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High fuel prices to make cellulosic biofuels increasingly competitive with gas
Madolyn Rogers, special to mongabay.com
June 2, 2008
The Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), a partnership between three national laboratories and three Bay Area universities, was formed in June 2007 after the U.S. Department of Energy awarded the institute a $125 million grant to develop better methods for making liquid biofuels from the natural cellulose in trees and grasses. JBEI researchers expect cellulosic biofuels to yield more energy, produce less greenhouse gases, and have less impact on the environment than other alternatives to gasoline, such as corn ethanol. The primary need for such fuels is in the transportation industry, institute scientists believe.
Switchgrass in the research lab of Professor Pam Ronald at UC Davis.
U.S. production of corn ethanol has surged to meet the need for alternative fuels, a trend favored by midwestern politicians but decried by many environmental experts. Cellulosic ethanol would be a major improvement over corn ethanol, said Raya Widenoja, a biofuels expert at the Worldwatch Institute, an environmental group in Washington, D.C.
Corn requires water and fertilizers to grow, which degrades soil and water quality, Widenoja said. Corn produces relatively few tons of usable biomass per acre, and corn ethanol also competes with cultivating crops for food. What's more, corn ethanol provides only about a 12 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over gasoline, according to a University of Minnesota study.
By contrast, most cellulosic ethanol crops are grasses or scrubby trees, native plants that grow without water or fertilizer. The prairie grass miscanthus grows up to 13 feet tall and can produce 15 tons of biomass per acre, more than three times the yield of corn, according to JBEI scientists.
Growing such crops is better for the land, and far better for the atmosphere, Widenoja said. Burning cellulosic ethanol would produce 80 to 90 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline, according to Widenoja.
JBEI's new facility at Emery Station East, Emeryville, California
The consortium is led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and also includes Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, the Carnegie Institution at Stanford, and the University of California campuses at Davis and Berkeley. JBEI will focus its efforts on two types of plants: woody trees such as poplar, and prairie grasses such as switchgrass and miscanthus.
The institute faces three major technical challenges, Blanch said.
The first is to develop new plants with weaker cellulose. Cellulose is the fibrous component of plant cell walls that makes plants rigid. To make fuel from it, researchers break down cellulose into simple sugars, then ferment those sugars into ethanol — roughly similar to making moonshine. Cellulose is so tough, however, that breaking it down requires great energy, driving up the cost of the process.
"Plant biologists haven't been awfully well funded over the years, so we really know very little about how plants work," Blanch said.
JBEI researchers cultivate rice in the research lab of Professor Pam Ronald at UC Davis.
The second challenge, breaking down the cellulose, "may be the most expensive and sensitive step," Blanch said. The institute will search for new enzymes, or ways to improve existing enzymes, a goal Blanch also thinks is attainable within five years. Animals that are experts at breaking down cellulose, such as cows and termites, are promising sources for new enzymes.
"Currently it takes anywhere from 30 to 60 hours with enzymes to break down a plant cell wall. If we could do that in five hours, that would be a huge cost savings," he said.
The final challenge is to ferment plant sugars into better biofuels than ethanol, a goal that may be beyond JBEI's immediate reach, Blanch said. Ethanol is not the best fuel, according to Blanch, because it's hard to separate from water, making its production expensive. It's also corrosive, so it can't be transported in current U.S. gasoline pipelines.
Ethanol's great advantage is that the technology to use it as a fuel exists now. Therefore the institute's first product will likely be ethanol made from cellulose, Blanch said.
Even if the institute is successful in making cellulosic ethanol production economically viable, land use issues could pose problems.
"You definitely shouldn't grow biofuels on land that used to be forest because it will take you a very long time to regain the carbon losses that you made from deforesting virgin land," Widenoja said.
Instead she recommends biofuels be grown on drier, marginal lands, such as land in Kansas or southern Iowa.
Others also endorse the environmental benefits of using grasslands for cellulosic biofuel production.
"The first thing we have to do is make sure that the long-term fertility of the soil is preserved," said Bruce Dale, a chemical engineer at Michigan State University who studies cellulosic ethanol production. "One of the reasons I like perennial grasses as a source of cellulosic ethanol is that's what they do, just kind of by nature, because they have these deep roots and tend to capture nutrients and build up soil carbon over time."
Another benefit of producing cellulosic biofuel is that animal feed can be produced as a byproduct, Dale said. This further reduces the land use impact, he said, since much of U.S. cropland is currently used to produce animal feed.
But because of the vast amount of fuel the United States consumes, the availability of land may set a limit on how much biofuel we can produce, even under ideal conditions.
"We shouldn't expect biofuels to replace all or even a major portion of our current oil use," Widenoja said. "Energy conservation is really the most important thing we can do."
Madolyn Rogers is a graduate student in the Science Communication Program at the University of California, Santa Cruz.


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Kimbo Slices son is a rising high school football prospect in Florida
http://www.5thround.com/wp-content/u...gFootSilva.jpgKevin II is one of nine kids. When his father's in town he stays with Kimbo and the rest of the time he's at Mom's. He has a close bond with his Dad, who fought professionally for both EliteXC and the UFC.
"He's a cool dad. He's more like a brother to me, but you also have to keep the respect there because he's also our father ... not just our friend," said Ferguson.
Ferguson is a 6-foot-1, 195-pound running back with some extra pressure on his shoulders. People around Miami know Kimbo very well.
"It's a motivation. Kimbo Slice being my dad is a motivation to not be as good as him, but to be better than him. So, when dudes criticize me about who he is, that just let's me know that they know who I am, and I just go out there and try to make my presence known. I don't try to be Kimbo Slice's son, I want to be Kevin Ferguson the second," said Ferguson.
It's still early in Ferguson's development. He was backup at Miramar H.S. last year, but still decided to roll the dice by transferring to Booker T, a Florida superpower. If he wins a starting job during his junior or senior year and puts up numbers, he's almost guaranteed a Div. 1 scholarship. On a positive note he also sports a 3.2 GPA.

subset: commoncrawl


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Mets beat Dodgers 5-3
Coming into this west coast road trip, I am sure that no one in the Mets organization expected them to be on the brink of sweeping the Dodgers without their shortstop and leadoff hitter Jose Reyes, who by the way, will probably wait until after the All-Star break to come back. However, last night, no Reyes, no problem as they beat the Dodgers 5-3.
Notable performances:
Jon Niese (8-7, 3.73) threw seven innings, while allowing only three runs on five hits while striking out six.
Lucas Duda was 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
Carlos Beltran was 2 for 5 with two doubles and two runs scored.
Francisco Rodriguez recorded his 22nd save of the year last night. His GF (games finished) count is now up to 33.
Jon Niese pitched very well, throwing seven innings for the first time since June 9 in Milwaukee. He only walked one and kept his pitch count (97) low the entire game.
Carlos Beltran hit his major league leading 26th double last night. He has been on fire, hitting .333 in his last six games.
Ruben Tejada delivered a clutch two-out double in the sixth that put the Mets ahead for good. Since June 12, Ruben is hitting .188.
Since the Braves also won last night, the Mets didn't improve much in the Wild Card. They are now 9 1/2 games back in the division and 6 1/2 back in the Wild Card standings.
NEXT: 6/7 vs. Dodgers 10:10
Dillon Gee vs. Clayton Kershaw


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DrugTest 5000 - Draeger Safety Diagnostics Inc
In the past, roadside drug screening has been difficult because it involved the...
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Castle towns are common in Medieval Europe, where towns would form around ancient Roman fortresses. A good example is London, which sprang up around ancient Londinium and Paris, which arose from Lutetia, but the model is better preserved in small towns like Alnwick and Arundel, which are still dominated by their castles.
In Western Europe, and England particularly, it is common for cities and towns that were not castle towns to instead have been organized around cathedrals.
Towns organized around Japanese castles are called jōkamachi .


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Our economists engage in scholarly research and policy-oriented analysis on a wide range of important issues.
The Outreach and Education function engages, empowers and educates the Second District communities that the Bank serves, especially civic leaders, students, educators, small business owners, policymakers and the general public. It furthers the Bank's commitment to the region by listening to the communities we serve and leveraging our unique attributes to positively impact school and university programs, as well as analysis and research.
Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility
The Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF) is designed to help market participants meet the credit needs of households and small businesses by supporting the issuance of asset-backed securities (ABS) collateralized by student loans, auto loans, credit card loans and loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA). Eligible borrowers must use a primary dealer, which will act as agent for the borrower, to access the TALF and must deliver eligible collateral to the New York Fed's custodian bank.
Operation Announcement
|Operation Date:
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|May 5, 2009 3:00 p.m. ET
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Rates forMay 5,2009 Facility:
|Amount of TALF loans requested at May 5, 2009 Facility:
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text: Ballistic Publishing - Call for Entries Futuristic Cemeterya take on a futuristic cemetery. Copyright (C) emmanuel shiu 2007 All Rights Reserved No unauthorised duplication or distribution without explicit permission from the copyright holder. Artist Name: emmanuel shiu Artist Country: US Entered for: Website: http://www.eshiu.comSoftware used: Adobe - Photoshop About us | Contact us | Privacy Policy Copyright © 2003 Ballistic Media Pty. Ltd.


