Senate bill 30 might have gotten the wind knocked out of it this session, but a revised bill – far from its original call for a moratorium on big wind projects – sailed through a second reading on the House floor Friday by a vote of 140-3.
After a final vote on the bill, it will go back to the Senate committee, where it will be greeted by Democratic Sens. Bob Hartwell, John Rodgers and Peter Galbraith — all of whom sponsored the original version of S.30 and strongly backed a moratorium on utility scale wind projects.
“They should concur with the bill as it is,” Klein said. “This was a very, very long and painful process that got to a place where the goal finally became to keep the conversation going. This is the vehicle that keeps it going. This is the vehicle that got an 11-0 vote out of this committee, and a 140-3 vote out of the House. It’s a pretty strong message.”
Shortly after the House vote, the Senate committee discussed the results. Galbraith expressed his dissatisfaction while clenching a copy of the House bill, which was folded up in the form of a paper airplane.
“Our (bill) at least did something and did something significant,” said the Windham County Senator. “This does nothing, except for summer get-togethers at the taxpayer’s expense. I don’t know my constituents are happy to pay for more talk. As one of my own constituents, I’m not happy.”
Rodgers, who represents the Essex-Orleans district, was particularly peeved that a new study examining the health effects of large wind developments was gone from the bill. A 2010 study conducted by the Vermont Department of Health concluded “that there is no direct health effect from sound associated with wind turbine facilities.”
“Our department of health is an epic failure, a disgrace to the people of the state of Vermont, especially for people who are affected by these wind projects,” Rodgers spouted off.
In addition to these two senators, Sen. Diane Snelling, R-Chittenden, said on Friday that she’d like the bill to go to conference committee so that the two committees can hash out their differences. Snelling would tip the five-member committee vote in favor of such a move.
Galbraith, for one, says that he wants “at a minimum” language from the original bill that passed the Senate, which prohibits “construction for any commercial purpose, including the generation of electric power, … within any state park or forest,” as the Senate version of the bill says.
“Nobody, including myself, has ever argued that there should be wind on state land,” he said. “When you attempt to codify policy into statute, especially when you haven’t done it very carefully and with a lot of testimony … mistakes are apt to be made. And a big mistake was made in that section of the bill. It basically would have shut down forest and parks because you couldn’t cut a tree anywhere as written, and they depend on harvesting trees as a great deal of their revenue.”
Hartwell is less emotional about the bill.“It sets up a process for dealing with the issues, which is good,” he said about the House bill.
But Hartwell says he understands where Rodgers and Galbraith are coming from.
“There are serious problems with industrial wind, environmentally and health-wise, that need to be investigated,” he added. “This question is: Will this bill, this one-pager, accomplish that?”
One unexpected supporter of the House bill is Matt Levin, who lobbies for the non-profit Vermonters for a Clean Environment. The group’s director, Annette Smith, is one of the most outspoken opponents of large-scale wind developments in the state. But Levin says the anti-industrial wind group will take victories where it can get them.
2013年4月27日星期六
2013年4月26日星期五
Let's not beat around the bush
When a woman has an orgasm, the muscle contractions help flush the “old” fluid out of the body and rid the body of bacteria that can cause infection.
Think of it like blowing your nose, but it feels incredible and doesn’t make terrifying sounds.
Reaching an orgasm can also dramatically ease menstrual cramps. Surprise, surprise, women bleed out of their lotus patches and sometimes it hurts so badly that cutting your internal organs out of your body and throwing them on the floor sounds like a better idea.
We could suffer it out or load our bodies up with painkillers to ease the burden, or we could just go for a rousing round of “she-bopping.”
Clitoral stimulation is the only way 70 percent of women can reach orgasm, and it allows you to pleasure yourself without having to risk running into the red sea.
Not only do the contractions of an orgasm alleviate cramping, but they also loosen up the juices and may even make your period end sooner. There’s no scientific evidence to support this, but I personally highly recommend this practice.
Self-satisfying “schlucking” can also help you figure out what you like and dislike as far as your lady bits are concerned.
As previously mentioned, some women cannot reach orgasm from penetration alone, and figuring out whether or not you are one of these women is extremely important. If you cannot reach orgasm from vaginal penetration and don’t know this, you’re bound to be left highly unsatisfied in the bedroom with a disappointed partner, or you’ll become very good at faking orgasms, both of which are really terrible things.
Figuring out what sort of touch gets you off is no different than knowing where you’re ticklish. It’s your body; you should really get to know it as best as you possibly can.
Regardless of what the Puritans would have you believe, sex and sexual urges are totally normal. We may be more domestic than our animal friends, but we’re still mammals nonetheless, and we have urges to breed. Humans differ from other animals in that we’re one of the fewer species who actually has sex for fun.
Noted sex therapist Lonnie Barbach has even expressed in her book, “For Yourself,” that avoiding sexual urges can cause body and mind imbalances. If you’re not in a place to have a partner or don’t want to have sex for whatever reason, masturbation can help balance you out. By balancing yourself out, you’re relieving emotional stress and helping to clear the mind so you can focus on other things, like schoolwork.
Masturbation also helps the economy. While hand-to-hand combat with your no-zone is fine and dandy, using the aid of a stimulation device can make you a quicker and more efficient masturbator. Vibrators, dildos and other sex toys feel incredible to use, and will help give your body the very best sensations possible.
My personal suggestion is to look for personal body massagers; they’ve got a higher intensity and don’t cost as much as products labeled specifically for sexual usage.
Whether you use your hand, a toy, the showerhead or a washing machine, you should never feel ashamed of your body or be afraid to make yourself feel good. In the words of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “it isn’t a crime to give yourself over to pleasure.” Well, just don’t do it in public; there are laws against that.
Think of it like blowing your nose, but it feels incredible and doesn’t make terrifying sounds.
Reaching an orgasm can also dramatically ease menstrual cramps. Surprise, surprise, women bleed out of their lotus patches and sometimes it hurts so badly that cutting your internal organs out of your body and throwing them on the floor sounds like a better idea.
We could suffer it out or load our bodies up with painkillers to ease the burden, or we could just go for a rousing round of “she-bopping.”
Clitoral stimulation is the only way 70 percent of women can reach orgasm, and it allows you to pleasure yourself without having to risk running into the red sea.
Not only do the contractions of an orgasm alleviate cramping, but they also loosen up the juices and may even make your period end sooner. There’s no scientific evidence to support this, but I personally highly recommend this practice.
Self-satisfying “schlucking” can also help you figure out what you like and dislike as far as your lady bits are concerned.
As previously mentioned, some women cannot reach orgasm from penetration alone, and figuring out whether or not you are one of these women is extremely important. If you cannot reach orgasm from vaginal penetration and don’t know this, you’re bound to be left highly unsatisfied in the bedroom with a disappointed partner, or you’ll become very good at faking orgasms, both of which are really terrible things.
Figuring out what sort of touch gets you off is no different than knowing where you’re ticklish. It’s your body; you should really get to know it as best as you possibly can.
Regardless of what the Puritans would have you believe, sex and sexual urges are totally normal. We may be more domestic than our animal friends, but we’re still mammals nonetheless, and we have urges to breed. Humans differ from other animals in that we’re one of the fewer species who actually has sex for fun.
Noted sex therapist Lonnie Barbach has even expressed in her book, “For Yourself,” that avoiding sexual urges can cause body and mind imbalances. If you’re not in a place to have a partner or don’t want to have sex for whatever reason, masturbation can help balance you out. By balancing yourself out, you’re relieving emotional stress and helping to clear the mind so you can focus on other things, like schoolwork.
Masturbation also helps the economy. While hand-to-hand combat with your no-zone is fine and dandy, using the aid of a stimulation device can make you a quicker and more efficient masturbator. Vibrators, dildos and other sex toys feel incredible to use, and will help give your body the very best sensations possible.
My personal suggestion is to look for personal body massagers; they’ve got a higher intensity and don’t cost as much as products labeled specifically for sexual usage.
Whether you use your hand, a toy, the showerhead or a washing machine, you should never feel ashamed of your body or be afraid to make yourself feel good. In the words of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “it isn’t a crime to give yourself over to pleasure.” Well, just don’t do it in public; there are laws against that.
2013年4月25日星期四
Defending the wind
“This wind is part of our culture, traditions, spirituality, but for these companies it is a source of wealth, coming both from the sale of wind energy as well as the sale of carbon credits and the access to other mechanisms of the ill-named ‘green economy,’” denounced assemblies of indigenous people from the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca in a letter addressed to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights at the end of February.
The indigenous inhabitants are opposed to the installation of wind farms in their territories, ensuring that the concessions were not subject to free and informed prior consultations as is established in the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 169 for indigenous and tribal peoples, ratified by Mexico in 1991.
For their part, local and government authorities have organized assemblies and they ensure that the majority of indigenous communities of the Tehuantepec Isthmus have given their consent for the installation of wind farms.
In statements to the news site desInformemonos, Rodrigo Penaloza, member of the Assembly of Indigenous Peoples for the Defense of the Earth and Territory (APIDTyT), affirmed that the assemblies that the government convenes are not consultations.
“They are thinking to do [the consultations] as they do it for the [political] parties”: in one day and drawing some names at random, he said. A “prior, free and informed” consultation could take two years to develop.
“Before any consultation, ample and sufficient information in the native language is required, that says who the investors are, what would be the economic benefit for the businessmen and the community, as well as the environmental impact,” Penaloza explained. “It is a [currently] in force international agreement that the government signed before the ILO. The [subsequent] governments turned a deaf ear on [the agreement] because for them the indigenous people do not exist.”
Since 2000 the Mexican government has bet on wind energy to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. Currently there are 18 operating wind farms, nine under construction and a dozen projects, mostly in Oaxaca.
Although the indigenous communities receive a yearly payment for wind rights of 1,500 pesos (US$122) per hectare, 12,500 pesos ($1,016) for soil use, and 10,000 pesos ($813) per hectare for rights to access or damages, the main impacts are the tears in the social and community fabric, polarization and conflicts within the communities as well as displacement, prostitution, and increase in costs of living and poverty, ensures APIDTyT.
The environmental impacts include total soil loss due to erosion and ground cover, impacts on cultivation areas to build paths, electrical wiring, and wind turbine bases, as well as loss of biodiversity due to impacts to fragile mangrove zones, among others.
The indigenous inhabitants are opposed to the installation of wind farms in their territories, ensuring that the concessions were not subject to free and informed prior consultations as is established in the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 169 for indigenous and tribal peoples, ratified by Mexico in 1991.
For their part, local and government authorities have organized assemblies and they ensure that the majority of indigenous communities of the Tehuantepec Isthmus have given their consent for the installation of wind farms.
In statements to the news site desInformemonos, Rodrigo Penaloza, member of the Assembly of Indigenous Peoples for the Defense of the Earth and Territory (APIDTyT), affirmed that the assemblies that the government convenes are not consultations.
“They are thinking to do [the consultations] as they do it for the [political] parties”: in one day and drawing some names at random, he said. A “prior, free and informed” consultation could take two years to develop.
“Before any consultation, ample and sufficient information in the native language is required, that says who the investors are, what would be the economic benefit for the businessmen and the community, as well as the environmental impact,” Penaloza explained. “It is a [currently] in force international agreement that the government signed before the ILO. The [subsequent] governments turned a deaf ear on [the agreement] because for them the indigenous people do not exist.”
