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By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent
BONN, Germany, June 6 (Reuters) - China led calls by emerging economies on Friday for the rich to raise financial aid to the poor as a precondition for a United Nations deal to combat global warming.
Many countries at U.N. climate negotiations from June 4-15 have welcomed news this week that the United States plans to slash emissions from power plants, but emerging nations said cash was just as important to unlock progress.
"When the financing is resolved, this will set a very good foundation to negotiate a good agreement," China's chief negotiator Xie Zhenhua told delegates from about 170 nations.
A global U.N. deal to curb rising greenhouse gas emissions is meant to be decided in Paris in late 2015 to slow global warming that a U.N. panel of experts says will cause more heatwaves, floods and rising sea levels.
Xie said developed nations, which have promised to raise aid to $100 billion a year by 2020, should have legally binding obligations to provide finance and technology to emerging economies, along with legally binding cuts in emissions.
But European Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said it would be hard to treat promises for cash in the same legal way as cuts in emissions of greenhouse gases.
"More than one finance minister would say: 'how are we going to do that?'" she told a news conference.
Developed nations agreed in 2009 to raise aid to developing nations to the $100 billion target by 2020 from an initial $10 billion a year from 2010-12.
But austerity cuts in many nations mean they have not set clear milestones for raising aid between 2012 and 2019, money meant to go to everything from expanding the use of solar power plants to flood defenses along vulnerable coastlines.
Last month, a "Green Climate Fund" - a U.N. body based in South Korea due to channel billions of dollars to developing nations - said it was ready to start accepting cash after agreeing details of how it will work.
Donors will also meet in July, in a venue yet to be decided.
Peru's Environment Minister Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, who will host a U.N. climate conference in late 2014, said he hoped for contributions for the Green Climate Fund of $10 billion this year.
Alix Masounie, of the French branch of international environmental network Climate Action Network, said: "The Green Climate Fund is finally open for business ... but it remains an empty shell," adding that developed nations should come up with $15 billion as a first payment.
Berlin said on Friday it would provide cash, but gave no details. "Germany will make a significant financial contribution," Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks said.
Rich nations say the private sector is most promising. "We should use public resources to mobilize far greater sums of private finance," said Trigg Talley, the U.S. representative.
The United States on Monday announced plans to cut emissions from power plants by 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 as a cornerstone of President Barack Obama's climate policies, an encouragement to U.N. negotiations after little progress.
The White House contested a report by a group of scientists that said its plans were insufficent to meet a national goal of a cut of 17 percent in emissions by 2020, from 2005 levels. "The United States is on track to fulfill our commitment," a spokesman said.
China also said that its scientists were divided over a plan to cap its soaring emissions, but said it would set a cap as early as possible. (Editing by Robin Pomeroy)


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'Pushing Daisies' Now Doing Just That In The RatingsKyle Buchanan · 10/02/08 01:00PM
Though it premiered last year to huge numbers, the whimsical dramedy Pushing Daisies may soon need its hero's touch of life, if last night's ratings are any indication. The second season premiere of Daisies fell a whopping 55% from its year-ago totals, the biggest drop on a night of mostly bad returns for ABC (Private Practice fell 38%, and the troubled, endlessly tinkered-with Dirty Sexy Money fell 31%). Might ABC be rethinking it decision to hold all three shows until the fall after last year's writers strike interrupted their freshman seasons? And if a shirtless Lee Pace (above, having bees poured on him) can't resuscitate Daisies, can anything? [THR]

subset: commoncrawl


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01 Oct 2000 Suburban Snob Politics Fuels "Smart Growth" Land-Use Movement, by John Carlisle
The national movement to combat the alleged ills of urban sprawl is guilty of false advertising.
Proponents of anti-sprawl policies, often termed "smart growth" policies, portray smart growth as an environmentally-sensitive campaign to protect communities against the alleged ravages of economic progress. In fact, smart growth is often nothing more than a thinly-disguised attempt by well-heeled suburbanites to keep undesirable newcomers from their neighborhoods.
Through smart growth measures such as urban growth boundaries and restrictive zoning practices that inflate housing prices, environmentalists and smart growth advocates shamelessly exploit the selfish desire of some suburbanites to close the gate to less affluent families seeking the American Dream.
This is morally indefensible.
As has been the case since World War II, Americans overwhelmingly prefer the advantages of suburban living to the inner cities or older closer-in suburbs. A survey by the National Association of Home Builders finds that 83% of respondents would rather live in a single-family detached home in an outlying suburb over a townhouse in an urban setting.1 Minority and moderate-income Americans are certainly no exception. Indeed, in recent years, a disproportionate number of new homeowners have been minorities. According to Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies, minorities accounted for 42% of the growth in homeownership between 1994 and 1998.2 The reasons for this allure of the suburbs are varied, but better education, economic opportunity and especially low crime rates are largely considered the explanation. Economists Julie Berry Culen and Steven Levitt calculate that, between 1976 and 1993, a city typically lost one resident for every additional violent crime committed within it.3 It is not hard, for example, to understand the flight of African-Americans from Washington, D.C. to the suburbs when, in 1997, instances of violent crime were six times more frequent in the city than in the suburbs.4
The growing anti-sprawl crusade imperils the significant social and economic gains made by minorities in recent years. Wherever anti-sprawl policies have been aggressively implemented, the cost of housing has soared and diminished low- to moderate-income families' access to affordable housing. Probably the most significant anti-sprawl policy engendering this housing inflation is the use of urban growth boundaries. An urban growth boundary is a politically-designated line around cities beyond which development is prohibited or significantly curtailed. By forcing new development into the crowded urban area, land for new home construction is automatically reduced – thereby forcing an increase in housing prices.
This is especially apparent in Portland, Oregon, where a strict smart growth program has contributed to a major escalation in the cost of housing. In 1991, Portland was ranked as the 55th most affordable city in America. But, thanks to the rapid rise in housing prices due mainly to the urban growth boundary and other anti-sprawl policies, Portland is now ranked 174th in housing affordability – the second least affordable city in the nation.5 Between 1995 and 1997 alone, more than 80,000 single-family homes became unaffordable due to housing price inflation. In one inner-city Portland neighborhood, home prices doubled between 1990 and 1995 from $41,300 to $83,800, seriously undercutting the chance of moderate- and low-income families to own homes.6
Portland is not the only example of affordable housing lost to anti-sprawl policies. More than 100 cities, counties and regions have adopted some form of an urban growth boundary. After Napa, California implemented an urban growth boundary that resulted in a 74% reduction in residential building permits, the average value of a single-family home in Napa County skyrocketed by 158% to over $373,000.7
Unfortunately, many affluent suburbanites are flocking behind the smart growth banner precisely because of the movement's track record in removing homeownership from the reach of less affluent families. A case in point is Prince William County, Virginia – a major suburb in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. In 1998, the Prince William County Supervisors approved the region's first major slow growth plan. The Prince William plan set aside nearly half of the county land in a "rural crescent" in which future new home construction and other development will only be allowed on ten-acre plots. The result, predictably, is a major increase in land prices. Says one developer, "the downzoning is creating a buying panic… that's driving land prices up. The building community doesn't have many places left to build."8 Another result of the smart growth plan is that six-figure income homebuyers – attracted by the large, secluded lots and gated developments – are moving to the county in droves. Many of these affluent new residents first sought assurances from the county that the land-use restrictions would continue to be enforced once they purchased their homes. They didn't want to pay $1 million for a home only to see townhouses and fast-food restaurants built near their neighborhoods. Victoria and Ralph Schmidt, for example, who made their fortune in pharmaceuticals and public relations, built a mansion replete with libraries and an art gallery on a 20-acre plot. They moved from their upscale development in New Jersey just to take advantage of Prince William's guarantee of no development infringing on their space. Said Mrs. Schmidt, "We bought protection." Fellow Prince William newcomer Greg Gorham, a software developer, moved from another Virginia suburb because a builder constructed 20 townhouses on land next to him. "That was the thing I really didn't want to have happen to me again," said Gorham.9
Some African-American property owners have a less charitable opinion of the impact of smart growth policies on their economic fortunes. LaVerne Neal, 70, owns a 75-acre plot of fertile farmland in Lower Richland, South Carolina – a predominantly black farming community southeast of Columbia. Her late husband's grandfather purchased the land 130 years ago after being freed from slavery. Back then, the farm was just a swamp. But after generations of hard work, Neal's family turned it into a profitable farm that harvests corn, cotton and trees. Although much of this development occurred during segregation, Neal says "at least nobody messed with our land. If I could pay my taxes, I didn't have to worry about my land."10
That was before the arrival of the smart growth crusade. The Neals and other Lower Richland residents are worried that Richland County's newly-adopted anti-sprawl program will cause them to lose their land. The plan, called Richland County's 2020 Town and Country Vision plan, was unanimously adopted by the bipartisan county council as a way to control sprawl. The plan includes an especially onerous provision that prohibits almost all of the county's prime farmland from being developed. In addition, the plan may prevent the Neals and other farmers from harvesting their trees, a major crop for Lower Richland farmers. Farmers may also be required to set aside portions of their land for hiking and bike trails.11
LaVerne Neal doesn't like the plan at all as she believes it will destroy her ability to make a living off her 130-year-old farm. Says Neal, "I don't like the idea of them controlling what I can do with my land. I think if I struggled, I ought to be the one to make the decision of what I'm going to do with my land." Neal's sentiments are echoed by other Lower Richland residents who say the plan would reduce the value of their property just as demand for it is rising. Neal's son, Joe, a Baptist minister and Democratic state representative, says, "This is a net loss of wealth for poor people. As far as I'm concerned, this is a taking."12
Smart growth proponents, on the other hand, cannot say enough good things about the Richland County plan. Architect Andres Duany, who popularized the New Urbanism style of neighborhood planning that is held up as the alternative to suburbia, called it "a first-rate plan." Environmentalists claim that farmers who protest that they can't sell their land under the plan are not real farmers and that their views need not be taken into account. Dell Isham, head of South Carolina's chapter of the Sierra Club, says, "For the true farmer, it's good. If it's the person who wants to develop and subdivide their farmland, it's not to their advantage." Apparently, according to the Sierra Club, the Neals, who have owned and farmed their land for 130 years, and other predominantly black farmers in Richland County who have the temerity to want to sell their land, are not "true farmers."13
Lower Richland residents are not taking this lying down. The Lower Richland NAACP and the American Civil Liberties Union are considering a lawsuit against Richland County, claiming that the plan violates the U.S. Constitution's Fifth Amendment guarantee that the government cannot take land for public use without just compensation.14
Writing about the Lower Richland case in The Nation, William Steif, a self-described liberal, warns Americans should beware when they hear the urban sprawl term leveled by smart growth advocates. "It is an excuse to do all sorts of things that may not be very nice," wrote Steif. "The vagueness of the term really allows you to do damn near anything."15
Anti-sprawl policies mean many things to many people. To environmentalists who generally disdain any sort of economic development, it is a useful weapon in their ongoing campaign against private property rights. To some short-sighted affluent suburbanites, it is the perfect way to pull up the proverbial drawbridge and not allow anyone else to share in what they have. But to the millions of Americans still pursuing the promise of homeownership, a safe community and economic improvement – such as the Neals – anti-sprawl policies are an obstacle (and sometimes an illegal one) to their right to seek prosperity.
John K. Carlisle is director of The National Center for Public Policy Research's Environmental Policy Task Force.
1 "Consumer Survey on Growth Issues," National Association of Home Builders, Washington, DC, April 1999.
2 "In Search of 'Livability,'" Innovation Briefs, Vol. 10, No. 5, Urban Mobility Corporation, Washington, DC, Sept/Oct 1999.
3 Pietro Nivola, "Laws of the Landscape: How Policies Shape Cities in Europe and America," Brookings Institution, Washington, DC, 1999.
4 Ibid.
5 Dr. Howard Baetjer, Jr., "Why 'Smart Growth' is 'Not-Smart Economics,'" Studies in Social Cost, Regulation, and the Environment, No. 4, Institute for Research on the Economics of Taxation, Washington, DC, September 2000.
6 Dr. Samuel Staley and Dr. Gerard Mildner, "Urban-Growth Boundaries and Housing Affordability: Lessons from Portland," Policy Brief, No. 11, Reason Public Policy Institute, Los Angeles, California, October 1999.
7 Ibid.
8 Lisa Rein, "Well-to-Do Discover Prince William," The Washington Post, October 11, 2000.
9 Ibid.
10 John Berlau, "Smart Growth is More Than Slogan; It's a Threat to Landowners' Rights," Investor's Business Daily, July 25, 2000.
11 Ibid.
12 Ibid.
13 Ibid.
14 Ibid.
15 Ibid.