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Events Calendar
Registration Mount Wilson Trail Race
Registration for the Mount Wilson Trail Race is fast approaching and the sign up process has changed slightly this year. For 2014 the first 100 spaces for the race will be made available to Sierra Madre residents only, leaving 200 spaces available for open registration.
Sierra Madre resident only registration will be held on Saturday, March 1, 2014 from 9:00am-3:00pm at the Community Recreation Center
General registration will begin Monday, March 3, 2014 at 11:00am. Registration can be done online at www.cityofsierramadre.com/onlineregistration, or in person at the Community Recreation Center, 611 East Sierra Madre Blvd.
For both registrations an account with the City of Sierra Madre must be set up prior to registration. If you do not already have one, please visit www.cityofsierramadre.com/onlineregistration to create one. If you already have an account please double check that the information is current. Acceptable forms of payment are cash, if in person, check—made payable to the City of Sierra Madre, and credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover).
Any questions regarding registration can be directed to the Community Services Department at 626-355-5278.
For more information about the change please visit www.mountwilsontrailrace.com/Registration.html
The Mount Wilson Trail Race is Saturday, May 24, 2014 at 7:30am and begins in Kersting Court. The cost is $66.00 for adults and $35.00 for youth. All participants receive a tech shirt and goodie bag with entry. For more information about the event please visit www.mountwilsontrailrace.com.
Sierra Madre, CA 91024


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just made a shit tone of green day ring tones. my phone is now cool.Nov 25 2012 11:43 PM
Nov 26 2012 06:56 AM


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The Sierra Leonean opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) party has accused officials of the country's embassies in Guinea and Liberia of ferrying voters from their respective station countries to border towns in Sierra Leone for the purpose of partaking in the ongoing biometric voter registration for the 2012 General Elections in favor of the ruling All People's Congress (APC) party.
According to the AWOKO News, a leading news organ in that country, the claim was stated at a press conference held at the NDA headquarters in Freetown.
Spokesperson for the party, Chernor Alpha Bah, accused embassy officials of the Sierra Leone's embassies in both Guinea and Liberia of "facilitating Sierra Leoneans resident in the two countries to register at the border towns" for the ruling party.
He considered the act as "a violation of the electoral laws" of the neighboring country.
Bah argued that the statement of the National Electoral Commissioner, Christiana Thorpe, that Sierra Leoneans can register anywhere irrespective of whether they are ordinarily residents in the constituency "has flagrantly contravened the electoral laws of the country."
He called on all stakeholders in the electoral process to clarify the issue so as to avoid chaos in the country" and also condemned the government of Sierra Leone for using state resources to ferry voters along the border towns to register and vote for the APC during the pools.
Sierra Leonean Ernest Bia Koroma last years announced that Sierra Leone will use Biometric Voting System in the 2012 Elections.
He said in collaboration with the United Nations Development Project (UNDP), the National Electoral Commission (NEC) were laying the foundation for Free and Fair Elections by innovating the Sierra Leone election processes with Biometric Voter Registration System.
State House sources to local media that the president has made it one of his top priorities to ensure that the Biometric Data Information System is completed before the first ballot is cast in the 2012 Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Elections.
"His Excellency is very much concerned about some of negative feedback he is getting that certain key opposition party members are setting the stage for potential election violence. He is very concerned about the recent violence within the SLPP and the false accusations that the APC Government will rig elections. The president's only political weapon of choice is developing Sierra Leone and improving the lives and welfare of the people," a source told Awoko.
Dr. Christiana Thorpe, Chief Electoral Commissioner
What is a Biometric Voter Identification Process? Every human being has specific biological traits such as DNA, hair color, height, iris of the eyes, facial features and fingerprints. DNA is the unique biological code in every human cell but it is much more expensive and invasive to use biometric data collection. The most easily identifiable trait in a human being is their fingerprint, and it is the least expensive biometric information used to identify people. No two people in world have the same fingerprint patterns.
Large amounts of biometric information can be stored in a microchip and subsequently transferred to a voter's registration or identification card. The information contained in the card will enable polling agents to identify the individual voter and prevent duplicate voting, and of course voter fraud. The information in the identification card will automatically be checked against the biometric data information available in a computer.
The ongoing field voter registration is lasting for approximately three months in early 2012.
The project commenced in 2011 and the planning, procurement, testing, recruitment and training are planned for the remainder of this year. From planning to implementation, the entire project will cost almost US$60M.
The government will pay 56% and the rest will be funded by UNDP and other donors.
In 2007, when then candidate Ernest Bai Koroma was vying for the highest office in Sierra Leone, he promised to change Sierra Leone for the better.
The president understands that building a lasting post-war peaceful nation requires genuine national projects that will ensure all Sierra Leoneans have confidence in the country's democracy particularly our election process.
The president's long-term strategy of reform has already ushered in a new political discipline that is by far different from, and better than that of his predecessors.
"I was elected president of the whole of Sierra Leone; I will serve the whole of Sierra Leone; "I will unite this country by fulfilling the promise of the Agenda for Change to the common man and woman, regardless of their sex, ethnic group, region or political party," he said in 2009.
Meanwhile, a three-man delegation from Liberia's National Electoral Commission (NEC) that is currently on a study tour of Sierra Leone's Biometric Voter Registration process has called on government to "provide financial resources to the country's National Electoral Commission (NEC) so that it can be more independent."
The team comprises, James Dogbey- IT Director, David Colliee-Software Developer and Archie Delaney- Delineation & Technical Information Management are on a four-day visit to Sierra Leone's NEC to observe the registration process which they intend to replicate back home during their next general elections.
In an interview with the team, Archie Delaney disclosed that "there is no cost in ensuring and sustaining democracy. If there are no democratic elections where the people are assured that at the end of the day their votes counted reflect the will of the majority of the people, we all know what will happen."
He added that democracy is too expensive and therefore the government has to provide the financial resources to the Commission so that it can be more independent, noting that "many a times donor monies come with conditions".
Delaney maintained that there is no cost too high for Sierra Leone's government to provide support to NEC to sustain the country's democracy. According to him, if NEC is unable to adequately conduct itself to sustain the current democratic trend, the alternative which could be outbreak of violence is known by all.
Questioned about the importance of the Biometric Voter registration, James Dogbey another member of the visiting delegation said that, looking at the current system from the way the data is captured and the processing procedures, "we have just been briefed this can record between 90-100% the possibility of multiple registration." Therefore he went on "multiple voting during polling day will be definitely squashed out as the registrations are going to be marched as all the duplicates are going to be removed so when that data is marched together its certain that those who are engaged in double registration will be certainly weeded out meaning they will not be able to vote during polling day."
Cross border registration is an issue brought up during the Sierra Leone registration process. Was this the same during the Liberia process? Dogbey disclosed, "we had cross border issues but these are Liberians that were residing on the border area of Sierra Leone and during our registration they came in and once they were proven that they were Liberians, they were allowed to register."
Questioned about the purpose of their study tour, Archie Delaney said they are in the country to learn from this process so as to assist Liberia that is contemplating the possibility of also doing biometric voter registration in the country.
He said "we believe that the tour will be very invaluable because the two countries share similar situations, environments and both are war torn countries with broken down infrastructures. He noted that starting this kind of a system in such an environment that is shrouded with issues of inaccessibility, high illiterate population, voter education and all those kind of issues, we therefore thought Sierra Leone can be a perfect case study from where we can learn as a Commission."
The Liberian Technical Information Manager added that their visit is to understudy how Sierra Leone meets her challenges, its constraints, and how it devices solutions. The answers to all of these concerns he maintained, will be a valuable experience to them as a Commission.
On the area of violence during elections in both countries, David Colliee stated that the Liberia election was not violent because they had lots of instances where the people were forced to exercise "very high level of patriotism," Mr. Colliee stated.
What does this mean for the Sierra Leone NEC the Chief of External Outreach Albert Massaquoi disclosed "we are very much happy to have a sister country coming to us to share experiences. We are learning from them and they too are learning from us; this is something that is good for us," Mr. Massaquoi noted, adding that the visit also serves "to underscore the fact that what we have been doing is good." By Betty Milton and D K Sengbeh.


