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Shutdown Skills Series: 14 Steps Toward Improved Intonation
Megan Westberg April 16, 2020
Solo and group exercises from author and instructor Michael E. Martin
By James Reel
It's inevitable: The first few times you put bow to string, it sounds like you've got an asthmatic cat yowling in your hands. But it doesn't have to be that way.
Good intonation is something you can work on almost from Day One. "Good intonation comes primarily from inside the player's head," says Michael E. Martin, who teaches in the elementary and middle schools of Havertown, Pennsylvania, and is a coauthor of Jump Right In: The Instrumental Series—for Strings (GIA Publications, 2004). "If the player isn't hearing—the word we use is 'audiating'—good intonation in their mind, it's really not going to come out of the instrument."
So, hearing the notes before you play is the first step toward good intonation. It's part of a process that Michael Slechta, who teaches in the Lancaster, Pennsylvania, schools, calls "getting [students] to take ownership of their sounds and pitches."
Martin, who is also a clinician, has devised more than a dozen ways to develop good intonation in a beginning strings class. He's incorporated the points into Jump Right In, and both he and Slechta vouch for their effectiveness after years of taking all manner of approaches.
Some of these things you can do on your own; for the rest, you'll need to work closely with your teacher and other string students.
1. Sing everything before you play. Martin traces this idea back at least to 1920s methods books. "One of the instructions to teachers," he points out, "is that students at any time should be able to stop playing and continue singing the melody; if they can't do that, their attention is too much on the physical aspect of playing and not on the sound. If you can sing a passage and then play it, you'll see immediate improvement in intonation."
2. Audiate the harmonic context of the music (resting tone, bass line, and harmonic functions). "Every song has one special note that the music seems to gravitate toward," says Martin. "That's one of the foundations of where good intonation comes from. Intonation is based on relationships from one pitch to another, and everything is tuned to the resting tone."
You should be able to stop playing at any time and sing the resting tone. "If you can't do that," says Martin, "chances are the intonation hasn't been very good, because what are you tuning to?"
Here's something Martin suggests when you're playing in a class, if your teacher goes along with it: "I teach a bass line for every song, which is the roots of the harmonic progressions of the song. [Students] can begin to hear a line to fit with that song. If I can get them to sing in two parts and play in two parts, that does wonders for the intonation right away, because they're beginning to internalize those harmonic functions. In the second or third lesson they're playing the bass line while I play the melody, and they get an idea of how the two fit together.
"As the lessons go further, I take five minutes during each lesson to work on tonal patterns," Martin continues. "The most important patterns for intonation are arpeggio patterns, beginning with tonic [do-mi-sol] and dominant patterns that make up the harmonic functions of most of our Western music. I begin these exercises by singing the patterns to the students and then having them sing the patterns back to me."
3. Always audiate what you are going to perform before you perform it. You want to hear the music in your head before you play; until you get into the habit of audiating, sing the piece out loud.
4. Develop musical independence right from the start. It is your responsibility to play in tune. Work hard on finding the right notes by ear and correcting your own intonation errors, without waiting for your teacher to stop you. "When I hear [my students] hit a note and slide the finger into tune, I know what I'm doing is working because they're listening to themselves," says Slechta.
That process begins with the next point.
5. As much as possible, don't rely on tapes or dots on the fingerboard. "Dots become a visual crutch that students depend on; they're not listening to themselves, they're just going visually," says Martin.
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6. Sing something alone and play something alone in each group lesson. Be ready for this; it's the surest way to prove to your teacher and yourself that you really know what's going on and can play on your own. "A student can hide in the group," says Slechta. "It's possible to hide behind other people and imitate them a split second later."
"Many times," notes Martin, "the orchestra as a whole can sound pretty good, but if you would ask each student to play their part independently, there might be only a few who could play well by themselves."
7. Learn major and minor at the same time; don't be afraid to learn Dorian and Mixolydian songs as well. It's actually easier to figure out how music works and what the scales should sound like if you learn about major and minor at the same time. According to Martin, students can "understand major better and be able to perform major better in tune if they can compare the sound to minor. They can understand what major is by learning what it isn't."
You can add such Dorian songs as "Drunken Sailor," and Mixolydian tunes, like "Old Joe Clark," as you develop further physical skills.
8. Develop a vocabulary of scales and tonal patterns that you can sing, play, and recognize. This might be easier for you if your teacher, like Martin, labels notes with the solfege—do, re, mi—rather than identifying notes as A, B, and C. "So right from the beginning, you recognize that any open string can be 'do,' and if we put the first finger down we get the 're,' and so forth," he says. "So you can play 'Hot Cross Buns' on all four strings.
"And again, playing and singing arpeggio patterns, like do-mi-sol, instead of moving by scale step can be very valuable for developing intonation and independence of the fingers."
9. Develop proper instrument position and a good, flexible left-hand position. "Those fingers have to be flexible, and have to be able to move," Martin says. "Practice sliding the finger to see what that does to the intonation, then find the place that matches the right pitch."
10. Spend the first three to six months playing by ear, before worrying too much about music notation. "The only thing notation can do is remind us of something we can already audiate," Martin says. "If we don't have a vocabulary of sounds we can audiate, we can't read notation; it's just a puzzle of figuring out what finger to put down, and counting, and figuring out letter names. Reading notation should be looking at the notes and hearing the sound pop off the page in your head."
Reading the notes seems easier if you already have the sounds in your head. "Start reading songs you've already learned to play by ear," says Slechta. "It seems that because you are so used to hearing the notes, the reading is easier."
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11. Even after you've learned notation, see if your teacher will let you spend the first half of every lesson or rehearsal playing by ear. "The groups stay together very well, because they're listening to each other, and I hardly have to conduct when we're reading a piece from notation because their ears are trained to listen to each other," says Martin. "I find myself doing less drill and less rehearsing than I ever did before, because the students have developed that independence to be able to play well."
12. Play the same song in many different keys. "Just take the same fingerings and put them on a different string," Martin advises. Remember some basic points, he says, such as "the third finger on violin can be 'do.' Then the next open string will be 're,' first finger will be 'mi,' and so on. It's good for intonation because [you] have to produce the same relative sounds starting with a different finger."
13. Play the same song in different tonalities (major, minor, Dorian, Mixolydian, and so on). Get your teacher or someone else who knows about music to challenge you, as Martin challenges his students. "I play a song to them and have them identify whether it's major or minor," he says, "or take a song they know in major and put it into minor, and pretty soon students begin figuring out how to do this themselves."
14. Improvise. You can do this on your own, but it's good if your teacher also tries to keep you on your toes. "We begin by improvising with tonal and rhythmic patterns," Martin says. "I say, instead of singing the tonic pattern I sing, I want you to sing a different tonic pattern, and then [I have them] play their own tonic patterns. They adjust their fingers for the right intonation, and the intonation gets better and better. Or I give them a tonic and they give me a dominant. Then they create their own harmonies for songs, using any tonic note for the tonic function, any dominant note for the dominant function. Then we begin adding rhythms, any rhythmic patterns they want, and as long as we're playing tonic and dominant at the right time, it'll fit. Intonation gets better and better the more they do this."
Throughout, both Martin and Slechta stress that good intonation isn't something you fix later; it's inextricably linked with melody, harmony, and rhythm from the moment those sounds first knock around in your head.
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at Tate Liverpool
Exhibition Guide
Find out more about our exhibition at Tate Liverpool
Don McCullin Consett, County Durham 1976 © Don McCullin
What I hoped I had captured in my pictures was an enduring image that would imprint itself on the world's memory.
For over sixty years, Don McCullin has been continuously working both at home and abroad. It began in 1959, when a bold young McCullin strolled into the offices of the Observer with his photograph of London gang 'The Guvnors'. His instinctive ability with the camera and his nose for a story were immediately recognised. He walked out having sold his picture, and with a commission to take more.
McCullin became one of the world's leading photographers of conflict. He has spent his life covering war, famine and displacement around the world. Much of this work was done for the Sunday Times, where he spent almost twenty years. His photographs raised awareness of atrocities as they were happening, but they also have a long-lasting influence, continuing to shape perceptions of historical events such as the Vietnam War or the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
McCullin is known for his empathetic approach, informed by his own challenging childhood. Often following his own initiative, he worked to shine a light on social injustices in the UK. This included photographing London's homeless communities, as well as making many trips to Liverpool and across the north, documenting the harsh living conditions for those dealing with deindustrialisation and poverty.
Unusually for an exhibition of contemporary photography, every photograph in this exhibition has been printed by McCullin himself. He is an expert printer, working in his darkroom at home, returning time and time again to produce the best possible results. In doing so, he revisits painful memories of his assignments; of people and places that are impossible to forget.
As a respite from conflict and suffering, McCullin has a longstanding interest in landscape photography. The surroundings of his home in Somerset are a subject he continues to return to, as a source of peace and comfort. Even here, the darkness makes its presence felt.
McCullin has always considered himself strictly a photographer, not an artist. As such, the titles of his images should be considered as photo captions. His intention is to provide necessary information, such as when and where an image was taken. At times, McCullin expands on this, giving an interpretation of events he witnessed first-hand, from his perspective as a Western journalist.
Photojournalism in the Gallery
When presented outside of the pages of print journalism, McCullin's images are no longer consumed with the immediacy of 'news'. Instead they become records of past events. In exhibiting these photographs, McCullin provides new audiences with evidence of some of the worst atrocities of the past sixty years. While acknowledging the difficulty of showing such subjects in a gallery setting, McCullin believes that 'as newspapers won't publish these images, they must have a life beyond my archive'.
Don McCullin The Guvnors 1958 © Don McCullin
They published the photograph of the Guvnors a few weeks later and gave me fifty pounds, a king's ransom to me… That was the beginnings of my humble roots in photography. Sadly this start was based on the death of a policeman and capital punishment for the man convicted. He was called Ronald Harwood and was hanged in Pentonville Prison, not far from Finsbury Park. The jumping-off point for my whole life was based on a terrible act of violence and its consequences.
Don McCullin grew up in Finsbury Park in north London. At the time, the neighbourhood was still in partial ruins after being bombed in the Second World War. McCullin remembers a childhood of poverty, bigotry and violence. His father died of chronic illness when McCullin was fourteen. This affected him deeply and he was forced to leave school in order to work to support his family.
McCullin's life was transformed by his first camera, a Rolleicord bought while on national service with the RAF in north Africa. On his return to the UK, McCullin was in need of money and pawned his camera. Luckily, his mother quickly bought it back. McCullin said that 'What happened as a result of that generous act was to have a dramatic effect on my life.'
American Troops Looking across the Wall, Berlin 1961
