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Three years from now federal managers won't have debates about the benefits of cloud computing because most will assume that services are being delivered via some type of cloud infrastructure. Instead, they will be talking about big data; how they can get better access to data and ask more intelligent questions of the data, says Shawn Kingsberry, CIO of the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board.
Currently, the on-demand computing model is considered a new way of providing the services IT departments have been delivering over the past 30 years. However, "when you start to look three years forward, I don't think we are going to be talking about it because there is going to be an expectation that we are already leveraging it," Kingsberry said. RATB uses a cloud hub to manage multiple services.
"The real focus will be on how to connect disperse data sets to turn it into more intelligent information to better serve customers in more innovative ways," he said.
Kingsberry expressed his views on the future of the cloud during a panel discussion April 18 at the Microsoft U.S. Public Sector Federal Executive Forum held at the Washington National Harbor. Kingsberry joined other federal CIOs to discuss the state of cloud computing.
Acceptance of cloud computing among federal agencies will continue to broaden, and adoption will increase, panel members said.
"Trust on the government side is increasing as we see it work," said Chuck Riddle, CIO of the Government Printing Office.
At the Environmental Protection Agency, the workforce is seeing the benefits of moving commodity applications such as e-mail to the cloud. Managers are beginning to think of other ways they might leverage the cloud, said Malcolm Jackson, EPA's assistant administrator and CIO. EPA recently moved 25,000 employee mailboxes to Microsoft Office 365 for Government, a multitenant service that stores U.S. government data in a segregated community cloud and includes e-mail, calendars, scheduling and collaboration tools for internal and external use.
Jackson compared the concept of cloud computing to cellular telephone service, which is cloud-based. Cell phone users don't care what hardware or software their phone service uses; they just want the service. "That is the mindset I am driving in the agency," he said.
It is difficult to project how the cloud will evolve, Jackson said, but "I think the acceptance level will increase and utilization will increase over time."
There will be a broader adoption of hybrid clouds, said Rick Holgate, assistant director for science and technology and CIO of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Agency managers will have a portfolio of cloud service providers, and it is incumbent on managers to learn how to manage and plan for this environment, he said.
Security will continue to evolve along with agency managers' comfort level with security, Holgate noted. Better offerings will come from industry, and all of these factors will help the government "shift away from something that we call cloud that is really [just] offsite hosting."
Cathy Ricketts, CIO of the Naval Sea Systems Command, said there will be stronger partnerships between government agencies and cloud hosting providers. The entities will work together to figure out the most efficient way for agencies to use services and providers to offer those services.
About the Author
Rutrell Yasin is is a freelance technology writer for GCN.
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The paperless office is revolutionizing businesses mainly due to the help of document management.
An example of DMS that can help companies in this topic is OpenKM.
OpenKM offers time and cost savings in terms of document management and its commitment to management between users.
More info at: http://www.openkm.com
Call me old fashioned, but aggregating all of this data into the hands of a few "cloud" computing companies is a bad idea. The real cost comes as a loss of control. Businesses need total control of the servers storing their data and running applications. You never know who's on the other end of the cloud browsing your files or opening emails. And now that we know that all the big tech companies hand over any information the government orders, that should be enough to stop anyone from using cloud-based email.
An organization should not use cloud computing or the Internet for data or information it cannot afford to lose or cannot protect. An organization should establish explicit rational conditions governing its policy decisions and practices associated with cloud computing or Internet use. These rational conditions should span Internet availability, unprotected vulnerability, proprietary information, and unacceptable consequences.
Furthermore, in the event that an organization considers crossing this red line and ignoring the rational conditions for Internet use, the organization should categorize the urgency of each such proposed use as vital, necessary, or desirable and systematically utilize both the rational conditions for Internet use and the threshold of risk and consequences associated with the urgency for the proposed use.
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Seoul - Galleria
Vacheron Constantin's Galleria boutique in Seoul is located in High Jewellery & Watch Zone of the Galleria East department store, situated in the heart of the luxury shopping district in Gangnam, Seoul. Galleria East is a highly privileged mecca for the traditional luxury shoppers to discover the exceptional timepieces.
Seoul Galleria
Displaying the boutique's exquisite timepieces, the impressive Venetian glass decorations in the showcases illuminate watches more brightly and splendidly, and create an environment of modern and refined elegance. Galleria boutique was designed to share the passion for high-end watches in the size of 55 square meters,, with a classic touch of sophistication and refined elegance. The embracing soft color emanates a warm and comfortable atmosphere like in a living room of an old manor. Visitors are led into where elegant timepieces are displayed with watchmaking excellence and artistic crafts during 261 years of uninterrupted history and arresting watch collectors and aficionados.

subset: commoncrawl


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KIEV, Ukraine — Ukraine's opposition failed Tuesday to force out the government with a no-confidence vote in parliament, leaving the country's high political tensions unresolved.
The opposition called for the vote in protest both of President Viktor Yanukovych's shelving of a long-anticipated agreement to deepen political and economic ties with the European Union and the violent tactics used by police to disperse demonstrators protesting that decision.
The dispute has brought crowds as big as 300,000 to the streets of Kiev, the largest outpouring of public anger since the 2004 Orange Revolution.
The no-confidence measure got the support of 186 members of the Verkhovna Rada, 40 shy of the majority needed. Even if it had passed, Yanukovych would have remained president, but the prime minister and cabinet would have been ejected.
Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, attending the parliament session with his cabinet, apologized for the violence by riot police against protesters, but otherwise defended the government's course and denounced protesters who have blocked access to government offices.
Such actions "are not the path to European integration but to dictatorship," he said, hitting the desk with his fist as opponents jeered.
Azarov, like Yanukovych, has said Ukraine wants further integration with the EU but cannot now bear the burden of the trade losses with Russia it would presumably suffer. Ukraine is also deeply dependent on natural gas from Russia, which previously has sharply raised prices for its neighbor.
Russia opposes closer Ukraine-EU relations, hoping to draw Ukraine into a trading bloc of several former Soviet republics.
Yanukovych on Tuesday left the country for a trip to China, where he is expected to sign an array of economic cooperation agreements.
After the no-confidence motion failed, several thousand demonstrators remained outside the parliament building, but there was no immediate unrest.


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Saturday, July 26
Today is Saturday, July 26, the 207th day of 2014. There are 158 days left in the year.
Highlights in history on this date:
1821 - Turkey and Russia sever relations after Turkey refuses to protect Christian subjects.
1847 - Liberia becomes the first African colony to declare its independence.
1891 - France annexes South Sea island of Tahiti.
1908 - The Federal Bureau of Investigation — the FBI — is established in the United States.
1926 - Philippines legislature calls for plebiscite on independence but it is vetoed by U.S. governor-general.
1942 - British Royal Air Force stages heavy raid on Hamburg, Germany.
1945 - Britain, United States and China demand Japan's unconditional surrender as terms for peace in World War II; Winston Churchill resigns as Britain's prime minister after his Conservatives are defeated by the Labor Party.
1947 - The U.S. Department of Defense is established under the Armed Forces Unification Act.
1952 - Eva Peron, popular leader and wife of Argentine President Juan Peron, dies of cancer at age 33; Egypt's King Farouk abdicates in favor of his infant son after a military coup led by Gamal Abdel Nasser.
1953 - Fidel Castro leads an attack on army barracks in Santiago, Cuba, in the hope of sparking a popular uprising. Most of the 160 revolutionaries are killed and Castro is captured but later receives an amnesty.
1956 - Egypt's President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalizes Suez Canal, and Britain, France and United States announce financial retaliation.
1968 - Twenty guerrillas attack the U.S. air base at Udorn, Thailand, from which U.S. jets flew bombing missions against North Vietnam. It was the first raid on an American base in Thailand.
1974 - Konstantinos Karamanlis, new Greek premier, forms civilian Cabinet after seven years of military rule in Greece.
1984 - Liberian President Samuel K. Doe lifts four-year ban on political activity as part of a plan to restore constitutional rule with general elections at the end of following year.
1990 - Iraq agrees to pull thousands of troops back from Kuwaiti border after Kuwait agrees to cut oil production.
1991 - Communist leaders overwhelmingly approve Mikhail Gorbachev's new party platform, abandoning decades of Marxist dogma.
1992 - Iraqi President Saddam Hussein ends a three-week standoff and allows U.N. inspectors to search the Agriculture Ministry in Baghdad for chemical weapons.
1994 - Israel warns of a new wave of terrorism by Islamic extremists after a car bomb wrecks part of its London embassy, injuring 14 people.
1997 - K.R. Narayanan takes the oath of India's presidency, the first member of the class once known as "untouchables" to do so.
1998 - Prime Minister Hun Sen's party wins a majority in Cambodia elections a year after he ousted his rival Prince Norodom Ranariddh in a bloody coup.
1999 - In New York, the 30th anniversary of the legendary Woodstock musical festival ends violently with fires, looting and vandalism.
2000 - The European Union proposes a ban on the import of "conflict diamonds" from Sierra Leone. The proposal matches a similar resolution passed by the U.N. Security Council.
2001 - Indonesia's ousted President Abdurrahman Wahid vacates the palace and leaves the country, ending a standoff and clearing the way for his successor, Megawati Sukarnoputri.
2002 - A court in Jakarta, Indonesia, convicts Hutomo Mandala Putra, son of former President Suharto, of hiring the assassins who murdered the Supreme Court justice who convicted Putra of fraud.
2003 - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issues an advisory to airlines and law-enforcement agencies about the possibility that al-Qaeda would attempt more suicide hijackings of commercial airliners sometime late in the summer in Europe, Australia or the United States.
2004 - The European Union joins the United States in pushing for "imminent" U.N. sanctions against Sudan if it does not end the conflict in its western Darfur region. Sudan criticizes the move, saying it would just make things worse.