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Esperanza Spalding's Wikipedia page unites Justin Bieber fans and haters in vandalism
Hell hath no fury like some Bieber fans scorned (or the Bieber haters, who are just about as obsessed with him as the fans are).
Portland-based jazz singer/songwriter Esperanza Spalding took home the Best New Artist Grammy Sunday night (Feb. 13) and sure, we had never heard of her either. But we thought, "Good for her!" and immediately looked her up on YouTube, like most normal people probably did.
But not Justin Bieber fans (or haters, which we'll get to). They took to her Wikipedia page. In the one screengrab of the incident (pictured above), her middle name has been changed to "Quesadilla" and someone has added, "Justin Bieber deserved it go die in a hole. Who the heck are you anyway?" So racist vandalism and a death wish. Nice.
Looking at her revision history on the site, there were four changes labeled "possible vandalism" and then her page was changed to "protected" due to "persistent vandalism."
But it can't be all tween Bieber fans, as one of the edits put "On February 13th, Esperanza won the Grammy for Best New Artist , beating out Nominee Justina Bieber," which was later changed to, "beating out Nominee and gay favorite Justina Bieber."
Another edit says, "She now has the 2011 Grammy for being the Best new Artist! Even though no one has ever heard of her! Yay!" and still another reads, " HaHa Justin Bieber, you're just a little boy with no Grammy for Best New Artist." You can read all the edits here.
We'll be interested to see what Bieber has to say about this when he wakes up (it's pretty early on the West Coast right now and he was probably out pretty late). Last night he tweeted, " As for the awards...of course I wanted to win. Its been & still is a dream to win a grammy. Was I upset...yes. But I was happy for her also." He has always seemed pretty gracious to us and we think he'll be rather upset at what his fans were up to last night (not that they were the only ones, but he has no control over the haters).
And in case you don't know how awesome Spalding is, here is Esperanza performing at the White House. Below that is her backstage video with the Bieb himself.
Photo/Video credit: Wikipedia


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Brian Bowen, Program Administrator
State Natural Areas Program
William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower
312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, 2nd Floor
(615) 532-0436
Division of Natural Areas Contact List
Natural Areas Program
Natural Areas Map
Schedule of Events
Interactive Map
Division of Natural Areas Home
Stillhouse Hollow Falls is a 90-acre state natural area located approximately 21 miles southwest of Columbia and three miles northeast of Summertown off Hwy US 43. The natural area is on the Western Highland Rim in the Duck River watershed. The geology of this region creates scenic natural features such as seeps, flat shale-bottom streams, and waterfalls, both small and large, which help shape the region's dissected topography.
The natural area is named for its most significant feature, Stillhouse Hollow Falls, which can be seen by walking approximately 2/3 of a mile along the Stillhouse Hollow Falls trail. The trail crosses an unnamed tributary that forms small scenic cascades before plunging approximately 75 feet over the falls. A deep hollow is formed below the falls that is surrounded by steep slopes where wet-weather springs emerge contributing to a rich habitat supporting a colorful spring wildflower display of trillium, spiderwort, wild geranium, phlox and many other species.
The beginning of the trail to the falls passes by a showy shrub layer of oak-leaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), Alabama azalea (Rhododendron alabamense), deerberry and downy mock-orange (Philadelphus pubescens). The forest on the lower slopes and along the stream is comprised of a canopy of large sugar maples, sycamores, white oaks, beeches, and tulip poplars beneath which grow many species of shrubs such as spicebush, pawpaw, and alder. On the steeper slopes below the waterfall, bladdernut (Staphylea trifolia) and pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) are plentiful. The surrounding upper slopes and the steeper dry ridges are where large oaks and hickories dominate the forest canopy.
Stillhouse Hollow Falls was designated a state natural area in 2006 and
is protected in perpetuity under the Natural Areas Preservation Act of 1971.
It was acquired by the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation (TPGF)
and then sold to the State at a reduced cost. The TPGF provided a trail
development grant to the Friends of Maury County Parks and the Tennessee
Trails Association that facilitated opening the natural area to the public
on June 3, 2006. The grant money was used to develop the small parking
area, provide signage, build the kiosk, and develop the trails.
Division of Natural Areas, William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower, 312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, 2nd Floor, Nashville, TN 37243, phone (615) 532-0431; Maury County Parks and Recreation Department, 1018 Maury County Park Drive, Columbia, TN 38401 phone (931) 375- 6101.
Public access allowed; parking and hiking trails are provided.
From Nashville, take I-65 south and take the Saturn Parkway toward Columbia. Turn right on Hwy 43 and proceed about 21 miles. The natural area parking area is on the right once you have passed over the Judge Workman Bridge. It is about three miles northeast of Summertown on Hwy 43 on the left just before the bridge.
|COUNTY: Maury
|7.5' QUADRANGLE: Summertown
|OWNERSHIP: State of Tennessee
|PHYSIOGRAPHIC PROVINCE: Western Highland Rim


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" There are very few absolute certainties in medicine," he said. "As you get less probable, that's where we run into difficulties. ... there are circumstances where our hands are tied."
Despite the pressure, few political analysts expect Ireland's government to take swift action to make clear when abortions can take place. For the past two decades, successive governments have refused to pass legislation in line with a landmark 1992 Supreme Court judgment that found women should receive abortions in Ireland if their pregnancy posed a "real and substantial risk" to their life, but not their health.
Abortion remains perhaps the most polarizing issue in Ireland despite the decline of faith in the Catholic Church, battered by a string of child-abuse scandals. Opinion polls show majority support for legalizing abortion, but politicians advocating liberalized access to abortion are confined largely to Gilmore's Labour Party, the smaller member of Ireland's 20-month-old coalition government. Other parties, including Prime Minister Enda Kenny's Fine Gael, are broadly opposed.
"For Irish society, abortion is an intractable issue. For politicians it's untouchable," said Dearbhail McDonald, legal editor of the Irish Independent. "This is the kind of thing that brings down a government. They will not risk it."
She wrote a deeply personal column Thursday in her paper, noting she was the same age — 35 — as the woman at the center of the 1992 Supreme Court ruling. That girl, then 14, had been raped by a neighbor. When her parents went to the police, the government tried to stop her from traveling to England for an abortion. The court ruled that the girl should receive an abortion in Ireland because she was threatening to kill herself if refused.
McDonald said many Irish women identified with the plight of that girl, identified only as X, and with Halappanavar, whose smiling face dominated the front page of every Irish newspaper Thursday.
"It's hard to explain the depth of anger and sorrow Savita's death has ignited in me - a visceral rage that has reduced me, and many of my friends, to tears of exasperation and despair," she wrote. "All of us thinking: That could have been me. All of us thinking: Why haven't we sorted out this mess?"


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Toshiba Satellite U500-1D6
SpecificationsNotebook: Toshiba Satellite U500-1D6 (Satellite U500 Series)
Processor: Intel Core i5 430M
Graphics Adapter: NVIDIA GeForce 310M
Display: 13.3 inch, 16:10, 1280x800 pixels, glossy: yes
Weight: 2.3kg
Price: 900 euro
Average of 2 scores (from 2 reviews)
Reviews for the Toshiba Satellite U500-1D6
Source: PC Praxis - 6/10
Comparison, , Length Unknown, Date: 05/01/2010
Rating: Total score: 78% price: 80%
Source: Mobile News - 3/10
Single Review, , Length Unknown, Date: 05/01/2010
Rating: Total score: 90%
NVIDIA GeForce 310M: The GeForce 310M is the successor of the GeFore G210M and based on the same chip with very similar clock rates (shader speed +30MHz to 1530MHz).
Non demanding games should be playable with these graphics cards.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
The Core i5-430M is a middle class dual core CPU that features only 3 MB L3 Cache (compared to the I7-640M) and clocks between 2.26-2.53 GHz (Turbo Mode). Furthermore, VT-d, trusted Execution and AES features are missing in the 430M. Thanks to Hyperthreading, 4 threads can be processed simultaneously. An integrated graphics card (Intel HD Graphics with 500-733 MHz) and a DDR3 memory controller are also included in the package.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
13.3": This is a common display format for subnotebooks. Netbooks, UMPC and some subnotebooks have tinier displays. Nevertheless, the majority of standard laptops has a higher format. The advantage of a small display is, that the subnotebook can be small dimensioned and can be carried easily. Further the small display needs few energy, which improves the battery runtime and in consequence the mobility. The disadvantage is that the reading of texts is a bit exhausting for the eyes, especially with high resolutions.» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.
2.3 kg: These sub-notebooks weight less than the average of all notebooks, but represent a heavier class of weight among the sub-notebooks. 13 inch displays are normal for this class of weight.
Toshiba: Toshiba Corporation is a multinational conglomerate manufacturing company, headquartered in Japan. The company's main business is in Infrastructure, Consumer Products, and Electronic devices and components. Toshiba-made Semiconductors are among the Worldwide Top 20 Semiconductor Sales Leaders. Toshiba is one of the biggest international notebook-manufacturer. There exist many reviews for Toshiba models.
84%: This rating should be considered to be average. This is because the proportion of notebooks which have a higher rating is approximately equal to the proportion which have a lower rating.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.


