text:
Sustainable Biofuels and Coproducts Research Unit
A Research Unit of the Eastern Regional Research Center, ARS, USDA
Dr. Kevin B. Hicks, Research Leader, firstname.lastname@example.com
View the SBCP Brochure (PDF)
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SBCP, GO TO http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=19-35-57-00.
In the Spotlight
Hicks wins Award of Excellence
Kevin Hicks, a Research Leader for the Sustainable Biofuels Research Unit, Eastern Regional Research Center, ARS, USDA in Wyndmoor, PA was presented the Fuel Ethanol Award of Excellence at the 29th International Fuel Ethanol Workshop in St. Louis on June 11, 2013. The award, given by BBI Incorporated, is given to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the fuel ethanol industry through their research, technical advisory and/or development activities. Kevin has conducted research to benefit the biofuels industry for over 15 years resulting in many new publications, patents, methods, varieties of new cereal and biomass feedstocks, new biofuel processes and coproducts that have benefitted the industry.
The complete story can be seen here: http://www.ethanolproducer.com/articles/9935/icm-employee-usda-researcher-receive-annual-awards-at-few
Turning agriculture into oil, bio oil, that is
The process dates to ancient Egypt. Now, it's being studied here by the USDA as a way to fuel farms.
Pour a few handfuls of chopped- up corn stalks or switchgrass into a hopper. Heat rapidly. Funnel the resulting mixture through an intricate network of metal pipes and canisters.
|Adding enzymes to help extract water from an ethanol byproduct used to make dried distillers grains with solubles could significantly reduce the inputs and costs associated with making grain ethanol and its marketable byproducts.
WASHINGTON—A commercial enzyme could reduce overall costs linked with producing ethanol from grain, and also reduce associated emissions of greenhouse gases, according to a study by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists and colleagues.
The researchers found that the enzyme helps extract water from an ethanol byproduct used to make dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS), which can be used as feed supplements for cattle, swine and poultry. This could significantly reduce the amount of electricity, natural gas, energy and water needed for production of grain ethanol and its marketable byproducts. Results from this study were published in the scientific journal Industrial Biotechnology.
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists David Johnston and Andrew McAloon at the agency's Eastern Regional Research Center in Wyndmoor, Pa., helped lead the study. ARS is USDA's chief intramural scientific research agency, and these findings support the USDA priority of developing new sources of bioenergy. Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) professor Milorad Dudukovic and graduate student Ana Beatriz Henriques in the WUSTL Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering also were members of the research team.
"The production of grain ethanol is a key component in our nation's efforts to increase the supply of transportation fuels derived from renewable plant resources," said ARS Administrator Edward B. Knipling. "The results from this investigation give us new tools for increasing the efficiency of grain ethanol production and for protecting our natural resource base."
The study was conducted at Center Ethanol Company in Sauget, Ill., a commercial facility that produces 54 million gallons of ethanol and 172,000 tons of DDGS every year from corn. In the study, the scientists added one pound of an experimental dewatering enzyme for each 1,000 pounds of corn. The enzyme was supplied by Genencor, a major developer and manufacturer of industrial enzymes that is now part of DuPont Industrial Biosciences. After the grain had been fermented into ethanol, the researchers transferred the leftover slurry of corn solids and water, called "stillage," into a centrifuge, where much of the water was extracted.
The stillage was transferred first to an evaporator and then to a dryer powered by natural gas for another round of moisture reduction. The scientists found that the amount of natural gas needed by the dryer to reduce stillage moisture content to levels suitable for DDGS production dropped 14 percent because water extraction in the centrifuge had been boosted by the enzymes.
Data from these trials were used to calibrate an existing economic model of ethanol production. The resulting estimates indicated that using the enzymes to dewater the stillage would reduce overall facility water use by 10 percent, reduce electricity consumption by 2.4 percent and reduce natural gas consumption by 12 percent. The model indicated that these reductions would in turn reduce the emission of greenhouse gases equivalent to approximately 8,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year from a mid-sized ethanol facility producing around 50 million gallons of grain ethanol annually.
Helen L. Ngo, North Atlantic Area, Wyndmoor, PA, for outstanding research in developing processes for converting fats and oils into biobased products and biofuels.
Winter Barley Ethanol Initiative Team for developing and transferring technology for the Mid-Alantic winter barley ethanol industry. The team includes Kevin Hicks, John Nghiem, Andy McAloon, David Johnston, Robert Moreau, Mike Kurantz, Gerard Senske, Jhanel Wilson, Winnie Yee, Frank Taylor, Edna Ramirez (formerly with ARS) and Rolando Flores (formerly with ARS), North Atlantic Area, Wyndmoor, PA; Jay Shetty, Gerhard Janda-Konieczny, Bob Randle (formerly), and Mian Li with Genencor International, Palo Alto, CA; Pat Simms, Eric Lee, Hank Bisner, Craig Shealy, John Warren, and Bill Scruggs with Osage Bio Energy, Glen Allen, VA; Wynse Brooks, Carl Griffey, Wade Thomason, and Mark Vaughn with Virginia Tech, Warsaw, VA; Dan Brann with Brann Farms, Christiansburg, VA; and Bruce Beahm with Virginia Crop Improvement Association, Mount Holly, VA.
Phil Sarnacke, United Soybean Board (Left) and Mike Haas, ERRC (Right)
At the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Oil Chemists' Society held in early May in Cincinnati, Ohio, Dr. Michael Haas received the United Soybean Board's Industrial Uses of Soybean Oil Award for the conduct of research promoting new or novel industrial applications of soybean oil. A Lead Scientist at the Eastern Regional Research Center in Wyndmoor, PA, Dr. Haas has conducted lipid utilization research and led research teams in that subject matter area for nearly 30 years. His research interests have ranged from the biochemical and molecular biological characterization of enzymes that can be used in the industrial processing of fats and oils to the development of new technologies for the production of biodiesel. This research as resulted in more than 100 scientific publications that advanced the state of knowledge and technology for the utilization of all lipids, including soybean oil. Congratulations to Mike!
Turning straw into a valuable commodity–not gold in this case, but fuel–isn't exactly child's play, but chemical engineer Akwasi Boateng, chemist Charles Mullen, mechanical engineer Neil Goldberg, chemist Robert Moreau and research leader Kevin Hicks at our ARS Eastern Regional Research Center in Wyndmoor, Pa., have done just that, using a process called "fast pyrolysis" to produce energy-rich bio-oil from barley straw, hulls and dried distillers grains. (12/21)
Dr. Robert Moreau has been nominated by the Office of the Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics, ARS/USDA, as the U.S. Alternate Delegate to the Codex Alimentarius Commission's Committee on Fats and Oils. We are happy to report that the Codex Policy Committee approved Dr. Moreau's nomination. The Codex Alimentarius Commission was created in 1963 by FAO and WHO to develop food standards, guidelines and related texts such as codes of practice under the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. The main purposes of this Programme are protecting health of the consumers and ensuring fair trade practices in the food trade, and promoting coordination of all food standards work undertaken by international governmental and non-governmental organizations. Dr. Moreau will initially work with the committee to develop standards for edible oils such as olive oil. We congratulate Dr. Moreau on this important international appointment.
Chemical engineer Akwasi Boateng (right) and mechanical engineer Neil Goldberg (center) adjust pyrolysis process conditions while chemist Charles Mullen (left) loads the reactor with bioenergy feedstock. (D1985-1)
Barley has been cultivated for thousands of years, yet it doesn't always make the list when energy experts discuss potential biofuel crops. And bio-oil—a liquid fuel generated when heat breaks down plant matter—is still a low-profile energy alternative. But research by Agricultural Research Service scientists at the Eastern Regional Research Center (ERRC) in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, could give a big boost to producing bio-oil from barley feedstocks.
Read all about it in the November 2010 Agriculture Research Magazine!
Click here to read all about it!
Researchers have found a cost-effective, energy-efficient, and environmentally sustainable method to use corn stover for generating an energy-rich oil called "bio-oil" and for making biochar to enrich soils and sequester carbon. The team used fast pyrolysis to transform corn stover and cobs into bio-oil and biochar. They found that the bio-oil captured 70 percent of the total energy input, and the energy density of the bio-oil was 5 to 16 times that of the feedstock. This suggests it could be more cost effective to produce bio-oil through a distributed network of small pyrolyzers and then transport the crude bio-oil to central refining plants to make "green gasoline" or "green diesel," rather than transporting bulky stover to a large centralized cellulosic ethanol plant. About 18 percent of the feedstock was also converted into biochar, which contains most of the mineral nutrients in the corn residues. Amending soils with this biochar would return those nutrients to the soil, reduce leaching of other nutrients, help build soil organic matter, and sequester carbon.
Charles Mullen, USDA-ARS Sustainable Biofuels and Co-Products, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania; (215) 836-6916.
Dr. Helen Ngo is a Research Chemist in the Sustainable Biofuels and Co-Products Research Unit. She is being recognized for her outstanding research in the development of novel catalysts and catalytic processes for the conversion of fats and oils into bio-based products and biofuels. With this recognition, Dr. Ngo becomes the NAA's nominee for 2010 Herbert L. Rothbart Early Career Research Scientist Award.
Congratulations Helen!
On March 18, 2010, Research Scientist Michael Haas, ARS Eastern Regional Research Center, Fats, Oils and Animal Coproducts Research Unit, Wyndmoor, PA, and Robert Fireovid, ARS National Program Leader for Bioenergy, Beltsville, MD, participated in the Second National Oil Heat Industry Conference and Policy Summit, held in Washington, DC. The purpose of the meeting was to increase awareness within the oil heating industry of the advantages and the technical issues related to incorporating biobased fuels, especially biodiesel, into home heating fuels. This is an especially relevant topic in the northeastern part of the country where home heating systems using petroleum fuels are common.
Dr. Helen Ngo of the Fats, Oils and Animal Coproducts Research Unit has received the Bronze Medal in the Technical Accomplishment (Individual) category of the 2010 Excellence in Government Awards Program sponsored by the Philadelphia Federal Executive Board. This is well-deserved recognition of the excellent work done by Helen and her team on both the development of new catalysts for synthesizing biodiesel and the exploration of new processes for the modification of fats and oils to produce new, high value products.
Congratulations Helen!
Biodiesel Journal Highlights ERRC Biodiesel and Barley Ethanol Research in March/April Issue
Click here to read all about it!
Hulled winter barley ready for harvest.
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists Kevin Hicks and David Marshall want winter barley to become a prime-time player in bioenergy production.