2005 -Judges in Amsterdam hand down a rare maximum sentence of life with no possibility of parole for the Dutch-born Muslim who confessed to — and expressed no regret for — shooting, stabbing and nearly decapitating filmmaker Theo van Gogh.
2006 - Israeli aircraft and artillery fire at Palestinian militants in Gaza, killing 18 Palestinians, including at least three little girls, as Israel presses ahead with its offensive alongside fighting in Lebanon.
2007 - Four rare mountain gorillas, including an alpha-male silverback, are shot dead at Congo's Virunga National Park by an unknown gunman. Only an estimated 700 mountain gorillas remain. None exist in captivity.
2008 - At least 29 people were killed and 88 wounded when a series of small explosions hit the western Indian city of Ahmadabad.
2009 - In a drive to inoculate people against swine flu before winter, many European governments say they will fast-track the testing of a vaccine, arousing concern among some experts about safety and proper doses.
2010 - A U.N.-backed tribunal sentences the Khmer Rouge's chief jailer to 35 years for overseeing the deaths of up to 16,000 people — the first verdict involving a senior member of the "killing fields" regime that devastated a generation of Cambodians.
2011 - Kosovo's prime minister defends an order for his special police to take control of two contested border crossings with Serbia, saying it was "the right decision" despite condemnation from the European Union.
2012 - Syria's most prominent defector, Brig. Gen. Manaf Tlass, offers himself up as a figure to unite the fractious opposition, saying he failed to persuade his former friend President Bashar Assad to end a bloody crackdown that has killed thousands of Syrians.
2013 — Egypt's criminal investigation against the ousted president is likely just the start of wider legal moves against Mohammed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood — ominous prospects for a country seething with violent divisions.
Today's Birthdays:
George Bernard Shaw, Irish writer (1856-1950); Carl Jung, Swiss psychologist (1875-1961); Antonio Machado, Spanish writer (1875-1939); George Grosz, German painter (1893-1959); Aldous Huxley, British author (1894-1963); Blake Edwards, producer/director (1922--2010), Stanley Kubrick, U.S. film director (1928-1999); Mick Jagger, British pop singer (1943--); Kevin Spacey, U.S. actor (1959--); Sandra Bullock, U.S. actress (1964--); Kate Beckinsale, English actress (1973--).
Thought For Today:
Death is better, a milder fate than tyranny — Aeschylus, Greek playwright (525 BC - 456 BC).


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V Magazine Winter 2011 Model Covers, by Carine Roitfeld [Pictures]
See V Magazine's First Model Covers in Two Years, Styled by Carine Roitfeld
V Magazine Winter 2011
>> V magazine collaborated with Carine Roitfeld on its first model covers in two years. The issue, on newsstands Nov. 8, featured four covers with two models apiece, styled by Roitfeld and photographed by Terry Richardson: Candice Swanepoel and Joan Smalls; Daphne Groeneveld and Saskia de Brauw; Sui He and Hanaa Ben Abdesslem, and Bambi Northwood-Blyth and Lindsey Wixson.
"It's a big moment of change in fashion. In some cases, you feel like it's the end of an era. I have been feeling this with cover subjects, and especially models," Roitfeld explained. "These eight girls are unique, not one is like the other. Candice is the only blonde and blue-eyed of this new generation of supermodels. Joan is black, Sui He is Asian, Hanaa is North African. It's their diversity that makes each of them, to me, truly modern. They bring a new energy to fashion." The magazine plans to celebrate the issue on Sunday with a Halloween party at the gay nightclub Escuelita, hosted by Richardson, Swanepoel, Smalls, Northwood-Blyth and He.


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January 12, 1941 - September 17, 2013
Newburgh, NY
Ms. Audrey P. Lockwood a 72 year resident of Newburgh, NY, entered eternal rest Tuesday, September 17, at St Luke's Cornwall Hospital- Newburgh Campus. She was born January 12, 1941 in Tampa, FL. Audrey was the third child of the late Paul and Geraldine Lockwood.
She attended the Newburgh school system, graduating in 1959. She was an active member of Baptist Temple Church. She worked for Orange County Department of Social Services for 20 years.
Audrey professed Christ at an early age, joining the Ebenezer Baptist Church of Newburgh, NY. In the 1980's she became a charter member of Baptist Temple of Newburgh, NY, under the direction of the late Reverend Saul S. Williams.
Audrey was a loving and caring person, affectionately called "Gram" by all.
She leaves to celebrate her life, daughter, Deidre Lockwood; granddaughter, Quiandra Lockwood; God-children: Alexis Courtwright, Mekhi Hines, Harmony Rodriquez; nieces: Akesha Gore, Wilmore Gore; nephew, Unique Gore; great-nephew, Tyrone Gore, great-great nephew, Messiah Gore and very close friend, Junius Garland.
She was predeceased by her sister, Vera Gore; nephews: Lawrence D. Gore Jr. and Paul Gore.
Ms. Lockwood will lay in repose from 10 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 20th at Baptist Temple Church, 7-11 William St., in Newburgh. Services are at 11 a.m. at the church; Reverend Byron Williams will officiate. Interment will be at Cedar Hill Cemetery, Middle Hope, NY.
Professional services entrusted to Rhodes Funeral Homes, 259 Walsh Ave., New Windsor, NY 12553. "Committed To Being The Very Best" Call us anytime at 569-1233.


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One of the most ubiquitous and long-lasting recent changes to the surface of our planet is the accumulation and fragmentation of plastics. Within just a few decades since mass production of plastic products commenced in the 1950s, plastic debris has accumulated in terrestrial environments, in the open ocean, on shorelines of even the most remote islands and in the deep sea. Annual clean-up operations, costing millions of pounds sterling, are now organized in many countries and on every continent. Here we document global plastics production and the accumulation of plastic waste. While plastics typically constitute approximately 10 per cent of discarded waste, they represent a much greater proportion of the debris accumulating on shorelines.
Mega- and macro-plastics have accumulated in the highest densities in the Northern Hemisphere, adjacent to urban centres, in enclosed seas and at water convergences (fronts). We report lower densities on remote island shores, on the continental shelf seabed and the lowest densities (but still a documented presence) in the deep sea and Southern Ocean. The longevity of plastic is estimated to be hundreds to thousands of years, but is likely to be far longer in deep sea and non-surface polar environments. Plastic debris poses considerable threat by choking and starving wildlife, distributing non-native and potentially harmful organisms, absorbing toxic chemicals and degrading to micro-plastics that may subsequently be ingested. Well-established annual surveys on coasts and at sea have shown that trends in mega- and macro-plastic accumulation rates are no longer uniformly increasing: rather stable, increasing and decreasing trends have all been reported. The average size of plastic particles in the environment seems to be decreasing, and the abundance and global distribution of micro-plastic fragments have increased over the last few decades. However, the environmental consequences of such microscopic debris are still poorly understood.
1. Introduction
In the last half-century, there have been many drastic changes on the surface of the planet, but one of the most instantly observable is the ubiquity and abundance of plastic debris. Like many anthropogenic impacts on natural systems, it is one that, despite widespread recognition of the problem, is still growing and even if stopped immediately will persist for centuries. From what started as a perceived aesthetic problem of plastics littering towns, countryside, shores and even far out into the ocean soon emerged as causing the choking and entanglement of wildlife. The number of potentially harmful implications of plastic debris that have been identified has escalated and it is now realized that these items may also transport persistent organic pollutants (POPs; Mato et al. 2001), non-indigenous species to new locations (Barnes 2002) and distribute algae associated with red tides (Masó et al. 2003). Reports of accumulation of plastics spread rapidly in terms of the taxa influenced, geography and bathymetry of affected sites and countries beginning monitoring and beach clean-up operations. Schools and voluntary organizations have made annual coastal collections of stranded plastics; an important educational issue even on many of the planet's most remote islands. In some areas though, notably on the seabed, assessment of plastic accumulation has been relatively neglected (Goldberg 1994). Since 1990, the dumping of rubbish at sea from ships has been prohibited under the international shipping regulation MARPOL Annex V. A reduction of ship-derived plastic debris should therefore be expected, even if global use of plastics continues to increase. To gain an accurate and meaningful assessment of plastics and their influence, large-scale and long-term monitoring is needed across countries and environments (including the sea floor) and across a range of debris sizes. These can broadly be divided into macro-debris (>20 mm diameter), meso-debris (5–20 mm) and micro-debris (<5 mm); here we also use the term mega-debris (>100 mm) (see Ryan et al. 2009; Thompson et al. 2009).
Natural marine debris of some type (e.g. pumice) has floated on the surface of the global ocean for longer than life itself, but life greatly increased this through floating algae, shells, seeds, fruits and wood. Human activities and travel by water must have further greatly increased flotsam (e.g. by timber), but by far the biggest change in the potential for transport by debris came with the mass production of plastics. The accumulation of both macro- and micro-plastics has consistently increased on shores and in sediments for the last four decades (see Thompson et al. 2004; Barnes 2005, respectively). Their inexpensive, lightweight and durable properties have made plastic much more single use and 'throw-away' than previous synthetic artefacts. Such compounds do deteriorate in ultraviolet (UV) light, but haline environments and the cooling effect of the sea mean degradation require very long exposure times (Gregory 1999). Because plastics become fouled by marine organisms relatively quickly, the debris may also become shielded to some extent from UV light, and the persistence of this debris was recently illustrated by accounts that plastic swallowed by an albatross had originated from a plane shot down 60 years previously some 9600 km away (Weiss et al. 2006).
