what's currently happening in Puerto Rico and coastal Texas after last fall's disasters.
MARIE: What are some of the things you're doing to create the world that you want future generations to live in?
JOANNE: I volunteer for educational, environmental and other causes in my community. I support the work of organizations that are doing good work by helping them raise awareness and giving my time and money. I write and call my elected officials at all levels to urge them to put people before politics. And I vote, every time.
Our family is focused on lowering our consumption, not just of energy, but also of consumer goods. It may sound basic, but we don't eat meat at home. The amount of energy that goes into producing meat (and the waste produced from it) is really staggering. If everyone cut back just a little, the impact on the environment would be significant.
MARIE: What's your message for readers wanting to take action on climate change?
JOANNE: If you feel passionately about an issue, engage with it in real life, not just online: you'll meet other people who are doing important work and you'll demonstrate your commitment. It may sound simple, but showing up is one of the most valuable things you can do. It's easier than ever to find opportunities to volunteer: places like Idealist and Meetup.com post notices of volunteer opportunities.
Take your showing up to the next level: protest, demonstrate, and go to your local city council meetings or state legislature. Organize at your own school. Don't wait for leadership to present itself: take the lead yourself.
Ready to Learn More? Read On!
In our interview, Joann told me about Terrestrial, a great podcast for "staying informed on environmental issues." She also recommended two podcasts that we featured in our April issue, when we interviewed Jodi Lynn Anderson (I've already listened to a few episodes of these, and I'll tell you they keep coming up for a reason! They're that good.):
No Place Like Home: This is a great, conversational podcast covering different angles of climate change and culture, and offering examples of people taking positive, achievable steps to create a better future.
Warm Regards: This one has some fascinating stuff untangling how climate change has become so political.
And here's one more excellent recommendation from Joanne: "The Vanishing Island, a short (9 minute) documentary by Emmanuel Vaughn-Lee is a really powerful look at how climate change threatens vulnerable communities. I would encourage anyone with an interest in climate change to watch it to understand the real on-the-ground affects being felt in Southern Louisiana."
Ready to take action? "Take your showing up to the next level!"
Here are a few of Joanne's recommendations for action:
Earth Guardians is a great organization for young people who want to engage on environmental issues and climate change. There are Earth Guardian 'crews' all over the US and the world (or you can start one in your area).
350.org is a global group working on climate justice. You can check the website for a group near you and also start your own group. 350 holds frequent 'actions' on climate issues
Youth Build gives low-income young people construction skills and involves them in building affordable housing and other community assets, such as community centers and schools.
I encourage young people in the US to consider joining Americorps or Americorps VISTA for a year of service. There are so many projects available and it's a great way to really have an impact in a community.
"Don't Wait… Take the Lead Yourself."
I'm especially grateful to Joanne for reminding me, in our interview, of the importance of engaging in real life. There is much great awareness-building happening in online communities, but getting on the ground and being face-to-face with the issues and those who are affected by them still remains, in my opinion, the best way to build strong and vibrant communities, and to make lasting and significant change in the world.
Thank you, Joanne, for this reminder!
This Hurricane Season, #ReadForChange with Between Two Skies!
Can't wait to get your hands on BETWEEN TWO SKIES? It just might be your lucky day! Here's a link to the giveaway. We'll be announcing the winner on Twitter @MarieFMarquardt and Instagram marie_marquardt August 1!
Meet Marie Marquardt
Women's March, January 21, 2017
Marie Marquardt is the author of three YA novels: The Radius of Us, Dream Things True, and Flight Season. A Scholar-in-Residence at Emory University's Candler School of Theology, Marie also has published several articles and co-authored two non-fiction books about Latin American immigration to the U.S. South. She is chair of El Refugio, a non-profit that serves detained immigrants and their families. She lives with her spouse, four kids, a dog and a bearded dragon in the book-lover's mecca of Decatur, Georgia.
Filed Under: Guest Post Tagged With: #ReadForChange, Activism, Climate Change, Environmentalism, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricanes
#ReadForChange: Jodi Lynn Anderson's Midnight at the Electric and climate change, a guest post by Marie Marquardt
April 20, 2018 by Amanda MacGregor Leave a Comment
Teen Librarian Toolbox is excited to be partnering with Marie Marquardt for her #ReadForChange project. Hop on over to this post to learn more about the initiative. Today, she and Jodi Lynn Anderson join us for a conversation about climate change and Anderson's new novel, Midnight at the Electric.
We stand now where two roads diverge. But unlike the roads in Robert Frost's familiar poem, they are not equally fair. The road we have long been traveling is deceptively easy, a smooth superhighway on which we progress with great speed, but at its end lies disaster. The other fork of the road – the one less traveled by – offers our last, our only chance to reach a destination that assures the preservation of the earth.
Rachael Carson, Silent Spring, 1962
A Smooth Superhighway that Ends in Disaster?
Jodi Lynn Anderson's Midnight at the Electric begins with Adri, one of the story's three teenage protagonists, climbing into her self-driving car and speeding north on a superhighway away, from Miami and toward Kansas. The year is 2065 and Miami has been submerged in seawater. Leaving her devastated city behind, Adri sets out for a brief stint in Kansas, where she will train to be a "colonist" before heading off to Mars.
In the hands of a less innovative author, this might be the setup for a futuristic science fiction novel that takes the reader to an imagined place far away from this planet. In the hands of Jodi Lynn Anderson, Adri's escape from Miami sets up something entirely different. We might call it a love story to the planet earth, and to the relationships that we build on its particular landscapes.
Adri arrives in Kansas to live with a distant relative, the fabulous, flaky 107-year-old Lily, and Lily's ancient Galapagos tortoise. When Adri sanctimoniously announces that Galapagos tortoises are endangered, and thus it's illegal to have them as pets, Lily replies with her mischievous humor, "We should have her arrested." Lily inherited the tortoise – she came along with the property. As Adri learns more about the history of this ancient creature, she begins to uncover the two stories that weave together with Adri's to form Midnight at the Electric.
The first story is Catherine's. Her diary entries bring readers into the devastation of living in Oklahoma's dust bowl in the mid 1930s. Catherine's sister is being slowly suffocated by dust in her lungs, and the farm they live on can no longer sustain the family. When a traveling show called the Electric comes through Catherine's town, she's lured into the promises made by its creator: "It is a time of upheaval and uncertainty. The world is changing beneath our feet. Death is around every corner. Fear and despair lurk in every house…. But it is possible to outrun it, to outstrip it, to outsmart it."
Like Catherine, the story's third protagonist, Lenore, lives in a world transfixed by the power of human technologies. Lenore, a young woman living in England at the end of World War I, grieves the death of her brother, a fallen British soldier, as everyone around her seems bent on hailing technologies of war and "progress" and celebrating the bravery of the dead and wounded men. In her wonderfully irreverent tone, Lenore writes to her friend Beth of her village: "If you toss a pebble in Forest Row, you're going to hit a one-armed boy." Through her letters to Beth, Lenore tells a beautiful and morally complicated story of her friendship with James, a man whose face is so disfigured that most instinctively turn away.
This week, I heard a disturbing report about mounting evidence that the U.S. federal government is systematically removing, in scientific studies, any reference to human causes of climate change (you can listen here). This, of course, followed weeks of reporting about Facebook, and the unintended (I hope!) consequences that this technology has had on our political systems and our networks of relationship. I think our natural instinct, when faced with these stories, is either denial or guilt. Both are counterproductive and crippling. Midnight at the Electric, by framing these issues both in real history and in imagined future, offers us a way to enter more productively into discussion of humans' influence on climate change, and of how technology inevitably changes the ways we relate to each other.
Lenore and Catherine give readers a chance to live in times that, like ours, were so enamored with technologies of "progress" that it was almost impossible to imagine the negative effects they would have on our planet and on our relationships (until it was too late). Adri discovers, through the course of this story, that she doesn't want to leave the earth and the loving relationship she has formed on it. But will she have to?
I guess that depends on us.
"Leveraging what you're good at and what you love to do": A Conversation with Jodi Lynn Anderson
JODI: My son had recently been born and I was feeling a bit delirious and dreamy. I wanted to write about climate change but what was really digging into my imagination was the Dust Bowl. I kept picturing this girl standing in a decimated yard in Kansas, but I didn't know what to say about her, and it was only when I started to nestle the two ideas together that the book flamed to life in this magical way. The more I wrote, the more I recognized the parallels between the Dust Bowl and our current climate crisis– the same upheaval, the same denial and anger, the same fear. And I saw these women navigating it — I just fell in love with writing that story.
JODI: I try to write about our capacity for doing harm without meaning to, that's a big thing for me as a writer. I try to be a good listener and to call myself out and put my ego aside as much as I can — I feel like defensiveness and not wanting to admit what we're doing wrong is at the root of so much terrible stuff. I try to trust that just because I don't see an obvious result, it doesn't mean my efforts – volunteering or donating or marching or calling whatever — aren't feeding a current that points the right way.
JODI: I think focusing locally can be rewarding in that often you get to see results. Local groups need so many divergent things that I think you can offer the best of who you already are. So maybe that means you pick a few things that are draining, like phone calls or whatever, but you find a group where you can spend the rest of your energy leveraging what you're good at and what you love to do. I guess I'd say also, the big thing I always struggle with is not to turn away because what you're doing feels so tiny. I think we can't lose faith because what we do doesn't make some obvious splash.
"Feeding a current that points in the right way"
Ready to learn more? Jodi recommends that a great starting place is Grist – a nonprofit environmental news outlet with this fabulous tagline: "A planet that doesn't burn, a future that doesn't suck."
Here's a link to two podcasts that Jodi loves:
Jody also recommends From the Ashes, a documentary about the coal industry that she describes as "beautifully empathetic and smart."
"We can't lose faith because what we do doesn't make some obvious splash"
Ready to take action? Here's Jodi's description of a few movements and organizations that really excite her:
"350.org uses all sorts tools and pressure points to shift our fossil fuel economy to renewable energy."
"Earthjustice focuses on our legal rights to sensible legislation on climate, working legal channels to combat political inaction."
"The Poor People's Campaign is something intriguing and inspiring I learned about a few months ago – it addresses the intersection of poverty, racism, and environmental devastation through the idea of a moral movement."
"I get excited to hear about faith-based climate action groups. Young Evangelicals for Climate Action, NC Interfaith Power & Light, and Wisconsin Green Muslims are a few examples. Also, state action initiatives seem really powerful to me. In North Carolina we have NC Warn, among others."
"The book flamed to life in this magical way"
I'm so grateful to Jodi for writing this beautiful and stirring story. Reading it also felt magical, and it sparked my memories, emotions, and passions for change in ways I hadn't expected.
In our interview, Jodi also brought up the importance of working for change by using our own gifts and doing the things that we love. Other authors I've interviewed for the feature have talked about this too. I think it's so important to celebrate that working for change doesn't mean doing something grueling or miserable – it means embracing our gifts and finding ways to do the things we love as a way to become change agents. This takes creativity and vision, and that's all a part of the fun.
Thank you, Jodi, for this reminder!
Midnight at the Electric is sure to ignite your passion to #ReadForChange!
Can't wait to get your hands on MIDNIGHT AT THE ELECTRIC? It just might be your lucky day! Here's a link to the giveaway. U.S. only! We'll be announcing the winner on Twitter @MarieFMarquardt and Instagram marie_marquardt May 1!
Marie Marquardt is the author of three YA novels: The Radius of Us, Dream Things True, and Flight Season (available 2/20/18). A Scholar-in-Residence at Emory University's Candler School of Theology, Marie also has published several articles and co-authored two non-fiction books about Latin American immigration to the U.S. South. She is chair of El Refugio, a non-profit that serves detained immigrants and their families. She lives with her spouse, four kids, a dog and a bearded dragon in the book-lover's mecca of Decatur, Georgia.
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: #ReadForChange, Activism, Climate Change, Interviews
Book Review: The Final Six by Alexandra Monir
March 27, 2018 by Karen Jensen, TLT Leave a Comment
Publisher's Book Description:
When Leo, an Italian championship swimmer, and Naomi, a science genius from California, are two of the twenty-four teens drafted into the International Space Training Camp, their lives are forever altered. After erratic climate change has made Earth a dangerous place to live, the fate of the population rests on the shoulders of the final six who will be scouting a new planet. Intense training, global scrutiny, and cutthroat opponents are only a few of the hurdles the contestants must endure in this competition.
For Leo, the prospect of traveling to Europa—Jupiter's moon—to help resettle humankind is just the sense of purpose he's been yearning for since losing his entire family in the flooding of Rome. Naomi, after learning of a similar space mission that mysteriously failed, suspects the ISTC isn't being up front with them about what's at risk.
As the race to the final six advances, the tests get more challenging—even deadly. With pressure mounting, Naomi finds an unexpected friend in Leo, and the two grow closer with each mind-boggling experience they encounter. But it's only when the finalists become fewer and their destinies grow nearer that the two can fathom the full weight of everything at stake: the world, the stars, and their lives.
Karen's Thoughts:
I have a tendency to be drawn to big issue books that make a powerful statement. My reviews often contain the words powerful, necessary, impactful, etc. But the truth is, I DO like to read fun books just for the fun of it. And some of my favorite ones involve outer space or the prospect of outer space.
The Final Six is a mixture of Space Camp + Climate Change + Political Thriller. This is a pretty thrilling combination if you ask me.
It begins by establishing that the world is on the brink of imminent destruction from climate change. The crisis feels real and far too close to home. So a group of teens are selected to compete in a training and they will be whittled down to "the final six", the six teens that will be sent with some A.I. technology into space to help terraform and colonize a planet to save the human race. So there's a little bit of reality show competition thrown in here as well.
While in training, Naomi first sets out to jeopardize the mission because she does not want to leave her brother. But she soon begins to suspect that they are not being told the truth about the mission, their future, and a past failed mission. So Naomi, a wicked smart scientist and excellent hacker, begins to investigate, with the help of Leo, who very much wants this mission to take place because he feels he has nothing else to live for. I very much loved reading about this strong, confident and remarkably intelligent young woman and her relationship with both her family and the developing relationship with Leo.
There is intrigue and backstabbing and romance, everything you want in a good book. I found it very enjoyable and didn't want to put it down.
I will say, the only unbelievable part to me is that in the back of my head I kept thinking: there is no way that any adults would be willing to send teenagers alone on a space mission to do this and there is no way they could realistically train in such a short amount of time, but I also kept being willing and able to suspend that disbelief because I was enjoying the read. At the end of the book some of the teens, and I'm not going to spoil which ones, take off for space and I am looking forward to the next installment to find out what happens.
I highly recommend this book.
For more Climate Change Fiction (Cli-Fi), check out:
What is CliFi? An Earth Day Primer
YA/Teen | Eco-Fiction
For More Books that involve space travel, and I'm excited to see this theme re-surging in YA this year, check these titles out:
We Love These 6 YA Books Set in Outer Space
Our Most Anticipated Science Fiction Novels of 2018
Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: Cli Fi, Climate Change, Maker Spaces, Space, The Final Six, YA Fiction, YA Literature
#SJYALit Booklist: Environmental Dystopia, aka Cli-Fi
June 14, 2017 by Karen Jensen, TLT 1 Comment
Cli-Fi is fiction that deals with the topic of climate change. Climate change is an important political and social justice issue as it affects everything from health to food and water resources See, for example, this discussion: The Next Frontier of Climate Change: Climate & Social Justice. Natalie Korsavidis joins us today to share this book list of environmental dystopians as part of the #SJYALit Discussion. You can find out more about the #SJYALIt Discussion here.
Augarde, Steve. X Isle. David Fickling, 2010.
Baz and Ray, survivors of an apocalyptic flood, win places on X-Isle, an island where life is rumored to be better than on the devastated mainland, but they find the island to be a violent place ruled by religious fanatic Preacher John, and they decide they must come up with a weapon to protect themselves from impending danger.
Bacigalupi, Paolo. Ship Breaker. Little, Brown, 2010.
In a futuristic world, teenaged Nailer scavenges copper wiring from grounded oil tankers for a living, but when he finds a beached clipper ship with a girl in the wreckage, he has to decide if he should strip the ship for its wealth or rescue the girl.
Bell, Hilari. Trickster's Girl. Houghton Mifflin, 2011.
In the year 2098, America isn't so different from the USA of today. The night Kelsa buries her father, a boy appears. He claims magic is responsible for the health of Earth, but human damage disrupts its flow. The planet is dying. Kelsa has the power to reverse the damage, but first she must accept that magic exists and see beyond her own pain in order to heal the planet.
Bertagna, Julie. Exodus. Macmillan, 2008.
In the year 2100, as the island of Wing is about to be covered by water, fifteen-year-old Mara discovers the existence of New World sky cities that are safe from the storms and rising waters, and convinces her people to travel to one of these cities in order to save themselves.
Crossan, Sarah. Breathe. Greenwillow Books, 2012.
In a barren land, a shimmering glass dome houses the survivors of the Switch, the period when oxygen levels plunged and the green world withered. A state lottery meant a lucky few won safety, while the rest suffocated in the thin air. And now Alina, Quinn, and Bea–an unlikely trio, each with their own agendas, their own longings and fears–walk straight into the heart of danger. With two days' worth of oxygen in their tanks, they leave the dome. What will happen on the third day?
De la Cruz, Melissa. Frozen*. G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2013.
More than a century after a catastrophic disaster wiped out most of humanity and covered much of the earth with ice, fifteen-year-old Cass yields to the voice in her head urging her to embark on a dangerous journey across a poisoned sea to the mythical land, Blue.
Emerson, Kevin. The Lost Code*. Katherine Tegen Books, 2012.
In a world ravaged by global warming, teenage Owen Parker discovers that he may be the descendant of a highly advanced, ancient race, with whose knowledge he may be able to save the earth from self-destruction.
Falkner, Brian. The Tomorrow Code. Random House, 2008.
Two New Zealand teenagers receive a desperate SOS from their future selves and set out on a quest to stop an impending ecological disaster that could mean the end of humanity.
Friesen, Jonathan. Aquifer. Blink, 2013.
In 2250, water is scarce and controlled by tyrants, but when sixteen-year-old Luca descends to the domain of the Water Rats, he meets one who captures his heart and leads him to secrets about a vast conspiracy, and about himself.
Grant, Sara. Dark Parties. Little, Brown, 2011.
Sixteen-year-old Neva, born and raised under the electrified Protectosphere that was built when civilization collapsed in violent warfare, puts her friends, family, and life at risk when she tries to find out if their world is built on a complex series of lies and deceptions.
Helvig, Kristi. Burn Out. EgmonstUSA, 2014.
In the future, when the Earth is no longer easily habitable, seventeen-year-old Tora Reynolds, a girl in hiding, struggles to protect weapons developed by her father that could lead to disaster should they fall into the wrong hands.
Howard, Chris. Rootless. Scholastic, 2012.
Seventeen-year-old Banyan is a tree builder. Using scrap metal and salvaged junk, he creates forests for rich patrons who seek a reprieve from the desolate landscape. Although Banyan's never seen a real tree, his father used to tell him stories about the Old World. But that was before his father was taken. Everything changes when Banyan meets a woman with a strange tattoo; a clue to the whereabouts of the last living trees on earth, and he sets off across a wasteland from which few return.
Lloyd. Saci. The Carbon Diaries 2015*. Holiday House, 2009.
In 2015, when England becomes the first nation to introduce carbon dioxide rationing in a drastic bid to combat climate change, sixteen-year-old Laura documents the first year of rationing as her family spirals out of control.
Lyga, Barry. After the Red Rain. Little, Brown, 2015.
In the far-off future, humankind has so ravaged the planet that plants and other life forms are nearly extinct. While a corrupt government exercises control over its remaining citizens, a strange boy named Rose turns up in 16-year-old Deedra's home territory and inspires a quiet uprising that has her questioning everything, from the machines she builds at her factory job to the news provided via "wikinet" feed.
McGann, Oisin. Daylight Runner. Eos, 2008.
Outside the huge domed city, an Ice Age has transformed Earth into an Arctic desert. But inside, the Machine, protected by the Clockworkers—a fearsome police organization—has become the source of the city's energy and a way for industrial leaders to wield enormous power. When a rogue organization begins posting messages warning of the Machine's impending failure, civil unrest grows.
McGinnes, Mindy. Not a Drop to Drink. Katherine Tegen Books, 2013.
In the not-too-distant future, water has become scarce. Lynn and her mother are good shots, picking off stray travelers who are tempted by their pond. After her mother is killed by coyotes, Lynn tries to be self-reliant, but she knows that in time the men from a nearby settlement will attempt to seize her land. When her taciturn neighbor Stebbs offers help, she slowly opens herself to his friendship, and her lifelong solitude is further fractured when she meets a family that is trying to survive on the banks of a nearby stream.
McNaughton, Janet. The Secret Under My Skin. Eos, 2005.
In the year 2368, humans exist under dire environmental conditions and one young woman, rescued from a workcamp and chosen for a special duty, uses her love of learning to discover the truth about the planet's future and her own dark past.
Moyer, Jenny. Flashfall. Henry Holt and Company, 2016.
In a world shattered by radiation fallout, teenaged Orion and her climbing partner Dram, in exchange for freedom, mine terrifying tunnels for a precious element that keeps humans safe from radiation poisoning, but disturbing revelations force Orion to question everything she knows.
Mullin, Mike. Ashfall. Tanglewood, 2011.
After the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano destroys his city and its surroundings, fifteen-year-old Alex must journey from Cedar Falls, Iowa, to Illinois to find his parents and sister, trying to survive in a transformed landscape and a new society in which all the old rules of living have vanished.
Pfeffer, Susan Beth. Life as We Knew It*. Harcourt, 2006.
Through journal entries sixteen-year-old Miranda describes her family's struggle to survive after a meteor hits the moon, causing worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.
Weyn, Suzanne. Empty. Scholastic Press, 2010.
When, just ten years in the future, oil supplies run out and global warming leads to devastating storms, senior high school classmates Tom, Niki, Gwen, Hector, and Brock realize that the world as they know it is ending and lead the way to a more environmentally-friendly society.
If you have titles you would like to add to our list, please add them in the comments.
Christie Gibrich previously put together THIS list of climate change dystopias.
And I put together THIS collection of Earth Day activities, inspired in part by 47 Things You Can Do for the Environment published by Zest Books. Earth Day is coming, a great time to introduce your patrons to CliFi.
Social Justice and Climate Change
Meet Natalie Korsavidis
Natalie Korsavidis is the Head of Young Adult at the Farmingdale Public Library. She received her MLS at CW Post University. She is currently President of the Young Adult Services Division of the Nassau County Library Association. She has spoken at New York Comic Con and the Long Island Pop Culture Convention.
Filed Under: #SJYALit, Book Lists, Dystopian Tagged With: Climate Change, Environment


