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Top 10 Greenest Countries in the World
How green is your native land? The 4th edition of the Global Green Economy Index, produced by private U.S.-based consultancy Dual Citizen LLC, has just been released, and you can look it up. The index provides an in-depth look at how 60 countries and 70 cities are doing in developing more environmentally friendly economies, in actual performance and in how experts perceive their performance.
"We first published the Global Green Economy Index in 2010 guided by a belief that the environment, climate change and green, low-carbon growth would rapidly become defining issues for national policy makers and the global reputation of countries," says the report's introduction. "As we went to press, 2,646 events in nearly 162 countries mobilized pressure on over 100 world leaders gathered in New York at the United Nations to take substantive and binding action on climate change. The link between these issues and the reputation of leaders and nation states is more vivid today than ever before."
The 60 countries covered are a dramatic increase from the 27 included in the last report in 2012. It assessed nations on every continent and found that the Scandinavian countries, along with Germany, were clear leaders. Sweden and Norway headed up the list of actual performance, with Costa Rica ranking third, inside the top 15 for the first time, and Germany and Denmark rounding out the top five. Poland, Senegal, Qatar, Vietnam and Mongolia bring up the rear in slots 56-60, with China just above them at 55. The U.S. came in close to the middle, ranked at 28.
Perception was very different. The study found that some countries got less credit than their green economies merited, while other countries got too much credit for making environmentally friendly moves. Austria, Iceland, Ireland, Portugal and Spain were among the European countries that the index found needed "improved green country branding," along with the African nations of Ethiopia, Mauritius, Rwanda and Zambia, the latter four all covered in the index for the first time.
Other countries, some of the world's most developed nations, including the U.S., Japan, the Netherlands and Australia, get more credit than their lagging performance deserves. The U.S. came in sixth in perception, while Japan, ranked 44th in performance, came in seventh in perception.
On the liability side, the index revealed that some of the world's fastest growing economies aren't growing green economies. In addition to China, rapidly growing countries like Ghana, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam are also doing poorly.
Four of the ten greenest cities were, unsurprisingly, in Scandinavia, with Copenhagen in first place, Stockholm in third, Helsinki ninth and Oslo tenth. The top ten was rounded out by Amsterdam (2), Vancouver (4), London (5), Berlin (6), New York (7) and Singapore (8).
EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
Ocean Warming Threatens Coral Reefs and Soon Could Make It Harder to Restore Them
By Shawna Foo
Anyone who's tending a garden right now knows what extreme heat can do to plants. Heat is also a concern for an important form of underwater gardening: growing corals and "outplanting," or transplanting them to restore damaged reefs.
Coral Gardening
Coral reefs support over 25% of marine life by providing food, shelter and a place for fish and other organisms to reproduce and raise young. Today, ocean warming driven by climate change is stressing reefs worldwide.

Rising ocean temperatures cause bleaching events – episodes in which corals expel the algae that live inside them and provide the corals with most of their food, as well as their vibrant colors. When corals lose their algae, they become less resistant to stressors such as disease and eventually may die.

Hundreds of organizations worldwide are working to restore damaged coral reefs by growing thousands of small coral fragments in nurseries, which may be onshore in laboratories or in the ocean near degraded reefs. Then scuba divers physically plant them at restoration sites.

Sea surface temperatures on Aug. 3, 2020, measured from satellites. Warning = possible bleaching; Alert Level 1 = significant bleaching likely; Alert Level 2 = severe bleaching and significant mortality likely. NOAA Coral Reef Watch
Warmer Oceans
Climate scientists project that the oceans will warm up to 3˚C by the year 2100. Scientists are working to create coral outplants that can better survive increases in temperature, which could help to increase restoration success in the future.

When coral restoration experts choose where to outplant, they typically consider what's on the seafloor, algae that could smother coral, predators that eat coral and the presence of fish. Our study shows that using temperature data and other information collected remotely from airplanes and satellites could help to optimize this process. Remote sensing, which scientists have used to study coral reefs for almost 40 years, can provide information on much larger scales than water surveys.

Coral reefs face an uncertain future and may not recover naturally from human-caused climate change. Conserving them will require reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting key habitats and actively restoring reefs. I hope that our research on temperature will help increase coral outplant survival and restoration success.

Shawna Foo is a Postdoctoral Research Scholar at the Arizona State University.

Disclosure statement: Shawna Foo receives funding from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Reposted with permission from The Conversation.

Earth Is Warning Us We Must Change. Will We Listen?
By David Korten
Our present course puts humans on track to be among the species that expire in Earth's ongoing sixth mass extinction. In my conversations with thoughtful people, I am finding increasing acceptance of this horrific premise.
Indigenous Peoples Hold the Past and Future of Food in Their Hands
By Alejandro Argumedo
August 9 is the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples – a celebration of the uniqueness of the traditions of Quechua, Huli, Zapotec, and thousands of other cultures, but also of the universality of potatoes, bananas, beans, and the rest of the foods that nourish the world. These crops did not arise out of thin air. They were domesticated over thousands of years, and continue to be nurtured, by Indigenous people. On this day we give thanks to these cultures for the diversity of our food.
- 28 Organizations Promoting Indigenous Food Sovereignty - EcoWatch ›
- 10 Indigenous Foods You Should Be Eating - EcoWatch ›
By John R. Platt
Here at The Revelator, we love a good shark story.
The problem is, there aren't all that many good shark stories. According to recent research, sharks and their relatives represent one of the world's most imperiled groups of species. Of the more than 1,250 known species of sharks, skates, rays and chimeras — collectively known as chondrichthyan fishes — at least a quarter are threatened with extinction.
Speaking of Shark Week:
Film Fakery: Does Shark Week Harm Conservation Efforts?

Big Questions:
Are We Ready for Shark Conservation to Succeed?

Sharks and Fisheries:
How to Protect Sharks From Overfishing

Florida Anglers Are Targeting Endangered Sharks

Fishing for Fun? It Has a Bigger Environmental Impact Than We Thought

Fins from Protected Shark Species Still Heavily Traded

'Essential' But Unprotected: How the United States Fails Its Most Important Fish Habitats

Sharks and the Extinction Crisis:
Found But Lost: Newly Discovered Shark May Be Extinct

A Chance to Save the 'Rhinos of the Sea'

What Losing 1 Million Species Means for the Planet — and Humanity

The Extinction Crisis is Here. How do We Keep from Feeling Overwhelmed?

Broader Ocean and Conservation Issues:
The Top 10 Ocean Biodiversity Hotspots to Protect

How Do You Protect a Species You Can't See?

Here's Our Best Opportunity to Save the Oceans — and Ourselves

Coral in Crisis: Can Replanting Efforts Halt Reefs' Death Spiral?

What Are the Biggest Challenges for Saving the Oceans?

Empowering Communities to Save the Ocean

Something Fishy: Toxic Plastic Pollution Is Traveling Up the Food Chain

Trump's Offshore Oil Plan: Like Nothing the Country Has Ever Seen

John R. Platt is the editor of The Revelator. An award-winning environmental journalist, his work has appeared in Scientific American, Audubon, Motherboard, and numerous other magazines and publications. His "Extinction Countdown" column has run continuously since 2004 and has covered news and science related to more than 1,000 endangered species. He is a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists and the National Association of Science Writers. John lives on the outskirts of Portland, Ore., where he finds himself surrounded by animals and cartoonists.

Reposted with permission from The Revelator.

How a Small North Carolina Community Is Pushing Back on Pollution
By Isabella Garcia
On Thanksgiving Day 2019, right after Caroline Laur had finished giving thanks for her home, a neighbor at church told her that a company had submitted permit requests to build an asphalt plant in their community. The plans indicated the plant would be 250 feet from Laur's backdoor.
Grassroots Resistance
The plant that would threaten Laur's health and home was awaiting the approval of an air permit by the North Carolina Department of Air Quality which, if approved, would basically greenlight the project. "This made me get out and go door to door," Laur says. One by one, she alerted her neighbors to the prospect of the asphalt plant. "I got to meet some of my neighbors I never knew before," she says. "There's no secret that there has always been a pretty strong line between the White community and the Black community here." In the end, three neighbors joined her efforts—the Rev. Bryon Shoffner, Anita Foust, and Bill Compton. Together, they formed the Anderson Community Group to advocate for environmental justice in their community.

