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Student Success Programs Awards
Tom Vandermeulen Award
Welcome to the Office of Student Success Programs
We are glad that you have chosen to become a Golden Flash! The Office of Student Success Programs is here to partner with you and Golden Flash Family members to make the first year extraordinary. Kent State University offers academic and co-curricular experiences that will amaze and excite you. Our office will serve as the connection to those experiences to help you transition and persist to graduation. We look forward to working with you and your family to make the first year all that you desire it to be. Congratulations on joining the Golden Flash Family!

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In its pursuit of missions that will take us back to the Moon, to Mars, and beyond, NASA has been exploring a number of next-generation propulsion concepts. Whereas existing concepts have their advantages – chemical rockets have high energy density and ion engines are very fuel-efficient – our hopes for the future hinge on us finding alternatives that combine efficiency and power.
To this end, researchers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center are once again looking to develop nuclear rockets. As part of NASA's Game Changing Development Program, the Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) project would see the creation of high-efficiency spacecraft that would be capable of using less fuel to deliver heavy payloads to distant planets, and in a relatively short amount of time.
As Sonny Mitchell, the project of the NTP project at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, said in a recent NASA press statement:
"As we push out into the solar system, nuclear propulsion may offer the only truly viable technology option to extend human reach to the surface of Mars and to worlds beyond. We're excited to be working on technologies that could open up deep space for human exploration."
To see this through, NASA has entered into a partnership with BWX Technologies (BWXT), a Virginia-based energy and technology company that is a leading supplier of nuclear components and fuel to the U.S. government. To assist NASA in developing the necessary reactors that would support possible future crewed missions to Mars, the company's subsidiary (BWXT Nuclear Energy, Inc.) was awarded a three-year contract worth $18.8 million.
During this three years in which they will be working with NASA, BWXT will provide the technical and programmatic data needed to implement NTP technology. This will consist of them manufacturing and testing prototype fuel elements and helping NASA to resolve any nuclear licensing and regulatory requirements. BWXT will also aid NASA planners in addressing the issues of feasibility and affordably with their NTP program.
As Rex D. Geveden, BWXT's President and Chief Executive Officer, said of the agreement:
"BWXT is extremely pleased to be working with NASA on this exciting nuclear space program in support of the Mars mission. We are uniquely qualified to design, develop and manufacture the reactor and fuel for a nuclear-powered spacecraft. This is an opportune time to pivot our capabilities into the space market where we see long-term growth opportunities in nuclear propulsion and nuclear surface power."
In an NTP rocket, uranium or deuterium reactions are used to heat liquid hydrogen inside a reactor, turning it into ionized hydrogen gas (plasma), which is then channeled through a rocket nozzle to generate thrust. A second possible method, known as Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEC), involves the same basic reactor converted its heat and energy into electrical energy which then powers an electrical engine.
In both cases, the rocket relies on nuclear fission to generates propulsion rather than chemical propellants, which has been the mainstay of NASA and all other space agencies to date. Compared to this traditional form of propulsion, both types of nuclear engines offers a number of advantages. The first and most obvious is the virtually unlimited energy density it offers compared to rocket fuel.
This would cut the total amount of propellant needed, thus cutting launch weight and the cost of individual missions. A more powerful nuclear engine would mean reduced trip times. Already, NASA has estimated that an NTP system could make the voyage to Mars to four months instead of six, which would reduce the amount of radiation the astronauts would be exposed to in the course of their journey.
To be fair, the concept of using nuclear rockets to explore the Universe is not new. In fact, NASA has explored the possibility of nuclear propulsion extensively under the Space Nuclear Propulsion Office. In fact, between 1959 and 1972, the SNPO conducted 23 reactor tests at the Nuclear Rocket Development Station at AEC's Nevada Test Site, in Jackass Flats, Nevada.
In 1963, the SNPO also created the Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Applications (NERVA) program to develop nuclear-thermal propulsion for long-range crewed mission to the Moon and interplanetary space. This led to the creation of the NRX/XE, a nuclear-thermal engine which the SNPO certified as having met the requirements for a crewed mission to Mars.
The Soviet Union conducted similar studies during the 1960s, hoping to use them on the upper stages of of their N-1 rocket. Despite these efforts, no nuclear rockets ever entered service, owing to a combination of budget cuts, loss of public interest, and a general winding down of the Space Race after the Apollo program was complete.
But given the current interest in space exploration, and ambitious mission proposed to Mars and beyond, it seems that nuclear rockets may finally see service. One popular idea that is being considered is a multistage rocket that would rely on both a nuclear engine and conventional thrusters – a concept known as a "bimodal spacecraft". A major proponent of this idea is Dr. Michael G. Houts of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.
In 2014, Dr. Houts conducted a presentation outlining how bimodal rockets (and other nuclear concepts) represented "game-changing technologies for space exploration". As an example, he explained how the Space Launch System (SLS) – a key technology in NASA's proposed crewed mission to Mars – could be equipped with chemical rocket in the lower stage and a nuclear-thermal engine on the upper stage.
In this setup, the nuclear engine would remain "cold" until the rocket had achieved orbit, at which point the upper stage would be deployed and the reactor would be activated to generate thrust. Other examples cited in the report include long-range satellites that could explore the Outer Solar System and Kuiper Belt and fast, efficient transportation for manned missions throughout the Solar System.
The company's new contract is expected to run through Sept. 30th, 2019. At that time, the Nuclear Thermal Propulsion project will determine the feasibility of using low-enriched uranium fuel. After that, the project then will spend a year testing and refining its ability to manufacture the necessary fuel elements. If all goes well, we can expect that NASA's "Journey to Mars" might just incorporate some nuclear engines!


text: Markit FIX is the ultimate simplified pricing for IT purchasing. For a single monthly fee you can make all of your purchases with distributor prices that include delivery. Markit FIX is currently in a "limited beta" status. During the limited beta we will accept customers to join case-by-case and will agree a follow-up discussion to determine the exact terms.Sign up now and Markit customer service will be in touch with you in a moment.In addition you can also instantly sign-up to start using Markit as it is - with regular market price terms and pay-as-you-go.


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Investor Overview
Corporate Profile
Textainer has operated since 1979 and is one of the world's largest lessors of intermodal containers with more than 4 million TEU in our owned and managed fleet. We lease containers to approximately 200 customers, including all of the world's leading international shipping lines, and other lessees. Our fleet consists of standard dry freight, refrigerated intermodal containers, and dry freight specials. We also lease tank containers through our relationship with Trifleet Leasing and are a supplier of containers to the U.S. Military. Textainer is one of the largest and most reliable suppliers of new and used containers. In addition to selling older containers from our fleet, we buy older containers from our shipping line customers for trading and resale. We sold an average of approximately 130,000 containers per year for the last five years to more than 1,000 customers making us one of the largest sellers of used containers. Textainer operates via a network of 14 offices and approximately 400 depots worldwide.
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The term "Snow Mold" refers to lawn diseases that occur primarily from late fall to mid-spring. Snow Mold or Snow Mould appears as a fluffy white, pink or grey residue that seems to follow the retreating snow line. Cool, wet conditions with or without snow cover cause this disease to flourish.
A properly fertilized, well-maintained lawn is most resistant to damage from snow mold. A vigorous raking in early spring through the snow mold residue will help reduce this disease and quicken the turf grass healing process.
The two most important diseases that occur at low temperatures are Pink and Grey Snow Mold.
Symptoms begin as small, circular spots which can grow to rusty-brown patches up to 12 inches in diameter. The diseased areas are initially pale yellow and later turn tan or whitish-grey as the leaves die. Infected leaves have a bleached appearance and feel slimy when wet. The dead grass blades have a matted appearance. The disease spread rapidly when under snow cover, or during periods of cool, wet weather. The grass at the edges of the spots may be covered with a white cottony growth called mycelium. This mycelium will often develop a salmon-pink or rusty brown colour when exposed to light.
This disease often occurs when there is an early, deep snowfall covering the lawn before the ground has frozen in the fall. The symptoms are visible when the snow melts from the lawn. The matted patches are light yellow to bleach brown in colour and up to 24 inches in diameter. Around the margin of the infected area, a greyish-white, aerial mycelium can be observed during damp weather. Leaves of infected plants are often matted together and break free easily. Injury to the turf is aggravated when the snow is compacted by walking, skiing, snowmobiling, or sledding.
