text:
Heifer In The News
Womens Advocate To SpeakThe Register-Guard
She's an investment banking executive who once worked for Goldman, Sachs & Co., but Sheryl WuDunn has little faith in long-revered commodities to save the global economy.Full Article
Farmer's Fortunes Improve after Bill Gates visitstandardmedia.co.ke
One and a half years since US billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates paid an ordinary dairy farmer in Nandi County a surprise visit, the man's fortunes have dramatically changed.Full Article
Kenya: Hardworking farmer gets fameAfricanews.com
The Busia-Kisumu highway snakes past the vibrant Ugunja town. Almost a kilometer from the town, toward Kisumu, off the highway, there's Ulwan village in West Uholo Location.Full Article
Dr. Mahendra Lohani, Asia/South Pacific vice president, joins COO in CambodiaOn April 10, 2010, 60 project participants from four self-help groups (SHGs) celebrated a Passing on the Gift (POG) at a school in Proyuth village, Pauk commune, PaukFull Article
Tanzania: Heifer camel project a resounding success to Maasai community
From the Arusha Times, TanzaniaThey are huge, bulky and strong! They are disease-tolerant and can survive drought by browsing on leaves on trees that other livestock cannot eat. These are camels!Following severe long droughts that hit northeasternFull Article
Penn State students, clubs fund Heifer International gift ark
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. According to the ancient Chinese proverb, if you give a man a fish you will feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish you will feed him for a lifetime.In a sense, Penn State's Agricultural Student Council, inFull Article
Heifer Armenia organizes gender equity discussion
Heifer International's Armenian country program is organizing a roundtable/discussion on "Gender Equity and Rural Women in Armenia," Tuesday, April 6, in Yerevan. The participants are NGO and state representatives and community leaders.Full Article


text:
Notice: On April 23, 2014, Statalist moved from an email list to a forum, based at statalist.org.
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: st: theory reg vs. qreg
Maarten Buis <firstname.lastname@example.com>
Re: st: theory reg vs. qreg
Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:15:01 +0200
On Mon, Apr 29, 2013 at 2:08 PM, Kasal Roman wrote:
> Later I will put it here more detailed but its quite clear that on the
> same dataset with a simple regression we get:
> Y1=Y2 when replaced "a2" for "mean(x)" in the equation
Let me give you a simple counter example:
*------------------ begin example ------------------
sysuse auto, clear
reg gear_ratio
reg price mpg
sum mpg, meanonly
di _b[_cons] + r(mean)*_b[mpg]
*------------------- end example -------------------
* (For more on examples I sent to the Statalist see:
* http://www.maartenbuis.nl/example_faq )
I am using the same dataset (auto.dta), but when I replace a2 with the
mean(mpg) I get the mean price, and this (trivially) is not the same
as the mean gear ratio. So your statement is only true if you are
using the same dependent variable. Since you are using different
symbols for the dependent variable in both models we have to assume
you are using different dependent variables, and thus that your
statement is trivially wrong.
-- Maarten
Maarten L. Buis
Reichpietschufer 50
10785 Berlin
* For searches and help try:
* http://www.stata.com/help.cgi?search
* http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/resources/statalist-faq/
* http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/

subset: commoncrawl


text:
LAHORE, (The News): The ad hoc nurses on Monday continued their sit-in for the seventh day in front of the Punjab Assembly on The Mall to press the Punjab government and Health Department to regularise their services.
Bowing to the pressure of protesting ad hoc nurses due to their continuous strikes, the Punjab government on Sunday announced to give three-year contract letters to the ad hoc nurses with the commitment to regularise them after three years.
created a wedge among the striking nurses as some of them parted ways Punjab government offers of three years contracts to ad hoc nurses with the nursing fraternity by accepting the three-year contract letters with the commitment to regularize them on completion of contracts.
However, a sizeable number of the ad hoc nurses unwilling to accept the government assurances still continuing their sit-in until their services are regularized and made permanent.


text:
BALCO laboratory president Victor Conte knew several months before world sprint champion Kelli White tested positive to the stimulant Modafinil that the drug was on the banned list.
White is facing the loss of her Paris world championship gold medals for the 100 metres and 200m because of a positive test to Modafinil, which she claims she used to treat narcolepsy.
But on June 8, 2003, two months before White tested positive, an unnamed international track and field coach sent Conte an email warning him of the new anti-doping list, which specified Modafinil, and suggesting that unknown numbers of athletes had been using an old but specially made designer steroid.
White's coach is Remi Korchemny, who with Conte and two others has been charged in the US with distribution of illegal drugs including steroids, growth hormone and erythropoietin.
The unnamed coach wrote in the email: "As you can see at the stimulant list Modafinil is on it!!! Of course after [US drug tester Don] Catlin's Norbolethone detection this AAS is also included. I guess the party is over."
Federal agent Jeff Novitzky said the steroid norbolethone was first synthesised in 1966 but not marketed by a pharmaceutical company, leading him to the conclusion that it had been manufactured by a clandestine, unauthorised source.
Only one athlete, a female cyclist, has been caught using norbolethone. BALCO is accused of manufacturing another steroid, tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) and it is believed it made several other undetectable designer steroids.
The email raises questions as to why White, linked to Conte through Korchemny, was not told about the list. Another of Korchemny's sprinters, Chryste Gaines, also tested positive to Modafinil.
At the time of the world championships Modafinil was classified a minor stimulant, but it now attracts a two-year ban.
The email correspondence also indicates that Conte had an inside informant, tipping him off about drug testing developments.
In August 2002 he wrote to an international coach: "I need for you to advise [name deleted] to discontinue using the clear [a code word for steroids]. I recently found out that [three names deleted] sent a sample of the clear to the IOC testers on an anonymous basis. This is very unfortunate.
"We might also want to somehow get this information to the coach for the Greek athletes [two names deleted] so that nobody tests positive."
Officials have confirmed that US shot putter Kevin Toth tested positive for THG and Modafinil at the 2003 US championships in late June. Toth says he will now retire, but continues to dispute the results. Europe's fastest man, Dwain Chambers, will have his THG drugs hearing on Friday.
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text:
|Statut :
|Organisation :
|Rooftops Canada Foundation Inc.- Fondation Abri International
|Acronyme :
|Rooftops Canada
|Type :
|Organisme non gouvernemental
|Mandat :
|Rooftops Canada is the international development program of co-operative and social housing organizations in Canada. These organizations own and manage over 600,000 non-profit housing units across Canada, housing about two million people. Since 1984, Rooftops Canada has been working with partner organizations to improve housing conditions, build sustainable communities and develop a shared vision of equitable global development. Rooftops Canada's focus is on disadvantaged communities in Africa and Asia. Our work contributes to Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 7, Target 11, which aims to improve the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020. Rooftops Canada's approach to housing is guided by a vision of integrated sustainable human settlements development. Rooftops Canada's development work links shelter to poverty reduction through sustainable economic and social development, environmental protection, respect for human rights, democratization and gender equality. This is done by increasing the capacity of overseas partner organizations to support low-income communities to improve their housing and human settlement conditions
|Adresse :
|720 Spadina Avenue, Suite 313
Toronto, Ontario,
|Veuillez visiter le site Internet de l'organisation offrant ce stage pour connaître ses exigences avant de lui envoyer votre curriculum vitae.
|Personne ressource :
|Genevieve Drouin
|Courriel :
|Pays :
|Afrique du Sud
|Ville :
|Cape Town
|Secteur :
|Banques et services financiers
|Description du stage :
Kuyasa will shortly be expanding to the Eastern Cape and opening an
office in Port Elizabeth. The internship will be split between both the Cape
Town and Port Elizabeth offices. The intern will provide institutional support
to loans officers in both locations and undertake a survey to determine the
effectiveness of the new office. The intern will also be involved in the
piloting of a new microenterprise loan product.
In Canada
The internship is for six months entirely spent overseas and a five-day orientation session held in Canada before departure.
The intern will support setting up the new Kuyasa Fund office in the Eastern Cape, including:
-Assisting office administrators in setting-up and running the new office.
-Providing assistance to loans officers through dissemination of training material and technological support.
-Undertaking a short survey to evaluate the success of the new office and submitting proposals for improvements.
-Work with staff in the Cape Town office, to develop and pilot a new microenterprise loan product.
|Organisation d'accueil :
|The Kuyasa Fund
|Détails au sujet de l'organisation d'accueil :
|The Kuyasa Fund is a housing micro-finance institution based in Cape Town. It was set up in 1999 by the Development Action Group (DAG), a social development NGO. It is one of the few housing micro-lenders in South Africa consistently reaching very poor households excluded from the housing finance market. Kuyasa's work includes four inter-dependent programmes: savings groups mobilisation; housing loan provision; research; and networking.