"We are all the four corners of the community," Laur says with a laugh. "You've got a sick old White lady, Rev. Shoffner is a disabled vet, you've got Anita, who is a Black woman, and you've got a White, old country farmer. We all come from different faiths, but we've all come together as one."

Suddenly thrust into activism, the group contacted the North Carolina Environmental Justice Network, a coalition that provides resources and connections with other groups. "We advocate, we organize, and we assist communities with whatever actions they are thinking of trying to protect themselves," says Naeema Muhammad, the network's co-director. Muhammad met with the activists from Anderson and recognized their need for legal advice, so she connected them with the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. The legal resources were key when the group determined that the data from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality's environmental justice report wasn't adding up.

The report—a requirement for all DEQ permit requests—stated that the Anderson community was 33% minority. That seemed far too low to the residents, so the Anderson Community Group did a census of each house within a 1-mile radius of the proposed plant—the same radius considered in the DEQ's environmental justice report.

"Rev. Shoffner went out into the community and did his own survey and found out that it was more than 70% minority," Laur says. "That was huge, because that changed the situation to a Title VI matter." Title VI is a federal civil rights law that prevents people from being discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin. Title VI cases require a more rigorous and comprehensive environmental justice report, so recognizing the Anderson community as a Title VI matter increases the strength of their request for a more in-depth report.

The massive difference in race demographics comes down to census data, Laur says. The DEQ was using race data from the 2010 census, which was only completed by about 64% of the population of Caswell County—the county where Anderson is located. Laur says the Anderson population response rate could be even lower because the community is considered "hard-to-count" by the U.S. Census Bureau.

"The people who don't fill it out are rural people who want to keep their land and don't want zoning and minorities," Laur says, which creates skewed race demographics. The Anderson Community Group said that when they brought up this issue with the director of North Carolina DEQ, he said he was aware of the problem.

"So that tells me that all the EJ reports in North Carolina that have been done may not even be valid, just like ours," Laur says. "We were told that we are the first [community members] who have ever doubted it and checked it out."

Elevating Voices
Determined to have new data collected, the Anderson Community Group rallied in early 2020. After learning from the state Department of Air Quality, the department responsible for approving or rejecting the asphalt air permit, that 100 statements of concern from community members would be sufficient to trigger a public hearing, the Anderson group gathered letters of concern from their community. They submitted more than 108.

"Then we were told there wasn't enough concern to have a public hearing," Laur says. "So, we started inundating the [Department of Air Quality director with emails and phone calls from the community."

Finally, in February 2020, the DEQ declared a public comment period for the issue, effectively placing the air permit for the asphalt plant on hold until a public hearing August 3. The public hearing will be held online because of COVID-19, but Laur says most people in Anderson don't own computers, and won't be able to attend. When the community group filed a complaint regarding accessibility, the DEQ then allowed public comments to be submitted via voicemail.

"Well, we don't have a cell tower out here," Laur says. She has personally never been able to use her cellphone in her home, and even her landline phone drops calls frequently. Even being able to afford a landline is a luxury in Anderson, Laur says.

By Danielle Nierenberg and Jason Flatt
The world's Indigenous Peoples face severe and disproportionate rates of food insecurity. While Indigenous Peoples comprise 5 percent of the world's population, they account for 15 percent of the world's poor, according to the World Health Organization.
1. Aboriginal Carbon Foundation (Oceania)
The Aboriginal Carbon Foundation is building a carbon farming industry in Australia by Aboriginals, for Aboriginals. The Foundation offers training and support for new Indigenous farmers so they can learn how to capture atmospheric carbon in the soil. The carbon farming projects generate certified Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCU), which major carbon-producing businesses must purchase to offset their carbon emissions. Income generated by ACCUs is reinvested in Aboriginal communities by the Aboriginal Carbon Foundation and its participating farmers.

2. AgroEcology Fund (International)
The AgroEcology Fund (AEF) galvanizes global leaders and experts to fund biodiverse and regenerative agriculture projects worldwide. Projects funded by AEF have included Indigenous food sovereignty initiatives, agroecology training institutions, and women's market access networks on every continent. With the support of governments and financial institutions, AEF hopes that agroecology will become the standard model for food production worldwide within thirty years.

3. Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (Asia)
The Asia Indigenous People Pact is an alliance of Indigenous organizations across southern and eastern Asia. Collectively, the Pact promotes and protects Indigenous lands, food systems, and biodiversity. Their alliance is bolstered by regional youth and women's networks, as well as support from international institutions, including the United Nations and Oxfam.

4. Association of Guardians of the Native Potato from Central Peru (South America)
The Association of Guardians of the Native Potato from Central Peru (AGUAPAN) is a collective of Indigenous farmers. Each farmer grows between 50 and 300 ancestral varieties of potato, which are indigenous to the Andes Mountains of modern-day Peru. AGUAPAN farmers preserve the crop's biodiversity in their native communities and band together to advocate for economic, gender, education, and healthcare equity.

5. Cheyenne River Youth Project (North America)
The Cheyenne River Youth Project in Eagle Butte, South Dakota has served Lakota youth for more than three decades. Its Native Food Sovereignty initiative offers public workshops on Three Sisters gardening of corn, beans, and squash. They also offer classes on Indigenous plants, gardening, and cooking. Their Winyan Tokay Win (Leading Lady) Garden serves as an outdoor classroom to reacquaint Lakota children with the earth. Their other programs use food grown in the garden for meals and snacks. They also sell surplus crops at their weekly Leading Lady Farmer's Market.

6. Dream of Wild Health (North America)
Dream of Wild Health runs a 10-acre farm just outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their Indigenous Food Share CSA program and farmer's market booths sell produce and value-added products grown by Native Americans. During the summer, Dream of Wild Health offers a Garden Warriors program where children can learn about seed saving, foraging, farmers market management, and other aspects of food sovereignty. They also host the Indigenous Food Network (IFN), a collective of Indigenous partners who advocate for local and regional policy changes. The IFN also hosts community food tasting events featuring prominent Indigenous chefs.

7. First Peoples Worldwide (International)
First Peoples Worldwide was founded by Cherokee social entrepreneur Rebecca Adamson to help businesses to align with First Peoples' rights. Now a part of the University of Colorado's Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility, First Peoples Worldwide continues to ensure that Indigenous voices are at the forefront of decision-making processes affecting their own self-determination. The organization works with businesses and institutions to assess their investments and guide them in incorporating Indigenous Peoples' rights and interests into their business decisions.

8. Indigikitchen (North America)
Mariah Gladstone's Indigikitchen uses Native foods as resistance. Her cooking videos offer healthy, creative ways to eat pre-contact, Indigenous foods. The recipes abstain from highly-processed grains, dairy, and sugar, ingredients that did not become standard in diets of the Americas until European colonization. Indigikitchen hopes that its recipes inspire Indigenous cooks to connect with Native foods.

9. Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative (North America)
The Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative at the University of Arkansas provides model policies for Tribal governments to help promote and protect food sovereignty. They also co-organize the Native Farm Bill Coalition with the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, the Intertribal Agriculture Council, and the National Congress of American Indians. The Initiative hosts annual Native Youth in Food and Agriculture Leadership Summits, where American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian youth can learn about agricultural business, land stewardship, agricultural law, and more.

10. Indigenous Food Systems Network (North America)
The Indigenous Food Systems Network (IFSN) is a convener of Indigenous food producers, researchers, and policymakers across the 98 Indigenous nations of Canada. IFSN supports research, policy reform, and direct action that builds food sovereignty in Indigenous communities. The organization's Indigenous Food Sovereignty email listserv offers its subscribers everything from stories and legends to recipes and policy reform tools.

11. Indigenous Partnership for Agrobiodiversity and Food Sovereignty (International)
Indigenous Partnership for Agrobiodiversity and Food Sovereignty is an international organization based in Rome, Italy connecting the world's Indigenous People to agricultural research and advocacy groups. With Indigenous communities from China to India and Thailand to Latin America, Indigenous Partnerships forges dialogues within Indigenous communities to ensure free, prior, and informed consent between research and advocacy partners. Indigenous Partnerships also seeks to incorporate global and local Indigenous knowledge into non-Indigenous knowledge systems.