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After Her Accusations, the Media Are All Over the Place
CNN Pundit Used Phrase 'River to the Sea.' Now He's Canned
Marc Lamont Hill's contract nixed after controversial comments at the UN
By Jenn Gidman, Newser Staff
127 comments Comments
This Jan. 17, 2001, file photo shows pedestrians entering CNN's headquarters in downtown Atlanta. (AP Photo/Ric Feld,File)
(Newser) – A pundit who appears regularly on CNN made remarks at the United Nations Wednesday that apparently caused him to lose his gig at the network. "Marc Lamont Hill is no longer under contract with CNN," was the curt notice from a CNN rep to Mediaite, which first reported the news. What seems to be the reasoning behind his ejection: In his UN speech, Hill implored nations around the globe to boycott Israel and called for a "free Palestine from the river to the sea." It's that phrase specifically that's receiving the most backlash from pro-Israel groups (including the Anti-Defamation League), as it's been appropriated by Hamas and other anti-Israel groups and is widely thought to refer to erasing Israel and establishing a Palestine that reaches from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, Politico notes.
In a series of tweets Thursday, Hill insisted, "I do not support anti-Semitism, killing Jewish people, or any of the other things attributed to my speech. I have spent my life fighting these things." He said his goal is to "support Palestinian freedom" and "Palestinian self-determination" and that he's simply "deeply critical of Israeli policy and practice." He also said the phrase "river to the sea" has a "variety of meanings" and "precedes Hamas by more than 50 years." Per Al Jazeera, many pro-Palestinian activists, journalists, and politicians are calling Hill's firing a "kowtowing to right-wing Israeli groups." A petition started by Intercept journalist Ryan Grim, calling for CNN to rehire Hill and offer an apology "to the world," had more than 4,700 signatures as of Friday morning. (The DOE takes a new look at an Israeli-Palestinian battle at Rutgers.)
Next on Newser: Service Started at This Church 5 Weeks Ago. It's Still Going On
Showing 3 of 127 comments
G Tune
Israel should just go a head and take the Golan Heights and the Gaza Strip.
Kenja
Nov 30, 2018 7:19 PM CST
As they should have done as soon as he made such a ridiculous comment.
spudsy
Good thing that Newser didn't bother to include a pic of the guy. That might have approached actual journalism.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A southside woman has vowed never to shop in her local Lidl store ever again after claiming the company ignored her concerns on safety.
Mary Hatch was visiting the Lidl store on Victoria Road and upon leaving found her exit was blocked by several pallets scattered on the ground as a lorry unloaded a delivery.
The lorry refused to move, and Mrs Hatch was forced to try and execute a three-point-turn in a narrow space.
As she executed this manouevre, her attention was diverted by a pedestrian crossing in front of her, and at the same time she heard a bang.
It wasn't until she got home when she realised there was a large crack in her back window, which she claims could only have been caused by something sticking out of the lorry.
The company agreed to investigate her complaint, but declined to accept liability and refused to provide a copy of the risk assessment for unloading deliveries.
Mrs Hatch then complained to Glasgow City Council who have now confirmed in writing that the company have 'inadequate control of hazards relating to deliveries'.
They said they are now working with the company over the issues Mrs Hatch raised, but would not rule out future enforcement action if Lidl's proposals are not satisfactory to the council.