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Magick is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will. — Aleister Crowley
Tag: crystal dawn
Carnal Alchemy, by Crystal Dawn and Stephen Flowers
By Psyche | Leave a comment
Carnal Alchemy: Sado-Magical Techniques for Pleasure, Pain, and Self-Transformation, by Crystal Dawn and Stephen Flowers
Runa-Raven Press, 1885972040, 86 pp. (incl. appendix, glossary, safety notes, resources, bibliographies, & advertisements), 1995, 2001
Dawn and Flowers clearly state that 'this book is not intended as a "training manual" for dominants, but rather a commentary from a magical perspective on various methods common in Sadean sexuality,' and in this it certainly fulfils its role.
They detail a rational approach to self-exploration, noting that "breaking the tabus of society is one thing, but in breaking internal tabus great storehouses of magical power are to be found." Stating that "the way to increase or give rise to sexual energy is simply to generate it in ways the individual finds most pleasurable and appealing." Continue reading


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EMED Mining plc ("EMED" or "the Company") - Investor Briefing
NICOSIA, Cyprus, Dec. 11, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - EMED Mining Public Limited ("EMED Mining" or the "Company") (AIM: EMED) (TSX: EMD), the Europe-based minerals development and exploration company will conduct an on-line investor briefing by Managing Director, Harry Anagnostaras-Adams, on Wednesday 19 December 2012 at 15.00 GMT (10am Toronto time). This will be broadcast live via video conference and follows the Company's EGM which will be held earlier that day. To participate in the briefing, during which participants can email questions, attendees should go to http://www.brrmedia.co.uk/event/106977/harry-anagnostaras-adams-managing-director.
|For more information please contact:
|EMED Mining
|Harry Anagnostaras-Adams
|+357 9945 7843
|RFC Ambrian
|Stuart Laing
|+61 8 9480 2500
|Fox-Davies Capital
|Simon Leathers/Susan Walker
|+44 203 463 5022
|Bishopsgate Communications
|Nick Rome
|+44 207 562 3350
|Proconsul Capital
|Andreas Curkovic
|+1 416 577 9927
SOURCE: EMED MINING PUBLIC LIMITEDFor further information:
Renmark Financial Communications Inc.
Peter Mahzari: email@example.com
Laurence A. Lachance: email@example.com
Media - Guy Hurd: firstname.lastname@example.com
Tel.: (416) 644-2020 or (514) 939-3989