Control options are the same for both diseases:
1. Avoid thatch build-up in lawns, as this serves as an ideal environment for survival and growth of these fungi. Thatch (the layer of decaying grass residues and roots between the leaves and the soil) can be reduced by core aeration and proper lawn care practices.
2. Avoid applying fertilizers with excessive quick release nitrogen to the lawn during late summer and fall, before the grass goes dormant. Too much nitrogen promotes lush growth, which will not harden off properly, and is therefore very susceptible to snow mold and other types of winter injury.
3. Cut grass to recommended heights until growth stops in fall. Excessive foliage under snow cover provides ideal conditions for snow mold fungi.
4. Make sure leaves are removed from the lawn in the fall. Avoid piling snow that you have shoveled off walkways onto your lawn.
5. In areas with a history of snow mold problems, apply a recommended fungicide in late fall just before snow cover.
6. No matter how tempted you are to start fussing with your lawn fungus, wait until the grass has had a chance to dry out before attempting any first aid.
7. Rake the area affected with snow mold and fertilize lightly to encourage new growth. Re-seed areas that have heavy damage.


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What might the oil- and gas-rich Eagle Ford Shale region of South Texas look like in 2018?
A newly released but largely unnoticed study commissioned by the state of Texas makes some striking projections:
- The number of wells drilled in the 20,000-square-mile region could quadruple, from about 8,000 today to 32,000.
- Oil production could leap from 363 million barrels per year to as much as 761 million.
- Airborne releases of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could increase 281 percent during the peak ozone season compared to 2012 emissions. VOCs, commonly found at oil and gas production sites, can cause respiratory and neurological problems. Some, like benzene, can cause cancer.
- Nitrogen oxides — which react with VOCs in sunlight to create ground-level ozone, the main component of smog — could increase 69 percent during the peak ozone season.
These projections are included in a study prepared by scientists with the Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG) in San Antonio and paid for by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). The study was designed to determine the extent to which oil and gas development in the Eagle Ford region is contributing to rising ozone levels in the San Antonio metropolitan area, which lies north of much of the drilling. San Antonio's ozone readings have violated federal air quality standards since August 2012, making the city vulnerable to sanctions under the Clean Air Act.
The study's findings also have implications beyond San Antonio.
In February, the Center for Public Integrity, InsideClimate News and The Weather Channel produced a series of reports about air quality in the Eagle Ford and found that the Texas regulatory system does more to protect the gas and oil industry than the public. The TCEQ has installed only five permanent air monitors in the region, which is nearly twice the size of Massachusetts, and all of them are on the fringes of the shale play, far from the heavy drilling areas where emissions are highest.
Peter Bella, AACOG's natural resources director, said in a telephone interview that the San Antonio project has two components: a 260-page emission inventory that was posted without fanfare on the AACOG website April 4, and a photochemical model that uses numbers from the inventory and meteorological data to project how the Eagle Ford's pollutants will influence ozone in San Antonio.
Findings from the photochemical model were given to the TCEQ more than two months ago and the agency is reviewing AACOG's methodology. Bella said he did not know when the results would be released.
The TCEQ did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
The emission inventory catalogs air pollutants from a range of oil and gas operations using three scenarios: low, moderate and aggressive development. (The numbers cited above assume aggressive development.) It was prepared with technical assistance from, and was reviewed by, the TCEQ.
State Rep. Lon Burnam, a Fort Worth Democrat, said the growth predictions are bad news for people who live in the Eagle Ford and surrounding cities, especially San Antonio. Burnam has tried unsuccessfully for years to pass legislation that would protect people from pollution associated with oil and gas production.
"The numbers are mind-boggling," said Burnam, who recently lost a primary election for a 10th term. "Welcome to an increasingly dirty and unhealthy environment in a state wholly unsympathetic to the health and welfare of its people and wholly beholden to the industry."
Omar Garcia, president of the South Texas Energy & Economic Roundtable, said Friday morning that he did not have the time to talk about the implications of the report. In previous interviews, Garcia has stressed the economics benefits of the Eagle Ford boom. His organization, which represents major operators in the region, says on its website that in 2012, the boom generated $61 billion in spending and more than 116,000 full-time jobs.
"I would love to engage," Garcia told a reporter, explaining that he couldn't spare even a few minutes. "We'll get you on the next one."
Drilling for decades to come
Documents obtained by the Center for Public Integrity and InsideClimate News under the Texas Public Information Act show that the AACOG study has generated intense scrutiny. In an email last May, for example, Bella told TCEQ scientists he had "recently been fielding questions on a weekly basis" about it from the media, local officials and academic researchers.
The results of the report, plus a separate inventory of non-Eagle Ford pollution sources, would help the fast-growing San Antonio metropolitan area prepare for future development, Bella wrote.
"We can't afford to work through this critical juncture in San Antonio's air quality history without comprehensive, accurate ozone data…including a comprehensive, accurate ozone precursor" emission inventory for the Eagle Ford, he wrote.
A final draft of the inventory was submitted to the TCEQ for review in December and released publicly a week ago, at the same time the agency was compelled to provide documents related to the report to the Center for Public Integrity and InsideClimate News under the Public Information Act.
The report relies heavily on industry publications and input from Eagle Ford operators with on-the-ground expertise. The document paints a picture of massive production growth over the next four years in a largely rural area already impacted by air pollution and other problems associated with five years of drilling.
Between 2008 and 2012, for example, 835 oil and gas wells were drilled in La Salle County — about one well for every nine residents. In neighboring McMullen County — population 730 — the ratio is one well per five residents.
Parts of the Eagle Ford could see active drilling through 2035, the report says, and wells could be more tightly packed. That could lead to more concentrated air emissions. Most of the growth is expected to occur in four counties — Webb, Dimmit, Karnes and La Salle. These counties were responsible for more than half of the Eagle Ford's VOC and nitrogen oxide emissions in 2012.
Devine, Texas, lawyer Tomas Ramirez represents two Karnes County families in lawsuits against oil companies that claim emissions are sickening his clients. He called the AACOG projections "staggering."
"It's already dangerous if you live in close proximity to these sources of emissions," Ramirez said. "So what does the future hold when you see such a huge increase? I think that the quality of life will substantially deteriorate for the people."
Ramirez said he recognizes the vital role oil and gas plays in the Texas economy and that energy is a critical element in the overall stability of the country.
But the industry has to be more responsible, he said. Pollution controls "cost money and the oil companies don't want to spend it. There is a way it can be done but the oil companies are not going to want to spend the money to do it."
Extent of future emissions debated
Midstream operations — gas processing plants, compressor stations, storage tanks — will far surpass drilling rigs and well hydraulic engines as sources of ozone-forming pollutants, the AACOG scientists forecast. If the area develops as fast as some predict, midstream facilities could be producing 64 tons of VOCs and 49 tons of nitrogen oxides per ozone season day by 2018. That's more than twice what was emitted in 2012. (In San Antonio, the ozone season runs from April through October).
Email exchanges between AACOG and TCEQ scientists show cordial discussions of the methods used to calculate pollution levels in the Eagle Ford. The emails also reveal the unique challenge of estimating emissions from a fast-developing industry where technologies are constantly evolving.
In an email on Feb. 24, 2014, for example, the TCEQ's Michael Ege noted that AACOG's numbers for emissions from pump engines were higher than estimates from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, while AACOG's emission calculations from oil and condensate tanks were lower than those used by the TCEQ.
The scientists met two days later to discuss the numbers, and AACOG's Steven Smeltzer sent Ege an email on Feb. 27 to explain the discrepancies. Smeltzer said the EPA's numbers were outdated, and that AACOG had used data from local industry sources and environmental consultants. AACOG also got its storage tank information from local operators.
Such disagreements aside, it's clear the Eagle Ford is headed for explosive growth. The report notes that David Porter, a member of the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates drilling, said it will take nearly three decades to "fully develop" the Eagle Ford.
Tom Smith, director of the Texas chapter of Public Citizen, a nonprofit public-interest advocacy organization, said that kind of growth would exhaust the resources of the region's counties and cities in terms of maintaining roads and providing services.
"The economic devastation to the communities will be extraordinary," he said. "The demands for infrastructure will increase proportionally to the increase in activity. The tax base will struggle to pay the debt and clean up the mess made for decades."