A new generation of street food lovers is encouraging budding chefs and fooopreneursto venture into the food truck business. Food truck culture is not new;however in today's day and age it enjoys mass publicity and is widely regarded as the major component of urban culture. Recent surveys suggest that food truck industry is currently minting more than one billion dollars in sales each year, the figures are astronomical and this is why many business experts consider it the best time to enter the industry.
Close observers of food industry regard slow-growing economy as a major factor behind the recent hike in number of food trucks on the road. Employees are constantly on a hunt for inexpensive lunches and breakfasts and this is where food trucks leverage their customers. A healthy chunk of food truck consumer base is urban youth who are constantly exploring different cuisines; therefore the ratio of returning customers is slightly less compared to restaurants.
You need to serve great food, one that tantalizes the taste buds of your customers; everything is nullified if the food being served is not good enough. Hencethe first order of business is to get a good chef on board, since you don't have the luxuries of ambiance and service at your disposal, you literally have no other choice than to make good food. Secondly you must organize a food survey in your neighborhood, learn the food preferences of people and pay special attention to the fact how these preferences change from breakfast to dinner. Once you have a comprehensive preference list, you need to prepare a menu which aligns with people's taste buds. This is perhaps the trickiest step, therefore don't rush into the process, and don't forget to take your chef's opinion.
Locations are crucial in food business and although you do enjoy the luxury of tires under your kiosk, still you need to be careful with your first location. Try to find a place where people normally gather around and hang around in different hours of the day, this would not only improve your visibility in the neighborhood but would also assist you in attracting new customers. Remember motion is life and food trucks who rely on one location, suffer heavy blows in the long run. Therefore take full advantage of the wheels and move around the city. Best practice in this regard is to fix days for specific spots, this way your customers would also not feel cheated and you could boost your sales too.
We are living in a fast paced world and your consumers hate to stand in long queues, therefore special attention must be paid to the service, a quick service would also help you gain new customers. On the flipside even if there are some delays, try to cover them up with your food. Remember the secret to the food truck business is that even if a person has to wait for half an hour, he should walk away satisfied with his purchase.