Mega-debris at sea was highlighted by tens of thousands of each of basketball shoes, hockey gloves and bath toys released from containers washed off of ships (Weiss et al. 2006). There are many sources for plastics accumulating in the environment from direct dropping and dumping of litter on land or at sea to blowing from landfill sites, losses in transport and accidents. Typically, 40–80% of mega- and macro-marine debris items are plastic, much of it packaging, carrier bags, footwear, cigarette lighters and other domestic items (Derraik 2002; Barnes 2005). A recent study by Ivar do Sul & Costa (2007) across Central and South America also found marine debris dominated by land-based plastic (though sometimes fishery gear can be abundant along continental shores as well). At more remote islands, fishing-related sources of debris are often more prevalent. Following establishment of 'long-term' monitoring surveys of stranded debris in the 1990s, there are now sufficient data to explore seasonal, annual and long-term patterns (e.g. Morishige et al. 2007).
Most waste plastics, including the large proportion used in single-use applications such as packaging, are disposed of in landfill sites. However, plastic persists in landfill sites and if not properly buried may later surface to become 'debris'. Durability of plastic ensures that wherever it is, it does not 'go-away'; that is, by placing plastics in landfill we may simply be storing a problem for the future. Although accumulation of plastics on land is important, little information is available on the amounts, rates, fate or impacts, whereas there has been a major effort to quantify impacts on shorelines and at sea. In this paper, we examine waste generation and disposal, together with the abundance, composition and fragmentation of plastic. We then consider temporal and spatial trends in accumulation of plastics on strandlines, the sea surface and at depth on the seabed. We assess published data and present new surveys and observations of spatial and temporal patterns to evaluate whether persistent marine debris, such as plastics, are still increasing and whether it varies geographically?
2. Anthropogenic waste and plastic accumulation in landfill
Plastics are present in most waste, and before trends in accumulation of plastic can be explained, it is important to first consider waste generation and disposal. Global production of plastics is estimated at 225 mt yr−1 (APME 2006). Waste composition data are useful to identify the relative quantity and types of plastic. As discussed in the contribution by Teuten et al. (2009), different plastics and resins have widely varying properties with respect to contaminant sorption and desorption.
(a) Waste generation
Waste is typically categorized based on its point of generation. Categories include municipal, commercial, industrial, agricultural and construction and demolition (C&D). However, there is ambiguity within these categories. For example, in the USA, municipal solid waste (MSW) includes that generated in residential, commercial and institutional (e.g. schools, government offices) sectors, while in other countries, MSW may include anything from residential waste only to all waste managed in the municipal system (e.g. C&D, non-hazardous industrial). This complexity is exacerbated by the fact that some municipal systems manage residual materials from the treatment of water and wastewater. This relatively heavy waste will distort the composition of dry wastes such as plastics.
Considering these multiple categories, it is difficult to compare waste composition between countries. Waste is typically classified by the agency in need of the information, and surveys are typically designed with specific goals. For example, a waste sort conducted to support planning of a recycling programme would identify commonly recycled plastics, including pigmented and translucent high-density polyethylene (HDPE) containers and clear and pigmented polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and classify the remaining plastics as 'other'. These categories are useful in this (recycling) context, but are less complete for a study of plastics in the environment. Another confounding issue is that the types of plastics present vary between municipal, agricultural and C&D waste. Municipal waste is dominated by containers (e.g. drink bottles) and films (e.g. carrier bags, packaging sheets), agricultural waste may contain large quantities of a single film and C&D waste may contain polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe and large plastic containers. Thus, a municipal stream that contains 10 per cent (by mass) plastics is not equivalent to a C&D stream containing the same percentage.
Waste composition may also be presented on either an 'as-generated' or 'as-discarded' basis. The former includes all the waste generated in a particular sector, prior to separation for recycling, composting or other treatment. In contrast, 'as-discarded' indicates the waste remaining for disposal after the aforementioned separation. In areas with significant recycling programmes, the difference between waste generation and waste disposal could be 20–40%, and waste composition will change as recyclables are removed. If properly managed at the end of its useful life, plastic waste may be recycled, burned in combustion facilities to generate energy or buried in landfill. In each of these alternatives, the waste should be destroyed or contained, so that plastic is not released to the environment. The major release of plastics to the environment is the result of inappropriate waste management and improper human behaviour, e.g. littering (abandoning waste away from collection points). For example, plastic films can be released to the environment when not transported properly, and as a result of wind-blown litter at the point of burial in a landfill. Well-operated landfills include a daily cover over the waste consisting of soil or a synthetic material and fences surrounding the landfill to contain wind-blown debris.
(b) Plastics production and recycling
Annual global consumption of the major plastic resins is considerable (Andrady & Neal 2009). Films (e.g. carrier bags, plastic sheets) are easiest to escape containment as wind-blown debris and are likely the major component of terrestrial plastic litter but plastic litter also includes discarded fishing equipment, food and beverage packaging and many other items that are present in the marine environment (Koutsodendris et al. 2008). Films are dominated by low-density polyethylene (LDPE)/linear LDPE (LLDPE). We present information on plastics in MSW in the USA and their management (table 1). The quantities recovered (i.e. for recycling) as a fraction of total discards shows that recycling rates are relatively low. In the USA, plastic recycling is largely limited to drink containers although local authorities continue to expand the types of plastics collected for recycling. In general, citizen participation rather than industrial capacity limits the quantities of plastics recycled. Efforts to provide incentives for recycling can increase the fraction recycled (Loughlin & Barlaz 2006).
In the USA, durable goods, products that last on average for >3 years and include items such as furniture and appliances, were the most important use for new plastics (figure 1). Non-durable goods, products that are consumed in <3 years such as trash bags and eating utensils, were the next biggest use category. In Europe, data on various packaging applications are typically combined rather than considered separately and hence disposable packaging represents the principal use of plastics (37%, PlasticsEurope 2008).
(c) The fraction of plastic in household waste
Plastics in the waste from various countries is estimated at approximately 10 per cent (of mass). Such estimates can only be used as an indication of plastics composition for several reasons. First, the data are not all from the same year. Second, where possible, data are on an 'as-discarded' basis to reflect the composition of waste after diversion for recycling. However, it is not always clear whether the data were reported 'as-generated' or 'as-discarded'. Third, the waste components included in national surveys vary within and between countries. For example, the US data are for wastes defined as MSW. Finally, country-specific data compiled for Europe (Eurostat 2007) are self-reported at the national level and are unlikely to have been generated using a consistent methodology. In the USA, plastics are estimated to comprise 11.8 and 16.3 per cent of MSW as-generated and as-discarded mass, respectively. The composition of discarded plastics is given in table 1 (US EPA 2006). In Europe, plastics are estimated to comprise 7 per cent of waste mass as-generated. Similarly, plastics were estimated to represent 5.8, 7.3, 8–10 and 10 per cent of waste mass in Singapore, Australia, the UK and Finland, respectively (Barlaz 2006; Burnley 2007; Sokka et al. 2007). Finally, plastics were estimated to comprise 4 and 13 per cent of waste in regions of China that use coal and natural gas, respectively, and the country-wide average for urban areas is projected to be 14 per cent plastics in 2030 (World Bank 2005). Despite the uncertainty, estimates from around the world are reasonably consistent in estimating plastics to comprise approximately 10 per cent of municipal waste mass. In contrast, plastics comprise 50–80% of the waste stranded on beaches, floating on the ocean surface and on the seabed (Gregory & Ryan 1997; Derraik 2002; Barnes 2005; Morishige et al. 2007).
3. Temporal and spatial trends in accumulation
(a) Ocean surface and beaches
Many plastics are buoyant (46%; US EPA 2006) and remain so until they become waterlogged or amass too much epibiota to float. Plastic items are commonly found at the sea surface or washed up on the shoreline. Mass production of plastics began in the 1950s, so less than a century ago we estimate that the amount of anthropogenic debris at sea would have been three to four orders of magnitude lower and restricted to much more degradable items. Some of the earliest accounts of plastic debris in the marine environment are of fragments and pellets ingested by seabirds in the 1960s (e.g. Kenyon & Kridler 1969; Harper & Fowler 1987), but now plastic mega- and macro-debris is routinely observed from boats everywhere on the planet. There has been a rapid and substantial increase in anthropogenic debris on the ocean surface and beaches over recent decades (e.g. Dixon & Dixon 1981; Derraik 2002; Barnes 2005), but of more pertinence now are the current spatial trends. Surveys of anthropogenic debris and clean-up operations have generally focused on the larger items along strandlines, and there is a wide geographical variability in the type of data available to examine potential trends. However in the last three of decades, it has become apparent that the raw material for making plastics, tiny pellets and micro-plastics have become more numerous (as marine debris) and, like larger pieces, these can travel considerable distances. Volunteer observations and collections in a growing number of nations are aiding our understanding of the scale and pattern of distribution of larger size fractions of plastics in the marine environment, but specialist examination is generally needed to investigate accumulation of micro-plastic, e.g. in sediments (Thompson et al. 2004). Beaches are the most easily accessible areas for studying marine debris (although such studies have some confounding factors), yet despite the establishment of many study sites, irregularity of sampling, differing protocol and observers have led to very few datasets spanning more than a decade (Barnes & Milner 2005).