Since 2000 the Mexican government has bet on wind energy to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. Currently there are 18 operating wind farms, nine under construction and a dozen projects, mostly in Oaxaca.
Although the indigenous communities receive a yearly payment for wind rights of 1,500 pesos (US$122) per hectare, 12,500 pesos ($1,016) for soil use, and 10,000 pesos ($813) per hectare for rights to access or damages, the main impacts are the tears in the social and community fabric, polarization and conflicts within the communities as well as displacement, prostitution, and increase in costs of living and poverty, ensures APIDTyT.
The environmental impacts include total soil loss due to erosion and ground cover, impacts on cultivation areas to build paths, electrical wiring, and wind turbine bases, as well as loss of biodiversity due to impacts to fragile mangrove zones, among others.
2013年4月24日星期三
Charles Day a cut above with 1.5m investment
Sheffield-based laser and flame cutting specialist Charles Day (Steels) Ltd has invested 1.5m in two high-powered laser cutting machines after securing funding through HSBC's Assisted Asset Purchase Scheme.
The scheme is designed to support small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to grow their business and is supported by the Government's Regional Growth Fund (RGF).
The company, which was formed in 1976, secured a six-figure equipment finance funding from HSBC's South Yorkshire Commercial team, in addition to funding from the RGF.
HSBC international commercial manager Lee Bloodworth led the deal on behalf of the bank.
The company has created four new jobs as a result of the investment, as well as safeguarding a number of existing positions. Charles Day now employs 50 people, with more new jobs set to follow.
Charles Day operates from a site which boasts hundreds of years of steel history and only minutes from the birthplace of stainless steel, which is celebrating 100 years in 2013 since its discovery by Harry Brearley.
Chairman Jonathan Day said: "These new machines opens up the business to new markets and enables us to cut yellow metal such as copper and brass by laser, which we haven't previously been able to do.
"They are also very efficient machines to operate and are cheaper to run than conventional lasers. The machines are fed by an automatic material handling system feeding two lasers, giving us lights out operation, thus reduced costs for our customers."
Mick Knowles, HSBC South Yorkshire area commercial director, added: "Steel is synonymous with Sheffield, and Charles Day (Steels) Ltd has forged a fantastic reputation in this area."
"The company is continuing to invest and innovate despite the current economic environment, which is testimony to its belief in the strength of the business. We are pleased to have been able to support this investment and look forward to working with the company going forward."
Established in 1981 by Earl Anderson, Jackrabbit has pioneered and improved a number of harvesting machines that are now standard in the nut farming industry. Its machines are used in almond, walnut and pecan harvesting, while Dakota's self-propelled pruning towers and laser cutting and forming services expand its reach into crop industries, including cherries and avocados.
"I strongly believe, based on my interactions with Gladstone, Pegasus and Bob DeMont throughout this process, that they will be great stewards of Jackrabbit and Dakota going forward," says Mr. Anderson.
The acquisition also includes Jackrabbit's wholly-owned metal cutting and forming, and pruning tower-manufacturing division, Dakota AG Welding.
"Gladstone Investment is pleased to partner with both Pegasus and the talented management team at Jackrabbit and Dakota," says Chris Daniel, managing director at Gladstone Investment. "We look forward to building on Jackrabbit's brand and long-standing success by continuing to grow the business."
Patrick Whelan, managing partner at Pegasus, says the acquisition marks "a new chapter of innovation and growth in the dynamic nut and agricultural markets we serve."
The scheme is designed to support small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to grow their business and is supported by the Government's Regional Growth Fund (RGF).
The company, which was formed in 1976, secured a six-figure equipment finance funding from HSBC's South Yorkshire Commercial team, in addition to funding from the RGF.
HSBC international commercial manager Lee Bloodworth led the deal on behalf of the bank.
The company has created four new jobs as a result of the investment, as well as safeguarding a number of existing positions. Charles Day now employs 50 people, with more new jobs set to follow.
Charles Day operates from a site which boasts hundreds of years of steel history and only minutes from the birthplace of stainless steel, which is celebrating 100 years in 2013 since its discovery by Harry Brearley.
Chairman Jonathan Day said: "These new machines opens up the business to new markets and enables us to cut yellow metal such as copper and brass by laser, which we haven't previously been able to do.
"They are also very efficient machines to operate and are cheaper to run than conventional lasers. The machines are fed by an automatic material handling system feeding two lasers, giving us lights out operation, thus reduced costs for our customers."
Mick Knowles, HSBC South Yorkshire area commercial director, added: "Steel is synonymous with Sheffield, and Charles Day (Steels) Ltd has forged a fantastic reputation in this area."
"The company is continuing to invest and innovate despite the current economic environment, which is testimony to its belief in the strength of the business. We are pleased to have been able to support this investment and look forward to working with the company going forward."
Established in 1981 by Earl Anderson, Jackrabbit has pioneered and improved a number of harvesting machines that are now standard in the nut farming industry. Its machines are used in almond, walnut and pecan harvesting, while Dakota's self-propelled pruning towers and laser cutting and forming services expand its reach into crop industries, including cherries and avocados.
"I strongly believe, based on my interactions with Gladstone, Pegasus and Bob DeMont throughout this process, that they will be great stewards of Jackrabbit and Dakota going forward," says Mr. Anderson.
The acquisition also includes Jackrabbit's wholly-owned metal cutting and forming, and pruning tower-manufacturing division, Dakota AG Welding.
"Gladstone Investment is pleased to partner with both Pegasus and the talented management team at Jackrabbit and Dakota," says Chris Daniel, managing director at Gladstone Investment. "We look forward to building on Jackrabbit's brand and long-standing success by continuing to grow the business."
Patrick Whelan, managing partner at Pegasus, says the acquisition marks "a new chapter of innovation and growth in the dynamic nut and agricultural markets we serve."
2013年4月23日星期二
PMLD crew taking charge of windmills
Despite some setbacks, the town’s wind turbines are running well, and Princeton Municipal Light Department general manager Brian Allen credits his crew for ensuring they continue to hum.
“We’ve made a real effort to keep the windmills running,” said Allen at the April 10 light commissioners meeting. “That’s paid off with energy credits earned in February helping to recover some of the January expenses.”
Last month, Allen told commissioners that Fuhrlaender, the German company that installed the wind turbines, is completely dissolved. A Ukrainian company had bought Fuhrlaender but decided to shut it down. Prior to that, Fuhrlaender was working with a German trustee, he said.
“Once we lost Fuhrlaender as our maintenance provider, the option was to get another provider for twice a year, plus on-call response,” said Allen. “But now our crew has taken over all the maintenance; our guys were all trained on it. We’ve got so much money invested up there we don’t want to let maintenance go, and with how important those machines are, I wouldn’t want to let anyone else touch them.
“There is definitely a new level of maintenance on the windmills,” he said. “Even if we did turn over the maintenance to another provider, our guys would be able to make sure it was being done right. Experience is the best teacher.”
Allen said a maintenance contract must be in place, and the insurance company agreed the PMLD crew is qualified. Commissioners signed the contracts. Allen said his crew is qualified to work on Templeton’s windmill and the windmill at Otis Air Force on Cape Cod. “We have our hands full with our own, but if we were needed to help out we could do it,” he said.
“I think it’s a feather in your cap that these guys are so well trained,” said commission chairman Scott Bigelow.
Allen said the linemen all go through line and rescue training and get recertified in tower training every two years. “We have purchased rescue equipment for each tower,” he said. “The ropes are kept in protected humidity. We do everything we can to make sure everyone is safe.”
At the March 13 commissioners meeting, Allen said his crews were spending more time maintaining the windmills than anticipated.
“That’s not bad because it’s winter and we can’t be working on the main roads in the winter. But come spring we’ll be in full bore with line work on Worcester Road and Ball Hill Road,” Allen said.
He said a thermograph imaging of the turbine’s electrical system showed it is okay, but a slight discrepancy in the oil sample from the south turbine would be watched.
A report on the maintenance findings was sent to the Devens-based energy technology company American Superconductor, which said it would give Princeton some support, he said. A technician who spent eight hours on the machines noted some bearings may have to be replaced, and suggested a gearbox technician check it.
“We’ve made a real effort to keep the windmills running,” said Allen at the April 10 light commissioners meeting. “That’s paid off with energy credits earned in February helping to recover some of the January expenses.”
Last month, Allen told commissioners that Fuhrlaender, the German company that installed the wind turbines, is completely dissolved. A Ukrainian company had bought Fuhrlaender but decided to shut it down. Prior to that, Fuhrlaender was working with a German trustee, he said.
“Once we lost Fuhrlaender as our maintenance provider, the option was to get another provider for twice a year, plus on-call response,” said Allen. “But now our crew has taken over all the maintenance; our guys were all trained on it. We’ve got so much money invested up there we don’t want to let maintenance go, and with how important those machines are, I wouldn’t want to let anyone else touch them.
“There is definitely a new level of maintenance on the windmills,” he said. “Even if we did turn over the maintenance to another provider, our guys would be able to make sure it was being done right. Experience is the best teacher.”
Allen said a maintenance contract must be in place, and the insurance company agreed the PMLD crew is qualified. Commissioners signed the contracts. Allen said his crew is qualified to work on Templeton’s windmill and the windmill at Otis Air Force on Cape Cod. “We have our hands full with our own, but if we were needed to help out we could do it,” he said.
“I think it’s a feather in your cap that these guys are so well trained,” said commission chairman Scott Bigelow.
Allen said the linemen all go through line and rescue training and get recertified in tower training every two years. “We have purchased rescue equipment for each tower,” he said. “The ropes are kept in protected humidity. We do everything we can to make sure everyone is safe.”
At the March 13 commissioners meeting, Allen said his crews were spending more time maintaining the windmills than anticipated.
“That’s not bad because it’s winter and we can’t be working on the main roads in the winter. But come spring we’ll be in full bore with line work on Worcester Road and Ball Hill Road,” Allen said.
He said a thermograph imaging of the turbine’s electrical system showed it is okay, but a slight discrepancy in the oil sample from the south turbine would be watched.
A report on the maintenance findings was sent to the Devens-based energy technology company American Superconductor, which said it would give Princeton some support, he said. A technician who spent eight hours on the machines noted some bearings may have to be replaced, and suggested a gearbox technician check it.
2013年4月21日星期日
Is that gambling at Speaking Rock?
Walk into the Socorro Entertainment Center or Speaking Rock, both operated by the Tigua Indians of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, and what you’ll find there looks like gambling, sounds like gambling and feels like gambling.
In room after room, there are hundreds of machines that look, play and pay a lot like slot machines.
You can put in a $10 bill and in a matter of minutes, lose it all or double your money and then take the machine’s payout slip to a cashier and get cash.
But sometimes, under the complexities of Texas and federal law, what may look, feel and pay like gambling isn’t gambling at all.
The Texas Attorney General’s office, which shut down the Tiguas’ Speaking Rock Casino in 2002 after a three-year legal fight, doesn’t like what’s happening on the tribe’s properties now and has tried to stop it.
In legal motions, the state calls it gambling. But no court has agreed.
The machines are not slots; they are sweepstakes validation terminals, the tribe’s lawyers contend. And no court has disagreed.
So, the games go on at the Tigua entertainment centers, along with free concerts by big name performers and bands, alcohol sales, good food and the cheapest cigarettes in Texas.
