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Staff Directory by Last Name
Abby Adamczyk is the Libraries department's primary liaison to the CoAS departments of Biology, Chemistry, and BEES (Biodiversity, Earth & Environmental Science) and is part of the Libraries liaison team for the College of Medicine. As a liaison librarian, she partners with faculty and students to foster the high levels of research and information skills required in life sciences research and scholarship and to develop greater awareness of research data management practices and trends in scholarly communications.
Prior to joining Drexel, Abby was Research Librarian at the Eccles Health Sciences Library of the University of Utah. From 2006 -2011 she was a research technologist at McKusick-Nathans Institute of Johns Hopkins University where she participated in genetics research of autism and other disorders. She holds a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, an MLIS with Health Resources & Services concentration from the University of Pittsburgh and is a member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals.
Jay Bhatt is responsible for building library collections in engineering subject areas, outreach to faculty and students, and teaching information and research skills to faculty and students in Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and related subject areas. He provides individual and small group consultations to students, instructional sessions to specific classes, online research support in both face to face and distance learning programs, and workshops for specialized research areas.
Jay is actively involved with the Engineering Libraries Division of the American Society for Engineering Education. He experiments with innovative applications of web 2.0 to enhance information awareness among faculty and students. Jay has published and presented papers extensively in the area of information literacy for engineering students.
Steve is the Information Services Librarian at Drexel University Health Sciences Libraries, Hahnemann Library. He provides research assistance and library instruction for programs in the School of Medicine, the College of Nursing and Health Professions, and the School of Public Health. Steve guides students, faculty, residents, and staff in the effective use of biomedical databases, point-of-care resources, bibliographic management programs, and other research tools. In collaboration with library colleagues and faculty he helps develop training programs in health informatics and evidence-based practice. Steve provides liaison services to various clinical departments in the School of Medicine, supports the information needs of distance learners, and acts as a Personal Librarian to incoming freshman students.
Steve began his career in the health sciences as a clinical physician assistant and worked for many years as the operations director of an international medical assistance company. He received a Masters in Library and Information Science from Drexel University in 2005 and worked as the clinical librarian at Pennsylvania Hospital before starting his position at Drexel.
Gary Childs educates and instructs the Drexel community focusing on the utilization of library-related databases, tools, and resources. He specializes in health sciences-based library instruction in multiple fields including Medicine, Nursing, Physical Therapy, Psychology, and Public Health. Additionally, he demonstrates the use of bibliographic citation tools such as EndNote and RefWorks.
Gary also serves as a member of the Quality Committee in the Online Learning Council and facilitates graduate student workshops at Drexel University Libraries. He is committed to volunteerism and frequently assists in a myriad of ways at the Animal Care & Control Team Shelter located in Philadelphia.
Noelle Egan serves Drexel University Libraries patrons by acquiring and licensing our large collection of eJournals, eBooks and databases, while managing the acquisitions for our print collections. Noelle and the Electronic Resources staff also troubleshoot student, faculty, and staff questions and issues regarding eResource access.
Elise is the librarian for undergraduate learning and works with campus partners to integrate the library and information literacy into the undergraduate experience. She works closely with the Freshman English sequence and orientation as well as other units on campus that support undergraduates.
Prior to coming to Drexel, Elise served as a liaison librarian at a small liberal arts college that had a strong library instruction program where she had the opportunity to teach a noncredit class in library resources for English majors and collaborate with the college's writing center. Elise is interested in designing and assessing effective library instruction, collaborating with writing and tutoring centers, and how academic integrity is communicated to students.
Jenny James Lee joined the Libraries in 2011 in a newly formed position tasked with managing the communications and outreach efforts. Since, she developed a successful and strategic communications campaign to raise awareness of the Libraries value.
Jenny engineers the Libraries' newsletter, publications, social media content and advertising as well as managing public relations and branding.
Prior to working at the Libraries, Jenny worked in alumni relations at Rosemont College where she primarily developed alumni communications and planned events. She graduated in 2006 from Shippensburg University with a degree in communications. Jenny also serves on the Libraries' Managerial Leadership Group and Drexel University's Communications & Social Media Groups. Jenny is a member of PRSA, the Public Relations Society for America, and is currently pursuing her masters degree in communications.
Hae Min Kim helps the Libraries explore how to analyze data related to current acquisitions and use of resources, alternative options for collections access, locations of print collections, and cost/speed of convenient access. The impact of these analyses are expected to help guide licensing and purchase decisions by selectors, as well as to improve user discovery and access. This work supports the Libraries' efforts to implement a data-driven culture and infrastructure.
Hae Min is passionate about libraries and has an appetite for learning. She earned her MLS at Ewha Womans University in Seoul and her PhD here at Drexel's CCI, and served as System Librarian at the Samsung Economic Research Institute in Seoul. Hae Min's research experience and skills will enhance the Libraries' capacity to reach its strategic goal to utilize evidence of client expectations for excellence and other data to assist in management of the Libraries.
Janice is the Drexel University Librarian for Health Sciences Research. She provides library instruction in the College of Nursing and Health Professions and supports the expanding research programs of nursing faculty and graduate students.
Prior to joining the Drexel Libraries, Janice worked as an academic librarian for Old Dominion University and Lafayette College. She most recently served as the head of information technology for the Camden County Library System where she managed their IT staff and coordinated the shared integrated library management system. She recently completed a B.S. in Health Sciences- Nutrition and she holds an RD and LDN as a dietitian/nutritionist.
Larry Milliken is the Liaison Librarian for the Humanities and Social Sciences at Drexel University. He received his Master's in Library and Information Science in 2002 from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Prior to becoming a librarian he earned a B.A. In History from the University of Dallas followed by a M.A. in Medieval Studies from Fordham University and was a doctoral student in Medieval European History at the City University of New York's Graduate School and University Center. Before coming to Drexel, Larry was an Assistant Professor and Coordinator for Information Literacy at Neumann College (now Neumann University) and was an Assistant Librarian for the Sciences at St. Peter's College.
His research interests alternate between Library and Information Science and History and include: librarian involvement with digital humanities projects, collaborations with History faculty in the education of Engineering undergraduates, medieval visual culture, the travels of monks and friars, and early contacts between the medieval West and the Mongol Empire.
Emily Missner is the resident expert in the fields of business, economics, hospitality management, and sport management. She selects print and electronic resources for the Libraries in these subjects and she helps the Drexel Community to hone their business research skills through in-class guest appearances as well as personalized one-on-one consultations.
Before becoming interested in university libraries, Emily worked in advertising and at technology start-ups. Her research interest is in library instruction, especially where it intersects with entertainment, art, and consumer behavior.
As Dean of Libraries since 2010, Dr. Nitecki has worked to envision the academic library and to model one that best contributes toward achieving Drexel University's dynamic mission. Serving on the Provost's Academic and Deans Councils, the President's Executive Council, as well as various campus groups, she has worked to evolve the Libraries as an integral part of the learning enterprise. A Drexel alumna, Nitecki is also a Professor at Drexel's College of Computing and Informatics.
Prior to returning to Drexel, she held administrative positions in the libraries of Yale University [1996 – 2010], University of Maryland at College Park [1983-1996], University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign [1978-83] and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville [1972-1978]. She has been active in national, state and regional associations, served as a consultant and invited presenter throughout the US and internationally, and has published over ninety articles, books, compilations, and reviews on such topics as user-based evaluation of library services, research methods, library space, document delivery, and management of library services and information technology applications.
Dr. Nitecki also has taught in library science graduate programs at the University of Rhode Island, Simmons College, and the University of Parma [Italy], as well as through an online course she co-developed for evaluating library service quality for professionals [Association of Research Libraries Online Lyceum, 2000—2004].
As a member of the systems department, Ian has designed and supports part of the Drexel Libraries' access to online resources. He supports the staff in designing processes and writing tools to enhance their control of online as well as printed material. As the Sytems Manager, he sets up and supports the libraries' servers. He has been serially a Novell, NT, and Unix systems administrator since 1991.
Eddie Rubeiz designs and implements innovative and effective tools that help the Libraries support teaching, learning and research. He's currently pursuing an MS in Library and Information Science at the College of Computing and Informatics, and plans to graduate in Spring 2016 with a concentration in digital curation. Eddie joined Drexel University Libraries in December 2013 from Columbia University's Center for New Media Teaching and Learning, where he worked as a senior web developer. He's worked in that capacity for a variety of companies in the financial, pharmaceutical and music sectors. He holds an undergraduate degree in classical literature from Princeton, and maintains an interest in languages of all types. He's also an avid musician and cyclist.
Lynda Sadusky manages the Resource Sharing Department. She started her library career working summers at the Folcroft Public Library and the Academy of Natural Sciences as a library assistant. She received a B.S. Ed. Library Science from Kutztown University in 1982 and started working at what was then Hahnemann University Hospital Library as a catalog clerk. Five years later she joined the Interlibrary Loan Department. Lynda is a member of the American Library Association and the Medical Library Association.