Amber Lyssy, who lives with her husband and three children on an organic farm in Wilson County, said their land is already surrounded by drilling rigs, flares, storage tanks and waste pits.
"Now, to think it's going to get worse is scary," she said
This story is part of a project by the Center for Public Integrity, InsideClimate News and The Weather Channel. Jim Morris is a senior reporter with the Center for Public Integrity. Lisa Song and David Hasemyer report for InsideClimate News.
Read more in Environment
Is this U.S. coal giant funding violent union intimidation in Colombia?
Alabama-based Drummond Co. sued for alleged ties to group behind deaths, threats


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Every time a storm brings flooding to a large metropolitan area, there are calls to improve the levee systems that are designed to prevent flooding.
But there's a major problem with doing that. "We don't know where all of our levees are," says Samantha Medlock with the Association of State Floodplain Managers.
She says the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers knows about 14,000 miles of levees in this country, because the corps is supposed to be in charge of their upkeep. "Additionally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, has identified approximately 30 to 34,000 miles of levees," says Medlock. And there could be thousands of more miles. No one can say for sure.
Why is maintaining an up-to-date levee inventory so difficult? Gerald Galloway, a professor in the department of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Maryland in College Park, says it's because of the way many levees come into being.
"In many cases levees start from a farmer or a developer ... taking a grader or a bulldozer and pushing up a bunch of dirt to create a mound that keeps out frequent flooding from a particular area," Galloway says.
Then people start building homes or businesses behind the levee, and it's in everyone's best interest to maintain it. But there are no mandatory national standards for what constitutes an adequate levee.
There are voluntary standards set by FEMA and the Corps of Engineers, and the federal government provides an incentive for adhering to them.
"In order to get the after-the-flood event support, you need to have met the standards of the Corps of Engineers in maintaining your levee and its overall structure," says Galloway.
But keep in mind that money is only for after the levees fails. There's no federal money for routine maintenance. And from a flood manager's perspective, fixing a broken levee is not always the way to go.
"Fixing a levee and solving a levee problem may not be the same thing," says Medlock. She says no levee will last forever, and a levee that might be adequate for conditions as they are today could be overwhelmed in the future because of climate change.
"If we simply rebuild right back in place, we are setting the stage for the next major, costly, disruptive, tragic disaster," says Medlock.
There is a solution to flooding that doesn't include building levees. Steven Sweeney, president of the New Jersey State Senate, says there's a community along the Raritan River that flooded last year after Hurricane Irene and this year after Sandy. Here's what he suggests as a simpler and cheaper way to deal with the problem:
"Get appraisals for their homes, write them a check, knock the homes down, and just let it go back to its natural state," says Sweeney. "I think that's something we really need to take a look at. Because governments have allowed people to build right onto the water, and water has a tendency to move."
Medlock agrees with Sweeney.
"Ultimately this is about protecting people permanently. No levee provides permanent or complete protection. Buying out and relocating to higher, safer ground is permanent protection," she says.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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CCA Data Analyst (CCA159)
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I adore Christmas. The sparkling lights and trees bedecked with glitter and glass bring magical warmth to every space they inhabit. Multicolored garlands and ridiculous inflatable Christmas characters electrify lawns across America. Heartfelt songs of goodwill and giddy anticipation dominate the airwaves, and the surplus of rich, sugary treats ensure most around me are happily comatose for an entire month. It's gorgeous and gaudy, decadent and delicious. I absolutely love all of it and I want none of it in my home.
Growing up in a Jewish community, my experience of popular holidays included singing "Light a Candle for Eight Nights" and "The Dreidel Song" during our public school's winter concert. Over the High Holidays, businesses and community organizations closed. And in the weeks leading to Pesach, the chain grocery store filled multiple aisles with traditional foods and hung banners emblazoned with, "We're Kosher for Passover!" Of course, we had Christmas, too. I knew all the words to "Frosty the Snowman," and cried at the final scene of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Still, it wasn't until about age 9 that I came to the deeply shocking realization that Jews were not, in fact, the majority in America.
My fierce Jewish identity only began to crystallize, however, when I moved 3,000 miles away. Suddenly, I found myself confronted by questions I'd never before had to answer. "You're Jewish? Are you from Israel?" "What's Yom Kippur?" "How do Jews celebrate Ash Wednesday?" "Is Rosh Hashanah really two days or are you just taking an extra day off?" "Is Passover Jewish Christmas?" And, my favorite: "Why don't Jews believe in Jesus?" The concept of "Jewish" morphed from passive individual category to strong and active public identity. I fell into advocating for the miniscule Jewish community nearby, representing Judaism in my place of work, and taking a greater interest in Jewish history, traditions and faith. Being an outsider forced me to think critically about my own deeply personal connection to our people, my responsibility to God, and to my always evolving very Jewish theology. Without the experience of alienation, I may never have escaped a comfort zone which permitted me to largely ignore Judaism as personally relevant.
I am certainly not the first Jew for whom this is true, nor will I be the last. Our people have endured persecution and alienation since the days of the Torah and the challenges of assimilation are not exclusive to the modern era. In this week's parshah, Joseph, having been sold as a slave, has made a life for himself in Egypt. The Pharaoh has gifted him an Egyptian name and an Egyptian wife. Joseph has prospered, ascending to the rank of vizier. When he is reunited with his brothers, they fail to recognize him and Joseph opts not to reveal his true identity. The divide between Egyptian society and the Israelites is never more clear than when Joseph serves his brothers a meal. "They served him [Joseph] by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; for the Egyptians could not dine with the Hebrews, since that would be abhorrent to the Egyptians" (Genesis 43:32).
Maintaining an identity that most in your community do not share or necessarily recognize is difficult. Certainly, I have experienced loneliness and frustration. I have felt misunderstood and unfairly targeted as a representative of the entire Jewish world. Anti-Semitic comments have been directed my way. Complete assimilation into the dominant culture would be easier. Slowly, I could allow my Jewish identity to slip into the background. I could laugh away blatantly racist comments, pretending they do not apply. Indeed, there would be tangible benefits to working on the High Holidays, enjoying shrimp cocktail, and inviting my friends to trim a tree and bake sugar cookies in the shape of Santa hats. But for me, being a Jew is undeniable. It is the core of who I am and the strength of my Jewish identity is central to my sense of self. I need the mezuzah on my door. I need to recite the Sh'ma before bed. I need to keep Christmas out of my Jewish home.
Chanukah is not Christmas. It's not even a particularly important holiday in our tradition. The story of the Maccabees, while righteous beyond measure, isn't found in our Torah. Chanukah's prominence in 21st century America is due entirely to its proximity to Christmas. So, I will light the candles, display a menorah in my window, and bake some Star of David shaped cookies. But I will not create a blue and white wonderland in my apartment to approximate the red and green festivities outside my door. I will not participate in the office Secret Santa. I will not sing along to Christmas Carols. I have learned that maintaining a Jewish identity requires intention and effort. Like Joseph, I find myself an outsider in the place where I have achieved much success. Unlike Joseph, I refuse to hide. I'd rather eat alone than sacrifice who I am.
Akiva Yael is an enthusiastic participant in all that is holy, including Torah study, powerlifting, and the beauty of our world.


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Nashua Office: 603-882-0311 Milford Office: 603-673-1330 Call or Text
Caring for Our Eye Health As We Age
Our eyesight, among many other things, tends to change as we get older.
For any serious changes, it's critical to get an early diagnosis. Many sight-threatening conditions that are associated with advancing age are combatted best by being discovered in the early stages. That's the biggest we encourage more frequent eye exams for older patients, but our eyesight also changes in more benign ways as we get older, and those can be quite an adjustment too.
Common Age-Related Vision Changes
Some of the most common changes to vision that come with age include:
- Dulled color perception: as we get older, the colors we see can become dull or yellowish.
- Less tear production: our eyes don't produce the same amount of tears when we're older, which can lead to dry eye symptoms. Our tears help us maintain eye health and clear vision, so this can be a serious inconvenience.
- Needing more light to see: we start needing more light to see clearly.
- Presbyopia: most adults over age 45 begin to need reading glasses, bifocals, or transition lenses because the lenses in their eyes are becoming less flexible, making it harder to focus on close objects.
- Increased glare sensitivity: glare can become more bothersome with age, which is a big problem while driving. Polarized lenses help by eliminating glare.
Sight-Threatening Eye Conditions Associated With Age
As frustrating and inconvenient as all of these smaller issues can be, the biggest concerns are the sight-threatening conditions that are often associated with age. These conditions include:
- Retinal detachment
- Macular degeneration
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Glaucoma
- Cataracts
Some of these conditions are not reversible, but as medicine and technology have advanced, they have become easier to treat or slow down, and more innovations will continue to improve their prognoses in the coming years. Early diagnosis is the most important tool we have, and that's why regular eye exams are so critical.
Keeping Your Eyes Healthy
Beyond regular eye exams, there is a lot we can all do at home to look after our eye health. UV-blocking sunglasses are a fantastic preventative measure whenever we're out in the sun, no matter what time of year it is. If we maintain an active lifestyle with regular exercise, a diet full of nutritious foods, and avoiding dangerous habits like smoking, we can greatly reduce our eye disease risk factors while also getting all the other benefits of healthy living!
Another easy tip to reduce short-term discomfort if you tend to spend a lot of your day looking at screens for work (or fun) is to follow the 20-20-20 rule. It's simple: after every 20 minutes of screentime, take a 20-second break looking at something at least 20 feet away. This will help minimize the effects of eye strain.
Our Goal Is Your LIfelong Vision Health!
We cannot overstate the importance of yearly eye exams. If it's been longer than a year since we saw you and you're over the age of 40, now would be an excellent time to schedule an appointment at our office!


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I didn't want a footstool that was a typical match. I wanted something that would compliment it. So, I went with an advertising look.
The Paris theme is still there, and so is the grey. However, the design is different, and so it the shade of grey. This is how the little stool looked originally.
I added appliques, and alternated layers of white gesso, light grey, and dark grey paint. If you look really close, you can even see a hint of a fleur de lis. I did a lot of dry brushing, washing, and rubbing back to get this muted look.
I used my "Splendid Blender" method to transfer the lettering I printed,
and the chandelier image.
A little distressing, and I had the look I wanted.
I think I'm done with my frenchy corner. For now.
Sharing With:
Thrifty Decor Chick: Before and After
Primitive and Proper: Piece of Work Wednesday
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia: Tuesdays Treasures
Coastal Charm: Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
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3rd - 15th Dec, 2018
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Tractate Shekalim: Chapter 1
Of the duties of court of the month of Adar -- Payment of Poll Duties in the Whole Region of Israel
Of the duties of court of the month of Adar -- Payment of Poll Duties in the Whole Region of Israel
UNDER this heading the payment of a head-tax is treated of, which amounted to one-half of a shekel (in the Mishna always referred to as a shekel) and which had to be paid by every Israelite (see Exodus xxx. 12) upon the completion of his twentieth year. In the times of the existence of the Temple, the proceeds of this tax were applied for communal sacrifices and for the needs of the capital. The manner of collection, investment, and application of this money forms the subject of this treatise. It contains, in addition, many other historical regulations, most of which, however, only held good during the existence of the second Temple.
CHAPTER I.MISHNA: (a) On the first day of the month of Adar, warnings are heralded (from Jerusalem) concerning Shekalim a1 and Kelayim a2 (the prohibition concerning the use, for ploughing together, of an ox with an ass, and the sowing together of different kinds of seeds). On the fifteenth day of that month the Megillah Esther a3 is read in the fortified cities; and the same day the improvement of country roads, a4 market-places, and legal plunge-baths is proceeded with. Public affairs are again taken up a5; at the same time, graves are marked with lime, a6 and messengers are sent out on account of possible Kelayim. a7
(b) R. Jehudah says: At one time the messengers used to pull out the Kelayim (illegally mixed seeds) and throw them at the feet of the owners! The number of the transgressors, however, being constantly on the increase, the Kelayim were pulled out and thrown into the roads. Finally, it was determined that the entire fields of such law-breakers were to be confiscated. b1
(c) On the fifteenth of this month (Adar) the money-changers outside of Jerusalem seated themselves at their tables. c1 In the city of Jerusalem, however, they did not do this until the twenty-fifth of the month. c2 As soon as the money-changers seated themselves also in the city, the taking of pledges from the tardy ones commenced. c3 But from whom were pledges taken? From Levites, Israelites, proselytes, and freedmen; but not from women, slaves, and minors. If a father, however, commenced to give a pledge for a minor, he was not allowed to stop. From priests no pledges were taken, for the sake of peace (and the dignity of the priests themselves). c4
(d) Said R. Jehudah: Ben Buchri proclaimed the following ordinance in Yavne (Jamnia): "Any priest paying his shekel commits no wrong." R. Johanan ben Zakai, however, rejoined: "Not so! (The ordinance should read:) 'Any priest not paying his shekel, commits a sin.'" d1 But the priests used to interpret the following passage to their advantage: It is written [Leviticus vi. 16]: "And every meat-offering of a priest shall be wholly burnt, it shall not be eaten." (They said therefore:) Were we obliged to contribute (our shekels) how could we eat our d2 Omer (first sheaves harvested) and the two loaves and the showbread (which were procured with the shekels of the head-tax)?
(e) Although it was ordained that no pledges were to be taken from women, slaves, and minors, if they offered to contribute, their money was accepted. From heathens and Samaritans it was not accepted. Nor were bird-offerings, for men or women afflicted with venereal disease and for women who had recently been confined, accepted; nor sin and guilt offerings. e1 Vowed and voluntary offerings, however, were accepted. e2 The following is the rule: Everything which was vowed as an offering and all voluntary offerings were accepted. Anything not vowed for offering or given voluntarily was not accepted from them (heathens and Samaritans). So it is explicitly declared in Ezra, for it is written [Ezra iv. 3]: "It is not for you and us (both) to build a house unto our God."
(f) The following are obliged to pay a premium f1 (in addition to the half-shekel): Levites, Israelites, proselytes, and freed. men; but not (priests,) women, slaves, and minors. If one pay (the half-shekel) for a priest, woman, slave, or a minor, he is exempt (from paying the premium); if he pay for himself and another, however, he must pay a premium for one. R. Meir says: "(He must pay) two premiums. One who pays a Sela (whole Bible shekel) and receives in return a half (Bible) shekel must pay two premiums." f2
(g) If one pay for a poor man, for a neighbor, or for a countryman, he is exempt from a premium (because it is charity); if he only advances them the money, he is not exempt. Brothers who (after dividing their inheritance) have their business in common, or partners, when they become obliged to pay a premium, are exempt from cattle-tithe. g1 As long, however, as they must pay cattle-tithe, they are exempt from a premium. How much does the premium amount to? According to R. Meir, to one silver Meah (one twenty-fourth of a shekel); but the sages say, to one-half of a Meah.
MISHNA a. Warnings were heralded from Jerusalem concerning Shekalim on and after the first of Adar, in order to prepare for the first of Nissan, before which day the final settlement of Shekalim had to be made. This was inferred by the Palestinian Talmud from the following passage [Exodus xl. 17]: "And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up." This was commented upon by a Boraitha, which stated, that on the day on which the tabernacle was reared up, the entire sum of the Shekalim collected was ready for disbursement.
1:a2 Warnings were also heralded concerning Kelayim, because that month was the time when ploughing and sowing commenced in Palestine.
2:a3 The Megillah (Book of Esther) was read on the fifteenth day of this month only in such cities as were fortified since the time of Joshua the son of Nun; but in such as were fortified after his day, and in the open cities, it was read on the fourteenth of the month. No mention is made in the Mishna concerning the reading on the fourteenth, because, the majority of the cities being open, or fortified since the time of Joshua ben Nun, it was generally known, and there was no fear of it being forgotten. In the few fortified cities, however, it was necessary to remind the inhabitants that the day on which they were to read the Megillah was the fifteenth. The Palestinian Talmud (Chapter I., halakhah 2) states, that we are taught by this Mishna that all commandments which are to be fulfilled on a leap year in the second Adar should not be fulfilled in the first Adar; but we cannot see how that can be inferred from this Mishna, although some commentators have tried to explain it.
2:a4 The rainy season ended by the first of Adar, and in consequence of the heavy rains the country roads and market-places were in bad condition. In the month of Nissan, travel towards Jerusalem was very heavy; hence the warning to improve the roads, etc., was heralded, The public plunge-baths were also injured by the rains and had to be repaired, for the sake of the public, to whom the law prescribes the taking of a legal bath on or before the holidays.
2:a5 The Palestinian Talmud states, that at that time the courts of law (Beth-din) would meet in session for the trial of civil suits, criminal cases, and crimes involving the punishment of stripes; for the redemption of such as had devoted all their possessions in honor of the Lord, and such as had given the estimated value of their person, etc.; also for the performance of the rite of the bitter water (see Numbers v. 12-31), and for the performance of the rite of breaking the calf's neck (see Dent. xxi.), and for the rite of the red heifer (see Numbers xix.), and for the ceremony of piercing a serf's ear (see Exodus xxi.). For all this, and any other matters that came up before them, the courts of law assembled in that month.
2:a6 Such graves as had been injured during the rainy season, and were not marked, had to be restored and marked, in order that a man be saved the annoyance of becoming unclean by stepping on a grave. The Palestinian Talmud infers this from the passage [Leviticus xiii. 46]: "Unclean, unclean, shall he call out," and interprets it to signify that the uncleanness itself should call out "unclean" and keep men away from its vicinity. For this reason it was heralded, that the graves were to be marked in order to be a warning to passers-by that such places were unclean.
2:a7 On account of the severity of the law concerning Kelayim and the frequency with which that law was infracted, it was deemed insufficient merely to herald the prohibition, and messengers were sent out to see the law enforced (Maimonides).
3:b1 MISHNA b. R. Jehudah's dictum does not intend to dispute the foregoing, but merely supplements it with the statement that the messengers sent out were for the purpose of punishing the infractors of the law of Kelayim. The Palestinian Talmud adduces the right of the Beth-din to confiscate property from the passage [Ezra x. 8]: "And that whosoever should not come within three days, etc., all his substance should be devoted." Whence it may be seen, that a Beth-din has such power.
3:c1 MISHNA c. It was the custom for money-changers in those days to carry their tables with them, and hence they were called "the men of the tables." The Mishna relates, that on the fifteenth of the month the money-changers were ordered to go out into the rural districts with their tables, in order to provide the people with the necessary half-shekels; for the tax had to be paid in half-shekels only.
3:c2 On the twenty-fifth, when it was high time for payment and the people commenced flocking into the city of Jerusalem, the moneychangers returned and sat in the court of the Temple.
4:c3 The taking of pledges commenced immediately upon the departure of the money-changers from the rural districts, because, if a man had not paid his half-shekel while the money-changers were still within his reach, it was obvious that he either would not or could not pay it, and in consequence a pledge was taken.
4:c4 According to law, the priests were also in duty bound to pay the half-shekels, the collection of which was mainly intended for the purchase of communal sacrifices, and the priests were naturally included in the community. They, however, found a defect in the law, and held themselves exempt. In consequence of their being in authority during the existence of the second Temple, they were not forced to pay or give pledges, for the sake of harmony.
4:d1 MISHNA d. The difference of opinion between Ben Buchri (who was a priest himself) and R. Johan ben Zakai is, as can be plainly seen, that Ben Buchri holds, that according to law the priests are not in duty bound to pay the half-shekel; but if they do it, they may nevertheless partake of their Omer, two loaves, and showbread, while R. Johan ben Zakai says, that they are in duty bound to pay the half-shekel.
4:d2 The priests claim, that if they were to pay the half-shekel with which the Omer, etc., is bought, they would naturally have a share in it, and they would eat their share, which, as a priest's offering, must not be eaten by any one. This is, however, an unjust claim; for the majority is considered, and the priests were by far in the minority. As the priests, however, were in charge of the affairs of state, they interpreted the law to suit themselves, and for the sake of peace they were not disturbed.
5:e1 MISHNA e. This clause of the Mishna refers, according to the Palestinian Talmud and Maimonides, to Samaritans only and not to heathens, while the sin and guilt offerings were accepted from Samaritans but not from heathens, because the latter had not the same laws as the Israelites as regards sin-offerings. The Samaritans, however, claiming to be Israelites, were allowed to bring their sin and guilt offerings. The reason, however, that bird-offerings were not accepted from the Samaritans was because, in the first place, an offering for a person afflicted with venereal disease had to be brought in the form of a sheep; but if the person could not afford a sheep, birds answered the purpose. The Samaritans, however, were not considered trustworthy, and it was feared that they might bring a wrong offering (i.e., an offering of less value than they could afford).
5:e2 These were accepted from heathens also, because such offerings were for forgiveness of sins in general, and in that respect all men are equal.
5:f1 MISHNA f. The shekel mentioned in the Bible is equivalent to the Sela mentioned in the Mishna, and is worth two shekels of the Mishna. The half-shekel of the Bible was worth (according to Maimonides) the weight of 192 grains of barley in silver, and, for fear that the shekel of the Mishna of that time was perhaps a trifle less than the above weight, a small coin was prescribed to be paid in addition to the above shekel, and which was named from the Greek Colobbus (χόλλῦβος {Greek xóllu~bos}) He who gave the half-shekel voluntarily, and not because he was obliged to pay it, was exempt from paying the above "Colobbus." Those of the priests who, regardless of the p. 6 claim that they were not obliged to pay the half-shekel, paid it nevertheless, were exempt from the above premium for the sake of peace.
6:f2 One in addition to the half-shekel and one for the exchange.
6:g1 MISHNA g. Cattle-tithe must be paid by a man only from such young as his own cattle calve, but not from the calves which he purchases elsewhere. If two brothers inherit cattle or calves from their father, they must pay cattle-tithe, because the cattle are regarded as still their father's. If they have divided their inheritance, even though they shared alike, they are both exempt from payment, because it is regarded as if one brother had bought the cattle from the other. (The same refers to partners. As long as they are in partnership they are liable for cattle-tithe from such young as is calved by their own cattle, but if the partners dissolve even after the cattle had calved, they are exempt, because it is regarded as if one partner had purchased his share from the other.) Now, it is obvious that when the two brothers are still partners and liable for cattle-tithe they are regarded as one, and by paying one Sela for both are exempt from premiums, because the money is still considered as their father's. (This explanation is taken from Rashi in Tract Chulin.) As soon, however, as they are exempt from cattle-tithe., they have nothing more in common, hence must pay a half-shekel each, and thus must also pay the premium.
Sources: Sacred Texts


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President Biden is said to be giving "strong consideration" to new requirements for federal employees to help arrest the spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus.
One option under consideration: verifying that federal employees are vaccinated for COVID-19 using an "attestation of vaccination," a source familiar with the deliberations tells NPR's Tamara Keith.
Under the policy, federal employees who are not confirmed as vaccinated would be required to wear masks at all times while at work and be tested regularly for the virus, the source said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Completion of the review of the policy is expected later this week.
Biden was asked himself by reporters Tuesday whether he's considering a vaccine mandate for the federal workforce. "It's under consideration right now," he replied.
In a statement, Biden said he would lay out his next steps on how to get more Americans vaccinated on Thursday, noting that vaccinations are the best way to protect against the delta variant.
"More vaccinations and mask wearing in the areas most impacted by the Delta variant will enable us to avoid the kind of lockdowns, shutdowns, school closures, and disruptions we faced in 2020," he said.
New CDC guidance
The president's statement followed revised guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday. The CDC reversed a position, recommending that fully vaccinated people should wear masks indoors if they're in places with "substantial" or "high" spread of the virus.
Most United States counties currently fall under those two categories.
Added Biden in his statement: "I hope all Americans who live in the areas covered by the CDC guidance will follow it; I certainly will when I travel to these areas."
The delta variant is at least two times as contagious as the strain that first circulated in the U.S. and is the driving force behind a new surge in cases nationwide.
"This was not a decision that was taken lightly," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Tuesday, of the updated guidance.
But Walensky said the agency had to take into account the surge in cases, and data that shows that while rare, vaccinated people can still contract and spread the virus.
"The delta variant is showing every day its willingness to outsmart us," she said.
Vaccine mandates are on the rise
On Monday, the federal Department of Veterans Affairs announced it will require all front-line health care workers to get vaccinated in the next two months.
In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced all city workers would have to either get vaccinated or tested weekly for the virus. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a similar policy for state employees and health care workers.
The CDC is also now recommending universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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In ABTA , Brain Cancer , Brain Tumor , Gratitude , Short Stories , Survivor
By Aisha
Previous Story
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Kathy talks about how her husband and children, her hospital and supporters taught her how to be a Survivor.
They Call Me The Miracle Lady - I Survived Two Cancers.
This breast cancer survivor talks about the importance of advocating for yourself - do what you have to do to get what you need.
Betty's family got addicted to hand sanitizer. She survived ovarian cancer and became a volunteer at MD Anderson.


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January 1, 1970 (Vol. , No. )
Jack Huttner Huttner Strategies
Strategies must address the needs of new customers and the challenges of building a sustainable supply chain.
Fifteen years ago, six companies formed the industrial biotechnology section of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). In the days before RFS1 and RFS2, the goal was simple: create a vision and advocate for the biobased economy. The challenges now facing the industry require a rededication to the original vision and new initiatives to defend and expand it.
It was February 18, 1998. The Dow Jones Industrial Average of the New York Stock Exchange closed that day at 8,451. Oil was trading at about $25 per barrel; corn for around $2.50 per bushel. Annual ethanol production capacity was 1.4 billion gallons. Not a single industrial biotech company was publicly traded. Novozymes was still to be spun out of Novo Nordisk. Dow Chemical was the most heavily and widely invested strategic player in the space. DuPont and Genencor were developing biobased 1,3-propanediol. Cargill-Dow was in the final stages of piloting its polylactide technology. And BIO had about 15 staff members. For the six companies around the table on February 18th, the first priority was to establish some brand equity for the industrial application of biotechnology. At the time, only two biotechnology applications—human pharmaceuticals and agriculture—were recognized. That was step one in attaining the other critical objectives: policy incentives, pre-commercial federal Research Development & Demonstration (RD&D) money, and investor interest.
As BIO's World Congress of Industrial Biotechnology convenes for its 10th anniversary meeting in June there is a lot to be proud of, but still a long way to go in achieving the original vision of a biobased economy and assuring the industry's sustainable advantage.
Biofuels and Politics
If you look back, two seminal publications helped the embryonic industrial biotech sector get off the ground. In 1998, the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published Towards Industrial Sustainability: Biotechnology for Clean Industrial Products and Processes; and in 1999, Senator Richard Lugar and former CIA Director Jim Woolsey published "The New Petroleum" in the journal Foreign Affairs.1,2 In combination, these publications made a clear and convincing case for the environmental and energy security benefits of industrial biotechnology. These were two great calling cards, and the industry benefited from tremendous good will among policy makers and environmentalists.
One of the first policy victories was Executive Order 13134, issued by President Clinton to accelerate the biobased economy, followed shortly by Senator Lugar's Sustainable Chemicals and Fuels Act.3 Thus began a parade of policy actions meant to stimulate technology development to replace fossil fuels with renewable carbon from plants. Loose alliances and mutual interests among technology companies and farm and environmental organizations made one significant bill after another possible, culminating in the Energy Title of the 2007 Farm Bill and the Energy Independence & Security Act (EISA) of 2007, which established the RFS2.4,5 Along the way, Congress also put provisions in place providing tax incentives, accelerated depreciation, production credits, and reverse auctions. Perhaps of even greater consequence, the US Department of Agriculture and US Department of Energy were spending a total of more than $300 million per year on RD&D.
All biofuels policy progress was based on three pillars: rural economic development, greenhouse gas reduction, and energy independence. Political success was built on farm belt legislators in an uneasy alliance with environmentalists. Low grain prices created a strong base of votes in Congress. In the RFS2, environmental concerns about corn and land use change considerations were managed by capping starch ethanol at 15 billion gallons per year (BGPY) and setting aggressive volume targets for cellulosic fuels. Big oil acquiesced based on the calculus that gasoline demand would grow to at least 150 BGPY. They would take up the corn ethanol volumes easily at 10% blend rates and get their high octane oxygenate at economical prices (methy tert-butyl ether had been banned in 2006). Perhaps cynically, they bet that cellulosic ethanol was going to flop economically or cannibalize corn ethanol.
With the aid of hindsight, it might have been better for cellulosic biorefineries if the whole policy apparatus had been pushed forward 5 years, cresting in 2012 instead of 2007. Of course, in politics, you rarely control the timing. You take what you can and deal.
The political picture now is complicated by changes in the underlying political dynamics. Each of the three pillars is at best shaking, if not already collapsed. The price of corn and farmland, drought notwithstanding, has never been stronger, and rural wealth is at an all-time high. New analysis and perspectives on land use change and biogenic carbon accounting have neutralized the perception of environmental gain from biofuels. Domestic energy production has surged, prompting Jack Gerard, CEO of the American Petroleum Institute (API), to forecast that the US could become "self-sufficient in liquid fuels within 12 years." Lagging cellulosic production volume, falling further and further behind RFS2 scheduled targets, has finally pushed the API from biofuel skeptic to outright opponent. Following his "State of Energy" address on January 8th, Gerard reiterated his recent call for the outright repeal of the RFS.
On the plus side, the escalating and increasingly serious attacks on the RFS2 have finally shaken the biofuel industry into an uneasy alliance. The unprecedented investment by a unified biofuel sector in Fuels America—a coalition of organizations committed to protecting RFS and promoting the benefits of all types of renewable fuel already growing in America—is a great development. But, it is purely defensive and meant to hold at least 40 votes for the status quo, a far cry from the industry's heydays. Hopefully, Fuels America will succeed in its defense of the RFS. Weak as it is, it is the only real policy lever supporting cellulosic biorefinery development. We need the first billion gallons of cellulosic biofuels to dispel any doubt about the technology's viability.
Of course, there are alternatives to the RFS that might provide a basis for policy progress by reshuffling stakeholder interests. But congressional gridlock makes it unlikely any action would be taken on the two most likely alternatives: a national low carbon fuel standard or a technology-neutral approach rewarding all fuels on a sliding scale based on carbon intensity, energy content, ecosystem services, compatibility with existing infrastructure, etc. Whatever policy outcome results from RFS "reform" in this or the next Congress, one thing is clear: the future of the biobased economy depends on the continued availability of first-generation feedstocks as a parallel and transitional source of renewable carbon as progress continues in incremental growth from cellulosic sources.
Favorable Trends
Drafting a policy framework for the biobased economy in the midst of the biofuel policy debate may be a fool's errand. Luckily, outside the policy arena, there are some very favorable trends coalescing to pull the industry forward. Developers of biochemicals, biomaterials, bioactive ingredients, and processing aids have a bright future. While these opportunities are orders of magnitude smaller than fuels, they offer producers good margins and pricing power. Moreover, they have the additional benefit of not relying on policy incentives to create demand.
These are exciting new markets. Driven perhaps by climate change, trends in consumer preferences, or simple generational change, consumer-facing companies are getting serious about reducing their carbon intensity and life cycle footprint. This interest is new; delivering environmental performance through biotechnology is not. Our industry, working in alliance with consumer companies, has been doing this since the early 1990s, when detergent enzymes from Novozymes made it possible for Procter & Gamble (P&G) to reduce wash powder package size substantially, and Genencor worked with Levi Strauss & Co. on bio-indigo jeans. Recently, The Coca-Cola Company announced joint development agreements with Gevo, Virent, and Avantium to develop renewable, recyclable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for its PlantBottle. Following on the heels of that announcement, Coca-Cola, Ford, Heinz, Nike, and P&G announced a strategic working group focused on accelerating the development and use of plant-derived PET for packaging, apparel, footwear, automotive fabric, and carpeting.
Global consumer goods companies and retailers have tremendous brand value to protect. Over the last decade, successful companies have shifted the management of reputation risk from a reactive to proactive practice. Over the last few years, these same companies have significantly increased efforts to make their products and supply chains more sustainable.
There are numerous initiatives bringing stakeholders together to agree to key performance indicators (KPIs), measurement tools, and certification schemes to assure the sustainability of various products. The Sustainability Consortium, for example, involves a collaboration of the world's leading consumer goods companies and their suppliers and environmental experts to develop sector-by-sector reporting schemes. In agriculture, the Keystone Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture's Field to Market initiative has been working for more than 6 years to address these issues for six commodity crops, including corn and soy. Beginning in 2006, the non-profit Field to Market alliance engaged the entire supply chain alongside nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), academics, and government officials to develop an approach to sustainable production in agriculture that met everyone's needs.
In July 2012, Field to Market published Environmental and Socioeconomic Indicators for Measuring Outcomes of On-Farm Agricultural Production in the United States.6 The Field to Market initiative also created a sophisticated online tool, the Fieldprint Calculator, to help growers identify the environmental impact of management decisions made on the farm. Geospatially precise, this tool allows an individual grower, or groups of growers, to enter input/output data on a field-by-field basis. Performance is plotted in various ways to enable visualization of the field's specific footprint. Different management practices, like conservation tillage and nutrient management, can be modeled to test scenarios. The rigor and quality of the tool, developed by experts and subjected to peer review and field-testing, provide the basis for transparency around agricultural performance. While still in the early stages of adoption, this tool has demonstrated huge potential for the future of the biobased economy.
Over the last decade, sustainability standards related to environmental integrity, worker safety and health, waste stream management, child labor practices, and product stewardship have become axiomatic. Leading companies expect their suppliers to meet these standards in the processing of food, manufacturing of chemicals, and assembly of clothing and consumer electronics. The industrial biotechnology industry needs to join with its downstream customers in the effort to bring the same level of transparency to its supply chain.
The challenge presented by food security, land use change, carbon accounting, and climate change requires a sustained and intensive effort, especially in the face of declining support for biofuels among policy makers, heretofore the industry's most solid foundational support. If the biobased economy is to reach its potential, companies will need to commit to being actively engaged and helping to lead the way to more sustainable agriculture. The industry needs to help the public see agriculture as a system that can be optimized for everyone's benefit, and at the same time help suppliers understand their new responsibilities for transparency and continuous improvement.
At the macro scale, the industry needs to take a leadership role in accelerating progress toward meeting the challenges of doubling food production by 2050 with less land, water, and environmental degradation. Jonathan Foley, director of the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota, is a leading voice on global food security and agricultural sustainability.7 He and his collaborators have identified a number of steps that can help meet these needs, including closing the yield gap around the world, using resources more efficiently, reducing food waste and promoting diets lower in meat.8,9 Foley, like most opinion leaders on food security, questions the use of food crops allocated to non-food uses. The industry needs to deal with this issue squarely. "Feeding people comes first" needs to be an unquestioned industry position. It is fair game, however, to make sure that the debate treats industrial uses equitably. For example, recent studies suggest dietary choice may have as much to do with land use change as does biofuel production.10
Unfortunately, the food vs. fuel debate is filled with misinformation. A principal fallacy is to assume that a reduction in ethanol production would necessarily equate to lower corn prices or more corn being available for food. Recent calls by some governors to waive the RFS in the face of the drought exemplified this. Missing from the assumption that a decline in ethanol production would release an amount of corn directly into the food supply is the reality of supply and demand. It is far more likely that corn production would adjust to lower demand. In fact, data show that ethanol production has had little effect on corn availability, but has instead driven greater corn yield through innovations in genetics, farming practices, and other levers. Over the last 10 years, corn yield improvements have largely matched ethanol expansion, while US exports of corn, beef, pork, chicken, and other agricultural commodities have either increased or remained unchanged.11
At the micro scale, Field to Market's Fieldprint Calculator will enable real-world system optimization. Self-selected groups of producers or industry-sponsored groups can aggregate their results, test practices on different plots, and become a learning collective in pursuit of better performance and profitability. Grower groups could also experiment with new cropping systems and rapidly test new practices. For example, recent studies have shown significant agroecosystem improvements through extended cropping system diversification.12 Initiatives such as this provide excellent information to stimulate active dialogue among critical environmental stakeholders.
Environmental advocates would respond extremely well to industry-led initiatives to improve performance—to make things better. With the Fieldprint Calculator, producers can integrate continuous improvement into their management practices. This could have a major positive impact on the industry's image and go a long way to neutralizing some unfounded criticism.
In the end, a biobased economy will flourish only in a world of abundance. Biotechnology and modern agricultural practices have already lifted agricultural yields tremendously. New arguments are emerging suggesting that slowing population growth, more efficient farming methods, and less than predicted increases in the consumption of meat are all combining to make an era of "peak farmland" possible. With peak farmland, the direction of land use change could be positive, i.e., with land reverting to nature.13 In remarks on December 18, 2012, Jesse Ausubel, director of the Program for the Environment at Rockefeller University in New York, recounted his experience publishing "good news" about land use.13
Whether looking at the problem from a macro- or micro-scale perspective, there is no doubt that the industry's future prosperity depends on full engagement in the important work of sorting out the choices faced by society. Over the coming decades, everyone on the planet will be dealing with constraints, with boundaries, and with challenges for system optimization. The industrial biotechnology sector will have to deal with transparent sustainability obligations, just as every other industry does.
For the first 15 years of its existence, the industry progressed along the typical life cycle for emerging technologies and will now face the challenges of more mature industries. Leading companies like DuPont, DSM, Novozymes, and BASF have been plowing these fields for a long time. Among new entrants, NatureWorks has done an excellent job. Now the time has come for a more strategic, robust, and collective engagement. At the moment, because the supply chain for the biobased economy is still in formation, we lack a muscular voice to drive a coherent narrative that rises above the biofuels fracas. The sector is in need of an effective advocate to bring forward information and address the bigger picture. So, as BIO celebrates its 10th anniversary World Congress of Industrial Biotechnology, it should rally in defense of the RFS. But it should also spur its members to engage the challenges of building a sustainable feedstock supply chain.
Jack Huttner ([email protected]) is president and CEO of Huttner Strategies.
1 OECD. Biotechnology for Clean Industrial Products and Processes: Toward Industrial Sustainability. (1998) Available at: www.bio-economy.net/reports/files/oecd_biotech_for_clean_industrial_products.pdf (Last accessed January 2013).
2 Lugar RG, Woolsey RJ. The new petroleum. Foreign Affairs. (1999) Available at: www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/54624/richard-g-lugar-and-r-james-woolsey/the-new-petroleum (Last accessed January 2013).
3 The White House. White House Initiative on Global Climate Change: The President's New Executive Order on Bio-Based Products and Bioenergy. (1999) Available at: http://clinton5.nara.gov/Initiatives/Climate/biobased.html (Last accessed January 2013).
4 US 110th Congress, 2nd Session, H.R. 6124. (2008) Available at: www.usda.gov/documents/Bill_6124.pdf (Last accessed January 2013).
5 US 100th Congress, 1st Session, H.R. 6. (1987) Available at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-110hr6enr/pdf/BILLS-110hr6enr.pdf (Last accessed January 2013).
6 Field to Market. Environmental and Socioeconomic Indicators for Measuring Outcomes of On-Farm Agricultural Production in the United States. (2012) Available at: www.fieldtomarket.org/report/ (Last accessed January 2013).
7 Ted Talks. Jonathan Foley: The Other Inconvenient Truth. (2012) Available at: www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_foley_the_other_inconvenient_truth.html (Last accessed January 2013).
8 Foley JA. Can we feed the world & save the planet? Sci Am 2011;305(5):60–65.
9 Foley JA, Ramankutty N, Brauman KA, et al. Solutions for a cultivated planet. Nature 2011;478(7369):337–342.
10 Kim S, Dale B, Ong R. An alternative approach to indirect land use change: Allocating greenhouse gas effects among different uses of land. Biomass Bioenerg 2012;46:447–452.
11 Wallington TJ, Anderson JE, Mueller SA, et al. Corn ethanol production, food exports and indirect land use change. Environ Sci Technol 2012;46(11):6379–6384.
12 Davis AS, Hill JD, Chase CA, et al. Increasing cropping system diversity balances productivity, profitability and environmental health. PLOS ONE 2012;7(10):e0047149
13 Ausubel J, Wernick IK, Waggoner PE. Peak farmland and the prospect for land sparing. (2012) Available at: http://phe.rockefeller.edu/docs/PDR.SUPP%20Final%20Paper.pdf (Last accessed January 2013).
Industrial Biotechnology, published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., is a peer-reviewed bimonthly research journal focused on biobased industrial and environmental products and processes. The above article was first published in the February 2013 issue of Industrial Biotechnology with the title "Strategies for Growing the Biobased Economy Must Address Needs of New Customers and Challenges of Building a Sustainable Supply Chain". The views expressed here are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of Industrial Biotechnology journal, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers, or their affiliates. No endorsement of any entity or technology is implied.


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Canevolve 900mg CBD Shatter 1g
Canevolve 900mg CBD Shatter 1g
Canevolve's Dab Rockz are the perfect product for use with dabbing equipment. Designed to give the user a strong and direct hit of 90% pure CBD. Each variety of rockz comes infused with natural terpenes that are guaranteed to deliver an explosion of flavour. These rockz can also be melted down and added to a vast array of products. Comes in a shatter like form and ready for consumption straight out of the pack.
Banana Kush.
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Many people are taking CBD for things that range from mood disorders to arthritis pain. Children are sometimes giving CBD for epilepsy because it helps with seizure activity. For kids, CBD gummies are a great alternative to the drops because it seems like candy to them and it also helps you know more accurately how much they are getting. The best CBD edibles are available online or in shops now. Thankfully, CBD is legal nationwide and is giving more people options in states that haven't yet legalized marijuana.
Even in states with medical marijuana laws in place, many people seek the best CBD edibles to help control pain and anxiety instead of marijuana because the laws haven't kept pace with the medical marijuana industry and employers can still fire you for not passing a drug test. CBD gummies are also something that you can carry in your pocket, keep in a desk drawer and take without being obvious to others that you're taking your dose to help you with a chronic condition or pain. It affords more anonymity of those who are trying to fly under the radar.
How To Know If CBD Edibles Are High Quality
There are so many brands of CBD products on the market right now that it is very difficult for most people to have any idea if they are getting a good product or not. Some of the things that you'll want to know are:
1) is it hemp seed oil or really CBD oil (hint – there's a big difference)
2) Do they have a third-party analysis that you can see?
3) Is this a CBD isolate or full-spectrum product and how does that impact the way it works?
Let's tackle these one at a time!
- Hemp seed vs CBD oil – You will often find products that claim to be CBD oil, the label it says hemp seed oil. CBD comes from hemp. Hemp seeds come from hemp. They don't contain CBD though. Hemp seeds have the lowest concentration, very close to zero, of any part of the plant. CBD oil is generally extracted from the rest of the plant. Hemp seeds are used for salads, shake additives and are very healthy but they don't have CBD oil in them for that type of benefit. Hemp seed oil is full of omega 3, 6, and 9 oils and is also high in protein. It is considered more healthy for you than flaxseed oil and has cardio health benefits that are outstanding. It will not help pain, however.
- Third-Party Analysis – All reputable businesses that create products from CBD oil will have independent labs conduct a chemical analysis on the oil. This is to show how much CBD is in the oil and whether there are other cannabinoids present as well. This will ensure that THC is below .03% as the law allows for, and will also show if there are any heavy metals that aren't healthy found in the oil. This can happen if the plants are grown in contaminated soils because hemp is a soil remediation plant. It draws things out of the soil it is grown in and can clean the soil in this way. It doesn't bode well for you if you want to extract oil from those particular plants, however. Choosing an organic product is best, whenever possible. The FDA regulates organic crops more closely.
- Full-spectrum – This means that the entire plant is used to extract the oil from and that all of the cannabinoids that were in the plant are present in the oil. This is considered to be most ideal because the other cannabinoids are also as beneficial as CBD is. We just simply know more about CBD and THC. CBV, CBDVA, and CBG are all wonderful in their own right and we are learning more about their benefits as well. In fact, scientists have learned that when the cannabinoids are present in products together, rather than isolated forms of CBD, they are capable of doing more with greater effectiveness. They work as a team. This is referred to as the Entourage Effect and it is the most desired product. The downside of using a full-spectrum product is that you could still fail a drug test, despite the extremely low, trace amount of THC in these.
Taking these things into consideration, you're looking for edibles that are made with organic CBD oil. You should look for a label that says they are full-spectrum if you truly want to experience the full effect of pain relief or help with seizures, tremors, IBS symptom help, etc.
The best CBD edibles include CBD gummies, CBD candies, baked goodies, and CBD infused honey, and things that you may not expect at all.
It is important to know that not all CBD edibles are created equally and there are products on the market that just aren't legitimate or even really made with CBD. If you read the labels, using our tips, you'll see that some things are being made with hemp seed oil and don't even contain any CBD oil whatsoever. You know what to look for now.
You also know now that you should look for products made from organically sourced oil. Choosing things made with oils sourced right here in the USA are some of the best and safest that you can find. Imported CBD oil products are often mislabeled and have traces of toxins and heavy metals in them when tested independently.
Don't use a product that you can't see third-party testing for. It's impossible to know if you're getting real CBD oil if you don't look for this. It's also possible that you're using something that could be harmful without seeing this test. Rather than run any risks of consuming toxins found in some samples coming in from other countries
Do use products that fit your lifestyle and this will ensure you use them CBD infused coffees are wonderful for people who drink coffee every morning and they taste great! CBD coffee creamers, brownies, and even soup recipes exist. There is truly something for everyone. The best CBD edibles are the ones that you enjoy eating and that provide you with the best impact. These will be organic, full-spectrum edibles.
- A new survey reveals – the pandemic has increased CBD use - March 30, 2021
- Epidemic of insomnia sees JustCBD formulate sleep-specific CBD gummies - March 18, 2021
- Learn How CBD Oil Can Cure Arthritis Pain - March 9, 2021


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If you're thinking of buying a new home, an important first step is to work with a builder who is experienced with energy efficiency strategies and products. In their efforts to keep their house prices as low as possible, many builders set their energy goal as meeting the Florida Building Code. Unfortunately, this code establishes the minimum levels of efficiency for homes in the state, so in reality a home that meets the code is actually the least efficient home you can buy. There are many things beyond this minimum level that can save you significant money on your utility bills and give you a home that is more comfortable as well.
The list below gives information on the major builder programs that differentiate homes that are built to higher standards. To be assured your builder is energy-conscious, you should learn more about these programs and discuss energy efficiency with the builder you select. Note that the list of programs is organized from least to most efficient.
This Sarasota home by Pruett Builders participated in FPL's BuildSmart Program, EPA's EnergyStar and DOE's Building America Programs. It had a HERS rating and was a designated Green Home by the Florida Green Building Coalition. |
You should also visit the ENERGY STAR Web site for builders participating in their program and also the EnergyGauge site where you'll find information on home energy ratings that let you know how efficient your home will be and where improvements can be made.
Program Name |
Organization |
Local assistance |
Energy Efficiency Level |
Department of Community Affairs(DCA) |
Usually code calc, insulating or HVAC contractor |
Least efficient allowed by law. Evaluates heating, cooling and hot water. Method A used by most builders allows performance tradeoffs. | |
Utility Programs |
Electric and/or gas utility |
Utility representative | Varies from slightly better than code to meeting Energy Star. |
US EPA Builder must sign memorandum of understanding
(no cost) |
Certified Home Energy Rater to evaluate each home - EPA also has sampling and Builder Option Packages programs | Energy Star for Homes is in transition. See www.energystar.gov for additional information. | |
Administered by FSEC for DCA | Trained and certified energy rater. Locate a rater here |
Florida's official Home Energy Rating System (HERS) based on the performance method. Class 1 includes inspection and building and duct tightness testing. Can be used to qualify for Energy Star and Green designations. | |
US Department of Energy (DOE) Builder must become partner (no cost) |
FSEC or other DOE Building America team | Strives for minimum HERS Index of 70 while maintaining or improving good indoor air quality, durability, and cost effectiveness. | |
Florida Green Building Coalition | Green Home Certifier (see web site) | Mandatory and credit point system. Has eight categories with many choices: Energy, Water, Lot Choice, Site, Health, Materials, Disaster Mitigation and General. | |
Enterprise Foundation, FCLF, FGBC |
Green Home Certifier | Reserved for affordable housing. Same as Florida Designated Green Home with a few additional prerequisites. | |
U.S. Green Building Council | FSEC in Florida | Mandatory and credit point system in Energy Efficiency, Indoor Environmental Quality, Water Efficiency, Site Selection, Site Development, Materials Selection, Residents' Awareness, and Innovation. | |
US Department
of Energy (DOE) |
FSEC or other DOE Zero Energy Home team/partner | Demonstration home with net zero energy use because of exceptional energy-efficient design, construction, and appliances combined with renewable energy generation. |