The free concerts put a big dent in competitors’ business and have closed down a few, said one venue manager who asked not to be named.
“It has affected a tier of entertainment and those clubs that are close to the entertainment centers,” he said. “Look at any casino in New Mexico. Anyone who does entertainment will charge for tickets to break even, and then make money on gambling and alcohol.
“Why is this the only back-door casino that has free concerts?”
Visit Speaking Rock on a weekday morning, and you’ll find a surprising number of cars in the parking lot, great 1960s and ‘70s music playing in the game rooms and a crowd of older folks sitting comfortably in front of noisy machines with cartoony graphics.
A lot of the patrons are women and a lot of them smoke. Ashtrays are everywhere. Serious players say they come two or three times a week, others once or twice a month.
“You win and you lose,” said one regular with $80 in credits on her machine.
On one morning last week, the half dozen players El Paso Inc. interviewed all spoke Spanish only, and agreed that they were having a good time gambling – or playing. It’s the same word in Spanish.
El Paso District Attorney Jaime Esparza declined to comment on the situation but conveyed his thoughts through office spokeswoman Renee Railey.
She said Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot has jurisdiction over gaming issues on the Tiguas’ tribal land, not Esparza’s office.
In opinion after opinion delivered to counties and cities, the attorney general opinions consistently state that if the machines pay cash, they’re illegal and in violation of criminal laws against gambling.
The 2012 opinion to a county attorney states, “Because the eight-liner machines described in your request issue tickets redeemable for items that do not constitute noncash merchandise prizes, toys, or novelties, the machines do not meet the standard for the illegal gambling device exception (provided by the Texas Penal Code).”
In room after room, there are hundreds of machines that look, play and pay a lot like slot machines.
You can put in a $10 bill and in a matter of minutes, lose it all or double your money and then take the machine’s payout slip to a cashier and get cash.
But sometimes, under the complexities of Texas and federal law, what may look, feel and pay like gambling isn’t gambling at all.
The Texas Attorney General’s office, which shut down the Tiguas’ Speaking Rock Casino in 2002 after a three-year legal fight, doesn’t like what’s happening on the tribe’s properties now and has tried to stop it.
In legal motions, the state calls it gambling. But no court has agreed.
The machines are not slots; they are sweepstakes validation terminals, the tribe’s lawyers contend. And no court has disagreed.
So, the games go on at the Tigua entertainment centers, along with free concerts by big name performers and bands, alcohol sales, good food and the cheapest cigarettes in Texas.
The free concerts put a big dent in competitors’ business and have closed down a few, said one venue manager who asked not to be named.
“It has affected a tier of entertainment and those clubs that are close to the entertainment centers,” he said. “Look at any casino in New Mexico. Anyone who does entertainment will charge for tickets to break even, and then make money on gambling and alcohol.
“Why is this the only back-door casino that has free concerts?”
Visit Speaking Rock on a weekday morning, and you’ll find a surprising number of cars in the parking lot, great 1960s and ‘70s music playing in the game rooms and a crowd of older folks sitting comfortably in front of noisy machines with cartoony graphics.
A lot of the patrons are women and a lot of them smoke. Ashtrays are everywhere. Serious players say they come two or three times a week, others once or twice a month.
“You win and you lose,” said one regular with $80 in credits on her machine.
On one morning last week, the half dozen players El Paso Inc. interviewed all spoke Spanish only, and agreed that they were having a good time gambling – or playing. It’s the same word in Spanish.
El Paso District Attorney Jaime Esparza declined to comment on the situation but conveyed his thoughts through office spokeswoman Renee Railey.
She said Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot has jurisdiction over gaming issues on the Tiguas’ tribal land, not Esparza’s office.
In opinion after opinion delivered to counties and cities, the attorney general opinions consistently state that if the machines pay cash, they’re illegal and in violation of criminal laws against gambling.
The 2012 opinion to a county attorney states, “Because the eight-liner machines described in your request issue tickets redeemable for items that do not constitute noncash merchandise prizes, toys, or novelties, the machines do not meet the standard for the illegal gambling device exception (provided by the Texas Penal Code).”
2013年4月18日星期四
Cheap Wind Power Disrupting Brazilian Energy Market
As the cost of wind power drops, and the wind industry grows, wind
farms have a greater impact on electricity markets. And one of those big
impacts is reducing the price of electricity.
As we’ve been writing for years, due to the merit order effect, wind power lowers the price of wholesale electricity. At the same time, due to technology improvements and cost reductions from economies of scale, the overall cost of wind power has been coming down. As an example of that, the cost of wind power in Brazil has fallen 41% since 2009!
Wind farms have won 55% of contracts awarded by Brazil’s national energy agency, Empresa de Pesquisa Energetica, and wind power now costs about $45/MWh (4.5 cents/kWh) in the country. This has been deterring the construction of gas-fired power plants, prompting the decline of some bids from wind farms so that at least some gas-fired plants are built.
When the wind picks up, wind farms generate electricity very cheaply. So cheaply that they undercut the prices of the rest of the power plants.
Furthermore, as noted above, there’s the merit order effect. Here’s a short explanation of the merit order effect: “Electricity providers bid in order to sell their electricity on the electric grid. Because solar and wind don’t have fuel costs, the extra cost to supply electricity (when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing) is basically $0. With subsidies or feed-in tariffs, they can even sell for negative prices and make a profit. As a result of these clean energy sources’ $0 fuel costs, they can outbid every other energy source. And the overall effect from down-bidding everyone is that the wholesale price of electricity is lowered.”
Empresa de Pesquisa Energetica is now introducing separate categories for the electricity market, where fossil-fueled power plants can bid against other, and wind projects compete in a separate auction.
The reason cited for this is that low-cost wind energy prices biomass and fossil-fueled power plants out of the market.
“Wind energy is the most competitive, so if they mix together all the technologies they won’t be able to contract the amount of thermoelectric they want because thermoelectric plants are much more expensive,” said Elbia Melo, president of the local wind energy association.
Imagine if there was a cheap energy storage medium to capture the cheap wind energy generated and sell it at the times it is needed most, such as during peak hours, when electricity is expensive.
As the authors indicate, one of the factors determining how fast the capacity value declines to zero is the geographic dispersion of the wind resource. Thus, a larger region with a well-dispersed wind resource would have a much slower “decay” rate for capacity value than a compact region where all the wind was in the same place. But even if the entire United States is assumed to be a grid region for balancing load, there would be seasonal and diurnal wind patterns that would make it very difficult to count on any incremental capacity value for wind at high penetration levels.
Further, the prime wind areas in the continental U.S. are already largely taken. There are still many that will support wind installations, but the quality of wind in them (both speed and intermittency) is lower and will be less profitable for builders of new plants. And, many windy areas are isolated and require transmission to consuming areas, but the authors did not take transmission issues into consideration, which would further increase cost. Also, areas that have a greater density of wind turbines will have lower quality wind. An operating turbine propagates turbulence that lowers the ability of a downwind unit to produce steadily.
As we’ve been writing for years, due to the merit order effect, wind power lowers the price of wholesale electricity. At the same time, due to technology improvements and cost reductions from economies of scale, the overall cost of wind power has been coming down. As an example of that, the cost of wind power in Brazil has fallen 41% since 2009!
Wind farms have won 55% of contracts awarded by Brazil’s national energy agency, Empresa de Pesquisa Energetica, and wind power now costs about $45/MWh (4.5 cents/kWh) in the country. This has been deterring the construction of gas-fired power plants, prompting the decline of some bids from wind farms so that at least some gas-fired plants are built.
When the wind picks up, wind farms generate electricity very cheaply. So cheaply that they undercut the prices of the rest of the power plants.
Furthermore, as noted above, there’s the merit order effect. Here’s a short explanation of the merit order effect: “Electricity providers bid in order to sell their electricity on the electric grid. Because solar and wind don’t have fuel costs, the extra cost to supply electricity (when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing) is basically $0. With subsidies or feed-in tariffs, they can even sell for negative prices and make a profit. As a result of these clean energy sources’ $0 fuel costs, they can outbid every other energy source. And the overall effect from down-bidding everyone is that the wholesale price of electricity is lowered.”
Empresa de Pesquisa Energetica is now introducing separate categories for the electricity market, where fossil-fueled power plants can bid against other, and wind projects compete in a separate auction.
The reason cited for this is that low-cost wind energy prices biomass and fossil-fueled power plants out of the market.
“Wind energy is the most competitive, so if they mix together all the technologies they won’t be able to contract the amount of thermoelectric they want because thermoelectric plants are much more expensive,” said Elbia Melo, president of the local wind energy association.
Imagine if there was a cheap energy storage medium to capture the cheap wind energy generated and sell it at the times it is needed most, such as during peak hours, when electricity is expensive.
As the authors indicate, one of the factors determining how fast the capacity value declines to zero is the geographic dispersion of the wind resource. Thus, a larger region with a well-dispersed wind resource would have a much slower “decay” rate for capacity value than a compact region where all the wind was in the same place. But even if the entire United States is assumed to be a grid region for balancing load, there would be seasonal and diurnal wind patterns that would make it very difficult to count on any incremental capacity value for wind at high penetration levels.
Further, the prime wind areas in the continental U.S. are already largely taken. There are still many that will support wind installations, but the quality of wind in them (both speed and intermittency) is lower and will be less profitable for builders of new plants. And, many windy areas are isolated and require transmission to consuming areas, but the authors did not take transmission issues into consideration, which would further increase cost. Also, areas that have a greater density of wind turbines will have lower quality wind. An operating turbine propagates turbulence that lowers the ability of a downwind unit to produce steadily.
2013年4月17日星期三
Fashion show April 27 to showcase cutting-edge designs
Matthew Gottesman ’13 views fashion design as “an experiment in
creativity,” beginning with sketches and original machine knits that he
transforms – through intensive trial and error – into full looks that
will fit his models flawlessly for the April 27 Cornell Fashion
Collective spring runway show.
Evoking an “interplanetary expedition to a jungle planet,” his collection of pants, shorts, dresses, parkas and sweaters – named “Io” after one of Jupiter’s moons – draws on such influences as sci-fi films “Prometheus” and “Star Wars” and the spacey sounds of the electronic band M83. To develop his aesthetic, he experimented with plastics and parachute nylons and even worked with Paper No. 9, a Brooklyn company that specializes in sustainable textiles, to create an original fabric that bonds white paper to green denim.
Gottesman and more than 40 other student designers – mainly from the Department of Fiber Science & Apparel Design (FSAD) in the College of Human Ecology and a few from the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and of Architecture, Art and Planning – are busy cutting, stitching and fitting, putting the finishing touches on their pieces for this year’s show, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Barton Hall. From freshman designers – each of whom will create one look related to a common theme, “The Seven Deadly Sins” – to seniors who will send eight to 10 ensembles down the runway, the annual show is an opportunity for undergraduates to display their finest examples of high fashion.
“It’s a huge time commitment and a labor of love, but it is also intensely gratifying work,” said Gottesman.
Show organizers have been working round-the-clock, too. Susan Freeman ’13, president of the collective, said planning for this year’s event started just after last year’s show. She leads an executive board of eight students who oversee every element of the show – runway installation, promotion, model castings, ticket sales and more – making Cornell’s event one of the only completely student-run collegiate fashion shows. Freeman, who also relies on student volunteers from across campus to stage the spectacle, expects about 2,000 people to watch the show.