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| | Other topics
News articles on poverty
Mongabay.com news articles on poverty in blog format. Updated regularly.
The vanishing Niger River imperils tourism and livelihoods in the desert
(06/04/2012) Severely affected by recent turmoil across its northern frontiers, Nigerien tourism pins hope on river valley attractions to play a major role in rebuilding its tourism industry in the upcoming years. Even though the river itself is threatened. Located in the heart of the Sahel Region, the vast desert lands of Niger have captivated European tourists seeking a taste of its immensely varied natural landscapes.
Indigenous group paid $0.65/ha for forest worth $5,000/ha in Indonesia
(05/23/2012) A palm oil company has paid indigenous Moi landowners in Indonesian Papua a paltry $0.65 per hectare for land that will be worth $5,000 a hectare once cultivated, according to a new report by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and Indonesian NGO, Telepak. The report outlines similar disadvantageous deals in timber with the same companies breaking their promises of bringing education and infrastructure.
Groups urge President Obama to attend Rio+20 Sustainability Summit
(05/22/2012) Twenty-two conservation, indigenous, health and science groups have called on U.S. President Barack Obama to attend the up-coming Rio+20 Summit on Sustainable Development.
Charting a new environmental course in China
(05/21/2012) Founded in 1951, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) works in more than 30 countries and has projects in all 50 of the United States. The Conservancy has over one million members, and has protected more than 119 million acres of wild-lands and 5,000 miles of rivers worldwide. TNC has taken an active interest in China, the world's most populated nation, and in many important ways, a critical center of global development. The following is an interview with multiple directors of The Nature Conservancy's China Program.
Consumption, population, and declining Earth: wake-up call for Rio+20
(05/15/2012) Currently, human society is consuming natural resources as if there were one-and-a-half Earths, and not just a single blue planet, according to the most recent Living Planet Report released today. If governments and societies continue with 'business-as-usual' practices, we could be consuming three years of natural resources in 12 months by 2050. Already, this ecological debt is decimating wildlife populations worldwide, disproportionately hurting the world's poor and most vulnerable, threatening imperative resources like food and water, heating up the atmosphere, and risking global well-being.
'The real Hunger Games': a million children at risk as Sahel region suffers punishing drought
(05/09/2012) The UN warns that a million children in Africa's Sahel region face malnutrition due to drought in region. In all 15 million people face food insecurity in eight nations across the Sahel, a region that is still recovering from drought and a food crisis of 2010. In some countries the situation is worsened by conflict.
High-tech hell: new documentary brings Africa's e-waste slum to life
(04/30/2012) Shirtless boys rapidly pull the computer apart, discarding bits and pieces, until they expose the wires, yank them out, and toss them into a fire. Acrid, toxic smoke blooms as the boys prod the wires and the fire strips the plastic around the wires, leaving the sought-after copper. Welcome, to Agbogbloshie, where your technology goes to die. A new film e-wasteland captures the horrors of the world's largest e-waste slum through surreal and staggering images. Shot over three weeks by one-man guerrilla filmmaker, David Fedele, e-wasteland is an entirely visual experience without dialogue or voiceover.
For Earth Day, 17 celebrated scientists on how to make a better world
(04/22/2012) Seventeen top scientists and four acclaimed conservation organizations have called for radical action to create a better world for this and future generations. Compiled by 21 past winners of the prestigious Blue Planet Prize, a new paper recommends solutions for some of the world's most pressing problems including climate change, poverty, and mass extinction. The paper, entitled Environment and Development Challenges: The Imperative to Act, was recently presented at the UN Environment Program governing council meeting in Nairobi, Kenya.
Gold mining in the Peruvian Amazon: a view from the ground
(03/15/2012) On the back of a partially functioning motorcycle I fly down miles of winding footpath at high-speed through the dense Amazon rainforest, the driver never able to see more than several feet ahead. Myriads of bizarre creatures lie camouflaged amongst the dense vines and lush foliage; flocks of parrots fly overhead in rainbows of color; a moss-covered three-toed sloth dangles from an overhanging branch; a troop of red howler monkeys rumble continuously in the background; leafcutter ants form miles of crawling highways across the forest floor. Even the hot, wet air feels alive.
Scientists say massive palm oil plantation will "cut the heart out" of Cameroon's rainforest
(03/15/2012) Eleven top scientists have slammed a proposed palm oil plantation in a Cameroonian rainforest surrounded by five protected areas. In an open letter, the researchers allege that Herakles Farm, which proposes the 70,000 hectare plantation in southwest Cameroon, has misled the government about the state of the forest to be cleared and has violated rules set by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), of which it's a member. The scientists, many of whom are considered leaders in their field, argue that the plantation will destroy rich forests, imperil endangered species, and sow conflict with local people.
Without data, fate of great apes unknown
(03/12/2012) Our closest nonhuman relatives, the great apes, are in mortal danger. Every one of the six great ape species is endangered, and without more effective conservation measures, they may be extinct in the wild within a human generation. The four African great ape species (bonobos, chimpanzees and two species of gorilla) inhabit a broad swath of land across the middle of Africa, and two species of orangutans live in rainforests on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra in Southeast Asia.
Scientists recommend marine protected areas for Madagascar
(02/27/2012) With the government of Madagascar planning to increase marine protected areas by one million hectares, a group of researchers have laid out flexible recommendations in a new study in the open access journal PLoS ONE. The researchers employed four different analyses in order to highlight a number of different conservation options, however the different analyses pointed to the need to protect certain areas with high biodiversity, including the Barren Islands' reefs, the reefs of Juan de Nova, the Banc de Leven, and the shallow banks of the Cap Sainte Marie.
Innovative conservation: wild silk, endangered species, and poverty in Madagascar
(02/20/2012) For anyone who works in conservation in Madagascar, confronting the complex difficulties of widespread poverty is a part of the job. But with the wealth of Madagascar's wildlife rapidly diminishing— such as lemurs, miniature chameleons, and hedgehog-looking tenrecs found no-where else in the world—the island-nation has become a testing ground for innovative conservation programs that focus on tackling entrenched poverty to save dwindling species and degraded places. The local NGO, the Madagascar Organization of Silk Workers or SEPALI, along with its U.S. partner Conservation through Poverty Alleviation (CPALI), is one such innovative program. In order to alleviate local pressure on the newly-established Makira Protected Area, SEPALI is aiding local farmers in artisanal silk production from endemic moths. The program uses Madagascar's famed wildlife to help create more economically stable communities.
Another food crisis looming in Africa: nearly 5 million South Sudanese lacking food
(02/08/2012) The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Program (WFP) have warned that South Sudan is facing a food crisis and that immediate action is needed to stave off a disaster. Currently 4.7 million people do not have enough to eat in South Sudan, while one million of these face severe food shortages. That number, however, could double if on-going conflict in the region continues and food prices continue rising, says the UN agencies.
Recognizing value of nature could boost income for the world's poor
(01/20/2012) The rural poor would substantially boost their income if the ecological services of the ecosystems they steward were valued and compensated by the rest of the world, claims a new study published in the journal Bioscience.
Delayed response to Somalia famine cost thousands of lives
(01/18/2012) A hesitant response by the international community likely led to thousands of unnecessary deaths in last year's famine in East Africa finds a new report released by Oxfam and Save the Children. The report, entitled A Dangerous Delay, says that early warning systems worked in informing the international community about the likelihood of a dire food crisis in East Africa, however a "culture of risk aversion" led to months-long delays. By the time aid arrived it was already too late for many. The British government has estimated somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 people perished in the famine, half of whom were likely children under five.
New book series hopes to inspire research in world's 'hottest biodiversity hotspot'
(01/17/2012) Entomologist Dmitry Telnov hopes his new pet project will inspire and disseminate research about one of the world's last unexplored biogeographical regions: Wallacea and New Guinea. Incredibly rich in biodiversity and still full of unknown species, the region, also known as the Indo-Australian transition, spans many of the tropical islands of the Pacific, including Indonesia's Sulawesi, Komodo and Flores, as well as East Timor—the historically famous "spice islands" of the Moluccan Archipelago—the Solomon Islands, and, of course, New Guinea. Telnov has begun a new book series, entitled Biodiversity, Biogeography and Nature Conservation in Wallacea and New Guinea, that aims to compile and highlight new research in the region, focusing both on biology and conservation. The first volume, currently available, also includes the description of 150 new species.
Global food prices set record in 2011
(01/16/2012) Last year saw the highest average food prices since recording began in 1990, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) Food Price Index. The Food Price Index's average for the year was 228 points, 28 points higher than the past record set in 2008.
How lemurs fight climate change
(01/09/2012) Kara Moses may have never become a biologist if not for a coin toss. The coin, which came up heads and decided Moses' direction in college, has led her on a sinuous path from studying lemurs in captivity to environmental writing, and back to lemurs, only this time tracking them in their natural habitat. Her recent research on ruffed lemurs is attracting attention for documenting the seed dispersal capabilities of Critically Endangered ruffed lemurs as well as theorizing connections between Madagascar's lemurs and the carbon storage capacity of its forests. Focusing on the black-and-white ruffed lemur's (Varecia variegata) ecological role as a seed disperser—animals that play a major role in spreading a plant's seeds far-and-wide—Moses suggests that not only do the lemurs disperse key tree species, but they could be instrumental in dispersing big species that store large amounts of carbon.
Eco-toilets help save hippos and birds in Kenya
(01/04/2012) It may appear unintuitive that special toilets could benefit hippos and other wetland species, but the Center for Rural Empowerment and the Environment (CREE) has proven the unique benefits of new toilets in the Dunga Wetlands on Lake Victoria's Kenyan side. By building ecologically-sanitary (eco-san) toilets, CREE has managed to alleviate some of the conflict that has cropped up between hippos and humans for space.
Top 10 Environmental Stories of 2011
(12/22/2011) Many of 2011's most dramatic stories on environmental issues came from people taking to the streets. With governments and corporations slow to tackle massive environmental problems, people have begun to assert themselves. Victories were seen on four continents: in Bolivia a draconian response to protestors embarrassed the government, causing them to drop plans to build a road through Tipnis, an indigenous Amazonian reserve; in Myanmar, a nation not known for bowing to public demands, large protests pushed the government to cancel a massive Chinese hydroelectric project; in Borneo a three-year struggle to stop the construction of a coal plant on the coast of the Coral Triangle ended in victory for activists; in Britain plans to privatize forests created such a public outcry that the government not only pulled back but also apologized; and in the U.S. civil disobedience and massive marches pressured the Obama Administration to delay a decision on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, which would bring tar sands from Canada to a global market.
Earth systems disruption: Does 2011 indicate the "new normal" of climate chaos and conflict?
(12/21/2011) The year 2011 has presented the world with a shocking increase in irregular weather and disasters linked to climate change. Just as the 2007 "big melt" of summer arctic sea ice sent scientists and environmentalists scrambling to re-evaluate the severity of climate change, so have recent events forced major revisions and updates in climate science.
Droughts could push parts of Africa back into famine
(12/19/2011) Drought and erratic rains could lead to further food scarcities in Africa warns the United Nations World Food Program (WFP). The WFP singles out South Sudan, the world's newest nation, and Niger as nations of particular concern. Earlier this year famine killed scores of people, including an estimated 30,000 children, in Somalia.
Cultural shifts in Madagascar drive lemur-killing
(12/15/2011) Conservationists have often found that some cultural norms, religious beliefs, and taboos play a role in holding back traditional peoples from overusing their environment. Examples of such beliefs include days wherein one cannot hunt or fish, or certain species or regions that are off limits to exploitation. But the influence of the modern world can rapidly extinguish such beliefs, sometimes for the better, in other cases not. In many parts of Madagascar, lemurs are off the menu. These primates, found only in Madagascar, play a big role in Malagasy 'fady' or taboo-related folk stories: lemurs are protectors and, in some cases, even relatives. However, according to a new paper in PLoS ONE an influx of migrants, widespread poverty, lack domestic meat, and poor law enforcement has caused a sudden rise in eating lemurs, many of which are already near-extinction due to habitat loss.
Madagascar tree diversity among the highest worldwide
(12/12/2011) In terms of biodiversity, the hugely imperiled forests of Madagascar may be among the world's richest. Researchers estimate that the island off the coast of Africa is home to at least 10,000 tree and shrub species with over 90 percent of them found no-where else in the world. With little baseline data collected on Madagascar's ecosystems, a new study, the first ever of tree diversity in Madagascar lowland rainforests, hopes to begin the process. Published in mongabay.com's open access journal Tropical Conservation Science, the new study surveyed tree species in eastern Madagascar's Betampona Special Reserve.
Bushmeat trade driving illegal hunting in Zimbabwe park
(12/12/2011) Bushmeat hunting is one of the major threats to mammals in sub-Saharan Africa. Although widely discussed and recognized as an issues in Central and West Africa, a new study in mongabay.com's open access journal Tropical Conservation Science describes a pattern of bushmeat hunting that is also occurring in southern Africa. Interviewing 114 locals living adjacent to Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, Edson Gandiwa with Wageningen University found that the primary drivers of illegal hunting in the park were bushmeat and personal consumption (68 percent).
11 challenges facing 7 billion super-consumers
(10/31/2011) Perhaps the most disconcerting thing about Halloween this year is not the ghouls and goblins taking to the streets, but a baby born somewhere in the world. It's not the baby's or the parent's fault, of course, but this child will become a part of an artificial, but still important, milestone: according to the UN, the Earth's seventh billionth person will be born today. That's seven billion people who require, in the very least, freshwater, food, shelter, medicine, and education. In some parts of the world, they will also have a car, an iPod, a suburban house and yard, pets, computers, a lawn-mower, a microwave, and perhaps a swimming pool. Though rarely addressed directly in policy (and more often than not avoided in polite conversations), the issue of overpopulation is central to environmentally sustainability and human welfare.
Fertilizer trees boost yields in Africa
(10/16/2011) Fertilizer trees—which fix nitrogen in the soil—have improved crops yields in five African countries, according to a new study in the International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability. In some cases yields have doubled with the simple addition of nitrogen-soaking trees. The research found that fertilizer trees could play a role in alleviating hunger on the continent while improving environmental conditions.
Poor in Madagascar see fish plundered for foreign consumption
(10/11/2011) A new study warns that overfishing could exacerbate poverty and political stability in one of the world's poorest nations: Madagascar. According to the recent study by the University of British Columbia's Sea Around Us Project and Malagasy NGO Blue Ventures, fish catches in the African island-nation from 1950 to 2008 are actually double the official numbers, with foreign wealthy nations currently taking half the haul.
Tea Party rallies in favor of Gibson Guitar, ignores reasons instrument-maker is under investigation
(10/10/2011) This weekend around 500 people showed up for a rally and concert in Nashville, Tennessee. The rally was in support of Gibson Guitars, a US-company currently under investigation for allegedly importing illegally logged wood into the country, an action that breaks a recent bipartisan amendment to the Lacey Act. While the Tea Party-affiliated groups that held the rally were expressing frustration with perceived over-regulation by the federal government, the issue at stake—a global effort to help stem illegal logging—was actually overlooked by the organizers.
Tea party versus Madagascar's forests
(10/02/2011) The Tea Party and the African island-nation of Madagascar are having dueling concerts over the issue of illegal logging, reports the Associated Press. A concert in Madagascar over the weekend was meant to highlight the problem of illegal deforestation in one of the world's poorest countries. Meanwhile the Tea Party is holding a rally and concert on October 8th to support Gibson Guitar, a musical instruments company currently under investigation for breaking US law by allegedly purchasing illegally logged wood products from Madagascar.
Featured video: new documentary puts human face on logging in Papua New Guinea
(09/27/2011) A new documentary, filmed single-handily by filmmaker David Fedele, covers the impact of industrial logging on a community in Papua New Guinea. Entitled Bikpela Bagarap(or 'Big Damage' in English), the film shows with startling intimacy how massive corporations, greedy government, and consumption abroad have conspired to ruin lives in places like Vanimo, Papua New Guinea.
Famine in Africa: Can Reforestation Improve Food Security?
(09/14/2011) Millions of people across the Horn of Africa are suffering under a crippling regional drought and tens of thousands have died during the accompanying famine. Refuge camps in Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia are swelling with the hungry.
Children on the frontlines: the e-waste epidemic in Africa
(09/09/2011) In Agbogbloshie, a slum outside the capital city of Accra, Ghana, tons of electronic waste lies smoldering in toxic piles. Children make their way through this dangerous environment, desperate to strip even a few ounces of copper, aluminum, brass, and zinc from worn-out electronics originating from the United States and Europe. "The smell alone will drive all but the most desperate away, but many are so desperate they persevere despite the obvious dangers. It is a very tough thing to witness," explains Dr. Kwei Quartey, a Ghanaian author and physician, in a recent mongabay.com interview.
Controversial study finds intensive farming partnered with strict protected areas is best for biodiversity
(09/01/2011) Given that we have very likely entered an age of mass extinction—and human population continues to rise (not unrelated)—researchers are scrambling to determine the best methods to save the world's suffering species. In the midst of this debate, a new study in Science, which is bound to have detractors, has found that setting aside land for strict protection coupled with intensive farming is the best way to both preserve species and feed a growing human world. However, other researchers say the study is missing the point, both on global hunger and biodiversity.
Big damage in Papua New Guinea: new film documents how industrial logging destroys lives
(08/29/2011) In one scene a young man, perhaps not long ago a boy, named Douglas stands shirtless and in shorts as he runs a chainsaw into a massive tropical tree. Prior to this we have already heard from an official how employees operating chainsaws must have a bevy of protective equipment as well as training, but in Papua New Guinea these are just words. The reality is this: Douglas straining to pull the chainsaw out of the tree as it begins to fall while his fellow employees flee the tumbling giant. The new film Bikpela Bagarap('Big Damage') documents the impact of industrial logging on the lives of local people in Papua New Guinea.
Photos: World Food Program works to save lives in East Africa famine
(08/28/2011) Over 12 million people across East Africa are imperiled by a hunger crisis brought on by extreme drought. The worst of the crisis is in Somalia, where famine has been declared in 5 areas of Somalia to date—the first famine to be declared by the UN in three decades. Somalia is unique, because here the drought has been exacerbated by a long-failed government and militants. Refugee camps have been set up in Kenya and Ethiopia, but are strained. A number of aid groups are working on the ground to provide emergency food and medical attention to hunger victims, but funding is still below what is needed. The largest group is probably the UN's World Food Program (WFP). Mongabay.com spoke to Dena Gubaitis, Communications Officer for the WFP, for background on the famine and how relief efforts are going on the ground.
National parks do not contribute to poverty, finds decade-long study
(08/24/2011) A new study of Uganda's Kibale National Park refutes the conventional wisdom that parks cause poverty along their borders. 'Apparently the park provides a source of insurance; [locals] can hunt, or sell firewood or thatch from the park' explains Jennifer Alix-Garcia, co-author of the study, with the University of Wisconsin, Madison. 'It's misleading. If you look, you see more poor people living near the park. But when you look at the change in assets, you see that the poor people who live next to the park have lost less than poor people who live further away.'
Innovative program saves wildlife, protects forests, and fights poverty in Africa
(08/23/2011) Luangwa Valley in Zambia is home to stunning scenes of Africa wildlife: elephants, antelopes, zebra, buffalo, leopards, hyena, and lions all thrive in Luangwa's protected areas, while the Luangwa River is known for multitude of snapping crocodiles and its superabundant herds of hippos. In fact, the area's hippos were filmed for the BBC's program Life, including a dramatic battle between two males (see below). Yet as in many such places in Africa, abundant plains and forest wildlife bump up against the needs of impoverished local people. The resulting conflict usually ends in large-scale wildlife declines; the same trend was documented in the Luangwa Valley until a unique initiative began to make a difference not only in the life of animals, but of people as well.
Taking corporate sustainability seriously means changing business culture
(08/11/2011) As more and more people demand companies to become sustainable and environmentally conscious, many corporations are at a loss of how to begin making the changes necessary. If they attempt to make changes—but fall short or focus poorly—they risk their actions being labeled as 'greenwash'. In addition, if they implement smart changes and self-regulations, but their employees don't buy-in to the process, all their investments will be for nothing. This is where Accountability Now, a young, fresh social responsibility agency, comes in. Clare Raybould, director of Accountability Now, believes companies—large and small—have the potential to change the world for the better, but they simply need a guiding hand to change not just the way a company works, but its culture.
Famine spreads: 29,000 young children perish
(08/04/2011) As the UN announces that famine has spread in Somalia to three additional regions (making five in total now), the US has put the first number to the amount of children under 5 who have so far perished from starvation in the last 90 days: 29,000. Nearly half of the total population of Somalia is currently in need of emergency food assistance. Yet, the al Qaeda-linked group al-Shabaab, which controls parts of Somalia, has made bringing assistance to many of the malnourished incredibly difficult, if not impossible. The famine in Somalia has been brought-on by lack of governance combined with crippling droughts throughout East Africa, which some experts have linked to climate change. High food prices worldwide and a lagging response by the international community and donors have made matters only worse.
Adaptation, justice and morality in a warming world
(07/28/2011) If last year was the first in which climate change impacts became apparent worldwide—unprecedented drought and fires in Russia, megaflood in Pakistan, record drought in the Amazon, deadly floods in South America, plus record highs all over the place—this may be the year in which the American public sees climate change as no longer distant and abstract, but happening at home. With burning across the southwest, record drought in Texas, majors flooding in the Midwest, heatwaves everywhere, its becoming harder and harder to ignore the obvious. Climate change consultant and blogger, Brian Thomas, says these patterns are pushing 'prominent scientists' to state 'more explicitly that the pattern we're seeing today shows a definite climate change link,' but that it may not yet change the public perception in the US.
Saving (and studying) one of Nigeria's last montane forests
(07/26/2011) Between 2000 and 2010, Nigeria lost nearly a third (31 percent) of its forest cover, while its primary forests suffered even worse: in just five years (2000 to 2005) over half of the nation's primary forests were destroyed, the highest rate in the world during that time. Yet, Nigeria's dwindling forests have never received the same attention as many other country's, such as Indonesia, Brazil, Malaysia, or Peru, even though in many ways Nigeria struggles with even deeper problems than other developing nations. Despite vast oil business, the nation is plagued by poverty and destitution, a prime example of what economists call the 'resource curse'. Environmentally, it has been named one of the worst in the world. Yet, not all forest news out of Nigeria is bleak: the success of the Nigerian Montane Forest Project in one of the country's remaining forests is one such beacon of hope, and one example of how the country could move forward.
Tens of thousands starving to death in East Africa
(07/20/2011) As the US media is focused like a laser on theatric debt talks and the UK media is agog at the heinous Rupert Murdoch scandal, millions of people are undergoing a starvation crisis in East Africa. The UN has upgraded the disaster—driven by high food prices, conflict, and prolonged drought linked by some to climate change—to famine in parts of Somalia today. Mark Bowden, UN humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, has said that tens of thousands Somalis have died from malnutrition recently, "the majority of whom were children."
Oil company hires indigenous people to clean up its Amazon spill with rags and buckets
(07/13/2011) On Sunday morning children swimming in the Mashiria River in the Peruvian Amazon noticed oil floating on the water. A pipeline owned by Maple Energy had ruptured in Block 31-E, polluting the Mashiria River which is used by the Shipibo indigenous community in Nuevo Sucre for fishing and drinking water. In response to the spill, Maple Energy's local operator—Dublin incorporate transnational—hired 32 Shipibo community members to clean up the spills using only rags and buckets.
Viable population of snow leopards still roam Afghanistan (pictures)
(07/13/2011) Decades of war and poverty has not exterminated snow leopards (Panthera uncia) in Afghanistan according to a new paper in the International Journal of Environmental Studies, written by researchers with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). Instead the researchers report a healthy population of the world's most elusive big cat in Afghanistan's remote and peaceful Wakhan Corridor region. Monitored by camera trap in the region, WCS researchers were able to identify 30 snow leopards in 16 different locations.
South Sudan's choice: resource curse or wild wonder?
(07/11/2011) After the people of South Sudan have voted overwhelmingly for independence, the work of building a nation begins. Set to become the world's newest country on July 9th of this year, one of many tasks facing the nation's nascent leaders is the conservation of its stunning wildlife. In 2007, following two decades of brutal civil war, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) surveyed South Sudan. What they found surprised everyone: 1.3 million white-eared kob, tiang (or topi) antelope and Mongalla gazelle still roamed the plains, making up the world's second largest migration after the Serengeti. The civil war had not, as expected, largely diminished the Sudan's great wildernesses, which are also inhabited by buffalo, giraffe, lion, bongo, chimpanzee, and some 8,000 elephants. However, with new nationhood comes tough decisions and new pressures. Multi-national companies seeking to exploit the nation's vast natural resources are expected to arrive in South Sudan, tempting them with promises of development and economic growth, promises that have proven uneven at best across Africa.
Newest country boasts one of the world's greatest wildlife spectacles, but protection needed
(07/10/2011) At midnight local time on Friday, South Sudan became the world's newest nation. As celebrations continue in the new capital of Juba and congratulations come from every corner of the globe, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is urging the newborn nation to protect its ecosystems and rich wildlife in order to build a sustainable and forward-looking economy. Home to the world's second largest land migration, South Sudan boasts an abundance of African megafauna that is becoming increasingly rare throughout much of the continent.
Richard Leakey: 'selfish' critics choose wrong fight in Serengeti road
(07/02/2011) The controversial Serengeti road is going ahead, but with conditions. According to the Tanzanian Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Ezekiel Maige, the road will not be paved and it will be run by the Tanzanian park authority who will have the power to monitor traffic to 'ensure no harm comes to the wildlife population'. Critics argue that even an unpaved road would eventually cripple the largest land migration in the world. However, famed Kenyan conservationist, ex-politician, and anthropologist, Richard Leakey, told mongabay.com that critics of the road are focusing on the wrong fight while failing to respect Tanzania's right to develop. Leakey says that instead of attempting to stop the road from being built, which he believes is inevitable, critics should instead focus on funding a truly wildlife-friendly road.
Worst drought in 60 years brings starvation fears to East Africa
(06/30/2011) A prolonged drought in East Africa is bringing many of the region's impoverished to their knees: the World Food Program (WFP) is warning that 10 million people in the region are facing severe shortages. While not dubbed a famine yet, experts say it could become one. Meanwhile, a recent study by FEWS NET/USGS has revealed that the current drought is the worst in 11 of 15 East African regions since 1950-51. Worsening droughts are one of the predictions for the region as the world grows warmer.
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That's what YouTube user theopeneyes thought, too -- and so he embarked on a mission that took him through the various voiceovers in the 4.3 patch. After finding enough suitable material, he took a trailer that was pretty good and made it pretty amazing. Check out the result after the break.
Brace yourselves for what could be some of most exciting updates to the game recently with patch 4.3. Review the official patch notes, and then dig into what's ahead: new item storage options, cross-realm raiding, cosmetic armor skinning and your chance to battle the mighty Deathwing -- from astride his back!