text: 75_Obama.jpg DENVER - AUGUST 28: Democratic U.S. Presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) with running mate U.S. Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE), Michelle Obama, Jill Biden, and daughters Malia and Sasha on day four of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at Invesco Field at Mile High August 28, 2008 in Denver, Colorado. Obama is the first African-American to be officially nominated as a candidate for U.S. president by a major party.(Photo by Charles Ommanney/Getty Images


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The FLIR AX8 thermal monitoring camera watches critical equipment on your vessel, including engines, exhaust manifolds, and shaft bearings, to spot problems before you're stranded on the water. The AX8 integrates with Raymarine multifunction displays (MFDs) and sends audible and visual alerts when the temperature of machine parts rise above preset thresholds. Featuring FLIR's MSX® imaging, which blends imagery from visible and thermal cameras, the FLIR AX8's detailed imagery is easier to understand.


text: Scientists continue the important work of turning phrases of speech into actual things! In this case, from Australian researchers Allan Snyder and Richard Chi comes a genuine thinking cap that uses 10 to 15 minutes of low-level electrical pulses to stimulate "new modes of thinking" in patients. Slap an Orioles logo on that thing and I'm in. [News AU via Geekologie]


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Finally, I decided to try this cake since I wanted to use up my eggs. I adapted the recipe from Honey Bee Sweets. After baking, then I saw Sonia's post on her experiences on this "touchy" cake. I'll share my notes below.
Recipe for Pandan Ogura Cake (香兰相思蛋糕), adapted from Honey Bee Sweets.
Makes a 8" x 8" cake (I used 7" x 7" but overflowed)
Egg Yolk Batter
50g Vegetable oil
80g Coconut pandan mixture (I used 10g Pandan extract + 70g coconut milk)
1/4 tsp salt
100g egg yolk (approx. 6 eggs since my whole egg without shells weigh 45g)
1 whole egg
65g Top flour
Egg White Batter
200g egg white (approx. 7 eggs)
70g caster sugar
1 tbsp corn flour
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks, whole egg, oil, salt, coconut pandan milk mixture together till well combined.
- Sift in the flour and mix well untill no visible lumps. (set aside and cover)
- Line a 8"x8" square cake pan.
- In a mixer bowl, add in the egg white and beat till foamy.
- Gradually add in the sugar mixed with the corn flour and continue beating till almost stiff peaks.
- Gently fold in the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture in 3 separate portions.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake in the preheated oven of 160C for 1 hour in water bath.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool on a rack upside down for 15 mins.
- Remove the cake from the pan and continue to let it cool.
- I used a 7"x7" cake pan and the batter was already close to the rim. Probably because I used 7 eggs, which weigh about 220g egg whites.
- I had overbeaten the egg whites and found it difficult to fold into the liquid mixture. In doing so, I could have deflated the whites, which explained why the holes in the cake was not uniform.
- I let the cake cooled in the pan. After removing the pan, it caused a dent on the bottom.
I would consider this cake not very successful for me since I didn't get the correct texture due to my egg whites. After taken Rei's cake, I already had a "baselined" of how and what it should be. Nevertheless, this recipe is still good and the cake was really soft and light. You can refer to Sonia's thorough write up on this cake. I will probably use hers for other flavours the next round.
I sandwiched my Pandan Ogura Cake with homemade gula melaka kaya. I adapted this recipe from Kitchen Tigress.
Recipe for Gula Melaka Kaya (Palm Sugar Coconut Egg Jam), adapted from Kitchen Tigress.
Makes 1 cup (approx. 200g)
45g Gula Melaka, chopped
30g Sugar
200g Coconut cream (I used Kara)
4 Pandan leaves (I omitted this)
4 Egg yolks (the yolks I had was small, probably will use 5 next time)
- Cook gula melaka, sugar and coconut cream in a pot over medium heat. Bring it to a gentle simmer.
- Slowly stir half of the coconut mixture into the egg yolks. Mix well.
- Pour the egg mixture back into the remaining coconut mixture in the pot.
- Continue stirring until it thickens.'
- Reduce the heat to low and stir till the mixture coats a spoon thickly.
- Discard the pandan leaves if using.
- Let it cool completely before bottling, then refrigerate.
- Use it to spread on your Ogura cake. Enjoy!
- The coconut jam was a lumpy after it cooled down. I sieved it to get a smooth texture.


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text:
248. The Court considers that the large quantity of objective information overwhelmingly indicates that the level of violence in
is of sufficient intensity to pose a real risk of treatment reaching the Article 3 threshold to anyone in the capital. In reaching this conclusion the Court has had regard to the indiscriminate bombardments and military offensives carried out by all parties to the conflict, the unacceptable number of civilian casualties, the substantial number of persons displaced within and from the city, and the unpredictable and widespread nature of the conflict. Mogadishu
The Court considered the option that the applicants might relocate elsewhere in Somalia, or that they might find sanctuary in a camp for Internally Displaced Persons. It ruled out these options because of the associated dangers.
Congratulations to Nuala Mole, who argued the case.