12. Indigenous Terra Madre (International)
Indigenous Terra Madre is a global network of Indigenous Peoples sponsored by Slow Food, an international institution based in Rome, Italy. The network amplifies Indigenous voices and protects the biodiversity of the crops Indigenous communities cultivate. By providing a platform for Indigenous communities to pool power and resources, Indigenous Terra Madre fights to defend the land, culture, and opportunity of all Indigenous Peoples.

13. Intertribal Agriculture Council (North America)
The American Indian Food Program by the Intertribal Agriculture Council (IAC) helps Native American and Alaskan Native agribusinesses and food entrepreneurs expand their market reach. The Made/Produced by American Indians Trademark promoted by the IAC identifies certified American Indian products and is used by over 500 businesses. IAC's other major American Indian Food Program, Native Food Connection, helps market Native American foods and food producers across the United States. IAC also offers technical and natural resource assistance to connect Native businesses with U.S. Department of Agriculture programs and conservation stewardship resources.

14. Inuit Circumpolar Council-Alaska (North America)
Through its Alaskan Inuit Food Sovereignty Initiative, the Inuit Circumpolar Council-Alaska is convening Inuit community leaders from across Alaska. The Initiative seeks to unify Inuit throughout the state to advocate for land and wildlife management sovereignty. The Initiative also strives for international cooperation to promote food sovereignty across Inuit Nunaat.

15. Mantasa (Asia)
Mantasa is a research institution in Indonesia dedicated to expanding the number of indigenous plants consumed by the Javanese people. According to Mantasa, only 20 plant species comprise 90 percent of Javanese food needs. Their research is incorporating new wild foods from Indonesia's vast biodiversity into Javanese diets to improve food security and nutrition. Mantasa also helps promote these foods to consumers and local farmers to increase their popularity.

16. Muonde Trust (Africa)
In Mazvhiwa, Zimbabwe, the Muonde Trust invests in Indigenous innovations in food, land, and water management. The Trust seeks out individuals with new ideas and provides peer-to-peer support to help bring those ideas to life. Muonde Trust currently supports innovations in indigenous seed saving and sharing, livestock and woodland management, irrigation systems, and constructing kitchen spaces.

17. Native American Agriculture Fund (North America)
The Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) is the largest philanthropic supporter of Native American agriculture. The Fund offers grants to Tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions to support healthy lands, healthy people, and healthy economies. In 2020, NAAF is offering US$1 million in grant funds specifically for youth initiatives and young farmers and ranchers. NAAF is also centralizing COVID-19 relief information for Native farmers, ranchers, fishers, and Tribal governments.

18. Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance (North America)
The Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance (NAFSA) places Indigenous farmers, wild-crafters, fishers, hunters, ranchers, and eaters at the center of the fight to restore Indigenous food systems and self-determination. NAFSA's primary initiatives are the Indigenous Seedkeepers Network, the Food and Culinary Mentorship Program, and their Native Food Sovereignty Events. Each of these initiatives centers around the reclamation of Indigenous seeds and foods.

19. Native Seed/SEARCH (North America)
Native Seed/SEARCH preserves and proliferates indigenous seeds through their Native Access programs. Their Native American Seed Request program offers free seed packets to Native Americans living in or originating from the Greater Southwestern Region. The Bulk Seed Exchange allows growers to pay it forward by returning 1.5 times the seeds they receive to be put towards future Native American Seed Request packs. While Native Seed/SEARCH sells an assortment of popular seeds to the general public, its collection of indigenous seeds are only available to Native farmers and families. They hope these seeds will revitalize traditional foods and build food sovereignty.

20. Navajo Ethno-Agriculture (North America)
Navajo Ethno-Agriculture is sustaining Navajo culture through lessons on traditional farming. The seasonal courses focus on land, water, and food as students cultivate, harvest, and prepare heritage crops. During COVID-19, Navajo Ethno-Agriculture suspended its courses and is focusing on supplying neighboring farms with heritage seeds and farm equipment. They are also offering food processing and packaging services to protect and rejuvenate soil.

21. North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (North America)
Founded by the chefs of The Sioux Chef, North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NāTIFS) is reimagining the North American food system as a generator of wealth and good health for Native communities. The organization seeks to reverse the effects of forced assimilation and colonization through food entrepreneurship and a reclamation of ancestral education. NāTIFS is establishing an Indigenous Food Lab in Minneapolis, Minnesota as a training center and restaurant for Native chefs and food. NāTIFS plans to eventually spread this model across North America.

22. Oyate Teca Project (North America)

In response to dire food access on the Pine Ridge Reservation in North Dakota, the Oyate Teca Project offers year-long classes in gardening, food entrepreneurship, and traditional food preservation techniques. Oyate Teca helps make local foods available to the community by selling produce grown in their half-acre garden at farmer's markets. The project also serves as an emergency food provider for families and children.

23. Tebtebba (Asia)
Tebtebba is an international organization based in the Philippines committed to sharing global Indigenous wisdom. Its Indigenous Peoples and Biodiversity project strengthens Indigenous organizations' research, policy advocacy, and education on biodiversity. The project also works directly with Indigenous communities to strengthen their governance structures, protect their land, and improve their food security.

24. Sierra Seeds (North America)

Rowan White and her organization, Sierra Seeds, are dedicated to the next generation of farmers, gardeners, and food justice activists. Her flagship program, Seed Seva, offers a multi-layered education on seed stewardship and Indigenous permaculture. The program is offered online, allowing anybody to access White's wisdom. Additionally, Sierra Seeds offers a Seeding Change leadership incubator, where emerging food justice leaders meet virtually to support one another while developing individual projects.

25. Storying Kaitiakitanga (Oceania)
Storying Kaitiakitanga – A Kaupapa Māori Land and Water Food Story is a project of Dr. Jessica Hutchings and other Māori researchers and storytellers. The project was developed as part of the Our Land and Water National Science Challenge to collect the stories of Māori food producers across the food system. Storying Kaitiakitanga is exploring how traditional Māori principles and practices can inspire more sustainable food systems for the next generation. Stories include beekeepers, yogurt producers, and business development service providers.

26. Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation (North America)
The Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation (CDC) is a grassroots Lakota organization building food sovereignty on the Pine Ridge Reservation in North Dakota. Their reservation-wide Food Sovereignty Coalition is dedicated to reconstructing a healthy local food system. They have greatly increased food production on the reservation and train residents and students on Oglala food histories, current local foods, gardening, and food preservation.

27. Wangi Tangni (Central America)
In Nicaragua's Caribbean Coast, the women of Indigenous Miskita communities receive native plants from Wangi Tangni to grow for food, medicine, and reforestation. The organization provides communal and legal support for women, many of whom do not speak Spanish. The organization's overall mission is to promote political participation and gender equality through sustainable development projects such as indigenous plant rematriation.

28. Zuni Youth Enrichment Project (North America)
The public schools of the Zuni Pueblo in New Mexico and Arizona partner with the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project to build gardening spaces and provide nutrition education. The partnership is intended to reintroduce traditional knowledge and practices into students' educations about food. The Project hopes that the community gardens will also inspire more Zuni to grow their own food and reduce rates of obesity and diabetes in their communities.

- Indigikitchen Is Bringing Native Food Sovereignty Online - EcoWatch ›
- 8 Gardening Tips From Indigenous Food Growers - EcoWatch ›
- Indigenous Peoples Hold the Past and Future of Food in Their Hands - EcoWatch ›
Can Cities Go Zero-Waste? One Japanese Town Tried
By Olivia Sullivan
One of the many unfortunate outcomes of the coronavirus pandemic has been the quick and obvious increase in single-use plastic products. After COVID-19 arrived in the United States, many grocery stores prohibited customers from using reusable bags, coffee shops banned reusable mugs, and takeout food with plastic forks and knives became the new normal.
Kamikatsu, Japan. Yuki Shimazu / CC BY-SA 2.0
This reveals a worldwide truth: Even products made mostly from easily recyclable materials like paper, aluminum or cardboard can't be sorted and recycled if they contain plastic components that can't be separated.

The truth is, some materials simply aren't recyclable, and only 9% of all the plastic ever created has been recycled. As Kamikatsu's residents have painstakingly proven, no matter how many categories consumers sort their waste into or how diligently they scrub down their plastic food containers, most plastics cannot be recycled.