The distribution of plastic debris is very patchy at sea for a variety of reasons, including local wind and current conditions, coastline geography and the points of entry into the system such as urban areas and trade routes. For example, stranding of larger size fractions of plastics is between one and two orders of magnitude less per length of coastline on remote shores and at large spatial scales, abundance correlates very strongly (Pearson's correlation = 0.971, p < 0.001) with human population (per 10° latitude; Barnes 2005). Enclosed seas and semi-enclosed seas such as the Caribbean (Coe et al. 1997), typically have high densities of plastic debris but also considerable variability. High densities and variability can also be a feature of open ocean coastlines e.g. Brazil (Santos et al. 2005) and Hawaii (Dameron et al. 2007). One of the key sources of interannual variability seems to be changes in oceanic circulation driven by El Niňo events (Matsumura & Nasu 1997; Morishige et al. 2007). Typically about 2000 and 500 items of anthropogenic debris strand on north and south Atlantic Ocean shores (respectively) per linear kilometre per year, of which more than half is plastic (scaled up from surveys of items >1 cm in size along 200 m long beach sections; Barnes & Milner 2005). More than six times as much plastic strands in the Mediterranean Sea and less than six times as much strands in the Southern Ocean shores (Barnes & Milner 2005; table 2). Despite considerable variability in observation and accumulation rates of plastic debris, some temporal trends do emerge. Studies initiated in the 1980s and 1990s indicated that the rate of plastic stranding from oceanic sources showed a sustained and considerable increase over time (e.g. Ryan & Moloney 1993; Ribic et al. 1997; Torres & Jorquera 1999). Similarly, the occurrence of macro-plastics associated with wildlife (e.g. in bird nests and stomachs, entangling seals, strangling a wide variety of vertebrates or even used by hermit crabs instead of shells; Barnes 2005) also drastically increased. For example, between 1992 and 2005 the frequency of plastic garbage items in kittiwake nests increased from 39.3 to 57.2 per cent in northwest Denmark (Hartwig et al. 2007). Monitoring of strandings and effects on mega-fauna (such as birds) has now commenced on at least a few remote island shores in every ocean, and these, with negligible local sources of plastics, have revealed the scale at which anthropogenic debris is accumulating. Barnes (2005) found high levels but no consistent temporal trends in the abundance of anthropogenic debris on northern hemisphere shores compared with much lower levels, but increased densities through the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s were reported in the southern hemisphere. The highest increases were at high southern latitudes (Barnes 2005). However, new data (reported here) show that patterns of stranding on islands are no longer clearly increasing and may be stabilizing, though often with a 'noisy' signal of annual variability (figure 2, see also Ryan et al. 2009). A similar lack of clear temporal trend in stranding densities of plastics is apparent in data collected intermittently at Ascension I., in the tropical Atlantic Ocean, and in the Falkland Is., south Atlantic Ocean (D. K. A. Barnes 2002, 2003 unpublished data). Approximately 27 per cent of macro-debris items stranding at Ascension I. was fishery-related, similar to remote Tern I. in the Hawaiian Is. (Morishige et al. 2007). This is much less than on shores adjacent to important fisheries e.g. in Brazil (Oigman-Pszczol & Creed 2007) or even sub-Antarctic Bird I. (Walker et al. 1997). Bird I. and Signy I. in the Southern Ocean (figure 2) have stranding densities of plastics an order of magnitude lower than remote localities at low latitudes, which in turn have at least an order of magnitude fewer plastics per kilometre than urban sites. Further south in the Southern Ocean, debris washes ashore much more rarely at Adelaide Island (west Antarctic Peninsula). The relatively consistent level of abundance for macro- and mega-debris at sea at high southern 1latitudes is supported by recent resurveys around the Drake Passage, Scotia Arc and northern Antarctic Peninsula (figure 3). Fifteen years after the first (Barnes & Milner 2005), the most recent survey of this area took place early in 2008 and will involve the first marine debris surveys of the south Bellingshausen and Amundsen seas. Visual surveys such as these are weaker as a source of data than surface-towed trawls but much more common and thus arguably comparable with data collected elsewhere, despite being semi-quantitative. Gregory et al. (1984) reported similarly low (on a global scale) levels of floating anthropogenic debris in the Ross Sea (Pacific sector) of the Southern Ocean. Observers from the University of Essex in conjunction with Greenpeace are currently undertaking repeat survey of plastics at sea in this area. As on surrounding strandlines, the north Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean have high densities of floating plastic debris, especially at 20–40° N within a few hundred kilometres of the coast and in the gyre centres, e.g. between the tropical and subarctic waters (Matsumura & Nasu 1997). A recent (2005) survey of the subtropical convergence zone in this area showed plastic debris to be concentrating there remotely using satellite imagery (Pichel et al. 2007).
We know much less about the use by and distribution of organisms that hitch hike on plastics and other anthropogenic debris than about the debris itself. Macro- and mega-plastics have the potential to carry a wide range of species and support the growth of many to reproductive viability. The high abundance, lengthy durability and travel of plastics to even the most remote coasts make them a major potential vector for the dispersal of organisms (Gregory 2009). New data from surveys of marine debris stranding in the Seychelles in 2005 and 2006 showed that on some beaches >60 per cent of items carried fouling organisms, the highest reported anywhere (D. K. A. Barnes 2002 onwards, unpublished data). This is of significance because the prevailing currents that travel from north Australia and south Indonesia during summer (South Equatorial) and from Somalia, India and N. Indonesia during winter (Indian Monsoon) could potentially transport a very wide range of species to less biodiverse, mid-ocean islands. Recent surveys of marine debris at Ascension I. (reported here for the first time) found 38, 40 and 41 per cent of debris colonized by fauna in 2002, 2003 and 2005, respectively. Much of this had probably also travelled considerable distances given the prevailing currents come from the cape of South Africa. The likely response of many species to rapid regional warming is to move pole-ward to stay within their normal thermal envelope, but in previous phases of warming (interglacial periods), there were few vectors to travel on. Now plastic debris, ship hulls and other vectors make transport more rapid and frequent, and unprecedented warming at high latitudes also means that establishment success of potential invaders is likely to be higher.
(b) Seabeds from shallows to abyss
As at the surface, both in the open ocean and on strandlines, it is clear that the abundance and distribution of anthropogenic debris show considerable spatial variability. The geographical distribution of plastic debris is strongly influenced by hydrodynamics, geomorphology and human factors. Moreover, there is notable temporal, particularly seasonal, variation with a tendency for accumulation and concentration along coastal and particular geographical areas.
Under the weight of fouling by a wide variety of bacteria, algae, animals and accumulated sediment, plastics can sink to the seabed (R. C. T. 1997 unpublished data). Change in the nature, presence or abundance of anthropogenic debris on the sea floor is much less widely investigated than surface patterns. Studies that investigate seabed debris typically focus on continental shelves, and research into the deeper seabed, which forms about half the planet's surface, is restricted by sampling difficulties and cost. Patterns in even the shallow subtidal can differ substantially from the adjacent strandlines. Oigman-Pszczol & Creed (2007) found plastic to constitute a much greater proportion of debris on the nearshore Brazilian seabed than on the shore. While sonar does not enable discrimination of different types of debris, trawling (e.g. using Agassiz) is probably the most adequate method to date, particularly when mesh size and opening width can be manipulated (Goldberg 1994, 1995; Galgani & Andral 1998). Such nets are only semi-quantitative and because of their design for collecting epibenthos, probably underestimate the quantities of debris present. Therefore, pole trawling, with a constant mouth width, which works deeper in sediments, is considered the best approach. To date all off-shelf trawl data from submersibles have used this methodology. General strategies to investigate seabed debris are similar to methodology for benthic ecology and place more emphasis on the abundance and nature (e.g. bags, bottles, pieces of plastics) of items rather than their mass. Interpretation of trends is made difficult because the ageing of plastics at depth is not well researched and the fall of plastics to the seabed began long before specific scientific investigations started in the 1990s. Plastics have been found on the seabed of all seas and oceans across the planet, but macro-debris is still very rare in the Southern Ocean, particularly in deep water. For example a recent series of 32 Agassiz trawls and 29 epibenthic sledge tows (at 200–1500 m depth, B. A. S. 2006 unpublished data) around the most (human) visited area, the northern Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Arc, found just one plastic piece and one metal shot. Large-scale evaluations of seabed debris distribution and densities anywhere are scarce (but see Galgani et al. 2000; Lee et al. 2006; Koutsodendris et al. 2008). However, there are a large number of small-scale studies that have investigated anthropogenic debris in coastal areas such as bays, estuaries and sounds (see table 2 and references therein).
The abundance of plastic debris is very dependent on location, with values ranging from 0 to 7290 items per hectare (Ha) (although an extreme find of 10 110 anthropogenic items Ha–1 was found in 1998 at one position, 43º42′84″ N, 7º22′98″ E using a pole trawl). Assessments of abundance clearly demonstrate the domination of this debris by plastics, as at more than half the study sites plastics constituted >50 per cent of debris (table 2). Of the areas investigated to date, Mediterranean sites tend to show the greatest densities owing to the combination of a densely populated coastline and shipping in coastal waters and a lack of dispersion of plastics because of limited tidal flow or water circulation. In general, bottom debris tends to become trapped in areas of low circulation and high sediment accumulation in contrast to floating debris, which accumulates in frontal areas. Debris that reaches the seabed may already have been transported considerable distance, only sinking when weighed down by fouling. The consequence is an accumulation of plastics debris in bays rather than the open sea (Hess et al. 1999; Stefatos et al. 1999). Some accumulation zones in the Atlantic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea have very high debris densities despite being far from coasts. These densities relate to the consequence of large-scale residual ocean circulation patterns. There are higher densities in particular areas such as around rocks and wrecks or in depressions or channels (Galgani et al. 1996). In the North Sea (figure 4), accumulation of plastics 320 km offshore from Denmark (Galgani et al. 2000) is a consequence of several factors. These include the eddying circulation in the central North Sea (Delhez & Martin 1992) and long-term circulation of water from the gulf stream transporting plastics northwards (Breton & Salomon 1995) and to the convergence zone of seabed sediment movements, owing to local decreases in turbidity and turbulence (Tappin et al. 1997).
Large rivers are responsible for substantial inputs of debris to the sea bed (Williams & Simmons 1997). They can transport waste out to sea because of their high flow rate and the strength of bottom currents. In smaller rivers, the displacement is slight, and waste can be found in zones adjacent to or in the estuaries and is often coincident with fronts (Acha et al. 2003). Patterns of debris transport should therefore be linked to river flow strength and may follow patterns similar to deposition of sediment load (often depositing only small amounts of material immediately along the coast).