“I’m excited to see everything come together,” she said. “Almost all of this work is done outside of class, so our designers and executive board members have given so much to make the event successful.”
For the first time, the show will also be streamed to Cornell alumni and friends through an online platform set up by the Office of Alumni Affairs and Development.
In addition to Gottesman’s experimental pieces, designer Caroline Delson ’13, who also serves on the executive board, is creating a menswear line that incorporates stretch denim, velvet, frosted vinyl, Japanese cotton and neoprene – most commonly used in wetsuits. Katelyn Ridgeway ’13 is developing an earthy line of outdoor apparel that combines classic wools with modern waterproof and abrasion-resistant fabrics.
“Quite a few students designed their own fabric and created digital prints for them, and many students took advantage of the laser cutter this semester,” said Delson of the high-tech design equipment in the Human Ecology Building. “It’s brought the visual impact of the show to a new level.”
Evoking an “interplanetary expedition to a jungle planet,” his collection of pants, shorts, dresses, parkas and sweaters – named “Io” after one of Jupiter’s moons – draws on such influences as sci-fi films “Prometheus” and “Star Wars” and the spacey sounds of the electronic band M83. To develop his aesthetic, he experimented with plastics and parachute nylons and even worked with Paper No. 9, a Brooklyn company that specializes in sustainable textiles, to create an original fabric that bonds white paper to green denim.
Gottesman and more than 40 other student designers – mainly from the Department of Fiber Science & Apparel Design (FSAD) in the College of Human Ecology and a few from the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and of Architecture, Art and Planning – are busy cutting, stitching and fitting, putting the finishing touches on their pieces for this year’s show, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Barton Hall. From freshman designers – each of whom will create one look related to a common theme, “The Seven Deadly Sins” – to seniors who will send eight to 10 ensembles down the runway, the annual show is an opportunity for undergraduates to display their finest examples of high fashion.
“It’s a huge time commitment and a labor of love, but it is also intensely gratifying work,” said Gottesman.
Show organizers have been working round-the-clock, too. Susan Freeman ’13, president of the collective, said planning for this year’s event started just after last year’s show. She leads an executive board of eight students who oversee every element of the show – runway installation, promotion, model castings, ticket sales and more – making Cornell’s event one of the only completely student-run collegiate fashion shows. Freeman, who also relies on student volunteers from across campus to stage the spectacle, expects about 2,000 people to watch the show.
“I’m excited to see everything come together,” she said. “Almost all of this work is done outside of class, so our designers and executive board members have given so much to make the event successful.”
For the first time, the show will also be streamed to Cornell alumni and friends through an online platform set up by the Office of Alumni Affairs and Development.
In addition to Gottesman’s experimental pieces, designer Caroline Delson ’13, who also serves on the executive board, is creating a menswear line that incorporates stretch denim, velvet, frosted vinyl, Japanese cotton and neoprene – most commonly used in wetsuits. Katelyn Ridgeway ’13 is developing an earthy line of outdoor apparel that combines classic wools with modern waterproof and abrasion-resistant fabrics.
“Quite a few students designed their own fabric and created digital prints for them, and many students took advantage of the laser cutter this semester,” said Delson of the high-tech design equipment in the Human Ecology Building. “It’s brought the visual impact of the show to a new level.”
Sheet Metal Workers’ building brings unique presence
Members of the Sheet Metal Workers Local Union 36 started construction on their new workshop, office and banquet space in St. Louis during the last few years, and since have brought the sustainablity-centered building into city limits.
Bob Barrett, Union marketing director, said since the building opened later last year, the organization has been able to bring in a new batch of trainees, and host multiple other organizations in the 600-person banquet hall. Additionally, the building houses offices for the union and benefits 30 employees.
“This is a state of the art workforce to train our members,” Barrett said. ‘We have to make sure they are the best trained in the industry.”
A glance at the building shows its uniqueness, with a slight peek at the wind turbines on the roof. The turbines, Barrett said, are one of multiple energy sources powering what he calls the “living lab of green technology.” Among the other energy sources include solar heating, solar electricity, solar producing hot water and natural light.
The 55,000 square foot building cost about $22 million to build, Barrett said, and not a dollar of it came from the government, which he said the Sheet Metal Workers pride themselves on. The only exception, he added, came from Brownfield tax credits when they first purchased the building, as the building was vacant and had been neglected prior to their purchase.
Barrett said the building houses five full-time instructors who work with the Union’s apprenticeship program, teaching students that come in from across the state — and eventually from across the country — how to weld, work with HVC programs, architectural work, panel siding, computer CAD drafting, how to maintain the energy systems that run the building and all other aspects of the field that will keep the members competitive.
The building is one of 10 throughout the country that’s commissioned to teach the three-day training and in the Testing Adjusting and Balancing lab.
Since the building’s construction, Barrett said there have been renovations to neighboring stores on the block, and said he’s glad the Sheet Metal Workers were able to give back to the community. He said he doesn’t think they could’ve done it without the help of their contractor’s partners, Congressman Lacy Clay, Sen. Claire McCaskill, Mayor Francis Slay and City Treasurer Tishaura Jones.
ones, who said she helped the union primarily with the Brownfield tax credit application and other funding-related items, said she’s been more than impressed with the work done by the Sheet Metal Workers.
“They did a great job making sure it’s a lead-certified building,” Jones said about the Sheet Metal Workers’ building. “It reduces the carbon footprint and it’s got a top- high lead certification. Most importantly, it’s there to train people to be more gainfully employed. It’s all about jobs, which is what we talk about most.”
Bob Barrett, Union marketing director, said since the building opened later last year, the organization has been able to bring in a new batch of trainees, and host multiple other organizations in the 600-person banquet hall. Additionally, the building houses offices for the union and benefits 30 employees.
“This is a state of the art workforce to train our members,” Barrett said. ‘We have to make sure they are the best trained in the industry.”
A glance at the building shows its uniqueness, with a slight peek at the wind turbines on the roof. The turbines, Barrett said, are one of multiple energy sources powering what he calls the “living lab of green technology.” Among the other energy sources include solar heating, solar electricity, solar producing hot water and natural light.
The 55,000 square foot building cost about $22 million to build, Barrett said, and not a dollar of it came from the government, which he said the Sheet Metal Workers pride themselves on. The only exception, he added, came from Brownfield tax credits when they first purchased the building, as the building was vacant and had been neglected prior to their purchase.
Barrett said the building houses five full-time instructors who work with the Union’s apprenticeship program, teaching students that come in from across the state — and eventually from across the country — how to weld, work with HVC programs, architectural work, panel siding, computer CAD drafting, how to maintain the energy systems that run the building and all other aspects of the field that will keep the members competitive.
The building is one of 10 throughout the country that’s commissioned to teach the three-day training and in the Testing Adjusting and Balancing lab.
Since the building’s construction, Barrett said there have been renovations to neighboring stores on the block, and said he’s glad the Sheet Metal Workers were able to give back to the community. He said he doesn’t think they could’ve done it without the help of their contractor’s partners, Congressman Lacy Clay, Sen. Claire McCaskill, Mayor Francis Slay and City Treasurer Tishaura Jones.
ones, who said she helped the union primarily with the Brownfield tax credit application and other funding-related items, said she’s been more than impressed with the work done by the Sheet Metal Workers.
“They did a great job making sure it’s a lead-certified building,” Jones said about the Sheet Metal Workers’ building. “It reduces the carbon footprint and it’s got a top- high lead certification. Most importantly, it’s there to train people to be more gainfully employed. It’s all about jobs, which is what we talk about most.”
2013年4月16日星期二
Greetings from Gun Valley
LENNY LARIVEE has spent 68 percent of his 69 years on this planet doing the same thing: making guns. And he’s made them all for one company, Savage Arms in Westfield, just off Exit 3 on the Mass. Pike. He’s tall and bald, with a voice that is low and a speaking style that is John Wayne-slow. He is also a cantankerous character. Newcomers who stop by his bench expecting to find a senior statesman are usually startled to hear his opening line: “You don’t like what I say? Stay the eff away.”
Larivee has seen it all. How the $1.25 he made per hour in 1965 shot up to $22.50 an hour by 1971, factoring in piecework incentives. How years of bad management forced the company into bankruptcy protection in 1988, when 800 employees walked out of the factory with their tools on a Friday afternoon and only 100 were invited back on Monday morning—and for substantially less pay. How the company was living week to week for a long time, with its straight-talking new leader, Ron Coburn, telling his remaining employees: “Don’t cash your check until I say the money’s in the bank.” Looking back on it now, Larivee admits, “I never thought we’d make it.”
Today, as he repairs the damaged crown on a rifle, the factory around him is humming. Savage Arms, the century-old pioneer that had deteriorated to the point where it was mocked as “Salvage Arms” and left for dead, now can’t keep up with demand. Its year-over-year growth was 50 percent in 2011, 40 percent in 2012, and is on pace to pack on another 40 percent in 2013. The company is running round-the-clock shifts on weekdays and has added one on Saturdays.
It has about 415 employees in Westfield, nearly double the number from just three years ago and part of a companywide workforce of 740. And it is racing to hire more. The Westfield factory made and shipped more than 350,000 guns in 2012, while also distributing another 300,000 that were made at Savage’s Canadian plant or by the vendors in China and Turkey that produce the company’s cheaper Stevens brand weapons. One company projection calls for the Westfield plant to be producing 650,000 guns by 2015 and distributing more than 1 million in total.
While Larivee’s machinist’s union wage hasn’t returned to its 1971 peak, it has climbed back up to $17.10 an hour. It’s enough, he says, to afford “a new car every four years and have my house paid for,” something for which he has thanked Coburn, who just retired as CEO, every year at Christmas. Base hourly wages on the factory floor now range from $14 for subassembly work to $25 for licensed electricians. And depending on how profitably the factory was able to turn out its product in the previous month—posting high production numbers with low scrap and limited overtime—employees can see their monthly pay goosed by 4, 5, or even 9 percent.
Larivee confidently answers all questions, except for one. How can a company like Savage be thriving in high-cost unionized Massachusetts, when we were all led to believe manufacturing was firmly in New England’s past? “I don’t understand why it’s happening,” he says. “No, I don’t.”
After chewing it over for a while, Larivee offers a partial explanation for the boom. “I think it’s because of our president and what happened down in Connecticut,” he says, talking over the roar of machines and the horns of forklifts. “Everybody’s nervous that Obama’s going to pass some law that you’re not going to be able to buy ammo or guns, or that he’s going to go in your house.”
Larivee has seen it all. How the $1.25 he made per hour in 1965 shot up to $22.50 an hour by 1971, factoring in piecework incentives. How years of bad management forced the company into bankruptcy protection in 1988, when 800 employees walked out of the factory with their tools on a Friday afternoon and only 100 were invited back on Monday morning—and for substantially less pay. How the company was living week to week for a long time, with its straight-talking new leader, Ron Coburn, telling his remaining employees: “Don’t cash your check until I say the money’s in the bank.” Looking back on it now, Larivee admits, “I never thought we’d make it.”
Today, as he repairs the damaged crown on a rifle, the factory around him is humming. Savage Arms, the century-old pioneer that had deteriorated to the point where it was mocked as “Salvage Arms” and left for dead, now can’t keep up with demand. Its year-over-year growth was 50 percent in 2011, 40 percent in 2012, and is on pace to pack on another 40 percent in 2013. The company is running round-the-clock shifts on weekdays and has added one on Saturdays.