When she's not busy working, Lynda is heavily involved with various ministries at her home church.
Tim Siftar, MSIS, MSL&IS is the liaison librarian for the School of Education and College of Computing & Informatics where he offers consultations and trainings for students and faculty. Having done his graduate work at Drexel in the early 90's, he returned to work at the Libraries in 2003 after ten years in industry as a project manager and analyst.
Elizabeth (Beth) Ten Have is Director of Library Academic Partnerships at Drexel University Libraries. At Drexel, she is responsible for deepening the Libraries involvement in the teaching, learning and research activities of the university through the programs of collections, instruction, reference and research, and library systems and technology.
Prior to joining Drexel in 2008 Beth was senior product manager for the BIOSIS products at Thomson Scientific (now Thomson Reuters). Early in her career she was an acquisitions librarian at Michigan State University Libraries and a library training consultant at Innovative Interfaces, Inc. A native of New York, Beth holds an MSLIS from The University of Michigan and a BA from Hollins College.
Holly Tomren is Head, Metadata Services at Drexel University Libraries. She manages a program that promotes discovery and sharing of resources by creating, enhancing, and optimizing metadata for use and re-use in a variety of tools, techniques, and services, in support of the research & scholarly needs of the Drexel University community. She was previously Head of Monograph, Electronic Resources & Metadata Cataloging at the University of California, Irvine Libraries, where her responsibilities included facilitating access to UCI's electronic and digital resources. Her research interests include metadata literacy, mobile electronic resources in libraries, electronic resources management, and emerging technologies in technical services, and she has presented at conferences including Internet Librarian, Electronic Resources & Libraries, and LITA National Forum. Holly received her MLIS from San Jose State University and was a 2009 American Library Association Emerging Leader.
John Wiggins reduces costs and increases speed of services for the Libraries' users, in part through his leadership of the processing and access units (Access Services, Acquisitions, Archives, Electronic Resources, Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery, Metadata, and Processing staff at all Drexel University sites form the Library Services team). He is particularly interested in normalizing the Libraries' user feedback to support improvement planning, tracking, and qualitative metrics.
John also serves on the Libraries' senior leadership team, and represents the Libraries to the groups supporting the development of the University's civic engagement and the development of the University's digital culture and data management.
Users of the Libraries are encouraged to contribute feedback about experiences with the Libraries via our satisfaction survey or are welcome to contact John directly.
Ann Yurcaba is the Director of Library Administrative Services at Drexel University Libraries where she oversees the organization's budget, staff development and facilities. Ann is a member of the Strategic Leadership Group and works closely with library leadership teams to implement the strategic plan. Prior to joining the Libraries, Ann was the senior director of member programs and services at LYRASIS, a non-profit organization created to serve and support libraries, with a membership of more than 1,700 institutions. She holds a BS in Home Education and a MA in Library Science, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.


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07 May 2014
Clontarf Foundation
Santos is pleased to announce that it has renewed its partnership with the Clontarf Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation committed to improving the education, discipline, self-esteem, life skills and employment prospects of young Aboriginal men. Read more
13 Dec 2013
L-R: Ying Luo, Davide Rossi, Brenton Emery, Damien Mavroudis, Przemek Grobelski. Absent: Tim Dean, Phil Gordge, Joe Gugliotta, Andre Levey, Barry Myers, Helena Wu.
Eleven Santos employees graduated this week with their University College of London Graduate Certificates in Energy and Resources (Policy and Practice). Read more
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08 Nov 2013
A group of young Indigenous locals have earned the keys to a brighter future after graduating in October from a program that has given them better job prospects and their driver licence. Read more
05 Sep 2013
Students with their new desks donated to Papa Primary School.
Having accomplished a major milestone with the delivery of first commissioning gas, the PNG LNG project is well on its way to completion and delivering the long-term energy requirements of its Asian customers. Yet it's about more than just project milestones and delivery − the project is also committed to building sustainable futures for the people living in the project region. Read more
25 May 2013
Rather than just give youth the hope of finding their dreams in football, Santos and the Power Cup has committed to doing the same off the field.
Read more
12 Mar 2013
The Santos-sponsored 'Year 12 Perspectives' exhibition at the Art Gallery of Western Australia has opened, celebrating its 21st year.
Read more
12 Feb 2013
Jessica Mauboy, with our Aboriginal Employment Advisor, Che Cockatoo Collins
Several Santos GLNG team members were star struck after meeting Aussie singer, Jessica Mauboy, at GOMA last Friday 8 February alongside world surfing champion, Joel Parkinson, and rugby great, Preston Campbell.
Read more
25 Oct 2012
Gladstone's PCYC (Police-Citizens Youth Club) will be given a much needed upgrade after receiving $250,000 in funding from Santos GLNG today. Read more
16 Sep 2012
L-R: Grace Farrer Narrabri Shire Council, Jarryd Lucas - Trainee, Jason Elms – Santos , Rob Puckridge – Santos, Trevor Lucas - Trainee at Narrabri
Santos has supported a local Narrabri training and employment initiative entitled "Make It Work: Sharing Workers Locally Program" by hosting two Rural trainees, Jarryd and Trevor Lucas, within our Operations and Logistics team at Narrabri. Read more
13 Sep 2012
Santos employees conduct mock interviews with students.
More than 50 Santos employees have contributed 100 volunteer hours this year to help disadvantaged young people reach their full potential through the Smith Family's Next Steps workshops.
Read more
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12 Aug 2012
An annual celebration of science in Australia, National Science Week is an opportunity to join together to enjoy and explore the wonders and benefits of science. The 2012 program commenced 11 August and runs until 19 August. Read more
08 Aug 2012
Santos Eastern Australia Business Unit has launched a new oil and gas operations training initiative as part of their strategy to enable EABU business performance by developing a highly skilled and capable workforce. Read more
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11 Jul 2012
Almost 80 Santos employees ripped through the floorboards at the Adelaide Velodrome last Sunday, at the 'Come and Try Day' hosted exclusively for Santos by Cycling SA*. Read more
02 Jul 2012
As major sponsor, we're privileged to have had the University of Adelaide Motorsport Formula SAE car on display in the Santos Centre foyer earlier this month. Read more
22 Jun 2012
Team Santos: Pugh, Beevers, Robertson, Telford.
Staff from the Santos Perth office have put their foot to the pedal in the gruelling Gibb Challenge in support of community partner, the Clontarf Foundation.
Read more
01 Jun 2012
As major sponsor of the Aboriginal Power Cup, Santos is proud to put its energy into fueling goals for hundreds of South Australian indigenous students. Read more
30 Apr 2012
The Santos-sponsored Centrals Junior Tour took place on the weekend of April 21-22. Read more
29 Apr 2012
On April 19 over 100 Santos employees and family members enjoyed an exclusive after-hours viewing of the spectacular Banks' Florilegium exhibition currently on display in the Santos Museum of Economic Botany in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. Read more
23 Apr 2012
Jackson Operations Crew at the training centre.
Santos and TAFE SA launched a new skills-based training centre at TAFE SA's O'Halloran Hill Campus. Read more
04 Apr 2012
UCL MSc students Matthew Bouraee and Lendyn Phillip with Santos' Kate Mann.
University College London students visited Santos' Port Bonython facility this week to gain a better understanding of the significance of the company's liquid petroleum products export business. Read more
23 Feb 2012
Frances White, Santa Maria College, The Impulse Buyer, 2011, polymer clay, digital print on paper.
Australian energy company Santos is delighted to announce its new partnership with the Art Gallery of Western Australia's Year 12 Perspectives art exhibition, a collection of works from the state's most talented school graduates. Read more
19 Dec 2011
Earlier this year, Santos hosted local Adelaide high school students participating in the Asia Literacy Ambassadors program. Read more
18 Aug 2011
Peter Cleary (centre) hosting lunch for Adelaide business people. Guests from Transfield, Ernst & Young, Cobham Aviation, Finlaysons, Oz Minerals, Power Community Limited, and KPMG.
Last week, Santos Vice President Strategy and Corporate Development, Peter Cleary, hosted some of Adelaide's leading business people at a lunch to promote the outstanding work of the Yalari scholarship program. Read more
05 Jul 2011
Santos' Teof Rodrigues and Jodie Blyzno with students at the careers expo in the Alberton Oval clubrooms.
Alberton Oval – the spiritual home of the famous Port Adelaide Football Club – resembled a vibrant festival recently as over 300 Aboriginal high school students converged for the annual Aboriginal Power Cup carnival. Read more
02 Jun 2011
About 160 year 10 girls, their teachers and career counsellors from throughout the Surat Basin took part in the 4Girls2 forum.
Encouraging young females to consider entering the coal seam gas industry was the aim of the 4Girls2 forum held recently in Miles and Toowoomba, Queensland, where Santos representatives Trina Beach, Cangie Wu and Alicia Harrington shared their career experiences.