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Search efforts to locate a missing Alberta plane this past September in the Clearwater area led to the unexpected discovery of a plane last seen in 1987.
On Sept. 18, 2018, Clearwater RCMP were advised that the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre were conducting a search for a missing aircraft from Stony Plain, Alberta, when they came across another plane crash site near Kostal Lake in Wells Gray Provincial Park.
"The preliminary investigation indicates that this is a missing plane from Salmon Arm," explains Cpl. Dan Moskaluk.
"The white Piper Super Cub plane left Eagle Bay for a fishing trip to McDougall Lake on June 20, 1987."
The plane had two on board, pilot Ernie G. Whitehead, 78, and passenger Len Dykhuizen, 55. Both men were from Eagle Bay, B.C.
"Extensive searches for this plane had yielded negative results," added Moskaluk.
"Since the discovery of this aircraft, the Clearwater RCMP has been working with the BC Coroners Service and local Search and Rescue technicians in efforts to attend the crash site. Repeated attempts to fly into the area over the past few weeks have not been successful, due weather conditions. The search is set to resume in the Spring."
Moskaluk adds that this area is very remote and there are no roads or trails to access the crash site.
"The families of both occupants had been advised of the discovery and are aware of the ongoing efforts," says Sgt. Grant Simpson, Clearwater RCMP.
The Clearwater RCMP continues to liaise with both families who have asked that the media and public respect their privacy at this time.
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To provide you with the most efficient new patient experience, please download and complete the forms below and bring them to your first appointment. This will allow your new patient process to be completed more efficiently.
Our team will take comprehensive records and address any concerns or questions you may have. If you have any problems downloading the forms, please contact our office and we will gladly send them to you.


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From charter members to recently diagnosed patients to caregivers, over 50 people attended the annual Martha's Vineyard Cancer Support Group celebration of survival and support on Sunday night. The potluck dinner was held at the Portuguese-American Club in Oak Bluffs.
The Martha's Vineyard Cancer Support Group was founded 26 years ago as a haven not only for cancer patients, but their families and caregivers, too. In addition to providing an outlet for emotional support at its weekly meetings (held Wednesdays at noon at the Hebrew Center), the group offers financial assistance. This past year, the group gave away $58,000 to Island families, helping to pay for hospital costs, boat tickets to the mainland and other support systems.
"We help you through the bad times, that's what we're here for," board president Jane Carroll said as members of the group spoke about the impact MVCSG has on their lives.
"When the charter was signed and we all put our names on it, we had no idea of the growth and the generosity that would come," founding member Karen Achille said.
"We're all here because we've been touched by cancer — and we're still here," Mrs. Carroll said.


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Pi Supply Switch – On/Off Power Switch for Raspberry Pi
Pi Supply Switch – On/Off Power Switch for Raspberry Pi
15,56 €
15,56 €
Informami quando l'articolo è disponibile.
- Description
- Additional information
The Pi Supply Switch is the solution to all of your Raspberry Pi power management problems. It is an "intelligent", ATX style power supply switch for the revolutionary Raspberry Pi computer. It allows you to leave all of the power wires from the "wall wart" all the way through to the Pi permanently connected with just the quick push of a switch to turn the power on or off. Simple!
Pi Supply Switch Features:
- Pi Supply Switch printed circuit board (PCB) v1.1
- All through hole components for assembly
- Flat USB noodle cable
- Two free Pi Supply stickers
- Comes as a kit – easy assembly with some basic soldering
Once you have finished using your Raspberry Pi, you just shutdown using the sudo halt command, and then a couple of minutes after the full and safe shutdown the Pi Supply Switch cuts the power to the computer. From this point, once again, all you would need to do to restore power to the Pi is touch the on button.
There is also a hard power off button for use in emergencies which immediately cuts the power to your Raspberry Pi. Remember to only use this button when absolutely necessary (e.g. Pi has been frozen for a long time) as it risks corruption of the files on your SD card if done at the wrong moment.
What makes the Pi Supply Switch superior to other makeshift solutions available is that it allows you to restart the Raspberry Pi using the sudo reboot command without the power turning itself off. Perfect!
We have made the Pi Supply Switch a self-solder kit which is quick and simple to put together – even for an absolute beginner to electronics. This means as well as being a nifty little bit of kit to manage your Pi's power, it is also a great intro to electronics and soldering. As you can see from the pictures the input and output of the switch is fed by a standard USB connection. We even provide you with the USB cable. Once soldered together, is essentially "plug-and-play" with your existing "wall wart" power supply unit.
We have even packaged the circuit into a small profile so that it fits neatly into your workstation. The Pi Supply Switch is an essential piece of kit for all Raspberry Pi users!
Additional information
|0,05 kg
|5 × 1 × 3 cm
Pi Supply