It has about 415 employees in Westfield, nearly double the number from just three years ago and part of a companywide workforce of 740. And it is racing to hire more. The Westfield factory made and shipped more than 350,000 guns in 2012, while also distributing another 300,000 that were made at Savage’s Canadian plant or by the vendors in China and Turkey that produce the company’s cheaper Stevens brand weapons. One company projection calls for the Westfield plant to be producing 650,000 guns by 2015 and distributing more than 1 million in total.
While Larivee’s machinist’s union wage hasn’t returned to its 1971 peak, it has climbed back up to $17.10 an hour. It’s enough, he says, to afford “a new car every four years and have my house paid for,” something for which he has thanked Coburn, who just retired as CEO, every year at Christmas. Base hourly wages on the factory floor now range from $14 for subassembly work to $25 for licensed electricians. And depending on how profitably the factory was able to turn out its product in the previous month—posting high production numbers with low scrap and limited overtime—employees can see their monthly pay goosed by 4, 5, or even 9 percent.
Larivee confidently answers all questions, except for one. How can a company like Savage be thriving in high-cost unionized Massachusetts, when we were all led to believe manufacturing was firmly in New England’s past? “I don’t understand why it’s happening,” he says. “No, I don’t.”
After chewing it over for a while, Larivee offers a partial explanation for the boom. “I think it’s because of our president and what happened down in Connecticut,” he says, talking over the roar of machines and the horns of forklifts. “Everybody’s nervous that Obama’s going to pass some law that you’re not going to be able to buy ammo or guns, or that he’s going to go in your house.”
2013年4月14日星期日
Explore Island's power potential
The forestry company has applied to the Capital Regional District for a temporary-use permit to build three 80-metre towers in the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area to "explore the potential for power generation with wind energy."
The data collected will be used to build a business case for developing a wind farm, if wind speeds meet threshold requirements, a CRD report says.
"I think it's great," said Juan de Fuca director Mike Hicks. "It would be a wonderful new energy source, and if it's in the Juan de Fuca [area], all the better."
Vancouver Island's first wind farm — a $300-million, 99-megawatt facility — is under construction east of Cape Scott Provincial Park on the northwestern tip of the Island. Slated to become operational later this year, the project will see 55 giant wind turbines built on 350 hectares of land.
That project's 80-metre turbines will each have three 50-metre blades driving a 1.8-megawatt generator — enough electrical energy for 30,000 homes.
The three proposed TimberWest towers are to be located on two properties: a 3,526-hectare piece located north of Wye Lake, extending northwest to Floodwater Creek, and a 923-hectare property directly north of Bear Creek Reservoir.
The land is designated rural resource and the use is not considered inconsistent with the regional growth strategy, which, the report says, "supports opportunities for alternative energy facilities to address greenhouse-gas reduction targets."
The proposed towers likely won't affect surrounding properties or views because they are not near any residential or development sites. No blasting is required and only minimal clearing of vegetation will be required, the report says.
The towers would be built in areas that have been previously logged and access to the sites will be via private, gated logging roads.
"They're just testing, but I would hope they're testing because they think it's got potential," Hicks said.
The CRD board agreed to increase the height maximum to 80 metres from six and forwarded the application to a variety of potentially affected parties, including a number of provincial ministries, B.C. Hydro, Cowichan Tribes, Sooke, Pacheedaht and T'Sou-ke First Nations and adjacent land owners.
A temporary-use permit can be issued for a period of three years and renewed for another three years. A TimberWest spokesperson did not respond to calls for comment.
Victorian Premier Denis Napthine has outlined his fondness for wind farms, but will not push for a weakening of Victorian restrictions on their development.
Speaking at the opening of the Southern Hemisphere's largest wind farm – the 420 MW Macarthur in Victoria's south-west – Dr Napthine said the government recognised the importance of developing alternative sources of energy.
"At the same time, the government recognises the need for wind energy facilities to be developed in appropriate locations, to minimise impacts on our natural environment and local communities while providing certainty to wind farm developers," he said.
Dr Napthine added that his experiences with wind power had been particularly positive. "I remember years ago seeing wind turbines in Wales and parking on the side of the road and just watching them," he said, according to The Border Mail.
The data collected will be used to build a business case for developing a wind farm, if wind speeds meet threshold requirements, a CRD report says.
"I think it's great," said Juan de Fuca director Mike Hicks. "It would be a wonderful new energy source, and if it's in the Juan de Fuca [area], all the better."
Vancouver Island's first wind farm — a $300-million, 99-megawatt facility — is under construction east of Cape Scott Provincial Park on the northwestern tip of the Island. Slated to become operational later this year, the project will see 55 giant wind turbines built on 350 hectares of land.
That project's 80-metre turbines will each have three 50-metre blades driving a 1.8-megawatt generator — enough electrical energy for 30,000 homes.
The three proposed TimberWest towers are to be located on two properties: a 3,526-hectare piece located north of Wye Lake, extending northwest to Floodwater Creek, and a 923-hectare property directly north of Bear Creek Reservoir.
The land is designated rural resource and the use is not considered inconsistent with the regional growth strategy, which, the report says, "supports opportunities for alternative energy facilities to address greenhouse-gas reduction targets."
The proposed towers likely won't affect surrounding properties or views because they are not near any residential or development sites. No blasting is required and only minimal clearing of vegetation will be required, the report says.
The towers would be built in areas that have been previously logged and access to the sites will be via private, gated logging roads.
"They're just testing, but I would hope they're testing because they think it's got potential," Hicks said.
The CRD board agreed to increase the height maximum to 80 metres from six and forwarded the application to a variety of potentially affected parties, including a number of provincial ministries, B.C. Hydro, Cowichan Tribes, Sooke, Pacheedaht and T'Sou-ke First Nations and adjacent land owners.
A temporary-use permit can be issued for a period of three years and renewed for another three years. A TimberWest spokesperson did not respond to calls for comment.
Victorian Premier Denis Napthine has outlined his fondness for wind farms, but will not push for a weakening of Victorian restrictions on their development.
Speaking at the opening of the Southern Hemisphere's largest wind farm – the 420 MW Macarthur in Victoria's south-west – Dr Napthine said the government recognised the importance of developing alternative sources of energy.
"At the same time, the government recognises the need for wind energy facilities to be developed in appropriate locations, to minimise impacts on our natural environment and local communities while providing certainty to wind farm developers," he said.
Dr Napthine added that his experiences with wind power had been particularly positive. "I remember years ago seeing wind turbines in Wales and parking on the side of the road and just watching them," he said, according to The Border Mail.
2013年4月11日星期四
The era of "good enough" computing
So we shouldn't have been surprised when Windows 7 came along, bringing all that better performance on the same hardware. There wasn't a reason to buy a new PC for a new Windows any more.
We could just buy a cheap upgrade and get more life from our PCs. My Vista-era desktop systems got a performance bump because the software got better, taking advantage of the older hardware. I didn't need new PCs, I didn't even need a new graphics card.
I only bought my current PC last year because a hardware failure fried the Vista machine's motherboard. If I hadn't had a hardware failure I suspect I'd still be using that PC today.
The new machine has the same hard disks, even the same graphics card, using the same multi-monitor setup as that original Vista-era machine. It wasn't any faster, but it got another performance bump when I upgraded it to Windows 8 last summer. We even saw significant improvements on XP-era test hardware.
So yes, that means Windows 8 is one thing that's to blame for a slow-down in PC sales. You don't need a new PC to see a benefit from it, especially when you're getting a 10 percent speed bump over Windows 7 running on Vista-era hardware, and an extra hour or so battery life on a three year old laptop.
A cheap upgrade download and your old PC gets a new lease of life. Why do you need to spend several hundred pounds or dollars for extra performance when it comes with an operating system upgrade for a fraction of the cost?
So if our software gets better on older hardware, so what about all that new hardware?
First we need to look at the trends that drive the PC industry. Like all consumer industries it has to respond to customer needs, and those customer demands have changed over the last couple of decades; changes that are having a significant impact on more than just the PC market.
Fed up with planned obsolescence, we now demand things that last. How long did you keep your last washing machine, your vacuum cleaner, your last car?
Devices may not be user serviceable, but they just don't break the way they used to. Our dishwasher has moved house with us more than once, as has our washing machine. My car is thirteen years old, and still gets great mileage. Why would I need to change them?
The fact that today's software gets better performance out of yesterday's hardware can't be ignored. It's changing more than the PC industry – just look at Ford's Sync strategy for in-car entertainment.
Why rely on fixed car hardware that'll be with the driver for most of a decade, if you can have an API and an app ecosystem? Each time Pandora upgrades on my phone I get an improved experience, and Ford hasn't had to change my car.
That trend accounts for one aspect of the longevity of PCs. They've stopped breaking, because we don't want PCs that break. But there's another aspect, the Moore's Law elephant in the room.
A few years back PCs stopped getting faster. They just got more cores. As transistor density increased, the faster processors got, the hotter they got. And the hotter they got, the greater the risk of quantum instabilities in the billions of transistors that new processes were capable of making.
We could just buy a cheap upgrade and get more life from our PCs. My Vista-era desktop systems got a performance bump because the software got better, taking advantage of the older hardware. I didn't need new PCs, I didn't even need a new graphics card.
I only bought my current PC last year because a hardware failure fried the Vista machine's motherboard. If I hadn't had a hardware failure I suspect I'd still be using that PC today.
The new machine has the same hard disks, even the same graphics card, using the same multi-monitor setup as that original Vista-era machine. It wasn't any faster, but it got another performance bump when I upgraded it to Windows 8 last summer. We even saw significant improvements on XP-era test hardware.
So yes, that means Windows 8 is one thing that's to blame for a slow-down in PC sales. You don't need a new PC to see a benefit from it, especially when you're getting a 10 percent speed bump over Windows 7 running on Vista-era hardware, and an extra hour or so battery life on a three year old laptop.
A cheap upgrade download and your old PC gets a new lease of life. Why do you need to spend several hundred pounds or dollars for extra performance when it comes with an operating system upgrade for a fraction of the cost?
So if our software gets better on older hardware, so what about all that new hardware?
First we need to look at the trends that drive the PC industry. Like all consumer industries it has to respond to customer needs, and those customer demands have changed over the last couple of decades; changes that are having a significant impact on more than just the PC market.
Fed up with planned obsolescence, we now demand things that last. How long did you keep your last washing machine, your vacuum cleaner, your last car?
Devices may not be user serviceable, but they just don't break the way they used to. Our dishwasher has moved house with us more than once, as has our washing machine. My car is thirteen years old, and still gets great mileage. Why would I need to change them?
The fact that today's software gets better performance out of yesterday's hardware can't be ignored. It's changing more than the PC industry – just look at Ford's Sync strategy for in-car entertainment.
Why rely on fixed car hardware that'll be with the driver for most of a decade, if you can have an API and an app ecosystem? Each time Pandora upgrades on my phone I get an improved experience, and Ford hasn't had to change my car.
That trend accounts for one aspect of the longevity of PCs. They've stopped breaking, because we don't want PCs that break. But there's another aspect, the Moore's Law elephant in the room.
A few years back PCs stopped getting faster. They just got more cores. As transistor density increased, the faster processors got, the hotter they got. And the hotter they got, the greater the risk of quantum instabilities in the billions of transistors that new processes were capable of making.