© Don McCullin
I came across a striking picture of Vopos (East German military) jumping over some barbed wire. It was the beginning of the Berlin crisis and the Wall. Suddenly I saw the direction in which my photography had to go. I said out loud: "I have absolutely GOT to go to Berlin."
In 1961 McCullin travelled to Germany to photograph the building of the Berlin Wall. In the aftermath of the Second World War, Germany was split into four zones, controlled by Britain, the US, France and the Soviet Union. The three western areas formed West Germany. The Soviet-controlled zone became East Germany. Berlin, located in the east, was similarly divided. The city, and the Wall in particular, became a striking symbol of the Cold War between the US, the Soviet Union and their respective allies, as both sides struggled for global supremacy. The fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 signalled the end of the conflict, and Germany was reunified less than a year later.
Although McCullin requested the assignment, the Observer was not initially interested in photos from Berlin. McCullin ultimately decided to pay for his own travel, a month's earnings at the time. Upon arrival he went straight to the crossing point that would later become known as Checkpoint Charlie. This is where the tension was most palpable, with US forces facing off with East German and Soviet soldiers. The images he took capture the uneasy coexistence of military occupation and everyday life. McCullin's photographs won him a British Press Award and a permanent contract with the Observer, who soon realised the historical significance of the images. From here on, McCullin became more confident in requesting assignments, and editors would learn to trust his instincts.
Cyprus left me with the beginnings of a self-knowledge, and the very beginning of what they call empathy. I found I was able to share other people's emotional experiences, live with them silently, transmit them… That I had a powerful ability to communicate.
In 1964 the Observer sent McCullin to Cyprus, where he had previously been stationed with the RAF during his national service, to cover the fresh outbreak of violence. The photographs he took were his first images of live conflict.
Cyprus is the site of a centuries-long, ongoing dispute between Greece and Turkey, and their respective ethnic groups living on the island. McCullin's pictures document a period of fighting between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots that erupted in the aftermath of the island gaining its independence from British colonial rule in 1960. Britain and the US allegedly stoked this violence in order to maintain a strategically valuable military presence on British sovereign territory that remains in place today.
As an inexperienced newcomer, McCullin was excluded from the official RAF-led tour of the island. He, and another correspondent from the Observer, were ultimately left to their own devices. Driving around the city of Limassol, they found themselves in the midst of gun battle as 5,000 armed Greeks surrounded a small Turkish quarter. While other journalists were prevented from gaining access, McCullin was arrested and spent the night in the safety of a Turkish police cell and was able to document the panic on the streets the next day, after he was released. He credits his experiences in Cyprus for helping him to develop the powerful sense of empathy for which his images are known.
Mercenary with Congolese Family, Paulus, Northern Congo 1965, printed 2013
ARTIST ROOMS Tate and National Galleries of Scotland
I first went to the Congo in 1964… The fighting I encountered was vicious and cruel, and on the whole, evil men prevailed.
In 1964 McCullin travelled to the Republic of Congo (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) working as a freelance photojournalist for the German magazine Quick. He was tasked with photographing the Simba rebellion in the east, which followed the 1961 murder of the country's first independent prime minister, Patrice Lumumba. The assassination took place, allegedly with help from the US and Belgium, during a period of unrest following independence from Belgian colonial rule in 1960. During this time, the country felt the influence of the Cold War, as Lumumba and his followers had gained support from the Soviet Union, while the US wanted to prevent communism from spreading across central Africa.
Journalists had been banned from Stanleyville (now Kisangani), the Simba rebels' base. To gain entry, McCullin disguised himself as a member of 5 Commando, a mercenary unit working for the Congolese government. Belgian paratroopers had reached the region earlier and McCullin was shocked by what he saw, describing it as 'a most hideous large-scale set-up, with no rights or rules or immunities, with some of the most violent, cruel people in the world.' When it was discovered that he was a photographer, McCullin was initially threatened with being handed over to the Congolese authorities. However, he was eventually allowed to join the troops on a rescue mission of missionaries and nuns who had been kidnapped by the Simbas. The rebels were ultimately defeated, but further instability followed, resulting in military dictator Mobutu Sese Seko leading the country from 1965 until 1997.
Was I of any use at all to the Biafran people? Or was I simply aiding a war that was not in their interests, a secession generated by power-hungry zealots with no thought of the anguish and deprivation they left behind when they moved their weapons of destruction on?
McCullin travelled to Biafra in 1968 and 1969 to photograph the humanitarian crisis caused by the Biafran War (now known as the Nigerian Civil War). The conflict was fought between the government of Nigeria and the separatist state of Biafra in the aftermath of Nigeria gaining independence from the UK in 1960. It was the result of the deep-rooted political, ethnic and religious tensions in Nigeria. These tensions originated in the 1914 British amalgamation of culturally and ethnically distinct areas into one centrally governed colony, forcing different groups into competition for resources and power. The 1966 massacres of Igbo people, the largest Biafran ethnic group, were further inciting events. A blockade set up by the Nigerian government meant that food and medical supplies were restricted, causing widespread famine and worsening disease. The federal Nigerian army has also been accused of the deliberate bombing of civilians, mass slaughter with machine guns, and rape.
Upon arrival in Port Harcourt, McCullin was immediately arrested by Biafran police. He was eventually released and allowed to go on a special mission with the army, who captured prisoners and executed them in front of McCullin. He refused to photograph the incident, not wanting to be complicit in killings that were staged for the media. The famine left a lasting impression on McCullin. On one outing he encountered 800 starving children in a Biafran school complex. His images, and those by other photographers, raised awareness of the situation. However, in December 1969, with increased support from the British government, Nigerian federal forces launched their final offensive. The Biafran state surrendered and was reintegrated into Nigeria in 1970. In three years of war, between 500,000 and 2 million civilians died, many of them children.
Jean, Whitechapel, London c.1980
Many people send me letters in England saying "I want to be a war photographer," and I say, go out into the community you live in. There's wars going on out there, you don't have to go halfway around the world… I don't want to encourage people to think photography is only necessary through the tragedy of war.
From the late 1960s to the early 1980s, McCullin photographed communities of men and women living on the streets of Aldgate and Whitechapel in east London. Located at the edge of the wealthy financial centre of the city, the area has since become unrecognisable due to extensive gentrification. McCullin believes that capitalism led to the closure of many unprofitable psychiatric institutions, leaving many of its residents homeless. He lamented the fact that the system works against people at the bottom of the social ladder who are unable to fight against its powers. To document this social crisis, McCullin set aside journalistic objectivity to work closely with the people he photographed. He took several images of a woman called Jean, and his study of her hands is both a testimony to the harsh reality of her living conditions and to McCullin's connection to his subjects.
Don McCullin Local Boys in Bradford 1972 Photo courtesy of Don McCullin
I wish I'd been born in Bradford, and had its beautiful dialect and its warm, relaxed attitude… Bradford's full of energy and enthusiasm – an exciting, giant, visual city.
McCullin was deeply affected by the trauma of reporting from some of the most violent conflicts of the second half of the twentieth century. When he returned home from these assignments, he often turned his attention to the tough lives of people in Britain. He photographed communities living in northern cities like Bradford and Liverpool, focusing on areas that had been neglected and left impoverished by policies of deindustrialisation. Often these trips were made on his own initiative, rather than being sent on assignment by a newspaper. McCullin saw similarities between their lives and his own childhood. Although he was 'reporting' on poverty and social crisis, he also identified deeply with his subjects, picturing the lives of others as a means of learning more about himself.
McCullin first visited Liverpool when he was fifteen years old, working on a steam train that travelled up from London three times a week. Later, as a young man, he returned as a photojournalist to document the changes that occurred in the city in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. This included the slum clearance that took place in Toxteth and surrounding areas, which gave the landscape the appearance of a warzone. Having grown up in similar circumstances, Liverpool felt familiar to McCullin and he became very fond of the city. Apart from photographing disadvantaged communities, he also spent time with artists and poets including Adrian Henri and Brian Patten for a 1967 Telegraph Magazine story written by Roger McGough, and documented the police for the Sunday Times in 1980.
Catholic Youths Attacking British Soldiers in the Bogside of Londonderry 1971, printed 2013
I decided to... look more closely at conflict through civilian eyes. There was no need to travel the world to find what I wanted, for the situation was there on my own doorstep, in Northern Ireland.
In 1971 the Sunday Times Magazine sent McCullin on one of many assignments to Northern Ireland. His photographs were published as part of a photo-story entitled 'War on the Home Front'. They document a period of intense political violence during the thirty-year conflict known as the Troubles. The Troubles evolved out of almost one thousand years of British involvement and rule in Ireland. Despite the establishment of an independent Republic of Ireland in 1949, Northern Ireland remained a British territory and a site of conflict.
In the late 1960s, Catholic civil rights campaigns were met with police brutality. Subsequent unrest led to the deployment of the British army and an escalation of violence in the region. On one side of the resulting armed conflict were Catholic republican paramilitaries, such as the Provisional Irish Republic Army (IRA), who wanted Northern Ireland to be unified with the Republic of Ireland. They were opposed by Protestant unionist groups such as the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), who wanted the territory to remain part of the United Kingdom. British state security forces attempted to police the conflict, but covertly supported and colluded with unionist groups. The conflict was mostly fought on the streets, with violence often flaring up in residential areas where segregated Catholic and Protestant communities met. The conflict continued until 1998, when it was ended with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. However, political tensions and social divisions remain.
The situation left McCullin feeling torn. He empathised with the Catholic community, who often received him warmly. But he also felt he was betraying the British soldiers, who saw him as 'consorting with the enemy'.
McCullin's work was most widely seen by the public in the Observer and the Sunday Times magazines. Prints, such as those featured here, have rarely been seen outside of gallery exhibitions. McCullin worked at the Sunday Times Magazine for eighteen years. The magazine accompanied the Sunday Times newspaper and was the first colour supplement to be published in the UK. From the early 1960s until the early 1980s, photographers like McCullin helped develop the magazine's reputation for combining journalism with high-quality images.
This room shows some of these magazine spreads which include examples of McCullin's colour photography, and stories not featured elsewhere in the exhibition. These magazine covers and articles provide a sense of how his work was originally seen, at Sunday morning breakfast tables across Britain.
The Battle for the City of Hue, South Vietnam, US Marine Inside Civilian House 1968, printed 2013
Through sheer force of numbers and firepower, it seemed that the marines must eventually win, but at what cost? You could see that they were losing faith in the war. The swing of public opinion against the war at home in the States was also manifesting itself here in the front line as it was being fought.