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The Office of Research of the School of Dental Medicine (SoDM) at East Carolina University (ECU) is responsible for the School of Dental Medicine's research activities and fulfilling its mission. This office works in close collaboration with the SoDM Department Chairs, Assistant/Associate Deans, Community Service Learning Center Directors and Advanced Education Program Directors to foster faculty, resident and student participation in research and scholarly activities at the SoDM. In addition, the research dean works with Associate Deans for Research at other ECU Schools and Colleges, as well as, local, state and national health agencies and educational institutions.
The Associate Dean for Research (ADR) provides leadership and management in research areas related to the School's mission. Leadership and management duties include overseeing and supporting research infrastructure (e.g., Office of Research Public Health, Oral Health and Health Disparities (POD) Research Administration Hub, Basic Science Laboratory, Vivarium and Clinical Research Center) and acting as liaison with the office of the Vice Chancellors for Research, Economic Development, and Engagement (REDE) as well as ECU's research support arms (e.g., Office of Grants and Contracts, Office of Sponsored Programs, Clinical Trials, University and Medical Center IRB, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, Office of Environmental and Health Safety, Office of Environmental and Health Safety). This position supports the School's research enterprise by providing training to investigators, residents, students and staff, while ensuring the School meets requirements for research compliance.
Specific duties include:
Managing the research portfolio of the SoDM and leading the School's strategic planning initatives related to research.
Serving as a resource to department chairs and associate/assistant deans in the areas of research and scholarly activities related to faculty recruitment, development and retention.
Facilitating research opportunities for faculty, residents and students.
Managing the School's research resources, environment and staff, including the Office of Research, POD Research Administration Hub, Basic Science Laboratory, Vivarium and Clinical Research Center.
Working collaboratively with the Associate Dean for Extramural Clinical Practices and Community Service Learning Center Directors to develop mission-aligned research opportunities for community and population health utilizing the School's educational and patient care model.
Chairing research-related committees and task forces (e.g., Research and Scholarship Committee) as assigned by the Dean.
Oversee the School's research events, including the annual Celebration of Research and Scholarship, and faculty in-service research training.
Foster interdisciplinary collaborations with the School and other ECU campus units; serve as the School's liaison/representative with the Biomaterials Cluster and other ECU faculty investigators utilizing space or resources of the SoDM.
Representing the School on the ECU Research Council and Health Sciences Research Council.
Participating in programs and activities for the American Association for Dental Research (AADR), International Association for Dental Research (IADR), American Dental Education Association (ADEA) and American Dental Association (ADA) commensurate with his/her role at the School.
Advising the Dean on appropriate School of Dental Medicine policy development, implementation, and interpretation for those policies and procedures related to research.
Managing the Office of Research budget and facilitating the School's start-up applications and funding.
Representing the Office of Research to internal and external academic communities, alumni, business and industry, government, foundations, patient and practitioner groups, and the general community.
Reviewing and advising the Dean regarding opportunities for the development of interdisciplinary research programs based on national and international trends.
Assisting the Dean in the planning and implementation of ECU research programs relevant to the School.
Performing other duties as assigned by the Dean.
As Associate Dean for Research, this position qualifies as a Senior Academic and Administrative Officer. The Associate Dean has significant administrative responsibilities in formulating, interpreting, and implementing institutional policy related to research for the School. Lastly, the Associate Dean for Research has substantial independence of administrative authority and discretion in all areas of responsibility. This position reports directly to the Dean.
Minimum Education/Experience:
Minimum educational requirements include a doctoral degree, such as a DDS/DMD. A PhD (or equivalent) will be considered if the individual has appropriate academic and administrative experience.
Qualifying for appointment as Associate Professor or higher with tenure per SoDM Tenure Guidelines and a track record of scholarly activity, including peer reviewed publications and demonstrated ability to attain extramural funding through grants and/or contracts.
A background in research with a track record of funding in one or more of the following areas: public health, epidemiology, health services, educational, bioinformatics, behavioral, basic or clinical/translational research.
An understanding and commitment to the primary care mission of the School.
Full time or Part time: Full Time
Position Location (city): Greenville
Position Number: 001669
Organizational Unit Overview:
The Division of Health Sciences is the largest and most complex division within the University, employing more than 900 EHRA employees and 1,700 SHRA employees. The Division is composed of numerous Centers, Institutes, and agencies such as East Carolina Heart Institute and Eastern Area Health Education Center, the Colleges of Allied Health Sciences, Nursing, the Brody School of Medicine, the School of Dental Medicine, and the Laupus Health Science Library. In addition to the Academic and Administrative responsibilities of the division, the four professional schools provide clinical services throughout eastern North Carolina in a variety of settings and venues.
The School of Dental Medicine is composed of ten administrative offices and four academic departments. The Administrative units include the Offices of the Dean, Vice Dean, Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Associate Dean for Research, Innovation and Discovery, Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, Assistant Dean for Extramural Clinical Practices, Assistant Dean for Dental Education and Informatics, Assistant Dean for Educational Support and Faculty Development, Assistant Dean for Academic Success and the Executive Director for Business and Financial Affairs. The four academic departments are Surgical Sciences, Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, General Dentistry and Foundational Sciences and Research.
Included in the mission of the School of Dental Medicine is to educate dental care providers (both dental students and dental residents) and to address the oral health care needs of the underserved population of North Carolina. The School of Dental Medicine meets these missions by operating dental clinics that provide both educational experiences for the dental students and residents and provides dental care to the residents of North Carolina. These clinics occur in both Ross Hall in Greenville, North Carolina, as well as Community Service Learning Centers located throughout North Carolina. In order to operate these clinics, appropriate dental auxiliaries and clinical staff are needed.
About East Carolina University
To be a national model for student success, public service and regional transformation, East Carolina University uses innovative learning strategies and delivery methods to maximize access; prepares students with the knowledge, skills and values to succeed in a global, multicultural society; develops tomorrow's leaders to serve and inspire positive change; discovers new knowledge and innovations to support a thriving future for eastern North Carolina and beyond; transforms health care, promotes wellness, and reduces health disparities; and improves qualify of life through cultural enrichment, academics, the arts, and athletics. We accomplish our mission through education, research, creative activities, and service while being good stewards of the resources entrusted to us. East Carolina University delivers on the promise of opportunity. We open doors. We improve lives. We transform the present, and we discover the future. In these ways and more, we serve our community, our state, our nation and our world as together we reach toward our greatest potential. Tomorrow starts here.