text:
TMG-L ArchivesArchiver > TMG > 2004-03 > 1079903753
From: "Jim Byram" <>
Subject: Re: [TMG] keystroke macros in version 5.0
Date: Sun, 21 Mar 2004 16:15:53 -0500
References: <firstname.lastname@example.com>
Laura James wrote:
> So, after purchasing TMG you need (1) John Cardinal's utility (at a
minimum this is just about a requirement), (2) Second Site, (3) Wit2Note,
(4) PathWhiz, and (5) a macro program. If you wish to move your data to a
Pocket PC or PDA you need additional device software to accomplish that
because there is no TMG compatible program for these devices such as exists
for PAF.
You don't need any optional software.
You can use:
TMG-Utility (free, but optional donation requested)
Second Site (costs)
Wit2Note (free, not available for TMG5?)
PathWiz (free, don't know about Bryan's future plans)
Keyboard macro program (must be some freeware options)
Pocket Genealogist for TMG and GedStar (Pro and Plus) for TMG are
TMG-database compatible programs that are available for cost from their
TMG and PAF are hardly comparable options as genealogy databases. In
addition, PAF is a product of a very large non-profit organization and is
developed and distributed consistent with the purposes of that organization.
TMG is the product of a relatively modest for-profit software developer who
has the support of a very active community of users. Who are also very
willing to help you whenever the need arises.
This thread:
|Re: [TMG] keystroke macros in version 5.0 by "Jim Byram" <>


text:
A Word From Management
Welcome to Wollongong's Premier Seafood Restaurant, Winner of Restaurant Awards since 1986 and now in the Hall of Fame.
Dear guests,
I would like to welcome you to our restaurant and assure you that the seafood you are about to enjoy is of the freshest quality, mostly caught locally, brought daily from the markets or flown in from interstate.
The success of our style of cooking depends on the very best ingredients being treated in the simplest way to enhance their natural flavours. The meals are prepared to order "a la minute", nothing is pre-cooked, please allow a little time so that our qualified chefs can ensure your meal is prepared with expertise and care.
If at any time we are unable to serve you an item which appears on the menu, it is only because it wasn't available fresh on the day. For instance, at certain times of the year, newly moulted crabs or lobsters are best left alone… their meat being less developed and watery.
We hope you enjoy our food and hospitality.
Thank you for dining with us.
Your Host
Andrew Harrison


text:
This weekend HBU won its first football game: ever. Some schools sell t-shirts that say: "Our School Undefeated in Football since Date of Founding" and HBU once could sell such shirts, but can no longer. We were smacked down hard by the defending champs of our conference in our first game, but came back to [Read More…]
Archives for September 17, 2013
A Spirited Soul: Part of Being Whole (Part II)
September 17, 2013 by


text:
Javier Mariscal
Javier Mariscal
Javier Mariscal's work includes architecture, ceramics, furniture, interior design, and product design, for such clients as AKABA, America's
Cup Management, Bancaja, Camper, Cosmic, Hoteles Silken, Magis, Moroso, Nani Marquina, The New Yorker, Phaidon, Porcelanas Bidasoa, and Vinçon. In 2008, Mariscal received the Hall of Fame award at the European Design Awards, an event sponsored by twelve prestigious design magazines.
Year Born:
Current Location:
Country of Birth:
* Designer biographies provided by Merrell Publishers, London and New York.


text:
Professor Jonathan Waxman eBooks
eBooks found: 1
The Prostate Cancer Book
Jonathan Waxman & Professor Jonathan Waxman
Ebury Digital, December 2010
Format: ePub
eBookMall is a recognized leader in eBooks. eBook downloads in PDF and ePub formats.
Choose from 600,000+ eBooks and get a Free eBook download now!
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All rights reserved.


text:
August 14, 2013 - University of Phoenix Workshop - Farmingdale, NY
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Hiring Our Heroes
Wednesday, August 14, 2013 from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM (EDT)
Who's Going
San Francisco, California
London, United Kingdom
Florence, Italy
Event Details
The employment workshop will consist of a classroom session beginning one hour prior to the start at the Hiring Our Heroes hiring fair followed by one-on-one coaching sessions with all pre-registered participants. During the employment workshop University of Phoenix will demonstrate the Phoenix Career Services TM suite of tools such as the Career Interest Profiler, Job Market Research Tool and financial planning tool. Coaching sessions focus on resume building, resume writing, and interviewing techniques for all job-seeking veterans', active-duty service member participants, and military spouses.
Interested candidates must complete this free electronic pre-registration in order to participate. A maximum of 50 participants will be accepted for the full workshop. Once the pre-registered candidates have had their coaching sessions, the opportunity will be available for "walk-ins" to have a coaching session through the end of the fair.
When & Where
Farmingdale Air Force Reserve Center - Classroom
25 Baiting Place Road
Wednesday, August 14, 2013 from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM (EDT)
Add to my calendar


text:
The Secret Messaging Service (SMS) was an owl-based communication system that the Ministry of Magic was planning to set up in the late 1990s.
The Ministry needed the best owls to establish this service, so it distributed notices asking for people who had Grade 1 owls to attend a recruitment meeting at Woodside Arboretum.[1]
Woodside Arboretum has almost nothing known about it except it is in the British Isles.
The notice consists of a possibly moving black-and-white picture and a picture of an owl on a brick wall. In the bottom right is a watermark from the Ministry of Magic in the form of an M.
- Harry Potter films (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter Limited Edition (Mentioned only)