McCullin visited Vietnam sixteen times over the course of his career. Working on assignment for the Sunday Times he covered both the Vietnam War (also known as the American War) and its aftermath. The war was a protracted conflict running from 1954 to 1975. It pitted communist North Vietnam and the Viêt Công, their guerrilla allies in the South, against South Vietnam and their principal ally the US. The US and South Vietnamese forces relied on aerial warfare, including the use of the chemical weapon napalm, which resulted in many civilian deaths. It is estimated that between 1 and 3.8 million Vietnamese soldiers and civilians were killed during the conflict. 58,220 US service members also died.
In 1968 McCullin spent eleven days with US troops during the Battle of Hue. McCullin begged to be sent over on assignment and was approaching Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) just as North Vietnam launched the Tet Offensive, a series of surprise attacks seizing southern territory, including Hue. McCullin took some of his best-known images as the Americans were fighting their way into the Hue citadel. Dressed in US Army clothing, he was at risk of being shot by snipers, while US Phantom bombers were dropping napalm nearby. There was no escaping the ongoing fighting as the opposing forces attacked using grenades and machine guns at close range. Eventually the US declared military victory, but the city was virtually destroyed. More than 5,000 civilians were killed and many soldiers lost their lives, which negatively affected the American public's perception of the war. Images by photographers such as McCullin helped to inspire widespread demonstrations against US involvement and they have shaped Western perceptions of the conflict to this day. In 1973 American troops were withdrawn, and in 1975 South Vietnam fell to a full-scale invasion by the North.
Cambodia was regarded as no more than a sideshow to Vietnam, and, in consequence it received little attention. As Vietnam faded from the news, Cambodia disappeared almost without trace. Yet… the country was literally being torn apart.
The Sunday Times Magazine sent McCullin on several assignments to cover the Cambodian Civil War. The military conflict ran from 1967 to 1975. It primarily pitted the Communist Party of Kampuchea (the Khmer Rouge), their communist allies in North Vietnam and the Viêt Công, against the Kingdom of Cambodia.
During the Vietnam War, the Cambodian government allowed communist North Vietnamese guerrillas to use Cambodia as a supply route to their troops fighting in South Vietnam. But in 1970, this government was overthrown, and an anti-communist regime took control. The new government forces fought against the communist North Vietnamese troops in Cambodia and the emerging Khmer Rouge. The US intervened with a bombing campaign targeting the communist forces. However, US bombs also killed large numbers of civilians and significantly contributed to the Cambodian refugee crisis, which saw 2 million displaced people.
During McCullin's first visit to Cambodia in 1970 he was hit by a mortar bomb. He was seriously injured and others were killed. Returning to Phnom Penh in 1975, McCullin photographed the dire conditions in hospitals. The situation had also become extremely dangerous for journalists, and McCullin knew of at least twenty who had been killed. As the Khmer Rouge closed in on the city, the Sunday Times instructed him to leave and he evacuated a week before the city fell.
The Khmer Rouge, led by dictator Pol Pot, took control of the country in 1975. During their rule, the Khmer Rouge were responsible for the deaths of up to 2 million people. In 1979 the Khmer Rouge were overthrown, and Pol Pot was tried and found guilty of genocide. However, he fled and remained free until 1997, ultimately dying of natural causes in 1998 while under house arrest.
No heroics are possible when you are photographing people who are starving. All I could do was to try and give the people caught up in this terrible disaster as much dignity as possible. There is a problem inside yourself, a sense of your own powerlessness, but it doesn't do to let it take hold, when your job is to stir the conscience of others who can help.
In 1971 McCullin asked to cover the Bangladesh War of Independence after reading about the possibility of a million refugees fleeing into India. At the time, Bangladesh was known as East Pakistan and was under a joint administration with West Pakistan. This was established during the 1947 Partition of India, which saw the end of British colonial rule and the creation of two independent Indian and Pakistani states, based on the religious majorities in both regions. Following a British plan, Partition was a violent act of separation that displaced 14 million people and killed up to 2 million. It set the stage for the Bangladesh War of Independence and continuing tensions between India and Pakistan.
By 1971, Bengali people in East Pakistan were demanding increased autonomy and later, independence. Following demonstrations, thousands of troops arrived from West Pakistan. On 26 March, civil war erupted with West Pakistan's launch of Operation Searchlight, a military campaign which forced an estimated 10 million East Pakistani civilians to flee to India or face death.
McCullin recounts witnessing an endless flow of people on the road to Calcutta. These refugees were housed in inadequate camps and many people died from starvation as well as wounds from military attacks. With the onset of the monsoons, a cholera epidemic caused further devastation. McCullin photographed the refugees for four days, until his cameras suffered water damage. Despite the difficult conditions, he was determined to show those comfortably at home in Britain how these people were suffering.
On 3 December, India invaded East Pakistan in support of the East Pakistani people, which led to surrender by the Pakistani army. On 16 December 1971, East Pakistan became Bangladesh. Over the course of the war it is estimated that more than 3 million people were killed, and thousands of women were raped. The violence affected almost every family in East Pakistan.
A Palestinian Mother in Her Destroyed House, Sabra Camp 1982, printed 2013
Two local newspapermen had been tortured and killed… but the Western press escaped the worst. Even the most murderous factions were keen to impress the justness of their cause upon the world.
The Lebanese Civil War was a complex conflict which lasted from 1975 until 1990. Following the Second World War the nation gained its independence from France, with the Maronite Christians assuming government control. When the state of Israel was established in 1948, vast numbers of Palestinian refugees fled to Lebanon. This resulted in a shift in the country's majority religion from Christianity to Islam. Muslim political groups, who already opposed the pro-Western government, allied themselves with the Palestinians. Tensions had been rising for some time and, in 1975, fighting began between the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and Maronite Christians.
Later that year, McCullin travelled to Beirut, the Lebanese capital. Seeking the best access to the fighting, he initially embedded himself with the Christian Phalange militia, witnessing their massacre in the Muslim neighbourhood of Karantina. Shortly after, McCullin and Canadian journalist Martin Meredith were arrested while trying to return to Karantina. 'I knew then all too well what I had done wrong. I had tried to get through a left-wing Muslim checkpoint by flourishing a Christian [Phalange] pass.' They were nearly executed as suspected Christian spies, but luckily a senior officer freed them after accepting that they were legitimate journalists.
In 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon in a bid to eradicate the PLO. In September they ordered the right-wing Christian Phalangists to clear out PLO fighters from the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps, leading to a massacre of many Palestinian and Lebanese Shiite civilians. The Israeli army had surrounded the camp, blocking exits to prevent people from leaving. As soon as he read about the massacre McCullin returned to Lebanon, arriving about a day later to photograph the aftermath.
I don't believe you can see what's beyond the edge unless you put your head over it; I've many times been right up to the precipice, not even a foot or an inch away. That's the only place to be if you're going to see and show what suffering really means.
After a ten-year break from war, McCullin went to Iraq in 1991. He was on assignment with the Independent, to cover the Kurdish exodus from Iraq in the wake of the Gulf War. Disputes over oil production and Iraq's historical claims to Kuwaiti territory led to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. A US-led coalition intervened and liberated Kuwait by February 1991, but stopped short of mounting a full-scale invasion of Iraq.
Towards the end of the Gulf War, the US attempted to weaken Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein by making radio broadcasts encouraging Kurdish rebellion. The broadcasts implied that the US would support a campaign to overthrow Hussein. There was longstanding Kurdish desire for independence, and they had been attacked by Hussein in the 1986–9 Anfal genocide, which killed approximately 50,000 to 100,000 people.
In 1991, uprisings broke out in the south and the Kurdish-populated north. Despite initial success, anticipated support from the US did not materialise and Hussein was able to regain control. In the aftermath, between 1.5 and 2 million people in northern Iraq fled across the borders into Iran and Turkey. Hussein's helicopter gunships deliberately attacked these fleeing civilians, while many more were killed or injured by landmines planted in the 1980s during the Iran-Iraq War. McCullin joined the Kurds as they were fleeing north and were driven up the mountains by the Iraqi army. Three foreign correspondents, who were initially with the same party, were taken prisoner. One was killed on the spot by Iraqi soldiers, while the others were imprisoned for eighteen days. McCullin escaped with the Kurdish fighters and eventually returned to Iraq in 2003 to cover the invasion by a combined force of troops from the US, the UK, Australia, and Poland.
It was so easy to fall in love with India; its ancient culture and long history… I have been back again and again many times since and never cease to wonder at the beauty to be found there.
McCullin first went to India in 1966. He returned throughout his career, taking pictures of the country he finds to be one of the most visually exciting in the world. For many years he made the annual pilgrimage to the Sonepur Mela, a cattle fair that takes place each November on Kartik Poornima, the day of the full moon. Sonepur is located where the sacred rivers Ganges and Gandak meet. Hindus regard it as a holy site. The town is associated with a Hindu festival that celebrates the mythological battle between an elephant and crocodile. The story goes that the elephant was tiring in his long struggle and about to drown. He called out to the Lord Krishna who appeared on an eagle and killed the crocodile. Each year, thousands flock to Sonepur to show their devotion to Krishna and visit the fair. As elephant numbers diminish, visitor numbers have risen. McCullin has photographed the supplicants and pilgrims who gather at similar fairs and holy festivals across India. These include Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad), Sagar Island, Pushkar and Kolkata (formerly Calcutta).
Southern Frontiers
Those colossal Roman stone structures from 2,000 years ago filled me with awe, then it dawned on me how they were achieved. Through cruelty. Through wickedness and slavery. The staggering accomplishment was the product of brutality.
For many years McCullin has been engaged in an encyclopaedic project to photograph the ruined buildings on the southern borders of the Roman Empire. He has travelled through Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. His photographs document the ruins of a long-gone era, an empire that could only reach such heights through military conquest, slavery and injustice. Though McCullin had previously declared he would not photograph another conflict, he recently returned to Syria to continue to record these sites. He revisited the ruined temple of Palmyra to document the deliberate destruction of these ancient buildings by the so-called Islamic State (IS). Despite having made his earlier images in peacetime, they have become associated with conflict. McCullin's photographs are now one of the only ways to see these sites as they stood for centuries.
Woods near My House, Somerset c.1991
My landscapes have become a form of meditation. They've healed a lot of my pain and guilt. When I was injured in wars, I thought it was good for me to bleed, to hurt and have pain. Why should I stand over others and photograph their pain and see their blood? The landscape gave me a sense of balance.
After a lifetime of war, McCullin says he has now 'sentenced himself to peace'. In recent years, the landscapes of Somerset, Scotland and Northumberland have been McCullin's focus. Though this photography practice gives him a sense of tranquillity, it is clear that memories of conflict are never far away. His photograph of wars have much in common with his images of the flooded Somerset Levels or Hadrian's Wall. The jagged, torn earth and dark, metallic skies resemble battlefields rather than peaceful pastoral scenes. For McCullin, these landscapes are politicised too, a result of the constant closures of dairy farms and the development of green belt land.
Until 9 May 2021
See more than 200 photographs of Liverpool, the north and international conflict, captured over the last 60 years
Don McCullin: The Interview
Don McCullin and Simon Grant
Don McCullin (b1935) is an internationally acclaimed photographer with over 60 years of experience documenting the world's devastating wars and …
Don McCullin on Photographing War
Hear photographer Don McCullin describe the emotions of photographing war