Deep submarine extensions of coastal rivers also influence the distribution of seabed debris. In some areas, local water movements transport plastics away from the coast to accumulate in zones of high sedimentation. Under these conditions, the distal deltas of rivers can fan out in deeper waters, creating areas of high accumulation (Galgani et al. 1996). Continental shelves often have lower concentrations of debris since most of the anthropogenic debris in the outer shelf originates from coasts to shelves that are washed offshore by currents associated with river plumes. Data from the shelf areas off the River Rhone (Galgani et al. 1995b) and California (Moore & Allen 2000) show that circulation can be strongly, locally influenced by storm water events. The accumulation of plastics in coastal canyons may also be related to strong currents occurring in the upper part of canyons, which decrease rapidly in deeper areas resulting from increased confinement. Accordingly, debris distribution seems to be more temporally stable. An inevitable effect of this is the presence of greater amounts of debris in deeper shelf waters than in coastal waters (Galgani et al. 1996, 2000).
A wide variety of human activities contribute to these patterns of seabed debris distribution, including proximity to fishing activities, urban development and tourism. Also with plastic as a main component, debris from the fishing industry is prevalent in fishing areas (Kanehiro et al. 1995; Galgani et al. 2000). This type of material accounts for a high percentage of debris, for example up to 72 per cent in eastern China Sea (Lee et al. 2006) and 65 per cent in the Celtic sea (Galgani et al. 2000). Finally, fishing gear was also the dominant source of both plastic and overall debris in California (Moore & Allen 2000).
Investigations using submersibles at depths beyond the continental shelf usually consider the number of items per linear kilometre because of variability in transect width. They have revealed substantial quantities of debris (figure 5). Besides the high densities found in coastal canyons (up to 112 items per kilometre and 70% plastics), plastics and other anthropogenic debris were found widely dispersed at slope and abyssal depths (Galgani et al. 2000). Deployment of a remotely operated vehicle submarine in the Fram Strait (Arctic) (Galgani & Lecornu 2004) revealed 0.2–0.9 pieces of plastic per linear kilometre at Hausgarten (2500 m). On dives between 5500 and 6770 m, 15 items of debris were observed, of which 13 were plastic, probably carried there by the Norwegian current in the North Atlantic. At such latitude and bathymetry, there is negligible human activity, suggesting long-distance transport of debris. Even more than on the sea surface or strandlines of remote locations, such as in the Southern Ocean, accumulation trends in the deep sea are of special concern. Most polymers are highly persistent in the marine environment and only degrade slowly via photo-catalysis when exposed to UV radiation (Andrady 2003). Estimates for the longevity of plastics are variable but are believed to be in the range of hundreds or even thousands of years depending on the physical and chemical properties of the polymer, but this is likely to be greatly increased at depth where oxygen concentrations are low and light is absent. We know little about trends in accumulation of debris in the deep sea as studies are rare, but the data we have indicate considerable variability. For example, in some areas, such as the Bay of Tokyo, debris densities decreased from 1996 to 2003 (Kanehiro et al. 1995; Kuriyama et al. 2003). In contrast, abundance remained stable in the Gulf of Lion, France during a similar period (figure 6). Furthermore in some areas around Greece, the abundance of debris at depth has increased over the last 8 years (Stefatos et al. 1999; Koutsodendris et al. 2008). Interpretation of temporal trends is also complicated by annual variations in debris transport, such as seasonal changes in flow rate of rivers. Other seasonal factors include variation in the position of water fronts, the intensity of currents, swell, winds and upwelling, which influence both the distribution and densities. Nevertheless, if we extrapolate from existing data, it would appear that in the Mediterranean Sea as a whole there are about 3 × 109 debris items (floating or sunk), of which 70–80% are plastic. New initiatives to minimize littering and to reduce, reuse and recycle plastic should ultimately reduce plastic input into the sea, although usage is still very high. However, fragmentation of macro- and mega-plastics to micro-plastic pieces will also contribute to future trends in the abundance of visible plastics.
4. Fragmentation of plastics in the environment
The longevity of plastics is a matter for some debate, and estimates range from hundreds to thousands of years. It is considered that (with the exception of materials that have been incinerated) all of the conventional plastic that has ever been introduced into the environment still remains to date unmineralized either as whole items or as fragments (Thompson et al. 2005). However, since we have only been mass-producing conventional plastics for around 60 years, it is too early to say exactly how long these materials will persist. Despite the durability of these polymers, plastic items are fragmenting in the environment as a consequence of prolonged exposure to UV light and physical abrasion (Colton et al. 1974; Gregory 1978; Andrady 2003; Thompson et al. 2004). This is particularly evident on shorelines where photo-degradation and abrasion through wave action make plastic items brittle, increasing their fragmentation.
Some of the first evidence of accumulation of plastic fragments in the environment came indirectly from examination of the gut contents of sea birds in the 1960s (e.g. Kenyon & Kridler 1969). Later, in the early 1970s, small fragments of plastic were observed in seawater collected with plankton samples from the North Sea (Buchanan 1971) and were subsequently reported on much broader scales in the northwestern Atlantic (Colton et al. 1974). There have since been numerous reports of fragments in the oceans, on the seabed and on shorelines worldwide (figure 7), and there is clear evidence that the abundance of these fragments is increasing (figure 8). The UK Marine Conservation Society, which organizes annual voluntary beach cleaning on shores all around the UK, reports a 30 per cent increase in the abundance of large fragments (1–50 cm in size) and a 20 per cent increase in the abundance of smaller fragments (<1 cm) between 1998 and 2006 (MCS 2007). On shorelines close to Plymouth, one of us (R. C. T.) recently recorded strandline material with >10 per cent (10.89 ± 0.67, mean ± s.d.) by weight of plastic fragments and pieces (including some pre-production plastic pellets, which are used to manufacture plastic products). In 2004, Thompson et al. (2004) reported on the abundance of even smaller fragments of plastic, some just 20 µm, in diameter, which had accumulated on shorelines around the UK. Using plankton samples archived by the Sir Alistair Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science, it was evident that the abundance of this microscopic debris had increased significantly in recent years (figure 8). Similar fragments have since been identified from shorelines worldwide (figure 7), and in terms of numerical abundance, micro-plastic can constitute over 80 per cent of intertidal plastic debris at some locations (Browne et al. 2007).
Fragments of plastic can be identified using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy to match spectra obtained from unknown debris items to those of known polymers. Using this approach, a range of common polymers including polypropylene, polyethylene and polyester have been identified as fragments and microscopic fragments. These materials have a wide range of domestic and industrial uses from rope and packaging to clothing, and it seems likely that the fragments are forming from the breakdown of a wide range of everyday plastic products (Thompson et al. 2004). In addition to this 'natural' deterioration, it has been suggested that plastic items are also deliberately being shredded on board some ships in order that plastic waste can be concealed in food waste discharged at sea (van Franeker et al. 2004, 2005). The abundance of small items of plastic is further increased by the use of plastic particles as scrubbers and abrasives in commercial cleaning applications (Gregory 1996) and by spillage of pre-production plastic pellets (approx. 5 mm in diameter) and powders such as those used for rotomoulding (approx. 300 µm in diameter) (e.g. Carpenter et al. 1972; Colton et al. 1974; Gregory 1978). Hence, it is apparent that small items of plastic are entering the environment directly and that larger items of debris are fragmenting.
The accumulation of plastic fragments is of particular concern because they are difficult to remove from the environment and because they have the potential to be ingested by a much wider range of organisms than larger items of debris. Marine mammals, turtles and numerous other organisms are known to ingest large items of plastic including bags and bottles (Laist 1997; Derraik 2002). Smaller fragments can be ingested by birds, fish and invertebrates (Thompson et al. 2004; van Franeker et al. 2005). Upon ingestion, it is possible that these small fragments may present a physical hazard in a similar way to larger items of debris by clogging feeding appendages or the digestive system (Laist 1997; Derraik 2002). Microscopic fragments are also be taken up from the gut into other body tissues (Browne et al. 2008). In addition to concerns about the physical hazards presented by this debris, it has also been suggested that plastics could transfer harmful chemicals to living organisms (e.g. Oehlmann et al. 2009; Talsness et al. 2009; Koch & Calafat 2009). A range of chemicals are used as additives in the manufacture of plastics. These increase the functionality of the plastics, but some such as phthalate plasticizers and brominated flame retardants are potentially harmful and have been associated with carcinogenic and endocrine disrupting effects (Teuten et al. 2009). In seawater, plastics are also known to sorb and concentrate contaminants, which have arisen in the environment from other sources. These contaminants include persistent organic 'pollutants' such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), nonylphenol and phenanthrene, which can become several orders of magnitude more concentrated on the surface of plastic debris than in the surrounding seawater (Mato et al. 2001). It has been widely suggested that these sorbed contaminants and the chemicals additives that are used in manufacture could subsequently be released if the plastics are ingested (Teuten et al. 2009). Small and microscopic plastic fragments present a likely route for the transfer of these chemicals because they have a much greater surface area to volume ratio than larger items of debris from which they have originated and because of their size they are available to a wide range of organisms, including deposit feeders such as the lug worm, Arenicola marina, that feed by stripping organic matter from particulates (Mayer et al. 1997; Voparil et al. 2004). Recent in vitro modelling studies predict that even very small quantities of micro-plastic have the potential to significantly increase the transport of phenanthrene to A. marina (Teuten et al. 2007) and work in this volume has examined the uptake of contaminants from plastics by birds (Teuten et al. 2009).
Given current levels of production and the quantities of plastic that are already present in the environment, it seems inevitable that the abundance of plastic fragments will continue to increase for the foreseeable future. More work is therefore needed to model the environmental consequences of this debris and to produce environmental risk assessment models to predict the transport of a range of contaminants by fragments of common polymers (Thompson et al. 2005; Thompson 2006; Teuten et al. 2007).