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The new MacBook and MacBook Pro are here. No, not just "here" in the sense of "publicly acknowledged by Apple and being shipped to arrive in Apple Stores tomorrow." Here in the sense of, in my office right now. So in advance of our full reviews and lab tests of these products, let me give you a quick tour of the products.
The look
The big physical differences between the MacBook Pro and MacBook lines are gone with this update. The MacBook looks like a 13-inch version of the 15-inch MacBook Pro. Both of them have the aluminum enclosure and a black screen covered from end to end with glass. Both have the same black keyboard found in the MacBook Air. Both of them are curvy around the sides and bottom, making them easy to grip.
Basically they both look like the bigger brothers of the MacBook Air. The Air was clearly the first product in a wave of new laptop designs from Apple, and now we've seen the second and third versions. They feel rigid and sturdy, despite their light weight.
Display matters
At first glance, the screens of both models appear to be quite similar—and similar to the MacBook Air's as well. The LED backlighting is remarkably bright, meaning these laptops are going to be quite usable, even in very bright conditions.
Users who are fans of the matte finish on the MacBook Pro are going to be quite disappointed about these new systems' standardization, iMac style, on a glossy glass-covered display. In my extensive time with the MacBook Air over the past few months, I've found that the bright LED-lit screen could overpower just about every bright, glaring location you could think of.
However, since the displays are a single span of glass, there's an easy solution for fans of anti-glare-coated displays: if they don't already, companies will no doubt begin to make screen protectors, like those already available for the iPhone, that you can apply to your display in order to remove the shine and return an old-school matte finish. Yeah, it'll be more work and more cost, but it's not as if there isn't an option out there if you just can't stand the glossy look. (Me, I love it.)
The sound
The MacBook Pro's prominent speaker grille holes on both sides of its keyboard are now much smaller, owing to Apple's new production process. And the MacBook continues to have its stereo speakers embedded right next to the display's hinge, so that the sound can bounce off the screen. So far as I can tell, the speakers are more or less the same as in past generations.
The ports
The MacBook Pro, which previously offered most of its ports on its left side—but with a few ports on the right—has joined the MacBook in offering ports on only one side.
Both models use the same MagSafe connector found in previous generations; unlike the MacBook Air, which sports a redesigned power adapter due to its unique shape, these models appear to use the same adapters as they did before. The MacBook Pro comes with a larger, 85-watt adapter; the MacBook comes with a smaller 60-watt adapter.
Both offer an Ethernet port, two USB 2 ports, audio in and out, and the new Mini DisplayPort monitor port. (DisplayPort is an emerging display-connectivity standard; it's unclear if Apple's the first company to offer the "mini" version of DisplayPort, and if it's an Apple-invented proprietary variation or if it's something we'll see in many other computers and displays to come.) Apple says there will be Mini Display Port-to-DVI and Mini-Display-Port-to-VGA adapters available; it's unclear if support for composite and S-Video connections has been dropped with these systems.
In addition to the ports shared by the two systems, the MacBook Pro offers a single FireWire 800 port (yes, you can buy a FireWire 800 to FireWire 400 adapter) and an ExpressCard slot hidden behind an aluminum door. Both models offer a slot-loading SuperDrive on the right side. (Previously the MacBook Pro's slot was on the front.) Yes, this means that the new MacBook joins the MacBook Air in not offering any sort of FireWire connectivity.
The trackpad
One of the most ballyhooed new features of these MacBooks is the new clickable glass trackpad. So, about that button. Longtime users of Apple laptops will find it quite a bit disconcerting to reach below the trackpad with their thumbs, only to find no button there. However, it's a pretty easy step to just slide your hand up on the trackpad so that you continue to point with one finger and click on the pad with your thumb. The trackpad is smart enough not to get confused by the presence of a finger and a thumb on the trackpad. And of course, those who are adventurous will get used to pressing with their index finger as they mouse around, giving their thumbs a break. (For clicking and dragging, you'll basically still need two fingers.)
The new trackpad looks pretty much like the old trackpad. It's painted the same color as the MacBook's aluminum body. But it's smoother than an old-style Apple trackpad. The sensation of moving your fingers across it is a little disconcerting; there's friction but not a lot of texture. It definitely doesn't feel like you're running your finger across a pane of glass, though that's what it is.
With the new trackpad come a new set of supported multi-finger gestures, all configured via the new Trackpad preference pane. The gestures supported by the past generation of laptops are still there, including two-finger scrolling, pinching and spreading fingers to zoom in and out, and swiping three fingers to navigate forward and back.
But the new trackpad has a few new tricks up its sleeve. You can program either the bottom right or left corner of the trackpad to act as a secondary mouse button. In other words, if you click in the bottom corner of the trackpad, it can be registered as a right-click. So the no-button laptop can act as a two-button laptop after all. (There's no support for any additional button mappings, however.)
The laptops' new four-finger gestures are built into the system and can't be customized, but they're still pretty cool. Place four fingers on the trackpad and flick them up, and Expose hides all your windows and exposes the desktop. Flick down with the same four fingers, and Expose shows all windows. Swipe left or right and the application switcher appears.
The weight
At 4.5 pounds, the new MacBook is half a pound lighter than the old version. With its new complement of previously-Pro-only features and its lighter weight, people who have been considering the MacBook Air will probably want to give that purchase some more consideration. The new MacBook isn't close to the three-pound Air on weight, but it's noticeably lighter than its predecessor and it's cheaper and faster than the Air. As a MacBook Air user, I will have to seriously consider switching back to the MacBook now that it's gained these new features and lightened its load by half a pound.
The MacBook Pro, on the other hand, is two-tenths of a pound heavier than its predecessor. In practice you probably wouldn't notice the difference, but the Pro definitely didn't go on the same diet as the MacBook.
The graphics
The new MacBook Pro has two separate graphics subsystems inside of it. One, the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M, is the same one found in the new MacBook and MacBook Air models. It's less powerful—and uses less power. The other, the NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT, is a much faster, higher-performance graphics processor. To choose which one you use, you must go to the Energy Saver preference pane, fresh with its new icon. (The Energy Saver icon used to be an incandescent light bulb; Apple has replaced it with a compact fluorescent as a part of its quest to reduce the energy consumption of its icons.)
Within the Energy Saver preference pane, you can choose between "Better battery life" (the 9400M) and "Higher performance" (the 9600M GT) for graphics. However, this isn't a switch you can do on the fly—nor can you set the system to use one when you're on battery power and the other when you're attached to an outlet. In fact, to switch between the two cards requires you to log out of your user account and log back in.
iPhone headphones
Yes, it's true—these new MacBooks work with your iPhone headphones. If you click the button on your iPhone headphones, iTunes pauses. Click again, and the music resumes. A double-click advances one track, and a triple-click moves back a track—just like on the iPhone. What's more, the headphones' built-in microphone appears as the input device "Microphone port" in the Sound preference pane.
The keyboard
Both models use the same keyboard, the one that debuted on the MacBook and then made its way to the MacBook Air. If you love it—or hate it—you probably already know. As for me, I find the feel identical to other recent Apple laptops, even though the look is a bit different.
Migration and Target Disk Mode
The new MacBook, like the MacBook Air, lacks a FireWire port entirely. What this means is that the old laptop data-transfer standby known as Target Disk Mode—enabled by holding down the T key upon startup, allowing your laptop's hard drive to appear as an external hard drive when plugged in to another computer—is gone. And there's no USB equivalent of Target Disk Mode. What this means is, if you're using Apple's Migration Assistant to move your data to the new MacBook, you'll have to transfer your data over the network from your other computer. (The fastest solution: attach via an Ethernet cable and do it direct at full speed.)
Look out below!
When the original MacBook came out, one of my favorite features was the easy access it provided to its hard drive and RAM, both of which lurked behind a few screws under the laptop's battery bay. Sadly, the MacBook Pro remained extremely hard to upgrade—until now. These are the most upgradeable Apple laptops yet.
Both models are identical in this respect. On the bottom side of the computer there's a switch you flip up, which releases a metal door.
Lift it off, and beneath you'll find a battery and a hard drive.
To remove the battery, just pull up on the plastic tab attached to it and it'll lift right out. To remove the hard drive, you'll need a small Phillips screwdriver in order to remove a single screw from a small plastic locking mechanism that sits between the main laptop case and the drive. Then lift the drive out and disconnect it from the drive cable.
Reaching the RAM's a bit more involved: you need to use that same screwdriver to remove eight screws at the top and bottom of the undershell of the MacBook case. The entire bottom shell lifts off, and you'll see two RAM slots right above the battery bay, dead center. (The MacBooks both have two SO-DIMM slots for a maximum RAM total of 4GB.)
An important note about the battery: it no longer comes with its own battery-level light. (Which would be tricky, since it's hidden behind the removable door.) Instead, on the left side of both models there's a small button that you press to see the capacity of the currently inserted battery. You'll get a more detailed look than in previous models, too: eight tiny battery lights make up the battery-status display.
Color schemes
It's worth noting that while the old MacBook line (still kicking around as a $999 low-end MacBook) let you choose between white and black models, with these new MacBooks you can have any color you like, so long as it's silver. However, in line with the latest iMac models, it's a definite silver-and-black look, thanks to the keyboard and the solid black glass face of the display. Even the display's hinge is black, as opposed to the gray found in the Macbook Air.
Out of the box
Apple crows about the reduced waste in the packaging of these products, and it's true. They follow the MacBook Air approach: it's a tiny box with not a whole lot in it. (Not even any video adapters.) But it's definitely less wasteful packaging.
Once I got the computers out of the box, I was immediately slapped with a Software Update notice. Between the installation of software on the systems at the factory in China and their arrival in the United States, Apple's software engineers evidently fixed some bugs. I was immediately prompted with an alert to update to Version 1.2 of the MacBook, MacBook Pro Software Update for "precision aluminum unibody enclosure MacBook and MacBook Pro notebook computers." Whew!
First impressions
After a few hours with these systems, I have to say that I like them a lot. The new trackpad takes some getting used to, but I think most users will like it. Lovers of matte displays will be angry, though that anger might be mitigated by third-party anti-glare overlays. And the displays themselves are bright and beautiful, which is a good thing. The new graphics performance of these systems—especially the MacBook, which previously used Intel's integrated graphics—should be good, though we'll have to wait for Macworld Lab to weigh in to know for sure.
Thus ends my rapid-fire hands-on look of the MacBook and MacBook Pro. Stay tuned later this week for Macworld Lab's tests of these systems, followed by complete reviews. And when the new MacBook Air arrives in November, we'll take that one for a spin as well.
Jason Snell is Macworld's editorial director. You can follow him on Twitter. Jason thanks the good folks on Twitter for suggesting so many of the questions he answered in this story.