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Would you like to warm up in the sauna? Or is a good book and an armchair more your style? See all that Prezidentská has to offer its guests and what you can experience here.
We love the Jizera Mountains—most of all the fact that they are beautiful in any weather and in every season. And everything is within reach from our lodge.
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Winter is really in its element here in the mountains. The snow here is somehow always whiter, the icicles icier…Come and see for yourself!


text:
A Falco KC Szombathely Szombathely négyszeres magyar bajnok NB I/A csoportos kosárlabdacsapata.

Története

Szombathelyi kosárlabda előzményei
1954 és 1963 között a Szombathelyi Haladás (Lokomotív, Törekvés) csapata vett részt az első osztályban, 1954-ben és 1955-ben tizedik, 1956-ban kilencedik, majd tizenkettedik és újra kilencedikek lettek, 1959-ben 14. helyen zártak és kiestek. 1960-ban egyből feljutottak, 1961-ben és 1962-ben tizenkettedikek lettek, 1963-ban újra 14. helyen végeztek, és kiestek.

Alsóbb osztályokban
Az 1980-as évek legelején két, vegetáló NB II-es férfi kosárlabdacsapat működött Szombathelyen. 1980-ban heti egyszeri találkozókkal csapatot kezdett építeni a Fakombinát, a város egyik legsikeresebb cége is. Pár megszállott, így például Gráczer György és Németh István fanatizmusának köszönhetően megmozdult valami a városban. Az új csapat a megyei bajnokságban indult. 1987-ben a Fakombinát - más néven a Falco - vezetősége elhatározta, hogy biztosítja a csapatnak a magasabb szintre kerülés lehetőségét, vagyis komoly anyagi támogatást juttat a csapathoz.

Az első, 1987–1988-as szezonban az NB II/B csoportjának bajnoka lett a Falco. Ekkor a csapat az NB I-be kerülést célozta meg három éven belül. Az első évben a Déri Csaba vezette csapat csupán két vereséggel zárta az alapszakaszt, ám a rájátszásban nem sikerült kiharcolni az első osztályba kerülést. A következő szezonban azonban sikerült a cél elérése, így a Szombathelyi Haladás 1963-as kiesése után ismét NB I-es csapat játszott Szombathelyen.

A B csoportban előbb a gyökeret verés, majd az A csoportba jutás lett a cél, és utóbbit már 1992-ben, Földi Sándor irányításával teljesítették.

Az élvonalban
A friss újonc Falco első élvonalbeli évében 12. helyen zárt, ezután, 1993 óta egy szezon (2005–2006) kivételével mindig bejutott a legjobb 8 csapat közé, és a felsőházi rájátszásban játszott. 1997-ben bronz-, 1998-ban ezüstérmet szereztek a kupában, 1999-ben pedig először bejutottak a bajnokság elődöntőjébe, sőt a döntőbe is, ahol az Albacomp csapata 4–1 arányban nyert. Ezután három év alatt két bronzérmet is begyűjtöttek és közben két évig a Szuper Liga és a Korać Kupa résztvevői voltak, előbbiben egy arany- és egy ezüstérmet szerezve.

A következő öt évben nem sikerült érmet gyűjteni a csapatnak, a csapat pénzügyi válságba került, amiből szerényebb körülmények vállalása mellett sikerült kilábalni. A csapat ekkor (ahogy korábban és később is) nagyban támaszkodott Kálmán Lászlóra, aki egymás utáni 3 évben is gólkirály lett (2004, 2005, 2006).

2007-ben a szezon közben érkező Srećko Sekulović edzővel bejutottak a legjobb 4 közé, majd az ő irányításával a következő szezonban megnyerték a bajnokságot, a kupában pedig ezüstérmet szereztek 2-szeri hosszabbítás után az Atomerőmű SE ellen. A kupát a következő két évben sem sikerült megszerezni, 2009-ben a Pécsi VSK-Pannonpower, 2010-ben a ZTE KK csapata bizonyult jobbnak a döntőben.

2012-ben a csapat megnyerte az alapszakaszt, de a bajnoki döntőben kikapott a Szolnoki Olaj KK-tól.

2016-2017-es szezoban és 2017-2018-as szezonban is a második helyezést érték el a szombathelyiek.

Végül a 2018-2019-es szezonban, a rájátszásban veretlenül 10 év után újra nyerni tudott a csapat.

Eredmények

A bajnokcsapatok kerete
A 2007–2008-ban magyar bajnok Falco KC tagjai:
Játékosok: Mikalai Aliakseyeu (), Borszéki Csaba, Andrija Csirics (), Csiszár Dániel, Jara Rubin Doyne (), Edwin Draughan (), Feigl Imre, Trevor Harvey (), Horváth Dávid, Arnas Kazlauskas (), Kálmán László, Pankár Tibor, Papp Balázs, Szanati Mátyás, Váradi Kornél, Will Tamás.
Edző: Srećko Sekulović ().

A 2018-2019-ben magyar bajnok Falco KC tagjai:

 Játékosok: Váradi Benedek, Juvonte Reddic (), Bíró Olivér, Perl Zoltán, Ron Curry (), Hódi Patrik. Tóth Norbert, Körmendi Bence, Stefan Balmazovic (), Verasztó Péter, Evan Bruinsma (), Darrin Govens (), Julian Norfleet (), Aliaksandr Pustahvar ().
 Edzők: Gasper Okorn (), Milos Konakov ().
A 2020-2021-ben magyar bajnok Falco KC tagjai:

 Játékosok: Kyan Anderson (), Keller Ákos, Perl Zoltán, Váradi Benedek, Benke Szilárd, Sövegjártó Ábel, Kovács Benedek, Doktor Péter, De'Quon Lake (), Boris Barac ( ), Dancsecs András, Evan Bruinsma (), Strahinja Milosevic (), Devin Searcy ().
 Edzők: Gasper Okorn (), Milos Konakov ().

Jelenlegi játékosok
Utolsó módosítás: 2022. szeptember 21.

Válogatott játékosok

A klub történetében ezidáig három felnőtt válogatott játékost adott a nemzeti csapatba: az 1990-es évek végén és a 2000-es évek elején Kálmán László 78, Pankár Tibor 57 alkalommal húzhatta magára a címeres mezt. A játékosok 2006-ban, Meszlényi Róbert szövetségi kapitány döntése alapján - több hasonló korú játékossal együtt - kikerültek a válogatott keretből.

2008-ban az aktuális kapitány, Sztojan Ivkovics a 21 éves, korábbi sokszoros utánpótlás-válogatott Váradi Kornélt hívta be a nemzeti csapatba. Váradi nem játszott tétmeccsen a 2008-as Eb-selejtezőkön, melyek után Szolnokra igazolt.