Read more
01 Jun 2011
Santos' Tom Baddeley with Santos Prize winner Chris Coman and head of Curtin University's Petroleum Engineering Department, Brian Evans.
Santos was centre stage at Curtin University's engineering annual prize-giving ceremony in Perth recently, with the company sponsoring two of the Department of Petroleum Engineering's awards for the 2010 academic year.
Read more
26 May 2011
One of Santos' major community partners, The Smith Family, is conducting its Back-to-School Appeal, which provides educational support to Australian children in need.
Read more
18 Apr 2011
Santos has announced a new three-year partnership with the Clontarf Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation committed to improving the education, discipline, self esteem, life skills and employment prospects of young Aboriginal men. Read more
07 Apr 2011
Santos employees and family and the Lonely Mouse cast. Back: Stuart Wood, Happy Mouse, Pretty Mouse, Mousey Mouse. Front: Kate Mann, Wil Murray, Mackenzie Dickeson, Tyrone Wood, Lily Murray, Aimee Kruger and the very scary Catty Cat.
Over the past fortnight Santos employees and their families in Whyalla and Adelaide have been enjoying performances at the 2011 Come Out Festival, proudly sponsored by Santos. Read more
05 Apr 2011
David Knox spoke to UniSA graduates about his experiences and the opportunities in the resources industry.
Santos CEO David Knox last week spoke at the graduation ceremony for students of the University of South Australia's School of Management and International Graduate School of Business. Read more
01 Apr 2011
Liam Gallagher
Santos' Liam Gallagher and Clare Murdoch intrigued more than 100 high school students with stories of how they use microfossils to locate hydrocarbons deep in the earth at the Palaeo Twilight session at the South Australian Museum recently. Read more
26 Nov 2010
Santos' outstanding apprentices were recognised last night at the Apprentice of the Year Awards ceremony at the Santos Centre in Adelaide. Read more
29 Sep 2010
Santos Manager Commercial Eastern Australia and SACOME Councillor, Andrew Freeman, hands over the keys to SACOME CEO, Jason Kuchel, and SACOME Director Membership and Communications, Megan Andrews.
The South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy's (SACOME) promotion of the resources sector in South Australia has received a boost with the donation by Santos of a four-wheel drive. Read more
13 Sep 2010
The ASP's Professor Steve Begg, Mohamed Hakin Kamid and the ASP's Pavel Bedrikovetsky.
A student of the Australian School of Petroleum (ASP) at the University of Adelaide, who completed his honours project in collaboration with Santos, has received the Australia-Malaysia Business Council of South Australia's top honour, the Patron's Award. Read more
06 Sep 2010
Signing the new support agreement.
Ten beneficiaries of Santos scholarships at the Sidoarjo Fisheries Academy in Indonesia graduated recently following three years of study. Read more
23 Aug 2010
Santos' GLNG office in Gladstone is helping local students build their experience in the workplace as part of a program that seeks to make the transition from school to work easier. Read more
28 Jul 2010
Competitors braved tough conditions in the Adelaide Hills.
Santos and the Central Districts Cycling Club recently partnered to present the 43rd annual Junior Cycling Tour of Adelaide at Macclesfield in the Adelaide Hills. Read more
26 Jul 2010
Science students gathered at Santos Centre.
Earlier this month, 60 of Australia's brightest young high school science students visited Santos to learn about the many careers and opportunities on offer in the energy industry. Read more
23 Jul 2010
Children enjoying the Santos Artspace.
Santos recently supported the highly acclaimed Fun4Kids Festival, an annual not-for-profit event held in Warrnambool, Victoria. Read more
22 Jul 2010
Keynote speaker Tan Sri Dr Munir Majid.
Santos has reaffirmed its strong ties with Asia, sponsoring the Asian Studies Association of Australia's 18th Biennial Conference 2010 held at the University of Adelaide this month. Read more
17 Jun 2010
Action in the girls' game at AAMI Stadium.
The 2010 Aboriginal Power Cup carnival and education development program, which uses Australian Rules football to encourage Aboriginal students in their studies and careers, reached its finale last weekend. Read more
11 Jun 2010
Britney Skeen, Bradley McAdam, Sally Halstead, K'Tahni Pridham, Jessica Halstead, Che Cockatoo-Collins (Santos), Rae Skeen, Peter AhSam and Jacob Nichaloff at Scotch College.
Santos is supporting the Aboriginal organisation Yalari, which assists Aboriginal students from remote and rural Australia to gain access to first-class secondary education. Read more
31 May 2010
Craigmore High School students with Santos' Che Cockatoo-Collins (back) and Kathryn Mitchell (right).
Santos recently hosted a group of Adelaide students involved in the Smith Family's Next Steps program, which aims to help high schoolers make the transition from school to work. Read more
17 May 2010
Members of the Central Districts Cycling Club.
The Central Districts Cycling Club has announced a three-year partnership with Santos for support of the annual Junior Cycling Tour of Adelaide. Read more
12 May 2010
Peter Cundall and author Bruce Morphett at the launch of Kitchen Garden: a Beginner's Guide.
Have you ever wondered how to grow that perfect tomato or longed to make pumpkin soup with ingredients straight from your garden, but your thumb is black instead of green?
Read more
16 Apr 2010
Rebecca Kiage, Hon James Marape MP, Pastor Isaac Joseph MP, and Gregory Balavue at the UCL SERAus in Adelaide.
The PNG Minister for Education, Hon James Marape MP, and the Deputy-Governor of Southern Highlands Province, Pastor Isaac Joseph MP, were hosted in Adelaide recently by representatives from Santos. Read more
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17 Mar 2010
Santos is supporting Palaentology Week 2010 at the South Australian Museum, which runs from 20-28 March. Read more
25 Feb 2010
Jordan Weetra with Statewide Group Training's Barb Cox, Port Bonython plant manager Warren Kruger, and indigenous training and employment adviser Che Cockatoo-Collins.
As a part of Santos' commitment to education, training and employment in the local community, the Port Bonython plant has taken on school-based apprentice Jordan Weetra. Read more
24 Feb 2010
Santos and the University of Queensland have signed a memorandum of understanding to push research and education programs that will help develop Queensland's coal seam gas industry. Read more
12 Feb 2010
Santos is supporting the opening of the new South Australian Biodiversity Gallery at the SA Museum, which opened today, 12 February. Read more
05 Feb 2010
Santos Aboriginal Training & Employment Adviser and former AFL star with Port Adelaide and Essendon, Che Cockatoo-Collins, and Santos Indigenous Affairs Manager, Andrew Antony, with students from LeFevre High School at Port's Alberton Oval.
Santos is joining the Port Adelaide Power AFL club to support the Aboriginal Power Cup and boost leadership programs and opportunities for Aboriginal secondary school children. Read more
07 Jan 2010
Mayor Ray Brown (far left) with councillors, council staff and Santos representatives at the official opening. Photo courtesy WDRC.
In a joint effort with the local Moonie community and council, Santos has supported the creation of a display to preserve the history of the regional Queensland town, where Santos has operated since 1961. Read more
08 Oct 2009
The RiAus has opened the doors to its newly refurbished headquarters in Adelaide, with significant help from Santos. Read more
30 Jul 2009
Santos CEO David Knox, Botanic Gardens of Adelaide Director Stephen Forbes and SA Premier Mike Rann at the reopening of the museum
The Botanic Gardens of Adelaide will receive $2 million from Santos to fund three important new initiatives. Read more
14 Jul 2009
Funi, one of the giant pandas due to arrive later this year. Photo courtesy Zoos SA.
The Santos Conservation Centre will be established as part of the new entrance to the Adelaide Zoo, backed by a $2 million contribution from Santos. Read more
27 Apr 2009
The University College London has launched its new Adelaide campus, a move made possible by a $10 million commitment from Santos. The UCL School of Energy and Resources Australia (UCL SERAus) is the university's first overseas campus in its 180-year history. Read more
30 Mar 2009
Santos has given $5 million towards the establishment of the Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus), an organisation which will promote scientific knowledge in the wider community. Read more
Page last updated 09 Sep 2014
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|Topic Review (Newest First)
V=IR and P=IV (I=current, V = volts, R = resistance, P = power).
Yes, the CREEs can be more efficient. That's why they are more expensive.
