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Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Advanced Style Party Video
12 comments:
- Slow Southern Style said...
Congrats, looks like it was a great event!
- September 14, 2011 at 11:54 PM
- Terri said...
You do know how to throw a party. This would have been THE event of Fashion Week!
- September 15, 2011 at 12:13 AM
- Cameron said...
That video was awesome, Ari! I didn't notice Tavi until I looked a little closer at the lass in pink earlier in the video. Very cute outfit on her.
And I loved seeing your subjects in their most colourful outfits, too! May I look that awesome in another 20 years; will be 33 next week.
Also heard you on BBC World Service, btw. Loved hearing one of my new favourite bloggers on my little radio!
Bisous ! xoxoxoxo
- September 15, 2011 at 12:24 AM
- Miss Able said...
So great!
- September 15, 2011 at 7:48 AM
- Miss Able said...
So great!
- September 15, 2011 at 7:48 AM
- HANNA BERNHARD PARIS said...
Hello Ari :)
Looks like your party was a lot of fun ! Too bad I couldn't be there !:))
Giovanna came and sends you a big THAN YOU !:)
Best wishes from Paris !
- September 15, 2011 at 8:33 AM
- Tessa G. said...
I absolutely love this video! I feel it catches such a wonderful and lively moment in time. I'm glad fun was had by all! :D
- September 15, 2011 at 12:02 PM
- Sandra said...
What a blast! Now this is what I'm talkin about. A real fashion bonanza. Thank you Ari.
- September 15, 2011 at 1:58 PM
- megan kathleen mcisaac said...
awh, so incredibly jealous. please come to the west coast sometime... SF or portland needs parties like this! and let me know if you ever need a photographer ;)
- September 15, 2011 at 2:37 PM
- terry said...
So joyful!! I love it, thanks for sharing!
- September 15, 2011 at 4:53 PM
- poca said...
Best. Dance. Party. EVER!
Thrifting Runway/Thrifting Style
- September 15, 2011 at 10:54 PM
- Jean Hanna said...
Isn't that Ilona singing in the first part of the video?
I took painting lessons from her! I know she lives in Manhattan.
- September 29, 2011 at 6:17 AM


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Alternative Dispute Resolution Information
DRS Board
Kathleen Turton is a highly skilled family law practitioner, mediator, negotiator, and advisor. She graduated in 2004 from SMU Dedman School of Law, and holds a Bachelor of Science, with special honors in Microbiology, from The University of Texas at Austin. She is a Partner at Ward & Turton, PLLC and speaks on family law and alternative dispute resolution issues. She has taught at El Centro Dallas County Community College and SMU Dedman School of Law, and served as Director of the W.W. Caruth, Jr. Child Advocacy Clinic at SMU Dedman School of Law. Kathleen lives in Dallas with her husband, their daughter, and their three dogs.

subset: commoncrawl


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Luggage & Racks
Luggage & Racks
Twisted Throttle carries a huge line of motorcycle luggage to suit the needs of any kind of rider. Whether you like to get down and dirty off road and need waterproof dry bags or are just looking for security or a hard shell and lots of room for your stuff, we've got what you need. Browse our huge selection of motorcycle luggage and find what you need at the price suited for your budget!
Givi 267KIT fitting kit for sideracks Honda VFR1200F '10-'14$95.00 $85.50


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Hyman Memorial Stadium
this wiki
The Hyman Memorial Stadium is a sports arena featured in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, located in Downtown Vice City.
Stated to be completed in 1979, the stadium is possibly named as a reference to the hymen (implying a loss of virginity), or, more likely, to Hyman Roth, a Miami-based character in The Godfather Part II. The stadium is surrounded by a thin stretch of parking spaces and driveway, and also boasts a pair of helipads, one of which spawns a Maverick in GTA Vice City Stories.
The stadium is known to host a variety of events throughout its appearance.
In GTA Vice City, the stadium's interior is depicted with a multipurpose arrangment, featuring a oval track on the outskirts surrounding a central arena. The oval track is used for Hotring -a NASCAR-style racing event, while the arena is adopted for used in Bloodring -a demolition derby event, and Dirtring -a dirt bike stunt show. The events are rotated every day (Hotring → Bloodring → Dirtring), and are only available to the player between 8:00 pm (20:00 hour) and 12:00 midnight (00:00 hour).
In GTA Vice City Stories, the stadium is adopted for use as a concert venue for Phil Collins, as seen in "Kill Phil: Part 2" and "In the Air Tonight". The stadium is also part of the "Hyman Memorial O.D.T. side-mission. The Vice City Mambas football team play here. It is possible that a professional baseball plays here, because in real life, the Florida Marlins play in the same stadium as the Miami Dolphins.
In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, the following songs can be heard playing in the background during any of the events inside the stadium:
- Frankie Goes to Hollywood - "Two Tribes" (featured on Wave 103)
- Tesla - "Cumin' Atcha Live" (featured on V-Rock)
- Gary Numan - "Cars" (featured on Wave 103)
- Alcatrazz - "God Blessed Video" (featured on V-Rock)
- GTA Vice City
See also
- Los Santos Forum, Corvin Stadium and Blackfield Stadium, GTA San Andreas equivalents.
- Phil Collins Concert In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories


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44 U.S. Code § 2301 - Establishment of Board; membership
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The National Archives Trust Fund Board shall consist of the Archivist of the United States, as Chairman, and the Secretary of the Treasury and the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Membership on the Board is not an office within the meaning of the statutes of the United States.
Source(Pub. L. 90–620, Oct. 22, 1968, 82 Stat. 1292; Pub. L. 94–391, Aug. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 1192; Pub. L. 95–379, Sept. 22, 1978, 92 Stat. 724; Pub. L. 98–497, title I, § 107(b)(8),Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2287.)