Meanwhile we keep hearing the industry-driven narrative that recycling can stop plastic from choking our marine life or littering our natural places. That's intentionally misleading.

Around the world, as in Kamikatsu, plastic is everywhere. With excessive amounts of plastic products and packaging stocked on store shelves, it's clear that zero-waste goals cannot be achieved by consumers alone. Plastic is not a "zero waste" material, so in order to achieve zero waste, companies must stop making so much plastic.

Marine debris collected at Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. NOAA
We can achieve that. The first steps include banning some of the worst and most polluting single-use plastics, placing a pause on the development of new plastics facilities, and protecting state and local governments' ability to enact more stringent regulations.

We must also shift the paradigm by holding producers responsible for the waste they create. By requiring new plastic products to contain recycled plastic and making producers fund the collection and recycling of plastic products, producers would be incentivized to design longer lasting products that can actually be reused and recycled.

These goals — outlined in numerous scientific studies and advocacy reports — have some forward motion. In the United States, a federal bill was recently introduced in both the House and the Senate, the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act. If passed this bill — or others like it on the local, state or national levels — could help move the world beyond single-use plastics and make that needed systemic change a reality.

The bill hasn't moved forward since it was introduced this past February, but the world is still on a deadline. A recent study published in the journal Science looked at rising levels of plastic production and said "coordinated global action is urgently needed to reduce plastic consumption, increase rates of reuse, waste collection and recycling, expand safe disposal systems and accelerate innovation in the plastic value chain."

Requiring producers to stop making nonrecyclable products designed to be thrown out is the first step toward achieving that goal. Only then will Kamikatsu and other towns, cities and countries around the world finally be able to eliminate plastic pollution and reach 100% zero waste.

The opinions expressed above are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of The Revelator, the Center for Biological Diversity or their employees.

Olivia Sullivan is a zero waste associate with the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG) working on a campaign to move the United States beyond plastic.

Reposted with permission from The Revelator.


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It's no secret that I am a passionate advocate for using video in the classroom. When used well, videos can help students make connections to people and ideas beyond their usual frame of reference. That's why I've been really excited to see a wave of new (and mostly free or low-cost!) tech tools recently that enable teachers to take favorite clips and make them more valuable for educational use. Whether you use videos to flip your classroom or you just appreciate the power of video to engage kids, maybe one of the tools in my playlist below will help you go deeper in 2014.
Try them out and let me know how you like them.

subset: commoncrawl


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We've all heard stories about the nightmare of working for a toxic boss. Some of us have even had the unique displeasure of doing so ourselves.
Red flags to such behavior often appear as early as the interview process. We've compiled 10 warning signs of a toxic boss. Watch for them in the interview and you might be able to avoid a negative work environment — or at least know what you're in for:
• Disrespectful Behavior: "Don't overlook unprofessional behavior, such as emails that aren't returned or disregard for stop and start times for the interview without apology," says Anna Maravelas, president of TheraRising.com and author of How to Reduce Workplace Conflict and Stress. "These mini-moments are microcosms of your potential supervisor's style."
• Visual Cues: "If your boss scans you from head to waist versus waist to head as they extend their hand in greeting you, they are intuitively sending a message that you are smaller than they are," explains Zannah Hackett, author of The Ancient Wisdom of Matchmaking. Though subtle, it's the nonverbal equivalent of a belittling comment. "This is not a good sign that your talents are going to flourish in this environment."
• Defensive Body Language: "An insecure boss will find you threatening if you are good at your job and will use the power of the position to make your life miserable," says Pamela Lenehan, president of Ridge Hill Consulting and author of What You Don't Know and Your Boss Won't Tell You. Watch for constant shifting, avoiding eye contact or rifling through papers as you talk, she notes.
• Bad Attitude: If your interviewer exhibits a general lack of enthusiasm or interest in the company, watch out, warns Donna Flagg, a principal with human resources and management consulting firm The Krysalis Group. It could be a bad day, or it could be a bad boss. "Ask for company turnover [data] and turnover [data] for that individual manager," she suggests.
• Excessive Nervousness: Don't ignore extreme behavior, cautions one worker. "My boss used to eat sugar packets and raisins, and she downed them with large cups of black espresso," she recalls. "And she spoke in triplets: 'hi, hi, hi,' 'good, good, good,' 'when, when, when.' Her stress level telegraphed to everyone in the department."
• Distrust of Others: A toxic boss "openly displays a lack of trust in people, especially for those on the team in which he or she is supposed to lead," notes Gregg Stocker, author of Avoiding the Corporate Death Spiral: Recognizing & Eliminating the Signs of Decline. Ask what the company's problems are and what their causes might be. "If the answers to these questions consist of blaming others in the organization, especially those on his or her team, the person lacks trust in others."
• Fear Used as a Motivator: Ask the prospective boss about others on the team with whom you will be working — specifically, how well they work together, stay focused and meet objectives, Stocker advises. Be wary if the response identifies a lack of respect for people. When managers disrespect and distrust others' motivations, they resort to extrinsic means with which to motivate, such as threats, public humiliation and comments about layoffs.
• Word Choice: "Your ears are your best hunch barometer," Hackett says. "Our choice of words sets up a dynamic that can raise or lower the energy in a room. If they begin every sentence with a negative message and then try to diffuse it somewhat, it is likely that negativity prevails in their life and carries over into work."
• Extreme Friendliness: "It may sound odd, but what should have tipped me off was how nice she was," one administrative assistant says of her toxic boss. "I compare it to children being lured into dangerous situations with candy. How many kids don't want candy? And how many adults don't want to work for a boss who is nice? It was a trap I could've easily avoided had I caught on earlier."
• Self-Absorption: "If his ideas seem to be more important than finding out about your ideas, or if you provide an answer and the interviewer tells you you're wrong or interrupts with his own answer to the question, it may be an indication that he will be difficult to work with," notes one technical support staffer.
Ten Warning Signs of a Toxic Boss!
We've all heard stories about the nightmare of working for a toxic boss. Some of us have even had the unique displeasure of doing so ourselves.


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For more than 70 years, thousands of brides have traveled to Kleinfeld Bridal in New York City to find their wedding day looks. From the moment you walk through the doors, you'll feel the magic of Kleinfeld. Not only does Kleinfeld have 30,000 square feet filled with the largest selection of wedding dresses in the world, it also has the greatest professional staff of over 200 employees who are dedicated to finding and perfecting your bridal look.
Tony WardStyle #SUNSET
Sleeveless V-neckline A-line Wedding Dress With Lace And GlitterAdd to favorites
Price: $4,850.00
Sleeveless deep v-neckline a line wedding dress with romantic lace details, glitter underlay and bohemian feel.
Please call or email to confirm availability for your appointment.Book an Appointment
About the Designer
Tony Ward
Bridal Designer
Tony Ward is a Lebanese-Italian fashion designer who graduated from L'Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. He deepened his knowledge of Couture techniques at Dior, Chloé, and Lanvin for over seven years in Paris before creating his own label. Tony Ward transformed his family's couture house, established by his father in 1952, […]Read the Full Bio
Size & Availability
Tony Ward dresses can we ordered from the designer in size 2-14. There is an additional charge for size 16-24.
The A-line dress silhouette is narrow at the top and extends among the body into the shape of an 'A.' The gradual flare can be used to disguise hips, buttocks and legs if you're not looking to show those off on your wedding day. This silhouette is universally flattering and works for any body type or height.
Kleinfeld sample dresses are typically available in-store in bridal sample size 10/12; Some designers require an extra fee for dresses ordered in size 18 and up.
Designer Events
Tony Ward Trunk Show - September 15 - September 20 Check Availability
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Tony WardStyle #SPARKLE
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Love Story
Sleeveless deep v-neckline a line wedding dress with romantic lace details, glitter underlay and bohemian feel.Jessie & Rudi