text:
Venetian jewelry designer Marco Bicego became immersed in his craft at an early age, watching his father—a goldsmith— work with precious metals. Today, his line represents not only that early influence, but also incorporates the designer's worldwide travels to bring 'everyday luxury' home. Bicego will make a personal appearance (and bring several special pieces from his collection) at his trunk show at Saks Fifth Avenue at Plaza Frontenac from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Oct. 18.
LN: How did you first become interested in making jewelry?
MB: I have always had a passion for jewelry—I grew up watching my father and learned the craft from an early age. My deep-rooted tradition of artisanal goldsmithing techniques allows me to innovate while staying true to the core principals of our brand.
LN: Where does your inspiration come from?
MB: I draw inspiration from the beauty I find in my everyday life: colors in nature, architectural design, and I imagine what my clients want to wear next! Also, I am very inspired by the places I travel to, and often, I name my collections after the destination that has inspired me—Jaipur, Africa and Paradise.
LN: Do you have a favorite material or gem to work with?
MB: Gold. Gold is intrinsic to our brand DNA. We use 18-karat gold, which is hand-engraved, creating a tactile finish that remains practically unalterable through time. Our signature gemstone is called MIX01—it is a combination of semi-precious stones including amethyst, citrines, peridot, etc. We call it MIX01 as the assortment of semi-precious stones is never exactly the same, making each piece truly unique. For example, you may see a Paradise bracelet and one strand has a different color pattern than the next.
LN: A lot of your designs play on 'imperfect' and irregular shapes. What is the appeal of those characteristics?
MB: My pieces are what we like to call 'imperfectly perfect'—the organic nature of our design and the precious material of gold allow the pieces to take an irregular shape, which gives each collection depth and a certain sensibility. Slight differences allow us to achieve texture in the gold that differentiates Marco Bicego in the market. It's one of the brand's signatures.
LN: Do you design with a particular customer in mind?
MB: She has an innate sense of style and isn't afraid to experiment with jewelry from layering to wearing it in unconventional ways. My pieces embody what I like to call 'everyday luxury,' so I love to see how different women use my jewelry in their everyday life. It's a wonderful feeling to see my pieces being worn and it reminds me of our commitment to creating collections that are timeless and classic, embodying a sense of relaxed luxury. My pieces are meant to be worn every day, not stored away in a jewelry box waiting for an occasion.
LN: How does your heritage play a role in your designs?
MB: Passion, quality and craftsmanship are the three principles at the heart of the Marco Bicego brand. Founded on these ideals, Marco Bicego has, in a few short years, established itself as a leader in the luxury accessories arena and has provided its loyal following with jewelry that blends Old World craftsmanship with a modern fashion sensibility. My heritage is infused in all of my designs as the Marco Bicego brand has grown up in Venetian culture, as it's where our company is based.


text:
Join as a member. There's a certificate with your name on it.
I wanted to add some tokens to my pm email and found this hook thinking it was an elegant solution. I'm not sure why but I can't seem to catch this hook by simply creating a function mymodule_pm_email_notify_token_alter() and inserting code. I come up empty when I arrive at the admin form for editing the email.
Is there some step that I am missing? Thanks.
Comment #1ptmkenny CreditAttribution: ptmkenny commented
|» Postponed (maintainer needs more info)
What exactly are you trying to do? You can add tokens using the rules interface; you do not need to hook into the module in code.
Comment #2ptmkenny CreditAttribution: ptmkenny commented
|Postponed (maintainer needs more info)
|» Closed (cannot reproduce)


text:
What is Celiac Disease and the Gluten-Free Diet? Celiac.com
- https://www.celiac.com
Celiac.com Podcast Edition - Episode 21 - Celiac Disease and Gluten-Free Diet News
Celiac.com Podcast Edition
Bookmark this page and subscribe to
's new podcast series! We'll talk about celiac disease and gluten intolerance, including news, research, recipes and product reviews.
By Celiac.com Podcast Edition
Published on 11/23/2009
In this episode we talk about the Hookworm Cure, Healthy Bones for Celiac Kids, the Celiac.com Thanksgiving and Holiday Guide, A Few Words on Food Sensitivity, Gluten-Free Manufacturing Processes, and the perfect recipe for Holiday Sugar Cookies!
Celiac.com 11/23/2009 - Welcome To Celiac.com Podcast Edition!
Click the icon
to listen to this Podcast:
Be sure to
subscribe to our Podcasts
Here are the articles mentioned in this podcast:
In The News:
The Hookworm Cure from
"Could Hookworm Infections Help Cure Celiac Disease?"
by Jefferson Adams
Healthy Bones for Celiac Kids from
"Gluten-free Diet Means Healthier Bones for Kids with Celiac Disease"
by Jefferson Adams
Celiac.com Thanksgiving and Holiday Guide from
"Celiac.com's Best Ever Gluten-free Thanksgiving Guide!"
by Jefferson Adams
Popular Topics on Celiac.com:
A Few Words on Food Sensitivity from
"Children, Gluten Sensitivity and Other Food Related Issues"
by Paul Smith
Gluten-Free Manufacturing Processes from
"The Safe and Confident Manufacture of Gluten-Free Foods"
by Paul Smith
Holiday Sugar Cookies from
"Sugar Cookies / Cut-Out Cookies"
by Jules Shepard


text:
James Bond is sent to investigate after a fellow "00" agent is found dead with a priceless Farberge egg. James bond follows the mystery and uncovers a smuggling scandal and a Russian General who wants to provoke a new World War.
Directed by:
John Glen
Roger Moore, Maud Adams, Louis Jourdan, Kristina Wayborn, Kabir Bedi, Steven Berkoff