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Patients hoping to see a doctor at a walk-in clinic in B.C. have some of the longest wait times in the country, according to Medimap.
The website, founded in White Rock in 2015, lets patients see how long wait times are for walk-in clinics around the province.
In a report released Wednesday, the website found that British Columbians waited an average of 43 minutes to see a doctor between Nov. 1, 2018, and Oct. 31, 2019, a time that's 41 per cent higher than the national average. By contrast, Albertans wait 25 minutes, Ontarians wait 26 minutes while in Nova Scotia, a patient might wait 55 minutes. The national average is 31 minutes.
The longest wait time was found in Sidney, B.C., where patients waited an average of 180 minutes to see a walk-in clinic doctor.
The report found seven out of the top 10 longest wait times in Canada are in B.C., with Sidney topping the list at 180 minutes and Pitt Meadows second in the province at 100 minutes. Vancouver Island had especially bad wait times with people in Langford waiting 98 minutes, those in Saanichton waiting 90, Victoria waiting 82 minutes and Nanaimo residents waiting for 79 minutes.
Rounding out the list of worst wait times in B.C. were Hartley Bay, located on the central coast, at 87 minutes, and Williams Lake and Maple Ridge at 79 minutes each.
Some Lower Mainland wait times came in well under the provincial average, with waits of just 20 minutes in West Vancouver and Richmond, 25 minutes in Delta, 27 minutes in Abbotsford an 28 in Burnaby. Vancouverites waited an average of 44 minutes, just above the provincial average.
"Many Canadians don't have access to a family doctor and, for those who do, it can often take weeks to get an appointment," said founder and CEO Blake Adams.
"Walk-in clinics fill an important gap in our health care system."
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The first article in this two-part series reviews and describes the vulnerability teenagers with ADHD experience due to their difficulty developing effective self-discipline, self-regulation, and self-control. ADHD acts as a catalyst, increasing the probability that "non-thinking" behavior will lead teens with ADHD to take risks similar to their peers but at a significantly higher rate. As discussed in my earlier article, engaging in risky behavior isn't a problem of not knowing what to do. For example, researchers have demonstrated that teenagers with ADHD clearly understand the risks of school failure, driving, sexual activity, and substance use. Rather, these teens seem unable to efficiently regulate their behavior and safely negotiate what for them is a gauntlet of adolescence. This article will provide a brief overview of several types of risky behaviors teenagers with ADHD typically engage in.
Struggling in school
Growing up with ADHD appears to take a significant toll on many teenagers' educational functioning and final educational attainment. Within the educational realm, disciplinary problems are common in youth with ADHD. Sometimes these problems result from purposeful behavior, but often their actions are not intentional. Citizenship grades are marked down and disciplinary action taken when youth with ADHD are repeatedly late to class, lose textbooks, speak out of turn in class, or cause other minor disruptions. Such behavior occurs when youth with ADHD struggle with conduct problems that may be fueled by poor impulse control.
Teenagers with ADHD are more likely to repeat a grade, receive extra tutoring, underperform relative to their intellect and academic abilities (as measured by group achievement tests), drop out of school earlier, and be suspended from school for disciplinary problems, they are expelled at a rate two-and-a-half times that of unaffected teenagers. Youth with ADHD fail to complete high school at a rate that is four times the norm (nearly 40 percent versus 9 percent). Their class rankings are usually in the bottom third and their grade point averages in the bottom half. In one longitudinal study of youth receiving treatment for ADHD, only 20 percent of teenagers with ADHD attempted a college program of any sort and just 5 percent completed a college degree compared to 40 percent or more of normal teens entering college and 35 percent eventually completing some form of college degree. (Study by Dr. Russell Barkley and colleagues in Milwaukee.)
It appears that growing up with ADHD takes a significant toll on educational functioning and final educational attainment; which ultimately affects the occupational status and life stability of these individuals in adulthood.
Dangerous and distracted driving
Teenagers diagnosed with ADHD in clinic settings who were followed over a three- to five-year-period were found to experience a significantly higher rate of automobile accidents, moving violations (particularly speeding), and license revocations and suspensions compared to unaffected teenagers. The reaction times of teens with ADHD (as measured on driving simulators) are also slower than those of their unaffected peers. Slower reaction times certainly increase risk for accidents. Parents have rated their teens with ADHD as using less sound driving practices than other teenagers, which likely leads to this pattern of vulnerability. Some accidents may be the result of driving too fast (due to poor impulse control) or daydreaming (due to inattention) rather than attending to the road. This is an emerging field of study and thus there are many unanswered questions about the driving behavior of teenagers with ADHD.
Sexual activity
Although at this time there is limited scientific research concerning the sexual behavior of teenagers with ADHD, preliminary studies that have followed teenagers with ADHD into young adulthood have found a higher rate of sexual activity at a younger age and with more sexual partners. The young adults with ADHD studied reported that, throughout their teen years and into young adulthood, they were less likely to use contraception and more likely to have conceived a teenage pregnancy. In the Milwaukee study just cited, nearly 40 percent of teens with ADHD were involved in an unwed pregnancy. They were also more likely to have contracted a sexually transmitted disease (not HIV).
Substance abuse
It has been demonstrated that up to 50 percent of teens with ADHD, particularly in the late teen years, abuse substances such as alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine; many of them become dependent upon such substances. Some of these youth may be self-medicating in an effort to improve their attention span while others may be trying to escape their unhappiness. Still others, due to their lack of inhibition, may be unable to stop doing something that provides pleasure.
However, youth consistently treated for ADHD with medication have been found to be less vulnerable for subsequent substance use and dependence. This may be the added protection offered by medication treatment or may reflect other variables such as factors that predict which families will take the time and spend the resources to make certain their teens with ADHD receive the appropriate treatment.
Juvenile delinquency
The exact relationship between ADHD and antisocial and criminal behavior has not been well studied. Early studies found a high incidence of such behavior in teens with ADHD. However, many of those studies did not take into consideration co-existing problems such as Conduct Disorder (CD) or chronic delinquency. When these variables are controlled for, ADHD may be one of many risk factors leading to juvenile justice problems. For the moment it can be reported that teenagers with ADHD, either because of the ADHD alone or because of a combination of ADHD and other disorders, are much more likely to find their way into juvenile court repeatedly. Unfortunately, the penal system generally provides punishment but little support to help these youth develop more effective and efficient life skills and success in daily life and thus the ability to stay out of trouble.
Meeting the challenge
ADHD appears to be associated with significant risk for global impairment in all major areas of life for affected teenagers. Yet some teens with ADHD fare significantly better than others. The key appears to be approaching treatment from a long-term perspective, balancing symptom relief with strategies to help teens with ADHD develop stress-management skills and resilient qualities. Symptom-relieving treatments for ADHD, including medication, education, and therapeutic interventions are necessary to ensure present day success for teens with ADHD.
However, symptom relief, while necessary, is not sufficient to help these teenagers transition happily and successfully into adult life. Teenagers with ADHD also need help if they are to develop safe and sound driving habits, learn responsible sexual behavior, and achieve educational success. Such help is often provided by multiple professionals (e.g., counselors and educators) in a variety of settings. Best of all, parents can play a large part in helping their teens with ADHD develop a resilient mindset and avoid high-risk behaviors. I will explore effective parenting strategies in the next article in this series.
- Barkley, R.A. (1998). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (2nd Edition). New York, NY: Guilford.
- Goldstein, S. & Goldstein, M. (1998). Managing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children: A guide for practitioners (2nd Edition). New York, NY: Wiley.
- Goldstein, S. & Ellison, P.A. (2002). Clinician's Guide to Adult AD/HD: Assessment and Intervention. New York, NY: Academic Press.


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The Pope, Abortion, Mercy and Context
I have been privileged now to have been with Pope Francis four times since he has been elected to the papacy, and I have been very encouraged by his approach to pro-life issues.
I have had two conversations with him about the work we do at Priests for Life. Our executive director, Janet Morana, has also spoken with him about our work. On all these occasions, he could not have been more encouraging.
That is why I was not alarmed when media outlets began reporting on his "criticism" of the focus of many leaders in the Church on issues like abortion.
The Pope is not criticizing the Church's focus on abortion. He is actually protecting it. He is protecting it from being seen just as a "rule" or a "directive," detached from the fundamental teachings of the faith that make us Christian in the first place and detached from the compassion and mercy that Christ extends to those who have had abortions.
Regarding that latter point, the Pope made a special point to encourage me in my work as pastoral director of Rachel's Vineyard Ministries throughout the world.
The Pope, who came to know of the ministry in Argentina, said to me, "Rachel's Vineyard is very good; it is an excellent work! Go forward with that!"
The reason he is particularly affirmative of Rachel's Vineyard, and of the Church's overall work of healing after abortion, comes out in the recent interview that made headlines. He made it clear that, in dealing with abortion, we have to extend mercy to those who have committed this sin. We who reject abortion do not reject those who have had abortions. Rather, we embrace them with forgiveness and peace.
The Pope is a man of peace: not only an advocate for peace in Syria and around the world, but for peace in the ravaged hearts and souls of those who have had abortions.
This is the "context" in which the Pope wants the Church's "No" to abortion to be understood. The "No" to abortion is only because we say "Yes" to the human person: the baby, yes, and with equal reverence the mom and dad and everyone else. There is not a pro-life leader I know who would not embrace that message.
The Pope, furthermore, is saying that moral imperatives — like the "No" to abortion — flow from the truths of the faith. He illustrated this in the homily he gave on June 16 to a massive crowd that had gathered in St. Peter's Square for the worldwide "Day of the Gospel of Life." Interestingly, the Pope did not use the word "abortion" in the homily, but his message was one of the strongest denunciations of it that I have heard.
He declared:
"The Scriptures everywhere tell us that God is the Living One, the one who bestows life and points the way to the fullness of life. …The commandments are not a litany of prohibitions — you must not do this; you must not do that; you must not do the other. On the contrary, they are a great 'Yes!': a yes to God, to love, to life."
"All too often, as we know from experience, people do not choose life; they do not accept the gospel of life, but let themselves be led by ideologies and ways of thinking that block life, that do not respect life, because they are dictated by selfishness, self-interest, profit, power and pleasure and not by love. … As a result, the Living God is replaced by fleeting human idols, which offer the intoxication of a flash of freedom, but in the end bring new forms of slavery and death."
This, again, shows us what the Pope means by putting the Church's pro-life stance "in context." He is not simply saying here that "abortion is wrong," as if that is just some temporary "rule" separated from the really essential, permanent teachings of the faith. Instead, by explaining that God himself is life, and that attitudes that deny life are "idols," he is saying that support for abortion is a denial of the faith itself and in fact a denial of belief in God.
By doing this, he is answering in a definitive way those who try to say that fighting abortion is just a "hobby" or an optional aspect of the Church's work. He is answering those who see the Church's opposition to abortion as nothing more than a plank in a political platform that might change when a new pope is elected, much like an administrative policy might change when a new president is elected.
Indeed, every teaching of the Church is to be understood in the context of all the other teachings and, indeed, of the entire history of the Church, which stands as a voice for all the oppressed and marginalized, including children still in the womb.