2009 nyarán a klub leigazolta a válogatottban korábban szintén számos alkalommal szereplő Horváth Zoltánt, aki a 2009-es Eb-selejtezők mindegyikén pályára lépett.

A csapat saját nevelésű játékosa, Szabó Zsolt a 2011-es és a 2013-as Eb selejtezőin egyaránt játszott (2010-ben a Soproni KC játékosaként, 2012 nyarán a Falcoból igazolt az Albacomphoz).

Utánpótlás

Az egyesület nagy hangsúlyt fektet az utánpótlás korú játékosok nevelésére. A Falco KC-Szombathelyi Sportiskola korosztályos utánpótlás csapataiban közel 300 játékos kosárlabdázik.
Sikeres felnőtt csapata mellett a klub egy junior, egy ifjúsági, egy kadett, öt serdülő és hét gyermek csapatot működtet, és előkészítő csapattal is rendelkezik.

Az utánpótlás csapatok közül a legnagyobb sikereket az 1996/97 és az 1997/98-as szezonban érte el a klub: mindkétszer a második helyen végzett (a Diana SE, illetve a MAFC mögött), míg az 1998/99-as idényt az ötödik helyen zárta a csapat.

A különböző korosztályos válogatottakban - a kiváló utánpótlás-nevelő munka eredményeként - rendszeresen találkozhatunk Falco játékosok neveivel.

Visszavonultatott mezszám
2009 decemberében a csapat válogatott játékosa, Horváth Zoltán közlekedési balesetben elhunyt. Tiszteletére a klub visszavonultatta az általa viselt 18-as mezt.

2013-ban a csapat ikonja, Kálmán László bejelentette, hogy 21 szezon után abbahagyja a profi pályafutását. Tiszteletére a klub visszavonultatta az általa viselt 8-as számú mezt.

Jegyzetek

Források
Falco-történelem

Szombathely sportélete
Magyar kosárlabdacsapatok

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The Croatian climate is one of the best in the world - it's the major reason tourists keep coming back to the region every summer.
The Dalmatian coast, with its collection of pretty islands in the Adriatic Sea, is particularly popular with visitors and locals.
Here the climate is Mediterranean, which means the winters are mild and the summers are warm, hot, and sunny, although because the Dinaric Alps line the coast, rainfall in the winter is rather substantial.
Although winters are relatively mild along the coast, a biting cold wind called the bura adds a measure of harshness to the climate when the temperatures start to plummet. When the bura wind blows in the winter months, it carries cold air from central and Eastern Europe to the coast for several days at a time.
This wind is exceptionally strong north of the Adriatic Sea in the Gulf of Kvarner and North Dalmatia area. In the summer sunny days are the norm, however, it does rain once in a while, with the occasional thunderstorm.
Most days are bright and sunny in the summer - perfect for lounging on the beach and tanning. In the winter the average amount of sunshine received is four hours per day, while in the summer the sun shines for ten to twelve hours a day.
What clothes sould you pack?
What are the essentials that you really need?
The continental part of the country is less Mediterranean, with a climate similar to normal conditions experienced in Eastern Europe - colder winters and warm, rather than hot, summers. The summer tends to be wetter inland than on the Croatian coast, receiving more rainfall on average.
Inland Croatia also receives a good amount of snow in the winter. Because of all the mountains and hills, the higher elevations receive significant amounts of snowfall that stays on the ground for weeks at a time before the temperatures warm enough for melting to occur.
Slavonia and Eastern Croatia consist mainly of flat, fertile land in the valleys of the river Danube, Drava, and Sava. Here the winters are exceptionally cold, icy, and snowy.
Generally, although the weather in Croatia differs depending on where you are - inland or on the coast - the average temperatures are quite mild and the region doesn't receive large amounts of precipitation. The Croatian cities and islands on the Adriatic experience the nicest weather overall, benefiting from normal Mediterranean weather patterns.
This is the bay right beside the picturesque town Primosten.
Since you have to take a walk of around 5 minutes to reach the beach - there are very view people!
The summers are spectacular - it's sunny almost every day, and although it gets hot enough to enjoy a nice refreshing swim or sit outside sipping beverages, temperatures rarely soar to uncomfortable heights.
The waters of the Adriatic are the perfect temperature - crisp, clean, and blue. The weather on the coast is one of the major reasons why tourists flock to the region every summer and crowd the pristine sandy beaches.
Croatia is a European gem that's starting to get more popular as people from all over the world discover everything the country has to offer. The climate is perfect for summer beach vacations - sunny days that last for 10-12 hours, little rain, and warm temperatures every day of the week.
"Have a great vacation and I hope you have wonderful weather :-)"


0:17Skip to 0 minutes and 17 secondsHaving looked at the principles that inform biomedical ethics and some of the guidelines that inform ethical research practice, it's worth reminding ourselves of the importance of sticking to these principles. History provides us with some salutary lessons about what can go wrong if we don't have a regard for what we are doing to our fellow humans in the name of science. Most notorious is Dr Josef Mengele who conducted a series of experiments in the Nazi concentration camps at Birkenau and Auschwitz which had no regard for the suffering of the unwilling participants.
0:51Skip to 0 minutes and 51 secondsHis use of twins in experimental conditions to inflict terrible suffering in order to assess pain tolerance and response to various illnesses was apparently conducted without any remorse for the pain, suffering and death he inflicted. Mengele escaped after the war and died in South America several years later, still protesting that his work had value. The story of one of the surviving pairs of twins, Ava and Miriam Moses, is a haunting reminder of the human cost of this terrible episode in research history. Unlike Dr Mengele, many Nazi war criminals were tried for war crimes at the Nuremberg Trials.
1:32Skip to 1 minute and 32 secondsAs a result of the testimony of many people during these Trials, a set of ethical principles were developed as a guideline for future healthcare researchers. These spell out some very basic concepts, but are also the first time that the concept of informed consent was introduced, a concept which has been refined since. It's important to note that actually these guidelines, however basic and obvious they seem to us now, actually took some time to gain any traction and they've never been enshrined in law in any country. What did follow, however, was the Declaration of Helsinki by the World Health Organisation, originally developed in 1975, it's now in its seventh revision and has continued to refine ethical principles in relation to research.
2:20Skip to 2 minutes and 20 secondsThe Helsinki Declaration is credited with the ending of another experiment which we would now see as deeply immoral, the Tuskegee syphilis experiment which ran in the American State of Alabama between 1932 and 1972. As part of a public health programme, a large cohort of African-American men were recruited to study the effects of syphilis. Whilst promised free healthcare, the subjects were not told that in fact they were not being treated for syphilis but the progress of the disease was being studied in the group. Even after an effective treatment in the form of penicillin was found, they were not offered the option of medication and what started as a six-month study, eventually lasted 40 years.
3:05Skip to 3 minutes and 5 secondsDuring the course of this experiment, not only did a number of the subjects die unnecessarily, but 40 wives caught the disease and 19 children were born with congenital syphilis as a result. Ironically, it was also a result of Nazi behaviour that the Milgram Experiments were conducted at Yale University in the USA by psychologist Stanley Milgram. Fascinated by what made ostensibly good people do bad things during the Second World War, he set up some tests to see if compliance to authority could be replicated in laboratory conditions. This involved telling people to shock unseen subjects with increasingly large jolts of electricity.
3:45Skip to 3 minutes and 45 secondsMilgram found that even when the subjects could hear screaming from the next room, they continued to administer the shocks in order to comply with researchers' demands, that they didn't spoil the experiment by not continuing. In this case, Milgram was only simulating the electronic shocks. No one was actually being hurt, but the subjects didn't know this. So, while ethical experimentation was evolving, informed consent was hardly applicable in this case and the amount of deceit used is morally dubious at best.
4:17Skip to 4 minutes and 17 secondsLikewise, in the early 70s, at Stanford University in the USA, another experiment on similar lines tested how ordinary people responded to being given complete authority over another group of people. After volunteers were assigned as prisoners and half as prison guards, but again, some deception was used to increase the perceived reality of the situation. Over the course of the next six days, the guards acted in an increasingly brutal manner towards their charges until the experiment had to be finally called off.
4:50Skip to 4 minutes and 50 secondsIn part, the outcry that followed this particular experiment is what led to the development of systems within university and healthcare systems of ethical review committees which look at research designs for ethical issues before the research is started in order to safeguard participants. So, whilst we now have much better systems for safeguarding subjects and participants of research, and ensuring that research is conducted in an ethical manner, we shouldn't become complacent. Sometimes things still slip through the net. The world-famous Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, for example, caused controversy by retaining the organs of deceased children for scientific purposes when parents had not given express permission for this to happen. This was only discovered in 1999.
5:39Skip to 5 minutes and 39 secondsAnd in a final twist and by way of showing that the same standards of ethical behaviour did not necessarily apply in other areas of public life, the illusionist Darren Brown recreated a variation of the Milgram experiments in 2006 for a TV show, The Heist, in which he managed to manipulate volunteers into conducting an armed robbery. So, although our systems of seeking ethical permission to conduct healthcare research may at times seem bureaucratic, there are good reasons why we put in these safeguards. If we seek to practice ethically, we must also seek to research in an ethical manner.
In this audio Dr Laurence Baldwin gives a brief overview of some of the most unethical research conducted in the last 100 years and how, slowly, these experiments have led to the idea of ethics that we take for granted today.
He talks about how the Declaration of Helsinki came about, how it ended an unethical experiment that had run for 40 years and how the idea of informed consent is not as old as we think it might be.
These processes are not infallible however and Dr Baldwin gives an example from the UK of recent unethical research carried out at a hospital.
Finally, he discusses how the same standards of ethical practice do not apply to all areas of public life. He gives the example of Derren Brown's creation of a variation of the Milgram Experiments for television, illustrating that there are still very good reasons for the necessity of safeguards.