5. Summary and conclusions
Less than 60 years ago, the mass production of plastics started and now most items that people use, virtually anywhere on the planet are partly or wholly made of this inexpensive, durable material. Plastics have transformed the surface of the planet, far beyond areas of human population density—fragments of all sizes are ubiquitous in soils to lake beds, from remote Antarctic island shores to tropical seabeds. Plastics turn up in bird nests, are worn by hermit crabs instead of shells and are present in turtle stomachs. Humans generate considerable amounts of waste and the quantities are increasing as standards of living and the population increase. Although quantities vary between countries, approximately 10 per cent of solid waste is plastic. Up to 80 per cent or sometimes more of the waste that accumulates on land, shorelines, the ocean surface or seabed is plastic. The most common items are plastic films, such as carrier bags, which are easily wind blown, as well as discarded fishing equipment and food and beverage packaging. Strandline surveys (beach-cleaning operations) are now organized in many countries and provide information about temporal and spatial trends. However, these surveys typically only provide data on coarse trends and larger items. There is considerable variation in methodology between regions and between investigators, and more valuable and comparable data could be obtained by standardizing monitoring approaches (Ryan et al. 2009). Accumulation rates vary widely with many factors such as proximity of urban settlements, shore use, prevailing wind and ocean currents and region. There were dramatic increases in quantities of mega- and macro-plastic debris in the northern hemisphere up to the 1990s. Quantities of debris in the oceans appear to have stabilized over the last decade but have increased on shorelines. However, this could indicate quantities of debris entering the sea are declining, but the material already in the sea is progressively being deposited on the shore or sinking to the deep. Accumulation rates are much lower in the Southern Hemisphere but are still increasing significantly, although repeat surveys on remote Antarctic islands and ocean areas suggest stabilization over the last decade. Fouled by organisms and sediment, plastics can sink and form an even higher proportion of human waste reaching the seabed, and quantities in excess of tens of thousands of items square kilometres have been reported. As on beaches and the ocean surface, enclosed seas such as the Mediterranean have the highest densities, but investigations in deeper waters have shown that high accumulation rates can stretch far (hundreds of kilometres) from the coast, particularly adjacent to large river mouths or in canyons. As in surface environments, trends of debris accumulation on the seabed increase at some locations, but are stable or decreasing at other sites. Quantities of debris in the oceans appear to have stabilized in the oceans over the last decade but have increased on shorelines. The problem of plastic fragments has taken on increased importance in the last few decades. From the first reports in the 1970s, it was only a few years before the widespread finding of plastic including reports of microscopic fragments (20 µm in diameter). The abundance of microscopic fragments was greater in the 1980s and 1990s than in previous decades. It has also been suggested that plastic waste is deliberately being shredded into fragments to conceal and discarded at sea. Plastics of all sizes are now reaching the most remote and deepest parts of the planet, and although we have much better knowledge of their sources, quantities and distribution, we still understand little about their longevity and affects on organisms. Further, we have made little progress in reducing the release of plastic to the environment (see discussion in Thompson et al. 2009). Temporal trends of macro-plastics on remote islands suggest that regulations to reduce dumping at sea have been successful to some extent. However, our sustained demand for plastic means that contamination of the environment by micro-plastic pieces seems set to increase. In addition, future sampling may reveal increasing quantities of debris in the planet's least known habitat, the deep sea.
The authors would like to thank past marine debris observers on beaches and ships who have generously given up their time and effort to recording items. The authors would also like to thank Alison Cook for help in preparation of figure 7; also Mark Brown and Stuart Niven for analysis of micro-plastic data in figure 7.
One contribution of 15 to a Theme Issue 'Plastics, the environment and human health'.
- © 2009 The Royal Society


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How To Sound Like The Arctic Monkeys – A Complete Gear Guide
This is a November 2014 Update, with lots of new info at the end of this article, as well as featuring some suggestions for those who want a similar setup but on a smaller budget!
Arguably the biggest rock band in Britain right now, the Arctic Monkeys. Here's a look at what gear they've been using in their gigs.
Here's a quick overview of recommended gear if you want an affordable setup that's similar to what Alex Turner has used through the years. Our Complete Gear Guide will then go into as much detail as possible regarding Alex Turner's (and to a small degree, Jamie Cook's) gear from their debut album all the way through "A.M."
We hope you'll enjoy! Please feel free to share, comment, and post suggestions or correct any info! This guide aims to be the most complete Arctic Monkeys guitar guide on the web...
How to get smiliar gear, on a budget!
Fender Standard Stratocaster
Epiphone Les Paul Custom
Orange Crush Pix 20LDX
Vox AC15VR
Laney Cub 8
MXR Distortion +
Ibanez Tubescreamer TS9
Dunlop Fuzz Face Mini
Ibanez Tubescreamer TS808
TC Electronic Alter Ego Delay
MXR Uni-Vibe
Firstly, it's good to point out that their current setup is quite different from the one they used to have when they were touring their first album, "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not".
EARLY YEARS (Whatever You Say I Am, That's What I'm Not)
Singer/ guitarist Alex Turner had two Pro Co Rat 2 pedals, a Boss TU-2 Tuner (discontinued, now TU-3) and that was it. His amp of choice was an Orange AD30. His main guitar was a white Fender Standard Stratocaster. View Alex Turner pedalboard
Lead guitarist Jamie Cook 's setup was fairly simple too: A Fender Telecaster 62 reissue. His pedals were a MXR Distortion+ , a Electro-Harmonix Big Muff and, at least for a while, he could be seen using a T-Rex Dr. Swamp twin distortion pedal. View Jamie Cook pedalboard.
He also had a Boss TU-2 Tuner (again, now TU-3). His amp back then was a Hiwatt Custom 50-Watt 2×12 Combo
Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys and Hiwatt Hi-Gain 50 combo plus Hiwatt Cabs
Both of them have always used a Dunlop DC Brick Power Supply.
Favourite Worst Nightmare Gear
The second Arctic Monkeys album sounds much more varied than their first one, and, indeed, it is reflected on their choice of pedals. Both guitarists use more FX onstage now.
from left: Alex pedals, Jamie's pedalboard (click to enlarge)
Alex: His setup is entirely different now. In a few gigs this year he was still using the two Pro Co Rat 2, but it didn't look as if he was using them at their recent Old Trafford gig. Instead, he was using an Ibanez Ts-808 Tubescreamer, one of the most classic overdrive pedals out there, used by everyone from Noel Gallagher to Stevie Ray Vaughn.
His other pedals are:
- Hughes & Kettner Tube Rotosphere, a preamp pedal that simulates the sounds of a Leslie speaker. Great stuff, also used by Franz Ferdinand, Oasis and others.
- Danelectro Reel Echo
- Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man
It appears that Alex also uses a Boss LS-2 Line Selector. He's been using a Vox AC-30, as well. His main guitar now is the rare, discontinued Fender Bronco, very similar to the Fender Mustang, the main difference being that the Bronco, originally a starter guitar, has only one pickup.
above: Arctic Monkeys and their Vox AC-30 amps
Jamie: The lead Arctic Monkeys guitarist has quite a elaborate pedalboard now. Apart from the ever-reliable MXR Distortion pedal, his setup has completely changed. It seems, looking at recent photographs, that he uses a Little Big Muff now…maybe because it's smaller and he has too many pedals now? Who knows…the Dr Swamp is nowhere to be seem, and instead he has:
- one Electro-Harmonix HOG, a polyphonic guitar synthesizer pedal.
- two Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man
- one Electro-Harmonix Pulsar tremolo pedal.
Jamie also uses a Boss LS-2 Line Selector, some sort of Wah/ Volume pedal and, according to some, a phaser pedal as well (which sits between the Big Muff and LS-2, but is not clear on any photograph we've seen). View Jamie's new pedalboard.
Jamie Cook's main guitar now is an old Gibson ES semi-acoustic model. Amp-wise, he still sticks to Hiwatts.
Arctic Monkeys 'Humbug' Gear
As ever, the Arctic Monkeys boys keep collecting new gear and changing their setup. Reports from the Electric Ladyland Studios in New York, where they recorded their new material, mentions the Fender Blender fx pedal.
Around that time, Alex started playing a few Fender Jazzmasters and custom-made guitars inspired by the Jazzmaster.
In order, here's the pedals Alex Turner has used recently:
Boss LS-2 Line Selector > Boss TU-2 Tuner > Cornell First Fuzz > Ibanez TS-808 Tubescreamer > Boss DM-1 Analogue Delay
The Cornell First Fuzz fuzz pedal is a copy of the Fuzz Face, so if you want to have a Alex Turner fuzz sound, get the original Dunlop Fuzz Face!
Turner also seems to have been using a Coopersonic Valveslapper distortion, and, after his Tubescreamer, a MXR Micro Amp. He also uses an Electro-Harmonix Hum Debugger - an essential tool if you use vintage gear (which are noisier than new, modern ones)
Jamie Cook's pedalboard (above) has been slightly updated. He now uses a Boss RE-20 Space Echo, which is quickly becoming one of the most popular new fx from Boss...everyone just loves it! New effects include the Fulltone OCD overdrive and what appears to be a Z-Vez Super Duper Distortion (small orange box, 3 knobs and 2 footswitches...check!)Arctic Monkeys 'Suck It And See' Gear
In 2011 the Monkey's released their 4th studio album, representing something of a change to 'Humbug' by working once again with James Ford and practicing the songs more before entering the studio rather than experimenting whilst there. Similarly the guitar gear of Jamie and Alex hasn't changed a great deal, still rocking Fender guitars, great British amps and a vast array of pedals from classic Tubescreamers to a rare Roland/Boss DM-1 Delay.