"The 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act requires production and use of 36 billion gallons of renewable transporation fuels by 2022. Today we only make 9 billion," says Hicks. "We see winter barley as the perfect biofeedstock for making biofuels on the East Coast."
So Hicks and others in the ARS Crop Conversion Science and Engineering Research Unit in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, are developing new sustainable technologies to convert varieties of hulled and hull-less winter "energy" barley into fuel ethanol. This initiative also includes Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University scientists Carl Griffey, Wynse Brooks, and Mark Vaughn, who are supervising ongoing research efforts to develop improved varieties of hulled and hull-less barley.
Click here to read all about it in the February 2010 issue of Agricultural Research Magazine!
By Ann Perry
November 24, 2009
Researchers worldwide are trying to economically convert cellulosic biomass such as corn stover into "cellulosic ethanol." But Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have found that it might be more cost-effective, energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable to use corn stover for generating an energy-rich oil called bio-oil and for making biochar to enrich soils and sequester carbon.
Stover is made up of the leaves, husks, cobs and stalks of the corn plant, and could provide an abundant source of feedstock for cellulosic ethanol production after the grain is harvested. But removing stover from the field would leave soil more vulnerable to erosion, deplete plant nutrients and accelerate the loss of soil organic matter.
Several ARS scientists collaborated with the National Corn Growers Association to explore other options for using corn stover as biofuel feedstock. Chemical engineer Akwasi Boateng, chemist Charles Mullen, mechanical engineer Neil Goldberg and research leader Kevin Hicks all work at the ARS Eastern Regional Research Center in Wyndmoor, Pa. Chemist Isabel Lima, who works at the ARS Southern Regional Research Center in New Orleans, La.; and soil scientist David Laird, who works at the ARS National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment in Ames, Iowa, also contributed to the study.
Click here to read the full article.
Research scientists led Dr. Akwasi Boateng at the Agriculture Research Service (ARS), Eastern Regional Research Center (215-233-6493) in Wyndmoor, PA, are producing a renewable bio-oil using an innovative fast pyrolysis method that heats biomass feedstocks in the absence of oxygen.
Read the full article in this pdf file.
Marilyn Hershey, Southeastern Pa. Correspondent
WYNDMOOR, Pa. - Montgomery County Farm Bureau farmers, energy specialists, and additional participating farmers earlier this month met here at USDA's Eastern Regional Research Center to learn about bioenergy developments and tour the research facilities.
The Eastern Regional Research Center (ERRC) was built in 1940 and is the largest USDA facility in the country. According to Kevin Hicks, research leader, the center employs 290 occupants, 173 of which are award-winning scientists. The research team is working on 24 individual research projects.
"Through research, common sense, and smart people," Hicks said the goal of "bring together food, feed, fuel, and fiber from farms," can be attained.
Click here to read the full article from Lancaster Farming.
Robert Wallace, Executive Director of Penn State University's BioEnergy Bridge, visits ERRC to describe formation of a state-wide bioenergy research consortium and to invite ERRC to join.
His seminar can be viewed here.
Dr. Robert A. Moreau has been elected a Fellow of the American Oil Chemists Society (AOCS). Dr. Moreau is being honored for his impact on the biochemistry, analysis, and new uses of lipids and for his outstanding service to the Society. The award is reserved for only the top 2% of AOCS members. Bob will officially receive this honor at the upcoming AOCS Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL, in May.
Congratulations Bob!
Perhaps the single most valuable gift the desert-dwelling guayule plant offers us is its superb natural latex. The white, rubber-rich substance, extracted and purified from this southwestern U.S. native shrub (Parthenium argentatum), is ideal for making high-quality gloves, medical devices, and other in-demand natural rubber products.
Importantly, latex from guayule (pronounced why-YOU-lee) is free of the proteins responsible for the sometimes-deadly latex allergies caused by the most widely used natural-rubber source, the rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis.
But guayule may also prove to be an economical, environmentally friendly source of yet another prized commodity: energy. That energy can be made from the ground-up stems and branches, called "bagasse," that are left after their latex has been removed.
Read all about it in the February 2009 issue of Agricultural Research Magazine.
Our own John (Nhuan) Nghiem has co-authored a very important book on biofuels.
Click here for more information.
Atlanta, GA - Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc. and the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreegment (CRADA) that will improve the processes used to convert second generation, non-food-based, biofuel feedstocks, including perennial grasses, animal wastes and agricultural residues such as corn stover, into liquid bio-fuel intermediates, such as bio-oil.
As part of the CRADA, Logical Innovation of Richmond, VA, will work with researchers at USDA/ARS's Eastern Regional Research Center (ERRC) in Wyndmoor, PA, to improve on pyrolysis oil production via innovative control technologies.
Click here to read more about it!
Read more about the research in the October 2008 issue of Ethanol Producer Magazine.
Congratulations to Dr. Akwasi Boateng on being Elected a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Dr. Akwasi Boateng has been elected a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. The Fellow grade of membership recognizes exceptional engineering achievements and contributions to the engineering professtion. Dr. Boateng was recognized for his pioneering research on combustion and related thermochemical processing technologies.
Congratulations Dr. Boateng!!!
Biodiesel Journal Highlights ERRC Biodiesel and Barley Ethanol Research in March/April Issue
Click here to read all about it!
Congratulations to Dr. Kevin Hicks as this year's NAA Senior Research Scientist of the Year!
Dr. Hicks is honored for his "Outstanding research accomplishments during his entire research career and for outstanding leadership of a very productive ARS Research Unit for the last twenty years."
Members of the National Corn Growers Association's Research and Business Development Team visited the Eastern Regional Research Center on March 20 to learn about the research being conducted to produce food and fuel (as well as feeds and fibers) from corn and corn stover. The NCGA members were given a research tour of ERRC's state-of-the-art laboratories and pilot plants to see the latest advances in research on fuel ethanol, biodiesel, pyrolysis and gasification-derived fuels, and the many food and feed type coproducts produced during biofuels processes. ERRC is conducting research for the sustainable production of biofuels from agricultural feedstocks so that we do not overuse food crops or harm the environment from biofuels production.
Click here for more photos.
Engineers Neil Goldberg (left) and Akwasi Boateng operate a fluidized-bed thermochemical reactor they designed and built for converting crop residues into renewable bio-oils and hydrogen fuels. (D767-1)
The demand for alternatives to petroleum-based fuels is steadily rising.
Corn and soybeans - the deminant feedstocks for ethanol and biodiesel production in the United States - grow well in the central regions of the country. But are these the only available sources? What options exist for U.S. growers in other regions? How can corn and soybean feedstocks be improved?
Scientist at the Eastern Regional Research Center (ERRC) in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, are answering these and other questions about renewable fuels production. Their research focuses on four major areas: biodiesel, ethanol, thermochemical processes, and cost analysis.
"For years, ERRC has been a committed participant in alternative fuels research," says center director John Cherry. "This is a particularly exciting time, because so much of our research work is being adopted and used by industry."
Read more about the research in the April 2007 issue of Agricultural Research Magazine.
On December 4, 2007, members of ERRC's Crop Conversion Science & Engineering Research Unit received an Outstanding Research Effort award from Archer Daniels Midland Company to celebrate the successful conclusion of a three year CRADA entitled "Biomass Research and Development for the Production of Fuels, Chemicals, and Improved Cattle Feed". Pictured are (from left) Mr. Andrew McAloon, Senior Cost Engineer, ERRC; Dr. Michael Cecava, Director, Feed Technology Research, ADM Research; Dr. Charles Abbas, Director of Yeast and Renewables Research, ADM; Dr. Frank Taylor, Research Chemical Engineer and Project PI, ERRC; Dr. Kyle Beery, Senior Process Engineer, ADM Research; Dr. Kevin Hicks, Research Leader, ERRC; Ms. Jhanel Wilson, Chemical Engineer, ERRC. Not pictured: Dr. Tae Hyun Kim, Research Assoicate, present address, Iowa State University; Dr. Rolando Flores, Research Agricultural Engineer, present address, University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
David Johnston —
Phone modem | Broadband
News release (2/7/06)
Contact information and research details
ARS presented awards to eight "Early Career Scientists of the Year" who have earned their doctorates within the past decade and have been with the agency for seven years or less. The highest of these honors is the Herbert L. Rothbart Outstanding Early Career Research Scientist of the Year, which for 2005 was awarded to David Johnston, a research food technologist with the ARS Crop Conversion Science and Engineering Research Unit in Wyndmoor, Pa.
Johnston was honored for developing novel, environmentally sustainable biochemical and engineering processes that are improving the way corn is processed into foods and fuels around the world. He has been nominated for inclusion in the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers. (More about Johnston's research)
Chemists Marshall L. Fishman (left) and Hoa K. Chau prepare orange peels for flash extraction of pectin using microwave heating under pressure. (D702-1)
At ARS's Eastern Regional Research Center (ERRC) in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, researchers in the Crop Conversion Science and engineering Research Unit are at work on pectin, a polysaccharide component in the cell walls of fruits and vegetables.
Polysaccharides are polymers made up of many simple carbohydrates (sugars) linked together into long, continuous molecules. Pectin is currently valued for use as a gelling and thickening agent, beverage stabilizer, and fat substitute..
Read more about the research in the February 2007 issue of Agricultural Research Magazine.
New varieties of barley could help solve two national problems: energy dependence and obesity. That's because some parts of barley are excellent for making fuel ethanol, while other parts are nutritious and naturally low in calories.
High starch content is needed to produce ethanol, while soluble fibers such as beta-glucan and other types of fiber have been found to possess health benefits for people. Now scientists are developing ways to maximize the benefits found in some special barley varieties.
Researchers at the Eastern Regional Research Center (ERRC) in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, want to reduce the cost of fuel ethanol and make it available nationwide. Most ethanol production facilities use corn as starting material, or "feedstock," and not surprisingly, they're located in the Corn Belt, not on the East and West Coasts, where demand for fuel ethanol is increasing. It's too costly for most coastal states to ship corn from the Midwest to a local ethanol plant, so it makes sense for these "corn-deficient" states to use locally grown grains as alternatives. Barley, which grows well in these regions, may be the answer—once a couple of problems are solved.
Read more about the research in the July 2005 issue of Agricultural Research Magazine.