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Thursday, May 22, 2008
POLL: Younger Actor Daytime Emmy Awards
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Inturn'ers Battle It Out for Top Spot
POLL: How Can GL Get Out of Its Ratings Slump?
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
SPOILERS: ATWT, B&B, Days, GL, Passions and Y&R
This Week:
• Lucinda has harsh words for Lily.
• Katie lays down the law for Brad about Janet.
• Col. Mayer shocks Ameera with his arrival.
• Emily and Casey are caught in an uncomfortable situation.
• Paul tries to set boundaries with Sofie.
This Week:
• The tables turn on Phoebe when she plans a surprise for Taylor.
• Donna reminisces about her past, and the stranger that's come to visit.
• Eric makes a dangerous deal with his family.
• Nick assists Katie in conquering her fear.
• A mother/child reunion ends abruptly.
This Week:
• Sami goes to Marlena for advice about Lucas.
• Tony surprises Anna by proposing to her.
• Kayla and Steve name their baby.
• Lucas is put under house arrest - at the DiMera mansion.
• Nicole is drawn to EJ, but he tells her he's with Sami.
Thursday — Chloe goes to Philip to figure out where they stand with each other.
Friday — Chelsea tells Daniel that she wants more than just his friendship.
Next Week:
• When Chloe tells Philip she's leaving, he pulls her into an intense kiss.
• Stephanie hears about possible gunfire at the docks.
• Nicole and Ava meet and strike up a conversation.
• Anna asks Kate if she and Roman are getting back together.
• Kayla is discharged from the hospital.
Thursday — Max rushes out of Chez Rouge when he sees Nick with Dean Robbins.
Friday — Abe interrogates John.
This Week:
• Cassie rails at Josh for his betrayal.
• Reva shocks Jeffrey with a proposal.
• Ava backs Bill into a corner.
• Daisy continues down a dangerous path.
• Rick tries to bond with baby Peyton.
Next Week:
Monday, May 26
• "Gertrude" gets an unexpected kiss.
• Luis worries about Sheridan after she is rushed to the hospital.
• Sam learns that Julian's gun did not actually kill Alistair.
Tuesday, May 27
• Ethan and Gertrude have a heart-to-heart conversation.
• Pilar lashes out at Juanita.
• Eve learns that Vincent was the one who pushed Sheridan.
Wednesday, May 28
• Ethan and Gwen plan to renew their wedding vows.
• Juanita gets closer to Harmony.
• Sam discovers Ivy's body.
This Week:
• The Newmans experience sadness and grief on the third anniversary of Cassie's death.
• Danny returns to Genoa City and makes Daniel an offer that could change his life and upset his relationship with Amber.
• After a passionate "mistake" with Alistair, Gloria makes plans to reclaim her diamonds, but is Jeff a step ahead of her?
• Concerned about Nikki, Paul investigates David's past – and his past marriages.
• Adam's mistake leads to a potentially disastrous lawsuit. Will he incur Victor's wrath?


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Sigma Labs, Inc. Announces Development of Technology to Support Low Cost 3D Metal Printer
SIGMA LABS NEWS RELEASE Sigma Labs develops new 3D Metal Printer Technology Available to Broader User Market of High-Quality Metal Parts
SANTA FE, N.M., Dec. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Sigma Labs, Inc. (OTCBB: SGLB), a developer of advanced, real-time, non-destructive quality inspection systems for 3D metal printing and other advanced manufacturing technologies, today announced the development of technology to support a low-cost, 3D metal printer based on arc welding technology. As part of this initiative, key strategic alliances have been established, including with respect to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), entered into as of December 20, 2013, by Sigma Labs and Michigan Technological University (Michigan Tech). The MOU with Michigan Tech sets forth the parties' intent to collaborate technically in the development of technology for a low-cost, 3D metal printer for near-net shape parts that require only 3- or 5-axis machining to take the parts to final form.
Mark Cola, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sigma Labs, stated that "Michigan Tech has recently developed an open source 3D printer based on gas metal arc welding technology. Sigma Labs has a unique knowledge base in advanced sensing and process control for gas metal arc welding. The enabling technology for the contemplated new product would be based on our proprietary and patent-protected PrintRite3D® quality control and sensing technologies. Along with strategic partners, we intend to develop, test, and launch a customized, low-cost 3D printing solution for metals like titanium, steel, aluminum, and nickel-based alloys. Our low-cost printing technology is directly focused at servicing the currently untapped market of tens of thousands of users presently dissuaded by the high-cost, barriers to entry of 3D laser powder-bed solutions. Lastly, we have identified manufacturing sources capable of producing our low-cost 3D printing technology."
Pursuant to the MOU, neither Sigma Labs nor Michigan Tech is obligated to take any action until a mutually acceptable agreement has been executed by the parties. There can be no assurance, however, that the parties will enter into such a definitive agreement.
About Sigma Labs, Inc.
Sigma Labs, Inc., through its wholly-owned subsidiary B6 Sigma, Inc., develops and engineers advanced, real-time, non-destructive quality inspection systems for commercial firms worldwide seeking productive solutions for 3D metal printing and other advanced manufacturing technologies. Sigma Labs' other wholly-owned subsidiary, Sumner & Lawrence Limited, provides high-level scientific consultants to Federal government clients seeking productive solutions for emerging and strategic development technologies. For more information please visit us at www.sigmalabsinc.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements often contain words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "believes" or "will." Our forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could adversely affect us, including the risks set forth in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to update our forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
SOURCE Sigma Labs, Inc.
Released December 23, 2013


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Ford Mondeo MK5 (2014-2018)
Models Covered:
5dr hatch / 4dr Saloon / 5dr Estate (1.0, 1.5, 2.0 EcoBoost petrol / 1.5, 2.0 TDCi diesel) [Style, Zetec, Titanium, ST-Line, Vignale])
By Jonathan Crouch
* Introduction
The MK5 Mondeo proved to be a very complete car, bigger, slicker and more refined than its predecessors but still offered primarily in either hatch or estate form. Fifth generation buyers got a car founded on a more advanced platform shared with Ford's Galaxy and S-MAX large MPVs, so the car could be larger. And it was more sophisticated under the bonnet, gaining an entry-level 1.0-litre petrol unit and even a self-charging petrol hybrid engine. It proved to be still very good to drive too, though increasingly in this form, technology, comfort and balance sheet efficiency were more compelling reasons as to why you might want one.
* The History
The Mondeo has changed with the times – as have its buyers. 'Mondeo man' is no longer the mascot of New Labour he was in the Nineties, today instead being a far more sophisticated person. He doesn't feel the need to pay extra for a German premium badge on the bonnet of his company car when this Ford is bigger, better equipped, arguably more rewarding to drive and in some ways more technologically advanced. Private customers can see the logic too, but there simply aren't as many of them as they used to be, traditional family folk tempted away by the trendier choices they could make for similar money. In its Kuga Crossover model and its smart S-MAX MPV, Ford also offers some of these options, but at the launch of this MK5 Mondeo in 2014, still maintained that there's a place for this car in its core model line-up. This MK4 Mondeo will have to be very good to justify that faith.
Back in 2014, Ford had had an awful long time to get this car right, the previous MK4 generation Mondeo dating all the way back to 2006. The US market got this design (badged there as the 'Ford Fusion') to replace it back in 2012, but a switch of European production for this car from Genk in Belgium to Valencia in Spain took longer than the brand anticipated and it wasn't until late 2014 that the fourth generation version was finally launched in Europe.
Still, it came fully-equipped to take on tough segment rivals like Volkswagen's Passat and Vauxhall's Insignia, claiming class-leadership in efficiency, technology and safety. There was a rejuvenated range of petrol and diesel engines, plus the option of Hybrid power for the first time. A plush top leather-lined 'Vignale' trim level was launched in 2015. This MK5 model sold in its original form until early 2019, when a facelifted version was introduced, complete with minor exterior upgrades, extra safety provision and more frugal EcoBlue diesel engines.
* What You Get
The MK5 Mondeo range was mainly based around hatch and estate body styles. A saloon was also offered, but only with the rare hybrid engine. If there's one thing that's defined Mondeo design over the years, it's that it's become bigger and more up-market with each passing generation. This fifth generation version followed that pattern by emerging from its over-extended period of development as an altogether more expressive and polished proposition than before.
Shape and contrast is a feature of the inviting cabin with its wrap-around symmetrical centre console design delivering a snug, cockpit-like feel. Ford tried hard with fit and finish too, installing a soft-touch instrument panel, a flock-lined central front storage area, chrome touches and smart accents on the air-vents, along with more up-market switchgear. Fortunately not restricted to plusher Mondeo models is the feature that dominates the centre of the dash, the 8-inch SYNC2 colour touchscreen, which plays its part in reducing button clutter and giving the cabin a cleaner, smarter feel. This set-up's divided into four colour-coded sectors that allow you to control audio, sat nav, 'phone and climate control functions via touchscreen buttons. In the rear seat, there's space for three big adults across the back seat and you get a big boot too.
* What To Look For
Most MK5 Mondeo owners we came across in our survey seemed very satisfied, but inevitably there were a few issues with some cars. One owner had to replace drive shafts in a car with only 12,000 miles on the clock. Another had to change the EGR valve when the engine management light came on. Some owners complained that the alloy wheels showed signs of early deterioration. Another car had a software fault. Make sure you check the SYNC2 infotainment screen and Bluetooth functions thoroughly. And look out for signs of child damage in the back. Insist on a fully stamped-up service history as usual.
* On The Road
The Mondeo has always been a car with a very advanced set of driving dynamics, sophisticated enough to be involving only when you want it to be. You could say it still is in this MK5 form, though you'd also have to qualify that statement by referencing the way that in fifth generation form, this Ford grew up, becoming a little more mature, slightly softer-edged and a whole lot more refined. In short, it became more the kind of car that a typical mile-munching business buyer might want, with lighter electrically-powered steering, a more luxurious feel and exemplary class-leading refinement thanks to design improvements that saw cabin noise levels drop by as much as three decibels over the previous generation model.
Engine-wise, petrol buyers with this MK5 model chose between a 1.0-litre 3 cylinder entry-level unit, plus 1.5 and 2.0-litre EcoBoost powerplants. The diesel range was launched with a 1.6 TDCi unit, quickly replaced with a 160PS 1.5-litre TDCI engine. There was also a 2.0 TDCi with 180PS and even a twin turbo 2.0 TDCi with 210PS. 4WD was optional on the 2.0 TDCi with 180PS and standard on the fastest petrol and diesel units. There was also a saloon-only petrol/electric self-charging hybrid variant, this derivative using a 187PS 2.0-litre unit whose efforts are supplemented by a 88kW electric motor driving the front wheels. There's another electric motor for regenerative charging only and a lithium-ion battery pack with an output of 35kW and a capacity of 1.4 kWh, the whole set-up operating via the kind of CVT auto gearbox that's a normal feature in hybrids of this sort.
* Overall
For most of its customers most of the time, Ford's 'one world' medium range family car proved to be a better bet than ever in this fifth generation guise. A few may rue the fact that in this form, this Mondeo isn't quite the complete entertainer it once was. Throw one around and there's no longer the feeling that you're in a big Focus. But then that's probably quite intentional. Customers in this segment have made it quite clear that now, they want something much more sophisticated than that. Today, a car of this kind must be a far quieter, more luxurious and more technologically-advanced thing. This MK5 Mondeo is. It's worth your attention.