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Carbon Dioxide And Its Role In The Greenhouse Effect
Categories: Greenhouse gases
Carbon dioxide is a gas comprising less than 0.04 % of the atmosphere.It is used by plants to make, directly or indirectly, all of the food that we eat.Increases in the concentration of carbon dioxide generally increase the growthrate of plants and decrease their water use. The concentration of carbondioxide in the atmosphere is increasing, mostly as a result of burning of coal, oil, gas and forests. Its concentration may double by the end of the nextcentury. Carbon dioxide also significantly influences the Earth's climatedespite its small concentration, because it is a "greenhouse" gas.
Get a verified writer to help you with Carbon Dioxide And Its Role In The Greenhouse Effect
"Greenhouse gases" are so named because they trap heat near the earth'ssurface, and prevent it from being radiated back into space. With too fewgreenhouse gases, Earth would be too cold for life, and with too many, it wouldbe too hot. Man's activities are changing the concentration of greenhouse gasesin the atmosphere, and there is concern that this may significantly change theclimate.
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, second in importance only to watervapor. Other pollutants such as methane and CFC's (chlorofluorocarbons) arealso greenhouse gases.
Is the Greenhouse Effect Increasing? There is no doubt that the concentrationof some greenhouse gases is increasing. For example, carbon dioxide hasincreased by 25% in the last 100 years, and continues to increase rapidly. Whatis uncertain is whether the altered greenhouse effect has changed the Earth'sclimate. Some scientists believe there is data indicating that the Earth'sclimate has already warmed; others feel that there are too many other causes ofvariation in temperature to be sure that temperature has changed, or that anincreased greenhouse effect is responsible.
How may the climate change? Predicting climate is extremely complex, and thereare many uncertainties, such as the role of clouds, and effects of otheratmospheric pollutants such as sulfur dioxide. As carbon dioxide concentrationincreases, many global climatic models predict an increase in averagetemperature of as much as 10 degrees F. Patterns of precipitation may change with some areas becoming wetter and some drier. The frequency of extremes of weatheris also predicted to increase.
What is the role of agriculture? The agricultural industry influences thegreenhouse effect by contributing to changes in vegetation (deforestation andreforestation), in the amount of carbon stored in soils, by consuming fossilfuels, and by being a significant source of the greenhouse gas, methane.
What is the possible impact on agriculture? While the direct effects ofincreased carbon dioxide on plants are mostly positive, climate changes couldhave negative effects on agricultural production. Temperature and precipitationdetermine what crops can be profitably grown in different areas. Extremes ofweather can be disastrous to agriculture and to food supplies.
The carbon cycle is based upon carbon dioxide. Most of the carbon is found in the atmosphere (about 0.03%). The carbon cycle has a very fast rate of recycle because many organism have a high demand for the carbon. These organism are plants, bacteria, and algae (phototrophs and lithotrophs ). The reason for this need is their photosynthetic activities of these organism. It is these photosynthetics activities that results in carbon fixation. The organism that do this fixation are the photoautotrophs like cyanobacteria, green plants, and algae, and green and purple sulfur bacteria.
All heterotropic organism; some bacteria, protists, fungi, and animals do not have the ability to photosynthesize. It is for this reason they must obtain their carbon indirectly from organism that can fix it. The heterotrophs consume these photoautotrophs the organic compounds are digested and resynthesized. The carbon atoms are transferred from organism to organism, up the food chain.
Carbon compounds are able to be broken down due to respiration and fermentation. This will then recycle the carbon dixoide into the atmosphere. Some carbon may be held for a longer period of time in the bodies of organism. But when the organism dies and decomposition occures the carbon is again released into the atmosphere. Carbon is also stored in rocks, like limestone and is dissolved in the oceans as carbonate ions. Carbon is also stored in minerals as coal and petroleum. Burning these minerals releases the carbon dioxide. There is evidence of an increase of carbon dioxide as the result of burning of carbon dioxide as the result of burning fossil fuels. This is one reason some scientists believe that the warming of the earth is caused by carbon dioxide of the earth is caused by carbon dioxide acting as a greenhouse around the earth.
* Carbon fixation or Calvin Cycle: The cycle of incorporating carbon dioxide from the air into organic molecules present in chloroplasts. The initial incorpation of carbon into organic compounds (carbon fixation). The Calvin cycle then reduce fixed carbon to carbohydrate by addition of electrons. This reducing power is needed to energized electron in the light reaction.
* Light reaction: This is photophosphorylation the production of ATP by photosynthesis.
Carbon Dioxide And Its Role In The Greenhouse Effect. (2021, Oct 31). Retrieved from http://envrexperts.com/free-essays/essay-about-carbon-dioxide-and-its-role-greenhouse-effect
Impact and Causes of Greenhouse Effect Pages: 7 (1907 words)
Increasing of Greenhouse Gases Pages: 7 (1868 words)
A Study on Global Warming Pages: 9 (2410 words)
The Greenhouse Effect: Mythological Beast or Real Monster in Our Midst Pages: 11 (3024 words)
Analysis of the Effects of Population Growth Pages: 7 (1878 words)
A Better Understanding of the Phenomenon of Global Warming and Its Effects Pages: 8 (2184 words)
Truth of Climate Change Pages: 8 (2197 words)
The World is Suffering from Global Warming Pages: 11 (3023 words)


Baby's silver alphabet bracelet in a musical gift box.
Baby's silver bracelet in music box.
A Silver Bracelet engraved with the letters of the alphabet (as above) set with a tiny real diamond.
The bracelet comes in a special "D for Diamond" clockwork musical gift box which plays "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and when opened reveals the silver bracelet on a pink satin cushion.
The box includes a matching gift card..