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on 44 U.S. Code, 1964 ed., §§ 300bb, 391 (part) (July 9, 1941, ch. 284, § 2,55 Stat. 581; Aug. 2, 1946, ch. 753, title I, §§ 102, 121,60 Stat. 814, 822; June 30, 1949, ch. 288, title I, § 104,63 Stat. 381).
This section incorporates only the last sentence of paragraph (b) of former section 391. The balance of that section will be found in sections 1506, 2102, 2501, and 2902 of the revision.
1984—Pub. L. 98–497struck out "The authority of the Administrator of General Services under section 754 of title 40 to regroup, transfer, and distribute functions within the General Services Administration does not extend to the Board or its functions."
1978—Pub. L. 95–379substituted references to the Secretary of the Treasury and the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, for references to the chairman of the House Committee on Government Operations and the Senate Committee on Post Office and Civil Service.
1976—Pub. L. 94–391substituted reference to House Committee on Government Operations for reference to House Committee on Post Office and Civil Service.
Effective Date of 1984 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 98–497effective Apr. 1, 1985, see section 301 ofPub. L. 98–497, set out as a note under section 2102 of this title.
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


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Little Girls Costumes
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Shopping for Girls Halloween costumes for your little girl is fast, fun and simple at Sophia's Style and thanks to our discount prices - always affordable. All our Halloween costumes for girls are in stock and ready to ship immediately.


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46 U.S. Code § 42101 - Regulations of the Commission
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(a) Unfavorable Conditions.— To further the objectives and policy set forth in section 50101 of this title, the Federal Maritime Commission shall prescribe regulations affecting shipping in foreign trade, not in conflict with law, to adjust or meet general or special conditions unfavorable to shipping in foreign trade, whether in a particular trade or on a particular route or in commerce generally, including intermodal movements, terminal operations, cargo solicitation, agency services, ocean transportation intermediary services and operations, and other activities and services integral to transportation systems, and which arise out of or result from laws or regulations of a foreign country or competitive methods, pricing practices, or other practices employed by owners, operators, agents, or masters of vessels of a foreign country.
Source(Pub. L. 109–304, § 7,Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1548.)
|Revised Section
|Source (U.S. Code)
|Source (Statutes at Large)
|46 App.:876(a)(2).
|June 5, 1920, ch. 250, § 19(a)(2), (e), 41 Stat. 995; Ex. Ord. No. 6166, § 12, eff. June 10, 1933; June 29, 1936, ch. 858, title II, § 204, title IX, § 904, 49 Stat. 1987, 2016; Pub. L. 97–31, § 12(46), Aug. 6, 1981, 95 Stat. 157; Pub. L. 101–595, title I, § 103, Nov. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 2979; Pub. L. 102–587, title VI, § 6205(b), Nov. 4, 1992, 106 Stat. 5094; Pub. L. 105–258, title III, § 301, Oct. 14, 1998, 112 Stat. 1915.
|46 App.:1710a(h) (related to 876(a)(2)).
|Pub. L. 100–418, title X, § 10002(h) (related to § 19(b)(1)(b)), Aug. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 1572; Pub. L. 105–258, title I, § 111(7), Oct. 14, 1998, 112 Stat. 1911.
|46 App.:876(e).
In subsection (a), the word "shall" is substituted for "is authorized and directed", and the words "prescribe regulations" are substituted for "make rules and regulations", for consistency in the revised title and to eliminate unnecessary words. The text of 46 App. U.S.C. 1710a (h), insofar as it relates to 46 App. U.S.C. 876 (a)(2), is omitted as unnecessary because this chapter already provides for the same remedies as those authorized by the omitted provision.
In subsection (b), the words "on the petition of any person, including another component of the United States Government" are substituted for "pursuant to a petition. Any person, including a common carrier, tramp operator, bulk operator, shipper, shippers' association, ocean transportation intermediary, marine terminal operator, or any component of the Government of the United States, may file a petition for relief under subsection (a)(2) of this section." for consistency with section 42302(b) of the revised title and to eliminate unnecessary words.
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


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(CBS4) – An autopsy was performed on the body of a 14-year-old girl who was stabbed and killed, and the suspect in the case is on a no-bond and immigration hold.
The teen's body was found in Commerce City on Monday on Verbena Street, near the intersection with 86th and not far from the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.
Police have identified her, but they said her name won't be released until the autopsy is completed and family have been notified.
Police said on Monday Esequiel Padilla-Villalobos, 24, called 911 just before midnight and said he killed someone and that he wanted to turn himself in. Court documents obtained by CBS4 on Wednesday stated the victim was the sister of Padilla-Villalobos' girlfriend. They also revealed that the victim was stabbed.
Padilla-Villalobos appeared briefly in Adams County Court on Wednesday and is scheduled for a hearing Thursday in which there will be a formal filing of charges. It's expected he will face a first degree murder charge.
He is being held at the Adams County Detention Facility.
A woman who owns the house near where the teen was found says police knocked on her door early Monday morning.
"It was 1:30 in the morning. We were sleeping when (the police) got there," she told CBS4.
Owners of an adjacent business and another homeowner in the vicinity also spoke to CBS4, and none said they are familiar with the suspect.
KKTV firmly believes in freedom of speech for all and we are happy to provide this forum for the community to share opinions and facts. We ask that commenters keep it clean, keep it truthful, stay on topic and be responsible. Comments left here do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of KKTV 11 News.
If you believe that any of the comments on our site are inappropriate or offensive, please tell us by clicking "Report Abuse" and answering the questions that follow. We will review any reported comments promptly.powered by Disqus


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What is RM Cash
User Tip: If you're unsure of your vehicle type, you may skip the machine type selection box.