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Well, if the World Series sweep had one benefit, at least there's not going to be a massive traffic jam in Denver tonight. There's that.
Unfortunately, this means Colorado sports fans will have to turn their attention back to their football team, and their whole season could be riding on tonight's game. And hey, look: It's Brett Favre on Monday Night Football! What a hero! This might be a good night for the mute button.


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No member of the Saturn rocket family ever killed an astronaut. Two Saturn rocket designs were rated as safe enough to launch humans into space: the two-stage Saturn IB, which flew nine times between February 1966 and July 1975, and the Saturn V, which flew 12 times with three stages between November 1967 and December 1972, and once with two stages in May 1973. The 200-foot-tall Saturn IB flew five times with astronauts on board (Apollo 7, Skylab missions 2, 3, and 4, and the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project), while the 363-foot-tall Saturn V launched astronauts 10 times (Apollo missions 8 through 17).
Although man-rated, Saturn V rockets experienced four close calls. The first occurred on 4 April 1968, during the unmanned Apollo 6 test flight, when instability in the rocket's fiery exhaust plume produced violent fore-and-aft shaking known as "pogo." Two of the five J-2 engines in the rocket's S-II second stage shut down and pieces broke away from the streamlined shroud linking the Apollo Command and Service Module (CSM) to its S-IVB third stage. The S-IVB's single J-2 engine underperformed, placing the stage and CSM into a lopsided orbit, then refused to restart. Had the Apollo 6 CSM carried astronauts, pogo might have injured them; even if they had reached orbit unscathed, the S-IVB engine failure would have scrubbed their moon mission.
Apollo 12 experienced an even more perilous ascent. Following launch in a rainstorm on 14 November 1969, lightning struck its Saturn V 36.5 and 52 seconds after liftoff. The lightning strikes knocked the Apollo 12 CSM Yankee Clipper's three electricity-generating fuel cells offline, along with its computer and most other electrical systems. The Saturn V's IBM-built Instrument Unit - its ring-shaped electronic brain, located atop its S-IVB third stage - soldiered on without a hiccup, however, safely guiding the giant rocket into orbit. The Apollo 12 crew of Pete Conrad, Alan Bean, and Dick Gordon carried out a successful lunar landing mission and returned to Earth on 24 November.
The third Saturn V close call saw the return of pogo. During ascent to orbit on 11 April 1970, the middle engine of the Apollo 13 Saturn V S-II stage began to rapidly oscillate fore and aft, then shut down two minutes early. The four remaining engines burned for longer than planned to compensate. Apollo 13 astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert subsequently left Earth orbit for the moon, but an oxygen tank explosion in their CSM, the Odyssey, scrubbed their moon landing. They used their Lunar Module (LM) moon lander, the Aquarius, as a lifeboat and returned safely to Earth on 17 April.
The final Saturn V to fly, intended originally for Apollo 20 but launched unmanned with the Skylab Orbital Workshop (OWS) on top in place of an S-IVB stage and the Apollo CSM and LM spacecraft, survived a close call on 14 May 1973. A design flaw caused Skylab's meteoroid shield to tear loose 63 seconds into the flight. As the disintegrating shield tumbled down the length of the accelerating rocket, it tore at least one hole in the interstage adapter that linked the OWS to the S-II second stage and apparently damaged the system for separating the ring-shaped interstage adapter that linked the S-II with the S-IC first stage. This meant that the 18-foot-long adapter did not separate from the S-II three minutes and 11 seconds into the flight as planned. The S-II stage dutifully hauled its unplanned five-ton cargo into Earth orbit.
Apollo 12 might easily have ended in a Launch Escape System (LES) abort. The image at the top of this post shows the LES in action during Pad Abort Test-2 on 29 June 1965. The LES was a 33-foot-tall tower containing three solid-fueled rocket motors. It stood atop the Boost Protective Cover (BPC), a conical shell that covered the CSM's Command Module (CM). The CM contained the crew during launch and ascent to orbit. In the event of a catastrophic launch vehicle failure on the launch pad or during the first three minutes of ascent, the LES would pull the BPC and CM free of the Saturn rocket.
As the LES expended its solid propellant, the CM would detach from the BPC. For an abort from the launch pad, parachutes in the CM's nose would deploy immediately after BPC separation; for aborts at higher altitudes and farther downrange, the CM would turn its bowl-shaped heatshield forward to protect it from reentry heating and to shed velocity prior to parachute deployment. In most cases, the CM would splash down in the Atlantic following an LES abort.
In August 1965, R. High and R. Fletcher, engineers at NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas, calculated the characteristics of Saturn IB and Saturn V launch pad explosions to aid LES development. Of particular concern, they explained, was the damage an explosion fireball's heat might do to the CM's nylon main parachutes. In their report they did not, however, reach specific conclusions about parachute heat damage.
High and Fletcher found that calculating the characteristics of launch pad failures was not an exact science, in large part because there were so many variables to be taken into account, and also because no rocket as large as the Saturn V had ever exploded. They explained that "many of the [fireball] parameters may defy an accurate theoretical treatment."
For their analysis, they assumed that all propellants in the exploding rocket would contribute to forming a fireball. This would occur, they explained, because "large overpressures from detonations and the intense heat from both detonations and burning would cause failure of any propellant tanks not initially involved." If a Saturn V exploded on the pad at launch, 5.492 million pounds of RP-1 refined kerosene, liquid oxygen (LOX), and liquid hydrogen would contribute to its fireball. For a Saturn IB pad explosion, 1.11 million pounds of RP-1, LOX, and liquid hydrogen would fuel its fireball.
High and Fletcher wrote that the fireball from a Saturn rocket launch pad failure would expand in a "nearly fixed location." For the Saturn V, the fireball would expand to a diameter of 1408 feet. The Saturn IB fireball would expand to 844 feet. The fireballs would thus completely engulf the Saturn launch pads. For both rockets, fireball surface temperature would attain 2500° Fahrenheit, and heat would be felt up to a mile from the launch pad.
A fireball would begin to rise when it reached its maximum diameter. Fireball ascent would commence about 20 seconds after a Saturn V launch pad explosion and about 10 seconds after a Saturn IB explosion, High and Fletcher calculated. The Saturn V fireball would reach an altitude of about 300 feet in 15 seconds, while the Saturn IB fireball would climb 300 feet in 11 seconds. The Saturn V fireball would persist at its maximum diameter for 34 seconds, while the Saturn IB fireball would last for 20 seconds. The fireball would then begin to cool and dissipate.
Though they assumed for their calculations that all propellants in an exploding Saturn rocket would contribute to its fireball, High and Fletcher wrote that some would likely be "spilled on the ground, creating residual pools which [would] burn for relatively long periods of time." This was, they judged, especially likely if a launch pad failure began with the rupture of the fuel tank in the Saturn V's S-IC first stage. The ruptured tank would spill RP-1 onto the pad, then the oxidizer tank located above it would rupture and mix liquid oxygen with the burning fuel, triggering an explosion. They added that "the residual fire and extreme heat of the fireball [would] prevent approach to the ground area enveloped by the fireball for an unknown period."+++inset-left