I don't know how linear the LEDs are with regards out input and output. Resistance can change. My general guess is they are somewhat linear until you get near max output, and then they saturate. Extra additional input equals to less additional output.
nice info
it would be fascinating to study.
slightly off topic. there are some amazing living sculptures using plants that are trained.
people are even weaving saplings to make walls and houses as they grow to trees.
nature is awesome.
|Build My LED
Back to your original question, I dont pay too much attention to the Red to Far Red (R:FR) ratio for most lighting applications, since most people are focused on Photosynthesis (i.e. bigger plants). If you are trying to induce a Phytochrome-related response (i.e. induced flowering, delayed flowering, taller plants, etc.), then you need to pay attention to the R:FR ratio. Per my earlier post, green and far red (especially far red) are transmitted through the plant canopy at a higher rate than blue and red. Over time, plants have figured out that a high level of far red light probably means they are being shaded by taller plants. Since they need light for photosynthesis, the plants realize they need to shift their energies into growing taller to get above the other plants. If they dont, they probably wont survive very long. Once above the canopy, the R:FR ratio changes, and the Phytochromes tell the plant to stop growing tall/spindly, and to put their energies back to growing more leaves/branches to catch more light for photosynthesis. This is called the Shade Avoidance Response, and it is a really interesting facet of photobiology. As mentioned, you can also use 660nm and 730nm to induce or suppress flowering in short day plants (SDP) and long day plants (LDP). I have worked on large commercial photomorphogenic lighting applications, and it is really amazing stuff.
Hope that helps
good to know that green light is important too.
It makes sense plants that are red, brown would need more green light.
Red to Far Red Ratio
what are your thoughts on the red to near red ratio?
i think I read somewhere in can be used as a way to measure PUR.
more importantly, i've just been doing some reading on phytochromes and was interested in this.
"Finally, phytochrome allows plants to detect the spectral quality of light, a form of color vision, by measuring the ratio of Pr to Pfr. When a plant is grown under direct sun, the amounts of red and far-red light are approximately equal, and the ratio of Pr to Pfr in the plant is about 1:1. Should the plant become shaded by another plant, the Pr/Pfr ratio changes dramatically to 5:1 or greater. This is because the shading plant's chlorophyll absorbs much of the red light needed to produce Pfr and absorbs almost none of the far-red light used to produce Pr. For a shade-intolerant plant, this change in Pr/Pfr ratio induces the plant to grow taller, allowing it to grow above the canopy."
McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology
does this mean with 2%far red we should only have equal 660nm.
if we increase both to the 20-40% range would that be detrimental.
maybe a balance. down to 7-15% for both.
what does every one think??
I'd be keen to hear your thoughts Nick.
great info Nick
thanks for sharing your expertise
|Build My LED
Concerning Lumens per watt. First of all, you need to compare apples to apples when comparing LEDs. LED manufacturers don't have a consistent method to publishing these numbers, so you need to dig into the spec sheets. Most companies publish this metric by flashing the LEDs with a 20 millisecond pulse of electricity. The LEDs are 'cold', so they are very efficient during the test. If you would test that same LED 10 seconds later, it would produce a lower Lumen number, since LEDs produce less light as they heat up. If you would test that same LED after it has been sitting over an aquarium for three hours, you would have an even lower number. While on this topic, it is important to note there can be significant losses with the optical and electrical systems in any lighting system. By the time you consider all three levels of losses (thermal, optical and electrical), the overall fixture efficiency is nowhere near the values published for the bare LED.
Concerning the green/yellow light, wasted energy issue. In summary, this is the worst myth on the Internet concerning horticulture lighting and photobiology. As long as photons between 400 and 700nm are absorbed, they are useful for photosynthesis. There are no wasted wavelengths in this band of light (electromagnetic radiation). Here is how the myth is usually propogated: "Plants are green, so they are reflecting the green light back to your eye, so the plants are not using it. Hence, green light is wasted energy. " Scientifically, this is absolutely wrong. Green light is very useful to plants, it just doesn't get absorbed by the chloroplasts as efficiently as blue and red light. Hence, the plant appears green. However, it is not reflecting all of the green light, and green light even has some advantages over red and blue light. Green light (and far red light) can penetrate deeper into the plant canopy, so spectra with green light usually outperform spectra that only contain red and blue light. In fact, NASA published a paper concerning this issue in 2004, and the green-enhanced light actually grew 45% more biomass than the red and blue spectra.
Finally, Kelvin is basically a useless metric for comparing different light sources, as it does not define a single color. In other words, you can buy a 5700K light from 20 different companies, and they will all look different, even though they are all correctly labeled 5700K. Google the 1931 CIE color chromaticity diagram, and you will see vertical black lines near the center of the chart. These vertical lines define the specific color temperatures (i.e. 5700K), and you will notice how they stretch from the pink region into the green region. That is why you will see so much variation while comparing lights based on the Kelvin scale. Alternatively, I recommend you look at the actual spectrum of light, as this is what is used to calculate the Kelvin temperature. By looking at the spectrum power distribution (SPD) chart, you will be in a much better position to compare various light sources for horticulture applications.
I hope this helps 'shed some light' on the subject on LEDs and horticulture lighting. This wasn't meant to be a comprehensive dissertation on the above topics, but I wanted to chime to add my two cents to the discussion :-)
that's some real food for thought ced
I was just reading the red spectrum causing algae. also plants (and coral) have adapted to their natural depth which means that too much red can be detrimental.
i understand what you're saying about the visual aspect of the yellows and greens.
it still amazes me that the colour things appear is the colour they're not.
i think i'll stay with my reef capable amount of blues but play with my wiring so that blues, whites, pur colours and aesthetic colours can be controlled and dimmed separately. thus i can have whatever temp/spectrum i need.
what i love about the diy led approach is that if i think i'm short of red or whatever i can just add a couple of LEDs and problem solved.
i haven't ordered yet but i shouldn't be far off. just finalizing some details.
let us know how your build goes. are you using dimmers?
[Ebay Link Removed]
If you look at the specs for the Cree XP-G's their 5W LEDs generate 260 lumens at 700mA.
Anyone know how to calculate the lumens per watts for these? Will a 5W Cree really run at 5W if you're only running at 700mA instead of it's max 1.5A?
From back in my high school days, P=IV so Power = Current * Voltage. I'm assuming that the voltage doesn't change for these guys so if you decrease current the power (wattage) should decrease proportionally.
> So the power consumption of a 5W Cree running at 700mA is closer to 2.3W.
> Which means the lumens per watt is ~113
> Whereas the lumens per watt of these "high-power" Chinese LEDs are ~60 (180lumens/3W)
> Which means the efficiency of the Crees is almost 2x!
Does that make sense???
Having greens and yellows can be argued to be "wasted" light because they don't aid in photosynthesis, but the more green and yellow light you send into the aquarium, the more those colors will shine off your plants and into your eyes.
I would be careful about having too many red likghts. I read somewhere (I think in the lighting sticky) that algae is better at utilizing red than blue light, so having high levels of red light without proper plant load could be conducive to algae blooms, etc.
More food for thought! Let us know what you're planning.
If I end up having more free time I might start up a thread documenting my DIY lighting for my DoAqua 90P tank. I just got my makersled fixtures and am waiting on my LEDs from China =]
thanks for doing that steve
there seems to be a lot of yellow and green in the spectrum (wasted energy?)
i'm still concerned with the kelvins ( in regards to penetration)
"It is also noteworthy that many "terrestrial plant lights" as well as many aquarium plant lights (often are lower in kelvin temperature) have more "red nanometer spikes" than higher kelvin 6500k, 10,000k & higher lamps.
The problem with these lights is that while all plants utilizing photosynthesis require the same essential ABCs of PAR (see the PAR section), the facts of light energy penetrating water requires higher kelvin (6500k +) be added to provide maximum PUR (see Useful light energy/PUR section). Aquatic Plants and corals have adapted/evolved to the natural light energy at certain depth of water and the misguided attempt to adapt these terrestrial plant lights is not going to be 100% effective as a light with more water penetrating blue & slightly lower red nm energy."
aquarium lighting by carl strohmeyer
I,m starting to think about adding some reds in strategic locations about the substrate
Your a bit mistaken on the blue part for planted tanks. Blue light does penetrate the most but planted tanks need full spectrum all the way to the substrate.
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Where are 'Dawson's Creek' stars today?
Published On: Jan 30 2012 07:34:39 PM PST Updated On: Jun 10 2015 11:00:00 PM PDT
With Joshua Jackson celebrating his 37th birthday on Thursday, join us for a look at what he and his fellow "Dawson's Creek" castmembers have been up to since the show went off the air.
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Kersey residents Justin Peiffer and David Slother have gotten used to people parking in their driveway as they take in their elaborate Christmas light display.
The Ruffner Lane residence is situated on state Route 948, making it an ideal location to showcase the 300- piece menagerie, featuring a variety of scenes including a choir, Disney characters, a Santa Claus train, numerous versions of Santa and Mrs. Claus, a CandyLand section, a reindeer sleigh,a garland archway in the driveway and an Arctic-themed display in the side yard.
While Jan. 1 marks the beginning of a new year, it also marks the start of many New Year's resolutions, a majority of which pertain to weight loss, smoking cessation, decreasing debt or becoming more organized.
Elk Regional Health Center is offering several programs to assist area residents in keeping their resolutions. Among the Highmark Health Insurance-sponsored programs are the "Drop 10 in 10" weight-loss program, "Discover Relaxation" and "Personal Nutrition Counseling."Â
The St. Marys Area Chamber of Commerce has extended its deadline for submissions for the 2010 "Business of the Year" nominations until Jan. 7.