text:
Photography by Sally L. Converse-Doucette
A couple months ago a friend gave me a fabulous collection of
vintage and not-so-vintage neckties. Thrilled, I sorted out the ties
that were too fragile and those with spots or stains, and organized
the remainders to make 3 skirts. My tie skirts are fun to wear and
have started some great conversations. Gather a handful of neckties and some simple supplies, and you too can tie on a unique and
eye-catching skirt.
Click to subscribe to this magazine

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Fire Retardant
Environmentalists warn fire retardant may have toxic consequences - ABC10
"Is it a problem? It's a big problem if [fire retardant] gets dropped in streams or creeks, or near them," said Andy Stahl with the Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics. "This stuff is lethal to fish and we've had some real disasters in Southern California."
O&C Land Exchange
What happens if big timber gets the old growth?
Read Eugene Weekly guest viewpoint by FSEEE Executive Director Andy Stahl
Environment, energy gigs aren't what they used to be
Greenwire, Nov 25, 2013
The Forest Service has long ranked at the bottom of the partnership's annual "Best Places to Work" survey. And a recent internal survey found that 55 percent of agency employees think the Forest Service is accomplishing its mission.
Andy Stahl, the executive director of Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, partly attributed the agency's low morale to problems with its mission. Once an agency focused on timber, he said, it has struggled over the past two decades to redefine its land management mission, all while using more and more of its budget to fight wildfires.
"The Forest Service has not been able to articulate its new mission, and partly that reflects an inherent ambiguity," Stahl said. But he also believes much of the workforce is stuck in the past. "You can't have a new mission for a large agency unless you have a sustainable majority of employees to buy into it."
Read the story at Environment and Energy Publishing
Does Flame Retardant Work?
by Marc Lallanilla, Aug 30, 2013
When confronted with a raging wildfire — such as the Rim Fire now threatening California's Yosemite Valley — the U.S Forest Service has several weapons in its firefighting arsenal, including ground crews who create firebreaks and aircraft that dump water and flame retardants.
But the use of flame retardants has come under increased scrutiny in recent years: While some question the cost-effectiveness of using the substances, environmental groups are concerned that the bright red chemical slurry can have a deadly effect on plants and wildlife.
"It looks good on television," Andy Stahl, executive director of Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics (FSEEE) in Eugene, Ore., told LiveScience. However, "there's no benefit to its use," Stahl said.
Read the whole story in LiveScience
DeFazio says plan offers sustainable harvests
by Diane Dietz, Aug 25, 2013
Rep. Peter DeFazio is taking a cut-the-baby-in-half approach to try to resolve the long dispute over logging on federal Bureau of Land Management O&C timberlands in Western Oregon.
He would take somewhat more than half the 2.4 million O&C acres out from under the protection of the Northwest Forest Plan and put them in a trust dedicated to timber production. A board would pursue logging — and revenues for counties — each year.
The remainder of the O&C lands would be handed to the U.S. Forest Service for preservation of old growth forests, designation of wilderness for the Rogue River and the Devil's Staircase and expanded river protections.
"Previously logged forests should be dedicated to further logging, and not-yet logged forests should be preserved," said Andy Stahl of the Eugene-based Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics. "That's the basic thesis of the split-the-baby approach."
Read the story in The Eugene Register-Guard
Related Story: Logging laws on the line
Montana wildfire costs could double as housing grows, report says
by Rob Chaney, Feb 24, 2013
If Montana's forest fringes continue filling with houses, wildland firefighting costs could double, according to a report by the Bozeman-based Headwaters Economics.
"Protecting homes is a major cost and safety issue in fighting fire," said Headwaters author Chris Mehl. "But the real question is personal responsibility: Who pays for that? Right now, the federal government – the Forest Service, BLM or FEMA – pays for a disproportionate share of the cost of fighting fires and cleaning up afterward. States and municipalities pay a small share of the cost....
Restricting house construction in the wildland-urban interface might be a good idea, report critic Andy Stahl said, but Headwaters is using the wrong measuring stick to make its point.
read complete story in the Missoulian
Report: Warming bringing big changes to forests
by Jeff Barnard, AP - Feb 5, 2013
Big changes are in store for the nation's forests as global warming increases wildfires and insect infestations, and generates more frequent floods and droughts, the U.S. Department of Agriculture warns in a report released Tuesday.
The compilation of more than 1,000 scientific studies is part of the National Climate Assessment and will serve as a roadmap for managing national forests across the country in coming years…
Dave Cleaves, climate adviser to the chief of the U.S. Forest Service, said climate change has become the primary driver for managing national forests, because it poses a major threat to their ability to store carbon and provide clean water and wildlife habitat.
"One of the big findings of this report is we are in the process of managing multiple risks to the forest," Cleaves said during a conference call on the report. "Climate revs up those stressors and couples them. We have to do a much better job of applying climate smartness ... to how we do forestry."…
Andy Stahl of Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, a watchdog group, said the agency traditionally has been guided by political pressures, and he has seen no evidence that concern over climate change is now playing a role.
read complete story here.
Bill aims to share Oregon wildfire costs
by Jeff Barnard, AP - January 19, 2013
GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) — For years, Oregon's major timberland owners have felt they were paying too much of the cost of fighting wildfires, especially in years when blazes stayed relatively small.
A bill in Gov. John Kitzhaber's budget would allocate $3.6 million over the next two years to change the payment formula, so the state picks up a bigger share of the costs in years when fires don't rage out of control. The proposal also would pay up to $6 million to keep two air tankers on call and other resources to keep minor wildfires from getting big and expensive….
Andy Stahl, director of Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics said any money spent on air tankers and helicopters is a waste, because there is no data to show that they are effective tools for keeping fires from getting out of control.
"At a time when we are struggling to fund schools and fund health care, why we would want to divert those dollars to some of Oregon's largest corporations is a bit mystifying," said Stahl. "Historic data shows no correlation between the amount of retardant dumped on a (forest) and the success rate of keeping fires small."
Entire article in San Francisco Chronicle
New Whistleblower Protection Law "An Environmentally Significant Reform," say Activists
by Audrey Haynes – December 13, 2012
[In November, 2012] President Obama signed the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act into law. The law revamps protections for federal employees who come forward and report misconduct, abuse of authority, or violation of law in their workplaces. These enhancements could be crucial in advancing environmental issues, but only if implemented properly...
Andy Stahl, Executive Director of Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, similarly cites protection from censorship of disclosures as the new law's "most environmentally significant reform."
"It is not uncommon for specialists to have their analyses changed, watered-down, distorted, etc., by higher-ups in the agency who don't want to hear the bad environmental news. Before this law, these specialists had little choice but to swallow hard because of the risk of retaliation for speaking out. The new law would bar retaliation against an employee for disclosing such attempts at censorship of technical analyses," Stahl says.
Stahl says that the reforms will have the greatest impact around laws such as the Endangered Species Act and National Environmental Policy Act, which rely on substantial technical analysis of the environmental effects of federal actions.
Read the article in the Earth Island Journal
U.S. Forest Service to use aerial retardant, with precautions to protect species
U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell has cleared the way for continued use of aerial fire retardant as long as pilots use special maps to avoid hurting threatened or endangered species....
Andy Stahl, whose Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics filed the successful lawsuit, was skeptical of the results.
"The final (environmental impact statement) acknowledges the Forest Service has no evidence fire retardant contributes to any firefighting objective," Stahl said. "They made their decision on the basis of cherry-picking from a biased sample that fire managers claim retardant makes a difference."
Read the complete story in the Missoulian
Forest Service wants to keep using fire retardant
The U.S. Forest Service has backed off claims about the effectiveness of the huge red plumes of fire retardant that big airplanes drop on wildfires, but the agency does not expect to cut back on using it.
Acting under a court order, the agency Friday posted on its website the final environmental impact statement laying out how it plans to use fire retardant without harming threatened and endangered fish, wildlife and plants on national forests and grasslands covering 193 million acres in 44 states.
The Forest Service chief must sign the statement before it goes into effect, and the court timetable gives him until the end of December.
Forest Service analyst Glen Stein said that after it was pointed out the agency has no hard data showing fire retardant is effective, his team "softened" earlier claims about its effectiveness. But officials know from experience that it works and plan to keep using it, while taking steps not to harm endangered species.
The new plan slightly increases the amount of land designated as off-limits to retardant drops to protect the environment. It only allows drops in those buffer zones to protect human life and eliminates past exemptions to protect property.
"This is going to be more about where we may or may not use it," Stein said. "It's not really about quantity of use."
"We have a word for that: faith-based firefighting," said Andy Stahl, director of Forest Service employees for Environmental Ethics. The watchdog group prompted the analysis through federal lawsuits dating back to 2003 challenging the use of chemical fire retardant, primarily because it kills fish when it lands in streams and lakes.
Stahl said it was immoral to ask pilots to risk their lives dropping retardant from big planes if there was no scientific evidence it was effective.
"It's also bad for the environment, gets into creeks and critical habitat, kills fish and threatened and endangered species. Third, it is expensive," he said.
Official: Maps should curb retardant damage
A massive new map collection should keep firefighting air tankers and the fire retardant they drop from hurting fish and other sensitive plants and animals, U.S. Forest Service officials said on Wednesday.
"We have between 12,000 and 15,000 maps produced, with all the quads for all the national forests," said Glen Stein, who led the Forest Service environmental impact statement team studying ways to improve fire retardant use.
The maps show streams and other water features, as well as ground spots where endangered or sensitive species live. Fire dispatchers and pilots should have the maps available to decide if they can drop retardant in a fire zone without poisoning fish or damaging ground habitat…
In 2010, U.S. District Judge Don Molloy of Missoula ruled the Forest Service erred in a 2008 environmental assessment that found retardant had no significant impact on fish or aquatic life.
He gave the agency until the end of 2011 to redo that study.