Whether reassigning a sideboards or looking to make a large design statement in a room, the high contrast of black and white can give even an ugly new life a sideboards. Choose a modern sideboards design that suits your artistic abilities and your home decorating scheme. And black and white paint lends themselves well to bold patterns; in modern sideboards, a large pattern can make a great statement on a small canvas. If you are unsure about your artistic abilities or looking for a quicker project, use painter's tape to create stripes, checkers or a diamond pattern. If you have more confidence in your ability to paint, choose something like a zebra or a cheetah print.
Large templates, for an elegant but daring look in modern sideboards, use templates to cover the entire surface. Paint the entire white sideboards, including the fronts of the drawers. Make or buy templates that are at least one foot: consider a floral pattern, a fleur-de-lis or a brocade-like pattern. The stencils for the drawer tightly tape the painter's tape and use black spray paint to fill in the spaces. If you have a comfortable curve or drawers that have a lot of space between them, use a stencil brush to prevent bleeding from the black paint.
For a modern, clean look, paint the body of the dresser either black or white depending on what will work with the rest of the room decoration. Paint the drawer fronts in the other color and choose drawer pull in the base color. Simple color extensions work in a modern or traditional house. To add extra pop, use a pattern bit in the drawer or legs. And if you have artistic talent, put them to work in modern sideboards with a spray paint and template style work of art. Create a template by blasting a work of art and using it as a pattern; consider a favorite comic book frame or a piece of graffiti style.