The awards will be presented at the Chamber's annual banquet on Saturday, Jan. 29 at the Red Fern. Award finalists are invited to attend the banquet, where the winners of the Small Business of the Year, with 25 employees or less, and Large Business of the Year, with 26 or more employees, are announced.
Anyone may submit nominations for any Chamber business member. Self-nominations are also being accepted.
The Elk Conservation District voted unanimously to engage in a partnership with the Nature Abounds program.
"With regards to projects, it's getting kind of busy, some new things are coming about," said Elk County Watershed Specialist Kim Bonfardine. "It is the old Senior Environmental Corps (SEC), they used to be called the SEC-- Nature Abounds took over this program again."
The Elk County Commissioners passed the $28 million county budget yesterday morning during a short board meeting.
"Our budget has been on display for the past 20 days for the citizens of Elk County to go over our plan," said Elk County Commissioner Ronald T. Beimel.
The spending plan totals $28,199,038.26. The budget includes the $5 per capita tax and the hotel tax, which is not received by the county.
St. Marys resident Elizabeth Friedl recently called city council's attention to the need for better signage on Bavarian Hills Road in St. Marys, particularly in the area of what Friedl described as a "blind turn" at the top of a hill.
Friedl noted that she had spoken to city manager Dave Greene about the issue several years ago, but the problem has never been corrected.
"You have no warning at all that it is a blind spot," Friedl said.
She added that she was particularly concerned about individuals not familiar with the area having problems navigating the roadway.
During Monday night's Conservation District meeting, Elk County Watershed Specialist Kim Bonfardine announced a new monitoring project in the works to keep an eye on the Marcellus Shale drilling.
"My next project that I have on the list is called the Elk County Monitoring Project (ECMP)," Bonfardine said. "I'm trying to set up a monitoring project for whenever these wells are going to be drilled."
According to Bonfardine, the drilling can be kept track of with data loggers that will be put in the streams.
The need for volunteers has become even more imperative for the Elk-Cameron Counties Chapter of the American Red Cross, according to Bob Newell, executive director of the Elk-Cameron Counties Chapter.
"Volunteerism is dying. People don't volunteer like they used to. We will be relying more on volunteers to fulfill the mission of the Red Cross," Newell said.
Elk County Conservation District chairman Les Haas announced his resignation during last night's meeting.
The new chairman for the Elk Conservation District will be appointed at this morning's Elk County Commissioner's meeting at 10 a.m.
"I have learned that the commissioners can appoint someone to fill my position, so that will take place tomorrow [Tuesday] at the County Commissioner's meeting," said chairman Les Haas.
For more on this story, see the Dec. 28 edition of The Daily Press.
St. Marys resident Elizabeth Friedl recently addressed members of city council about a number of concerns involving city issues, including what responsibility the city has to subscribers of the Zito Media television service.
Mark Jacob, city solicitor, explained to Friedl that the city has a franchise agreement with Zito Media for the television service.
"Basically [Zito Media] pays the city for use of the lines within the right-of-ways of the city," Jacob said.


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Lately I have been all about the awesome map projects I have seen all over the Internet. You can see tons of inspiration on my maps and globes board on Pinterest. Now I am back with my own awesome map project. (Awesome in my opinion anyway). It all started with this little typewriter table I picked up at a yard sale for four bucks.
I knew right away that this was going to be my next map project. I started off with a little primer and white spray paint. Then I picked a few maps from my map collection. I wanted the maps to fit inside each of the three sections on top. I carefully cut out my map pieces and mod-podged them to the tray.
At this point it looked pretty awesome from a distance but up close it was a bit of a wrinkled mess. Plus, I knew I wanted the top to be a bit more durable than simply mod-podged paper. I decided resin would be the perfect solution. I had never used resin before so after doing some research I picked up some Envirotex pour-on resin at Michael's. This was the perfect choice. My table now has a durable, glossy finish and not a wrinkle in sight.
I've heard resin can be very finicky so I followed the directions for mixing the two parts to a T.
A few tips for using this resin:
- If you are using resin on top of paper, be sure to seal the paper surface first with a few layers of mod-podge or a similar sealer. Pay special attention to making sure the edges are completely sealed to the surface. If there are any bubbles or cracks, the resin will leak under the paper and cause discoloration.
- When you pour the resin onto your project, tiny bubbles will appear everywhere. The directions say to use a propane torch to easily remove the bubbles. I don't have a propane torch and I wasn't about to buy one. It does say that you can exhale gently to get the same results. I read a tip online to blow slowly through a straw which is what I did and it worked perfectly. DO NOT use a blowdryer. That will not help. It is not the heat that removes the bubbles, it is the carbon dioxide.
- If you do use the blow-through-a-straw method, be careful that no tiny drips of spit make it onto the resin. (Just being real here). Water droplets will cause bubbles that cannot be blown out. (This happened to me and I used a foam brush to gently remove the contaminated resin while it was still wet).
- Make sure to mix enough resin for your project. You don't want to run out. But also, pour very slowly so that you don't pour on too much. I overpoured one of the sections and it was a huge pain dealing with the overflow.
- It really isn't that hard to do a project like this. The resin is self-leveling so basically you just mix it and pour it on and it takes care of the rest.
I am so happy with how this project turned out. It was supposed to be for sale in my booth, but I just might keep it. This typewriter table happens to also make the perfect laptop table.
If you love map projects as much as me, be sure to hop over and check out my map mirror too.


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iMindMap puts the reins in your hands, so you are free to create in your own way.
You can add company logos, titles, footers – anything you want to create a map that looks and means what you need it to.
Drag and drop floating images anywhere on your map canvas, not just on the branches. This is easier than ever with the Insert Target, accessible from anywhere in your canvas. By doubling clicking on your canvas, you can bring up the Target and quickly insert floating images and text and many additional options.
Watch Floating Text in Action…


text: This track comes from Madalyn Merkey's album Scent, released earlier this year. The album was mastered right here in Chicago at Experimental Sound Studio, which is definitely worth looking into; Merkey is a Chicagoan herself. She released the album on New Images Ltd., which is run by Real Estate's Matthew Mondanile, aka Ducktails. Though this song features mostly synthesizer and effects, the album features heavily vocoded and otherwise processed vocals. Though I am wary to make unnecessary comparisons, I can't help but draw parallels between her and fellow synth-goddess Laurie Spiegel. Decide for yourself!


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White Noise: News On Suffocation, Xasthur, Alice In Chains, and Absu
Man, did this past weekend fly by. But don't they always seem to fly by? We're reaching the end of April, which means we're getting closer and closer to summer festival season. We're also right around the corner from a flurry of new releases, and today, we'll be bringing you the latest on what's coming soon to a record store near you. It


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18 April 2008Historic Scotland is pleased to announce that Dryburgh Abbey has retained its five star VisitScotland rating. The Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme has been operating since 1995, and gives operators an independent quality assurance award and incorporates the inspection of properties for 'Thistle' tourist signposting.
For further information


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Rand has ok'ed an ATL Open NT kickoff event on next Wednesday @ Perkerson.
If you're getting into town early, this course is only 10 minutes from Hartsifield Airport on your way into Atlanta. PP will be good practice for Central Park. I'm expecting 30+ people; hopefully some top pros.
Pre-NT Supersized PP Singles
Sign-in by 4:30
Starting @ 5pm sharp
1 round of singles
FULL 18-hole course setup
Course will be par 63, ~7,500'
$20 action + $5 ctps = $25 all-in
1 division; i will run a free division also....don't wanna exclude the UDGC
Baskets are needed!
This is gonna be pretty informal, so all baskets are welcome. I've personally got 7 and Josh has 3 in his truck, so we only really need 8 more. Post here or email me if you can bring one -- I want to be certain we've got 18 beforehand.
somebody mention this tonight @ ERP doubles; i can't make it


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- Hannah MIller
- Springfield, OH
- United States
This conversation is closed.
Is anyone else very frightened by what is going on in the Ukraine?
Russia threatening to invade the Ukraine in order to make it their territory.
Mar 26 2014: Hi Hannah,
I don't feel frightened by this event, and I know that this kind of thing has been happening in various parts of our world throughout history...it is nothing new. That being said, I feel compassion for those people who are in the middle of the controversy, and all the innocent people who are adversely impacted by the political maneuver.
On the other side of the coin, I am glad to see major countries step in to protest the action, and that is something that has happened at times in the past (WWll for example). The United Nations was formed as a peacekeeping organization, and unfortunately, it seems to be totally useless in situations like the Russia/Crimea conflict.
I find that watching "world news" on public television, with news coming from different countries, is sometimes a little more reliable when we want to have more accurate information and a bigger worldview.Mar 29 2014: "Never ask for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.."
Let's think about it !
Vera Nova
Mar 31 2014: A very short HISTORY of Crimea.
- +2
Who does have the rights to own the land in Crimea? Anyone who lives there right now, but Neither Russian government nor Ukrainian's have these rights to dominate over the Crimean land.