text:
Climate & Energy Cutbacks Pose Costly Impacts
It's instructive to look at the funding levels recently proposed by the House leadership for the remainder of this fiscal year in light of the eight hour hearing on climate change held last week before the House Energy and Power subcommittee.
At the risk of oversimplification, the key messages from the Members who organized the hearing were that the science behind and risks associated with climate change are uncertain, EPA regulations will impose substantial costs and result in job losses, and U.S. industry needs regulatory certainty in order to invest in new facilities here in the United States.
Degrees of Risk: Defining a Risk Management Framework for Climate Security
February 2011
By E3G
Authors: Nick Mabey, Jay Gulledge, Bernard Finel and Katherine Silverthorne
Download the Executive summary (pdf)
Download this report (pdf)
Executive Summary:
There is a growing consensus in the security community that climate change presents significant risks to the delivery of national, regional and global security goals. Through sea level rise, shortages of food and water and severe weather events, climate change will have significant impacts on all countries, which in turn could affect their social stability and economic security. In the coming decades such impacts will increase the likelihood of conflict in fragile countries and regions. Peaceful management of even moderate climatic changes will require investment in increased resilience in national and international security and governance systems.
Security analysis has mainly examined the implications of climate change over the coming two decades. These are largely unavoidable under all plausible greenhouse gas emissions reduction scenarios, given the inertia in energy infrastructure and the global climate system. However, if immediate action is not taken to reduce the steady rise in global emissions, there will be a rapid increase in the risk of far more severe impacts, resulting in security challenges that are much more significant than current estimates indicate.
But climate change is not currently well-managed. Agreements at the most recent UN climate negotiations in Cancun in 2010 included a goal of limiting climate change to, at most, a 2°C average global temperature rise. However, the emissions reductions pledged by countries at the same conference would actually result in a 50 percent chance of global temperatures rising by 3-4°C. Fragile areas such as Southern Africa could experience 50 percent more warming than the global rate. If countries failed to deliver on their emissions pledges, or if we have underestimated climate sensitivity, increases of up to 7°C are also possible. But the risks are not symmetrical. There is a 'long tail' on the probability distribution which makes more severe outcomes much more likely than more benign ones. In addition, above 3°C of warming the probability of breaching thresholds for "tipping elements" in the climate system rises sharply. For example, events such as a major die-back of the Amazon rain forest or release of methane from the Arctic tundra would further increase global warming levels.
E3G is an independent not-for-profit organization that works to accelerate the global transition to sustainable development. Visit E3G's website at www.e3g.org
Take a page from the military: Risk management could reboot climate change debate
Co-authored by Nick Mabey and originally appeared in The Hill's Congress blog
Once a serious issue becomes politicized and turns into a virtual weapon in the culture wars, it can seem impossible to move beyond partisan bickering and identify a reasonable and responsible course of action. But as those whose job is protecting national security have shown us time and again, it is important to chart a path forward --despite political battles-- when a situation is dangerous and the future is in doubt.
Defending the nation routinely requires making weighty decisions despite uncertainty, incomplete information, and limited resources. To do its job in these difficult situations, the military routinely uses an approach known as risk management. Risk management provides a systematic way to consider threats and vulnerabilities, "knowns and unknowns", and to take steps to minimize risk.
Security Experts Advance New Frame for Climate-Energy Debate
Press Release
February 10, 2011
Contact: Tom Steinfeldt, 703-516-4146
Security Experts Advance New Frame for Climate-Energy Debate
Pew Center Scientist Co-Authors E3G Study on Risk Management Strategy for Climate Change
WASHINGTON, D.C.– An approach familiar to the national security community and the military could offer a common-sense approach to tackle climate and energy policy, according to a new report issued today.
Degrees of Risk: Defining a Risk Management Framework for Climate Security, produced by the non-profit organization E3G, is the result of a series of closed-door meetings with national and international security, intelligence, and defense officials. The report, co-authored by Jay Gulledge of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, recommends using a risk management approach to break logjams and tackle climate change.
"The scientific evidence that the climate is likely to change significantly in the next few decades is far more solid than the evidence that usually underpins security decisions in other areas, like nuclear proliferation or the actions of rogue states," said Gulledge, who directs the Pew Center's Science and Impacts Program and is a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security. "Scientific uncertainty is not a state of unknowing. It is quantitative information that should be used to make risk management decisions, and this is especially true for climate change."
"The risk-management approach makes sense even if you have questions about the effects of climate change," said E3G Chief Executive Nick Mabey. "It comes down to how much risk are we willing to take?"
Risk management is an approach that must be tailored by decision-makers, but as a starting point, Degrees of Risk proposes a three-tier approach to planning:
- Aim to stay below 2° C (3.6 °F) of warming,which is the target committed to by the world's major economies
- Build and budget assuming 3-4° C (5.4-7.2° F) of warming,which is what current international agreements would allow
- Make contingency plans for 5-7° C (9-12.6° F) of warming, which remains a real possibility, in part because international agreements are not binding
Within that framework, Degrees of Risk recommends specific steps for launching a risk management strategy, ranging from independent national climate security risk assessments, to explicit and sufficient goal-setting by countries, to a transparent and resilient system for international cooperation on climate change.
The report's authors are:
- E3G Chief Executive Nick Mabey, who as senior advisor in the UK Prime Minister's Strategy Unit led work on energy, climate change, and countries at risk of instability.
- Jay Gulledge, PhD, Director, Science and Impacts Program, Pew Center on Global Climate Change; and Senior Fellow, Center for a New American Security
- Bernard I. Finel, Senior Fellow, American Security Project. He has taught national security strategy at the National War College and served as executive director of the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University.
- Katherine Silverthorne, program lead on U.S. Climate Change, heads the Climate Security Program at E3G.
E3G is an independent not-for-profit organization that works to accelerate the global transition to sustainable development.
The report can be accessed at http://www.c2es.org/publications/degrees-risk-defining-risk-management-framework-climate-security.
The Pew Center on Global Climate Change was established in May 1998 as a non-profit, non-partisan, and independent organization dedicated to providing credible information, straight answers, and innovative solutions in the effort to address global climate change. The Pew Center is led by Eileen Claussen, the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs.
Food & Climate Risks: Potential Consequences of Disruptions in Agricultural Productivity
Last week the British Government published a report on The Future of Food and Farming in which the role of a changing climate is appropriately highlighted as a major impediment to maintaining consistent and predictable food supplies for the world's growing population. The timing of this report is excellent; food prices have been rising recently (see chart) and have caused significant hardship for some of the most globally vulnerable populations. These vulnerable populations live in some of the most politically unstable regions, and continued food inflation could exacerbate existing social and economic issues with potentially unpredictable consequences.
Source: UN Food and Agriculture Organization
Unfortunately as the global climate changes and agricultural productivity shifts, these sort of price rises in basic foods are likely to become more commonplace for the economically sensitive populations in these politically unstable regions – like Southeast Asia, Northern Africa, and the Middle East. This is not to imply that recent increases in food prices were caused by climate change; it is not possible to attribute a single event such as this latest spike in food prices to the long-term trends we expect to experience from our changing climate. It is, however, instructive to identify that the sort of impacts that we expect from climate change can have serious social and political implications.
Recent work shows that several of the world's most important crops could be near climactic thresholds that will seriously impair agricultural yields.Several of these crops (like corn, rice, soybeans and wheat - the source of 75% of global calorie consumption) appear to be sensitive to increases in temperature variation, especially to the occurrence of a particularly hot day in the middle of the growing season. Increases in temperature variation and the prevalence of what are historically unusually hot days is exactly what our best models of the future climate predict. Even if global yields are able to remain fairly constant due to human adaptation to the shifting regions of agricultural productivity (e.g., northward from the U.S. Plains to Canada and Siberia), the temporary economic dislocation will certainly be difficult for today's farmers and for the people who are dependent on the food that they produce.