Select type, make, model and year above
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We take pride in offering no hassle returns. In the event of a return, please call, email or chat with us to receive a solution to the problem. For apparel that doesn't fit quite right, Click here to see our Fit Guaranteed Program.
We will stand behind all products we sell with regards to manufacturing defects in workmanship and material. Most products are limited to the manufacturer's warranty. However, we will do everything in our power to take care of the problem.
How to - replace the valves on your motorcycle or atv
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No Hidden Fees - No Credit Card Surcharges - Low Shipping Rates
To decrease recoil and muzzle jump, this uniquely contoured 22" barrel has an integral muzzle brake that's machined-in during production. Along with the new barrel design, we brought together a host of other cutting-edge features on our super accurate Model 700 platform. The results are nothing short of astounding.
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Search Swinburne Research Bank
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/37388
- Title
- An efficient approach for building web-based courseware
- Author(s)
- Lai, Wei; Huang, Xiaodi
- Abstract
- The courseware development has moved to integrate multimedia into the Internet techniques. We think that the courseware design should not only concern about how to publish teaching materials on the Web and to integrate audio/video facilities, but also focus on other important issues, such as user interfaces and software architecture. In this paper, we present a general architecture for building a courseware Web site, identifying the different roles of system programmers, Web developers, and course designers. We emphasize the user interfaces is the crucial part for a courseware system.
- Publication type
- Conference paper
- Research centre
- Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Information and Communication Technologies
- Source
- Proceedings of the 1st International Symposium on Information Technologies and Applications in Education (ISITAE 07), Kunming, China, 23-25 November 2007, pp. 260-263
- Publication year
- 2007
- Keyword(s)
- Diagram navigation; On-line learning; UI; User interface; Web courseware
- Publisher
- 9781424413850, 1424413850
- Publisher URL
- Copyright
- Copyright © 2007 IEEE.
- Peer reviewed


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ERIE.GOV | Your information resource from the Government of Erie County, New York
What you need to know...
The Erie County Department of Health does not provide medical advice. The information provided on the Erie County Department of Health website is not an attempt to practice medicine and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It is for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your personal physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or issue. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of the content found on the Erie County Department of Health website or this correspondence.
Site Map
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Enjoy 5-star Cairns accommodation in Tropical North Queensland. Swim in the tropical pools, enjoy a relaxing treatment in Vie Spa or dine on the best local seafood in Coco's Restaurant. This hotel is located in the heart of Cairns CBD, and close to the departure point for daily trips to the Great Barrier Reef and other natural attractions. With 16 floors of spacious hotel rooms, this hotel also means business, featuring 2,700 square metres of first-rate meetings, conference and events facilities
- Check-in:14:00
- Check-out:11:00
Services offered by the hotel
- . Connectivity Lounge
- . Fitness Lounge
- . Access to the pool
- . Accommodation is free for 2 children under 12 years sharing parents' room, extra charge for breakfast.


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26 U.S. Code § 386 - Repealed.
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Section, added Pub. L. 98–369, div. A, title I, § 75(a),July 18, 1984, 98 Stat. 594; amended Pub. L. 99–514, title XVIII, § 1805(c)(1),Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2810, related to transfers of partnership and trust interests by corporations.
Effective Date of Repeal
Repeal effective, except as otherwise provided, as if included in the provision of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, Pub. L. 99–514, to which such amendment relates, see section 1019(a) ofPub. L. 100–647, set out as an Effective Date of 1988 Amendment note under section 1 of this title.
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


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PHOTOS: Check out the 2012 regional finals of the Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant!
Austin, Texas (CNN) -- Forget Elon Musk or Al Gore. The biggest star of the South by Southwest Interactive festival is less than a year old, sleeps all day and looks like she just swallowed a hairball.
Austin, meet Grumpy Cat.
The real-life cat, an Internet sensation since photos of her sourpuss face began circulating last fall, has been holding court during SXSW at the Mashable House, a temporary lounge run by the tech-news site. People have stood for hours, in lines snaking around the block, to get their picture taken with her.
Grumpy Cat, an 11-month-old mixed breed whose real name is Tardar Sauce, has ignored them all. Mostly she sleeps in a cat bed while fans pass by to pose next to her. Instead of smiling, many of them make pouty faces of their own.
Through it all, Grumpy Cat has remained unimpressed.
"People keep asking if we sedate her," said one of her handlers, Bryan Bundesen, on Sunday. (The answer is no.) "It's been crazy. Yesterday, they were lined up for almost three blocks."
This is the first official public appearance for Grumpy Cat, who lives with her owner, Tabatha Bundesen, in Morristown, Arizona. The cat first gained fame in September when Bryan, Tabatha's brother, posted some photos of her on Reddit, the social-news site.
"It was an accident," said Bryan Bundesen of the viral stardom that followed. "We thought it would get some laughs, with the Internet liking cats. And it just kept going."
Grumpy Cat now has a website that Bryan Bundesen said attracts 1.5 million unique visitors a month, plus a popular Facebook page, YouTube channel and Twitter account. Bryan manages her social media pages from his home in Ohio with occasional help from Tabatha, who sends him fresh Grumpy Cat photos every week or so.
"I don't mind it," Tabatha said of her pet's celebrity. "I'm thrilled to see that my cat brings joy to people."
The Bundesens declined to say exactly how much money they've earned off Grumpy Cat, although Bryan said it's in the mid-five figures.
They're also sensitive to charges that they're exploiting their pet. At SXSW, they have made her available to the public only for several hours each day, and Tabatha sits close by to make sure no fans get too cozy.
But that hasn't stemmed people's enthusiasm for the small cat with the cranky face. Oscar-winning filmmaker Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire") was doing an interview a few feet away Saturday, but people crowded past him for a glimpse of the cat.