This pedal seems to be one of Alex's favourites, and it is quite rare - and expensive! However, for those who want to get a similar delay tone, the best option is the new Boss DM-2W Waza Craft, a reissue of the other famous analogue "Delay Machine" by Boss.
The original DM-2 was simply a more compact version of the DM-1, the delay sounds were pretty much identical. Other pedals that recreate that organic delay sound are te TC Electronic Alter Ego and the TC Electronic Alter Ego X4 pedals.
Still there, the Cornell Fuzz, which means Alex is still loves a thick Fuzz Face-style fuzz.
Not as much is known about Nick O'Malley's bass pedal board but he can be seen using a great range of bass gear including a Fender Precision Bass and the eternal rock classic Ampeg SVT-VR amp with a big bass cab.
If you're looking for the organ tones of 505 or My Propeller then look no further than the Nord Electro 4 which the Monkey's have taken touring.
Arctic Monkey's A.M. Gear - 2014
The Arctic Monkeys are going for a classic rock'n'roll sound with A.M. Alex Turner now play mostly a Gibson Les Paul Custom and a Teardrop 12-string guitar (besides the Jazzmaster). Another important guitar is his Gretsch Duo Jet, which lends its unique tone to their hit single "R. U. Mine?"
As for Jamie, he seems to be using Gibson SG guitars a lot, now. In particular, a model similar to the Gibson Robby Krieger SG, with vintage-style tailpiece.
As for their pedalboards, we've noticed a few changes on Alex Turner's pedals of choice:
His most current setup includes: Boss Tuner, MXR Micro Amp, original Electro-Harmonix POG (discontinued and replaced by the POG 2), Ibanez TS-808 Tubescreamer, Boss LS-2 Line Selector, Morley A/B Switch, Coopersonic Valveslapper (on first pic it's the original model, on 2nd pic a newer version of the same pedal), Boss DM-1 delay and a Fulltone Mini Deja Vibe Chorus/Vibrato (a replacement to his old Rotosphere, it seems).
The Deja Vibe reproduces the classic Univibe sound from the sixties. It sounds identical to the cheaper MXR Uni-Vibe or the even better Korg NuVibe.
Tone tips:
If you notice the settings of his POG, you'll see that the DRY OUTPUT is almost all the way up, with small hints of SUB OCTAVE and +1 OCTAVE. The LOW PASS FILTER is almost all the way up, meaning the sound he gets out of pedal won't be too bassy or "muddy". All other sliders (+1 Octave Detune, +2 Octave and +2 Octave detune) are down. Which means, more or less, that you could get a similar tone simply using the cheaper Micro POG!
Amp-wise, Alex goes for vintage tube amps for a classic tone, using two amps: A classic Selmer Zodiac, and a smaller 5-watt Magnatone 410, though by no means those are the only ones he uses - it can be Fenders or others, depending on tour circunstances!
A good choice if you want a similar setup is to get a Laney Cub 8 valve amp, which is very cheap and, just like Alex's Magnatone 410, is a 5-watt amp with a single 6V6 valve.
Getting the sound:
If you want to get an "Arctic Monkeys sound" but don't want to break the bank there are some quite good alternatives: A cheap Orange Crush or small Blackstar Valve amp can get you all the crunchy tones you need. Squier Strats and Teles or a Epiphone Semi-Acoustic can do a good job and offer a good, affordable alternative, too.
The Analog Delay is a big thing for the Arctic Monkeys, so you'll want to stay away from the clean, digital ones. Cheaper options include: Electro-Harmonix Memory Boy or Electro-Harmonix Memory Toy.
To get a similar tone to "R. U. Mine", you can try a Gretsch Double Jet (cheaper than the duo jet!) with a good meaty fuzz, like a Fuzz Face.
- Fender Arctic White American standard Stratocaster (maple fretboard)
- Black Mexican standard Fender Stratocaster guitar (maple fretboard)
- Black Fender Bronco with a black pickguard and rosewood fretboard
- Gretsch Spectra Sonic
- Ovation Viper
Amps and Cabinets
- Orange AD30T amplifiers (used in the past)
- Fender Vibrolux for clean tones
- Selmer Zodiac 30 watt for more distorted tones
Effects and More
- Pro Co Rat 2 distortion pedals- Boss TU-2 tuner
- Ibanez TS-808 Vintage Tubescreamer overdrive pedal
- Danelectro Reel Echo
- Hughes & Kettner Rotosphere MK2
- Boss RE-20
- Boss LS-2 Line Selector
- Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man
- Dunlop DC Brick Power Supply
- Dunlop Univibe
Listing all the Arctic Monkey gear currently available! Click Here
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|Thursday, 23 January 2003
K. W. Devanayagam - the gentle politician
by Supun Perera
Amidst the eager expectancy of everlasting peace to our beloved motherland and just a few days prior to the dawn of another Christmas; the gentle, suave sportsman, gentleman politician, former Minister of Justice Kanapathipillai William (BILL) Devanayagam made his quiet exit from this earthly scene leaving behind not only his remarkable trail of political and sporting prowess but thousands of near and dear ones in silent tear on the day of 17th December 2002; he may have surely heard the call from his creator in heaven while relaxing at his residence. It's death that many a person dream of but becomes the preserve of only the best.
Born on 26th of March 1908; besides excelling in studies at St. Joseph's Bill Devanayagam displayed his skills in the field of sports of representing cricket, soccer, tennis and athletics. He captained Josephian cricket in 1930 and marshalled his men to a memorable victory over Royal College whilst losing to St. Thomas' by one run! His contemporarians are worthy of mention. They showed sports simply had the essence and the ingredients to make you a better person for the future.
Derrick De Saram, Koo De Saram, 'Sargo' Jayawickrema of Royal and Hon. Dudley Senanayake (The former Prime Minister), Robert Seananayake of St. Thomas' were his opponents on the cricket field. But later became closest of companions in the field of politics.
Political career
On leaving St. Joseph's after a successful academic career; he brought to bear his knowledge & skill imbibed in the legal profession which really proved another successful "stepping stone" for his future. At Law College too; besides pursuing legal aspects & jurisdictions he took time off for his passion, cricket & many other sports.
As a young and a handsome lawyer 'Bill' Devanayagam returned to his native town Kalkudah; a salubrious tropical town in the eastern part of the island and practised as a lawyer for more than three decades. At this conjuncture; he conceived an idea towards the field of politics since the intention would have certainly been to serve the people & general public with a much more purposeful and an enriched manner.
In the year of 1947; he contested the Kalkudah electorate as an independent candidate. But was defeated. It was conspicuous that his ways & means of his perception in politics would have tallied with the concept of United National Party and contested the Kalkudah electorate on UNP ticket and was returned with a majority of 470 votes in March 1965.
Then came the general elections in May 1970; Bill Devanayagam retained his seat with a majority of 2785 votes against his rival Mr. P. Manickavasagam of the Federal Party. In 1977 too; he was re-elected to the Parliament and was made the Minister of Justice in 1979 by the late President J. R. Jayewardene.
After becoming the Minister of Justice he cleared the Aegean stables of the Ministry of Justice and later appointed as the Minister of Home Affairs in February 1980. As the Minister of Home Affairs he successfully manifested his administrative drive and resurrected the administration of the then 24 districts in the island.
Incidentally the Home Ministry was the co-ordinating centre for development work of all the other ministers.
Public service
He was also a member of the special committee that drafted the 1978 constitution. The invaluable service, commitment and dynamism of 'Bill' Devanayagam towards the Development of Agriculture-oriented projects is still spoken about.
This particular interest has paved the way for him to be a member of the Central Board of Agriculture. In addition, he was also a leading co-operator and was president of the Batticaloa co-operative district and multi purpose union and the vice president of the All Ceylon Co-operative Federation.
Just before the conclusion, it may be a great influence and an example for the young and energetic politicians and those who wish to embark on politics on a future date since "Bill" Devanayagam and those noble politicians of yesteryear no matter whatever the race, colour or party they belonged to rendered a yeoman service to their beloved motherland.
And we bid farewell to a man who was a sportsman, politician and about all a gentleman; once who moved with the highest and lowest with consumer base exercising integrity, commitment, modesty and determination as his vertex.
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
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Report: Auburn title team had grades changed, other issues
Auburn's 2010 national championship team is under scrutiny once again, as a report from a former New York Times and Sports Illustrated writer has indicated that players had grades changed to remain eligible.
Selena Roberts, known mostly for breaking the story in 2009 about Alex Rodriguez's use of steroids, wrote on her website, Roopstigo.com, that as many as nine players had grades changed to stay eligible for the national championship game against Oregon.
In addition, Roberts said players were offered money from coaches to bypass the NFL Draft to remain at Auburn and coaches also gave players excessive amounts of money to entertain potential recruits.
Roberts quoted former Auburn defensive lineman Mike Blanc in her story as saying the team thought nine players, including running back Mike Dyer, would be academically ineligible.
"We thought we would be without Mike Dyer because he said he was one of them, but Auburn found a way to make those dudes eligible," Blanc was quoted as saying.
Blanc told AL.com on Wednesday that he never made that quote and that Roberts' article "is outrageous and isn't true."
Mike McNeil, a cornerback on the title team who was dismissed from the program after being a participant in an alleged armed robbery in 2011, also said he had a grade changed. He said he missed too many classes and was set to receive a failing grade despite 'B' work, then went to a counselor within the athletic department and the grade was elevated to a 'C' and he didn't miss a game.
McNeil also said he went to then-defensive coordinator Will Muschamp after a tough day at practice back in 2007 and was handed $400 from the coach.
"He went into a drawer and gave me money and said, 'Is this enough? Is this good?' And I said, 'Yeah, I'm good.'"
Roberts' story said Muschamp, now the head coach at Florida, denied making the payment.
In the article, McNeil added that coaches gave him $500 to entertain recruit Dre Kirkpatrick. The NCAA allows less than $50 a day for such spending.