1.4 million pilgrims will converge on Mecca today for the official beginning of Hajj, but noticeably few of them will be Qatari.
Qatari access to the Islamic pilgrimage has been a point of contention with Saudi Arabia for months. The issue seemed resolved two weeks ago when Saudi King Salman temporarily reopened the border and ordered seven planes to pick up pilgrims in Doha. Although 400 Qataris successfully entered the Kingdom, disputes over flight permits and security arrangements left 800 remaining pilgrims stranded in Doha.
With the exception of previous Iranian boycotts, impeded access to the Hajj is virtually unprecedented in modern Islamic history. The complications with Qatar mark an especially sharp reversal for a region that only months ago considered implementing a common currency.
The increasingly heated falling out between Qatar and the countries blockading it means that even if the current crisis is resolved, a return to the status quo ante is likely out of reach.
The widening divide between traditionalist states like Saudi Arabia and backers of political Islam in Turkey and Qatar threatens to break apart America's traditional security coalition and create a new axis of conflict in an already tumultuous region.


April 23, 2017 • DoggoLingo is a rising language on the Internet that's full of cutesy suffixes and onomatopoeias. It might even change the way you talk to your pet.
January 6, 2017 • The newer, Internet-social-media-sense memes are in the same vein as those some scholars defined years ago, says Alva Noe.
February 16, 2016 • The #catmageddon ad pretty much blew the doors off the Grammys. Now the question is whether the fact that secondhand smoke can cause cancer in cats will persuade young adults to stop smoking.
December 1, 2015 • In just three weeks in office, John Magufuli has shaken up country's finances by slashing budgets for celebrations and travel. The Internet reacted with a funny meme.
October 27, 2015 • In the past week, a video for Drake's song "Hotline Bling" has inspired both memes and jokes. A new entry has its roots in a fictional Australian high school with a gung-ho drama teacher.
August 6, 2015 • After Isis Anchalee, was used in a recruiting ad by her tech firm, people online debated if she really was an engineer. Her defense went viral and got more women to stand up as faces of engineering.
March 3, 2015 • Becoming Internet-famous is a gold mine for some, a nightmare for others. The world of memes can pit free speech against the desire for privacy. And laws generally aren't keeping up, an expert says.
November 26, 2013 • When the World Health Organization made a big mistake about how many Greeks are getting HIV, the misinformation spread. Now, WHO is trying to correct the record. But the mistake is still out there.
June 25, 2013 • How did the Zombie Apocalypse become a ubiquitous all-consuming (no pun intended) meme? Adam Frank says we keep re-telling this story because it's trying to tell us something about the future. Are we listening?
December 23, 2012 • The things that catch on and get copied or parodied across the Web often catch fire because they let people share themselves in unique ways, say the trend trackers at Know Your Meme.
Sick Of Year-End Lists Yet? Or Do You Love Them?
December 11, 2012 • From "golden tweets" to "most annoying memes," the subjects for 2012 "best of" and "worst of" lists are multiplying. Where do they rank among your favorites?
Political Memes: Fast, Cheap And Out Of Control?
October 24, 2012 • This year's presidential debates may be remembered as much for what the candidates said as for those witty Internet memes that followed. Experts say the rise of the political meme largely blindsided the campaigns.
October 17, 2012 • It is now clear that we are living in a world of viral memes that take no sides when it comes to spoofing politicians or debate moderators. So what's a politician to do as the target of a social media parody? Run with it.
May 2, 2012 • Describe an economic idea in a phrase that rhymes with that idea. Or describe an economist's idea in a phrase that rhymes with the economist's name.
December 8, 2011 • All three started as one thing and became something else entirely as people used digital tools to add their own interpretations and comments and then spread their work around the Web.


The racist westerners keep accusing us Asians of faking or photoshoping our Cosplay pictures as the reason of why we Asians look better cosplaying our Anime/Asian characters or why we Asians look more like our Anime/Asian characters compared to those racist westerners. Those racist westerners accusing us Asians with those nonsense because those racist westerners are very jealous of us Asians because we Asians are the one who got preferred by our Anime fans in the Cosplay world due to the fact that we Asians the one who look better or look more like our Anime/Asian characters, while those racist westerners are mocked and shunned by our Anime fans because those racist westerners keep failing on cosplaying our Anime/Asians characters which ruining our Anime/Asian characters that in the end hurting our Anime fans. The most disgusting thing is in reality those racist westerners are the one who are faking/photoshoping their Cosplay pictures.
- Photoshoping is a term used when altering a picture using an image editing program named photoshop and due to the wide use of photoshop program the photoshoping term are now commonly used as an action of altering a picture.
- Live motion video is a video that are created by recording a moving object. This kind of video can't be altered using photoshop or can't be photoshoped without making it obvious such as the frames become broken, there is inconsistency in the images shape, colors, brightness, contrast, etc.
Photoshoping a picture is fine such for example to add more brightness, contrast, adding things to the background, etc as long as not changing the object [ human ] facial & body form in the picture. It is very unethical when someone change his/her facial & body form in his/her picture to make peoples think that he/she is looking good, it is the same as fooling other peoples especially when the altered picture are used to win something which will make it as disgraceful cheating, disgraceful because he/she even have no pride in his/her own appearance which he/she inherited from his/her parents that become as his/her identity of who he/she really is.
Other than faking their western Cosplay pictures by using photoshop, the racist westerners also using other desperate method which is by taking their Cosplay pictures that only showing 1 side of their western facial form while their deep set western eyes are avoiding the camera's focus, with the intention to hide their flaws of not having the right facial & body form to succeed on cosplaying our Anime/Asian characters. As a result the peoples who see those racist westerners Cosplay picture can't clearly see their deep set western eyes, long western nose, square western face and sharp western jaw. But sooner or later those racists westerners will realize that their disgusting actions will become useless and badly hurt themselves once the peoples who managed to get fooled by those racist westerners are asking to see those racist westerners in real live or see their live motion videos.


Maxwell Rodgers recently delivered a shipment of throws to the Ritz Carlton in China. New Zealand, where Maxwell Rodgers manufactures the throws, has a free trade agreement with China so no duties (normally 17%) were paid.
The designer got their required look without substitution and the quality of the product was guaranteed.
Recent projects have included throws that have added lambs wool. Recent projects that used lambs wool throws included the Van Zant (a Kimpton Hotel in Dallas) and the hotels at Pebble Beach golf course.
Natural fibre bedthrows can now be machine washed in-house by means of a new laundry regime developed exclusively by Maxwellrodgers. Not only does this satisfy the practical demands of hotel operators, but also continues Maxwellrodgers' commitment to care of the planet.
The former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark, paid a visit to Maxwellrodgers Fabrics to commend us on our export success. This acknowledgment is a result of our ongoing commitment to providing the highest quality product and service to the world's hospitality industry.
The Venetian Hotel and Palazzo tower - all 7000 rooms feature a custom designed Maxwellrodgers bedthrow. This is the second major project in Las Vegas following on from Caesars Palace (pictured).


Apartment in The Vista for rent, one of the largest development in the prime residential area, Thao Dien - An Phu, in District 2 of Ho Chi Minh City, is a complex of premium residential condominiums, shopping mall, serviced apartments and offices.
The Vista apartment for rent are attractively appointed and include a wide range of conveniences designed to meet the needs of busy professionals.
With all our furnished apartments, we handle the details, including utilities, furniture, kitchen supplies and more -- so you can keep on track and focus on your priorities.


On a cold winter night, there's little that can be more frustrating than discovering your furnace is blowing cold air.
Before you panic and call your trusted HVAC repairman, there are a few steps you can take to try to troubleshoot the problem yourself. In fact, if you routinely follow some of these steps, you might be able to avoid such an emergency from ever occurring in the first place.
The two main types of heating systems are the forced air duct system (utilizes a blower to push warm air into the vents) and the gravity system (where convection currents circulate warm air).
If you have just moved into your home or have recently installed a new furnace, you might not be familiar with how long it takes for the air in the furnace to warm up. Cold air builds up in the vents when the furnace isn't in use. It may take several minutes for the cold air to clear out of the vents.
Conversely, if your furnace is older and has endured heavy use during the winter months, parts can loosen or wear out and may need replacing.
It sounds like a no-brainer, but double-check to make sure your thermostat is set on "heat." You wouldn't believe the number of calls we get where this is the only problem.
If the thermostat is set on "cool" and the fan is turned on, cold air will obviously come out of the furnace. Consider turning the fan on "auto" so it will only work when the heater is operating.
Probably the most common cause for a heater to blow cold air is a dirty furnace filter. A dirty filter upsets air circulation. Ideally, you should change the filter at least annually or, better yet, every 6 months. Changing the filter is as simple as sliding out the old filter and replacing it with a new one.
Check both inside and outside vents. For instance, make sure furniture is not blocking the inside vents. If snow or ice doesn't prevent you from inspecting the outside vents, clear them of any dirt, debris or leaves. Don't forget to check the cold air vents as well.
If your furnace is an older gas heating system, check to make sure the pilot light is on. There should be a continuous gas flow which is indicated by a clear blue flame. This keeps the burners working. A dirty pilot light will not properly light and, in turn, will not provide heat through the burners.
Before you attempt to clean the pilot light, be sure to shut off the thermostat and gas flow. With a small wire brush, carefully clean the hole in the area where the gas is released. Then, blow away the debris with a can of compressed air. Finally, remove any remaining dirt with a hand-held vacuum.
If your system is relatively new, there's a good chance it is computer controlled. Anyone who works with computers knows they sometimes need to be reset or "rebooted." Turn off the main furnace switch, wait 30 seconds, and turn it on again. The gas should then begin to flow back to the burners.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Whenever you attempt to fix a problem with the heat or AC yourself, you should always shut off the electricity or gas.
If your troubleshooting fails to reveal the cause of the problem, contact Gagne Heating & Air Conditioning for further assistance. We provide expert heating and cooling system service and repair in Alpharetta and throughout the Atlanta area.