Fans have come bearing cattnip toys and other gifts. One woman said she came all the way from Australia to see Grumpy Cat.
Mashable, a CNN.com content partner, invited the Bundesens and Grumpy Cat to Austin as part of their SXSW party space, which celebrates Internet memes. The result supports the notion that Internet fame is becoming as potent a force as other types of celebrity.
"There's this great universal quality that Grumpy Cat captures," explained Mason Peatross, who waited in line more than 90 minutes for his 30 seconds with the snoozing kitty. "Everybody's got that grumpy moment where they just hate things. The cat just makes me laugh every time."
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Video Courtesy KEYE via CNN Newssource


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Pink glove-clad Thomas employees raise their hands for dance prize
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The sound of Katy Perry's "Part of Me" prompted dancing in the halls at Thomas Health Systems for two weeks in September. Doctors, nurses, technicians and employees from nearly every department smiled and vamped it up as they produced an upbeat video with an inspirational message.
They submitted their creation to the Pink Glove Dance competition in the hope of winning a $10,000 first prize that they would contribute to the West Virginia Breast and Cervical Program for women who cannot afford care.
They face stiff competition. More than 260 organizations also entered the video contest, which is sponsored by Medline Industries, a medical supply company that lists pink surgical gloves among its products. The Thomas team is the only West Virginia hospital participating and needs as many votes as they can get.
Imaging and Breast Care Centers director Teresa Vickers, who coordinates the centers' annual October breast cancer awareness events, got the video camera rolling when she saw the 2011 Pink Glove Dance competition.
Participants could choose one of six songs to use in their video.
"I was fortunate to get to choose the song. The reason I chose it is that the words are very inspiring and appropriate for someone with breast cancer," Vickers said. "It talks about the fact that even though it's a part of you, there's another part that can never be taken away."
Not a dancer, Vickers asked Misti Janey Sprouse, owner of Brickhouse Cardio Club, for help with the choreography. Sprouse agreed. She and Brickhouse instructor Typhani Dawson choreographed the dance in about five hours.
They soon realized their job was just beginning. The two-week project involved one week of instruction and another of filming.
At first, only five or six departments responded to Vickers' call for dancers. Momentum grew as news of the fun spread through the hospital.
"Practically the entire hospital got into it. They all volunteered," Vickers said. "It was so motivational and inspiring for all of us at Thomas Health Systems to join together for this."
About 100 employees from 25 departments at both Thomas and Saint Francis locations volunteered their time during lunch hours and even on days off to learn the dance moves and make the video. Doctors who gathered for a weekly meeting took a break to film their part and added synchronized hand movements as they sat around a conference table.
They shot most of the footage in the departments in which employees worked. The video opens with a woman hearing a diagnosis of breast cancer. "Days like this I want to drive away," Perry sings as the woman is helped through a hospital corridor. Dancers in scrubs and pink gloves and boas welcome her through surgery, obstetrics, exam rooms and administrative offices, holding signs that read "Courage."
Breast cancer survivors within the hospital staff danced and held "I am a survivor" and "I Fight to Win" signs. Others delivered pink boxing-glove knockout punches. Plant operation and housekeeping employees added their moves.
Thomas Health System CEO Steve Dexter and Vice President Becky Brannon dance through a line of administrative assistants. Employees at the Saint Francis location gathered in the circle in front of the hospital to dance their part.
"We want them to know they're not alone in this. We are there for them," Vickers said.
Added to breast cancer awareness events like a walk and door-decorating contest, the video production sparked a burst of enthusiasm and team spirit among employees that surprised Vickers and others.
"I've never seen people here laughing and smiling so much. They were high-fiving each other. They absolutely had the best time," said Paige Johnson, director of marketing and communications.
They're well aware that the competition is stiff. Just after the website went live, Google had to shut it down because there was such a surge of traffic to the site from voters.
Win or lose, the employees will enjoy a benefit that arose from their enthusiastic support. The hospital added a free Zumba program during lunchtime, where employees can slip away, even if only for 10 or 15 minutes, and get a little cardio workout.
"I think that even if we don't win, just creating the video and being a part of it with the organization as a whole was great," Vickers said. "We showed that we could all join together as a team to help find a cure.
Reach Julie Robinson at email@example.com or 304-348-1230.


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The Transition to Renewable Energy and the Role of Natural Gas
Sometimes the sun doesn't shine or the wind doesn't blow, temporarily stalling renewable energy production. When that happens, what fuel source fills in the energy gap? Traditionally the answer was coal, but due to increased supply and low prices, the answer of late has been natural gas. Coal is certainly the dirtier of the two fossil fuels, but natural gas is not a perfect choice either. The increased supply in natural gas was achieved through the process of hydraulic fracturing (called fracking), which can be harmful to the environment.
Last spring natural gas prices fell to all-time lows of $2 to $3 per thousand cubic feet in the United States. This spring natural gas prices are on the rise. In fact, they've doubled to just over $4 per thousand cubic feet, but the bottom line is natural gas is still pretty cheap. Experts say prices in the $4 or $5 range won't affect the increasing use of the fuel by consumers and the energy industry since the price was $8 just a few years ago. In Europe and Asia prices are even higher; think $10 to $14.
According to a Citibank research report, "Gas and renewables could in fact be the making of each other in the short term." Expect renewables to cost about the same as conventional fuels in many parts of the world "in the very near term." Mark Brownstein, an associate vice president at the Environmental Defense Fund, noted that the price of renewable energy has declined substantially in recent years, and that's expected to continue, making them even more competitive. As demand for renewables builds, it will in turn "drive demand for more gas-fired" power plants to be used as backup.
Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) missed an April 13 deadline to issue much-anticipated new rules limiting carbon dioxide emissions from new power plants. Proposed a year ago, the rules were first to set limits on greenhouse gas emissions from new plants. Once a limit is set for new facilities, the EPA is legally obligated to address existing plants, which pose the true climate threat at the moment. The US' power plant fleet is the single biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the world. Acting EPA Administrator Bob Perciasepe said last week that the agency expects to propose new rules on greenhouse gases from existing plants in fiscal 2014.
The draft rule for new power plants sets a limit of 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt-hour of electricity. That cutoff point would be easy for natural-gas-fired plants to meet, but not conventional coal plants. Already, power companies build natural gas plants almost exclusively because of the low price of gas.
There is speculation that the EPA's indefinite delay on the new rules limiting carbon dioxide emissions from new power plants is due to second thoughts at the EPA and the White House over the single standard. The EPA is said to be contemplating setting two standards, one for coal plants and the other for natural gas, which might make the new rule more legally defensible in an attempt to avert the inevitable legal wrangling that goes on whenever the EPA sets a new rule including limitations.
Environmental groups argue that separate standards make little sense. "Setting a separate standard for coal- and natural-gas-fired plants would greatly weaken the standard's ability to ensure a transition away from building high-carbon electricity-generation sources," said economist Rachel Cleetus of the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Natural gas may be the interim answer as we build our renewable energy infrastructure and then the backup once we move to a sustainable energy future. For the sake of slowing down climate change, the EPA needs to set the rules on new electricity generation plants posthaste. Then they should tackle existing power plants without delay. Global warming won't wait.
Climate Change Science to be Taught Unevenly in US Curriculum
A national multi-state effort to create new standards in science education was announced this week. For the first time, science curriculum identifies climate change as a core concept and emphasizes the role that human activity has on climate systems.
The Next Generation Science Standards for state education curriculums is a joint effort of the National Research Council, the National Science Teachers Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the nonprofit group Achieve. The new standards are the first extensive national recommendations for science instruction since 1996. They were developed by scientists and experts in 26 states, but they are optional.
So this means some middle and high school students enrolled in the American public school system will soon be required to study climate change as a scientific occurrence. About 40 U.S. states are expected to identify global warming as a man-made problem. Environmentalists are cheering, but unfortunately the issue is just as charged in the educational arena as the political one.
"Climate change is not a political issue and climate change is not a debate. It is science," Mario Molina, deputy director at the Alliance for Climate Education, told the Guardian. "It is strongly supported heavily researched science, and our hope is that teachers will not see this as a political issue or a political debate."
Unfortunately, some very vocal Americans do not consider climate change scientific. They see it as a controversial issue that shouldn't be taught in schools. "It's a shame that American school kids are being taught claims of certitude on an issue that continues to unravel before our eyes," Marco Morano, communications director for Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow, told The Washington Examiner, while referencing studies that suggest global warming has nothing to do with human actions. "To teach kids there's a consensus… is a major disservice to children, and a disservice to education," he added.
Here's how the New York Times describes the new standards: "Educators involved in drawing them up said the guidelines were intended to combat widespread scientific ignorance, to standardize teaching among states, and to raise the number of high school graduates who choose scientific and technical majors in college, a critical issue for the country's economic future."
"The focus would be helping students become more intelligent science consumers by learning how scientific work is done: how ideas are developed and tested, what counts as strong or weak evidence, and how insights from many disciplines fit together into a coherent picture of the world."
Meanwhile, The UK Department of Education has introduced a proposal that would completely ban climate change from educational discussions, due to its controversial nature. Children under 14 will no longer be able to learn about the human impact on climate change.
So the battle to educate Earth's children about global warming rages on, but at least it will soon be an option in the U.S.
No More Excuses – Legally Binding Emission Reduction Targets Now
Large industrialized nations such as the United States and Australia no longer can point to lesser developed countries for refusing to set binding emissions targets. This week the head of the United Nation's (UN) climate change secretariat, Christiana Figueres, praised on Twitter the "remarkable leadership ahead of [a] 2015 agreement" of the Group of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) willingness to sign legally binding emission reduction targets as part of any new international climate treaty. The 2015 agreement aims to provide a new draft international climate change treaty that will then be enacted by 2020.
Last week Quamrul Chowdury, lead negotiator for the LDC Group, told Climate News Network that the group would accept binding emission targets as part of any new deal, provided they are based on countries' differing circumstances, and that they would like to see all countries face such targets.
Historically the group of 49 LDCs, which together cover 12 per cent of the world's population, refused to accept responsibility for helping to solve a problem they do not believe they caused. This allowed some developed countries to argue that they will make cuts only when the LDCs do so, despite the fact that it is industrialization and development that have largely contributed to the human caused portion of climate change.
Also this week, Responding to Climate Change reported that Afghanistan became the latest country to formally ratify the Kyoto Protocol. The country is now required to develop its own national action plan, including development of low carbon infrastructure and adaptation to climate change. The U.S. never ratified the Kyoto Protocol, and shows little sign of ever doing so while Canada, Japan and New Zealand withdrew from the agreement at the last round of UN climate talks in Doha.
The LDCs willingness to sign targets is a critical step forward in negotiations that have been stalled for years with industrialized nations and lesser developed countries at loggerheads. The LDCs have stepped up and made the first move. Now it is time for the U.S. to make its citizens proud and commit to legally binding greenhouse gas emission reduction targets as well. The fact is our country is out of excuses. Let's not run out of time to save the planet too.
North Pole Marathon Certified CarbonFree® Event
As spring nudges its way into April, most of us are looking forward to longer, warmer days and short-sleeved outdoor activities. There is, however, a very hardy group of extreme sports enthusiasts preparing for the grueling sub-zero temperatures that will envelope them during the running of the 11th annual UVU (You versus You) North Pole Marathon on April 9th.