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Winter!: Prepare for holiday gaming!
Moriken - Tera PvE Guild
Moriken is recruiting players who wish to make friends, complete content as a group, and be the best we can. We are always looking to make new friends and add to our community of excellent players and amazing people. We make things fun or at least attempt to make everything we do fun. In the past we have been the top guild on the server and have completed a great deal of content faster than most guilds. We don't claim to be the best, that is a foolish choice of words, but that doesn't mean we cannot continue to be the best we can and come out on top.
Here are some features of joining our community:
*Ventrilo - great times are to be had on vent and we invite our members to hop and and chat.
*Website - we have an ever evolving website to keep members updated and informed on the games and events we are hosting.
*Coming soon we offer contests with prizes such as Game Time and much more.
*Experienced leadership that can help and lay the way for those in need of support.
*Fair policies for things such as loot & gear.
*Community crafting and development in games to help gear and promote member relations.
Goals for Tera
Tera seems to be a fresh game in a market saturated by WoW-likes. We plan to enjoy the game to its fullest but most of all we do plan to take control of a few things. As a guild we will run for Vanarch. This is still to be discussed much but we plan on winning the control of a zone and the support of our members is key to this victory. We plan to compete the most high end content, gather gear, and distribute the resources among the guild as we can. Once PvP is settled into the game a bit more we will open up possibilities of doing battlegrounds in groups as a regular event.
Again we are a great community open to suggestions by all our members and in turn you as a member help define our guild. Hope to see you in Tera!
Guild Server - Arachnaea
If you have any further questions please contact me and visit our guild website http://moriken.enjin.com.
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Tomahawk Cruise Missile
Modern, Mature, Powerful
Today's Tomahawk Block IV cruise missile can circle for hours, shift course instantly on command and beam a picture of its target to controllers halfway around the world before striking with pinpoint accuracy.
Tomahawk can be launched from a ship or submarine and can fly into heavily defended airspace more than 1,000 miles away to conduct precise strikes on high-value targets with minimal collateral damage. Launching the weapon from such a long distance helps to keep sailors out of harm's way.
USS Arleigh Burke launches Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles to combat ISIL.
The Tomahawk is a highly accurate, GPS enabled precision weapon that has been used over 2,000 times in combat, and flight tested more than 500 times.
During the NATO-led effort against the regime of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, Tomahawk played an instrumental role in the operation. One submarine fired more than 90 missiles at a variety of targets, and the USS Barry fired the 2,000th Tomahawk in combat.
As the battlespace and the needs of the warfighter evolve, Raytheon is doing what it has always done: supporting the warfighter with the world's most advanced cruise missile – Tomahawk.
The latest variant (Tomahawk Block IV) includes a two-way satellite data-link that enables the missile to be retargeted in flight to preprogrammed, alternate targets. In 2013, Raytheon delivered the 3000th Tomahawk Block IV missile to the U.S. Navy. The Block IV design was initiated as both a cost savings and a capability improvement effort.
Raytheon and the U.S. Navy are now enhancing this already sophisticated weapon. Planned upgrades to the Tomahawk Block IV include: upgraded communications, a more powerful warhead, and a new seeker designed to hit moving targets at sea or on land in darkness and all kinds of weather.
Modernizing Tomahawk is quick and affordable way to provide warfighters with the capability they need to stay ahead of the threat.
Learn more about Raytheon's Precision Weapons.
Feature Stories
Tomahawk hits moving target at sea: Plane guides missile to impact in dramatic test
Swim, rocket, fly and hunt: Navy's morphing missile gets new abilities
Photo Gallery
Tomahawk Missile Flight Testing
Tomahawk Maritime Interdiction
Tomahawk Current Capabilities
Media Coverage
See the U.S. Navy launch Tomahawk missile into ship (CNN)
Here's video of the U.S. Navy testing a 'game-changing' new missile (Business Insider)
Extraordinary footage emerges of Tomahawk missile punching a hole completely through a moving shipping container during U.S. Navy training exercise (Daily Mail)
Video: Tomahawk strike missile punches hole through moving maritime target (USNI)
Raytheon working on Tomahawk with seeker (DefenseNews)
Navy test-fires upgraded Tomahawk (FOX News)
Tomahawk missiles the latest U.S. weapon used against Islamic State (The Washington Post)
ROLLER: The Tomahawk game changer (Washington Times)
Britain asks U.S. for Tomahawk Block IV torpedo launched missiles (UPI.com)
Raytheon targeting Tomahawk of the future (DefenseNews)
Tomahawk cancellation an error of defense strategy and alliance policy (The Heritage Foundation)
This Tomahawk is a mighty morphin' cruise missile (Gizmodo)
News Releases
Raytheon to test new multi-mode seeker for Tomahawk cruise missile
U.S. Navy, Raytheon demonstrate moving target capability for Tomahawk Block IV
Raytheon awarded $251 million Tomahawk missile contract
Tomahawk enhancements showcased in back-to-back flight tests
Raytheon tests new guidance system for Tomahawk cruise missile
Raytheon, U.S. Navy test Tomahawk Block IV's latest communications upgrades