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Sir Jim Rose talks about the characteristics of effective phonics teaching he saw taking place in deprived areas of Scotland.
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iHeartPrettyPolish: O.P.I. Pedal Faster Suzi!
O.P.I.'s Pedal Faster Suzi! has been on my wish list since the first time I saw the Holland Collection. I really love pink polishes, and to have silvery shimmer inside?? PERFECTION. The application of this polish and the end result is all I could have hoped for and more. This is exactly what I was looking for and I think this may be in the running for my favorite nail polish ever.
They hit the nail on the head with the Holland Collection.
I really do think I could use and love every single color in this collection!
This is one of my favorite pinks ever!


Unfortunately racism is everywhere, it may have mellowed in time but it has not stopped altogether. Advertisers try to appeal to a certain type of people by using certain styles that go horribly wrong.
Every advertiser has made this mistake at times. Many of them making it more then once. Sometimes racism is not intended but the finished product is taken wrong. Even though it is the facts that most races watch things that are similar to them, they just don't want it to show so much.
Everyone is familiar with the most common form of racism in technology advertisements, the color of someone's skin. But there are many types of racism in advertising that you may not even notice.
The language someone is speaking not matching the color of their skin or the geographical location of the advertisement. Most people seem to believe that a person in a country should speak only that language. When advertisers use another language than what is spoken in their country people seem to get offended.
Making notice of someone's physical attributes can also seem racist in certain aspects. Many advertisers embellish African Americans lips to make them seem like all people of that race have huge lips. It has also been cautioned that they have big white eyes and white teeth. Making it seem like that is the only thing you will see about them. Asians have been stereotyped as having black hair and slanted eyes and that all they eat is rice with chopsticks. Even though it may seem like something small, it is still racism.
The most played on type of racism is what a certain race may eat. Most advertisers use the thought that white people eat nothing but hamburger, hot dogs and mayonnaise. While African American eat nothing but fried chicken and waffles. Think about how many times you have watched a commercial for a fast food chain, what type of person do they personify the most.
Many of these noticeable racist advertisements happen during major events such as the super bowls, olympics and even political races. Many politicians try to make their staff diversified for a reason. They want to appeal to all races and they think if they have that race represented then they are covered.
All advertisers have made some big mistakes in racial advertising. Many of them have pulled their advertisements because of the feedback they received. But in one way or another they still have a long way to go before racism is out of advertising, if it ever will be.