The North Pole Marathon is run over the classic 26.2 miles marathon distance, and the race includes an individual competition with male and female divisions and a team competition for teams of three or more. There will be 24 hours of daylight at the North Pole during race time, so the race is scheduled to commence at midnight, if the conditions are optimal. Forty-eight competitors from 20 countries will take part in the 2013 UVU North Pole Marathon.
This year's UVU North Pole Marathon will set a record of its own by achieving CarbonFree® Event status in partnership with Carbonfund.org. Race organizer Polar Running Adventures worked with Carbonfund.org to assess the event-related carbon dioxide emissions resulting from attendees' international flights to the Svalbard, Norway meeting venue, attendee and staff travel from Svalbard to the North Pole camp, all helicopter flight emissions related to race set-up and management, and heating fuel consumed by the accommodation tents provided at the race site.
The overall calculated emissions impact was then offset by an equal investment in reforestation projects in the Brazilian Amazon in order to neutralize the estimated race-related emissions.
The North Pole Marathon race course crosses Arctic ice floes six to twelve feet thick, located at the Geographic North Pole. In fact, not a single section of this marathon crosses over land. Dubbed the 'World's Coolest Marathon' by Runner's World magazine in 2004, and with temperatures hovering around April's 40 degrees below zero Fahrenheit, icicles forming on eyelashes, eyebrows and noses will be the least of the competitors' worries.
The first ever North Pole Marathon was a 'solo' run by Polar Running Adventures' own Richard Donovan. Richard won the First Ever South Pole Marathon ten weeks previously and became the first marathoner at both poles by completing the North Pole Marathon.
"The melting sea ice of the Arctic Ocean is often cited to be the result of the impact of global warming. Hence, the North Pole Marathon is very conscious of the need to use its race location on the polar ice cap in a positive environmental manner," explains Richard. "Many of the participants use the event to spread climate change messages to a large global audience, and we have found a perfect partner in Carbonfund.org to make sure our race is CarbonFree®."
In addition to organizing the world's most northerly marathon, Polar Running Adventures also organizes the world's most southerly marathon, the Antarctic Ice Marathon. Working with a network of associate specialists, including the world's foremost polar logistics experts, the company delivers world class events in the most remote parts of the planet. Carbonfund.org admires these hearty competitors and is proud to partner with Polar Running Adventures to help the North Pole Marathon achieve CarbonFree® status.
The Politics of Climate Change
Global warming has become a highly charged political issue. The players in the climate change drama cast into different roles. It seems like you must be a Democrat to be interested in combating global warming, or if you're a Republican, you cannot be environmentally motivated.
"The Earth's climate does not care whether you are a Democrat or a Republican. It doesn't care whether you're liberal or conservative. Climate change will affect all Americans no matter what your political beliefs, your religious beliefs, your race, class, creed, et cetera, okay. And in the end, the only way we're going to deal with this issue is if we come together as a country and have a serious conversation, not about is it real. But what can we do about it," Anthony Leiserowitz, Director of the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication and a Research Scientist at the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University said in an episode titled, "Encore: Ending the Silence on Climate Change" this month on Bill Moyer & Company.
For many years fossil fuel company interests have waged an active disinformation campaign that has borne fruit for them. They learned well from tobacco war strategy, which was to make people believe the science isn't clear and that the experts do not agree. This leads the average person to reserve judgment on climate change. They aren't likely to take global warming seriously until it seems that the experts reach a conclusion. Unfortunately that day will be long coming because these big, powerful companies will continue to spread misinformation.
The climate change disinformation campaign has spread so far that it's even affected politics. In last year's presidential election the question was, "If we focus on protecting the environment, won't that harm the economy?" The truth is that there is no inherent contradiction. The U.S. could, in fact, lead the Green Industrial Revolution.
What is also interesting is that Republicans weren't always painted with the not caring about global warming brush. They actually led the charge on issues such as acid rain. President George H.W. Bush passed cap and trade legislation on sulfur dioxide. It was one of the most successful environmental programs in American history, and it was accomplished at a cost far below even best guess estimates at the time.
The answer to the politicization of climate change is that the U.S. needs a groundswell of grassroots movement for environmental change. We need to get organized and demand change of our politicians. This country's political system simply is not conducive to making the changes itself to deal with the global warming crisis we desperately need. Let's take partisan gridlock out of the picture. We can begin by mobilizing and directing the 16 percent of Americans that are the Alarmed, defined in my last post on climate change communication, but are unsure what to do to make a difference in climate change.
The Art of Climate Change Communication
My last blog post covered the psychology of climate change. The post closed questioning whether or not the public will heed global warming's warning signs. One of the dilemmas facing climate change educators is that research has shown that there is no single American public. There are actually six distinct audiences that need to be communicated with differently regarding climate change.
Anthony Leiserowitz, Director of the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication and a Research Scientist at the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University, says in an episode titled, "Encore: Ending the Silence on Climate Change" this month on Bill Moyer & Company, "There are multiple publics within the United States. In fact, what we've identified are six Americas."
Leiserowitz goes on to outline, "Six different Americas that each respond to this issue in very different ways and need different kinds of information about climate change to become more engaged with it." He cautions those of us that want to educate others about global warming, "if we were to do a true engagement campaign in this country we would need to recognize that there are very different Americans who need to be engaged in very different ways who have different values and who trust different messengers."
Here are the six publics that Leiserowitz refers to:
The Alarmed
This group comprises roughly 16 percent of the public and is made up of people who believe global warming is happening. They acknowledge that it is primarily a human caused, serious and urgent problem, and they want to begin implementing solutions as quickly as possible.
However, they aren't always certain what the solutions are. This is coupled with an uncertainty as to what they can accomplish as individuals as well as society at large. There are things we can do on both fronts, but there remains a communication gap climate change educators need to begin addressing.