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Operatives of State Security Service Friday stormed an uncompleted building in Apo Area of Abuja occupied by suspected members of the Boko Haram sect.
In the resultant battle, 12 members of the sect were arrested while several others were injured.
This is coming on the heels of a fresh Boko Haram attack in Borno State, leading to the death of 22 people in Bulabulin Ngaura Village located on Damboa-Maiduguri Highway in in Konduga Local Government Area. The sect also entered Buni Yadi in Yobe State yesterday, killing three people and setting on fire several public buildings.
On the same day, the Borno State House of Assembly passed a vote of no confidence on the federal government over the Boko Haram crisis.
But last night, one of the people injured in the uncompleted building during the clash in Abuja, Mallam Ibrahim Mohammed from Zamfara State denied being a Boko Haram member. Mohammed who spoke through an interpreter on his hospital bed at the Accident and Emergency Department of Asokoro Hospital, urged government to probe the incident.
"We are not Boko Haram members; that is a great blackmail, it is not true. The owner of the house instructed security men to get rid of us; he used his contact in government to descend on us. We are not Boko Haram members. This matter must not be swept under the carpet. It is unfortunate that we are being treated like this," he said.
But in a statement friday, SSS's Public Relations Officer, Marilyn Ogar said there was no death recorded in the duel but confirmed that so far, 12 people had been arrested.
Ogar said in a release: "In the early hours of today 20th (yesterday) September, 2013, about 0030 hours, a combined security team went for an operation behind the Apo legislative quarters. The operation was sequel to information obtained from two (2) Boko Haram elements Kamal Abdullahi and Mohammed Adamu, who had earlier been arrested for terrorist activities.
"They led the security team to uncompleted buildings where arms were purported to have been buried underground. No sooner had the team commenced digging for the arms, than they came under heavy gunfire attack by other Boko Haram elements within the area, which prompted immediate response from the security team.
"As a result, some persons were injured and twelve (12) others have been arrested in connection with the incident, and are making useful statements."
Reuters quoted a doctor in a hospital morgue, who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak, saying seven people had been killed in the incident. A Reuters reporter saw a police truck dump three bodies then drive off, leaving a trail of blood.
An ambulance deposited another body, with bandages wrapped around the bloodied torso. There was no security presence at the hospital, as might have been expected if there had been Boko Haram suspects among the wounded.
Six witnesses, including two people injured by bullets, told Reuters the building was a house owned by a military man that had been occupied by about 100 squatters who were refusing to leave. Security forces raided it and opened fire on the squatters, they said. Witnesses disputed the SSS account. A 28-year-old shoe hawker in torn clothes, who gave his name only as Mohammed for fear of reprisals and nursed a bloody bandages around both legs, said he was one of the squatters.
He said the owner had come on Wednesday and told them to leave, but they had refused because they were paying a security guard to be allowed to stay there.
On Thursday the security guard had left, then at around midnight, five pick-up trucks arrived carrying armed personnel. "They began firing. It was crazy," Mohammed said. "We were running helter skelter and bullets were flying." Five other witnesses gave similar accounts, but two security sources said they believed the SSS had gone to the building to identify Boko Haram suspects and recover arms.
Boko Haram has been responsible for hundreds of killings this year, although Nigerian forces are also often accused of executing suspects then labeling them Boko Haram.
Sources also told THISDAY that the SSS met stiff resistance from the suspected sect members, around the Apo uncompleted building, "who opened fire sporadically on them" and that seven people died during the clash. But as at press time, the alleged casualty figure could not be confirmed.
The sources claimed the building located at the back of the Apo legislative quarters, belonged to a retired top military officer. Although the name of the military officer was unknown as at the time of filing of this report, the source said the retired officer, who is said to be one of the power brokers from the Northern part of the country, resides in another part of the city.
However, the Nigerian Army has kept mum over the clash insisting that it was an SSS-led joint operation. The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, when queried on the suspected military personnel involved in the act, insisted that the SSS Spokeswoman, had spoken exhaustively on the matter.
Meanwhile, some police patrol teams are on ground in the area. Speaking on the incident, FCT Police Spokesperson, Hyelhira Daniel (Deputy Superintendent of Police) said the police had started full investigation into the case and would make its findings available to members of the public when concluded.
In its reaction, the FCT Administration warned all property owners and developers within the Nation's Capital against harbouring squatters or miscreants in their uncompleted structures.
The fresh Boko Haram attack in Borno State yesterday left 22 people dead in Bulabulin Ngaura village. The latest attack is coming after the decision of the Yobe State Government to move the airlifting of its intending pilgrims from the Maiduguri International Airport to the Aminu Kano International, Kano for fear of being ambushed by the sect on the Maiduguri/Damaturu Highway.
During the Bulabulin Ngaura attack, the Boko Haram members allegedly stormed the town and intercepted a commercial bank bullion van on Thursday evening.
They allegedly killed eight persons, including three police escorts, bank officials and the driver of the vehicle. The gunmen were said to have gone deeply into the town on Friday morning, setting ablaze buildings and killing 14 persons.
A security source told journalists that "Today (Friday) when we were coming from Biu to Maiduguri, we saw 14 corpses on the highway at Bulabulin Ngaura."
During the attack in Tobe State on Wednesday, the sect laid siege on Buni Yadi, setting on fire many public buildings in the town. A soldier and two civilians were also killed.
One of the two civilians killed was said to be the wife of a senior police officer. According to sources, the insurgents armed with Kalashnikovs, rocket launchers and homemade bombs, stormed Yadi Buni at about 10:00 pm.
A resident of Buni Yadi, who spoke anonymously to journalists, said the attackers numbering about 50 stormed the town shooting sporadically and forcing them to flee.
He revealed that the son of the Yobe State Peoples Democratic Party's youth leader, Alhaji Ado Bomboy, was killed in the attack while many shops, houses and two telecommunications masts were set ablaze.
Confirming the attack, Yobe State Police Commissioner Sanusi Ahmed Rufa'i said the attackers killed one soldier, wounded two and burnt the Divisional Police Officer's wife inside her house.
A make-shift police station, fire service, Local Education Authority office and two JTF Hilux vans were also set ablaze by the insurgents. The Borno State House of Assembly said it decided to pass a vote of no confidence on the federal government for its handling of the Boko Haram crisis because "the situation has been deteriorating."
The Assembly lamented that the way and manner the federal government had dealt with the insecurity situation in the state in recent times had made the situation worse rather than improving as the insurgents have continuously attacked helpless villagers and laid waste properties.
The Leader of the Assembly, Hon. Idrissa Jidda while expressing displeasure over the handling of the security situation by the federal government under President Goodluck Jonathan said the house would always stand by the Governor Kashim Shettima "for his doggedness in handling state matters especially the security challenges."