Stein led a conference call on Wednesday to discuss the draft document. In addition to producing the maps, the Forest Service also plans to have firefighters do more careful evaluation of retardant drops and survey at least 5 percent of fires that burn less than 300 acres for misplaced drops.
Those small fires are the ones most likely for misplaced drops to get made or go unnoticed, Stein said. Larger fires typically have more people paying greater attention to air tanker action, so mistakes there are usually properly reported and studied.
But the draft assessment also backs away from an earlier statement asserting the value of retardant drops as a firefighting tool.
"It's still very difficult to prove if fire retardant is going to be effective in particular situations before you apply it," Stein said. "We know it's effective in the lab. I've been a firefighter for 37 years and I know it can be effective."
That jumped out at Andy Stahl of Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, the group that originally sued the Forest Service over the misplaced drops.
"In the draft EIS, they claimed fire retardant improved initial attack success, decreased fire size and saved homes," Stahl said. "Now the Forest Service has retreated from those assertions and says it doesn't have data or studies to support that, so it's relying on anecdotal evidence."
Stein said without aerial retardant drops, ground firefighters might have to work farther from the fire perimeter, avoid direct contact with burn areas or even fall back to the closest natural barrier in their assault. That could result in fires getting bigger than they would without retardant drops, he said.
The draft EIS also notes that fire retardant chemistry has improved, changing greatly in the last five or six years to be less toxic to wildlife. Stein said the report didn't propose further changes to the retardant formulation.
Aerial retardant isn't used on 95 percent of fires on national forests. The new maps put nearly 30 percent of the Forest Service land into aerial buffer zones to protect waterways, and another 1 percent of sensitive ground. The buffer zones protect more than 300 plants and animals on the Endangered Species List and another 3,700 species considered sensitive to retardant effects.
The new EIS is not subject to appeals, although Stein said the public can still contact him or other Forest Service officials over the next 30 days before a record of decision is signed. The new maps and procedures should be in use when the 2012 fire season starts next February.
To read the draft EIS or comment on its proposals, go to www.fs.fed.us/fire/retardant/index.html.
DeFazio on BLM lands: Leave some forests alone but log others
EUGENE, Ore. - An Oregon congressman wants to preserve 2.3 million acres of federal forestland in Oregon.
see accompanying video on KVAL
DeFazio offers Forest Plan
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio is floating a proposal for logging and preservation in Western Oregon's federal forests that he says could mean a stable source of funding for the Oregon counties that historically have depended upon timber revenue from the federal lands.
Read the complete story in the Eugene Register-Guard.
Fire fight: Forest Service explores chemical retardant hazards
What's worse for the forest: wildfires or the chemicals dropped from planes to stop them? The U.S. Forest Service tackles this question in its 370-page study of fire-retardants' ecological impacts, released May 13. It's a dilemma: Retardants kill fish, contaminate aquifers and fertilize noxious weeds, but unchecked fires destroy homes, wreck some habitats, ruin views and, worst of all, kill people.
Stahl's organization first sued in 2004, alleging that the Forest Service ignored the National Environmental Policy Act when determining how and where to use retardants. The law required the agency to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service about the chemicals' effects on protected species and publish an environmental analysis open to public comments. The Forest Service finally did that in 2007, but its environmental assessment merely concluded that proper use of fire retardants had "no significant impact" on ecosystems -- despite Fish and Wildlife's findings that they harm scores of protected plants and animals.
Read the entire story in High Country News
Forest Service makes new plan for fire retardant drops following court ruling
The U.S. Forest Service is proposing a few changes, but wants to continue using retardant to slow the spread of wildfires, according to a draft environmental impact statement released for public comment Friday.
A 370-page draft environmental impact statement released Friday follows a ruling last year by U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy in Missoula, Mont., ordering the forest service to take a tougher look at the possibility that routinely dropping toxic fire retardant on wildfires from airplanes kills endangered fish and plants….
The lawsuit leading to Molloy's ruling was brought by the Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics.
The group's executive director, Andy Stahl, said the draft environmental impact statement doesn't include information about the efficacy of fire retardant.
"The Forest Service makes no effort to show that fire retardant use changes the outcome of wildfires in terms of houses destroyed, lives threatened or acres burned," Stahl said. "Tables in the draft EIS show scores of national forests use no retardant — never did — and they don't show any different outcomes. They don't suffer from lack of that."
He said the document falls short of the court's ruling.
"I think they're going to be compelled to do somewhat better than this," Stahl said. "If they're proposing to build a dam or highway, or log a forest, there are some environmental downsides but also some kind of economic pluses. What the Forest Service has not done is told us what the pluses are when using the retardant."
Read the entire AP story in the Helena Independent Record
GUEST VIEWPOINT: Obama threatens to shatter political peace in the forest
A generation ago, in the twilight of his career and his life, U.S. Sen. Hubert Humphrey shepherded into law a new manifesto for our national forests. With passage of the 1976 National Forest Management Act, former vice-president Humphrey predicted that "The days have ended when the forest may be viewed only as trees and trees viewed only as timber. The soil and the water, the grasses and the shrubs, the fish and the wildlife, and the beauty of the forest must become integral parts of the resource manager's thinking and actions." With Humphrey's untimely death in 1978, he never got the chance to see his vision realized.
Humphrey's 1976 law sought to make the U.S. Forest Service more responsive to public concerns about logging, especially clear-cutting. The law requires the Forest Service to explain and justify the ecological effects of its timbering practices. Long dominated by professional foresters trained to see forests as lumber, the new law led the Forest Service to retain wildlife, soil, fisheries and water experts to enlarge its perspective of trees and their values. In 1982, as required by NFMA, the Forest Service adopted forest planning rules that regulate logging to protect wildlife, water quality and soil productivity.
The years following were not smooth sailing. The Forest Service's first attempts at justifying national forest logging levels and practices fell flat. The new forest plans proposed even more clear-cutting than before. National forest logging levels increased steadily from 10 billion board feet in 1976 to more than 12 billion by 1987. The Forest Service simply had not gotten Humphrey's message.
But judges did. By the early 1990s, federal judges were being called upon to compel the Forest Service to obey the law, especially the wildlife protection provisions of NFMA and its 1982 forest planning rules. In the most famous such case, Seattle federal district court Judge William Dwyer noted "a remarkable series of violations of environmental laws" regarding Forest Service clear-cut logging of old-growth forests in Oregon and Washington in which the threatened northern spotted owl lived.
By 2000, logging levels had plummeted and, since then, they have stabilized at a sustainable 2 billion to 3 billion board feet. With most of the highly profitable old-growth forests long gone, the Forest Service now focuses its logging on reducing flammable brush and thinning small trees.
Apparently not content to let today's political peace in the woods persist, the Obama administration has proposed to replace the 1982 forest planning rules. The new rules are long on flowery rhetoric, but short on forest protection substance. They replace simple principles such as protecting wildlife species with complex, difficult-to-define ecological pablum. The new rules appear designed to placate environmental interests with happy-talk, on the one hand, while, on the other, weakening the forest protection standards that Humphrey sought. If nothing else, the new proposal threatens to stir the hornet's nest of national forest policy.
Why now? Why, 20 years after Judge Dwyer knocked some sense into the Forest Service's head, does the Obama administration want to risk bringing controversy and acrimony back to our national forests? The proposed new rules do nothing to help thin overstocked stands or lessen wildfire risks. The Forest Service has been doing that job for more than a decade. Higher logging levels on our national forests might increase economic activity (if the demand for wood products also picks up), and a White House that puts job creation first might be tempted to let forest protection slide.
President Obama should leave well enough alone and let the 1982 forest protection rules stand. Sustainable jobs are not found by returning to the days of national forest overcutting.
Andy Stahl, a forester, is executive director of Eugene-based Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics.
Funding Impasse Threatens Park Shutdowns, Oil and Gas Permitting Freeze
As lawmakers struggle to pass a spending bill before current federal funding runs out next week, observers warn that a government shutdown could severely hamper land management agencies and the people and businesses they support...
A 1995 report from the General Accounting Office -- now known as the Government Accountability Office -- speculated that nearly half of all Interior employees, more than 50,000, would need to be furloughed in the event of a government shutdown.
That percentage ended up much higher at the Forest Service during the most recent funding stoppage, said Andy Stahl, executive director of Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics.
Read the entire story at the New York Times Greenwire
Planned revision of Forest Service rules assailed
Read the complete AP story at the Seattle Times
Fourmile Fire rehabilitation efforts get started, could stretch on for years
In the aftermath of a Colorado fire, land managers assess the impact on water quality and soil erosion. The 150,000 gallons of fire retardant dropped on the blaze are also of concern.
"It's indisputably toxic; there's no question about that," said Andy Stahl. '[If] you drop it in a small mountain stream with greenback cutthroat trout in it, and you'll wipe the whole stream out for miles."
Read the whole story at dailycamera.com
FSEEE Wins Fire Retardant Lawsuit
On July 27, in a lawsuit brought by FSEEE, U.S. federal district court Judge Donald Molloy ruled that the Forest Service had violated the National Environmental Policy Act in regard to the Forest Service's use of toxic aerial fire retardant. Read coverage in the New York Times, the Missoulian, and from the Associated Press.
Use of Wilderness for Commercial Filming
The Forest Service issued a temporary rule for its forests outlining specific circumstances in which someone could use a wilderness area for commercial filming.
"The authors of the 1964 Wilderness Act realized...that every day, there would be a new pressure from civilization to push its way into the boundaries of wilderness," Stahl said. "Because civilization is inexorable."
Read the ABC news story or an article from the Coloradoan.
Monte Wolfe Cabin
FSEEE and other environmental groups oppose maintaining an illegal structure in a federal wilderness area. Read the story of Monte Wolfe's cabin in California's Eldorado National Forest here.
FSEEE Newsletter
"Seeing the Forest" Video
Watch the FSEEE documentary video chronicling how one National Forest evolved from valuing only the trees to seeing the entire forest.
Online Library
Download FSEEE's Guide to Free Speech and more.
Forest Service Information
Forest Service Directory
Forest Service Employee Email
Forest Service News Links