The Concerned
This group composes about 29 percent of the public. Like the Alarmed, the Concerned believe climate change is happening, it's human caused and serious. Where the two groups differ is on the urgency of the problem. The Concerned tend to think of global warming as a distant problem.
Distance is perceived by this group on two levels: in time and space. The Concerned think of climate change impacting their children or other future generations. Spatially, they think global warming is affecting Arctic animals or island nations such as the Philippines. In essence, climate change is a serious problem to this group, but they think there will be plenty of time to address it in the future.
The Cautious
Approximately a quarter of the public make up the Cautious group. This group is undecided. They question whether or not global warming is happening and what is causing it. They aren't sure it's even a serious threat, but at least they're listening. Climate change educators need to engage this group on some of the basic facts of global warming.
The Disengaged
This group comprises around eight percent of the public. These people have heard about global warming, but know nothing substantial about it. Climate change educators should begin by elevating the Disengaged's basic awareness of the issue. Then they need to outline global warming's causes, consequences and potential solutions.
The Doubtful
The second to last group makes up roughly 13 percent of the public. This group doesn't think climate change is really happening, and if it is it is natural and not human caused. This leads the Doubtful to believe there is nothing that we can do about the issue. These people pay scant attention to global warming, but even if they do they're inclined to believe it is not a problem.
The Dismissive
This last group comprises a mere eight percent of the American public, but they are very vocal. These people do not believe climate change is happening, nor do they believe it is human caused or a serious problem. Many of the Dismissive are conspiracy theorists who claim global warming is a hoax. They loudly and openly question the validity of climate science data, claiming it's some sort of plot to further other countries and/or people's gains.
As you can see from the six distinct publics, there are some definite climate change communication challenges, but the first step is certainly knowing your audience. Perhaps we should also consider looking at statistics in a different way, one that addresses humans' visual nature.
Seeing Climate Change from a Different Perspective
Chris Jordan is a digital photographic artist best known for his large scale works portraying mass consumption, consumerism and waste. Jordan imbeds the message in his art. For example, the photograph above titled, "Caps Seurat" is made up of 400,000 plastic bottle caps, which is equal to the average number of plastic bottles consumed in the United States every minute. Jordan has said of his art, "There's this contrast between the beauty in the images and the underlying grotesqueness of the subjects. And it's something that I put there intentionally. Because I was using beauty as a seduction, to draw the viewer in to sit through the piece long enough that the underlying message might seep in."
Now that you see the art of climate change communication, I'll explore the political nature of the issue in my next blog post, which is the final in this three-part series.
The Psychology of Climate Change
Regular readers of this blog are all too aware of the dangers that are starting to manifest regarding global warming. Given the reality of 2012 being the hottest year on record, and other climate change related disasters such as Superstorm Sandy, why isn't more being done domestically and globally to avert this crisis? The answer is in our psychology as humans.
Anthony Leiserowitz, Director of the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication and a Research Scientist at the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University, specializes in human behavior, in particular the psychology of risk perception and decision making as it relates to global warming. He is an expert on U.S. and international perception of climate change risks, support and opposition for climate policies, and willingness to make individual behavioral change. Leiserowitz points to humans' needs to tangibly experience phenomena in order to connect with it on a deeper level. The first problem with the issue is that we cannot see carbon dioxide. Perhaps if we could see blue smoke, for example, billowing around us we would be more motivated to immediately tackle global warming.
The climate change problem is further complicated by its faceless nature. There isn't one country or person we can point to as causing global warming. We are all responsible on a daily basis. Then add to that there's the fact that climate change is not an immediate threat. It's certainly becoming one, but it takes time for the planet to heat up and we are fast approaching the point of no return.
Many people do not understand how a few degrees one way or the other will make a difference to the planet. Leiserowitz likened it to a fever in an episode titled, "Encore: Ending the Silence on Climate Change" this month on Bill Moyer & Company. "People often will say, 'Wow, you know, four, five degrees, that doesn't sound like very much. I mean, I see the temperature change more from night to day.' But it's the wrong way to think about it. I mean, think about when you get sick and you get a fever, okay. Your body is usually at, you know, 98.7 degrees."
He continued to say, "If your temperature rises by one degree you feel a little off, but you can still go to work. You're fine. It rises by two degrees and you're now feeling sick, in fact you're probably going to take the day off because you definitely don't feel good. And in fact, you're getting everything from hot flashes to cold chills, okay. At three you're starting to get really sick. And at four degrees and five degrees your brain is actually slipping into a coma, okay, you're close to death. I think there's an analogy here of that little difference in global average temperature just like that little difference in global body temperature can have huge implications as you keep going. And so unfortunately the world after two and especially after three degrees starts getting much more frightening, and that's exactly what the scientists keep telling us. But will we pay attention to those warning signs?"
My next blog post will discuss how to effectively communicate about climate change to overcome some of the psychological challenges humans face outlined in this post. There are ways to get the public to pay attention to, and in fact, engage on the issue of global warming. However, there is an art to it.
Dangerous Global Appetite for Fossil Fuels
Many people have read in the news about how the United States is tapping into unprecedented natural gas reserves through the process of hydraulic fracturing, also called fracking, where highly pressurized water, sand and chemicals are inserted to fracture shale rock which releases natural gas. Drilling can have environmental impacts such as contamination of ground water, air quality risks, migration of gases and hydraulic fracturing chemicals to the surface, and surface contamination from spills and flowback.
Or they've read about the controversial Keystone XL pipeline project that is seeking approval to move oil extracted from Canada's tar sands down through the western United States to refineries along the Gulf Coast. There is evidence that extracting oil from the sands are increasing levels of cancer-causing compounds in surrounding lakes far beyond natural levels.