2013年4月10日星期三
High wind helps set daily energy mark in California
High winds for the past several days have pushed California's turbines,
including those in Solano County, to record levels of power generation,
according to the California Independent System Operator Corp.
The ISO is the main operator for the state's high voltage network, serving about 80 percent of the state.
ISO officials reported that a new record was set when turbines spinning within the state power grid combined to produce 4,169 megawatts on Sunday evening. That broke the previous record, which had been set Friday, when wind levels passed the 4,000-megawatt milestone and hit 4,095 megawatts. The previous record peak for output for wind energy was 3,944 megawatts on March 3.
"With these impressive wind production levels, California is well positioned to meet the 33 percent by 2020 green power goal," said ISO President and CEO Steve Berberich in a press release. "Our control center operators are tracking a steady increase in renewable energy and we are leveraging the latest forecasting technology as well as complementary flexible resources to capture and optimize this carbon-free power supply."
California is the second largest producer of wind power in the U.S. behind Texas.
While all that wind power is good news for energy generators, it was less welcome by California residents after pounding winds left streets littered with trees, knocked out power to thousands and whipped up waves and wildfires.
Calmer weather is expected to move into the state, accompanied by cooler night temperatures and higher humidity, which will help firefighters at a wind-whipped wildfire in Fillmore, about 50 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
Enough progress had been made at the blaze, which destroyed two homes on Monday and threatened about 160 others, that officials lifted all evacuation orders by early Tuesday, said Ventura County fire Capt. Mike Lindbery.
The rest of the state contended with widespread outages as gusts downed power lines and trees. Wind sent a tree smashing into a Sacramento home where four friends were playing cards, but they didn't stop the game, according to KCRA-TV.
"It could've been worse," said Dodie Backus, who lives in the house. "It's not going to stop our bridge game," said her game partner, Marilyn Baker.
Northern California was first to feel the lashing gusts, which spread to the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys. At least a dozen trees came down in San Francisco, police officer John Tozzini told KGO-TV, and a wide swath of outages occurred from the Bay Area through Sacramento.
The blustery system was fueled by a cold front, which Carol Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard, said was "just a cold, really strong upper low" pressure system.
The ISO is the main operator for the state's high voltage network, serving about 80 percent of the state.
ISO officials reported that a new record was set when turbines spinning within the state power grid combined to produce 4,169 megawatts on Sunday evening. That broke the previous record, which had been set Friday, when wind levels passed the 4,000-megawatt milestone and hit 4,095 megawatts. The previous record peak for output for wind energy was 3,944 megawatts on March 3.
"With these impressive wind production levels, California is well positioned to meet the 33 percent by 2020 green power goal," said ISO President and CEO Steve Berberich in a press release. "Our control center operators are tracking a steady increase in renewable energy and we are leveraging the latest forecasting technology as well as complementary flexible resources to capture and optimize this carbon-free power supply."
California is the second largest producer of wind power in the U.S. behind Texas.
While all that wind power is good news for energy generators, it was less welcome by California residents after pounding winds left streets littered with trees, knocked out power to thousands and whipped up waves and wildfires.
Calmer weather is expected to move into the state, accompanied by cooler night temperatures and higher humidity, which will help firefighters at a wind-whipped wildfire in Fillmore, about 50 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
Enough progress had been made at the blaze, which destroyed two homes on Monday and threatened about 160 others, that officials lifted all evacuation orders by early Tuesday, said Ventura County fire Capt. Mike Lindbery.
The rest of the state contended with widespread outages as gusts downed power lines and trees. Wind sent a tree smashing into a Sacramento home where four friends were playing cards, but they didn't stop the game, according to KCRA-TV.
"It could've been worse," said Dodie Backus, who lives in the house. "It's not going to stop our bridge game," said her game partner, Marilyn Baker.
Northern California was first to feel the lashing gusts, which spread to the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys. At least a dozen trees came down in San Francisco, police officer John Tozzini told KGO-TV, and a wide swath of outages occurred from the Bay Area through Sacramento.
The blustery system was fueled by a cold front, which Carol Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard, said was "just a cold, really strong upper low" pressure system.
A night of TV documentaries
As is customary on the big occasion, the mainstream broadcasters
reverted to type. The BBC produced something formal, conventional;
Channel 4 produced something slightly offbeat, filled with amusing and
colourful anecdote; and ITV stuck with its ratings-friendly detective
serial, only slipping its tribute documentary on once most of its
viewers were safely in bed.
On a night of documentaries about the late Baroness Thatcher, Channel 4 went first, at 8.00pm, with Maggie and Me, presented by Jon Snow, a man described by Denis Thatcher as “that pinko”. As it turned out, the pinko did her proud, giving little personal insights that most of the more straightforward rehashings of her story will miss.
A photographer recalled how she’d addressed him as “You little socialist”. He asked what made her think he was socialist. “You’re Scottish,” she replied, “you must be.” But she was, in her inimitable way, only teasing, and served him whisky.
“I could sense that underneath she was just as scared as anyone else,” said Matthew Parris, a young Tory MP in the early Eighties, later a parliamentary sketch writer and political columnist. But he acknowledged that if she was scared, she was pretty good at hiding it. He recalled the day when, campaigning in London, she’d forcibly seized control of a street-cleaning machine from its startled operator, and manoeuvred it with the same manic efficiency as if she were vacuuming the hall carpet, barking, “Women can get into corners that men can never reach!”
By the time you were told of the time she’d tussled with the Queen at Balmoral over which of them was going to do the washing-up, you were ready to believe anything about her.
As a reporter during her premiership – or rather, let’s face it, reign – Snow had always tried to ask her awkward questions (hence “pinko”). But he was gracious about his record of success. “After 20 interviews,” he confessed, “20-nil to Margaret Thatcher.”
Broadcasters record this sort of obituary well in advance, a fact immediately obvious in the case of Margaret Thatcher: Prime Minister at 8.30pm on BBC One. First, it was narrated by Andrew Marr, who suffered a stroke in January and is currently off work. The talking heads included Ken Clarke and Lord Patten, both looking unmistakably younger than they do now. Clarke looked so much younger you wondered for a moment if his interview had been recorded while she was still Prime Minister.
Unlike Channel 4’s bran tub of anecdotes, this was a biography, sober and chronological. Nothing wrong with that, although if you’d been watching the rolling news channels all afternoon, you felt as though you knew it all by heart and could if pushed mime along with the narration. Still, there was a nice vignette from Lord Powell, her foreign policy adviser. Ronald Reagan loved her, said Lord Powell, but if the President “thought she was going on a bit” his eye was seen to “stray to the clock on the wall in the hope that lunch wasn’t too far away…”
By the time ITV’s contribution, Margaret Thatcher: The Woman Who Changed Britain, came on at 10.35pm, you wondered what would be left for them to say. Perhaps it was just biography fatigue setting in, but I felt as if I was watching reheated leftovers. Ken Livingstone, Shirley Williams, Michael Portillo, Ken Clarke, Neil Kinnock: I’d now heard these same faces’ recollections so many times over the past 10 hours that my mind was starting to stew.
On a night of documentaries about the late Baroness Thatcher, Channel 4 went first, at 8.00pm, with Maggie and Me, presented by Jon Snow, a man described by Denis Thatcher as “that pinko”. As it turned out, the pinko did her proud, giving little personal insights that most of the more straightforward rehashings of her story will miss.
A photographer recalled how she’d addressed him as “You little socialist”. He asked what made her think he was socialist. “You’re Scottish,” she replied, “you must be.” But she was, in her inimitable way, only teasing, and served him whisky.
“I could sense that underneath she was just as scared as anyone else,” said Matthew Parris, a young Tory MP in the early Eighties, later a parliamentary sketch writer and political columnist. But he acknowledged that if she was scared, she was pretty good at hiding it. He recalled the day when, campaigning in London, she’d forcibly seized control of a street-cleaning machine from its startled operator, and manoeuvred it with the same manic efficiency as if she were vacuuming the hall carpet, barking, “Women can get into corners that men can never reach!”
By the time you were told of the time she’d tussled with the Queen at Balmoral over which of them was going to do the washing-up, you were ready to believe anything about her.
As a reporter during her premiership – or rather, let’s face it, reign – Snow had always tried to ask her awkward questions (hence “pinko”). But he was gracious about his record of success. “After 20 interviews,” he confessed, “20-nil to Margaret Thatcher.”
Broadcasters record this sort of obituary well in advance, a fact immediately obvious in the case of Margaret Thatcher: Prime Minister at 8.30pm on BBC One. First, it was narrated by Andrew Marr, who suffered a stroke in January and is currently off work. The talking heads included Ken Clarke and Lord Patten, both looking unmistakably younger than they do now. Clarke looked so much younger you wondered for a moment if his interview had been recorded while she was still Prime Minister.
Unlike Channel 4’s bran tub of anecdotes, this was a biography, sober and chronological. Nothing wrong with that, although if you’d been watching the rolling news channels all afternoon, you felt as though you knew it all by heart and could if pushed mime along with the narration. Still, there was a nice vignette from Lord Powell, her foreign policy adviser. Ronald Reagan loved her, said Lord Powell, but if the President “thought she was going on a bit” his eye was seen to “stray to the clock on the wall in the hope that lunch wasn’t too far away…”
By the time ITV’s contribution, Margaret Thatcher: The Woman Who Changed Britain, came on at 10.35pm, you wondered what would be left for them to say. Perhaps it was just biography fatigue setting in, but I felt as if I was watching reheated leftovers. Ken Livingstone, Shirley Williams, Michael Portillo, Ken Clarke, Neil Kinnock: I’d now heard these same faces’ recollections so many times over the past 10 hours that my mind was starting to stew.
2013年4月8日星期一
Controversial Pilrow wind farm scheme near Burnham
Energy firm Broadview wanted to construct four 130-metre tall wind turbines - each as tall as Brent Knoll - on land at Pilrow Farm, south of Rooksbridge.
Sedgemoor Planning Officer Rebecca Miller said Broadview's scheme at Pilrow would "represent an unacceptable visual intrusion into the flat landscape of the Somerset Levels, particularly in respect of the harm to the views to and from Brent Knoll."
Her report continues: "A defining characteristic of this part of the Somerset Levels is their flat and level nature; the verticality of the proposed turbines will be at odds with this character and will significantly undermine it."
"The character of the landscape will be significantly undermined and harmed in a location which constitutes a key gateway to Somerset. This adverse landscape impact cannot be mitigated against with additional landscaping or other measures."
"The local planning authority is of the opinion that the visual harm that would occur to the landscape would not be outweighed by the benefits that the development would bring in terms of tackling climate change and cutting greenhouse gas emissions."
MP Tessa Munt, who has backed those campaigning against the proposals, said: "A large number of people who live close to the proposed Pilrow site have contacted me about this proposal. They are unanimous in their opposition to the plans. They are not opposed to wind turbines in general, but they do not believe this is the correct location."
"I am, and remain, in favour of renewable energy, but proposals must be appropriate for the surrounding area. There are alternatives which could be explored like off-shore wind, tidal power and solar power, none of which would have the impact of this proposal."
Vestas' Colorado factories in Windsor, Brighton and Pueblo will produce wind turbines for the largest wind farm to be built in western Canada.