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HomeBlogEntries By Tag
Entries Tagged "United Arab Emirates"
UAE Hack and Leak Operations
Interesting paper on recent hack-and-leak operations attributed to the UAE:
Abstract: Four hack-and-leak operations in U.S. politics between 2016 and 2019, publicly attributed to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, should be seen as the "simulation of scandal" – deliberate attempts to direct moral judgement against their target. Although "hacking" tools enable easy access to secret information, they are a double-edged sword, as their discovery means the scandal becomes about the hack itself, not about the hacked information. There are wider consequences for cyber competition in situations of constraint where both sides are strategic partners, as in the case of the United States and its allies in the Persian Gulf.
Posted on August 13, 2020 at 9:28 AM	• View Comments
ToTok Is an Emirati Spying Tool
The smartphone messaging app ToTok is actually an Emirati spying tool:
But the service, ToTok, is actually a spying tool, according to American officials familiar with a classified intelligence assessment and a New York Times investigation into the app and its developers. It is used by the government of the United Arab Emirates to try to track every conversation, movement, relationship, appointment, sound and image of those who install it on their phones.
ToTok, introduced only months ago, was downloaded millions of times from the Apple and Google app stores by users throughout the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. While the majority of its users are in the Emirates, ToTok surged to become one of the most downloaded social apps in the United States last week, according to app rankings and App Annie, a research firm.
Apple and Google have removed it from their app stores. If you have it on your phone, delete it now.
Posted on December 24, 2019 at 1:13 PM	• View Comments
How Signal Is Evading Censorship
Signal, the encrypted messaging app I prefer, is being blocked in both Egypt and the UAE. Recently, the Signal team developed a workaround: domain fronting.
Signal's new anti-censorship feature uses a trick called "domain fronting," Marlinspike explains. A country like Egypt, with only a few small internet service providers tightly controlled by the government, can block any direct request to a service on its blacklist. But clever services can circumvent that censorship by hiding their traffic inside of encrypted connections to a major internet service, like the content delivery networks (CDNs) that host content closer to users to speed up their online experience — or in Signal's case, Google's App Engine platform, designed to host apps on Google's servers.
"Now when people in Egypt or the United Arab Emirates send a Signal message, it'll look identical to something like a Google search," Marlinspike says. "The idea is that using Signal will look like using Google; if you want to block Signal you'll have to block Google."
The trick works because Google's App Engine allows developers to redirect traffic from Google.com to their own domain. Google's use of TLS encryption means that contents of the traffic, including that redirect request, are hidden, and the internet service provider can see only that someone has connected to Google.com. That essentially turns Google into a proxy for Signal, bouncing its traffic and fooling the censors.
This isn't a new trick (Tor uses it too, for example), but it does work.
Posted on December 28, 2016 at 6:20 AM	• View Comments
We're starting to see some information on the Israeli cyberweapons arms manufacturer that sold the iPhone zero-day exploit to the United Arab Emirates so they could spy on human rights defenders.
EDITED TO ADD (9/1): There is criticism in the comments about me calling NSO Group an Israeli company. I was just repeating the news articles, but further research indicates that it is Israeli-founded and Israeli-based, but 100% owned by an American private equity firm.
iPhone Zero-Day Used by UAE Government
Last week, Apple issued a critical security patch for the iPhone: iOS 9.3.5. The incredible story is that this patch is the result of investigative work by Citizen Lab, which uncovered a zero-day exploit being used by the UAE government against a human rights defender. The UAE spyware was provided by the Israeli cyberweapons arms manufacturer NSO Group.
This is a big deal. iOS vulnerabilities are expensive, and can sell for over $1M. That we can find one used in the wild and patch it, rendering it valueless, is a major win and puts a huge dent in the vulnerabilities market. The more we can do this, the less valuable these zero-days will be to both criminals and governments — and to criminal governments.
Citizen Lab blog post and report. New York Times article. More news articles.
Posted on August 29, 2016 at 1:21 PM	• View Comments
Using Law against Technology
On Thursday, a Brazilian judge ordered the text messaging service WhatsApp shut down for 48 hours. It was a monumental action.
WhatsApp is the most popular app in Brazil, used by about 100 million people. The Brazilian telecoms hate the service because it entices people away from more expensive text messaging services, and they have been lobbying for months to convince the government that it's unregulated and illegal. A judge finally agreed.
In Brazil's case, WhatsApp was blocked for allegedly failing to respond to a court order. Another judge reversed the ban 12 hours later, but there is a pattern forming here. In Egypt, Vodafone has complained about the legality of WhatsApp's free voice-calls, while India's telecoms firms have been lobbying hard to curb messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Viber. Earlier this year, the United Arab Emirates blocked WhatsApp's free voice call feature.
All this is part of a massive power struggle going on right now between traditional companies and new Internet companies, and we're all in the blast radius.
It's one aspect of a tech policy problem that has been plaguing us for at least 25 years: technologists and policymakers don't understand each other, and they inflict damage on society because of that. But it's worse today. The speed of technological progress makes it worse. And the types of technology — especially the current Internet of mobile devices everywhere, cloud computing, always-on connections and the Internet of Things — make it worse.
The Internet has been disrupting and destroying long-standing business models since its popularization in the mid-1990s. And traditional industries have long fought back with every tool at their disposal. The movie and music industries have tried for decades to hamstring computers in an effort to prevent illegal copying of their products. Publishers have battled with Google over whether their books could be indexed for online searching.
More recently, municipal taxi companies and large hotel chains are fighting with ride-sharing companies such as Uber and apartment-sharing companies such as Airbnb. Both the old companies and the new upstarts have tried to bend laws to their will in an effort to outmaneuver each other.
Sometimes the actions of these companies harm the users of these systems and services. And the results can seem crazy. Why would the Brazilian telecoms want to provoke the ire of almost everyone in the country? They're trying to protect their monopoly. If they win in not just shutting down WhatsApp, but Telegram and all the other text-message services, their customers will have no choice. This is how high-stakes these battles can be.
This isn't just companies competing in the marketplace. These are battles between competing visions of how technology should apply to business, and traditional businesses and "disruptive" new businesses. The fundamental problem is that technology and law are in conflict, and what's worked in the past is increasingly failing today.
First, the speeds of technology and law have reversed. Traditionally, new technologies were adopted slowly over decades. There was time for people to figure them out, and for their social repercussions to percolate through society. Legislatures and courts had time to figure out rules for these technologies and how they should integrate into the existing legal structures.
They don't always get it right – the sad history of copyright law in the United States is an example of how they can get it badly wrong again and again — but at least they had a chance before the technologies become widely adopted.
That's just not true anymore. A new technology can go from zero to a hundred million users in a year or less. That's just too fast for the political or legal process. By the time they're asked to make rules, these technologies are well-entrenched in society.
Second, the technologies have become more complicated and specialized. This means that the normal system of legislators passing laws, regulators making rules based on those laws and courts providing a second check on those rules fails. None of these people has the expertise necessary to understand these technologies, let alone the subtle and potentially pernicious ramifications of any rules they make.
We see the same thing between governments and law-enforcement and militaries. In the United States, we're expecting policymakers to understand the debate between the FBI's desire to read the encrypted e-mails and computers of crime suspects and the security researchers who maintain that giving them that capability will render everyone insecure. We're expecting legislators to provide meaningful oversight over the National Security Agency, when they can only read highly technical documents about the agency's activities in special rooms and without any aides who might be conversant in the issues.
The result is that we end up in situations such as the one Brazil finds itself in. WhatsApp went from zero to 100 million users in five years. The telecoms are advancing all sorts of weird legal arguments to get the service banned, and judges are ill-equipped to separate fact from fiction.
This isn't a simple matter of needing government to get out of the way and let companies battle in the marketplace. These companies are for-profit entities, and their business models are so complicated that they regularly don't do what's best for their users. (For example, remember that you're not really Facebook's customer. You're their product.)
The fact that people's resumes are effectively the first 10 hits on a Google search of their name is a problem – something that the European "right to be forgotten" tried ham-fistedly to address. There's a lot of smart writing that says that Uber's disruption of traditional taxis will be worse for the people who regularly use the services. And many people worry about Amazon's increasing dominance of the publishing industry.
We need a better way of regulating new technologies.
That's going to require bridging the gap between technologists and policymakers. Each needs to understand the other – not enough to be experts in each other's fields, but enough to engage in meaningful conversations and debates. That's also going to require laws that are agile and written to be as technologically invariant as possible.
It's a tall order, I know, and one that has been on the wish list of every tech policymaker for decades. But today, the stakes are higher and the issues come faster. Not doing so will become increasingly harmful for all of us.
This essay originally appeared on CNN.com.
EDITED TO ADD (12/23): Slashdot thread.
New Revelations in the Mahmoud al-Mabhouh Assassination
I wrote a lot last year about the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai. There's a new article by an Israeli investigative journalist that tells the story we already knew, and adds a bunch of interesting details. Well worth reading.
Posted on January 17, 2011 at 5:47 AM	• View Comments
Cargo Security
The New York Times writes:
Despite the increased scrutiny of people and luggage on passenger planes since 9/11, there are far fewer safeguards for packages and bundles, particularly when loaded on cargo-only planes.
Well, of course. We've always known this. We've not worried about terrorism on cargo planes because it isn't very terrorizing. Packages aren't people. If a passenger plane blows up, it affects a couple of hundred people. If a cargo plane blows up, it just affects the crew.
Cargo that is loaded on to passenger planes should be subjected to the same level of security as passenger luggage. Cargo that is loaded onto cargo planes should be treated no differently from cargo loaded into ships, trains, trucks, and the trunks of cars.
Of course: now that the media is talking about cargo security, we have to "do something." (Something must be done. This is something. Therefore, we must do it.) But if we're so scared that we have to devote resources to this kind of terrorist threat, we've well and truly lost.
EDITED TO ADD (10/30): The plot — it's still unclear how serious it was — wasn't uncovered by any security screening, but by intelligence gathering:
Intelligence officials were onto the suspected plot for days, officials said. The packages in England and Dubai were discovered after Saudi Arabian intelligence picked up information related to Yemen and passed it on to the U.S., two officials said.
This is how you fight through terrorism: not by defending against specific threats, but through intelligence, investigation, and emergency response.
Posted on October 30, 2010 at 9:41 AM	• View Comments
UAE Man-in-the-Middle Attack Against SSL
Who are these certificate authorities? At the beginning of Web history, there were only a handful of companies, like Verisign, Equifax, and Thawte, that made near-monopoly profits from being the only providers trusted by Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. But over time, browsers have trusted more and more organizations to verify Web sites. Safari and Firefox now trust more than 60 separate certificate authorities by default. Microsoft's software trusts more than 100 private and government institutions.
Disturbingly, some of these trusted certificate authorities have decided to delegate their powers to yet more organizations, which aren't tracked or audited by browser companies. By scouring the Net for certificates, security researchers have uncovered more than 600 groups who, through such delegation, are now also automatically trusted by most browsers, including the Department of Homeland Security, Google, and Ford Motorsand a UAE mobile phone company called Etisalat.
In 2005, a company called CyberTrust—which has since been purchased by Verizon—gave Etisalat, the government-connected mobile company in the UAE, the right to verify that a site is valid. Here's why this is trouble: Since browsers now automatically trust Etisalat to confirm a site's identity, the company has the potential ability to fake a secure connection to any site Etisalat subscribers might visit using a man-in-the-middle scheme.
EDITED TO ADD (9/14): EFF has gotten involved.
Posted on September 3, 2010 at 6:27 AM	• View Comments
UAE to Ban BlackBerrys
The United Arab Emirates — Dubai, etc. — is threatening to ban BlackBerrys because they can't eavesdrop on them.
At the heart of the battle is access to the data transmitted by BlackBerrys. RIM processes the information through a handful of secure Network Operations Centers around the world, meaning that most governments can't access the data easily on their own. The U.A.E. worries that because of jurisdictional issues, its courts couldn't compel RIM to turn over secure data from its servers, which are outside the U.A.E. even in a national-security situation, a person familiar with the situation said.
This is a weird story for several reasons:
1. The UAE can't eavesdrop on BlackBerry traffic because it is encrypted between RIM's servers and the phones. That makes sense, but conventional e-mail services are no different. Gmail, for example, is encrypted between Google's servers and the users' computers. So are most other webmail services. Is the mobile nature of BlackBerrys really that different? Is it really not a problem that any smart phone can access webmail through an encrypted SSL tunnel?
2. This an isolated move in a complicated negotiation between the UAE and RIM.
The U.A.E. ban, due to start Oct. 11, was the result of the "failure of ongoing attempts, dating back to 2007, to bring BlackBerry services in the U.A.E. in line with U.A.E. telecommunications regulations," the country's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said Sunday. The ban doesn't affect telephone and text-messaging services.
The U.A.E. wanted RIM to locate servers in the country, where it had legal jurisdiction over them; RIM had offered access to the data of 3,000 clients instead, the person said.
There's no reason to announce the ban over a month before it goes into effect, other than to prod RIM to respond in some way.
3. It's not obvious who will blink first. RIM has about 500,000 users in the UAE. RIM doesn't want to lose those subscribers, but the UAE doesn't want to piss those people off, either. The UAE needs them to work and do business in their country, especially as real estate prices continue to collapse.
4. India, China, and Russia threatened to kick BlackBerrys out for this reason, but relented when RIM agreed to "address concerns," which is code for "allowed them to eavesdrop."
Most countries have negotiated agreements with RIM that enable their security agencies to monitor and decipher this traffic. For example, Russia's two main mobile phone providers, MTS and Vimpelcom, began selling BlackBerrys after they agreed to provide access to the federal security service. "We resolved this question," Vimpelcom says. "We provided access."
The launch of BlackBerry service by China Mobile was delayed until RIM negotiated an agreement that enables China to monitor traffic.
Similarly, last week India lifted a threat to ban BlackBerry services after RIM agreed to address concerns.
Nevertheless, while RIM has declined to comment on the details of its arrangements with any government, it issued an opaque statement on Monday: "RIM respects both the regulatory requirements of government and the security and privacy needs of corporations and consumers."
How did they do that? Did they put RIM servers in those countries, and allow the government access to the traffic? Did they pipe the raw traffic back to those countries from their servers elsewhere? Did they just promise to turn over any data when asked?
RIM makes a big deal about how secure its users' data is, but I don't know how much of that to believe:
RIM said the BlackBerry network was set up so that "no one, including RIM, could access" customer data, which is encrypted from the time it leaves the device. It added that RIM would "simply be unable to accommodate any request" for a key to decrypt the data, since the company doesn't have the key.
The BlackBerry network is designed "to exclude the capability for RIM or any third party to read encrypted information under any circumstances," RIM's statement said. Moreover, the location of BlackBerry's servers doesn't matter, the company said, because the data on them can't be deciphered without a decryption key.
Am I missing something here? RIM isn't providing a file storage service, where user-encrypted data is stored on its servers. RIM is providing a communications service. While the data is encrypted between RIM's servers and the BlackBerrys, it has to be encrypted by RIM — so RIM has access to the plaintext.
In any case, RIM has already demonstrated that it has the technical ability to address the UAE's concerns. Like the apocryphal story about Churchill and Lady Astor, all that's left is to agree on a price.
5. For the record, I have absolutely no idea what this quote of mine from the Reuters story really means:
"If you want to eavesdrop on your people, then you ban whatever they're using," said Bruce Schneier, chief security technology officer at BT. "The basic problem is there's encryption between the BlackBerries and the servers. We find this issue all around about encryption."
I hope I wasn't that incoherent during the phone interview.
EDITED TO ADD (8/5): I might have gotten a do-over with Reuters. On a phone interview yesterday, I said: "RIM's carefully worded statements about BlackBerry security are designed to make their customers feel better, while giving the company ample room to screw them." Jonathan Zittrain picks apart one of those statements.
Posted on August 3, 2010 at 11:08 AM	• View Comments
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text:
It said that as of August 2021, 64 per cent of countries have taken an action to curb the pandemic that it considers "disproportionate, unnecessary or illegal."
Jan M Olsen | AP | Copenhagen November 23, 2021 Last Updated at 01:48 IST
Illustration: Binay Sinha
Democracy is deteriorating across the world, with countries notably taking undemocratic and unnecessary actions to contain the coronavirus pandemic, an intergovernmental body said in its new report on Monday. "Many democratic governments are backsliding," the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance said.
The 34-nation organisation added that as of August 2021, 64 per cent of countries have taken an action to curb the pandemic that it considers "disproportionate, unnecessary or illegal."
Autocratic regimes have become "even more brazen in their repression," free speech has been restricted and the rule of law has been weakened, it said. In its flagship report on the state of democracy, International IDEA said the number of backsliding democracies has doubled in the past decade, and mentioned in particular the US, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia.
"This is the time for democracies to be bold, to innovate and revitalise themselves," International IDEA Secretary-General Kevin Casas-Zamora said. The report said that "the two years since our last report have not been good for democracy," and the achievement reached when democracy became the predominant form of governance "now hangs in the balance like never before."
"Overall, the number of countries moving in an authoritarian direction in 2020 outnumbered those going in a democratic direction," the report said, adding that in the past two years, the world has lost at least four democracies, "either through flawed elections or military coups."
It said more than 80 countries have seen protests and civic action during the pandemic despite often-harsh government restrictions. However, pro-democracy movements have met repression in Belarus; Cuba; Eswatini, previously known as Swaziland; Myanmar; and Sudan.
In Asia, International IDEA said, Afghanistan, Hong Kong and Myanmar have suffered from "a wave of growing authoritarianism." But democratic erosion has also been found in India, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.
"China's influence, coupled with its own deepening autocratisation, also puts the legitimacy of the democratic model at risk," the report said.
The report also noted that half the democracies in the Americas have suffered democratic erosion, with notable declines in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador and the United States.