The 2010 Auburn team was led by Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton, whose eligibility was in question during the season because of allegations that his father requested money during recruitment. The NCAA cleared Auburn of any wrongdoing.
Auburn's head coach at the time was Gene Chizik, who was fired last November after the Tigers finished 2012 with a 3-9 record, including 0-8 in the SEC.


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In early December, I was introduced to the Motorola Mobility Grant project that NCWIT was offering for Aspirations recipients. This is a project where young women are engaged in building a mobile application on the Android platform.
March 3, 2012, the Bay Area Aspirations Award Ceremony took place at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. Parents, teachers, supporters, and of course, the girls, filled the environment with smiles. The day was gorgeous, and the California sunshine definitely attended the event, too. Anyone could sense the excitement of the girls who were finally being told Good Job, Keep Going, You're Doing Great, You Can.
Today, NCWIT announced the Aspirations in Computing Video Challenge! This contest is exclusively for NCWIT Award winners and runners-up. The entire NCWIT community will be invited to participate in the voting. The top 10 videos in each category (individual and group – up to three members per group), as determined by the number of votes at the end of the contest will be considered finalists, and will be judged by a panel of NCWIT staff.
Online Learning and the Curse of Knowledge
Has your institution embraced new approaches to teaching and learning? A recent conference at Harvard looked at this topic, finding that "A growing body of evidence from the classroom, coupled with emerging research in cognitive psychology and neuroscience, is lending insight into how people learn, but teaching on most college campuses has not changed much." As higher education institutions see a student body increasingly concerned with its "ROI" and feel competition from non-traditional online or vocational models, many are pushing to evolve their practices - exchanging lectures for writing or quizzes, and teaching graduate researchers how to teach. Do you think an openness to new pedagogical approaches could open the door for teaching and learning computing among a broader audience?
Gender Stereotypes in Dallas Schools
Did you know that last week Dallas public schools bussed thousands of boys to a movie screening of "Red Tails" -- which tells the story of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen pilots, who during World War II became the first black aviators to serve in the U.S. Military -- but excluded girls? A spokesman for the Dallas Independent School District said officials took only boys to see "Red Tails" because space at the movie theater was limited; leaders of the district also "thought boys would enjoy the movie more than girls." Some female students were shown a different movie instead, "Akeelah and the Bee," about an 11-year-old girl who competes in a national spelling bee.
On February 10, 2012, the NCWIT El Paso/Las Cruces Affiliate Award Event was held at the University of Texas at El Paso's Chemistry and Computer Science Building. During this ceremony, the winners and runners-up of the award were recognized for their achievements and provided with their respective rewards. The winner of the educator award, Mr. Ismail Turel, was also revered in this event. Amongst the winners were Andrea Rivera, who was also a was a national winner, and Noor Muhyi, who not only was a national winner, but was also selected to participate at the White House Science Fair.
For the second time in as many months, winners of NCWIT's Award for Aspirations in Computing were at the White House this week for the second White House Science Fair.
On December 9, 2011, I joined five other winners of the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing at the White House, in an event honoring the Girls and Women in STEM Champions of Change. This event celebrated people, businesses, and organizations who recruit and retain girls and women in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
Did you know that LEGO is spending $40 million to market its new product line for girls?
Last year, NCWIT CEO and Co-founder Lucy Sanders was appointed to the U.S. Department of Commerce Innovation Advisory Board. This board was formally established as part of the 2010 America COMPETES Act, to guide a study of U.S. innovation and competitiveness that would help inform job creation and global economic and technological success.


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PRS Magazine Now Available
The new issue of Signature – the official PRS Guitars magazine – has just landed on these shores.
Available exclusively from main PRS dealers, the magazine features news and overviews of recently-released PRS models, a catalogue of the company's entire output and interviews with PRS artists. Among the big names included in the current issue are Dave Navarro, Mark Tremonti, Al DiMeola, Carlos Santana, Linkin Park and Dave Grissom.
The magazine also ships with a PRS DVD full of content that will keep the most dedicated PRS-ophiles happy for hours.
For more information on PRS Guitars visit www.prsguitars.com


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FRANK helps you find out everything you might want to know about drugs (and some stuff you don't). For friendly, confidential advice, Talk to FRANK.
Why is mixing drugs dangerous?
By mixing drugs you increase the chances of having a bad time for a range of reasons:
- Taking similar types of drugs can increase their negative effects and be dangerous. For example, taking two depressants like heroin and alcohol.
- A drug may affect you in a particular way that makes other drug(s) you take more dangerous than usual.
- One drug may mean you have to take higher levels of another type of drug to feel the effects and this can lead to overdose.
- The drugs might interact in completely unexpected ways.
Mixing depressants
Depressants are substances which make you feel relaxed but can slow down your heart rate and breathing which can be fatal. Overdose is much more likely when these drugs are taking together as they are causing the same effect on your body. Heroin, tranquilisers and alcohol are all depressant drugs.
Mixing stimulants
Sometimes the effects of a stimulant don't kick in straight away so you may take something else too quickly. This can give an unpleasant overdose effect but could also put a serious strain on the heart. Frightening and fatal overdoses have been reported with excess stimulant use. Cocaine and speed are all stimulants.
Mixing stimulants and alcohol
Alcohol is a depressant which can relax you and stimulants are drugs which make you feel more energetic. As they have the opposite effect you may find you need to take more to feel an effect. As stimulants and alcohol put pressure on the heart, this can increase the risk of heart failure.
Mixing cocaine and alcohol
This combination can produce a poisonous substance in the body called cocaethylene that may affect your heart and stays in your system longer than cocaine alone. Mixing cocaine, a stimulant, with a depressant like alcohol can hide some of the other effects of the cocaine. This makes it easier to overdose as you take more to achieve the same high.
Mixing ecstasy and cannabis
Sometimes people take cannabis to take the edge off an ecstasy trip. But instead of calming you down, it could make you more anxious and paranoid.
Mixing heroin and cocaine use
When heroin and cocaine are taken together at the same time, this is known as a 'speedball', and this can be a deadly combination. Both heroin and cocaine put pressure on the body and using them together, especially when injected, can easily become fatal.
Is there something else you want to know?
Need some advice?


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We are sharing with you a new collection of plus size patterns from burda style magazine. This collection is styled with a nod to the countryside, and we think it is perfect for fall!
Everyday Equestrian is a pattern collection of both rustic and romantic styles which can be worn in the country or city. These designs are flattering and tailored to the body, made with many lovely fabrics, from leather, sequins, and rich textured fabrics. Check out the entire collection below!
These hip hugging Leather Trousers are so stylish and comfortable to wear with the top yoke sewn with elastic. These trousers are nicely panelled and are flattering on the leg – sure to be a staple in your fall wardrobe.
We adore the styling of this Corset with the Hook and Eye Jacket. The corset cinches in the waist to accentuate the waistline. It has different panels so you can incorporate various fabrics and textures to create a truly wonderful piece of wearable art! This Hook and Eye jacket is classically styled with nicely structured sleeves and waistline.
Here is the lovely Flouncy Dress that is so figure flattering. The bust pieces and skirt beautifully gather into the waist panel, and the flounces on the sleeve hems give this dress a lovely touch. This dress is finished off with a neckline detail and centre front appliqué sure to make a statement.
This leather accented Blouson Jacket is great for fall, and the style is so edgy! This semi-fitted jacket has many panels and seams, and a zipper front closer. It has a high collar for warmth and beautifully fitted sleeves that don't add bulk.
This is a lovely outfit consisting of the Military Jacket and the Elasticated Maxi-Skirt. We love the masculine style jacket worn with this ultra feminine skirt.
This shining Empire Top can be worn casual or elegant! It features many flattering details like the under bust gathers and the sleeve flounces. We love the empire waist panel that sits just under bust, and you can even cut this panel in a contrast fabric for even more style.
This collection has many versatile designs that can be interchanged and worked into your existing wardrobe. If you want this style now, try sewing the Leather Trousers or the Elasticated Maxi-Skirt, they are quick to sew and easy to wear.
Happy Sewing!


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How To Become A Dietician in Oregon
In order to qualify for Weight Loss jobs in Oregon, you should compare all available technical schools in your target area, as well as consider taking some of your courses online. Check with each nursing school below for assistance with certificate program requirements, degree prerequisites, and class registration. You may request information from several different schools below, without making a commitment.
To prepare for Weight Loss careers in Oregon, you need to complete a technical education in your specialty area, as well as consider taking part of your required courses online. Which college degrees give you the best chances of finding employment after graduation? Given the breadth of engineering specializations, you are likely to find your niche, and be able to design a rewarding career. Check with the dietary analysis department for course registration deadlines, and engineering program requirements.
Your weight loss efforts will succeed or fail based largely on your food environment. Start the day with breakfast, and serve yourself smaller portions. Cook your own meals, and control what goes into the recipe. Restaurant and packaged foods generally contain a lot more sodium, fat, and calories than home-cooked meals. As everyone knows, hospital meals are overly bland intentionally. Create a shopping list and stick to it, and be especially careful to avoid foods at the ends of the aisles and along the checkout stands, where grocers tend to sell high-calorie snack and convenience foods.
In addition to your food and eating-related choices, you can also support your weight loss and dieting efforts by making healthy lifestyle choices, without resorting to extremes such as gastric-bypass surgery. As lack of sleep has been shown in clinical trials to have a direct link to hunger and overeating, get plenty of sleep every night. Exhaustion also impairs your judgment, which can lead to poor nutrition choices. Finally, get more exercise. It not only burns calories, but can actually improve your resting metabolism. Medical research shows that three 10-minute spurts of exercise per day are just as good as one 30-minute workout. Beyond major requirements within the dietary analysis department, you may consider Lander University lineman program as a complementary elective.