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Product Specs
Due to a formula change and California regulations, the basoli, oreganato, pepperino and pico olio flavored bottles no longer contain the herbs and pepper decoration. Please note that this item cannot be shipped internationally.
Product Description
Want to plan a big, Italian-themed birthday with all the trimmings? These oil and vinegar favors are rare finds that your guests will love!
These gourmet mini bottles come in a variety of oil and vinegar options. (Please see descriptions below). The extra virgin olive oil used is made from Kalamata olives and is imported from Greece. The Aged Balsamic Vinegar is imported from Modena, Italy. Bottled in California, these mini bottles measure 1.38"L x 1.38"W x 5.25"H and hold 2 ounces. Seal colors vary between gold, green, and burgundy.
Make them your own with our custom 2" round provencale labels. Just choose a color and enter your own special message. For more options, please see our additional selection of personalized labels. Or, add a different flavor to your birthday with our personalized BBQ sauce bottle favor.


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Searching The Scriptures
3rd-5th Graders
Wednesday Evening: 6:30-8:00 pm
Building 3, Rm 331
This new program focuses on chronological Bible teaching along with archeology, geography and prophesy to give a more complete picture of biblical history. The main focus is the accuracy of the Bible and its inspiration by God. The main goal is to give children a realization of the Bible's profound effect on history while teaching them the personal impact it can have on their lives.


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A suburban couple's (Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams) little girl is drawn from her bedroom into a nightmarish other dimension.
Have you recovered from Mansion Hunters debut yet? After the amazing properties we saw on Wednesday's episodes, we can't wait to see the over-the-top mansions that this series is sure to have in store for us.
With the Image Locations team working so often for production companies and movie shoots, it got us thinking: what are the best movies about real estate? Check out our Top Ten list and see what we came up with.
REELZ isn't just a great place for movie reviews and celebrity news, we also have a great slate of original programming.
Choose one of our shows below to learn more!


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Size 1 DiapersHelp keep your baby dry with made-to-fit wetness protection. Child Size: 8 to 14 lbs
Real moms love Luvs and they want you to know.
Select your baby's gender and/or your number of kids below to find reviews that are a fit for you. It's that simple. Then be sure to submit your own review to help moms find more information on the Luvs they're looking for.
use Luvs for all three of my children and they are very absorbant and they move with them and also so much cheaper than any other brand.. only thing I would really like to see added to these diapers is the pocket at the back of the diaper to keep messes in, like huggies.. Would be something to consider.
I absolutely love Luvs diapers! These diapers seem to hold even more than the Pampers I was buying! Also the price is so much better than Pampers and Huggies!
I have used Luvs diapers since all 3 of my children and all of my 3 grandchildren that live with me, hsve been born. Not only are they super absorbant, they also fit very will snd sre very reasonably priced.
These diapers were NOT absorbent at all. Every morning my child wakes up soaked with urine. There have also been several times that he went number 2 and it leaked also. I will not be using these diapers any more due to the leakage problems.
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