text:
Nature, Teachers and Seekers, Music, Yogic teachings and meditation, Being in the present
Why I Practice
It gives me the tools to face anything that arises in my life. Physical practice keeps me strong in my body and gives me mental clarity. Breath work clears and balances my energy. Meditation focuses and calms my mind.
Why I Teach
I absolutely love it. It is a joy to see people deepen their connection to themselves on the mat, to strengthen and open their body and leave the room feeling great! I also love the community created through yoga.


text:
Comments Left About This Poll
Showing comments 1-20 of 2381.
Page: 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page
Posted by nike scarpe air max March 31, 2015 at 10:38 am.
http://www.onspogen.nl/wpscripts/index.aspnike scarpe air max
nike scarpe air max http://www.tf2-29.com/photos/index.asp
Posted by buy cheap fifa coins January 19, 2015 at 1:49 am.
Typically, a standard player loses 3 to 5 fitness points per game. Furthermore, a goalkeeper loses zero to a single. The fitness of a player is developed by the rest and moderate physical exercising. Also, it is deteriorated with excessive workout and potential injuries. It can be what happens in both in actual life and FUT 15. Because the players continue playing, their fitness level reduces. The resting and distinct coaching can return their genuine fitness. Visiting the on-line gaming residence makes the players obtain affordable fifa 15 coins to procure the most beneficial offered players to create a dream FIFA 15 team. The fitness amount of a player in addition to a match relies upon the efforts with the player. Usually, it truly is secure to indicate that it is to be larger or reduce in line with the challenges.
buy cheap fifa coins http://www.efifacoins.co.uk/fifa-15-coins/ios.html
Posted by ultimate team coins January 18, 2015 at 11:32 pm.
Generally, a regular player loses 3 to five fitness points per game. In addition, a goalkeeper loses zero to a single. The fitness of a player is created by the rest and moderate physical exercising. Also, it can be deteriorated with excessive physical exercise and prospective injuries. It is what happens in each in actual life and FUT 15. Because the players continue playing, their fitness level reduces. The resting and precise education can return their real fitness. Visiting the on the web gaming house tends to make the players purchase inexpensive fifa 15 coins to procure the very best readily available players to create a dream FIFA 15 group. The fitness amount of a player as well as a match relies upon the efforts of your player. Frequently, it really is safe to indicate that it truly is to be larger or reduce in accordance with the concerns.
ultimate team coins http://kamals21atl.ning.com/profiles/blogs/siteluteman-and-ljajic-mis-matched
Posted by ultimate team coins January 16, 2015 at 10:03 pm.
The spending fitness of a player is directly comparative to how extended he is over the pitch. If he plays just for one-half, he's to devote half the fitness he could possibly have spent playing ninety minutes. Clearly, this isn't the only situation simply because you will discover the types of matches that want more or significantly less try. The player could make a replacement if the gamer feels the fitness of some players whilst sparing. The gamer would prefer to apply more than the following match. Nonetheless, if the gamer can do that the gamer is to be spending an extra contract. Also, the substitute is always to have his fitness lowered by the conclusion on the match. The players can go for low-cost fifa 15 coins on the web now.
ultimate team coins http://www.thegamesnew.com/the-instructions-of-fifa-15/
Posted by fifa coins cheap January 16, 2015 at 9:51 pm.
the playing of time
fifa coins cheap http://www.efifacoins.co.uk/fifa-15-coins/xbox360.html
Posted by FUT 15 Coins January 14, 2015 at 10:23 pm.
Only 433 of common can scalp, other formations, joint restraint are visible for instance 442 grams 4114442 grams 3254114 gr of most distinct protection following the damaging creation
FUT 15 Coins http://www.efifacoins.co.uk
Posted by fifa coins 15 January 14, 2015 at 9:53 pm.
No experience this is very excellent, about FIFA 15 coinage. I read your entire article, Appreciate him alot more.
fifa coins 15 http://www.fifacoinszone.co.uk/ps3.html
Posted by FIFA15 December 26, 2014 at 8:52 pm.
Now you tell me that she was not a knockout !
FIFA15 http://www.serieomilagredesantaluzia.com.br/profiles/blogs/the-video-diary-of-fifa-15-manager-bthurst99
Posted by FIFA 15 coins December 25, 2014 at 1:02 am.
Why don't we give this a try?
FIFA 15 coins http://chrisema.tumblr.com/post/104974138291/to-celebrates-by-playing-fifa-pele-discharged
Posted by FIFA 15 coins December 3, 2014 at 9:39 am.
nice going!
FIFA 15 coins http://my.mmosite.com/5246637/blog/item/reasons_for_a_good_player_learn_to_defend_in_fifa_15.html
Posted by FIFA 15 coins December 3, 2014 at 8:12 am.
i can discover numerous great solutions basically have difficulty!
FIFA 15 coins http://i-luv-music.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-smallest-and-fifa-15-coins-xbox-the-youngest-player
Posted by fifa 15 coins December 1, 2014 at 8:17 pm.
I think I should give it a shot!
fifa 15 coins http://rnlink.org/profiles/blogs/best-moments-to-sell-or-buy-cards-to-make-fifa-1-5-coins
Posted by FIFA15 November 26, 2014 at 2:30 pm.
This is really a nice place.
FIFA15 http://fifa15coinsstore.wordpress.com/
Posted by FIFA15 November 26, 2014 at 12:59 pm.
I don't know
FIFA15 http://fifaheadonline.blog.com/
Posted by FIFA 15 coins November 25, 2014 at 11:31 pm.
Too bad we must return them.
FIFA 15 coins http://www.entertainee.com/profiles/blogs/the-importance-of-cheap-fifa-15-coins-ps3
Posted by FIFA15-Coin.com November 25, 2014 at 9:48 pm.
Now you tell me that she was not a knockout !
FIFA15-Coin.com http://s48.photobucket.com/user/fifa15coin/profile/
Posted by 2014 New Moncler Men Vests Grey price November 21, 2014 at 1:46 pm.
I would like to thank you for the efforts you have put in penning this website. I really hope to see the same high-grade content by you later on as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has motivated me to get my own, personal site now ;
2014 New Moncler Men Vests Grey price http://www.studiodis.nl/lib/moncler2014/index.asp
Posted by Buy Cheap Used Louis Vuitton Handbags November 21, 2014 at 6:24 am.
I am so so sorry for your loss. I saw your blog and I was left speechless, floored. My deepest condolences. If there is anything I can do, anything, don't hesitate to call, email, whatever. I lost my mother to multiple myeloma. I am with you my sister…
Buy Cheap Used Louis Vuitton Handbags http://mrcomputerit.com/tumc/lv
Posted by fifa 15 coins November 21, 2014 at 2:50 am.
youre looking sharp!
fifa 15 coins http://realtyfact.com/share/story.php?title=fifa-15-app-connection-problems-update-needed-seriously-fifacoinsfut-org
Posted by ffxiv gil November 21, 2014 at 1:12 am.
Leave me alone !
ffxiv gil http://mytravelon.net/profiles/blogs/guide-to-get-your-favorite-chocobo-with-cheap-ffxiv-gil
Page: 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page
Add a Comment