Cremia had a very long history of over a millennia before Russia and Ukraine appeared on Earth.
In the early Iron Age, Crimea was settled by East Iranian population.
Around two millennia ago Crimea was mainly populated by Greeks.
Since the 1st Century AD to the middle ages Crimea was populated and ruled by Romans, then Goths, Huns, Bulgars, Kipchaks and Khazars.
Greek city-states began establishing colonies along the Black Sea coast of Crimea in the 7th or 6th century BC. Feodosiya and Panticapaeum were established by Milesians. The southern fringe of the peninsula was controlled by the Byzantine Empire during the 9th to 11th centuries.
Crimea was under the control of the Turco-Mongol Golden Horde from 1239 to 1441. The Crimean Tatars as an ethnic group emerge as the population of the Crimean Khanate during the 15th to 18th centuries. Some small Jewish population was surviving among the Muslim Crimean Tatars.
Again, important to know - Russian and Ukrainian ethnic groups have appeared in 862. Moscow became a cultural center of Russia in 13th century.
Please read below
Vera Nova
Mar 30 2014: Begins ABOVE..
- +2
Again, important to know - Russian and Ukrainian ethnic groups have appeared in 862. Moscow became a cultural center of Russia in 13th century.
In 1783, the entire Crimea was annexed by the Russian Empire, numerous Greek Orthodox residents who lived on their land for TWO MILLENNIA, were deported from Crimea to the vicinity of Mariupol by the Russian government.
The Crimean War (1853–1856), a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Kingdom of Sardinia, and the Duchy of Nassau, was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining Ottoman Empire.
On October 18, 1921 Crimea became part of the new Soviet Union. However, this did not protect the Crimean Tatars from Joseph Stalin's repressions of the 1930s.
The Greeks were another cultural group that suffered. Their lands were lost during the process of Russian Communists' collectivisation, in which farmers were not compensated with wages. Schools which taught Greek
were closed and Greek Literature was destroyed!!
After Soviet repressions demolishing old culture and local population, large Slavic population influx occurred, ONLY RECENTLY, in the 1930s, as a result of the Soviet policy of regional "development". These demographic changes permanently altered the ethnic balance in the region.
P.S. For Comparison, please read what happened in Spain.
Islam was present in modern Spain from 709.
After 858 years !! of Islam people living in Spain, in 1567, King Philip II made the use of the Arabic language illegal, and forbade the Islamic religion, dress, and customs, a step which led to the Rebellion of Alpujarras, and the Morisco Revolt !! This was suppressed with considerable brutality. Troops commanded by Don John of Austria destroyed the town of Galera east of Granada, after slaughtering the entire population.Mar 27 2014: History is an ugly thing, and nowhere is this more evident than in South Central Europe. The area North and West of the Black Sea is some of the most conquered and re-conquered territory in the history of man. It sits at a natural choke point between Western Europe, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor (Persia), the Saudi Peninsula, the Balkan Peninsula. Many important rivers, and therefore ancient trade routes, drain into the Black Sea including the Danube and the Volga, Europe's two largest rivers.
Originally occupied by people that called themselves Thracians and Gatae, but were constantly raided by people know as Scythians (probably ancestors of the Slavic Rus), First conquered by Persians, they became pawns in the centuries long struggles between Persia and Greece in the Classic era.
The area then became part of the Roman Empire known as Dacia. As more Greek and Russian people moved in, more locals were pushed north of the Danube, where the name Gatae slowly changed to Goth. Being pushed south by invading Huns, the Goths got permission to move back south across the Danube. Seeing the Easter Roman Empire as weaker than expected, the Goths rose up in revolt, sacked Adrianople. The Goths then split, half moving into northern Italy, and eventually sacking Rome, while the rest held massive influence in the Byzantine Empire that took over the East after the fall of Rome.
Then came the Venetians, the Huns, the Turks (invaders from Mongolia), Arabians, Ottomans...Then the Rus.
The area has repeatedly tried to sort itself out on ethnic lines in what could be called genocide. Hungary for the Huns, Bulgaria for the Turks, Romania for the Greeks/Romans, Ukraine for the...Borderlands.
Sometimes trying to sort issues like this out, can be very ugly. Vlad the Impaler was a Hun trying to cleanse Transylvania of non-Huns. The Goths were frequently the people on the spikes.Mar 27 2014: It is my experience most people in the USA consider themselves US citizens first, and their ethnic group second. In many parts of the world, first comes ethnicity, then nationality. This makes it hard for us to "get it".
Places like Crimea are very difficult, because it is 70% Russian ethnicity. Those people want to be part of Russia, not Ukraine. However, by law, they are Ukraine, not Russia.
When it was all Soviet Union, Crimea was transferred from Russia to Ukraine. This would be like transferring Long Island from New York to New Jersey.... if the majority of people in New Jersey felt they were Jersietes first and Americans by conquest.
When the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1992, borders were drawn along current "state" borders, NOT on ethnic lines or where people wanted to be.
After the breakup, Ukraine had a massive nuclear arsenal, and neither Russia or NATO wanted all those nukes belonging to Ukraine. So, Ukraine agreed to give the nukes to Russia, and in return, Russia agreed to NEVER challenge the borders of Ukraine.
Now Russia is changing its mind. Ukraine, as a whole country, is majority ethnic Ukrainians that do not want to be Russia. However, Crimea and many other Eastern parts of Ukraine are majority ethnic Russians that want to be part of Russia.
Ukraine, as a whole, wants to reduce its economic ties to Russia and increase their economic ties to the West. After protests, the parliament illegally fired the pro-Russia prime minister and announced new government. This is illegal. The law says they would have to wait until normally scheduled elections.
So, with Ukraine breaking the law, changing to pro-Western government in an illegal manner, Russia has taken Crimea in violation of treaty, but in keeping with the desires of the people that live in Crimea.
It is difficult. Should a territory have to be in the nation that treaty says they are... or should the people of the territory get to decide? Answer: Depends who has more weapons
Lamb Lamb
Mar 27 2014: War should be obsolete! Forever….
- +2
" Powerful People join hands to make better system for our future, to change our world for good ".Apr 2 2014: Argos Xavier
"I am not frightened but concerned that the truth is not being told to the US and European people "
The real truth is that there is no simple truth.
The people of Crimea want to be Russia, not Ukraine.
Okay, BUT
1) that is because Russia killed or drove out the previous inhabitants.
2) to get Ukraine to give up its nukes after USSR dissolved, Russia agreed to never take parts of Ukraine.
So, the Russian population of Crimea should be held prisoners in Ukraine to international agreements?
1) This doesn't seem a great outcome to me.
2) I do not know the geographic and/or population boundary upon which power to vote to leave your current country. If Crimea were actually split 50-50, would some sub-section of Crimea be able to vote to leave Crimea? What is the atomic level of geographic-demographic, boundary that controls whether people do or do not have the right to vote?
Here is what I do know. Russia can not be trusted. If you make an agreement with Russia, where each side gives something, you can not trust Russia to keep its word. So, never give Russia anything it wants in an international agreement, because it will not hold to its side of the agreement.
Ukraine and Russia are playing a dangerous game, that history shows usually ends in bullets, bombs and blood.Apr 1 2014: I am not afraid of what's happening but I would say that I am concerned for the people of the Ukraine. I honestly believe that we should call Putin's bluff and put peace keeping forces there along the border. Russia does not want and cannot afford a war, they are counting on us doing nothing. If we do nothing but put sanctions on them they will waltz in and take more of the peoples land. The people of the Ukraine wish to be free and we should support them in any way that they may need. I am not suggesting we go to war, however we need to show a stronger position. A war would be a nightmare for all sides and Russia knows this as well as we do.
Apr 4 2014: Hi, James,
what is going on here in Ukraine (in fact, anywhere) touches everyone but to realise it, one need to understand that we do not stand alone, we are all interlinked.
Whatever politicians will do, your concern is what really matters, i truly believe so.
Thank you !!!Mar 31 2014: I was asked to explain that what will be a good thing if human's relationship to be more connected closely ( By Argos Xavier, 2014 ).
Human's relationship has been developing with 4-level: assimilation, acculturation, fusion and alternation.
It is focused on explaining: assimilation level – they are in the process of equilibration, which means balancing assimilation (fitting reality into their existing knowledge) only.
Again, my greatest concern is: " Ideas Worth Spreading & The Peace in the World ".