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Specials board treats
Be sure to check the weekly specials for some tasty one off treats!
Alley Food, Music & Events
Join us each day for something different!
Special Monthly Events
Come join us for Monthly Poetry, Spoken Word & Open Mic!
Exhibitions & Events
Calling all Local Artists and Musicians!
See Our Updated Menu
Great new additions and improvements for 2016
Welcome to The Alley Cafe
Nottingham's BEST Vegan/Vegetarian Cafe & Bar
We aim to create an atmosphere that combines the style of a bar with the relaxed feel of a European café. We aim to provide imaginative vegetarian and vegan food without having a negative impact on the earth.
We also aim to provide the highest quality entertainment with a creative attitude from some of Nottingham's most innovative acts, artists and events. One local artist per month exhibits across our infamous gallery wall space, and countless musical maestros can be found at our open mic nights


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A strategic step to expand Virtual Product Engineering in the space sector
PARIS — (BUSINESS WIRE) — December 17, 2012 — ESI Group, pioneer and world-leading solution provider in Virtual Prototyping for manufacturing industries, announces the signature of a protocol for a multi-year strategic collaboration agreement with Astrium, Europe's leading space technology company. Officially signed in Paris on November 16, 2012 during the Astrium R&T days, this agreement aims at developing Virtual Prototyping technologies and promoting Virtual Engineering in the space domain, and addresses critical needs in the design and manufacture of next generation launchers.
Vincent Chaillou, COO, ESI Group; Herve Gilibert, CTO and CQO, Astrium Space Transportation; Eric Daubourg, Chief Operating Officer, ESI France at the signing ceremony held in Paris on November 16, 2012. (Photo: ESI Group)
Astrium and ESI Group have implemented this long-term collaboration agreement with the intent to jointly "co-create" new and innovative technologies, processes, and development methodologies for the space industry and its next generation launchers. The objective of this collaboration is to enable the space industry to rapidly build robust virtual prototypes of components, subsystems and systems of the new and improved launchers at various and early stages of the design and development cycle.
At the signing ceremony held in Paris on November 16, Hervé Gilibert, CTO and CQO of Astrium Space Transportation, described the collaborative intent of this agreement:
"For Astrium, today's agreement with ESI Group sets a new standard in how we collaborate with our key industrial partners. Our intent is to align objectives and join forces to drive Astrium and its partners to the leading edge of global innovation, in order to maintain and reinforce the European leadership of Ariane in the global commercial launch services market.
The relationship of Astrium with ESI dates back to the 70's before the creation of the EADS group, when ESI successfully accompanied the development of numerical simulation in the aerospace and aeronautical industry with the European Space Agency ESA/ESTEC. ESI has continued to pioneer Virtual Prototyping worldwide, primarily in the automotive industry where it has achieved most spectacular results.
Today both parties are convinced that a joint collaborative effort between Astrium and ESI is the best partnership solution to address the new global challenges of the space industry. We're setting the scene for the next generation of space vehicles and technologies, while promoting Virtual Prototyping and Virtual Engineering."
Eric Daubourg, COO of ESI France added: "Under this multi-year agreement, ESI is fully committed to supporting Astrium-ST in its quest for new methodologies in Virtual Prototyping that address the specific requirements of advanced space technologies. Our partnership with Astrium and the space community will enhance the national and international recognition of launcher and space technologies developed in Europe."
Despite being at the forefront of technology, the European space industry must indeed face global challenges that are rising with the arrival of new international players. In this environment, the overall performance of launchers and their modularity and flexibility to accommodate customers' needs must keep improving while manufacturing and operating costs must be drastically reduced. New designs, new manufacturing processes, and new multi material solutions have to be invented, tested, validated, and certified in record time.
Vincent Chaillou, COO, ESI Group concluded: "Such an evolution cannot be conducted using the traditional approach of trial and error on increasingly expensive 'real' physical prototypes. Virtual Prototyping enables the mandatory early evaluation of design and fabrication alternatives, and allows the rapid corrections of identified deficiencies."
About ESI Group
ESI is a pioneer and world-leading provider in Virtual Prototyping that takes into account the physics of materials. ESI boasts a unique know-how in Virtual Product Engineering, based on an integrated suite of coherent, industry-oriented applications. Addressing manufacturing industries, Virtual Product Engineering aims to replace physical prototypes by realistically simulating a product's behavior during testing, to fine-tune fabrication and assembly processes in accordance with desired product performance, and to evaluate the impact on product use under normal or accidental conditions. ESI's solutions fit into a single collaborative and open environment for End-to-End Virtual Prototyping. These solutions are delivered using the latest technologies, including immersive Virtual Reality, to bring products to life in 3D; helping customers make the right decisions throughout product development. The company employs about 900 high-level specialists worldwide covering more than 30 countries. ESI Group is listed in compartment C of NYSE Euronext Paris.
For further information, visit