text:
Definition of nerve in English:
1A whitish fibre or bundle of fibres in the body that transmits impulses of sensation to the brain or spinal cord, and impulses from these to the muscles and organs: the optic nerve
More example sentences
- Once you're infected, the virus spreads from your muscle to your peripheral nerves to your spinal cord and brain.
- The axons of both classes of interneuron enter the brain via the ocellar nerve, which also carries the axons of efferent neurons.
- The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body.
nerve fibre
technical axon
2 (one's nerve or one's nerves) One's steadiness and courage in a demanding situation: an amazing journey which tested her nerves to the full he kept his nerve and won five games in a row
More example sentences
- So at this precise moment where others would lose their nerve, bottle and audience, he did what separates mere amateurs from The Greats like himself.
- While the 34-year-old golf unknown kept his nerve on a tough final day at Rochester, the shakers and movers of world golf crumbled behind him.
- But it's so easy to lose your nerve and your voice to the people who are shouting the loudest, even if you know in your heart what they are shouting is garbage.
self-confidence, confidence, assurance, self-assurance, coolness, cool-headedness, self-possession;
courage, bravery, pluck, pluckiness, boldness, courageousness, braveness, intrepidity, intrepidness, fearlessness, valour, daring, dauntlessness, doughtiness, gameness;
determination, strength of character, firmness of purpose, will power, spirit, backbone, fortitude, mettle, heart, endurance, tenacity, resolution, resoluteness, stout-heartedness, steadfastness, staunchness, hardihood
informal grit, guts, spunk, gumption, gutsiness
British informal bottle, ballsiness
North American informal moxie, cojones, sand
vulgar slang balls
3 (nerves) Feelings of nervousness: his first-night nerves soon disappeared
More example sentences
- I don't normally get stage fright or nerves before a performance but today I'm like a child on Christmas Eve.
- First-night nerves aside, what she fears most is being left alone… without her Tim.
- He was visibly, rather endearingly, anxious, shaking with nerves at some points; she kept erupting into fits of maniacal chuckles at some secret joke.
anxiety, tension, nervousness, nervous tension, strain, tenseness, stress, worry, cold feet;
apprehensiveness, apprehension, jumpiness, fright
informal butterflies (in one's stomach), collywobbles, the jitters, the willies, the heebie-jeebies, the shakes, the jumps, jim-jams, the yips
British informal the (screaming) abdabs/habdabs
Australian rhyming slang Joe Blakes
4 [mass noun] informal Impudence or audacity: he had the nerve to insult my cooking [in singular]: she's got a nerve wearing that short skirt with those legs
More example sentences
- He, that horrible horrible man, had the nerve to nuzzle her neck!
- Someone even had the nerve to ask me why I did what I did that morning, suggesting there was something odd or wrong in my daringly unconventional and intensely original appearance.
- I haven't had the nerve to tell her I'm also crushing on him.
audacity, cheek, barefaced cheek, effrontery, gall, temerity, presumption, presumptuousness, boldness, brazenness, impudence, impertinence, insolence, pertness, forwardness, front, arrogance, cockiness
informal face, neck, brass neck, brass, sauce
North American informal chutzpah
informal, dated hide
British informal, dated crust
rare procacity, assumption
verb(nerve oneself)
Brace oneself mentally to face a demanding situation: she nerved herself to enter the room
More example sentences
- She developed a particular interest in helping to update the Internet pages and she seemed to be nerving herself to buy her first computer so that she could get on the Internet at home.
- I concentrated on an image of Autumn's exquisite, frightened visage, nerving myself.
- They flinch at the sound of that laugh, but they keep edging forward, nerving themselves for the final rush.
brace oneself, steel oneself, summon/gather/screw up/muster one's courage, screw one's courage to the sticking place, gear oneself up, prepare oneself, get in the right frame of mind;
fortify oneself, bolster oneself
informal psych oneself up
literary gird (up) one's loins
a bag (or bundle) of nerves
- informal Someone who is extremely anxious or tense: when her relationship started getting serious, she became a bag of nervesMore example sentences
- I think it's odd how a succession of good, competent defenders have turned into bags of nerves who make mistakes within a month of playing next to Bramble.
- The character on bass, who I believe is Eric Melvin from NOFX, makes a fine MC, nicely managing the exits and entrances of various drunkards, narcissists, and bags of nerves.
get on someone's nerves
- informal Irritate someone.Example sentences
irritate, annoy, irk, anger, bother, vex, provoke, displease, upset, exasperate, infuriate, gall, get/put someone's back up, put out, pique, rankle with, nettle, needle, ruffle someone's feathers, stroke someone's hair the wrong way, make someone's hackles rise, try someone's patience;jar on, grate on;British rub up the wrong wayinformal aggravate, get, get to, bug, miff, peeve, rile, get under someone's skin, get in someone's hair, get up someone's nose, hack off, get someone's goatBritish informal nark, get on someone's wick, give someone the hump, wind up, get acrossNorth American informal rankle, ride, gravelvulgar slang piss offBritish vulgar slang get on someone's titsrare exacerbate, hump, rasp
- This boyfriend's clothes get on your nerves because you have to find something safe to be irritated by, rather than him in general.
- The wind howling was really getting on her nerves, and if she didn't drown it out soon, she was going to start yelling at it.
- If I had my way, there really would be no problem with cuffing these kids round the ear if they got on your nerves.
have nerves of steel
- Not be easily upset or frightened.Example sentences
- You also have to have nerves of steel as you're followed about the shop floor by posses of devilishly stylish assistants who look as thought they could moonlight as supermodels; they have enough attitude to reduce the timid to tears.
- Investors in companies involved in digital music technology need to have nerves of steel as share prices are notoriously volatile, according to analysts.
- I have nerves of steel and the flinty-eyed steadiness of a hit man; in general, but particularly in corner shops in Peckham.
live on one's nerves (or one's nerve ends)
- Be extremely anxious or tense: a frenetic match which had 24,500 fans living on their nerve endsMore example sentences
- But he also gives an insight into the thrill of living on your nerves, often literally running for your life, with the almost constant adrenalin rush of chasing a story.
- But they had to live on their nerves at times in the second half after a double half-time substitution gave Charlton a shot in the arm.
- I live on my nerves and I am also a complete insomniac - I can be up all night.
strain every nerve
- Make every possible effort.From the earlier sense of nerve as 'tendon, sinew'Example sentences
- The organisers and the office-bearers have strained every nerve possible to make the tournament a resounding success.
- A high operations tempo means that generals, understandably, strain every nerve to keep frontline units manned with the best people - even if that scants the educational system of teachers and top students.
- Even at this late stage we want to strain every nerve to avoid military action.
touch (or hit) a nerve (or a raw nerve)
- Provoke a reaction by referring to a sensitive topic.Example sentences
- You've touched a nerve with this topic and it smarts.
- When discussions about 'vision' spiral out from the rarefied policy circles of Washington into the editorial pages of mainstream newspapers, you know that topic has hit a nerve.
- Boutin's comments touched a nerve that was already close to the surface, and my observations are directed towards a greater cultural issue.
war of nerves
- A struggle in which opponents try to wear each other down by psychological means.Example sentences
- The clubs have started a mutual war of nerves, accusing each other of fixing matches and corrupting referees.
- War in the jungle is very largely a war of nerves.
- You've waged a war of nerves, but you can't crush the kingdom
- [usually in combination]: he was steely-nerved after the accidentMore example sentences
- I look up at the circles traced by a great swinging, lurching bucket and its nerved riders, and the playing track's identity comes to me: Rod Stewart's 'Downtown Train'.
Late Middle English (also in the sense 'tendon, sinew'): from Latin nervus; related to Greek neuron 'nerve' (see neuron).
Words that rhyme with nerveconserve, curve, Deneuve, derv, hors d'oeuvre, observe, roman-fleuve, serve, subserve, swerve, verve
For editors and proofreaders
Line breaks: nerve
Definition of nerve in:
What do you find interesting about this word or phrase?
Comments that don't adhere to our Community Guidelines may be moderated or removed.
= trending


text:
KHARTOUM: Sudanese President Omar Al Basheer accepted Tuesday the resignation of President of the Constitutional Court Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah.
Sudanese News Agency Suna reported today that Al Bahseer has restructured the Constitutional Court on January 13 of last year and appointed Abdullah as President.
Today Al Bahseer accepted the resignation of the Constitutional Court's President and nine other members.
SUNA did not report the reason behind Abdullah's resignation. (QNA)


text:
"I haven't stopped jumping, screaming and pinching myself because I still don't believe it," five-time Grammy Award winner Santa Rosa told The Associated Press on Monday. "I am as anxious as one can be ahead of a project like this one: super-astonished, super-surprised and all the supers you can imagine."
Producers of the revival of Luis Bravo's show said Tuesday that it will open July 9 at the Walter Kerr Theatre and Santa Rosa, the singer of such salsa hits as "Medias negras," "Perdoname" and "Amor mio no te vayas" will spend three weeks as a guest vocalist. Future singers will be announced later.
The show traces the art form's birth on the streets of 19th-century Buenos Aires to its more modern manifestations. Throughout, men and women hook legs, parry and thrust in a sexual battle of wills.
"Forever Tango" originally opened on Broadway 1997 and earned multiple Tony nominations. It returned for a limited four-month engagement in 2004.
Santa Rosa said that while he is an expert at the salsa, he can understand the tango's appeal. "I love tangos but most tangos are sad and my songs—the most popular—are sad too! So I am a broken hearts specialist, no matter the rhythm or genre."
While the world knows he can definitely dance salsa, many might wonder if Santa Rosa can do the famous South American dance.
"I took tango lessons many years ago and it is one of the most difficult dances that there are," he said. "I did it for a show we were doing in Puerto Rico and it was a crash course. I had a lot of fun but it was very hard."
With 16 dancers and an 11-member orchestra, Santa Rosa hopes he doesn't disappoint. "I will give my all so us salsa-singers will be well represented in this tango environment," he assured.
Follow Sigal Ratner-Arias on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sigalratner


text:
APR 05, 2013 - Los Angeles Times
A Must Read - Share
Trying to tear meat off a chicken skeleton is an annoyance for many Americans, especially younger ones. So KFC, in what it's calling a "game changer" of a move, is ditching the bones.
Editor's Picks
Hey you have no friends!!! Get to work and start inviting friends to help build your Comunitee. Click Here to invite friends.
© 2011 Comunitee, Inc.