Other research suggests that increasing temperatures could cause major difficulties for farmers in Southeast Asia who produce a large fraction of global rice output, an important staple in the region. This research recognizes that the human body simply cannot perform the hard manual labor (like that needed to tend to rice paddies) at the temperatures climate models predict. By 2050, these temperatures are expected to be commonplace for the region – potentially resulting in a huge loss of agricultural output.
While agricultural contributions to overall GDP in the rich world may seem relatively minor, it is important to remember that GDP is only a measure of economic activity and not a measure of well-being. The well-being that food provides is not necessarily proportionate to its market price. A common example used to illustrate this point is a comparison of the price of diamonds to the price of water. Water is much less expensive but is an absolute necessity. Staple foods are similar. If the price of diamonds increases, people (in aggregate) can choose to purchase less. If the price of water or food increases however, there is little flexibility (elasticity, in economic terms) in terms of how much less people can choose to buy.
If food prices rise in the rich world, consumers will spend more of their income on food and forgo other consumption options. In developing nations this trade-off may not be possible – creating a situation where political unrest could become more likely. According to World Bank data, over 50% of the world's population lives on less than $2 a day. Obviously for these populations, even small increases in the prices of staples can cause real difficulties since a large fraction of their income is already spent on food. Some of the regions that have the highest concentrations of the global poor are also the regions that tend to be among the most politically volatile. Though it is unlikely that food prices would directly cause conflict or instability in these regions, it is more likely that the stress caused by higher (or more volatile) food prices will worsen existing socio-economic pressures.
The resulting consequences will be difficult to predict; and by their nature will create difficulties in creating an effective adaptive response. Though it will likely never be clear which future conflicts could have been avoided in the absence of climate change, we do know that proactive policy effort taken now can reduce the eventual impact of future food price pressures.
Russell Meyer is the Senior Fellow for Economics and Policy
Extreme Weather
2010 Ties for Warmest Year on Record
Every January, NOAA's National Climatic Data Center provides an expert analysis of the previous year's climate. This puts the extreme weather of 2010 into a broader context. The record warmth of the past year adds to the huge body of evidence that the earth continues to warm.
Here are some of NOAA's key finding:
Global average temperature
- 2010 is tied with 2005 as the warmest year since 1880 when NOAA's records begin. The temperature was 1.1°F above the 20th century average.
- The Northern Hemisphere was the warmest on record while the Southern Hemisphere was the 6th warmest since 1880.
- 9 out of the 10 warmest years on record are from 2001 and after.
- Every year since 2000 is one of the 15 warmest years.
- It is the 34th consecutive year that was warmer than the 20th century average.
- NOAA scientist David Easterling said that the top ranking of 2010 reinforces the conclusion that the climate is continuing to warm because of increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
10 Warmest Years on Record
°F above 20th Century Average
- Global snow cover was the lowest on record
- Arctic sea ice reached its third-smallest summer minimum
- In the United States, both land surface temperature and amount of rainfall were in the top third since 1880.
- Although the eastern U.S. is having a cold winter, Canada and the Arctic are unusually warm, maintaining a globally warm condition.
Read more from NOAA:
Jay Gulledge is Senior Scientist and Director of the Science and Impacts Program
Glossary of Key Terms
Afforestation: Planting of new forests on lands that have not been recently forested.
Albedo: Refers to the ratio of light from the sun that is reflected by the Earth's surface to the light received by it. Unreflected light is converted to infrared radiation (i.e., heat), which causes atmospheric warming (see "radiative forcing"). Thus, surfaces with a high albedo (e.g., snow and ice) generally contribute to cooling, whereas surfaces with a low albedo (e.g., forests) generally contribute to warming. Changes in land use that significantly alter the characteristics of land surfaces can therefore influence the climate through changes in albedo.
Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS): A coalition of some 43 low-lying and small island countries, most of which are members of the G77, that are particularly vulnerable to the potential adverse consequences of climate change such as sea-level rise, coral bleaching, and increased frequency and intensity of tropical storms.
Allocation: Under an emissions trading scheme, permits to emit can initially either be given away for free, usually under a 'grandfathering' approach based on past emissions in a base year or an 'updating' approach based on the more recent emissions. The alternative is to auction permits in an initial market offering.
Ancillary Benefits: Complementary benefits of a climate policy including improvements in local air quality and reduced reliance of imported fossil fuels.
Annex A: A list in the Kyoto Protocol of the six greenhouse gases and the sources of emissions covered under the Kyoto Protocol. See also "Basket of Gases."
Annex B: A list in the Kyoto Protocol of 38 countries plus the European Community that agreed to QELRCs (emission targets), along with the QELRCs they accepted. The list is nearly identical to the Annex I Parties listed in the Convention except that it does not include Belarus or Turkey.
Annex I Parties: The 40 countries plus the European Economic Community listed in Annex I of the UNFCCC that agreed to try to limit their GHG emissions: Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, European Economic Community, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United States.
Anthropogenic Emissions: Emissions of greenhouse gasses resulting from human activities.
Assigned Amount: In the Kyoto Protocol, the permitted emissions, in CO2 equivalents, during a commitment period. It is calculated using the Quantified Emission Limitation and Reduction Commitment (QELRC), together with rules specifying how and what emissions are to be counted.
Base Year: Targets for reducing GHG emissions are often defined in relation to a base year. In the Kyoto Protocol, 1990 is the base year for most countries for the major GHGs; 1995 can be used as the base year for some of the minor GHGs.
Baselines: The baseline estimates of population, GDP, energy use and hence resultant greenhouse gas emissions without climate policies, determine how big a reduction is required, and also what the impacts of climate change without policy will be.
Basket of Gases: This refers to the group six of greenhouse gases regulated under the Kyoto Protocol. They are listed in Annex A of the Kyoto Protocol and include: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).
Berlin Mandate: Decision of the Parties reached at the first session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP-1) in 1995 in Berlin that the commitments made by Annex I countries were inadequate and thus needed to be strengthened.
Biodiversity: The variety of organisms found within a specified geographic region.
Black Carbon Aerosols: Particles of carbon in the atmosphere produced by inefficient combustion of fossil fuels or biomass. Black carbon aerosols absorb light from the sun, shading and cooling the Earth's surface, but contribute to significant warming of the atmosphere (see "radiative forcing").
Bryd-Hagel Resolution: In June 1997, anticipating the December 1997 meeting in Kyoto, Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) introduced, with Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and 44 other cosponsors, a resolution stating that the impending Kyoto Protocol (or any subsequent international climate change agreement) should not - "(A) mandate new commitments to limit or reduce GHG emissions for the Annex I Parties [i.e. industrialized countries], unless the protocol or other agreement also mandates new specific scheduled commitments to limit or reduce GHG emissions for Developing Country Parties within the same compliance period, or (B) would result in serious harm to the economy of the United States..."
Bubble: An option in the Kyoto Protocol that allows a group of countries to meet their targets jointly by aggregating their total emissions. The member states of the European Union are utilizing this option.
Capital Stock: Existing investments in energy plant and equipment that may or may not be modified once installed.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2): CO2 is a colorless, odorless, non-poisonous gas that is a normal part of the ambient air. Of the six greenhouse gases normally targeted, CO2 contributes the most to human-induced global warming. Human activities such as fossil fuel combustion and deforestation have increased atmospheric concentrations of CO2 by approximately 30 percent since the industrial revolution. CO2 is the standard used to determine the "global warming potentials" (GWPs) of other gases. CO2 has been assigned a 100-year GWP of 1 (i.e., the warming effects over a 100-year time frame relative to other gases).
Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (CO2e): Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (CO2e). The emissions of a gas, by weight, multiplied by its "global warming potential."
Carbon Sinks: Processes that remove more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than they release. Both the terrestrial biosphere and oceans can act as carbon sinks.