The Danish company announced Monday that it has received an order to make 166 wind generators for the Blackspring Ridge Wind Project near Lethbridge, Alberta. It will also provide service and maintenance under a 20-year contract.
Vestas recently cut its Colorado workforce by 10 percent, which it blamed on Congress' slowness in extending a tax credit for wind generators. The company does not intend to increase staffing, however. "We intend to remain at our current staffing levels of more than 1,000 people at our Colorado factories," Andrew Longeteig, head of external communications, North America, wrote in an email to the Coloradoan. "We are optimistic we will secure more orders for wind turbines in the United States and Canada in 2013."
Vestas has a tower factory in Pueblo, a plant for turbine covers in Brighton and blade factories in Brighton and Windsor.
Vestas said the turbines are scheduled to be delivered in the second half of the year. Commissioning is expected to occur by mid-2014. Also on Monday, major shareholder Marathon Asset Management increased its holding in Vestas shares to 10.6 million shares.
Sedgemoor Planning Officer Rebecca Miller said Broadview's scheme at Pilrow would "represent an unacceptable visual intrusion into the flat landscape of the Somerset Levels, particularly in respect of the harm to the views to and from Brent Knoll."
Her report continues: "A defining characteristic of this part of the Somerset Levels is their flat and level nature; the verticality of the proposed turbines will be at odds with this character and will significantly undermine it."
"The character of the landscape will be significantly undermined and harmed in a location which constitutes a key gateway to Somerset. This adverse landscape impact cannot be mitigated against with additional landscaping or other measures."
"The local planning authority is of the opinion that the visual harm that would occur to the landscape would not be outweighed by the benefits that the development would bring in terms of tackling climate change and cutting greenhouse gas emissions."
MP Tessa Munt, who has backed those campaigning against the proposals, said: "A large number of people who live close to the proposed Pilrow site have contacted me about this proposal. They are unanimous in their opposition to the plans. They are not opposed to wind turbines in general, but they do not believe this is the correct location."
"I am, and remain, in favour of renewable energy, but proposals must be appropriate for the surrounding area. There are alternatives which could be explored like off-shore wind, tidal power and solar power, none of which would have the impact of this proposal."
Vestas' Colorado factories in Windsor, Brighton and Pueblo will produce wind turbines for the largest wind farm to be built in western Canada.
The Danish company announced Monday that it has received an order to make 166 wind generators for the Blackspring Ridge Wind Project near Lethbridge, Alberta. It will also provide service and maintenance under a 20-year contract.
Vestas recently cut its Colorado workforce by 10 percent, which it blamed on Congress' slowness in extending a tax credit for wind generators. The company does not intend to increase staffing, however. "We intend to remain at our current staffing levels of more than 1,000 people at our Colorado factories," Andrew Longeteig, head of external communications, North America, wrote in an email to the Coloradoan. "We are optimistic we will secure more orders for wind turbines in the United States and Canada in 2013."
Vestas has a tower factory in Pueblo, a plant for turbine covers in Brighton and blade factories in Brighton and Windsor.
Vestas said the turbines are scheduled to be delivered in the second half of the year. Commissioning is expected to occur by mid-2014. Also on Monday, major shareholder Marathon Asset Management increased its holding in Vestas shares to 10.6 million shares.
2013年4月7日星期日
Community comes together to offer services to Edmonton’s homeless
Shelley McKenzie smiled broadly as she had her hair cut Sunday morning inside the Shaw Conference Centre.
The 52-year-old has been living on the street or in an emergency women’s shelter since her marriage fell apart last summer.
“I haven’t had a haircut in a long time, so this is wonderful,” McKenzie said, as Johanna Goossens, a student at MC College, worked above her with a pink comb and scissors.
McKenzie was one of hundreds of people who attended the spring Homeless Connect event to access a variety of free services, from tax advice to laundry, dentistry and counselling.
Susan McGee, CEO of Homeward Trust Edmonton, expected 1,200 people to attend the tenth Homeless Connect event.
“It’s about the entire community getting together and participating in an effort to end homelessness,” McGee said.
McGee said the event is now “a well-oiled machine,” with more than 400 volunteers, 65 service providers and many sponsors helping it to run smoothly.
Homeward Trust, the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation, Shaw Conference Centre and the United Way of the Alberta Capital Region partner to manage the organization of the event, which is held twice a year for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
At the haircutting area, Jolan Magnan expected more than 400 people to see a stylist.
“It’s a busy day, a tiring day, but a good day,” said Magnan, an instructor at MC College who oversaw students cutting hair.
After her haircut, McKenzie stopped by a booth offering legal advice and picked up pamphlets from Alberta Works.
“I’m overwhelmed. This is one of the best experiences I’ve ever had,” McKenzie said.
McKenzie hopes to find work as a licensed practical nurse. She was working in New Brunswick, then followed her husband to Alberta to try to save their marriage.
“I never dreamt in my life I would be homeless, never in a million years. But you get into a situation and you struggle to get out of it,” she said.
Bulldogs Gus and Gurdy joined volunteers Lori and Kevin Goodwin, of the Pet Therapy Society of Northern Alberta. The dogs have greeted people at many Homeless Connect events and visitors were happy to see them back again.
“We’re here to bring smiles and break up the long lines,” Lori Goodwin said.
Jerome Cambridge attended Sunday’s event hoping to find clothing and a meal.
“It’s a pretty good thing they’ve got going on here,” Cambridge said, looking through a rack of jackets.
Cambridge has struggled to find a job and housing since he moved to Edmonton seven months ago from Nova Scotia.
Behind blue curtains, dentist Ben Eastwood worked over the extraction chair. Eastwood, volunteering alongside five other dentists and multiple hygienists, expected the clinic to provide services to 120 people during the five-hour event.
“It’s stressful because it’s a lot of work, but it’s really gratifying to help these folks,” said Eastwood, who has volunteered at multiple Homeless Connect events.
Setting up such a mobile dental suite requires borrowed equipment, donated disposable items, and many volunteers.
Medina Mawani, 13, and Adam Mawani, 11, washed and sterilized various dental instruments, as their mom, a dentist, worked on a patient in a chair nearby.
“It’s a good feeling to be here, helping others,” Adam said. “It’s quite fun. It feels really nice, to be part of something big like this,” Medina said.
The 52-year-old has been living on the street or in an emergency women’s shelter since her marriage fell apart last summer.
“I haven’t had a haircut in a long time, so this is wonderful,” McKenzie said, as Johanna Goossens, a student at MC College, worked above her with a pink comb and scissors.
McKenzie was one of hundreds of people who attended the spring Homeless Connect event to access a variety of free services, from tax advice to laundry, dentistry and counselling.
Susan McGee, CEO of Homeward Trust Edmonton, expected 1,200 people to attend the tenth Homeless Connect event.
“It’s about the entire community getting together and participating in an effort to end homelessness,” McGee said.
McGee said the event is now “a well-oiled machine,” with more than 400 volunteers, 65 service providers and many sponsors helping it to run smoothly.
Homeward Trust, the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation, Shaw Conference Centre and the United Way of the Alberta Capital Region partner to manage the organization of the event, which is held twice a year for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
At the haircutting area, Jolan Magnan expected more than 400 people to see a stylist.
“It’s a busy day, a tiring day, but a good day,” said Magnan, an instructor at MC College who oversaw students cutting hair.
After her haircut, McKenzie stopped by a booth offering legal advice and picked up pamphlets from Alberta Works.
“I’m overwhelmed. This is one of the best experiences I’ve ever had,” McKenzie said.
McKenzie hopes to find work as a licensed practical nurse. She was working in New Brunswick, then followed her husband to Alberta to try to save their marriage.
“I never dreamt in my life I would be homeless, never in a million years. But you get into a situation and you struggle to get out of it,” she said.
Bulldogs Gus and Gurdy joined volunteers Lori and Kevin Goodwin, of the Pet Therapy Society of Northern Alberta. The dogs have greeted people at many Homeless Connect events and visitors were happy to see them back again.
“We’re here to bring smiles and break up the long lines,” Lori Goodwin said.
Jerome Cambridge attended Sunday’s event hoping to find clothing and a meal.
“It’s a pretty good thing they’ve got going on here,” Cambridge said, looking through a rack of jackets.
Cambridge has struggled to find a job and housing since he moved to Edmonton seven months ago from Nova Scotia.
Behind blue curtains, dentist Ben Eastwood worked over the extraction chair. Eastwood, volunteering alongside five other dentists and multiple hygienists, expected the clinic to provide services to 120 people during the five-hour event.
“It’s stressful because it’s a lot of work, but it’s really gratifying to help these folks,” said Eastwood, who has volunteered at multiple Homeless Connect events.
Setting up such a mobile dental suite requires borrowed equipment, donated disposable items, and many volunteers.
Medina Mawani, 13, and Adam Mawani, 11, washed and sterilized various dental instruments, as their mom, a dentist, worked on a patient in a chair nearby.
“It’s a good feeling to be here, helping others,” Adam said. “It’s quite fun. It feels really nice, to be part of something big like this,” Medina said.
2013年4月6日星期六
Lawmakers Aren’t Warming to Crucial Work on Energy
There’s good news and bad news on the global warming front. The bad news is that the planet is heating up faster than was previously projected, making clear that if we don’t find a way to stop burning fossil fuels, we could well make the planet uninhabitable. Fossil fuel, which we used to call black gold, has now become black death for human life on our planet.
The good news is that we can end its use. There’s increasing evidence that we already possess the technology and know-how to make the necessary changes.
To make that transition, however, we must not only stop projects such as the Keystone pipeline that threaten to provide access to large amounts of dirty energy, but also eliminate obstacles that hinder the implementation of renewable energy technologies we have at our disposal. Our biggest obstacle might be our failure to recognize the magnitude of the climate change crisis and the overriding need to take action.
Act 250 was not designed for large energy projects that serve statewide needs. A proper review of those projects must strike the right balance between narrow and broader environmental concerns, which requires looking not just at the local impact, but also taking into consideration the state’s overall energy system and the need to fight global warming by reducing carbon emissions.
The bill that emerged from the Senate and was sent over to the House was stripped of its most damaging provisions, but that’s hardly cause for celebration. Our legislators should be spending their time figuring out how to expedite renewable energy development, not fending off attempts to stop it.
This is particularly important as we make the transition to electric vehicles and a carbon-free energy system. We’re going to need a substantial amount of energy from all renewable energy sectors.
Consider that Vermont used about 6.1 million megawatt hours of electric energy in 2009. My very rough calculations indicate that we’ll need about 15.4 million MWh by 2050 if we are to supply the transportation, agriculture and other sectors of the Vermont economy with carbon-free energy. That’s about two and a half times our current electrical needs. And if we produce that energy using today’s technology, that will require hundreds of wind turbines on our ridgelines, where the wind is most reliable, and considerable amounts of open land devoted to solar arrays. We’ll also need to make considerable improvements in efficiency and energy storage capacity. But the point is that we have considerable work ahead.
The other important point is that this is not a token effort. While converting to a carbon-free energy system may be one of the most difficult challenges Vermont has faced, it is achievable. The technologies we have developed in the last century position us well. General Electric has said that wind turbine efficiency has increased 60 to 80 percent just from 2002 to the present. And an independent study mapping out an alternative energy future for the state of New York was released just last month. Undertaken by Cornell University scientist Robert Howarth with Stanford University researchers, the study found that it is technically and economically feasible to convert New York’s all-purpose energy infrastructure to one powered entirely by wind, water and sunlight. The same must hold true for Vermont.