text:
HRiA Helps Bring Elder Transportation Service to Boston Area
Local seniors who are unable to drive now have an affordable way to run errands, get to medical appointments, and visit loved ones through a transportation model that Health Resources in Action helped bring to the Boston area. ITNGreaterBoston began providing rides in January, and will be expanding its service to other communities over the next several years.
It all began more than two years ago, when Tufts Health Plan Foundation and the MetroWest Health Foundation were both independently pursuing the idea of funding elder services programs. They created a joint venture to bring a chapter of ITN to the greater Boston area, each providing equal amounts of starter funding. In need of an organization to set up the program, they turned to HRiA.
Work began in October 2010 with HRiA contacting various elder service organizations to get a handle on their perception of the transportation needs of seniors. In the course of eight forums with as many as 100 people, HRiA quickly learned the need was great and immediate.
"People unanimously felt there was a need for this service," Toni Abrams Weintraub, a director of special projects for HRiA, who led the project. "The demand was so great that any option added to the menu was going to be helpful."
HRiA recruited and hired Jean Patel Bushnell as Executive Director, enlisted a board of directors, incorporated the organization, helped open two offices in Framingham and Allston-Brighton, and hosted community forums to promote the launch of ITN in the area.
"We spent a lot of time talking to a lot of people," Ray Considine, HRiA's president said, referencing the eight different educational forums that were conducted as part of the outreach.
"HRiA was critical in helping to establish the organization," Patel Bushnell said. "They did a soup-to-nuts intervention, from negotiating the contract details to establishing the core board. It has been a wonderful relationship."
One of the big benefits of ITN is that drivers don't just stop at dropping people off at the curb. They will help people out of their homes and into and out of the car. This experience "closely mimics the experience people have of taking their own cars," notes HRiA's Abrams Weintraub.
Another significant benefit is greater independence.
"They don't have to rely on family members or friends to get where they need to go," added Abrams Weintraub.
Patel Bushnell said she hopes the rides will allow seniors to feel more connected with their communities.
"Seniors really need to get out and engage with community life, whether it's going to the library, to a class or to a medical appointment," she said.
Seniors pay $60 per person or $100 per household to join as a member of ITN, and they can add money to their own accounts to pay for rides. The cost of rides varies, depending on the distance. Rides start at $4, plus $1.50 per mile – with a typical ride costing between $10 and $12.
"It's cheaper than taking taxis where you need to go," Considine said.
ITNGreaterBoston is approaching 50 members who are using the service regularly, and the organization is recruiting volunteer drivers weekly.ITNGB can offer lower rates because fares are subsidized and because some 80 percent of the driving to start is provided by volunteers, who are carefully screened and trained.
ITNGB currently has 30 volunteers— new retirees, fresh college graduates, mothers with young kids— who use their own cars but have insurance coverage through ITNGB. Rides are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to people 60 years and older and adults with visual impairments.
"Outside of Boston, there really isn't any mass transportation system," Considine said. "And if you're 80 years old and frail, you may not want to be jostled around on the T or walk up a bunch of steps at the station. We believe this service extends the elder person's ability to live in their homes. It's a service, but it's also a policy issue in that it maintains the independence of elders and prolongs life."
The first phase of the ITNGreater Boston program will allow for service in Boston and Metrowest towns including Ashland, Brookline, Framingham, Natick, Needham, Newton, and Wellesley. All medical centers and hospitals at a reasonable distance are covered in the Boston and MetroWest area.
Begun in 1995 by Katherine Freund, ITNAmerica works with organizations and individuals to help develop dignified and sustainable transportation in communities across the country. ITNGreaterBoston is the 22nd affiliate of the national non-profit network, ITNAmerica, that works with organizations and individuals to help develop dignified and sustainable transportation in communities across the country.
For more information please call 508-309-7375 or visit the web site at www.itngreaterboston.org.


text:
ORLANDO, Fla.—The winning numbers in Wednesday evening's drawing of the "Powerball" game were:
36-44-49-52-57, Powerball: 1, Power Play: 2.
Because no ticket matched all six numbers, the jackpot rose from $284 million to $330 million for the next drawing, on Saturday.
Seven tickets in the multi-state game matched five numbers, for a $1 million prize. One of those was sold in California, at an A1 Mart in Sacramento.


text:
For you
I would give away all of my castles in Spain
and my self too
click to: respond to this topic
quote:Originally posted by clownfish
My girl gets so wet when I go down on her, my face looks like a glazed donut. Mmmmm, d o n u t argghhhghhhh
I am alone..without you. I shall remain alone...without you. I long to leave alone behind....with you.
Back To: Lovingyou.com > Pillow Talk > Sexually Speaking > soaking the sheets
Lovingyou.com, Inc.SM All rights reserved.


text:
The Beginning...
Hello DeCadence Fans!
So, finally, we have a blog! Thank you so much to David Spies, our webmaster and nifty bass, for putting this up.
As you can see from our website, we are a wily bunch of co-eds who sing a cappella music, duh! If you don't know what a cappella music is or haven't heard us live, check out this wiki article...
There is just so much wonderful "stuff" I would like to share with you fans, new and old, but unfortunately, I can't possibly share all our experiences from the last billion semesters we've been together. So, I start from now...basically this semester, Spring 2009!
So, what is ruling/rocking DeCadences' lives right now...
(So...Sprouls, these are basically weekly performance we do on our plaza outside our student union...)
Last week, we had our Valentine's day Sproul, which was pretty awesome. Our theme was 'conversation hearts'. We each had our own heart with a nerdy/cute/sexy/mean message inside. I know for sure that we got people's attention. Some of our audience member's left with Valentine's they didn't have before...
And the best thing happened....
Last Wednsday was a cloudy day, and while Frannie Makabenta was singing her solo, Madonna's Like a Prayer, rays of sunshine came down upon DeCadence. It was pretty swell...
So, we're recording a CD, which I'm sure many of you have realized by our announcements. I encourage all of you to donate towards upon which later we will send you a copy. Donations are $12. We've been recording diligently, while not losing sight of our immediate goal, ICCA's. So far, we've gotten through All These Things That I've Done and Dancing in the Moonlight! Here's some picture of us recording at Expressions in Emeryville, CA. (THANKS TO ANGELA FOR HELPING US!!!)
Also, mad thanks go out to Bryce, Trent (DeCadence Alums) and Jake for helping us with recording as well!
It's almost here and we can't wait! I hope to see you all at the competition on Saturday. We've been working so hard towards it...and we can't wait to show everyone our hard work. I'm sure all of you are itching to hear our set (or not, it's okay if you're not...haha) but you'll just have to wait until this Saturday's ICCA (click here to learn more) Quarterfinals at Wheeler Auditorium on Berkeley's campus! :-P!
So, that's all folks. Check our list of upcoming gigs and join our ICCA facebook group! Hope to see you this Wed. on Sproul at 12p and on Sat. at Wheeler Auditorium at 7p.
~A Little DeCadence Never Hurts~


text:
List of Compositions Featuring the Saxophone
Free public domain sheet music from IMSLP / Petrucci Music Library
Please note that this list is manually updated, and may not contain IMSLP's complete collection.
To generate automatically updated lists see "Browse by Work genre" in the sidebar.
Please note that this list is manually updated, and may not contain IMSLP's complete collection.
To generate automatically updated lists see "Browse by Work genre" in the sidebar.
Scores featuring the saxophone
- 48 Studies for Oboe, Op.31 (Ferling, Franz Wilhelm) for oboe or saxophone
- 25 Exercices journaliers pour le Saxophone (Klosé, Hyacinthe Eléonore)
- 24 Etudes for Oboe or Saxophone (Luft, Johann Heinrich)
- 12 Etudes for Oboe (Sabon, Édouard)
- 24 Études melodiques, Op.65 (Verroust, Stanislas)
- 32 études pour hautbois ou saxophone (Loyon, Ernest)
Solo Saxophone (unaccompanied)
- [[Mélyriques for Soprano Saxophone (Oliveira, Jailton de)]]
- The Myth of the Phoenix (Saboohi, Ehsan)
Saxophone Solo with Orchestra
- Rapsodie for Orchestra and Saxophone (Debussy, Claude) alto saxophone
- Saxophone Concerto, Op.109 (Glazunov, Aleksandr) alto saxophone
- Concertino da camera (Ibert, Jacques) (A)
- Choral varié, Op. 55 (Indy, Vincent d') alto saxophone
- Légende, Op. 66 (Schmitt, Florent) alto saxophone
- Fantasia para saxophone, W490 (Villa-Lobos, Heitor) (S)
Chamber Music
Saxophone and Piano
- Albumblatt (Calderan, Elia Alessandro) (A or B)
- Violin Sonata in G minor (Eccles, Henry) (A) transcription
- Alto Horn Sonata (Hindemith, Paul) (A)
- Aria (Ibert, Jacques) (A) transcription
- Histoires (Ibert, Jacques) (A or S) transcription
- Ballade for Saxophone, S609 (Ornstein, Leo) (A)
- Vocalise-étude en forme de Habanera (Ravel, Maurice) (transcription for S or A or T or B and piano)
- Hot-Sonate (Schulhoff, Erwin) (A)
Saxophone and Percussion
Two Saxophones and Piano
- Squaring the Circle (Davidson, Robert) for alto saxophone, baritone saxophone and piano
- Call Over (Twycross, Martin) A, T
Saxophone Quartets
Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone
- L'Epice d'Asie (Yokoyama, Shin-Itchiro) Transcription by composer
- Introduction et variations sur une ronde populaire (Pierné, Gabriel)
- Préludes (Book 1) (Debussy, Claude) (La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin, transcription by Yokoyama)
- Préludes (Book 2) (Debussy, Claude) ("General Lavine", transcription by Yokoyama)
- Saxophone Quartet, Op.109 (Glazunov, Aleksandr)
- Saxophone Quartet, Op. 102 (Schmitt, Florent)
- Variations on a Theme for Saxophone Quartet (Yost, Daniel)
- Water Music, HWV 348-350 (Handel, George Frideric) (Alla Hornpipe) Transcription
- Arabesca (Marín García, Luis Ignacio)
- Canon and Gigue in D (Pachelbel, Johann) Transcription (AAAB)
Saxophone + 3 misc.
- McLibel (Davidson, Robert) for alto saxophone, violin, viola, double bass and audio/video playback
- Quartet, Op.22 (Webern, Anton) for clarinet, violin, tenor saxophone and piano
- Cycle (Devine, Wolfgang Volkmar Franziskus) for alto saxophone, tuba, flute and piano
Saxophone + 4 misc.
- Coil (Davidson, Robert) for soprano/alto saxophone, violin, viola, double bass and piano
- Landscape (Topology version) (Davidson, Robert) for soprano saxophone, violin, viola, double bass and piano
- Ballade Carnavalesque (Loeffler, Charles Martin Tornov) for flute, oboe, saxophone, bassoon and piano
Saxophone + 5 misc.
- Quasi Rondo (Peters-Rey, Gregor) for trumpet, concert flute, saxophone, two violins and piano
- Opus 11 3/c (Peters-Rey, Gregor) for concert flute, alto saxophone, trumpet, two violins and piano
- Sexteto místico, W.131 (Villa-Lobos, Heitor) for flute, oboe, alto saxophone, guitar, celesta and harp
Saxophone + 6 misc.
- Chôros No.7, W.199 (Villa-Lobos, Heitor) for flute, oboe, clarinet, alto saxophone, bassoon, violin and cello
Saxophone + 7 misc.
- Septet for Winds, Op.165 (Koechlin, Charles) for flute, oboe, english horn, clarinet in A, alto saxophone, horn and bassoon
Large ensemble (9+ instruments)
- Serenade for 12 Instruments Op.61b (Holbrooke, Joseph) for Oboe d'amore (or Oboe), Clarinet in Bb, Basset-Horn (or English Horn), Soprano Saxhorn in Bb (or Cornet), Baritone Saxhorn in Bb (or Cello), Viola, Soprano Saxophone in Bb, Alto Saxophone in Eb, Tenor Saxophone in Bb, Baritone Saxophone in Eb, Bass Saxophone in Bb and Harp
- Noneto, W.191 (Villa-Lobos, Heitor) for flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophone (alto and baritone), bassoon, harp, celesta, piano, percussion and wordless choir
- Rhapsody in Jazz (Saboohi, Ehsan) for Alto Saxophone (in E♭), Tenor Saxophone (in B♭), Trumpet (in B♭), 2 Horns (in F), Trombone and 3 Percussion (1: bass drum and tenor drum; 2: cymbals and tambourine; 3: snare drum)
Symphony Orchestra with Saxophone(s)
- Violin Concerto (Berg, Alban) (A)
- L'Arlésienne (Bizet, Georges) (A) Suites 1 and 2
- The Children of Don, Op.56 (Holbrooke, Joseph) (SATBBs)
- Fantasie "Dylan" Op.53 (Holbrooke, Joseph) (SAT)
- Symphony No.1 ('Les Hommages'), Op.40 (Holbrooke, Joseph) (SATB)
- Symphony No.2 ('Apollo and the Seaman'), Op.51 (Holbrooke, Joseph) (ST)
- Symphony No.3 ('Ships'), Op.90 (Holbrooke, Joseph) (A)
- The Wild Fowl, Op.56b (Holbrooke, Joseph) (SATBBs)
- Le rêve d'Oswald, ou Les sirènes (Kastner, Jean-Georges) (SA)
- Les voix de Paris (Kastner, Jean-Georges) (SATB)
- Pictures at an Exhibition (Mussorgsky, Modest) (A) [Ravel's orchestration]
- Alexander Nevsky (cantata), Op.78 (Prokofiev, Sergey) (T)
- Lieutenant Kijé (suite), Op.60 (Prokofiev, Sergey) (T)
- Romeo and Juliet (1st suite), Op.64bis (Prokofiev, Sergey) (T)
- Symphonic Dances, Op.45 (Rachmaninoff, Sergei) (A)
- Boléro (Ravel, Maurice) (ST) (orig. sopranino in F and tenor/soprano)
- Sinfonia Domestica, Op.53 (Strauss, Richard) (SABB or SABBs) (orig. soprano in C, alto in F, baritone in F and bass in C)