Carbon Taxes: A surcharge on the carbon content of oil, coal, and gas that discourages the use of fossil fuels and aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Certified Emissions Reduction (CER): Reductions of greenhouse gases achieved by a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project. A CER can be sold or counted toward Annex I countries' emissions commitments. Reductions must be additional to any that would otherwise occur.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs): CFCs are synthetic industrial gases composed of chlorine, fluorine, and carbon. They have been used as refrigerants, aerosol propellants, cleaning solvents and in the manufacture of plastic foam. There are no natural sources of CFCs. CFCs have an atmospheric lifetime of decades to centuries, and they have 100-year "global warming potentials" thousands of times that of CO2, depending on the gas. In addition to being greenhouse gases, CFCs also contribute to ozone depletion in the stratosphere and are controlled under the Montreal Protocol.
Clean Development Mechanism (CDM): One of the three market mechanisms established by the Kyoto Protocol. The CDM is designed to promote sustainable development in developing countries and assist Annex I Parties in meeting their greenhouse gas emissions reduction commitments. It enables industrialized countries to invest in emission reduction projects in developing countries and to receive credits for reductions achieved.
Climate: The long-term average weather of a region including typical weather patterns, the frequency and intensity of storms, cold spells, and heat waves. Climate is not the same as weather.
Climate Change: Refers to changes in long-term trends in the average climate, such as changes in average temperatures. In IPCC usage, climate change refers to any change in climate over time, whether due to natural variability or as a result of human activity. In UNFCC usage, climate change refers to a change in climate that is attributable directly or indirectly to human activity that alters atmospheric composition.
Climate Sensitivity: The average global air surface temperature change resulting from a doubling of pre-industrial atmospheric CO2 concentrations. The IPCC estimates climate sensitivity at 1.5-4.5oC (2.7-8.1oF).
Climate Variability: Refers to changes in patterns, such as precipitation patterns, in the weather and climate.
Commitment Period: The period under the Kyoto Protocol during which Annex I Parties' GHG emissions, averaged over the period, must be within their emission targets. The first commitment period runs from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2012.
Conference of the Parties (COP): The supreme decision-making body comprised of the parties that have ratified the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. It meets on an annual basis. As of February 2003, it is comprised of 188 countries.
Discounting: The process that reduces future costs and benefits to reflect the time value of money and the common preference of consumption now rather than later.
Early Crediting: A provision that allows crediting of emission reductions achieved prior to the start of a legally imposed emission control period. These credits can then be used to assist in achieving compliance once a legally imposed system begins.
Ecosystem: A community of organisms and its physical environment.
Emissions: The release of substances (e.g., greenhouse gases) into the atmosphere.
Emissions Cap: A mandated restraint in a scheduled timeframe that puts a "ceiling" on the total amount of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions that can be released into the atmosphere. This can be measured as gross emissions or as net emissions (emissions minus gases that are sequestered).
Emissions Reduction Unit (ERU): Emissions reductions generated by projects in Annex B countries that can be used by another Annex B country to help meet its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. Reductions must be additional to those that would otherwise occur.
Emissions Trading: A market mechanism that allows emitters (countries, companies or facilities) to buy emissions from or sell emissions to other emitters. Emissions trading is expected to bring down the costs of meeting emission targets by allowing those who can achieve reductions less expensively to sell excess reductions (e.g. reductions in excess of those required under some regulation) to those for whom achieving reductions is more costly.
Energy Resources: The available supply and price of fossil and alternative resources will play a huge role in estimating how much a greenhouse gas constraint will cost. In the U.S. context, natural gas supply (and thus price) is particularly important, as it is expected to be a transition fuel to a lower carbon economy.
Enhanced Greenhouse Effect: The increase in the natural greenhouse effect resulting from increases in atmospheric concentrations of GHGs due to emissions from human activities.
Entry Into Force: The point at which international climate change agreements become binding. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has entered into force. In order for the Kyoto Protocol to do so as well, 55 Parties to the Convention must ratify (approve, accept, or accede to) the Protocol, including Annex I Parties accounting for 55 percent of that group's carbon dioxide emissions in 1990. As of June 2003, 110 countries had ratified the Protocol, representing 43.9 percent of Annex I emissions.
European Community: As a regional economic integration organization, the European Community can be and is a Party to the UNFCCC; however, it does not have a separate vote from its members (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom).
Evapotranspiration: The process by which water re-enters the atmosphere through evaporation from the ground and transpiration by plants.
GDP: Gross Domestic Product, a measure of overall economic activity.
General Circulation Model (GCM): A computer model of the basic dynamics and physics of the components of the global climate system (including the atmosphere and oceans) and their interactions which can be used to simulate climate variability and change.
Global Warming: The progressive gradual rise of the Earth's average surface temperature thought to be caused in part by increased concentrations of GHGs in the atmosphere.
Global Warming Potential (GWP): A system of multipliers devised to enable warming effects of different gases to be compared. The cumulative warming effect, over a specified time period, of an emission of a mass unit of CO2 is assigned the value of 1. Effects of emissions of a mass unit of non-CO2 greenhouse gases are estimated as multiples. For example, over the next 100 years, a gram of methane (CH4) in the atmosphere is currently estimated as having 23 times the warming effect as a gram of carbon dioxide; methane's 100-year GWP is thus 23. Estimates of GWP vary depending on the time-scale considered (e.g., 20-, 50-, or 100-year GWP), because the effects of some GHGs are more persistent than others.
Greenhouse Effect: The insulating effect of atmospheric greenhouse gases (e.g., water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, etc.) that keeps the Earth's temperature about 60"F warmer than it would be otherwise.
Greenhouse Gas (GHG): Any gas that contributes to the "greenhouse effect."
Group of 77 and China, or G77/China: An international organization established in 1964 by 77 developing countries; membership has now increased to 133 countries. The group acts as a major negotiating bloc on some issues including climate change.
HGWP (High Global Warming Potential): Some industrially produced gases such as sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) have extremely high GWPs. Emissions of these gases have a much greater effect on global warming than an equal emission (by weight) of the naturally occurring gases. Most of these gases have GWPs of 1,300 - 23,900 times that of CO2. These GWPs can be compared to the GWPs of CO2, CH4, and N2O which are presently estimated to be 1, 23 and 296, respectively.
Hot Air: A situation in which emissions (of a country, sector, company or facility) are well below a target due to the target being above emissions that materialized under the normal course of events (i.e. without deliberate emission reduction efforts). Hot air can result from over-optimistic projections of growth. Emissions are often projected to grow roughly in proportion to GDP, and GDP is often projected to grow at historic rates. If a recession occurs and fuel use declines, emissions may be well below targets since targets are generally set in relation to emission projections. If emission trading is allowed, an emitter could sell the difference between actual emissions and emission targets. Such emissions are considered hot air because they do not represent reductions from what would have occurred in the normal course of events.
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs): HFCs are synthetic industrial gases, primarily used in refrigeration and semi-conductor manufacturing as commercial substitutes for chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). There are no natural sources of HFCs. The atmospheric lifetime of HFCs is decades to centuries , and they have 100-year "global warming potentials" thousands of times that of CO2, depending on the gas. HFCs are among the six greenhouse gases to be curbed under the Kyoto Protocol.
Incentive-based Regulation: A regulation that uses the economic behavior of firms and households to attain desired environmental goals. Incentive-based programs involve taxes on emissions or tradable emission permits. The primary strength of incentive-based regulation is the flexibility it provides the polluter to find the least costly way to reduce emissions.
Intergenerational Equity: The fairness of the distribution of the costs and benefits of a policy when costs and benefits are borne by different generations. In the case of a climate change policy the impacts of inaction in the present will be felt in future generations.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): The IPCC was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization and the UN Environment Programme. The IPCC is responsible for providing the scientific and technical foundation for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), primarily through the publication of periodic assessment reports (see "Second Assessment Report" and "Third Assessment Report").