That large of a temperature increase would make Vermont’s climate similar to Georgia’s, with devastating impacts to our state. Although Vermont produces a relatively small amount of greenhouse gas compared with U.S. totals, it is not a valid reason to deny responsibility for what we do produce. In Vermont, a carbon-free energy system would provide efficient, cost-effective energy for all its energy needs, while providing an energy independence that would reward us financially and environmentally.
The good news is that we can end its use. There’s increasing evidence that we already possess the technology and know-how to make the necessary changes.
To make that transition, however, we must not only stop projects such as the Keystone pipeline that threaten to provide access to large amounts of dirty energy, but also eliminate obstacles that hinder the implementation of renewable energy technologies we have at our disposal. Our biggest obstacle might be our failure to recognize the magnitude of the climate change crisis and the overriding need to take action.
Act 250 was not designed for large energy projects that serve statewide needs. A proper review of those projects must strike the right balance between narrow and broader environmental concerns, which requires looking not just at the local impact, but also taking into consideration the state’s overall energy system and the need to fight global warming by reducing carbon emissions.
The bill that emerged from the Senate and was sent over to the House was stripped of its most damaging provisions, but that’s hardly cause for celebration. Our legislators should be spending their time figuring out how to expedite renewable energy development, not fending off attempts to stop it.
This is particularly important as we make the transition to electric vehicles and a carbon-free energy system. We’re going to need a substantial amount of energy from all renewable energy sectors.
Consider that Vermont used about 6.1 million megawatt hours of electric energy in 2009. My very rough calculations indicate that we’ll need about 15.4 million MWh by 2050 if we are to supply the transportation, agriculture and other sectors of the Vermont economy with carbon-free energy. That’s about two and a half times our current electrical needs. And if we produce that energy using today’s technology, that will require hundreds of wind turbines on our ridgelines, where the wind is most reliable, and considerable amounts of open land devoted to solar arrays. We’ll also need to make considerable improvements in efficiency and energy storage capacity. But the point is that we have considerable work ahead.
The other important point is that this is not a token effort. While converting to a carbon-free energy system may be one of the most difficult challenges Vermont has faced, it is achievable. The technologies we have developed in the last century position us well. General Electric has said that wind turbine efficiency has increased 60 to 80 percent just from 2002 to the present. And an independent study mapping out an alternative energy future for the state of New York was released just last month. Undertaken by Cornell University scientist Robert Howarth with Stanford University researchers, the study found that it is technically and economically feasible to convert New York’s all-purpose energy infrastructure to one powered entirely by wind, water and sunlight. The same must hold true for Vermont.
That large of a temperature increase would make Vermont’s climate similar to Georgia’s, with devastating impacts to our state. Although Vermont produces a relatively small amount of greenhouse gas compared with U.S. totals, it is not a valid reason to deny responsibility for what we do produce. In Vermont, a carbon-free energy system would provide efficient, cost-effective energy for all its energy needs, while providing an energy independence that would reward us financially and environmentally.
2013年4月2日星期二
Wind energy and utility resistance
The general manager of resource planning at SCANA, the parent company of SCE&G, has agreed to be on a panel next week to talk about solar and wind energy, even though the utility's stance on solar power is less than consumer-friendly.
Also on the panel are Nikolaos Rigas, senior scientist and director of Clemson's Wind Turbine Testing Facility; Hamilton Davis, the energy and climate director for the Coastal Conservation League; and Thomas French, the executive director of the SC Clean Energy Business Alliance.
The discussion, sponsored by the Charleston Area League of Women Voters, at 6 p.m. April 10 in North Charleston City Hall will focus on four key questions about wind and solar power.
Christe McCoy-Lawrence, the league's director of natural resources, emphasized that this won't be a debate. Each panelist will have 10-12 minutes to speak, and then the audience will be able to ask questions.
If the overflow crowds from last fall's SCE&G rate increase hearings show up, it could be a very lively question-and-answer session. Here's one question not on the agenda: Why is SCE&G so against its customers being able to save money?
The economic barriers to solar power are such that it's mostly companies like Boeing, or smaller environmentally minded ones like Half Moon Outfitters, that can afford the upfront installation costs, or are willing to absorb them.
"Every state develops its own system, and we have developed a very centralized utility-centered system — it's a matter of trying to make the transition," said McCoy-Lawrence.
That's a very polite way of saying that the utilities generally call the shots. After all, when was the last time your electric rates went down?
Heck, try to take steps to reduce your energy use, and SCE&G's weather normalization adjustment might make that backfire on you. So don't expect them to be thrilled about customers wanting to cut back on energy consumption.
Under current regulations, only the most dedicated customers with the financial means will be able to install solar panels at home. A bill in the Legislature would change that, allowing customers to lease panels instead of buying them. As McCoy-Lawrence points out, nonprofits, hospitals and schools could all benefit from that change.
There's really no reason for SCE&G to have such unfriendly terms for consumers interested in doing the right thing by using a renewable resource. After all, whatever small profit they might lose, they can make it up with their next rate increase.
One thing won't change: people want reliable, on-demand access to power, so it's unlikely any utility would shed large numbers of customers if the leasing option becomes available.
But right now, the perception is that SCE&G puts profits ahead of renewable resources, with the state's blessing.
If that changes as a result of this panel discussion or the law being passed, it could be good news for both SCE&G and its customers.
Also on the panel are Nikolaos Rigas, senior scientist and director of Clemson's Wind Turbine Testing Facility; Hamilton Davis, the energy and climate director for the Coastal Conservation League; and Thomas French, the executive director of the SC Clean Energy Business Alliance.
The discussion, sponsored by the Charleston Area League of Women Voters, at 6 p.m. April 10 in North Charleston City Hall will focus on four key questions about wind and solar power.
Christe McCoy-Lawrence, the league's director of natural resources, emphasized that this won't be a debate. Each panelist will have 10-12 minutes to speak, and then the audience will be able to ask questions.
If the overflow crowds from last fall's SCE&G rate increase hearings show up, it could be a very lively question-and-answer session. Here's one question not on the agenda: Why is SCE&G so against its customers being able to save money?
The economic barriers to solar power are such that it's mostly companies like Boeing, or smaller environmentally minded ones like Half Moon Outfitters, that can afford the upfront installation costs, or are willing to absorb them.
"Every state develops its own system, and we have developed a very centralized utility-centered system — it's a matter of trying to make the transition," said McCoy-Lawrence.
That's a very polite way of saying that the utilities generally call the shots. After all, when was the last time your electric rates went down?
Heck, try to take steps to reduce your energy use, and SCE&G's weather normalization adjustment might make that backfire on you. So don't expect them to be thrilled about customers wanting to cut back on energy consumption.
Under current regulations, only the most dedicated customers with the financial means will be able to install solar panels at home. A bill in the Legislature would change that, allowing customers to lease panels instead of buying them. As McCoy-Lawrence points out, nonprofits, hospitals and schools could all benefit from that change.
There's really no reason for SCE&G to have such unfriendly terms for consumers interested in doing the right thing by using a renewable resource. After all, whatever small profit they might lose, they can make it up with their next rate increase.
One thing won't change: people want reliable, on-demand access to power, so it's unlikely any utility would shed large numbers of customers if the leasing option becomes available.
But right now, the perception is that SCE&G puts profits ahead of renewable resources, with the state's blessing.
If that changes as a result of this panel discussion or the law being passed, it could be good news for both SCE&G and its customers.
2013年4月1日星期一
Local company aims to meet all home service needs
As newlyweds Ahwatukee Foothills residents Casey and Nora Jones learned quickly how expensive and time consuming it can be to try and take care of their home, pool and personal lives.
Casey was constantly traveling between Tucson and Phoenix and Nora was a practicing attorney trying to manage two homes. They’d spend each week working hard and each weekend working even harder to catch up on all the chores they didn’t have time for during the week. Hiring a housekeeper, pool keeper and all other service providers to take care of the work for them was out of reach.
“It was just too much,” Casey said. “We started looking around for other unmet needs in the economy. We realized from taking care of our two houses and getting people to help because it was something we didn’t have time to do, it was an industry that it seemed didn’t have a lot of professionalism. It had a lot of opportunity for efficiencies.”
The two came up with a model to combine many of these services into one person. That one person could be hired to clean the house, the pool and fulfill other concierge-type services, and because it was only one person it would be easier for a homeowner to manage and afford. That person might even be considered as useful as a spouse — so that’s what they decided to call the company: House Spouse.
House Spouse provides each homeowner with one point of contact. That person is trained in the best and most efficient ways to clean a house and a pool. They can also help run errands like picking up dry cleaning or taking care of pets for a flat fee. It’s a lot of training for the employees, but Casey and Nora say training is where their company excels.
“My former career was the operations manager of a high-tech equipment manufacturer,” Casey said. “It was very detailed work. The way you’re successful in that industry is you have standard operating procedures. You have a specific way that you do every single thing. We’ve translated that from other industries into the cleaning business. We have a very specific way that we do every single thing.”
The couple researched for months the best products, tools and technology to use to properly clean a house. Their products are all environmentally friendly and their tools are all top of the line.
For now, House Spouse only has a few employees but they’re growing quickly. Because training takes time Casey estimates they may hire a new employee every few weeks to a month depending on growth. So far, they’ve seen more interest in their company than they originally expected. The duo say the key to their success is their professionalism. Their prices are clearly listed online, a person answers the phone and all employees show up to their job in a clean and pressed uniform.
Casey was constantly traveling between Tucson and Phoenix and Nora was a practicing attorney trying to manage two homes. They’d spend each week working hard and each weekend working even harder to catch up on all the chores they didn’t have time for during the week. Hiring a housekeeper, pool keeper and all other service providers to take care of the work for them was out of reach.
“It was just too much,” Casey said. “We started looking around for other unmet needs in the economy. We realized from taking care of our two houses and getting people to help because it was something we didn’t have time to do, it was an industry that it seemed didn’t have a lot of professionalism. It had a lot of opportunity for efficiencies.”
The two came up with a model to combine many of these services into one person. That one person could be hired to clean the house, the pool and fulfill other concierge-type services, and because it was only one person it would be easier for a homeowner to manage and afford. That person might even be considered as useful as a spouse — so that’s what they decided to call the company: House Spouse.
House Spouse provides each homeowner with one point of contact. That person is trained in the best and most efficient ways to clean a house and a pool. They can also help run errands like picking up dry cleaning or taking care of pets for a flat fee. It’s a lot of training for the employees, but Casey and Nora say training is where their company excels.
“My former career was the operations manager of a high-tech equipment manufacturer,” Casey said. “It was very detailed work. The way you’re successful in that industry is you have standard operating procedures. You have a specific way that you do every single thing. We’ve translated that from other industries into the cleaning business. We have a very specific way that we do every single thing.”
The couple researched for months the best products, tools and technology to use to properly clean a house. Their products are all environmentally friendly and their tools are all top of the line.
For now, House Spouse only has a few employees but they’re growing quickly. Because training takes time Casey estimates they may hire a new employee every few weeks to a month depending on growth. So far, they’ve seen more interest in their company than they originally expected. The duo say the key to their success is their professionalism. Their prices are clearly listed online, a person answers the phone and all employees show up to their job in a clean and pressed uniform.
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