The latest news in accessing exotic forms of carbon comes from Japan, where their government announced that they've successfully extracted natural gas from methane hydrates, also called clathrates, buried beneath the sea bed. Clathrates are an ultra-concentrated frozen mix of water and gas. A cubic meter of clathrate contains 164 times as much methane as a cubic meter of methane gas. Extraction of methane hydrates opens up the possibility for a catastrophic release of gas in the form of accidents during the extraction process. Even releasing a small amount of clathrates could contribute significantly to climate change.
Governments and corporations worldwide need to stop spending hundreds of billions of dollars searching for new fossil fuel reserves and discovering ways to extract ever more unusual forms of buried carbon. And we need to stop giving them incentives to do so. Yes, it is hard to want less and do less, but for the sake of our planet's health we need to curb our global appetite for fossil fuels. Let's start by lowering our carbon footprints. Then we need to agree to leave fossil fuel reserves in the ground.
According to a detailed estimate, we need to leave four-fifths of global fossil fuel reserves untouched for a good chance of preventing more than 2°C of global warming. The worst part is we have already identified more underground carbon than we can afford to burn between now and the year 3000. Now is the time to implement a low carbon lifestyle. We should do it for our planet, ourselves and for the sake of future generations.
Global Energy Focus on Renewables
Those of us living in the United States can easily get wrapped up in the domestic energy picture, but it is important to stop and take a look at how renewables are doing in other countries too.
If you peruse a list of countries by 2008 emissions, the top emitter of carbon dioxide is currently China, followed closely by the U.S. China accounts for 23.5% of world emissions, and the U.S. is responsible for 18.27%. However, the good news is that China's renewable-energy industry is currently on the upswing due to supportive government policies and generous subsidies; so much so that they've achieved the height of the world's wind and solar industries. We've all heard the phrase, "Everything is made in China." The U.S. does import many goods from China, but a report released this week titled, "Advantage America" analyzed trade between the two countries in solar, wind and smart-grid technology and services in 2011.
The analysis, by Bloomberg New Energy Finance and Pew Charitable Trusts, showed $6.5 billion in renewable energy technology and services traded between the U.S. and China. But the U.S. sold $1.63 billion more to China than it imported.
It's good to see both countries making such strides in renewable energy. Oftentimes, the countries are perceived as being in competition with one another, but a more accurate picture would be that they are interdependent. The bottom line is that both countries should be doing as much as possible to focus on renewables, especially considering they're the top two carbon dioxide emitters on the planet. And the global interest and investments in renewables doesn't stop there.
Saudi Arabia, a country with the world's second largest oil reserves, is beginning a green revolution. This week, Saudi King Abdullah revealed ambitious plans to develop renewable energy programs that will produce 54,000 megawatts of electricity by 2032 as part of a strategy to save 1.2 million barrels of their oil per day for export.
King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KA-Care) is a strategy paper set up by King Abdullah in 2010 to develop alternative energy sources so the country won't have to burn millions of barrels of oil a year on power generation. KA-Care outlines the preliminary phases of the kingdom's agenda for its energy future and focuses on thermal solar, photo-voltaic solar, wind, geothermal and waste-to-energy. Much of the desert landscape in the Persian Gulf is well suited to solar energy production; a fact that has not escaped the Saudi's neighbor, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The UAE, with 8% of the world's proven oil reserves, has also embarked on a major renewables program, which focuses on nuclear and solar energy production. By taking a look at the global energy picture, we see that even those countries with vast fossil fuel resources recognize the finite limitations of their reserves and the importance of investing in sustainable energy projects, which is great news in the fight against climate change. Every country on the planet contributes to global warming, and every country will have to do their part in order to pave the way to a sustainable energy future.
Could a Carbon Tax Be the Answer to Curbing Global Warming?
Most of the time, we do not take into account the complete costs to producing or consuming a good or service. This is because we focus on the explicit costs. For example, if we were to bake a loaf of bread, we would take into account the cost of the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water, milk, and butter. Perhaps we would even calculate our labor time to make the dough and the cost of running the oven, but would we account for the carbon dioxide dumped into the atmosphere for the delivery truck that delivered the baking supplies? How about the CO2 emissions from the power plant burning fossil fuels to generate the electricity to run the oven? The problem is that we are not required to bear the full cost of production. Some of the costs to bake that loaf of bread were shifted to society as a whole.
Even if we did not bake the loaf of bread ourselves, we're still shifting costs to society as a whole just by consuming it. Our cars burn gasoline to drive to and from the grocery store, and regardless if we walked or biked, gasoline was likely also burned to deliver the bread to the grocery store in the first place. Sure the delivery truck paid for the gasoline, but many companies do not pay for the carbon emissions their operations generate.
We need to make some drastic changes to avoid the ills of global warming, which we are beginning to see affect our daily lives, but the logistics of transforming our world's energy system can be intimidating. The first thing we need to do is get off fossil fuels and transition to renewable energy sources. Easier said than done, I know. It will be a complex and time-consuming process converting power plants, vehicles/transport systems, homes and commercial buildings. Unfortunately, time is not on our side here. We really need to reduce carbon emissions 80% by 2050.
So then the question becomes how can we transition the world's energy infrastructure to sustainable sources by mid-century? One of the ways suggested is to implement a tax on CO2 emissions that begins low and gradually increases. There should be no mystery either about how much and at what intervals over time the tax will rise. Then people, businesses and governments can plan their fossil fuel exit strategy.
The revenues the carbon tax generates should be directed into subsidizing renewable energy innovation and overhauling energy infrastructure.
Ideally, the carbon tax should be global. Again there are logistical challenges to this climate change solution. The key is that we need a systematic and practical process. Isn't it time we started taking responsibility for the full costs of production and consumption? Society is bearing the cost as a whole, and society as a whole needs to be part of the solution.