Imagine a gigantic, inflatable, sausage-like bag capable of storing 160 million tonnes of CO2 - the equivalent of 2.2 days of current global emissions. Now try to picture that container, measuring up to 100 metres in radius and several kilometres long, resting benignly on the seabed more than 3 kilometres below the ocean's surface and staying there forever. That would offer a way of storing carbon dioxide permanently and thus help in the fight against climate change.
At first blush, this might appear like science fiction, but it's an idea that gets serious attention from Dr. David Keith, one of Canada's foremost experts on carbon capture and sequestration. Keith will talk on the subject at the 2008 Annual Conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Boston at a session entitled "Ocean Iron Fertilization and Carbon Sequestration: Can the Oceans Save the Planet?"
Shooting rockets full of sulphur into the high atmosphere to emulate the cooling effect of volcanic eruptions, launching space mirrors, making artificial reflective clouds, or building costly synthetic trees - there are a lot of gee-whiz (and risky) "geo-engineering" ideas for dealing with global warming that are really silly, remarks Keith, an NSERC grantee and director of the Energy and Environmental Systems Group at University of Calgary-based Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy. At first glance his own idea looks nutty, but as one looks closer it seems that it might technically feasible with current-day technology. But, adds Keith, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Energy and the Environment, it's early days and there is not yet any serious design study for the concept.
the gas can be captured and stored in geological formations such as depleted oil and gas fields, saline aquifers, unmineable coal seams or special rock formations; this storage technique is called "geosequestration"
alternatively, carbon can be captured and stored either in gaseous or in a solid form at the bottom of the ocean, where it would remain contained for millennia - "ocean storage"
All these carbon sequestration techniques can be applied to CO2 from biomass power plants and decarbonised biofuel production. In this case, a "negative emissions" energy system can be designed that removes CO2 emissions from the past. Actively taking CO2 out of the atmosphere with such carbon-negative bioenergy systems, is the most radical tool in the climate fight. No other energy system can become carbon negative. Such bio-energy with carbon storage (BECS) systems are seen as one of the few cost-effective, feasible and safe geo-engineering option.
But these systems require efficient carbon capture, transportation and storage strategies. Biopact has been focusing both on carbon capture and storage (CCS) based on geosequestration and biochar, but ocean storage could be an alternative.
The original idea of ocean storage was conceived several years ago by Dr. Michael Pilson, a chemical oceanographer at the University of Rhode Island, but it really took off last year when Keith confirmed its feasibility with Dr. Andrew Palmer, a world-renowned ocean engineer at Cambridge University. Keith, Palmer and another scientist at Argonne National Laboratory later advanced the concept through a technical paper prepared for the 26th International Conference on Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering in June 2007.
If we stay away from the steep slopes from the continental shelves, the abyssal plains are a very quiet environment, says Keith.
For CO2 to be stored there, the gas must be captured from power and industrial point sources, compressed to liquid, and transported via pipelines that extend well beyond the ocean's continental shelves. When the liquid CO2 is pumped into the deep ocean, the intense pressure and cold temperatures make it negatively buoyant.
This negative buoyancy is the key, explains Keith. It means the CO2 wants to leak downwards rather than moving up to the biosphere.
The real costs lie in the capture of CO2 and its transport to the deep ocean. If we can drive those down, he notes, then ocean storage might be an important option for reducing CO2 emissions.
Image: the Abyssal Plains. Credit: Encyclopedia Britannica.
David Keith, "Engineered Storage on the Abyssal Plain: prospects to a new approach to ocean carbon storage and some thoughts about geoengineering", Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, AAAS Annual Meeting 2008, Ocean Iron Fertilization and Carbon Sequestration: Can the Oceans Save the Planet.
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada: Into the Abyss: Deep-sixing Carbon - February 18, 2008.
A novel class of hybrid materials made from metals and organic compounds is changing the face of solid state chemistry and materials science just 10 years after its discovery, with applications already in safe storage of highly inflammable gases such as hydrogen and methane promising to make the introduction of biohydrogen and biomethane as transport fuels more feasible. Other applications of interest to the bioenergy community include efficient CO2 capture (for carbon-negative bioenergy systems), novel liquids separation processes in biofuel production (nanostructured molecular sieves) and the development of new catalysts.
Europe is aiming to capitalise on core strengths in the field and build critical mass by combining the diverse range of skills required within a coherent research network, following a major workshop organised by the European Science Foundation (ESF).
The materials called Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) represent one of the biggest breakthroughs in solid state science whose potential is only just being realised, according to Gérard Ferey of the Institut Lavoisier at the University of Versailles, who convened the ESF workshop titled Genesis and Applications of Active Metal Organic Frameworks [*.pdf].
MOFs are porous materials with microscopic sized holes, resembling honeycombs at molecular dimensions. This property of having astronomical numbers of tiny holes within a relatively small volume can be exploited in various ways, one of which is as a repository for gases. Gas molecules diffuse into the MOF solid and are contained within its pores.
The porous nature of MOFs enables them to be exploited in quite another way as catalysts to accelerate chemical reactions for a wide variety of materials production and pharmaceutical applications, although this field, as Ferey noted, is still in its infancy. Yet already the field is gaining interest beyond academia from serious companies, with a significant development at the ESF workshop being the presence and support of German chemicals giant BASF. This in turn has provided high endorsement of the field's potential and has stimulated interest from other companies, according to Ferey.
But several challenges remain before this potential can be realised, the first one being to assemble research and development teams with the right body of skills. As Ferey noted, many of the skills already exist but the researchers need to expand their horizons and focus more broadly on the big picture beyond their specialised domains.
The ESF Exploratory Workshop, Genesis and Applications of Active Metal Organic Frameworks, held in Dourdan near Paris in France in April 2007, was one of the first dedicated to this highly promising field whose potential has been underestimated until now. The next objective for Ferey is to establish a research network within the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). Each year, ESF supports approximately 50 Exploratory Workshops across all scientific domains. These small, interactive group sessions are aimed at opening up new directions in research to explore new fields with a potential impact on developments in science.
Image: example of a nanoporous MOF's molecular structure. Credit: ESF.
Engineering Sciences (PESC), Exploratory Workshop: Genesis and Applications of Active Metal-Organic Frameworks [*.pdf], Dourdan, France, 25 - 28 April 2007 Convened by: Gérard Ferey, Institut Lavoisier (UVSQ), Département de Chimie, Université de Versailles St. Quentin en Yvelines.
Italian chemical group Mossi & Ghisolfi (M&G) plans to build a 200,000-tonne ethanol plant and convert it to using cellulose feedstock to make next-generation biofuels. M&G Vice President Guido Ghisolfi said the group with partners would invest €100 million (US$148.1 million) to build the plant in Italy by 2009 and €120 (US$175.9) more in research to convert it to cellulose feedstock later on.
The plant in the north Italian region of Piedmont would produce 200,000 tons, or about 2.5 million hectoliters of bioethanol to help Italy meet its bioethanol target of about 1 million tons by 2010.
"Our goal is to be competitive with Brazilian ethanol even without subsidies," Ghisolfi said on the sidelines of a biofuels conference organised with the Global Bioenergy Partnership.
The new plant would initially use 600,000 tons of maize as feedstock and Tortona-based M&G has already lined up local farmers to deliver grain as it aims to cover 60 percent of feedstock needs with local supplies. M&G, which is the world's biggest producer of PET for packaging, last year started a research aimed at converting the future bioethanol plant from maize to fiber sorghum - a high yielding biomass crop.
Italian researchers have been developing hybrid sorghums with a focus on biomass production. The tropical plants have been made to thrive in European conditions. Some of the hybrids grow to a height of 4 to 4.5 meters (13-15ft) and contrary to miscanthus, switchgrass or other energy crops, they require no irrigation and less fertilizer. Trials show impressive yields of 30 and 40 tons of dry matter biomass per hectare (12 - 16 tons/acre) (graph, click to enlarge).
The new plant's output would be sold mostly in Italy where a number of major petrol distributors have pledged to boost bioethanol blend sold at their pump stations from 2008. The group aims to launch a demonstration plant by 2012 which will have a 20,000 ton annual output.
An increasing number of scientists and producers say that the second-generation biofuels, which are made from non-edible crops and even municipal waste, will be highly effective against climate change.
Ghisolfi said M&G would aim to sell its second-generation technology once it is developed.
Research is under way around the world to develop the second-generation biofuel technology, but experts say it could take a few more years before they become commercially sustainable and profitable.
Corrado Clini, chairman of Global Bioenergy Partnership, said M&G's project is set to be the biggest in Europe and would help Italy - which has been lagging behind other European Union countries in hitting EU's biofuels targets - become the leader in the second-generation biofuels research.
Picture: biomass sorghum yields high amounts of cellulose for conversion into bioproducts; it requires less water and fertilizer than other high yielding tropical energy crops.
Mossi & Ghisolfi: Bio-Ethanol Conference: "Second Generation Ethanol - A realistic challenge", Tortona (Italy) - February 5, 2008.
Reuters: Italy's M&G to build bioethanol plant - February 18, 2008.
Andreina Belocchi, Fabrizio Quaranta, Valerio Mazzon, Nicola Berardo, Ersilio Desiderio, "Fibre sorghum: influence of the harvesting methods on plant moisture and fibre content" [.*pdf], Interactive European Network for Industrial Crops and their Applications.
Scientists: conservationists' studies about biofuel emissions "misleading" and "bad science"
Scientists from several universities, from the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and scientists from the DOE Biomass Program are questioning the conclusions and assumptions of two reports that were published recently in the journal Science. The reports about the carbon footprint of biofuels resulting from land use changes - written by conservationists - were "narrowly constructed" to demonstrate "worst-case scenarios" only and did not examine all the facts of biofuel production. The basic facts are now put into question by scientists who see the studies as "misleading" and "bad science". This fact brings into question the role conservationists can play in the bioenergy debate.
The studies made claims that land-use change from biofuels results in large greenhouse gas emissions (previous post). While this is true for highly exceptional forms of land-use change, such as the conversion of peat swamps that store high amounts of carbon, scientists doubt whether this is true for the vast bulk of other types of land used to grow energy or food crops. Peat swamps occur in selected sites on Borneo Island, for example. But Borneo's peat swamps are hardly representative for the rest of the world's land base. Likewise, the data about land use emissions in other types of land are seriously put into question. Lastly, new land use techniques eliminate the problem alltogether (more here).
The bioenergy community accepts that the entire lifecycle of biofuel and biomass production must be taken into account. But conservationists' attempts to narrow down the debate and make it look as if all biofuels are based on deforestation or the destruction of special types of high carbon land, is not helpful. It damages their case, as their views on biofuels lose credibility each time they publish such misleading material.
Conservationists have launched a hard campaign against bioenergy, and they will not hesitate to distort realities, by extrapolating exceptional excesses and representing them as the rule. Just recently, a group made headlines by claiming that "biofuels fuel human rights abuses" - another report based on practises in Indonesia that are much less clear cut, but that are being presented as the rule. Cultural anthropologists cautioned against this practise of simplifying debates, because they are not only bad science, they also result in paternalistic and even racist representations of 'indigenous communities' (previous post).
In short, conservationists are quickly losing their legitimacy to play a role in the bioenergy debate - both when it comes to their view on the environmental and the social impacts of biofuels. They are potentially destroying an opportunity to help fight climate change. Worse, they are also potentially eliminating the possibility for poor people in developing countries to make a living from participating in bioenergy production. Even more, smart biofuels can actually help conserve ecosystems, but surprisingly conservationists are not willing to recognise this important aspect of an emerging sector.
Dr. Michael Wang of Argonne's Transportation Technology R&D Center and Zia Haq of the DOE's Office of Biomass Program spoke out against the study about the indirect land use change effects of ethanol production in the U.S. They say that there has been no indication that production has so far caused land use changes in other countries because U.S. corn exports have been maintained at about 2 billion bushels a year.
While scientific assessment of land use change is needed, Wang and Haq say conclusions about green house gas emissions and biofuels based on "speculative, limited land use change modeling is misguiding".
Michigan State University's Dr. Bruce Dale agrees with Honary and says there are strong reasons to question the assumptions, data and comparisons made in these two papers.
David Morris of the Institute of Self-Reliance, a former member of the Advisory Committee for Biomass to the Departments of Energy and Agriculture, finds many contradictions in the reports.
"The report notes that the vast majority of today's ethanol production comes from corn cultivated on land that has been in corn production for generations," Morris says. "Since little new land has come into production, either directly or indirectly, the current use of ethanol clearly reduces greenhouse gas emissions."
Farm Futures: Doubts Raised About Recent Global Warming Studies - February 18, 2008.
Argonne National Laboratory: Transportation Technology R & D Center.
U.S. DOE, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy: Biomass Program.
A new study has revealed that storing carbon dioxide beneath the earth may be a safer and longer term method of reducing emissions in the atmosphere than previously thought. A team of NERC funded researchers at the University of Manchester, the University of Houston and the University of Toronto, found that carbon dioxide (CO2) has been naturally stored for up to 40 million years in CO2 gas fields in the Colorado Plateau and Rocky Mountains of the USA. Their findings are published in the geochemistry journal Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta.
This is important news for those in the bioenergy community looking at the potential of coupling geosequestration to bioenergy production. When carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies are applied to biomass power plants, a system that yields 'negative emissions' emerges - the most radical tool in the climate fight.
Ordinary renewables are all 'carbon neutral' at best, slightly carbon positive in practise. That is, they add small amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere over their lifecyle. But bio-energy with carbon storage (BECS) actively removes CO2 from the atmosphere and locks it up under ground. The difference is radical: whereas renewables like solar, non-CCS biomass, wind or hydropower yield between +15 to + 100 g of CO2 per kWh of electricity produced, carbon-negative bioenergy yields up to -1000g (that is, "minus", hence 'negative emissions' - see figure, click to enlarge).
Scientists have found that such BECS systems, if implemented on a global scale, can clean up the atmosphere and take us back to pre-industrial atmospheric CO2 levels by 2060. It is a feasible 'geo-engineering' concept that allows societies to function as normal, while not only eliminating their carbon emissions, but actually removing CO2 from the past. As more and more scientists call for radical steps to fight climate change, carbon-negative bioenergy might become one of the only instruments available to do so.
BECS systems put the carbon we pumped into the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution back where it belongs: under ground. And the great thing is that, while doing so, renewable energy is generated (solar energy stored in biomass).
One of the hurdles standing in the way of adopting CCS has been doubts over the safety and permanence of geosequestration. The potential for leakage is often leveled against those who advocate CCS coupled to power plants that burn fossil fuels. A leak would mean a net contribution of carbon emissions. However, when coupled to biomass power plants, leakage is of lesser concern, because the CO2 is biogenic in origin. Leaks would not result in net CO2 emissions, because the fuel from which the gas was derived is carbon neutral from the start.
The scientists hope this study will pave the way for selection of similar safe sites for storage of CO2 from power plants in both the UK and abroad. Underground CO2 storage, in the correct place, should be a safe option to help us cope with emissions until we can develop cleaner energy sources. A suitable storage place for the UK could be in the North Sea, where similar rocks to those in the gas fields can be found, they say.
Stuart M.V. Gilfillana, Chris J. Ballentine, Greg Holland, Dave Blagburn, Barbara Sherwood Lollar, Scott Stevens, Martin Schoell and Martin Cassidy, "The noble gas geochemistry of natural CO2 gas reservoirs from the Colorado Plateau and Rocky Mountain provinces, USA", Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 15th February 2008, Vol 72, No. 4, p1174-1198.
A team of crop geneticists in the United States have identified a key gene that determines oil yield in maize kernels, a finding that could have repercussions for the fast-expanding biofuels industry with applications in developing high yielding oil crops. Results are published as an advance online article in Nature Genetics.
Lead author Bo Shen, plant scientist of DuPont unit Pioneer Hi-Bred International, writes oil is an important renewable resource for biodiesel production and for dietary consumption by humans and livestock.
Through genetic mapping of the oil trait in plants, studies have reported multiple quantitative trait loci (QTLs) with small effects, but the molecular basis of oil QTLs remains largely unknown. The researchers discovered a high-oil QTL which affects maize seed oil and oleic-acid contents by encoding an acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT), which catalyzes the final step of oil synthesis.
The gene that encodes for the catalysing enzyme lies on Chromosome 6 of the maize genome.
In addition, a tiny amino acid variant within this gene can boost the yield of oil and oleic acid - the sought-after edible fat in corn - by up to 41 percent and 107 percent respectively.
Their work provides insights into the molecular basis of natural variation of oil and oleic-acid contents in plants and highlights DGAT as a promising target for increasing oil and oleic-acid contents in other crops.
Present-generation biodiesel is derived from oilseed crops such as soybean, palm oil, jatropha and rapeseed. Some of these have low yields but a low environmental footprint while others with higher yields can have detrimental effects on the environment if their cultivation leads to, e.g. deforestation or peat swamp destruction.
By boosting oil yields, less land would be required, the energy balance of the fuel would increase, it would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions further and pressures on the environment would be lowered.