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South African Journal of Science
On-line version ISSN 1996-7489
Print version ISSN 0038-2353
S. Afr. j. sci. vol.105 n.11-12 Pretoria Nov./Dec. 2009
CSIR South Africa mobile LIDARFirst scientific results: comparison with satellite, sun photometer and model simulations
V. SivakumarI, II, *; M. TesfayeI, II, III; W. AlemuI, III; D. MoemaI, IV; A. SharmaI; C. BolligI; G. MengistuIII
INational Laser Centre, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, P.O. Box 395, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
IIDepartment of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology, University of Pretoria, Lynnwood Road, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
IIIDepartment of Physics, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
IVTshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa
We present the first scientific results from the Council for Scientific and Industrial ResearchNational Laser Centre (CSIR-NLC) mobile LIght Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) and its validation and comparison with other ground-based and space-borne measurements. The LIDAR results are compared with aerosol extinction measurements from the Stratosphere Aerosol Gas Experiment (SAGE) II, optical depth derived from sun photometers employed under the AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) and backscatter coefficients simulated from weather balloon humidity measurements.
Key words: AEROSOL, LIDAR measurements, optical depth, relative humidity
1. Introduction
Laser radar, more popularly known as LIDAR, uses electromagnetic radiation at optical frequencies. The radiation used by laser radars is at wavelengths which are 10 000 to 100 000 times shorter than those used by conventional radars. Backscattered photons reflected by the target are collected and processed to yield information about the target and/or the path to the target. Early conventional laser radars observed only the intensity of the collected radiation and the time delay from transmission to collection. Today, with technological advancements, LIDAR has become an excellent tool for monitoring the atmosphere in a relatively short period of time a few seconds to minutes. Laser radars may incorporate continuous-wave or pulsed lasers which can either be focused or collimated. Continuous-wave laser radars are used when the signal may be integrated over long time periods and/or when the target is nearby. Pulsed laser radars, however, use much higher power levels, producing higher signal-to-noise ratios for the collected radiation. Generally, pulsed LIDARs are chosen for long-range remote sensing and when long signal integration is impractical. LIDAR systems are currently employed for studying the atmospheric structure and dynamics, trace constituents, aerosols, clouds, boundary and mixed layers, and other meteorological applications.
During the last 30 years, scientists have identified major aerosol types and they have developed general ideas about how the amount of aerosol varies in different seasons and locations. However, key details still are missing and we still have many unanswered questions about these tiny particles that are so fundamentally important to life on Earth and to understanding our climate; it is therefore crucial that scientists continue gathering relevant information (especially in southern hemisphere regions). In addition, optical and microphysical aerosol properties are currently considered as 'low level' within the climate change scientific community although they are intricately involved in global warming.1 In and around southern Africa, major cities produce large amounts of aerosols as a result of industrial activities and automobile emissions, in addition to natural biomass burning. In Saharan and northern Africa, volcanic eruptions and desert dust also contribute to aerosol concentrations.
Although ground-based LIDAR systems are deployed for atmospheric studies in many developed countries, it is still a very novel technique for South Africa and other African countries.2,3 At present, there are only two LIDARs available in South Africa, located in Pretoria and Durban. Both LIDAR systems are similar in operation and specifications, which facilitates the establishment of simultaneous measurement studies. The Durban LIDAR4 is operated at the University of KwaZulu-Natal as part of a collaboration between Réunion University and the Service d'Aéronomie (CNRS, IPSL, Paris) for climate research studies. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)National Laser Centre (NLC) in South Africa has recently designed and developed a mobile LIDAR system to contribute to atmospheric research in South Africa and other African countries.2 The CSIR mobile LIDAR acts as an ideal tool to conduct measurements over southern hemisphere regions and encourages collaboration with other partners, who contribute to the space-borne and ground-based LIDAR measurements. At present, the system is capable of providing aerosol or cloud backscatter measurements for a height region from ground to 40 km with a 10 m vertical height resolution. The major advantage of the LIDAR is its ability to provide high resolution data capable of resolving structural details in the vertical crosssection of clouds, including cloud thickness, which is important for a better understanding of cloud dynamics and the earthradiation budget.5 This cloud information is also useful for predicting convective systems and rain. In general, LIDAR measurements will elucidate the aerosol concentration, optical depth, cloud position, thickness and other general properties of the cloud which are important for a better understanding of the earth-radiation budget, global climate change and turbulence.
In this paper, we present the first scientific results from the CSIR-NLC mobile LIDAR and its validation and/or comparison with other ground-based and space-borne measurements. In Section 2, we present a concise description of the CSIR-NLC mobile LIDAR (CNML) system. The description of the data and methods of analysis for determination of aerosol extinction profiles are outlined in Sections 3 and 4, respectively. The results and validation through other techniques and model simulations are presented in Section 5.
2. LIDAR system description
The LIDAR system comprises a laser transmitter, optical receiver and a data acquisition system. The complete LIDAR system is custom-fitted into a van using a shock absorber frame. Hydraulic stabiliser feet have been added to the vehicle suspension to ensure stability during measurements (Fig. 1). A Nd:YAG laser is used for transmission, which is presently employed at the second harmonic (532 nm) at a repetition rate of 10 Hz.
The receiver system employs a Newtonian telescope configuration with a 406 mm (16 inch) diameter primary mirror. The backscattered signal is subjected to fall on the primary mirror of the telescope and is then focused toward a plane mirror kept at an angle of 45 degrees. The signal is detected by the photomultiplier tube (PMT) and the PMT output signal is transmitted to the transient digitiser and PC for analysis and archiving. A multimode optical fibre is used to couple the received backscatter optical signal from the telescope to the PMT. To accomplish accurate alignment of the fibre tip, a motorised 3D translation stage is used. The optical fibre is connected to an optical baffle which is positioned by the stage. The PMT is installed in an optical tube which converts the optical backscatter signal to an electronic signal which can be transferred to a PC for storage and analysis.
The data acquisition is performed by a transient recorder which communicates with a host computer for storage and offline processing of data. A Licel® transient digitiser is used, favoured for its capability for simultaneous analog and photon counting detection. This makes it highly suited to LIDAR applications by providing a high dynamic range. More details about the system are available in the literature.6
3. LIDAR and other datasets
The CNML has been operational since February 2008 and measurements have been made on an ad hoc basis during both day and night. As mentioned, collected data have a maximum altitude range of 40 km with a 10-m range resolution. In general, the received backscatter signals are averaged over 10 s to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The data acquisition system has the capability of providing the backscatter signals simultaneously in analog and photon count forms. Obtained analog and photon count signals are appropriately glued in order to improve the signal strength and dynamic range. The LIDAR inversion technique is then applied to the glued data in order to obtain the aerosol backscatter and extinction coefficient. Measured aerosol backscatter and extinction coefficients were compared with other instruments to compare and validate the obtained results.
Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II (SAGE II) was launched into orbit aboard the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) in October 1984.7 During each sunrise and sunset encountered by the orbiting spacecraft, the instrument uses the solar occultation technique to measure attenuated solar radiation through the Earth's limb in seven channels centered at wavelengths ranging from 385 nm to 1 020 nm. The exo-atmospheric solar irradiance is also measured in each channel during each event, for use as a reference in determining limb transmittances. The transmittance measurements are inverted using the 'onionpeeling' approach to yield 1-km vertical resolution profiles of aerosol extinction (at 385 nm, 453 nm, 525 nm and 1 020 nm), ozone, nitrogen dioxide and water vapour.7,8 The SAGE II instrument has collected vertical profiles of stratospheric and tropospheric aerosol extinction at four wavelengths with high resolution since the programme's inception in October 1984. We extracted the aerosol parameter, the aerosol extinction coefficients derived from version 6.20 series, of 21 years of data to characterise the aerosol climatology over Africa.
Sun photometer
The Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) (http://www.aeronet.gsfc.nasa.gov) provides a long-term, continuous and readily accessible public domain database of aerosol optical, microphysical and radiative properties for aerosol research and characterisation, validation of satellite retrievals, and synergism with other databases. Basically, it uses the sun photometer at different wavelengths to obtain aerosol properties, earth radiance and other physical properties. AERONET collaboration provides globally distributed observations of spectral aerosol optical depth (AOD), inversion products, and precipitable water in diverse aerosol regimes.9,10 Here we used the aerosol optical thickness data (level 2) from Johannesburg, which have been validated with data obtained from the LIDAR and SAGE II.
The radiosonde is a balloon-borne instrument capable of making direct in situ measurements of air temperature, humidity and pressure with height, typically to altitudes of approximately 30 km. The radiosonde transmits temperature and relative humidity data at each pressure level. The altitudes of these levels are calculated using the hydrostatic equation which relates the vertical height of a layer from the mean layer temperature, the humidity of the layer and the air pressure at the top and bottom of the layer. Here we used the radiosonde humidity data collected over Irene (near Pretoria) to simulate the aerosol backscatter coefficient through model calculations, based on the assumptions that aerosols are hygroscopic types and are water soluble. The quality of the Irene humidity data has been reported previously.11,12
4. Methods of analysis: LIDAR backscatter and extinction coefficient
The altitude profiles of aerosol extinction (α) or backscatter coefficient (β) from a backscattered LIDAR signal require the solution for the LIDAR equation. The solution of the LIDAR equation is possible only if there is a relationship between these two unknown variables. Different inversion techniques are available depending on the relationship. Klett13 assumed the following relationship between α and α:
β = Cαk ,
where C and k are constants.
This relationship is useful to solve the LIDAR equation in a highly turbid medium (scattering ratio >10). Generally, for a vertically pointing LIDAR which is used for upper tropospheric and stratospheric studies, this relationship is not applicable because Cand kare variable with altitude, depending on the turbidity of the medium. The Klett13 algorithm was later improved by considering the altitude variation of C.
For a monostatic single wavelength pulsed LIDAR system, the power received (P(z)) from a range z, can be written as a singlescattering LIDAR equation:
where P0 is the transmitted power in watts, cis the speed of light, Δt is the laser pulse width, A is the area of the receiving mirror, η is the overall system efficiency, β(z) is the volume backscatter function = [βa(z)+ βm(z)], and α(z) is the volume extinction function = [αa(z) + αm(z)].
The αa and βa are the volume extinction and backscatter coefficients of the aerosols and αm and βm are the volume extinction and backscatter coefficients of the air molecules. The values of αm and βm are calculated from the meteorological data or from a standard atmosphere model. Determinations of αaand βa require an inversion of the LIDAR equation. The inversion is not a straightforward process since it involves two unknown variables. For this purpose, a definitive relationship between these two should be assumed. The molecular contributions to backscattering and extinction have been estimated using a reference model atmosphere (MSISE-90). This is accomplished by normalising the photon count with molecular density at a specified height (which varies from day to day), taken from a model (MSISE-90), and then applying the extinction correction to the backscattering coefficient profile using iterative analysis of the LIDAR inversion equation. The estimation of the aerosol backscatter coefficient applies the downward progression from the reference altitude of ~40 km where the aerosol concentration is said to be negligible.14 The backscattering coefficient profiles, as computed above, are employed for the purpose of studying the cloud characteristics. For studying the aerosol concentrations, however, extinction profiles are computed following the LIDAR inversion method.15
5. Results and discussion