text:
By Hiro Chang, Presidio of Monterey Public AffairsFebruary 22, 2010
PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. Aca,!" The Presidio of Monterey Directorate of Logistics Transportation Division has added five Low Speed Electric Vehicles to its fleet.
"The vehicles are part of an Army-wide initiative to 'go green' by reducing carbon emissions and dependence on fossil fuels," said Jan Fittante, POM transportation operations specialist, adding that the initiative is "intended to save both energy and money."
The initiative is a part of Executive Order 13514: Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance, which is a mandate that encourages the acquisition of alternate-fueled vehicles to save energy, money and reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions.
"LSEVs do not have any carbon emissions, making them very environmentally friendly," Fittante said. "Energy costs are (also) estimated to be less for these vehicles."
Although the Presidio is not new to having electric vehicles, these are the first to be assigned to the Presidio of Monterey from the Installation Management Command, Fittante said.
Each LSEV is equipped with basic accessories, such as a heater, windshield wipers, seat belts and a cargo area.
The vehicles are also fully enclosed with a top speed of about 30 miles per hour and can travel approximately 30 miles per charge.
They can be charged using a regular electric outlet and should be plugged in when they are not being used, Fittante said.
POM transportation is currently looking into which departments will be able to use the vehicles efficiently and other viable solutions for a greener post.
"If the LSEVs perform successfully and meet installation requirements, more electric vehicles will be added to the fleet. Transportation is also looking into exchanging some of the regular-fuel powered vehicles for hybrid gas/electric vehicles," Fittante said.


text:
Much was made last week of the decision by U. S. President Barack Obama to mark the 70th anniversary of the Red Army's invasion of Poland by announcing that the United States was scrapping the missile defence system it was deploying in Czech and Polish territory. But the anniversary – likely overlooked by the administration rather than chosen as a deliberate provocation to staunch allies – did usefully highlight a central question of European politics these last hundred years. Do the smaller nations of Europe somehow belong to the larger, imperial ones? Continue reading
Monthly Archives: September 2009
Sitting down to supper together
It's been a couple of years since I last wrote about "National Family Dinner Night." Tonight is the fifth annual occurrence of the venture launched by Mac Voisin, proprietor of M&M Meat Shops, to encourage families to sit down and have dinner together. No TV, no cellphones, no text messaging, no BlackBerrys, no iPhones — just family dinner. Food to eat and conversations to be had. You don't have to eat M&M products to have a family dinner, of course, but if you register your participation with M&M they make a contribution to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada. The family dinner promotion has contributed to the more than $18-million which M&M has raised for the charity. Continue reading
An immigrant story
September is the most hopeful month, as the students come back to campus and everything is possible once again. The disappointments of last year are forgotten, the troubles ahead not yet manifest. Everything points toward a happy future for the bright students who come to us at Queen's University each year. Continue reading
No good reason
Ontario's former attorney-general was charged with criminal negligence causing death after a tragic and bizarre encounter with Darcy Allan Sheppard on Bloor Street Monday night. Mr. Sheppard, a bike courier, apparently had an altercation with Michael Bryant, which somehow led to the latter driving down Bloor Street in the wrong lane with the former clinging to the car. Mr. Sheppard apparently slammed into a mailbox and fell from the car, the rear wheels of which then ran over him. Within a few minutes, Mr. Sheppard was taken to the hospital without vital signs, soon to be declared dead, and Mr. Bryant was calling the police. Continue reading


text:
Every night before I go to bed, I make a cup of chamomile tea, an unshakable habit I've had since I was a kid. When my son gets dressed in the morning, he always puts on a shirt first, then socks, then the rest. My husband compulsively scans the top news headlines on his phone just before putting it on the charger for the night. According to author Charles Duhigg, habits like these don't just lend a familiar rhythm to our day, they actually change the way our brains are wired.
In his book, "The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business," Duhigg explains that habits start off as deliberate choices. New neural pathways are blazed by choice, and then paved and widened by repetition. At some point, the pathways are so strong that we continue almost mindlessly. Once a habit is established, it takes a concerted effort to change it, and the old neural connections are never completely erased.
Duhigg, a New York Times reporter, says that without habits we would spend a lot of brain time taking care of mundane tasks such as feeding ourselves and getting dressed. As these tasks become more practiced, the mental requirement decreases and our brains can use that energy for something more important. Unfortunately, our brains can't tell the difference between a good habit and a bad one.
"The Power of Habit" is a serious look at the science behind the daily patterns we create in our lives. I picked it up from the new releases shelf at the Ashland library, secretly hoping for some wildly simple cure for my stress-related potato chip eating and pathological email checking. While not intended as a self-help resource, the book does explain why bad habits are hard to break, and provides practical advice on how it can be done. Changing habits is not easy, but according to the author it isn't as hard as we have been led to believe, and the payoff can be profound.
This book is full of fascinating anecdotes about how people and organizations have been able to effect really big changes by shifting just one small pattern. Duhigg writes how Michael Phelps' swim coach helped him foster simple habits that would eventually make him an Olympic gold medalist. Such stories reflect what Duhigg calls "the habit loop," where an outside cue automatically leads to a behavioral routine that results in a reward. Eventually, the routine becomes habitual and the person begins to anticipate the reward, creating a craving. A cue, such as stress, may cause a smoker to crave a cigarette, or an athlete to crave a workout. A negative habit, such as smoking, can be changed, says Duhigg, by learning replacement routines and practicing continually. The key is not to try to change the cues. Rather, change the routine that follows from the cue, and the rest will shift as the brain finds alternative routes to something pleasurable.
Most interesting are the case-studies of corporations that, through scientific inquiry, figure out how to manipulate our habits to sell their products. Duhigg tells of the early 20th century ad executive who turned Pepsodent into the nation's top-selling toothpaste by inventing the daily habit of brushing with toothpaste, and how Procter & Gamble created a subtle habit that would lead to record sales of Febreze, the top-selling product that was almost a complete flop. I couldn't help but be awed, and a bit creeped out, by Duhigg's description of retailer Target's marketing practices. Target collects a stunning amount of data on shoppers, and uses it to predict changes in future buying habits, such as when a customer is having a baby or getting married, often with startling accuracy.
"The Power of Habit" is a fun read. Near the end, it is a bit repetitive, but it is also rich with information, offering readers tools and inspiration to change their habits for the better.
Angela Decker is a freelance writer in Ashland and can be reached at email@example.com.
Location, ST | website.com