Joint Implementation (JI): One of the three market mechanisms established by the Kyoto Protocol. Joint Implementation occurs when an Annex B country invests in an emissions reduction or sink enhancement project in another Annex B country to earn emission reduction units (ERUs).
Kyoto Mechanisms: The Kyoto Protocol creates three market-based mechanisms that have the potential to help countries reduce the cost of meeting their emissions reduction targets. These mechanisms are Joint Implementation (Article 6), the Clean Development Mechanisms (Article 17).
Kyoto Protocol: An international agreement adopted in December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan. The Protocol sets binding emission targets for developed countries that would reduce their emissions on average 5.2 percent below 1990 levels.
Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF): Land uses and land-use changes can act either as sinks or as emission sources. It is estimated that approximately one-fifth of global emissions result from LULUCF activities. The Kyoto Protocol allows Parties to receive emissions credit for certain LULUCF activities that reduce net emissions.
Market Benefits: Benefits of a climate policy that can be measured in terms of avoided market impacts such as changes in resource productivity (e.g., lower agricultural yields, scarcer water resources) and damages to human-built environment (e.g., coastal flooding due to sea-level rise).
Mauna Loa Record: The record of measurement of atmospheric CO2 concentrations taken at Mauna Loa Observatory, Mauna Loa, Hawaii, since March 1958. This record shows the continuing increase in average annual atmospheric CO2 concentrations.
Methane (CH4): CH4 is among the six greenhouse gases to be curbed under the Kyoto Protocol. Atmospheric CH4 is produced by natural processes, but there are also substantial emissions from human activities such as landfills, livestock and livestock wastes, natural gas and petroleum systems, coalmines, rice fields, and wastewater treatment. CH4 has a relatively short atmospheric lifetime of approximately 10 years, but its 100-year GWP is currently estimated to be approximately 23 times that of CO2.
Microwave Sounding Units (MSU): Sensors carried aboard Earth orbiting satellites that have been used since 1979 to monitor tropospheric temperatures.
Montreal Protocol: (on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer) An international agreement that entered into force in January 1989 to phase out the use of ozone-depleting compounds such as methyl chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, and CFCs. CFCs are potent greenhouse gases which are not regulated by the Kyoto Protocol since they are covered by the Montreal Protocol.
National Action Plans: Plans submitted to the Conference of the Parties (COP) by all Parties outlining the steps that they have adopted to limit their anthropogenic GHG emissions. Countries must submit these plans as a condition of participating in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and, subsequently, must communicate their progress to the COP regularly.
Negative Feedback: A process that results in a reduction in the response of a system to an external influence. For example, increased plant productivity in response to global warming would be a negative feedback on warming, because the additional growth would act as a sink CO2, reducing the atmospheric CO2 concentration.
Nitrous Oxide (N2O): N2O is among the six greenhouse gases to be curbed under the Kyoto Protocol. N2O is produced by natural processes, but there are also substantial emissions from human activities such as agriculture and fossil fuel combustion. The atmospheric lifetime of N2O is approximately 100 years, and its 100-year GWP is currently estimated to be 296 times that of CO2.
Non-Annex B Parties: Countries that are not listed in Annex B of the Kyoto Protocol.
Non-Annex I Parties: Countries that have ratified or acceded to the UNFCCC that are not listed in Annex I of the UNFCCC.
Non-Market Benefits: Benefits of a climate policy that can be measured in terms of avoided non-market impacts such as human-health impacts (e.g., increased incidence of tropical diseases) and damages to ecosystems (e.g., loss of biodiversity).
Non-Party: A state that has not ratified the UNFCCC. Non-parties may attend talks as observers.
Perfluorocarbons (PFCs): PFCs are among the six types of greenhouse gases to be curbed under the Kyoto Protocol. PFCs are synthetic industrial gases generated as a by-product of aluminum smelting and uranium enrichment. They also are used as substitutes for CFCs in the manufacture of semiconductors. There are no natural sources of PFCs. PFCs have atmospheric lifetimes of thousands to tens of thousands of years and 100-year GWPs thousands of times that of CO2, depending on the gas.
Polluter Pays Principle (PPP): The principle that countries should in some way compensate others for the effects of pollution that they (or their citizens) generate or have generated.
Positive Feedback: A process that results in an amplification of the response of a system to an external influence. For example, increased atmospheric water vapor in response to global warming would be a positive feedback on warming, because water vapor is a GHG.
ppm or ppb: Abbreviations for "parts per million" and "parts per billion," respectively - the units in which concentrations of greenhouse gases are commonly presented. For example, since the pre-industrial era, atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide have increased from 270 ppm to 370 ppm.
Quantified Emission Limitation and Reduction QELRC: Also known as QELRO (Quantified Emission Limitation and Reduction Objective): The quantified commitments for GHG emissions listed in Annex B of the Kyoto Protocol. QELRCs are specified in percentages relative to 1990 emissions.
Radiative Forcing: The term radiative forcing refers to changes in the energy balance of the earth-atmosphere system in response to a change in factors such as greenhouse gases, land-use change, or solar radiation. The climate system inherently attempts to balance incoming (e.g., light) and outgoing (e.g. heat) radiation. Positive radiative forcings increase the temperature of the lower atmosphere, which in turn increases temperatures at the Earth's surface. Negative radiative forcings cool the lower atmosphere. Radiative forcing is most commonly measured in units of watts per square meter (W/m2).
Radiosondes: Sensors carried aboard weather balloons that have been in continuous use since 1979 for the monitoring of tropospheric temperatures.
Ratification: After signing the UNFCCCCor the Kyoto Protocol, a country must ratify it, often with the approval of its parliament or other legislature. In the case of the Kyoto Protocol, a Party must deposit its instrument of ratification with the UN Secretary General in New York.
Reforestation: Replanting of forests on lands that have recently been harvested.
Regional Groups: The five regional groups meet privately to discuss issues and nominate bureau members and other officials. They are Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC), and the Western Europe and Others Group (WEOG).
Renewable Energy: Energy obtained from sources such as geothermal, wind, photovoltaic, solar, and biomass.
Revenue Recycling: If permits are auctioned, this gives considerable sums of money to be recycled back into the economy, either through a lump sum payment of offsetting other taxes. If the existing taxes that are correspondingly reduced were very inefficient, this allows this allows the possibility of both environmental and economic benefits from the trading system, commonly called the 'double dividend.'
Second Assessment Report (SAR): The Second Assessment Report, prepared by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, reviewed the existing scientific literature on climate change. Finalized in 1995, it is comprised of three volumes: Science; Impacts, Adaptations and Mitigation; and Economic and Social Dimensions of Climate Change.
Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention: The United Nations staff assigned the responsibility of conducting the affairs of the UNFCCC. In 1996 the Secretariat moved from Geneva, Switzerland, to Bonn, Germany.
Sequestration: Opportunities to remove atmospheric CO2, either through biological processes (e.g. plants and trees), or geological processes through storage of CO2 in underground reservoirs.
Sinks: Any process, activity or mechanism that results in the net removal of greenhouse gases, aerosols, or precursors of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
Source: Any process or activity that results in the net release of greenhouse gases, aerosols, or precursors of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
SRES Scenarios: A suite of emissions scenarios developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES). These scenarios were developed to explore a range of potential future greenhouse gas emissions pathways over the 21st century and their subsequent implications for global climate change.
Stratosphere: The region of the Earth's atmosphere 10-50 km above the surface of the planet.
Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI): A permanent body established by the UNFCCC that makes recommendations to the COP on policy and implementation issues. It is open to participation by all Parties and is composed of government representatives.
Subsidiary Body for Scientific & Tech. Advice: (SBSTA) A permanent body established by the UNFCCC that serves as a link between expert information sources such as the IPCC and the COP.
Substitution: The economic process of trading off inputs and consumption due to changes in prices arising from a constraint on greenhouse gas emissions. How the extremely flexible U.S. economy adapts to available substitutes and/or finds new methods of production under a greenhouse gas constraint will be critical in minimizing overall costs of reducing emissions.