A sample height profile of the measured photon count is shown in Fig. 2. Here the signal represents the averaged photon count profiles for a period of 1 h, whereas the noise level is calculated based on the integrated signal over the upper height region from 38 km to 40 km, where we do not expect any aerosol concentrations. Subtracting the noise in such a way further reduces molecular concentrations in the profile. The integrated noise level is shown in Fig. 2, which distinguishes the signal for the height region at least up to 10 km. Above 10 km, the signal is found to be weaker, merely at the noise level, which is possibly due to the appearance of clouds at the height region of about 9 km. This cloud appearance would entirely prevent the laser beam from propagating upward any further, resulting in only noise being observed. On the other hand, during a clear day (no clouds or optically thin clouds), we are able to distinguish the signal even up to 35 km. Figure 2 clearly shows a sharp peak at approximately 9 km due to the passage of cloud over the site. The thickness of the cloud is found to be less than 500 m and this is a unique advantage of LIDAR, which is able to measure the cloud thickness which cannot be obtained from any other device or instrument. It is noted here that the present photon count profile stands for the measured data before the noise correction. In addition to the photon count profile, the data acquisition also simultaneously provides the analog signal information. One is able to integrate the analog and photon count profiles effectively to obtain the glued photon count information. The glued photon count profile further provides indicative information on aerosols, clouds etc., as it increases the dynamic range of the backscatter signal and improves the SNR. This has been explained in the literature.6 It is briefly demonstrated in the following section using different signals. It should be noted here that the experiments were performed with two neutral density filters, in order to prevent PMT saturation and remove day-time background sunlight. Therefore the measured information was obtained from only 1% of the backscattered signal.
Temporal evolution of LIDAR backscatter signal
The temporal evolution of the backscattered LIDAR signal is plotted in Fig. 3, which illustrates the different forms of the signalanalog, photon count and glued photon count. Here, the glued photon count data refer to the merged analog and photon count signals after appropriately performing the scaling, dead time correction etc. The glued data greatly extend the dynamic range of detection. It is clear from Fig. 3 that the combined (glued) signal reveals a better picture of the structured atmosphere in comparison to the other two. It also is obvious that the analog signal does not show cloud structure whilst the photon count data illustrate a cloud picture over the upper height region. It is, however, noted that the analog form of the signal is more accurate for the lower height region in comparison to the upper height region. By combining the analog and photon count signals, the glued signal clearly reflects the presence of cloud on 25 February 2008 at around 1012 km height regions (Fig. 3a). Such clouds are commonly referred to as cirrus clouds and are composed mostly of ice.16
The LIDAR also was operated during the night of 10 April 2008. The night was clear (no presence of cloud) and one would merely have expected aerosol backscattering. The temporal evolution of the aerosol structure is shown in Fig. 3b, which further evidences the planetary (nocturnal) boundary layer (PBL) structure. The PBL is found to be at approximately 3 km and is stable without much variation. During the night, when there is no solar input, aerosols are non-reactive and are found to be stable. During the day, however, the earth's surface heats up due to solar radiation and this results in various thermodynamic chemical reactions causing turbulence in the PBL. The boundary layer height is therefore expected to vary more during the day and to stabilise after sunset.
Aerosol extinction measurements by LIDAR and SAGE II
When validating the results from any instrument such as a LIDAR, accuracy is one of the most important criteria. Since the NLC mobile LIDAR is the first of its kind developed in South Africa for lower atmosphere studies, we have tried to validate the obtained results by comparing our measurements with those of space-borne and other ground-based data. As explained earlier in the data analysis, the SAGE II extinction profile at 525 nm was obtained over a southern African region (15°S to 40°S and 10°E to 40°E). The corresponding data for a period of approximately 20 years were downloaded from the NASA website (http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/project/sage2/table_sage2.html). The SAGE II provides a height profile of aerosol extinction coefficient for the height region from 0.5 km to 40 km, which allowed comparison with the LIDAR measured aerosol extinction coefficient. We grouped the SAGE II profiles in terms of months to obtain the individual monthly mean aerosol extinction profiles for the height region from 0.5 km to 40 km. The corresponding monthly mean extinction profiles were compared with LIDAR data measured at 532 nm (with respect to the month of the date). Figure 4 illustrates the aerosol extinction coefficient derived from the SAGE II and LIDAR measured data obtained during the day on 25 February 2008 and the night of 10 April 2008. It is noted here that the LIDAR profiles are presented up to the height region where the SNR is found to be reasonable. It was found that both measurements were in good agreement, with less than 5% deviation. Such deviations are considered to be acceptable when comparing ground-based and space-borne measurements. Possible reasons for such deviations include: (a) the space-borne measurements being more accurate in the upper height regions while the ground-based data are more accurate at lower heights, (b) the comparison being made between monthly mean extinction profiles, derived using 21 years of SAGE II satellite data over southern Africa, and LIDAR measurements on particular days, and (c) different operating modes used by the respective instruments SAGE II uses solar occultation leading to horizontally average atmospheres while LIDAR measurements are obtained vertically. The minor differences in magnitude are expected to be within the standard deviations calculated from the long-term measurements. The values are in agreement with the extinction results obtained for the stratosphere height regions and those obtained using the LIDAR at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, where they also reported lower extinction values measured by LIDAR compared with those measured by SAGE II.4 It is noted that SAGE II aerosol measurements are quite sensitive for the upper troposphere and stratosphere height regions in comparison to the lower troposphere. This is because the SAGE II sensor is not sensitive for the lower altitude. In addition, long-term LIDAR measurements are required to conclude the statement, including measurements over South African regions of interest (e.g. Highveld area) where we expect high variations in the aerosol extinction due to different levels of pollution. Our aim here was to compare the profiles in terms of approximate magnitudes between the LIDAR and satellite measurements.
On 10 April 2008, the LIDAR was operated during the night for approximately 2 h. The foggy background atmosphere resulted in the accumulation of aerosols (hygroscopic in nature), thereby allowing us to determine, and study, the boundary layer (~3 km). Assuming the hygroscopic nature of the aerosols, the aerosol backscatter coefficient was retrieved from the relative humidity measurement. The LIDARobtained aerosol extinction coefficients were closer to the SAGE II coefficients derived at 3 km and higher. LIDAR measurements were lower in comparison to the SAGE II climatological mean. The differences in sampling locations, measurement intervals and sampling years may have caused the deviations in extinction magnitude observed between LIDAR and SAGE II. However, the more recent SAGE III aerosol extinction measurements may provide more accurate results in comparison to those of SAGE II.8
The above LIDAR and SAGE II measurements were further used to obtain the integrated aerosol extinction coefficients for calculating the AOD. This is explained in detail in the following section. The mean aerosol extinction coefficient also was obtained over different regions (south, north, west and east) of Africa and will be further used in the future for comparison and validation of LIDAR results over Africa.
Aerosol optical depth measurement and its comparison
The aerosol extinction coefficients obtained using the LIDAR and SAGE II satellite data were integrated appropriately to get the height profile of aerosol extinction from the ground to 40 km. Basically, the LIDAR-retrieved aerosol extinction is considered for the lower height region with respect to the SNR and at higher altitudes the extinction profile derived from the satellite is considered. We have considered the SAGE II profile as far as possible above 34 km, keeping in mind that the lower height region measurements are inaccurate due to low SNR.17 The obtained extinction coefficient is integrated over height to obtain the optical depth over the particular site. The AERONET programme provides continuous optical depth information for Johannesburg (near to Pretoria) for approximately 8 years. Although Pretoria and Johannesburg are two different locations, our aim here was to approximate the magnitude of derived optical depth. Figure 5 illustrates the mean optical depth derived from the sun photometer wavelength centered at 500 nm. This depth has been compared with the AOD derived from LIDAR and SAGE II data. Here we have used quasi-continuous, monthly averaged aerosol extinction data (available from the website, http://www.aeronet.gsfc.nasa.gov) from ~6 years (May 2002 to August 2007). It is noted that there were months when no data were available (October 2002 to August 2005). The collected individual years of data were grouped in months, irrespective of the year, resulting in the calculated mean and standard deviation for each respective month. Figure 5 indicates the mean AOD and the standard deviation obtained for the corresponding month. Since the wavelengths of the measurements are very close (500 nm from the sun photometer, 532 nm from the LIDAR and 525 nm from the SAGE II), we do not expect much deviation from the results. We calculated the optical depth from SAGE II and the LIDAR extinction profile for the corresponding two days (25 February 2008 and 10 April 2008) and compared these with the monthly climatological values. It is evident from Fig. 5 that the LIDAR-and SAGE II-derived optical depths are within the monthly variations obtained from the sun photometer. It is understood that small discrepancies in the magnitude may be due to different reasons, such as the type of instrument used, place of operation and the time period of measurements. Furthermore, SAGE II measurements are based on the limb occultation technique, which might raise the aerosol contribution over horizontal distances. In our calculations, this was considered as being negligible. In the near future, we plan to simultaneously operate the LIDAR in unison with the sun photometer measurements.
Figure 5 also illustrates that the value of the AOD has a strong seasonal dependence: maximum during late spring (October and November) and minimum during winter (MayJuly). The observed maximum during spring might be due to dust transport and biomass burning. This peak is in agreement with results obtained from Skukuza (in the north of South Africa) and has been interpreted to be a result of dust19 from biomass burning18 in China. The drop in AOD during December might be due to summer rainfall, similar to the result from the Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX).20 The observed minimum AOD during winter is in agreement with the report from China;21 they attributed the minimum value to snowfall in winter, which results in dust not being lifted upward into the atmosphere.
Aerosol backscatter coefficient measured by LIDAR and radiosonde
It is known that aerosol formations and sizes vary with respect to hygroscopic parameters22 (e.g. relative humidity). An increase in relative humidity condenses the water vapour, causing aerosol formations which differ in their scattering behaviour depending on their chemical composition.23 There is also a reduction in atmosphere visibility.22 This phenomenon leads to an increase in the size of the particles (hygroscopic growth of aerosols) to significantly larger sizes when dry. A simple model calculation is proposed based on the assumption that the hygroscopic aerosols are dependent on the relative humidity.22,24,25 The model parameterises the scatter-grown factors to assess the hygroscopic effect on aerosol backscatter. The normalised backscattering coefficients can be calculated by taking the ratio of aerosol backscatter over the mean backscatter observed for a reference
relative humidity .
Here (λ, r) is assumed at a relative humidity (Rh) value of λr70%. It is found, based on the observational data and Rheinstein numerical results, that the reference (λ, r) for water-coated spherical aerosol backscattering is 0.0005 km sr1. The other two constants, a and b, are based on the numerical best fit to the data (in a least square sense and trial-error method) and yields values of a = 0.43 and b = 0.3, with a regression coefficient of R2 = 0.85.
Based on the radiosonde relative humidity measurements, we calculated the aerosol backscatter coefficients and compared them with those derived from the direct LIDAR backscatter measurements. Figure 6 shows the backscatter coefficients derived for the two different days, 25 February 2008 and 10 April 2008. On 25 February 2008, both measurements were in close agreement with each other up to 10 km. Above 10 km, the LIDAR measurements were questionable due to the presence of high, dense (cirrus) clouds. On 10 April 2008, the background atmosphere condition was foggy and favourable for aerosol growth. Although there was low agreement below 4 km, the measured and simulated backscatter coefficients were found to be in good agreement between 4 km and 9 km. The observed difference in the magnitudes may be attributed to one dataset using modelsimulated data and the other using measured LIDAR data. The contribution of non-hygroscopic aerosols and theoretical model approximations may also contribute to the underestimation of the backscatter coefficient. In general, the results are in good agreement and this further addresses the possibility for classifying aerosols into hygroscopic and non-hygroscopic species. Based on the temperature information (from radiosonde measurements), we found that the disagreement between the simulated and measured LIDAR data arises when the temperature falls below 0°C (data not shown).
6. Summary and future perspectives
We have presented the first scientific results from the CSIR-NLC mobile LIDAR and its validation and/or comparison with other ground-based and space-borne measurements. The LIDAR results were validated against SAGE measurements, optical depths derived from a sun photometer employed under AERONET, and model-simulated backscatter coefficients based on relative humidity measurements from radiosonde. The agreements were found to be reasonable and indicate the accuracy of the LIDAR measurements. It is clear from the comparison that LIDAR measurements provide high vertical resolution data and this permits us to study the atmosphere structure in comparison to the SAGE or AERONET datasets. Our future plans include field measurements at different sites in South Africa and improvements in the system to enable making 2D and water vapour measurements.
The LIDAR project team is thankful to numerous colleagues at the National Laser Centre for their help. The authors are also grateful to the different South African funding agencies: Council for Scientific and Industrial ResearchNational Laser Centre (CSIR-NLC), Department of Science and Technology (DST), National Research Foundation (NRF) (Grant no: 65086) and the African Laser Centre (ALC). We also express our thanks to SAGE II, AERONET and radiosonde data centres for providing access to the required data.
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Received 1 June.
Accepted 4 September 2009.
* Author for correspondence E-mail: email@example.com