In Peace,Mar 28 2014: YES, YES, YES! We humans are unpredictable. If there are other intelligent beings out there in the vastness of the universe who are watching us, they would be very amused or very sad.Mar 27 2014: What I don't understand is why we are not learning from history. Why cant we think of a different way to solve all of our problems. We encourage our children to not solve their problems with violence, and there are consequences for when they do. If Tommy wants Bob's toy he should ask him for it rather than punch him in the arm and tell him to give it to him.When Tommy punches to get the toy, he gets a time out, but when he asks for the toy Bob either says yes or no. If Bob says no and Tommy is determined to get the toy Tommy proposes a deal. He challenges Bob to a competition of rock paper scissors so that he can play with the toy, but if he loses he wont play with it. When Tommy loses he is less upset because Bob earned his toy fair and square. How is it that we can encourage children to be civilized in solving problems when we are worse than them? Or at least our nation's leaders are. What a world we live in... By the way that was just a scenario. Notice that in my scenario the children settled things between themselves they didn't make their hole class pay for an action that was brought on themselves. In some ways I wish we were as wise as children. It would be a couple steps up from where we are now. Time to let rock paper scissors determine our fate. LOL I am just kidding but I know that war is not the only way to do this.
Mar 27 2014: I ask, you say no. I ask again, you say no.
Sometimes there is no ability/desire to compromise. World leaders are not going to decide matters like territorial disputes, especially if there is potentially $ billion of oil profits on the line, with a game of rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock.
In the 1840s, The United States was bound and determined to grow from sea to sea (Atlantic to Pacific). Problem was, Mexico stood in our way.
We ask, can we buy Northern Mexico from you? Mexico says "no".
We ask, can we buy Northern Mexico from you? Mexico says "no".
We ask, can we buy Northern Mexico from you? Mexico says "no".
We start marching our soldiers through their territory "to protect the rights of our citizens living in their country". When Mexico has had enough of this, and uses its army to try to stop our army from wondering around their country, we use it as justification for war.... we invade Mexico, capture their capital, and then...
With their capital in control of the USA army we ask: can we buy Northern Mexico from you? Mexico says "I guess so".
We pulled more gold out of California in 1850, then we bought the entire US Southwest from Mexico for in 1848.
And there in, is the answer to your question.
Why war? Because it works (for the side with the better military).Mar 28 2014: Dear Hannah,
You write..."What I don't understand is why we are not learning from history".
With your scenario, it seems like you DO understand....at least on some level....
"How is it that we can encourage children to be civilized in solving problems when we are worse than them? By the way that was just a scenario. Notice that in my scenario the children settled things between themselves they didn't make their hole class pay for an action that was brought on themselves. In some ways I wish we were as wise as children".
We see some history being presented here regarding why things happened, and it kind of goes back to the idea that "they" did this so we had to retaliate....we did this against "them"...they retaliated....on and on.....
It seems like most of the conflicts in our world since the beginning of humanity have been fueled by struggles for power and control....power over people....control of land and money. You insightfully recognize an important question...."How is it that we can encourage children to be civilized in solving problems when we are worse than them?" How are we going to change our world if we continue to repeat the same destructive patterns? It starts with us as individuals, and our "modeling" of certain behaviors.
I have a friend who is a retired kindergarten teacher, and for many years, she taught her classes conflict resolution on a kindergarten level, which the kids totally understood and practiced. One may think that a small kindergarten class in a small town in a small state cannot make a difference....but it does make a difference. Change needs to start in many little pockets of our world, and it is only then that we may see change on a grander scale. It is important to believe that it can actually happen.....be the change we want to see in our world.Mar 26 2014: It is not frightening; it is just reality. This is earth where humanity gets plagued with abuse of power.
If it is not Russia invading one country, it may be another country claiming to be 'spreading God's message' or 'defending human rights' or 'looking for weapons of mass destruction'.
Mar 26 2014: Unfortunately, it IS reality Feyisayo, as we have observed "reality" throughout history! To use some words from a song.......When will we ever learn....when will we ever learn?
My feeling, is that when/if we spend our energy frightened because of these situations, we are using energy that could be used in finding, encouraging, and supporting solutions.
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Mar 27 2014: Thank you for the history lesson. I knew most of this but some of it is new to me like the way that we were the ones that stated the Cuban missile crisis. I didn't really pay attention in history class it was never my cup of tea. Plus I didn't have to pay attention to pass because it was easy. I have always been more interested in English, Psychology, Math and Science.
My mind is focusing less on it's fear of being blown up at any given moment and I can concentrate on the more important things now so in a way this was a history lesson and a therapy session. Thanx.
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Mar 29 2014: Hi, Brendan,
i am in the epicenter of the conflict in question and one of my personal gains out of this experience ( the only one so far ) is the understanding that History is a RAP, really! To put it mildly , the world History i've been taught is a kind of a residue of a multifaceted flow of events, a convenient rhythmic narrative which has little to do with truth. Devil is in the details.
"Harsh realities for some of its people, but many of its people welcome those possibilities."
How do you know ?
I can assure you, as for the 'welcome' part there is nothing further from truth.Apr 2 2014: " There is nothing further from truth ". Is there nothing further from truth?
3 days ago, from News:
The U.S. Government required that Ukraine Government must reform their economic system seriously and this project is expected to be completed in April 2014 for gaining final approval processes.
1. The U.S. Department of Defense had supplied 300,000 sets of meal-ready-to-eat (MRE) and, transportation fee was valued at USD3,000,000 from USA to the Ukrainian Troops.
2. Under senate bill, the U.S. House of Representative is going to consider 2 aspects: providing USD1 Billion guarantee loan to Ukraine Government, also, the Russian economy will be sanctioned.
3. In short term, the IMF promised to provide financial assistance to the Ukrainian Government about USD14-18 billion for 2 years line of credit.Mar 30 2014: I am a lot more frightened by what I see happening in America, especially in Washington DC!
In Ukraine I see a whole bunch of Russians joining Russia, that should be a joyous homecoming. They be singing "Back in the US, back in the US, back in the USSR".Mar 29 2014: I am not frightened but concerned that the truth is not being told to the US and European people through our media and you are only getting the views that the government wants you to see.
The Ukraine was long a part of Russia with a majority of Russian speaking citizens before it split away.
Russia has long financed the Ukraine and supported it even after it split away. Yes there was corruption but every country has corruption including the US.
They had a vote in the Ukraine and it was almost unanimous that the people want to return to Russian control so do these people not have a right to choose their government?
If there was any force being used against the majority of people and they were not voluntarily choosing that government then I would say the US and UK have a responsibility to intercede but Russia is allowing people that do not want to stay in the Ukraine to leave peacefully and they did have a vote and election on the issue.
The US and UK governments have monetary, energy and military interests in the area but it is the Ukraine people that must be allowed to choose voluntarily what they want for their country or the whole idea of democracy and freedom goes out the window.
Mar 31 2014: "They had a vote in the Ukraine and it was almost unanimous that the people want to return to Russian control so do these people not have a right to choose their government?"
Russia agreed, in the Budapest agreement, to never challenge the borders of Ukraine. So Russia gave away the right of the people in Crimea to ever return to being Russia.
If Russia can not be trusted to fulfill its treaties, then why would anyone ever make treaty with Russia? The answer is, none of Russia's neighbors will trust it. If Russia wants to break its international agreements, then it is going to be very hard for Russia to make international agreements.
Mar 31 2014: No it doesn't work that way. The people of that country have a right to form their own government regardless of any former agreement. They only need a democratically authorized vote to do it.
Treatise are changed all the time and the US and UK has changed treatise many times.
Mar 31 2014: This gets into a philosophical argument that has been occurring since the dawn of civilization.
Some would argue you have the right to do anything that does not directly infringe on others' rights.
Some would argue that there are some restriction that do not impact others that is okay, but there is a certain set of inalienable rights (a set that can not be taken away) chief among them, the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Others would argue that government can limit anything, and "right" just means something that government hasn't banned.
Do people have the "right" to form self-government and break away from their current government? At what geographical unit does that apply. If a sub=piece of Ukraine known as Crimea can form its own government and break away from Ukraine, could a sub-piece of Crimea than break off from Crimea and rejoin Ukraine? Then, could a sub-piece of that sub-piece break off and join Romania?
Usually, this question is settled with guns, bombs and death.Mar 31 2014: Laws are created by man and changed all the time. One thing remains consistent that the majority rules and will always overcome if they have the desire or they will move.
That is what is happening in Ukraine and Russia is not preventing anyone from leaving the Ukraine that does not want to live there.
If they were preventing people from leaving or imprisoning or torturing people then it would be justified to step in nut there are UN and other countries observing the area and that is not happening at this time.
The history of the US and UK is full of similar events. The forcing of Native Americans on to reservations. The English invasion of many countries.
So it seems the US and UK only have a conscience when it is being done by someone else.
Apr 1 2014: This is not a law, it is an international treaty. An agreement made between multiple nations, and to change, all nations that agreed to the treaty, most agree to the change. If one participant in the international agreement decides to ignore and violate the treaty, then all nations of the worlds will know that the nation cannot be trusted to keep its word.
Majority rule, within limits of existing higher law. You did not address my question as to what level the majority can rule?
I have pointed out that this is very similar, but way more peaceful, to how the United States got the American Southwest (California, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah Colorado, (Texas))... with the exception that the USA never signed an international treaty with Mexico to not invade and force the to sell for pennies on the dollar. Obama's comment was 'This is not done in the 21st Century", Maybe not, but the USA certainly did it in the 19th Century.