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(written from a Production point of view)
|HD DVD release
|No. of episodes:
|No. of discs:
8 (region 2 slimline)
|Release date:
|20 November 2007
|Region 2 release date:
|19 November 2007
27 April 2009 – DVD only (re-released)
|ASIN B000VDDDY6 (region 1)
ASIN B000V0NHEA (region 2)
ASIN B001S3GDTK (region 2 slimline)
|Region 2 cover
|Region 2 slimline cover
Star Trek: The Original Series – Season One Remastered is a combination HD DVD/DVD release of the remastered Original Series – the dual-sided discs contain HD DVD content on one side, standard DVD content on the other. The episodes are presented in airing order, rather than production order, as has been the custom in previous releases.
The size of this package is almost identical to the prior DVD release. The box also contains 5 "Special Collector Data Cards" describing the contents of each disc.
A slimline Region 2 re-release in DVD format was released on 27 April 2009.
|Production order
Special Features
- Starfleet Access (HD DVD only)
- Seven episodes ("Where No Man Has Gone Before", "The Menagerie, Part I", "The Menagerie, Part II", "Balance of Terror", "The Galileo Seven", "Space Seed", and "Errand of Mercy") feature Starfleet Access.
- Interactive Enterprise Inspection (HD DVD only)
- A simulation where the viewer is in the shuttlecraft Jefferies outside of the Enterprise, and can view video and audio describing the various parts of the ship.
- Spacelift: Transporting Trek Into the 21st Century (both HD DVD and DVD and new for this release)
- A 20 minute documentary on the remastering process.
- Billy Blackburn's Treasure Chest: Rare Home Movies and Special Memories (new for this release)
- A 13 minute collection of William Blackburn's home movies from the set.
- Birth of a Timeless Legacy (DVD only)
- 24 minutes of interview footage of William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Robert Justman, Gene Roddenberry, etc.
- Reflections on Spock (DVD only)
- Leonard Nimoy takes 12 minutes to discuss the character and his book I Am Not Spock.
- Life Beyond Trek: William Shatner (DVD only)
- William Shatner spends 10 minutes discussing his love of horses.
- To Boldly Go ... Season One (DVD only)
- A 19 minute retrospective of the first season. Ricardo Montalban and William Campbell make appearances.
- Sci-Fi Visionaries (DVD only)
- A 16 minute interview with Robert Justman and Dorothy Fontana discussing the efforts to hire science fiction authors to give the show some literary depth.
- Kiss 'n' Tell: Romance in the 23rd Century (DVD only)
- An 8 minute montage of clips and interviews discussion the love interests in the series and films.
- Trekker Connections (DVD only)
- A small series of "six degrees of separation" bits connecting the actors in a game format.
- Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier (DVD only, but new for this release)
- This 90 minute special from The History Channel aired for the 40th Anniversary Christie's auction and is hosted by Leonard Nimoy.
- Star Trek Online game preview (DVD only, but new for this release)
- A 3 minute look at the upcoming game.
Not ported over from the previous DVD release are the four "Red Shirt Logs" hidden mini-featurettes, and Michael and Denise Okuda's text commentaries for "Where No Man Has Gone Before", "The Menagerie, Part I", "The Menagerie, Part II" and "The Conscience of the King".
Background information
The menu is a replica of the Transporter room console, a theme repeated throughout all three seasons..
On the HD DVD, the intro has James T. Kirk on the turbolift asking to go to the transporter. Once an episode is selected the transporter controls activate and characters from the episode you chose beam in – "The Menagerie, Part I" has both versions of Christopher Pike appearing.
On the DVD, the intro has four characters of the disk's episodes on the transporter as the camera goes down to the console. Once the episode is selected the camera zooms into the beaming effect. This was repeated for the other DVD sets. The DVD versions are on the discs in Enhanced Definition 480p/24p.
Followup Releases
The second and third seasons of the remastered version of I AM ERROR were originally announced for release in 2008 on the same combination HD DVD/DVD format as the first season.
Season two was set for a 25 March 2008 release. However, in early December 2007, it was removed from the schedule, and was tentatively rescheduled for the summer of 2008. [1]
With Toshiba announcing their withdrawal from the HD DVD market on 19 February 2008, these releases were canceled completely. [2]
Seasons two and three eventually saw release on DVD. In 2009 Season 1 was re-released as a DVD only edition.
|Previous release:
Star Trek: The Next Generation The Complete Series
|Star Trek: The Original Series
|Next release:
TOS-R Season 2 DVD
|Previous series release:
TOS Season 3 DVD
LaserDisc • TOS DVD • TOS-R DVD/HD DVD • Blu-ray • TOS digital • TOS-R digital


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1954 Mercedes sets auction record, fetches $29.6 million in U.K.
A classic Mercedes-Benz raced into the record books in England on Friday by becoming the most expensive car ever sold at auction.
The 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 race car driven by Formula 1 legend Juan Manuel Fangio sold for $29.6 million. James Knight, motoring director of Bonhams auctioneers, which handled the deal, told Reuters that the sale set a "new world auction record price."
According to Reuters, the $29.6 million sale easily surpassed the previous record for priciest automobile ever auctioned -- a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, which sold for $16.39 million in 2011.
The single-seater Mercedes-Benz was driven by the five-time world champion racer when he clinched his second title in 1954. The Argentine drove the car to victories in the 1954 German and Swiss Grand Prix races.
Robert Brooks, chairman of Bonhams, called the car the most important historic Grand Prix racing car ever offered for sale.
The auction house said the steel-colored car is in a "remarkably unspoiled" condition and that its parts are believed to be complete and workable after proper preparation.
It was sold to a private buyer over the telephone at a classic cars auction in southern England's Goodwood. The price included the buyer's premium.
A 1965 Ferrari 330GT, first owned by John Lennon, fetched $543,887 at the same auction.


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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The Metrodome roof held up just fine during Minnesota's latest heavy snowstorm.
It's the Chicago Bears who seem to be collapsing under the weight of December football.
Adrian Peterson rushed for 154 yards and two touchdowns and Harrison Smith returned an interception for a score to lead the Vikings to a 21-14 victory over the freefalling Bears on Sunday.
Almost two years to the day that a huge snowstorm felled the big white dome and forced the Bears-Vikings game to move across town to the University of Minnesota's stadium, another dose of wet snow came down as the Vikings prepared to host their division rivals. No problem this time around, for the roof or Peterson. The resilient running back ripped off a 51-yard run on the first play of the game and got the Vikings (7-6) out to a 14-0 lead before the first quarter was half over en route to a desperately needed victory.
``I think they'll look at the standings tomorrow and see that we're still right in the thick of it, just like we were when this week began,'' Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said. ``For us, every game following will be like a playoff game.''
When the Bears (8-5) look at the standings on Monday, they will be a game behind the Packers, who beat Detroit, but still be ahead of Minnesota. It just didn't feel that way when they hobbled out of the stadium on Sunday afternoon. They were 7-1 and in prime position to win the NFC North at the season's midpoint, but have lost four of their last five games and seem to get a different key player injured every week.
This time it was quarterback Jay Cutler, who was crunched on a high-low hit by Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen in the fourth quarter. He finished the drive, but did not return for the final four minutes because of a neck injury. He was 22 of 44 for 260 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
With Brian Urlacher out indefinitely with an injured right hamstring and cornerback Tim Jennings missing the game because of a shoulder injury, the Bears are bruised and battered, to go along with beaten.
``Everybody has injuries. That's part of this league,'' defensive end Julius Peppers said. ``We're going to have to play through that. But obviously some of our better players are down. We need guys to step up and play.''
Few have rebounded from an injury the way Peterson has. The relentless runner tore the ACL in his left knee late last season, yet somehow has been able to comeback better than ever. He topped 100 yards for the seventh straight game to give him 1,600 yards this season - putting that hallowed 2,000 yard mark well within reach with three games to go.
More importantly for the Vikings, he carried the ball a season-high 31 times, the kind of broad-shouldered performance the offense desperately needed with quarterback Christian Ponder continuing to struggle in the passing game. Ponder was 11 of 17 for just 91 yards and one ugly interception, a back-footed throw into triple coverage that Major Wright easily snagged just before halftime.
No matter. The beleaguered quarterback had Peterson and an opportunistic defense to lean on. Rookie cornerback Josh Robinson picked off Cutler in the first quarter and returned it 44 yards to set up Peterson's second touchdown of the day. Smith gave them some much-needed breathing room in the third quarter when Cutler floated a pass over Brandon Marshall's head and into Smith's arms. The rookie took it back 56 yards for a 21-7 lead that held up.
``In the situation we're in, we have to win out,'' said Peterson, whose Vikings finish up with games at St. Louis, at Houston and home against Green Bay. ``That's the focus we have.
Jason Campbell came on in relief of Cutler and threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall late in the game, but it was a little too late for the Bears, who trail the Packers by a game heading into a showdown with the division leaders in Chicago next week. The Bears then finish up on the road at Arizona and Detroit. Their margin for error is getting smaller by the day.
``It's frustrating,'' safety Chris Conte said. ``We've had some injuries, but ultimately we have to come out and play better.''
Marshall had 10 catches for 160 yards, Alshon Jeffery had three catches for 57 yards and a touchdown and Matt Forte rushed for 85 yards on 13 carries for the Bears.
The late-season swoon is a familiar one under coach Lovie Smith, who fell to 15-18 in the final four games of a season. Last season, they lost five straight games after a 7-3 start and finished 8-8 to miss the playoffs.
``I'm just thinking about us getting back on a winning streak next week,'' Smith said. ``We're disappointed in how some of those games have gone, all of the games, really. We're disappointed in this game, but when you're disappointed like that and you have your rival coming up back at home, we have to rally. We'll feel bad, but then it's all on Green Bay.''
NOTES: Jennings, the NFL leader in interceptions, said he thinks there's a chance he can play against the Packers. ``Later in the week, it was getting better each and every day,'' he said, ``but the coaches decided to let it heal, which is smart because I still have a little soreness.'' ... The Vikings had more yards from interception returns (100), than they did in passing offense (91). ... Adam Podlesh handled the kickoff duties for K Robbie Gould, who strained his left calf in warm-ups. Gould did kick the two extra points.
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