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Hell hath no fury like a 2,000-year-old woman scorned. After almost a full season since the character was first mentioned, Vampire Diaries fans finally got to meet the show's most powerful witch, Qetsiyah, in the flesh. Turns out Tessa (Janina Gavankar), the Mystic Falls newcomer determined to take down Silas (Paul Wesley) was also the witch who created the immortality spell, the other side and the cure.
Hell hath no fury like a 2,000-year-old woman scorned.
After almost a full season since the character was first mentioned, Vampire Diaries fans finally got to meet the show's most powerful witch, Qetsiyah, in the flesh. Turns out Tessa (Janina Gavankar), the Mystic Falls newcomer determined to take down Silas (Paul Wesley) was also the witch who created the immortality spell, the other side and the cure.
The Vampire Diaries Bite: Bonnie's been slapped into reality
"I didn't know I was playing Qetsiyah! I thought the character was some snarky girl named Tessa," Gavankar tells TVGuide.com about learning the real role she had landed. So how long will this very angry witch stick around Mystic Falls, who will she connect with along the way and will she help her descendant Bonnie (Kat Graham) return from the dead? We checked in with the show's newest supernatural.
When you got the part, did they explain how important the character was to the show's entire mythology?
Janina Gavankar: I knew nothing. I was in Washington D.C. waiting for my sister to have a baby, I got a call that The Vampire Diaries wanted me to do an arc, but if I wanted to do it I had to leave tomorrow. So I got on a plane and flew to Atlanta. As usual I said, "Fantastic. Let me read the material." They send me sides, which give me no information, but when I got a script it ends up being 18 pages of monologue. I was ushered to my dressing room with a bunch of DVDs in hand and stared at the wall for a second like, "What have I gotten myself into?"
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How did you ultimately prepare for the role?
Gavankar: I came thinking I knew some sh-- because this is my third vampire show. Meanwhile, this show is so different from True Blood. This is a show about doppelgangers. I love swimming in backstory soup, so the first thing I did was sit down with the writer of the episode, Rebecca Sonnenshine, and I waded through all of it with her and figured out the whole thing. I had more hair tests and makeup tests than any other show.
Could Tessa develop feelings for Stefan simply because he looks the same as her first love, Silas?
Gavankar: Absolutely, that's inevitable. But he's not the first [dopperlganger] she's watched, so she has a lot of restraint. But it is hard. You'll see moments of her staring at him and trying not to fall in love. I read comments with people already 'shipping "Stessa" and I'm like, "You might not want to do that because she will kill anyone who stands in the way of her ultimate goal no matter who they are."
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Does she have any other motivations aside from getting to Silas?
Gavankar: That is her No. 1 goal, but she's had 2000 years of watching these doppelgangers find each other over and over and over again. So, she warns Damon about his future, that he has no shot, because she identifies with Damon a lot. She feels bad for him.
What about Bonnie? Will she help her return from the other side?
Gavankar: If she helps her, it's only because it will further her own plan which is to kill Silas and trap him on the other side.
Will fans like Tessa as the arc progresses?
Gavankar: I think in moments they will root for her because anybody who thinks about her position will understand why she's doing things. But I do think that they're going to find her to be a bit extreme and scary and ruthless. So, people will either love her or despise her.
Any final teases about Qetsiyah/Tessa?
Gavankar: It's a bloody arc. My hands were stained for days.
Were you excited to finally meet Qetsiyah? Do you think she'll kill Silas once and for all?
The Vampire Diaries airs on Thursdays at 8/7c on The CW.
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