And you know what? After we did that to Mexico, the world would have been right to distrust us. And they would have been correct to not trust us since we pretty much did the same thing to Spain 50 years later.
Again, what we see from history is that these issues are generally settled with bullets, bombs and death.Apr 1 2014: A treatise is just another form of law and enforced through legal action.
The amount to which a majority can rule would be determined by how they treat those not in power or a revolution usually follows. If once in power the majority leaders do not act in accordance with the wishes of their followers they are quickly removed.
To say what Russia is doing is wrong when the US and UK has done the same thing many times only proves that super powers will act in their best interests.
The fact remains they had a vote and the people voted to secede to Russian rule.
Apr 2 2014: And he fact remains that Russia had agreed to never take pieces of Ukraine. Russia has broken the agreement, and will not be trusted to keep agreements in the future.
"To say what Russia is doing is wrong "
I am not arguing the morality of the issue. Is it right or wrong to let Crimea determine its own fait? That is a very, very complicated issue with deep ramifications, and I am not willing to take a side on the issue. I do not know.
I am saying:
1) Russia has proven that it will ignore international agreements that it makes. Russia cannot be trusted to keep its word, because it has repeatedly broken its word.
2) Your argument that a vote proves something is flawed. It doesn't justify on what level of geo-political designation it uniformly applies too. You never even attempted to answer the question. If a sub-piece of Ukraine can vote to switch to Russia, can a sub-piece of Crimea now vote to leave Russia and return to Ukraine. What is the atomic level at which such a vote is or is not valid? Could me and 3 of my neighbors vote to leave the United States?
3) Historically, the most common way that question asked in point 2 has been answered is with guns, bombs and blood.Mar 27 2014: Hannah, As an American I do not have access to enough "facts" to form an opinion. I see the Ukraine demanding that Russia depart from Crimeria ... however I do not see the people of Crimeria resisting this annexation. I have knowledge of Putin spanking Obama on many political stages. I am aware that the USA does not have a diplomatic corps.
It is my opinion that this is a issue for the EU and the USA as a part of NATO should be in a supporting position not as a lead.
Russia has, in my opinion, oversteped some lines but has also stated that a national election would follow where the people would decide through their vote as to which side they opt. That is a democratic process we would have a hard time arguing with.
I find this a real issue as China is watching the USA fall in stature and power ... plus the new issue of NSA spying on China through Huawei .... we continue to lose face and friends/alies in the world. We once used China as a stick to beat Russia with and now China is leaning more to the side of Russia ... and a rising distrust of America. At risk is China making a play for Tawain.
Our current effort to apease China is to send the presidents family and mother-in-law on a vacation there at the expense of the taxpayers .... what results can we, the taxpayers, expect to see for the money (millions) spent.
In summary: I am more afraid what is happening here through our leadership, our debits, our venture into socialism, the political elected elite, and the apathy of the general public. The real question is how can we go about restoring our Republic and reengaging the people into the process.
A article today stated that millions are dropping both parties and defining themselves as Independents. A TED speaker stated that most Americans are Centeralists .... I believe this.
Yeah the Ukraine is a issue .... but should not be our frirst concern.
Be well. Bob.
Mar 27 2014: "I see the Ukraine demanding that Russia depart from Crimeria ... however I do not see the people of Crimeria resisting this annexation."
The facts are available, you just have to go find them. The evening news doesn't want to bore the viewers with stuff like complicated issues, and the 24-hour news networks are only interested in playing to their niche.
Crimea was Ottoman Empire (ruled by Turkey). In the early 1800s, Russia was expanding its control South East into what is now Ukraine. To stop this advance of Russian influence, Britain and France teamed up with Ottoman Turks to drive back Russia in the Crimean war.
However, that only slowed Russian advance. By WW I, with the Ottoman Empire in continued decline, and eventual breakup at the end of the war, Russia was in full control of Crimea and had heavy influence over mush of former Ottoman Eastern Europe. This lead to the formation of the Soviet Union, which many non-Russian people felt their countries were prisoner nations.
In the 1950s, to increase Russian ethnic control of Ukraine, Crimea (mostly ethnic Russians) was transferred from Russia to Ukraine. Think of it as gerrymandering...redrawing lines to alter political affiliations.
When the Soviet Union broke up, Crimea stayed with Ukraine, even though most people there consider themselves Russians.
It didn't become a significant issue until an illegal government change by Ukraine moved them away from socio-economic ties to Russia and toward tighter ties with the West.
Russia agreed to never do this, try to redraw the borders. They changed their mind.
Yes, the people of Crimea want to be Russia, but Russia agreed it would always be Ukraine.
Mar 31 2014: Hello Darrell. Yes, it's good to know some history, it helps.
Cremia had a very long history of over a millennia before Russia and Ukraine appeared on Earth.
In the early Iron Age, Crimea was settled by East Iranian population.
Around two millennia ago Crimea was mainly populated by Greeks - many cities have been established by Greeks and still have Greek names.
Turkish people who bloodily took over Crimea in 13th century, those you mentioned, were a mixture of a few ethnic groups speaking similar language, including Mongols.
Contemporary Russians came to live in Crimea after the previous population (mixed: Orthodox Greeks, Muslim Tatars, Germans.. ) was forcefully banished from their land by the Russian rulers...
Mar 31 2014: It is an ugly history for sure.Mar 27 2014: What scares me is the scenario sounds so similar to the start of WWI which neither side wanted but still moved to war.Mar 26 2014: Yes, and all of us should be.
For it is a sign of things to come and further proof China and Russia are now the only world super powers.
The USA and EU no longer has the power to stand for human rights for all, nor the will.
Mar 29 2014: What is your definition of super-power?
You are seeking for superpower that is a smallest dot.
A powerful and biggest government is barriers to those who dream to be " human ".
As People / I am not treated as a " human " that is a main reason: People / I left !
In a word, Super-power favors the bold, and power corrupts.
In Peace,Mar 29 2014: Do not the Russian people in Ukraine also have human rights to choose their form of government and rulers?
If the majority of people in Ukraine want Russia to take them back is that not their right?
Remember you live in the US and get only what news the government wants you to see and not the entire story. It was almost a unanimous vote by the people of Ukraine to return to Russian control.
Mar 30 2014: Are we all in the same levels of Ideas Worth Spreading?
My greatest concern is:
The world will become more open and human's relationship is more connected closely.
What is maximum hopping speed to the Peace in the World for Superpower's Country?
In Peace,
Mar 30 2014: Not sure I am following you.
Just because are all on TED in no way means we are on the same level or have ideas worth spreading. Having your opinions challenged is the only way to see how solid your reasoning for that opinion is.
Why are you concerned that people will become more open and relationships more connected?
Is there any evidence that being more connected to other cultures is a good thing?
When a larger society connects with a smaller society it usually takes over that society and they quickly are assimilated and lose their individuality and culture.Mar 31 2014: It sounds like you're the one only listening to your government's news.
I personally question all the news I get and I get it from multiple places, plus in this case I known people living in the Ukraine. A relative I have just finished 3 years of teaching in the Ukraine under the peace core, now he is trying to get his fiancee to come over.
The majority of Ukrainians that favor Russia only want strong ties with Russia and not to have been invaded by Russia. And a lot of Russians in Russia feel the same way.
In Crimea 80% favor Russia, not 100%. And in the North West it is just the opposite, and considering the north west is about half the country and Crimea is about a 10th it is highly unlike the majority of people in Ukraine want Russia to take them back or even strong ties with Russia.
The answer is simple: Make Crimea its own country and not part Ukraine or Russia. And allow Russia to have an overland easement to Crimea, I believe there is already a highway that could be used entering Ukraine around Mariupol.
Mar 31 2014: 80% is a MAJORITY!
The people of a country have the right to decide on their government and if they want to be incorporated. The US and UK have no business interfering in that decision as long as they are not being forced and the elections was democratic so all voices were heard.Mar 31 2014: Favoring Russia does mean they want to be invaded and taken by force by Russia, a lot in Crimea enjoy having ties with both Russia and Europe. And don't like that Russia is imprisoning and killing anyone that expresses pro-Europe views.
Russia seeks all of Ukraine and not just Crimea; they want an over-land route to the sea-ports and full control of the pipe-lines.
Mar 31 2014: They were not invaded. The people asked for help after the original government was thrown out from corruption charges.
You are repeating the BS the US news feeds you.Mar 26 2014: not really. you're being fed select information so you don't know the real story - the only people who do are the ones that are there.
in the end, if you're not actually there, why care? no-one with the power to make a difference is going to listen to you.
your version of events is exactly that - just one of many versions.
it seems obvious that countries kill and murder in the name of *insert anything you like*. russia won't be the first country to do this. USA have done the same thing lots
nothing new here and in fact, it's just boring for people like me - so removed from my reality that i've stopped listening