text:
Corindus Vascular Robotics Announces Definitive Agreement to be Acquired by Siemens Healthineers
Written by 2020HCP.com. Posted in News
WALTHAM, Mass., — August 8, 2019 — Corindus Vascular Robotics, Inc. [NYSE American: CVRS], a leading developer of precision vascular robotics, today announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to be acquired by Siemens Healthineers AG. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Siemens Medical Solutions, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Siemens Healthineers AG, a German stock listed company, will acquire all issued and outstanding shares of common stock of Corindus for $4.28 per share in cash, representing an aggregate purchase price of approximately $1.1 billion.
"We are pleased to have reached this agreement with Siemens Healthineers," said Mark J. Toland, President and Chief Executive Officer of Corindus. "We believe the transaction will deliver immediate, compelling and certain value to all Corindus stockholders, as well as substantial benefits to our customers. The combination of Siemens Healthineers' advanced, high-quality imaging, digital and artificial intelligence tools with Corindus' precision robotics platform has the potential to transform the way healthcare is delivered to those suffering from cardiovascular or peripheral disease. The tremendous technology synergies and shared vision between both companies should allow us to achieve a seamless integration between our businesses.""Corindus has established a leading position in vascular robotics with a compelling technology platform for robotic-assisted coronary, peripheral, and neurovascular procedures," said Michel Therin, President, Advanced Therapies at Siemens Healthineers. "The acquisition of Corindus, combined with Siemens' strong advanced therapies portfolio will help further advance the growth of vascular robotics. The integration of our technologies could lead to reduced variability, improved efficiency, expanded access to care, and ultimately improved patient outcomes. We look forward to welcoming the Corindus team to Siemens Healthineers."
The transaction has been approved by the Board of Directors of Corindus and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2019, subject to approval by Corindus stockholders, the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.
In connection with the transaction, Citigroup Global Markets Inc. is acting as exclusive financial advisor to Corindus and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP is serving as its legal advisor.
ABOUT CORINDUS VASCULAR ROBOTICS, INC.
Corindus Vascular Robotics is a global technology leader in robotic-assisted vascular interventions. The Company's CorPath® platform is the first FDA-cleared medical device to bring robotic precision to percutaneous coronary and vascular procedures. CorPath GRX is the second-generation robotic-assisted technology offering enhancements to the platform by adding important key upgrades that increase precision, improve workflow, and extend the capabilities and range of procedures that can be performed robotically. We are focused on developing innovative robotic solutions to revolutionize treatment of emergent conditions by providing specialized and timely medical care to patients around the world. For additional information, visit www.corindus.com and follow @CorindusInc.
ABOUT SIEMENS HEALTHINEERS Siemens Healthineers enables healthcare providers worldwide to increase value by empowering them on their journey towards expanding precision medicine, transforming care delivery, improving patient experience and digitalizing healthcare. A leader in medical technology, Siemens Healthineers is constantly innovating its portfolio of products and services in its core areas of diagnostic and therapeutic imaging and in laboratory diagnostics and molecular medicine. Siemens Healthineers is also actively developing its digital health services and enterprise services. In fiscal 2018, which ended on September 30, 2018, Siemens Healthineers generated revenue of €13.4 billion and adjusted profit of €2.3 billion and has about 50,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available at www.siemens-healthineers.com.


The valves and the well casing is widely used in equipment for underground mining, drilling equipment skazhin, packer, Equipment for oil and gas. The company develops and manufactures valves, including valves are shut off and the well snap since 2002, using modern production facilities, technologies and materials. The products manufactured by the company complies with the requirements for operation and security and is certified by API and ISO.
Designed for injection of chemicals in the tubing string or in the annulus.
Helps to set a packer (or a multiple packer assembly) when tubing weight can't be conveyed to the packer or setdown weight is not sufficient (at low depths).
Isolates the formation from brine or other weighted completion fluids during remedial work on ESPs.
Enables disconnection of the tubing string from the packer.
Provides means of retrieving the production string without unsetting the companion packer below as well as sealed reconnection to the packer.
Enables automatic disconnection (reconnection) of the tubing string from (to) the packer.
Used to remove debris from the bottom of the well (sand, scale, solid particles).
Serves to house retrievable chemical injection mandrels, dummy valves and other downhole tools.
Designed to effectively remove metal objects, hard-alloy teeth of roller-cone bits and other ferrous debris from the bottom of oil and gas wells.
Designed for safe release of the tubing from the downhole tools below should they become stuck.
Designed to remove debris from the mud and protect the drilling string as well as to prevent any foreign material from entering the drilling string during replacement of drill pipes and tools.
Designed to protect critical downhole equipment from debris (sand, scale, solid particles) and to catch foreign materials (lost cable bands, etc.) during subsurface pump replacement.
Provides unrestricted re-entry of subsurface or wireline (logging) tools into the tubing string.


text:
Q: why python give me this error?[KeyError : 'left'] the error is
'#slider-image-{0}:target ~ .image-holder{left: {1} px;}'.format(times, (times - 1) * -800))
KeyError: 'left''

in this loop:
for file in file_read:
    file_write.write(
        '#slider-image-{0}:target ~ .image-holder{left {1} px;}'.format(times, (times - 1) * -800))

why this error happens and how can I fix it?

A: You have a placeholder named {left: ...} in your format. That you meant that to be CSS syntax doesn't matter to Python. Escape the braces by doubling them:
file_write.write(
    '#slider-image-{0}:target ~ .image-holder{{left {1} px;}}'.format(times, (times - 1) * -800))

Doubled { and } braces are output as single braces:
>>> '{{left {0}}}'.format('demo')
'{left demo}'

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange