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Diving refers to the sport of performing acrobatics whilst jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard of a certain height. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a common recreational pastime in places where swimming is popular.
While not a particularly popular participant sport, diving is one of the more popular Olympic sports with spectators. Successful competitors possess many of the same characteristics as gymnasts and dancers, including strength, flexibility, kinaesthetic judgment and air awareness.
In the recent past, the success and prominence of Greg Louganis led to American strength internationally. More recently, the greatest diving nation has been China, which came to prominence several decades ago when the sport was revolutionized by national coach Liang Boxi and after intense study of the dominant Louganis. China has lost few world titles since. Other powers are generally those which import Chinese coaches, including Australia and Canada.
Most diving competitions consist of three disciplines: 1m and 3m springboards, and the platform. Competitive athletes are divided by gender, and often by age groups as well. In platform events, competitors are allowed to perform their dives on either the five, seven and a half (generally just called seven) or ten meter towers. In major diving meets, including the Olympic Games and the World Championships, platform diving is from the 10 meter height.
Divers must perform a set number of dives according to various established requirements, including somersaults and twists in various directions and from different starting positions. Divers are judged on whether and how well they completed all aspects of the dive, the conformance of their body to the requirements of the nominated dive, and the amount of splash created by their entry to the water. Theoretically, a score out of ten is supposed to be broken down into three points for the takeoff, three for the flight, and three for the entry, with one more available to give the judges flexibility.
The raw score is multiplied by a difficulty factor, derived from the number and combination of movements attempted. The diver with the highest total score after a sequence of dives is declared the winner.
Synchronized diving was adopted as an Olympic sport in 2000. In this event, two divers form a team and attempt to perform dives simultaneously. The dives are usually identical; however, sometimes the dives may be opposites, in what is called a pinwheel. In these events, synchronicity is valued as highly as technical skill.
Ultimately, the judges' scores given on each dive are subjective. However, there are specific rules governing how a dive is supposed to be scored. Usually a score factors three elements of the dive: the approach, the flight, and the entry. The primary factors affecting the scoring are: (1) the platform selected (10-meter, 7.5-meter, or 5-meter), (2) if a hand-stand is required, the length of time and quality of the hold, (3) the height of the diver at the apex of the dive, with extra height resulting in a higher score, (4) the distance of the diver from the diving apparatus throughout the dive (a diver must not be dangerously close, should not be too far away, but should ideally be within of the platform), (5) the properly defined body position of the diver according to the dive being performed, including pointed toes and feet touching at all times, (6) the proper amounts of rotation and revolution upon completion of the dive and entry into the water, and (7) angle of entry (a diver should enter the water straight, without any angle). Many judges award divers for the amount of splash created by the diver on entry, with less splash resulting in a higher score.
To reduce the subjectivity of scoring in major meets, panels of five or seven judges are assembled. In the case where five judges are assembled, the highest and lowest scores are discarded and the middle three are summed and multiplied by the DD (Degree of Difficulty -- determined from a combination of the moves undertaken, in which position and from what height). In major international events, seven judges are assembled. In these circumstances, the highest and lowest scores are again discarded and the middle five are summed, then ratioed by 3/5, and multiplied by the DD, so as to provide consistent comparison with 5-judge events. Accordingly, it is extremely difficult for one judge to manipulate scores.
There is a general misconception about scoring and judging. In serious meets, the absolute score is somewhat meaningless. It is the relative score, not the absolute score that wins meets. Accordingly, good judging implies consistent scoring across the dives. Specifically, if a judge consistently gives low scores for all divers, or consistently gives high scores for the same divers, the judging will yield fair relative results and will cause divers to place in the correct order. However, absolute scores have significance to the individual divers. Besides the obvious instances of setting records, absolute scores are also used for rankings and qualifications for higher level meets.
To win dive meets, divers create a dive list in advance of the meet. To win the meet the diver must accumulate more points than other divers. Usually simple dives with low DDs will look good to spectators but will not win meets. The competitive diver will attempt the highest DD dives possible with which they can achieve consistent, high scores. If divers are scoring 8 or 9 on most dives, it may be a sign of their extreme skill, or it may be a sign that their dive list is not competitive, and they may lose the meet to a diver with higher DDs and lower scores.
In competition, divers must submit their lists beforehand, and past a certain deadline (usually when the event is announced shortly before it begins) they cannot change their dives under any circumstances. If they fail to perform the dive announced, even if they physically cannot execute the dive announced, even if they perform a more difficult dive, they will receive a score of zero. Under exceptional circumstances, a redive may be granted, but these are exceedingly rare (usually for very young divers just learning how to compete, or if some event outside the diver's control has caused them to be unable to perform).
There are some American meets which will allow changes of the position of the dive even after the dive has been announced immediately before execution, but these are an exception to the rules generally observed internationally.
Generally, NCAA rules allow for dives to be changed while the diver is on the board, but the diver must request the change directly after the dive is announced. This applies especially in cases where the wrong dive is announced. If the diver pauses during his or her hurdle to ask for a change of dive, it will be declared a balk and the change of dive will not be permitted.
Under FINA law, no dive may be changed after the deadline for the dive-sheet to be submitted (generally a period ranging from one hour to 24 hours, depending on the rulings made by the event organiser.
It is the diver's responsibility to ensure that the dive-sheet is filled in correctly, and also to correct the referee or announcer before the dive if they describe it incorrectly. If a dive is performed which is as submitted but not as (incorrectly) announced, it is declared failed and scores zero according to a strict reading of the FINA law. But in practice, a re-dive would usually be granted in these circumstances.
Divers do not consider themselves swimmers. While each sport shares a pool, and may compete side by side when doing so for their schools, the two sports are very different. Swimming is a full body exercise with emphasis on upper body strength and speed, diving is a full body exercise with emphasis on grace and execution; swimmers most frequently suffer overuse injuries, divers most frequently suffer impact injuries or strains.
The sister sport of diving is gymnastics. Many divers begin their training as gymnasts, and switch sports for one reason or another. Two of the most common are that they simply prefer diving, or that they develop a chronic injury that makes continuing gymnastics impossible. Gymnastics provides young divers with unique skills that help them perform complex and risky dives, but there are downsides; some habits developed in gymnastics can interfere with the correct technique of diving.
This is frequently a source of political friction as the committees are naturally dominated by swimming officials who do not necessarily share or understand the concerns of the diving community. Divers often feel, for example, that they do not get adequate support over issues like the provision of facilities. Other areas of concern are the selection of personnel for the specialised Diving committees and for coaching and officiating at events, and the team selection for international competitions.
There are sometimes attempts to separate the governing body as a means to resolve these frustrations, but they are rarely successful. For example, in the UK the Great Britain Diving Federation was formed in 1992 with the intention of taking over the governance of Diving from the ASA (Amateur Swimming Association). Although it initially received widespread support from the diving community, the FINA requirement that international competitors had to be registered with their National Governing Body was a major factor in the abandonment of this ambition a few years later.
Since FINA refused to rescind recognition of the ASA as the British governing body for all aquatic sports including diving, this meant that the elite divers had to belong to ASA affiliated clubs in order to be eligible for selection to international competition.
In the United States scholastic diving is almost always part of the school's swim team. Diving is a separate sport in Olympic and Club Diving. The NCAA will separate diving from swimming in special diving competitions after the swim season is completed.
There is a general perception of diving as being a dangerous activity, and this has contributed to the decline in availability of facilities. In fact, despite the apparent risk, the statistical incidence of injury in supervised training and competition is extremely low.
The majority of accidents that are classified as 'diving-related' are incidents caused by individuals jumping from structures such as bridges or piers into water of inadequate depth. Because of this many beaches and pools prohibit diving in shallow waters or when a lifeguard is not on duty.
After an incident in Washington state in 1993, most US and other pool builders are reluctant to equip a residential swimming pool with a diving springboard, so home diving pools are much less common these days. In the incident 14-year-old Shawn Meneely made a "suicide dive" (his hands at his sides - so his head hit the bottom first) in a private swimming pool and was seriously injured (tetraplegic). Family lawyer Fred Zeder successfully sued the diving board manufacturer, the pool builder, and the National Spa & Pool Institute over the inappropriate depth of the pool. The NSPI had specified a minimum depth of 7 ft 6 in (2.55m) which proved to be insufficient in the above case. The pool into which Meneelly dove was not constructed exactly to the published standards. The standards had changed after the diving board was installed on the non-compliant pool by the homeowner. But the courts held that the pool "was close enough" to the standards to hold NSPI liable. The multi-million dollar lawsuit was eventually settled in 2001 for $6,600,000USD ($US8,000,000 after interest was added) in favor of the plaintiff. The NSPI was held to be liable, and was financially strained by the case. It filed twice for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and was successfully reorganized into a new swimming pool industry association.
Within competitive diving, FINA takes regulatory steps to ensure that athletes are protected from the inherent dangers of the sport. For example, they impose restrictions according to age on the heights of platforms which divers may compete on.
Group D (11 & under): 5m
Group C (12/13 year): 5m & 7.5m
Group B (14/15 year): 5m, 7.5m & 10m
Group A (16/18 year): 5m, 7.5m & 10m
Group D divers have only recently been allowed to compete tower at all. In the past, the age group could compete only springboard, in order to discourage young children from taking on the greater risks of tower diving. Group D tower was introduced to counteract the phenomenon of coaches pushing young divers to compete in higher age categories, thus putting them at even greater risk.
However, some divers may safely dive in higher age categories in order to dive on higher platforms. Usually this occurs when advanced Group C divers wish to compete on the 10m.
There are six "groups" into which dives are classified: Forward, Back, Inward, Reverse, Twist, and Armstand. The latter applies only to Platform competitions, whereas the other five apply to both Springboard and Platform.
During the flight of the dive, one of the four positions may be specified:
These positions are referred to by the letters A, B,C and D respectively.
In competition, the dives are referred to by a schematic system of three- or four-digit numbers. The letter to indicate the position is appended to the end of the number.
The first digit of the number indicates the dive group as defined above.
For groups 1 to 4, the number consists of three digits and a letter of the alphabet. The third digit represents the number of half-somersaults. The second digit is either 0 or 1; with 1 signifying a "flying" variation of the basic movement: ie the first half somersault is performed in the straight position, and then the piked or tucked shape is assumed.
For example:
For Group 5, the dive number has 4 digits. The second digit indicates the group (1-4) of the underlying movement; the third digit indicates the number of half-somersaults, and the fourth indicates the number of half-twists.
For example:
For Group 6 - Armstand - the dive number has either three, four or five digits: Three digits for dives without twist and four for dives with twists.
In non-twisting armstand dives, the second digit indicates the direction of rotation (0 = no rotation, 1 = forward, 2 = backward, 3 = reverse, 4 = inward) and the third digit indicates the number of half-somersaults. Inward-rotating armstand dives have never been performed, and are generally regarded as physically impossible.
For example:
For twisting Armstand dives, the dive number again has 4 digits, but rather than beginning with the number 5, the number 6 remains as the first digit, indicating that the "twister" will be performed from an Armstand. The second digit indicates the direction of rotation - as above, the third is the number of half-somersaults, and the fourth is the number of half-twists:
e.g. 6243D - armstand back double-somersault with one and a half twists in the free position
All of these dives come with DD (degree of difficulty) this is an indication of how difficult/complex a dive is. The score that the dive receives is multiplied by the DD (also known as tariff) to give the dive a final score. Before a diver competes they must decide on a "list" this is a number of optional dives and compulsory dives. The optionals come with a DD limit. this means that a diver must select X number of dives and the combined DD limit must be no more than the limit set by the competition/organisation etc.
Until the mid 1990s the tariff was decided by the FINA diving committee, and divers could only select from the range of dives in the published tariff table. Since then, the tariff is calculated by a formula based on various factors such as the number of twist and somersaults, the height, the group etc., and divers are free to submit new combinations.
At the moment of take-off, two critical aspects of the dive are determined, and cannot subsequently be altered during the execution. One is the trajectory of the dive, and the other is the magnitude of the angular momentum.
The speed of rotation - and therefore the total amount of rotation - may be varied from moment to moment by changing the shape of the body, in accordance with the law of conservation of angular momentum.
The center of mass of the diver follows a parabolic path in free-fall under the influence of gravity (ignoring the effects of air resistance, which are negligible at the speeds involved).
Since the parabola is symmetrical, the travel away from the board as the diver passes it is twice the amount of the forward travel at the peak of the flight. Excessive forward distance to the entry point is penalized when scoring a dive, but obviously an adequate clearance from the diving board is essential on safety grounds.
The greatest possible height that can be achieved is desirable for several reasons:
The magnitude of angular momentum remains constant throughout the dive, but since
and the moment of inertia is larger when the body has an increased radius, the speed of rotation may be increased by moving the body into a compact shape, and reduced by opening out into a straight position.
Since the tucked shape is the most compact, it gives the most control over rotational speed, and dives in this position are easier to perform. Dives in the straight position are hardest, since there is almost no scope for altering the speed, so the angular momentum must be created at take-off with a very high degree of accuracy. (A small amount of control is available by moving the position of the arms and by a slight hollowing of the back).
Notice that the opening of the body for the entry does not stop the rotation, but merely slows it down. The vertical entry achieved by expert divers is largely an illusion created by starting the entry slightly short of vertical, so that the legs are vertical as they disappear beneath the surface. A small amount of additional tuning is available by 'entry save' techniques, whereby underwater movements of the upper body and arms against the viscosity of the water affect the position of the legs.
Dives with multiple twists and somersaults are some of the most spectacular movements, as well as the most challenging to perform.
The rules state that twisting 'must not be generated manifestly on take-off'. Consequently, divers must use some of the somersaulting angular momentum to generate twisting movements. The physics of twisting can be explained by looking at the components of the angular momentum vector.
As the diver leaves the board, the total angular momentum vector is horizontal, pointing directly to the left for a forward dive for example. For twisting rotation to exist, it is necessary to tilt the body sideways after takeoff, so that there is now a small component of this horizontal angular momentum vector along the body's long axis. The tilt can be seen in the photo.
The tilting is done by the arms, which are outstretched to the sides just before the twist. When one arm is moved up and the other is moved down (like turning a big steering wheel), the body reacts by tilting to the side, which then begins the twisting rotation. At the completion of the required number of twist rotations, the arm motion is reversed (the steering wheel is turned back), which removes the body's tilt and stops the twisting rotation.
An alternative explanation is that the moving arms have precession torque on them which set the body into twisting rotation. Moving the arms back produces opposite torque which stop the twisting rotation.
The rules state that the body should be vertical, or nearly so, for entry. The arms must be beside the body for feet-first dives and extended forwards in line for "head-first" dives. It used to be common for the hands to be interlocked with the fingers extended towards the water, but a different technique has become favoured during the last few decades. Now the usual practice is for one hand to grasp the other with palms down to strike the water with a flat surface (the so-called "rip entry"). This creates a vacuum between the hands, arms and head which with a vertical entry will pull down and under any splash until deep enough to have minimal effect on the surface of the water. Once a diver is completely under the water they may choose to roll or scoop in the same direction their dive was rotating to pull the splash away from the channel which they have just created.
USA Diving sanctions one East-West one and three meter event in the winter time with an Eastern champion and Western champion determined. In the summer USA Diving sanctions a national event with tower competitions offered.
AAU Diving sanctions one national event per year in the summer. AAU competes on the one, three, and tower to determine the All-American team.
In the United States scholastic diving at the college level requires one and three meter diving. Scores from the one and three meter competition contribute to the swim team's overall meet score. College divers interested in tower diving may compete in the NCAA separate from swim team events. NCAA Divisions II and III do not usually compete platform; if a diver wishes to compete platform in college, he or she must attend a Division I school. Each of the different divisions also has different rules on number of dives in each competition. Division II schools compete with 10 dives in competition whereas Division III schools compete with 11. Division I schools only compete with 6 dives in competition.
A number of colleges and universities offer scholarships to men and women who have competitive diving skills. These scholarships are usually offered to divers with age-group or club diving experience.
The NCAA limits the number of years a college student can represent any school in competitions. The limit is four years, but could be less under certain circumstances.
Masters' Diving events are normally conducted in age-groups of 5 or 10 years, and attract competitors of a wide range of ages and experience (many, indeed, are newcomers to the sport); the oldest competitor in a Masters' Diving Championship was Viola Krahn, who at the age of 101 was the first person in any sport, male or female, anywhere in the world, to compete in an age-group of 100+ years in a nationally organized competition.
Most provincial level competitions consist of events for 6 different age groups (Groups A, B, C, D, E, and Open) for both genders on each of the three board levels. These age groups roughly correspond to those standardized by FINA, with the addition of a youngest age group for divers 9 and under, Group E, which does not compete nationally (although divers of this age may choose to compete Group D). The age group Open is so called because divers of any age, including over 18, may compete in these events, so long as their dives meet a minimum standard of difficulty.
Divers can qualify to compete at the age group national championships, or junior national championships, in their age groups as assigned by FINA up to the age of 18. This competition is held annually in July. Qualification is based on achieving minimum scores at earlier competitions in the season determined by DPC according to the results of the preceding year's national competition.
Divers older than 18, or advanced divers of younger ages, can qualify for the senior national championships, which are held twice each year, once roughly in March and once in June or July. Once again, qualification is based on achieving minimum scores at earlier competitions; in this case, within the 12 months preceding the national championships.
Diving is also popular as a non-competitive activity that is often simply done for pleasure or thrills. Such diving usually emphasizes the airborne experience, and the height of the dive, but does not emphasize what goes on once the diver enters the water. The ability to dive underwater can be a useful emergency skill, and is an important part of watersport and navy safety training. More generally, entering water from a height is an enjoyable leisure activity, as is underwater swimming.
Such non-competitive diving can occur both indoors and outdoors. Outdoor diving typically takes place from cliffs or other rock formations either into fresh or salt water. However, man-made diving platforms are sometimes constructed in popular swimming destinations. Outdoor diving requires knowledge of the water depth and currents as conditions can be dangerous. Despite these risks the activity has proven to be very popular due to its thrilling nature.


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WARM springs cause trees to increase their take-up of carbon, complicating efforts to determine the link between climate change and the carbon cycle. A new study of a deciduous forest in Canada shows that it takes up more carbon in years with warm springs, says Andy Black of the University of British Columbia. The average annual temperature has little impact, but the earlier trees come into leaf, and the warmer the weather, the more carbon they take up (
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subset: commoncrawl


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Tressel Back at Ohio Stadium for UM?
Will Jim Tressel be returning to Ohio Stadium sooner than anyone expected?
If the players from Ohio State's 2002 national championship team have it there way, their former coach will be there with them when they're honored at this year's season finale against Michigan.
"We would love to see Tress," said former Buckeyes safety Mike Doss, who helped organize the 10-year reunion. "We know what we did as a team and a family unit."
Tressel resigned in May 2011 in the wake of the OSU tattoo scandal. But Buckeyes AD Gene Smith said the school would allow "anyone associated with the team to be honored." Tressel is currently the Vice President of Strategic Engagement for the University of Akron but is still a god in Columbus for winning a national title with the Buckeyes and going 9-1 against Michigan.
If The Vest is indeed on the field on Nov. 24, you can bet the cheers will be deafening.


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10 Tips to Obtaining an Urban Loft Feel in your Home
Recently, the interest in urban lofts has gained popularity amongst urban goers and rural home owners. Exposed flooring and overhead mechanical ductwork bring the contemporary feel of the city to your home. What is it that makes urban loft living so desirable? I think it's the feeling of a cosmopolitan lifestyle looking over a city with industrial décor with a soft edge interplayed is the appeal. If you want to bring the urban loft feel into your home, follow these 10 tips to feel on top of the world!
1.) Modern furnishings: Minimalistic and modern furniture is the idealistic 'look' of an urban loft. Clean lines of seating areas, décor, and few decorative items are key. Use simple forms and allow for plenty of space to walk around furniture to take full advantage of space, height and views.
2.) Exposed heating and air ductwork: Since most urban lofts are inside of warehouses or urban industrial buildings they have been turned into residential spaces and high ceilings are the norm. For heating and air ductwork, leave the pipelines exposed and consider painting black, brown or leave with metallic finish for a truly industrial feel.
3.) Leave floors bare: Urban loft living brings the industrial nature into your daily living with finishes that are exposed, bare and 'unfinished'. For flooring consider leaving concrete exposed and adding a concrete stain to seal it, and add a patina of color. Hardwood flooring and slate are also typical for flooring. To soften sitting and conversational areas add area rugs to match the décor.
4.) Simple window treatments: The view takes center stage in an urban loft. Ensure your window treatments don't interfere with the view by choosing simple sheer fabric or sheer blinds for covering. Depending on the height of your home and privacy issues you may not need window treatments. For homes with tall windows consider motorized treatments that are remote controlled.
5.) Open space means less storage: In urban lofts the feeling of multiple rooms occupying one open space is the appeal. Although, when considering storage bookshelves, armoires and storage units will need to be low in height or back up against walls. Take advantage of multifunctional ottomans, storage benches and furniture that doubles as display and storage.
6.) An open kitchen is great for entertaining: To get the urban loft kitchen feel in your home leave one side open to the living and dining spaces. The appeal of urban living is to be able to entertain and interact with your guest while you cook and prepare food and drink. Industrial and professional stainless steel or black appliances pulls the entire look together, coupled with an eye catching range hood.
7.) Artwork and color: Urban living can still have beautiful colors amidst the greys and blacks of industrial finishes. Choose furniture that has punches of color along with colorful artwork to adorn the walls. Add colorful area rugs, throw pillows and decorative décor for table tops and display areas.
8.) Consider lighting: In the daytime natural light pouring into your space is an asset. In the evening hours, ensure you have ample lighting throughout your home. If your ceilings are very high, wall sconces, floor lamps that extend over couches and table lamps should be considered.
9) Multiple levels create the true urban loft experience: For lofts that have the option of having another split level for a bedroom, bathroom or entertaining space have a great experience. To look out over the main living floor and to see great views outside. Remember that this also can be a noise problem for multiple people sharing a loft. In your home, consider this lifestyle before opting for a multilevel – open urban living environment.
10.) Bring nature in: To stay well balanced with nature, bring live plants, running water fountains and nature inspired materials into your urban loft. Even though you feel far above the city below, your home and you will always benefit from nature at hand.
Urban loft living and décor is a lifestyle that many love. While not for everyone, open outdoor spaces are replaced with expansive windows and views over metropolitan vistas. Depending on your lifestyle and your preference for architectural layouts you can bring urban loft details into your home or opt to live in the real deal. Whichever you choose, urban loft living will always have a favorable appeal.
Freshome reader's tell us if you like urban loft living. Do you live in one? Share with us, and tell us the pros and cons!
7 comments
wonderful nice post thank you very much dude
Excellent article. I love the explanation of using open spaces and multiple levels for changing the feel.
However, I am not sure I really understand the whole window treatment thing. As long as they can be opened does it really matter if they are simple or extravagant?
Thanks a lot!
Ideal advices for my Loft of near future.
One of the complicated decorating factors that almost home owners always faced it is How to adapt the harmony of color appealingly look. And one of the best self-practice answering resource is using color-chart to compare before buying color, or free asking from seller. Thanks for sharing
Nowaday the city becomes the synonym of life.That's why it's normal that more and more people decide to live in urban lofts. As for me, i would like to live in such a one. What I like the most is a big space and an open kitchen. I like chating, so open kitchen is perfect place to interact with my guest while cooking.
These lofts are really beatiful and spacious compared to the others. And the tips are useful too! I can use some of it though. Thanks for sharing.
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Social Media Marketing
Social Media will go Mainstream
Most of the years 2012 and 2013 were like "guessing periods" which left everyone wondering what exactly the role of social media was, in terms of pure business. As we write, social selling is already reality.
Apart from the usual benefits of social media for businesses, social media enables a core framework for brands and businesses to earn inbound links which helps your search strategy. According to Nielsen Research, more than 92% of people trust recommendations from friends and family. Social media is getting close to translate that reality into clicks, links, and cash.
You don't need to be told that engaging with customers and clients is no longer about shout marketing. Billboards and magazine ads aren't going to help you interact with your current and prospective clients.
Chatter Buzz Media is Orlando, Florida's social media marketing agency. By developing a social media marketing strategy tailored for your company and unique business goals, we can manage and monitor your corporate accounts to deliver measurable results. We can also assist with training your team members, giving your company the tools it needs to successfully manage its own social media.
Whether it's strategic marketing or customer reviews, your company is eventually going to have a presence in the realm of social media. With Chatter Buzz Media's experience and management, you'll decide the nature of that presence and use it to sculpt the identity you desire.
Get social now. Call us today at 321-236-BUZZ to get social!
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Reach your audience in new ways through social media to build brand trust and loyalty. Social media campaigns improve your standing on search engines like Google, they enhance your brand, they sell your products, they drive traffic to your website and they can help you gain new customers and serve current customers.
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Success in social media is not about just daily postings and acquiring as many 'likes', 'followers', and 'fans' — it is A LOT more than that! Our Social Media experts create customized strategies to amplify brand awareness and drive revenue through word of mouth marketing online.
We execute campaigns to maximize referral marketing so that you can harness the power of your customer advocates to drive traffic and new sales..
Give us a call @ 321-236-BUZZ to get a free social media marketing quote.
New Social Media Marketing Stats
At some point or another, we've all heard people spout off about the "death" of social media. One day someone announces a boycott of Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest -- the next day, the social network is growing exponentially. As a data-driven and social media-loving company, we'd like to set the record straight: Social media is here to stay.
1) 27% of total U.S. internet time is spent on social networking sites. (Source: Experian)
2) 15% of total U.S. mobile internet time is spent on social networking sites. (Source: Experian)
3) Social media produces almost double the marketing leads of trade shows, telemarketing, direct mail, or PPC. (Source: HubSpot)
4) Social media lead conversion rates are 13% higher than the average lead conversion rate. (Source: HubSpot)
5) Companies that generate more than 1,000 Facebook Likes also receive nearly 1,400 website visits a day.
6) 43% of all marketers have found a customer via LinkedIn in 2013.
7) 36% of all marketers have found a customer via Twitter in 2013.
8) 59% of Twitter users have visited B2B tech brand sites, compared to 40% for the average internet population.
9) 23% of marketers are investing in blogging and social media this year, a 9% increase from 2012.
10) Approximately 46% of online users count on social media when making a purchase decision.
Common Social Media Marketing Mistakes
- Assuming social media is a cheap and fast "miracle pill" - Every entrepreneur wants EVERYTHING (brand awareness, recall, more word of mouth, more business) and they want it fast. Digital market takes patience and timing. You can't join an online social network and derive any value from it unless you take the time to meet the right people, connect, share, build, and grow.
- Assuming that any kid who grew up with the Internet is capable of devising, executing and maintaining a social media campaign - It's not about technology or if you grew up in the digital age (even though you may have an upper-hand) but about effective strategy. There is no one size fits all, and ultimately it's not about "What are we doing in XXX social media network?" but about why should you be in that social media network. It's about choosing YouTube over Facebook or focusing on a blog instead of Twitter. It's about adding value to your consumer and where they "reside" digitally.
11 Reasons a 23-Year-Old Shouldn't Run Your Social Media
Think Hiring a Summer Intern for Your Social Media is a Good Idea? Think Again
Download our latest social media marketing ebook. Tweet your way to business success, 7 twitter tips for entrepreneurs.
Our Blog Posts on Social Media Marketing
- 29 June 2015 by Kristina Drake, in Social Media Marketing,Uncategorized
11 Facts You Must Know for Social Media Day [INFOGRAPHIC]How do social media users interact on the most popular platforms like Instagram ...READ MORE +
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Are Local Reviews Hurting Your Healthcare Business?In the age of information, consumers rely on online reviews in order to make pur...READ MORE +


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Home ⁄ Swim ⁄ Swim Gear ⁄ Swim Accessories ⁄ Swim Ear Plugs-Conical Shape (Item #200190)
Aqua Sphere Swim Ear Plugs-Conical Shape
In our never-ending effort to offer products that enhance the swimming experience, Aqua Sphere has developed a line of accessories that feature exceptional design and functionality. From Anti-Fog solution for eyewear to swim caps and wet/dry bags, Aqua Sphere has tried to put the swimmers needs first. Each item is constructed of the highest quality materials and has been thoroughly tested to provide the greatest value.
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Ubuntu Artwork pool in flickr is busy with contributions from everyone in and around the community. There is simply a lot to choose from. This is a collection of 15 beautiful wallpapers for Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx from Ubuntu Artwork Pool.
- Simply click on the pictures to go to the original page.
- As I have suggested before, there is simply a lot of wallpapers to choose from. So this is far from an official collection of wallpapers for Ubuntu Lucid Lynx. If you have your set of suggestions, please give me the links and I will be more than happy to put them on the blog.


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Pan.md on 8 February reported that experts site the lack of awareness of contraception, lack of education to develop living skills, domestic violence and sexual harassment for the country's high level of teenage pregnancy. According to the United Nations Population Fund, Moldova is in fifth place among the countries of the CIS (after Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia) in the number of people using modern methods of contraception. Deputy Representative of UNFPA in Moldova Gilca Boris believes that safe sex during adolescence should be considered a public health problem. Read in Russian: Pan.md
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Camping El Pino
2015: Open all year round
El Pino campsite offers the chance to enjoy your holidays on the Costa del Sol to the fullest. The pleasant temperatures of the area make it an enviable place for Summer and ideal for Winter.
El Pino campsite is located in the county of La Axarquia in a plantation of avocados and tropical trees. The campsite is characterised by its excellent views and the freshness in the avocado tree shade; it has other sunny areas for Winter and is also noted for its peace and quiet and the family atmosphere.
Camping El Pino
Ctra. N.340 Malaga-Almeria, KM. 285 Urb. Torrox-Park S/N
29793 - Torrox costa
Andalusia (Spain)
Find the route to reach the camping
More information
Book now
Check my booking
See special offers at the camping
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How Much Did They Pay To Name That Building?
From less than $1 million to $25 million or more, the amount of money it takes to get your name on a building at one of Connecticut's institutions varies greatly.
Image 1 of 13
Linda E. McMahon Student Commons, Sacred Heart University
Linda McMahon (inset), the former wrestling executive now running for U.S. Senate, gave Sacred Heart University in Fairfield $5 million over five years - and the Catholic university is naming its new student commons building after her, pictured.
The 46,000-square-foot building, which cost $22 million, will include a bookstore, 250-seat student dining hall, private dining room, informal lounge spaces and outside seating.
McMahon first got involved with Sacred Heart when she was invited to speak about work-life balance for women. She later joined the board.


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Somerset Wildlife Trust
Home | About Us | Membership | Jobs | News | Contact
Dormice are one of the UK's rarest and most secretive mammals but our nature reserves provide a safe place for these sleepy little creatures.
Each adoption gift includes an information sheet and glossy photo of a dormouse, along with your choice of greetings card. We can even send it direct to your recipient if you prefer.
Help us protect these vulnerable animals through the traditional management of local woodlands, hazel coppicing, and by putting up dormouse boxes for nesting and surveys.
Your gift will help us protect vulnerable wildlife and preserve wild places in Somerset.
Select one card appropriate to the celebration you are buying the gift for, and advise us of your choice below.
Birthday Card
Blank Card
If you want us to send your gift direct to your recipient we can include a handwritten message in the card for you. Simply advise us of the delivery address, and let us know what you want to say by replying to the confirmation email we send you.
If you are a UK tax payer, the value of your donation can be increased by 25% at no extra cost to you. Tick the box below and for every £1 you give, Somerset Wildlife Trust can claim back an extra 25p from the Inland Revenue.
I wish Somerset Wildlife Trust (Charity No. 238372) to reclaim tax on all subscriptions and donations I have made in the last four years, and all I make hereafter*. I confirm that I pay an amount of income tax and/or capital gains tax (excluding other taxes such as Council Tax and VAT) at least equal to the tax that will be reclaimed by charities (and Community Amateur Sports Clubs) on all of my donations and subscriptions in the tax year.
* Please remember to notify us if you become a non-taxpayer in the future.
With the right land management all of the species available to adopt will continue to thrive within Somerset. To make best use of your donation we will spend it on the wildlife most in need of support at the time it is received.
Gifts are also available to buy by calling the Trust on 01823-652400.
Click here to read
If you have a query regarding a product or require help with an order, please telephone 01823 652400 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, or email us at:
Photo credits:
Dormouse couple © Cath Shellswell
Goldfinch & bullfinch © Ben Simmonds
Butterfly © Lynne Newton
Wildflower meadow/adoption tree pic © Christopher Hancock
Bats © Brian Phipps
Deer © www.jeffbevan.co.uk
Copyright © 2015 Somerset Wildlife Trust | Privacy & Cookies | Health & Safety | Site Map
Registered in England as: Somerset Wildlife Trust
Registered Company No. 818162 | Registered Charity No. 238372


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e360 digest
20 Jan 2015:
Genetic Diversity Is Key To
Food Stability in Changing Climate, UN Says
As climate change advances, much more should be done to study, preserve, and take advantage of the biological diversity
Wild red rice is hardier than cultivated varieties.
underpinning world food production,
according to
a new report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Between 16 and 22 percent of current crop species — including 61 percent of peanut and 12 percent of potato species — could become extinct in the next 50 years, the report notes. Wild strains, which are often better at adapting to environmental changes, will
become increasingly important
for feeding the global population, which is expected to grow by 3 billion people by 2050, the report says. Strengthening gene and seed banks, improving breeding practices, increasing genetic diversity on farms and in fields, and preserving
soil microbiomes
will be key to boosting crops' climate resilience, the FAO said.
15 Jan 2015:
Underwater Kelp Forests Mapped
In New Citizen Science Project
Kelp forests
grow along roughly 25 percent of the world's coastlines and provide valuable habitat and nutrients for many types of aquatic life. Now, research by the "
Floating Forests
" project is shedding light on how these underwater kelp forests are affected by climate change. The project is using NASA satellite data to observe changes in kelp forests over a period of more than four decades. The catch: No accurate way to automate the process exists, so the researchers rely on an international team of nearly 3,500 citizen scientists to mark the bright green kelp forests, which contrast with the deep blues of the ocean in the images.
Read more.
13 Jan 2015:
California Still in Widespread
Drought, Despite Heavy Precipitation
The heavy rains and snow that fell across much of California in the first half of December did little to recharge the state's
California precipitation deficits
dry reservoirs or ease long-term drought conditions,
an analysis
by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirms. By the middle of December, 98 percent of the state remained under drought conditions, which is the same portion as before the storms, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Dry conditions over the last three years have left the Sierra Nevada mountain range with a 30- to 50-inch precipitation deficit, NOAA reports, and the agriculture-heavy San Joaquin Valley has fared even worse. To bring the state's four-year precipitation total out of the bottom 20 percent historically — a benchmark used to declare drought conditions — every part of the state would need to exceed its average rainfall between now and September.
09 Jan 2015:
Most Physicians Already Seeing
Health Effects of Climate Change in Patients
In a
of physicians in the American Thoracic Society (ATS), the majority of doctors said their patients
Results of survey on climate change and patient health
were already experiencing medical conditions associated with climate change and that physicians should be educating their patients and policy makers about climate-related health effects. Seventy-seven percent of ATS physicians — a group of doctors specializing in respiratory health and critical care — said air pollution associated with climate change is exacerbating chronic conditions such as asthma in their patients. Nearly 60 percent reported increases in allergies from plants or mold and injuries from severe weather related to climate change. Many of the physicians who responded to the survey said exposure to smoke from wildfires had caused or worsened lung conditions in their patients, and changes in precipitation and weather patterns seemed to be affecting patients as well, the
Huffington Post
08 Jan 2015:
Land Disturbances Darken Snow
And Increase Melt Rate, Researchers Say
Land disturbances, such as agricultural practices and development, may have a big impact on snow purity and
Sampling snowpack in Montana
melt rates,
according to
a large-scale survey of impurities in North American snow by researchers at the University of Washington. The researchers were particularly interested in the Bakken oil fields of northwest North Dakota. Before undertaking the study, they predicted that diesel emissions and air pollution associated with oil exploration would darken the snowpack, decreasing the amount of sunlight it reflects and increasing its melt rate. They found, however, that while these activities do add soot to the snow, the dirt they stir up adds an equal amount of impurities to the snowpack. Disturbances from clearing oil pads, new housing sites, agricultural activities, and extra truck traffic on unpaved roads add a significant amount of dirt to snowfields, they found.
06 Jan 2015:
Penguin Watch Projects Asks
Citizen Scientists to Monitor Birds' Habits
Penguin Watch
, a citizen science project launched by researchers from the University of Oxford in the U.K., is enlisting the
Group of Gentoo penguins
public's help in counting penguins in some 175,000 photos from locations across the Southern Hemisphere. Researchers are monitoring five penguin species — Gentoo, Chinstrap, Adelie, Rockhopper, and King penguins — and recording information on the number of adults, chicks, and eggs, as well as their winter behavior, breeding success, and travel habits. The project is especially useful for monitoring penguins' winter behavior, for example, because it's logistically difficult for the researchers to visit these locations in winter,
they say
, and the images are far too numerous for researchers to view on their own. Understanding how the penguins live day-to-day should help shed light on how the penguins will respond to an increasingly volatile climate, the team says.
02 Jan 2015:
Historical Photos Help
Document Changes in Greenland Glaciers
Historical photographs from the early and mid-1900s have helped researchers from Denmark map the retreat
Photo of a Greenland glacier from 1935
of Greenland's glaciers,
according to
findings presented recently at the American Geophysical Union meeting. This glacier near the Sukkertoppen ice cap in southwest Greenland, for example, retreated roughly two miles between 1935 and 2013, as shown in photographs from the Danish Geodata Agency and the Natural History Museum of Denmark. Older photographs, from 1900 to 1930, show even more remarkable changes. During that time, following the end of the Little Ice Age in the late-19th century, glaciers retreated more rapidly than they have been in recent years, the researchers say. They believe the findings will shed light on how quickly these glaciers might react to future temperature changes.
29 Dec 2014:
The Arctic Is Absorbing
More and More Sunlight, NASA Images Show
The Arctic has been absorbing significantly more sunlight since the year 2000, according to
NASA satellite data
Changes in absorption of sunlight in the Arctic
a trend that mirrors the steady decrease in Arctic sea ice during that same period. These maps show changes in the amount of solar radiation absorbed over the Arctic from 2000 to 2014, as well as changes in sea ice cover during the same period. As sea ice cover declines and more dark ocean is exposed to the sun's rays, that decreases the reflectivity, or albedo, of the ocean's surface, meaning more heat is absorbed. Shades of red depict areas absorbing more sunlight and areas with less ice cover. The Arctic's rate of absorption has increased by 5 percent every June, July, and August since 2000. No other region on the planet has shown significant changes in albedo during that time, researchers say.
A Green Dilemma for the Holidays:
Better to Shop Online or In-Store?
Various studies in recent years have suggested that online shopping typically packs a lower carbon punch than shopping at brick-and-mortar stores. But new research suggests the story is more complicated than that. The key, according to a report in the
Journal of Cleaner Production
, is to minimize the number of miles driven per item — whether by the shopper, a local delivery van, or a FedEx truck.
Read more.
19 Dec 2014:
'Nuisance Flooding' Will Affect
Most of U.S. Coastline by 2050, Report Finds
By 2050, most U.S. coastal areas are likely to be threatened by 30 or more days of flooding each year due sea level
Nuisance flooding projections for U.S. cities
according to
a new report the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The researchers looked at the frequency of so-called "nuisance flooding," which occurs when the water level reaches one to two feet above local high tide, and found that several cities along the East Coast are already seeing more than 30 days of nuisance flooding each year. Additional major cities — including Baltimore, Atlantic City, Philadelphia, and San Francisco — will reach or exceed that benchmark by 2030, the report says. Although nuisance flooding is not typically catastrophic or dangerous, it is often costly. The report drives home the point, researchers say, that such floods will become commonplace far earlier than 2100, which is generally cited as the date when sea level rise is likely to become damaging.
18 Dec 2014:
Clearing Rainforests Distorts
Global Rainfall and Agriculture, Study Says
Clearing forests not only releases carbon into the atmosphere, it also triggers worldwide shifts in rainfall and temperatures
Global effects of forest loss
that are just as potent as those caused by current carbon pollution and that pose great risk to future agricultural productivity,
researchers report
. Deforestation in South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa may alter growing conditions in agricultural areas as far away as the U.S. Midwest, Europe, and China, the study in
Nature Climate Change
finds. The researchers calculate that complete tropical deforestation could trigger atmospheric changes leading to an increase of 0.7 degrees Celsius in global temperatures, in addition to warming caused by greenhouse gases released from the deforestation itself. That would double the observed global warming since 1850, the researchers note. They say their findings indicate that many of the predicted changes associated with widespread deforestation are already occurring — from Thailand, which is receiving less rainfall at the beginning of the dry season, to parts of the Amazon, where once-predictable rainfall has shifted notably.
Beyond Lima: Major Investors
Must Fund Global Green Initiatives
Much of the discussion at the recent U.N. climate talks in Lima, Peru, was about the financing that
Climate talks in Lima stretched into Sunday.
will be needed to decarbonize the world's energy supply, improve efficiency, and redesign cities and transportation systems to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As journalist Isabel Hilton reports for
from Lima, moving the broader financial markets toward green investments is critically important in order to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. The key, Hilton writes, is to get major institutions to invest in sustainable growth, particularly renewable energy, and to get major companies and the industrial sector to understand that they must revise their strategies to address the risks of climate change.
Read Hilton's analysis
15 Dec 2014:
Draft Climate Accord Reached
In Lima Leaves Many Doubts in Its Wake
While lead negotiators at the Lima climate talks hailed a hard-fought climate agreement forged over the weekend, many critics say the accord does not go nearly far enough in forcing meaningful reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions. The accord marks the first time that all nations, rich and poor, have agreed
to submit plans outlining how they will reduce carbon emissions.
But the Lima Accord, intended to lay the groundwork for crucial climate talks next December in Paris, does not include legally binding requirements that countries cut their emissions by a specific amount. As the negotiations dragged on for an additional two days, an agreement was reached on Sunday only after China and other nations
killed a provision
that would have required all countries to submit readily comparable emissions data. Still, many climate officials praised the plan because it marked the first time that nearly 200 nations agreed to submit blueprints on how they plan to reduce greenhouse gases.
12 Dec 2014:
Majority of Americans Support
Climate Actions and Negotiations, Poll Says
Most Americans want the United States to be a world leader in combating global warming and to be participating in international climate negotiations,
according to
a poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. Sixty-one percent of Americans think the U.S. should lead other nations on climate change, even if it means taking action when other countries do not. A majority of both Democrats and Republicans support some specific policies intended to curb greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., the poll found, such as funding research for clean energy and regulating CO2 emissions. Less than 20 percent of people polled think such protections would harm the economy long-term, while 60 percent say they would improve economic growth and provide jobs.
11 Dec 2014:
India and Australia Are
Focus of Attention in Lima Climate Talks
As United Nations climate talks in Lima, Peru, near an end, negotiators and observers are looking at India and Australia to see whether they will support a draft agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. With China and the U.S. having agreed last month to reduce carbon emissions, India — the world's third largest emitter of CO2 — has said its emissions will continue to rise as it pulls its people out of poverty. But India's environment minister said in Lima yesterday that the country
would spend $100 billion
on clean energy and climate adaptation projects and would play its part in cutting CO2 emissions. Australia — whose Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, has weakened the country's climate laws — is playing a constructive role at the talks and may support a draft emissions-reduction agreement that could be ratified next December in Paris, observers said. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Abbott said that any climate agreement "must [move] past
the developed-developing country divide
that puts a brake on real action."
10 Dec 2014:
Draft Agreement in Lima Talks
Calls for Emissions Cuts by All Nations
A draft agreement calling for all nations to commit to greenhouse gas emissions cuts is circulating among climate negotiators in Lima, Peru,
The New York Times
reports. The proposed text calls for each of the 196 countries involved in negotiations to publicly commit to its own plan for reducing emissions. Those individual plans, however, will be driven by national politics and economic concerns, rather than by what scientists say is needed to curb the worst effects of climate change, critics say. Historic pledges by the U.S. and China last month to cut emissions catalyzed the new draft text, negotiators say, because the two nations — the world's largest greenhouse gas emitters — had been spoilers in previous climate talks. "It's a breakthrough, because it gives meaning to the idea that every country will make cuts," said Yvo de Boer, the former executive secretary of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change. The goal for the Lima talks is to settle on a draft text, which could become the basis for a deal signed by world leaders in Paris next December.
09 Dec 2014:
As Ministers Arrive,
Lima Climate Talks Face High Hurdles
With government ministers and UN secretary General Ban Ki-moon arriving at climate negotiations in Lima, Peru,
large gaps remained
between developed and developing countries over the issues of formalizing aid to poorer countries to adapt to climate change. Climate negotiators in Lima are drafting a negotiating outline for key climate talks in Paris next December, which many governments hope will lead to a binding global treaty to slash carbon emissions. The U.S. and the European Union want the focus of any treaty to be on emissions cuts, or mitigation, while developing nations are seeking written guarantees from wealthy nations to provide financing and other assistance to developing countries for climate adaptation. Ban Ki-moon has said he is confident that this divide can be bridged before the Lima talks end on Friday. Delegates from the Philippines, a country hit hard recently by typhoons and other weather-related disasters, said in Lima that they will push hard for a new deal requiring all nations, including developing countries,
to slash emissions.
03 Dec 2014:
Public Largely Unaware of Meat
And Dairy's Contribution to Climate Change
The general public has a major lack of understanding of how eating meat and dairy contributes to climate change,
Perceived vs. actual carbon emissions
according to
a survey
of Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa by the market research organization Ipsos MORI. Although meat and dairy production accounts for roughly 15 percent of total global carbon emissions — equal to exhaust emissions from the international transportation sector — less than 30 percent of survey respondents identified meat and dairy production as a major contributor to climate change. More than twice as many — 64 percent — said transportation was a major contributor. Closing the awareness gap is essential for changing meat and dairy consumption patterns, researchers said, especially in developed nations such as the U.S. Although much of the projected increase in meat and dairy consumption will likely happen in emerging economies, respondents in Brazil, India, and China demonstrated greater consideration of climate change in their food choices and above-average willingness to modify their consumption — an encouraging sign, researchers said.
02 Dec 2014:
New Proposal Outlines
Key Elements for a Global Climate Pact
Coinciding with U.N. climate talks in Lima, Peru, this week, a consortium of policy experts has released a
Key components of a global climate pact
outlining the key ingredients of a comprehensive climate agreement in Paris next year. Three major components of such a pact, the group said, will be a long-term plan to phase out all greenhouse gas emissions as early as possible in the second half of this century; a long-term goal of reducing the vulnerability and building the resilience of communities facing climate impacts; and establishing five-year cycles for assessing and strengthening nations' actions to cut emissions and adapt to climate change. The proposal stresses "fairness, equity, and justice in climate actions," and suggests different timelines and responsibilities for developed and developing countries. The analysis, from experts at 10 research institutions, is based on interviews with climate negotiators and hundreds of government representatives.
Five Questions for Gus Speth
On His Environmental Evolution
In a career that has spanned founding major environmental organizations, heading the United Nations
James "Gus" Speth
Development Programme, and serving as dean of the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, James "Gus" Speth has seen his own ideas about environmental issues change dramatically over the years.
Yale Environment 360
asked Speth five questions about his new memoir,
Angels by the River
; his growing recognition of the global nature of environmental problems; and his dissatisfaction with the state of the environmental movement in the United States.
Read more.
01 Dec 2014:
Politics, Not Extreme Weather,
Shape Climate Perceptions, Study Finds
Climate extremes such as droughts and record temperatures are failing to change people's minds about global warming, according to a
recent study
led by Michigan State University sociologists. Instead, political orientation is the most influential factor in shaping perceptions about climate change, both in the short-term and long-term, the researchers found. Some previous studies suggested temperature patterns do influence perceptions about global warming, but none measured climatic conditions as comprehensively as the current research. The study analyzed 50 years of regional climate data and climatic storm-severity measures used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from all 50 states, along with 11 years of public opinion data from Gallup polls on climate change perceptions. Although advocates of climate change reduction efforts hope that experience with a changing climate will eventually convince the public of the reality and seriousness of the problem, the current findings do not bode well for that scenario, the researchers say.
21 Nov 2014:
U.S. Can Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions 80 Percent by 2050, Study Says
The United States can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050, using existing or near-commercial technologies, according to researchers with the
Deep Decarbonization Pathways Project
. The study analyzed scenarios with four types of decarbonized electricity: renewable energy, nuclear energy, fossil fuel with carbon capture and storage, and a mixed case. The scenarios achieved reductions of 83 percent below 2005 levels and 80 percent below 1990 levels, according to the study, which was released ahead of next month's climate talks in Lima, Peru, and negotiations in Paris in December 2015. The energy efficiency of buildings, transportation, and industry would need to increase through the use of smart materials and energy-efficient designs, and vehicles will need to be fueled with electricity generated from wind, solar, or nuclear, as opposed to coal, the researchers said. They project the net costs would be on the order of 1 percent of gross domestic product per year. The 80-percent reduction by 2050 is a long-standing goal of the Obama administration, in line with global commitments to limit warming to less than 2 degrees C.
20 Nov 2014:
Real-Time Ocean Acidification
Data Now Available for U.S. Pacific Coast
Researchers, coastal managers, and shellfish farmers along the U.S. Pacific coast can now get real-time ocean
Web portal for ocean acidification data
acidification data through an
online tool
developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The data — which includes measurements of pH, carbon dioxide concentrations, salinity, and water temperatures at various sites — should help organizations and businesses make decisions about managing coastal resources and craft adaptation strategies, NOAA researchers say. The tool will feature data from five shellfish hatchery sites along the Pacific coast along with readings from NOAA's ocean acidification monitoring sites. Ocean acidification is driven primarily by absorption of atmospheric CO2 by ocean waters, which changes seawater chemistry in a way that makes it difficult for many marine organisms to form their shells.
14 Nov 2014:
New Material Can Trap Powerful Greenhouse Gases Efficiently, Chemists Say
Scientists from the U.S. and Taiwan have developed a new type of lightweight, self-assembling molecule that can capture large amounts of potent greenhouse gases,
This porous material traps greenhouse gases.
according to
a report
Nature Communications
. The molecules create a lightweight structure with many microscopic pores that can adsorb gases such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Those long-lived compounds, once widely used as refrigerants, were phased out because they damage the ozone layer, but they are still used in various industrial processes. The newly developed material is rich in the element fluorine, which helps it bind CFCs and various other hydro- and fluorocarbon gases very efficiently — to the tune of 75 percent by weight, the chemists say. Although they are less prevalent, the greenhouse effect of those gases can be hundreds- or thousands-fold more powerful than carbon dioxide, the researchers note. Heavier, metal-based materials with similar capabilities have been developed in previous studies, but these were sensitive to water and difficult to process and recycle.
13 Nov 2014:
Global Maps Detail Seasonal and Geographic Trends in Ocean Acidification
A team of scientists has published the most comprehensive analysis yet of how acidity levels vary across the world's oceans. Drawing on four decades of
Taro Takahashi
Ocean acidification map
measurements, researchers from Columbia University and the University of Colorado mapped changes in ocean acidity by season and location, as well as how acidity levels affect the stability of shell-building minerals.
The maps
reveal that the northern Indian Ocean is at least 10 percent more acidic than the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, possibly due to its unique geography, the researchers say. The maps also show that ocean acidity fluctuates most in the colder waters off Siberia, Alaska, Antarctica, and the Pacific Northwest, due to cycles of deep-water upwelling and massive plankton blooms. The oceans have taken up a quarter of the carbon dioxide humans have put in the atmosphere over the last two hundred years, and acid levels at the surface have increased by 30 percent since the beginning of the industrial era, researchers say.
12 Nov 2014:
U.S. and China Announce
Historic Emissions Reduction Pledges
In what could prove to be a momentum-setting piece of diplomacy, the United States and China — which together account for a third of the planet's greenhouse gas emissions —
jointly announced
plans to pursue significant cuts in those emissions over the coming 10 to 15 years. Among the details of the joint pledges, unveiled as part of meetings this week between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Barack Obama in Beijing, were commitments from the U.S. to cut its CO2 emissions by between 26 percent and 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. China, meanwhile, pledged to halt emissions growth by 2030, or earlier, and to increase the nation's share of non-fossil energy sources to roughly 20 percent over the same time frame. The inability of the world's two most consequential economies to agree on an approach to emissions reductions has been a key stumbling block in international climate negotiations for nearly two decades, and the announcement was met with cautious optimism by many climate experts, who characterized it as an important first step toward a global treaty.
11 Nov 2014:
New Mapping Tool Highlights
Carbon-Trapping Forests in Peru
A new, high-resolution mapping technique can be used to help identify and prioritize tracts of forest land with the highest
Greg Asner
Map of carbon storage potential of land in Peru
carbon-sequestering potential, according to research published in the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
. In the study, researchers with the Carnegie Institution for Science applied the technique, which integrated satellite imaging data and advanced, three-dimensional forest mapping information, to the 128 million hectares that comprise the nation of Peru. The analysis considered each landscape's unique climate, topography, geology, and hydrology to produce a map showing a range of landscapes with varying carbon densities — a potentially crucial tool as nations prepare to negotiate global forest protections as part of United Nations climate talks next month Lima, Peru.
10 Nov 2014:
Public Views of Climate Science Hinge on Solutions, New Study Finds
People often evaluate scientific evidence not on the basis of its perceived merits, but on whether they agree with the policy implications of the research, according to a study published in the
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
. Using issues like climate change and air pollution as test cases, Duke University researchers sought to determine if what they call a "solution aversion" bias could be detected among self-identified Republican or Democratic survey participants. In one example, participants were provided a scientific assertion that global average temperatures could rise as much as 3.2 degrees by the end of the century, after which they were presented with potential policy solutions. If that solution involved government regulation or increased taxes, just 22 percent of Republican participants expressed confidence in the initial scientific finding. But if the solution emphasized using market forces to curb temperatures, the percentage of Republicans accepting the initial temperature predictions rose to 55 percent. Self-identified Democrats displayed no difference in the same experiment, but liberal biases were clearly elicited on other issues, the researchers found.
05 Nov 2014:
Norway Best Prepared Nation
For Climate Change, Global Index Shows
Norway is the best prepared country for climate change, and has been so for almost 20 years, according to
Lofoten, Norway
compiled by the University of Notre Dame. New Zealand, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark rounded out the top five, while Chad, Burundi, Eritrea, Central African Republic, and Congo make up the bottom of the Global Adaptation Index. The rankings highlight the disparities between the world's relatively wealthy, developed nations and its developing economies when it comes to dealing with climate change. Many of the highest ranking countries do face moderate exposure to climate change, the researchers said, but access to amenities such as electricity, sanitation, clean drinking water, and functional governance have left them better prepared. The economies of many developing countries, however, depend on natural resources, which makes their political and economic stability more susceptible to climate change. The index ranked 178 countries on their vulnerability and readiness to adapt to natural disasters associated with global warming.
03 Nov 2014:
Climate Impacts To Be Severe and Irreversible Without Emission Cuts, UN Says
Climate change will have "severe, widespread, and irreversible impacts" on society and the environment
The U.N. climate panel's synthesis report was released on November 2.
unless nations swiftly and drastically cut carbon emissions — a goal that, while difficult, still remains within reach, according to a comprehensive new United Nations climate report released this week. Failure to curb emissions by the end of the century will likely lead to food shortages, refugee crises, the flooding of major coastal cities and entire island nations, and dangerous yet routine heat waves, among other impacts, the analysis concluded. But the panel also said for the first time that combating climate change is economically feasible. The new U.N. report synthesizes the findings from a series of analyses released over the past year by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change — the panel's first major update since 2007.
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text:
News of Riverton, Lander and Fremont County, Wyoming, from the Ranger's award winning journalists.
District 25's surplus building to be used by Pavillion schools
Jan 25, 2013 - By Katie Roenigk, Staff Writer
After their initial offer was rejected by the county, Riverton school officials on Tuesday awarded a surplus maintenance trailer to the Fremont County Board of Cooperative Educational Services.
BOCES executive director Sandy Barton said the modular structure will be used to create a school-based clinic for Fremont County School District 6 in Pavillion.
"We're trying to improve the health care of students out there in the Pavillion area," Barton said Tuesday during the Fremont County School District 25 Board of Trustees meeting.
The Wind River schools are about 25 miles from the nearest hospital, and Barton said it can take more time than usual for emergency responders to reach Pavillion.
"Wind River is highly isolated from health care," Barton said, adding that school-based clinics are new to Wyoming. "Gillette is working on somewhat of a model but isn't quite there yet. So we began the new process in Wind River."
She showed a video describing the benefits of the clinics, which are located on school grounds so students can seek health care services or information without missing class. Barton said care will be provided by health professionals at no cost to the student or family.
Second offer
The Fremont County Commission decided Jan. 15 not to accept the modular building, which was being offered for free from District 25. Commissioners had expressed interest in using the building as a day reporting center for the new juvenile detention alternatives initiative, but on Jan. 8 they heard an estimate that transporting the modular and installing it would cost more than $37,000.
BOCES also had expressed interest in the modular, but Barton said she withdrew the request in support of the county's initiative. She had gathered cost estimates last summer, however, and Barton said she did not think moving the structure would be as expensive for her agency.
"At Wind River we already have utilities in place where we'll move the trailer," she said. "We're anxious to get it out there."
She plans to have the structure moved as soon as possible. The clinic is being developed with money from grants.


text:
Library of Congress Updates Jailbreaking and Unlocking Rules
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text:
Cheverus pulls away from SP in battle of unbeatens, 45-21
SOUTH PORTLAND—A big-game environment returned to Martin Memorial Field Friday evening when the host 2-0 Red Riots welcomed 2-0 Cheverus in a battle of two of the premier football teams in Western Class A so far this season.
The Stags, who hadn't been tested in their first two outings, tasted a dose of adversity after letting an early 14-point lead slip away, but Cheverus had all the answers in the second half, rattling off 21 straight points to pull away for a 45-21 victory.
The Stags' three-headed offensive juggernaut of seniors Evan Jendrasko and Peter Gwilym and junior Spencer Cooke combined to rush for 291 yards and four scores. If that wasn't enough, Cooke returned a kickoff 88-yards for the go-ahead TD and Cheverus' hard-hitting defense and special teams forced four turnovers as the Stags staked their claim as the team to beat in the region as we near the halfway point of the regular season.
"We're a really good football team," said Cooke. "We play hard all the time, practice and prepare well and show it on the field."
South Portland is one of the most storied programs in the state and was at its apex in the 1990s when coach John Wolfgram led the Red Riots to four Class A state championships. South Portland has struggled this century, but returned to contender's status a year ago before just missing the playoffs with a 4-4 mark.
The Red Riots began 2010 with an inspirational 13-6 home victory over Windham, then held off host Westbrook, 34-22, to start 2-0 for the first time since 2001.
Cheverus, now coached by Wolfgram, reached the regional final in 2009, and crushed visiting Gorham (40-6) and host Windham (28-0) in its first two 2010 outings.
The Stags kept the good times rolling Friday, but got a gutcheck along the way.
After Gwilym ran for 15 yards on the game's first play and Jendrasko gained 13 on the next, South Portland's defense stiffened and forced a punt, but on the hosts' third play from scrimmage, senior quarterback Tommy Ellis' pass was intercepted by Cheverus sophomore Liam Fitzpatrick, giving the visitors the ball at the Red Riots' 28.
Five plays later, the Stags had the lead as Cooke ran in from 2-yards out over the left side of the line with 6:38 to play in the opening quarter. Junior Louie DiStasio drilled the extra point and it was 7-0 Cheverus.
After South Portland gained no yardage on its next series and had to punt, the Stags moved 61 yards on nine plays, chewing up 4 minutes, 26 seconds, to score again.
A 13-yard Jendrasko run on third-and-11 put Cheverus in Red Riots' territory. A 24-yard Cooke scamper got the Stags close and with 24.8 seconds to go in the first, Jendrasko run in up the gut from a yard out. DiStasio followed with the point after and the visitors brought the curtain down on a dominant first quarter with a seemingly safe 14-0 lead.
In the first 12 minutes, Cheverus outgained South Portland, 120 yards to negative-3.
The Red Riots came to life in the second period.
After the teams traded punts, the hosts began at their 31. A personal foul penalty on the Stags finally got South Portland heading in the right direction. On the next play, Ellis raced 39-yards to the Cheverus 12 and four plays later, on fourth-and-1 from the 3, junior Joey DiBiase found paydirt on the left side to break the ice. Junior Brenden Horton's point-after cut the deficit to 14-7.
On the ensuing kickoff, after some confusion, Cooke picked up a loose ball and returned it 13 yards, but when he was hit, he fumbled and South Portland senior Harrison Keithly recovered at the Stags' 30.
On the next play, Ellis ran up the middle, then made a move to his left before outrunning the pursuit to the end zone for a 30-yard score. Horton's extra point capped a surge of 14 points in 17 seconds and just like that, the game was deadlocked, 14-14.
Then, Cheverus took control right back.
On the next kickoff, Cooke fielded the ball cleanly at his 12, ran untouched through the middle of the field and shook off Horton's tackle attempt before running down the left sideline to the end zone, capping an 88-yard scoring return.
"After the fumble, I was just trying to shake it off and redeem myself and I just broke it through a big hole," Cooke said. "I went through the seam, flew through it and went for the goal."
On the second play of South Portland's next series, junior Jacob Stanley fumbled and the Stags recovered at the Red Riots' 47. Cheverus' drive was halted when Cooke was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-1 at the 27, but with 2:44 to go in the half, Stags senior Liam Hobbins intercepted an Ellis pass at the South Portland 33.
A 12-yard Gwilym-to-Fitzpatrck pass set up a 27-yard DiStasio field goal with 6.6 seconds remaining and Cheverus had restored order as it took a 24-14 lead to the break.
"(South Portland's) a big-play team," said Wolfgram. "They had some big plays on us and they're quick. It was a good gutcheck for us. It was a swing in momentum. I thought we handled it well. We scored and got the field goal, which was really big, giving us a two-score lead. (Louie) has a nice leg for a kicker."
The Red Riots had a chance to get right back in the contest when the visitors were given a 15-yard penalty to be assessed on the second half kickoff after they were late returning to the field after halftime, but Stanley coughed up the pigskin again and Cheverus took over at the South Portland 46.
By quarter's end, the Stags had the game in hand.
Hard running from Jendrasko and Cooke set the stage for Gwilym to roll out to his left and score untouched from 2-yards out on fourth-and-goal with 7:10 to play in the third. That capped a 10-play, 4:45 march. DiStasio's extra point made it a 31-14 game.
The Red Riots had to punt after going three-and-out and Cheverus moved 53 yards in seven plays, in just under three minutes, to really get some breathing room. Runs of 11-yards by Jendrasko and 17 by Cooke got the visitors close and with 2:39 left in the period, Gwilym again capped the march with a 1-yard run. DiStasio's kick gave the Stags a 38-14 lead after three.
Cheverus' final scoring drive came early in the fourth, a nine-play, 49-yard march, which ate up nearly four minutes. This time, Hobbins got to do the scoring honors, finding paydirt from a yard out with 6:52 remaining. DiStasio's final extra point pushed the lead to 31.
The hosts had one final drive in them, moving from their 26 all the way downfield in 13 plays and 5:25. With just 1:20 to play, Stanley scored on a 20-yard burst. Horton added the point after, but that's as close as the Red Riots would get and Cheverus put the finishing touches on yet another impressive victory, 45-21.
"I thought overall we played pretty good football," said Wolfgram. "I liked our physicality in the second half and how we set the tone on the second half kickoff. We ran the ball well. We're happy to be 3-0. There's a long way to go. It's tough to go on the road in this league and beat a good team. (South Portland's) a good team with good athletes. I think they're the most improved team in the league. (Red Riots' coach Steve Stinson's) done a nice job building the program has a lot of people excited. It was a nice atmosphere."
Cooke finished with 120 yards and a TD on 22 carries. Jendrasko had 109 yards and a score on 19 attempts and Gwilym wound up gaining 62 yards (with two TDs) on 10 tries.
"We just work really well together," said Cooke. "Evan just pounds it through there. We mix it up a little bit with Peter, who gets a bunch of yards. We try not to let up. We try to keep it up on offense, defense and play well and score points."
Gwilym was 2-for-6 for 18 yards through the air. Fitzpatrick had one reception for 12 yards, Jendrasko the other for 6. Hobbins rushed for 24 yards and a TD on three carries.
The Stags finished with 318 yards of offense, turned the ball over just once and were penalized five times for 55 yards.
South Portland was done in by its four turnovers and by its inability to stop the run.
"We made way too many mistakes against a fundamentally sound team like Cheverus to win," said Stinson. "I think talent and physicality-wise, it was even at certain parts of the field, but obviously mistakes and field position were the deciding factors. We were a little tight early, which was a little surprising. We got out of sorts. We played like we had the pressure on our shoulders. We gave them the first quarter with a lot of unforced errors, then settled in and played football a little bit. There were just too many errors after that to win.
"Coach Wolfgram is very intelligent in his attack. He has very good football players and they believe in the scheme. Gwilym has great poise out there. They put you in a bind with what they do. They are very sound off the edges and force you to take things you don't want to take. We got blown off the ball up front. At the end of the day, it was a very hyped game which two good teams."
Ellie led the hosts with 102 yards and a score on 13 rushes. he completed just 4-of-14 passes for 33 yards with two interceptions. Stanley had 40 yards and a TD on 12 carries. DiBiase rushed for 20 yards and a score on four tries. Senior Stephen Hodge had three receptions for 19 yards and senior Billy Darling caught one ball for 14 yards (and was injured on the play by a resounding Gwilym hit).
South Portland gained just 179 yards. It took three penalties for 33 yards.
The Red Riots need to turn things around quickly as they go to 3-0 Bonny Eagle Friday night. Last year, South Portland pulled the upset of the season when it beat the then-two time defending state champion Scots, 48-45, at home.
"We'll learn from this game and clean things up," Stinson said. "It's all very teachable stuff and we'll teach it. You don't have time to pat yourself on the back or cry a river in this conference. You have to get ready for a really good opponent. (Bonny Eagle) will be fired up for us."
Cheverus tries to make it four in a row next Saturday when it hosts city rival Portland (1-2). A year ago, the Bulldogs handed the Stags one of their two regular season losses, 28-0.
"Portland's a good team," Cooke warned. "They run well. We'll have to prepare well all week and be ready."
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com