Sulfate Aerosols: Sulfur-based particles derived from emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) from the burning of fossil fuels (particularly coal). Sulfate aerosols reflect incoming light from the sun, shading and cooling the Earth's surface (see "radiative forcing") and thus offset some of the warming historically caused by greenhouse gases.
Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6): SF6 is among the six types of greenhouse gases to be curbed under the Kyoto Protocol. SF6 is a synthetic industrial gas largely used in heavy industry to insulate high-voltage equipment and to assist in the manufacturing of cable-cooling systems. There are no natural sources of SF6. SF6 has an atmospheric lifetime of 3,200 years. Its 100-year GWP is currently estimated to be 22,200 times that of CO2.
Supplementarity: The Protocol does not allow Annex I parties to meet their emission targets entirely through use of emissions trading and the other Kyoto Mechanisms; use of the mechanisms must be supplemental to domestic actions to limit or reduce their emissions.
Targets and Timetables: Targets refer to the emission levels or emission rates set as goals for countries, sectors, companies, or facilities. When these goals are to be reached by specified years, the years at which goals are to be met are referred to as the timetables. In the Kyoto Protocol, a target is the percent reduction from the 1990 emissions baseline that the country has agreed to. On average, developed countries agreed to reduce emissions by 5.2% below 1990 emissions during the period 2008-2012, the first commitment period.
Technological Change: How much technological change will be additionally induced by climate policies is a crucial, but not well quantified, factor in assessing the costs of long-term mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions.
Thermal expansion: Expansion of a substance as a result of the addition of heat. In the context of climate change, thermal expansion of the world's oceans in response to global warming is considered the predominant driver of current and future sea-level rise.
Thermohaline Circulation (THC): A three-dimensional pattern of ocean circulation driven by wind, heat and salinity that is an important component of the ocean-atmosphere climate system. In the Atlantic, winds transport warm tropical surface water northward where it cools, becomes more dense, and sinks into the deep ocean, at which point it reverses direction and migrates back to the tropics, where it eventually warms and returns to the surface. This cycle or "conveyor belt" is a major mechanism for the global transport of heat, and thushas an important influence on the climate. Global warming is projected to increase sea-surface temperatures, which may slow the THC by reducing the sinking of cold water in the North Atlantic. In addition, ocean salinity also influences water density, and thus decreases in sea-surface salinity from the melting of ice caps and glaciers may also slow the THC.
Third Assessment Report (TAR): The most recent Assessment Report prepared by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which reviewed the existing scientific literature on climate change, including new information acquired since the completion of the Second Assessment report (SAR). Finalized in 2001, it is comprised of three volumes: Science; Impacts and Adaptation; and Mitigation.
Trace Gas: A term used to refer to gases found in the Earth's atmosphere other than nitrogen, oxygen, argon and water vapor. When this terminology is used, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide are classified as trace gases. Although trace gases taken together make up less than one percent of the atmosphere, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are important in the climate system. Water vapor also plays an important role in the climate system; its concentrations in the lower atmosphere vary considerably from essentially zero in cold dry air masses to perhaps 4 percent by volume in humid tropical air masses.
Troposphere: The region of the Earth's atmosphere 0-10 km above the planet's surface.
Umbrella Group: Negotiating group within the UNFCCC process comprising the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Iceland, Russia, and Ukraine.
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change: (UNFCCC) A treaty signed at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro that calls for the "stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system." The treaty includes a non-binding call for developed countries to return their emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000. The treaty took effect in March 1994 upon ratification by more than 50 countries. The United States was the first industrialized nation to ratify the Convention.
Uncertainty: Uncertainty is a prominent feature of the benefits and costs of climate change. Decision makers need to compare risk of premature or unnecessary actions with risk of failing to take actions that subsequently prove to be warranted. This is complicated by potential irreversibilities in climate impacts and long term investments.
Urban Heat Island (UHI): Refers to the tendency for urban areas to have warmer air temperatures than the surrounding rural landscape, due to the low albedo of streets, sidewalks, parking lots, and buildings. These surfaces absorb solar radiation during the day and release it at night, resulting in higher night temperatures.
Vector-borne disease: Disease that results from an infection transmitted to humans and other animals by blood-feeding anthropods, such as mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas. Examples of vector-borne diseases include Dengue fever, viral encephalitis, Lyme disease, and malaria.
Water Vapor (H2O): Water vapor is the primary gas responsible for the greenhouse effect. It is believed that increases in temperature caused by anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases will increase the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere, resulting in additional warming (see "positive feedback").
Weather: Describes the short-term (i.e., hourly and daily) state of the atmosphere. Weather is not the same as climate.
Climate Change 101: Overview
Climate change is happening and it is caused largely by human activity. Its impacts are beginning to be felt and will worsen in the decades ahead unless we take action. The solution to climate change will involve a broad array of technologies and policies—many tried and true, and many new and innovative.
This overview summarizes the eight-part series Climate Change 101: Understanding and Responding to Global Climate Change.
Science and Impacts discusses the scientific evidence for climate change and explains its causes and current and projected impacts.
Adaptation discusses these impacts in greater depth, explaining how planning can limit (though not eliminate) the damage caused by unavoidable climate change, as well as the long-term costs of responding to climate-related impacts.
As explored in greater depth in Technological Solutions, a number of technological options exist to avert dangerous climatic change by dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions both now and into the future.
Business Solutions, International Action, Federal Action, State Action, and Local Action describe how business and government leaders at all levels have recognized both the challenge and the vast opportunity dealing with climate change presents. These leaders are responding with a broad spectrum of innovative solutions. To address the enormous challenge of climate change successfully, new approaches are needed at the federal and international levels, and the United States must stay engaged in the global effort while adopting strong and effective national policies.
For more information, be sure to listen to our Climate Change 101 podcast series
Climate Change 101: Science and Impacts
The scientific evidence is unequivocal. Natural climate variability alone cannot explain this trend. Human activities, especially the burning of coal and oil, have warmed the earth by dramatically increasing the concentrations of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere. The more of these gases humans put into the atmosphere, the more the earth will warm in the decades and centuries ahead. The impacts of warming can already be observed throughout the United States, from rising sea levels to melting snow and ice to more drought and extreme rainfall. Climate change is already affecting ecosystems, freshwater supplies, and human health around the world. Although some amount of climate change is now unavoidable, much worse impacts can be avoided by substantially reducing the amount of heat-trapping gases released into the atmosphere.
For more information on the science and impacts of climate change, be sure to listen to our Climate Change 101 podcast series


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NUR601 - Theory and Research in Nursing
This course explores the relationships between theory, nursing research, and nursing practice. The use of theory and research in the construction of a scientific knowledge base for nursing practice will be examined. Emphasis will be on the importance of research as a process for developing and examining practice-based questions, and evidence-based practice. The research process, with emphasis on the logic and processes of inquiry, design, data collection and analysis, and the interpretation, dissemination, and application of findings appropriate to nursing practice, will be reviewed. A critical analysis of nursing research and the methodological approaches utilized in the practice of nursing administration and leadership in health care will be conducted. Students will develop proposals for individual or group research projects relevant to their areas of interest. Prerequisite: Graduate status. (3 crs.)
NUR602 - Health Policy in Nursing
This course is intended to familiarize graduate nursing students with current health care policy and the roles and responsibilities, processes, and strategies which create and support policy-based initiatives in health care today, and the impact of policy on health care. Students will apply the concepts gained in this course in advocacy and leadership roles in search of creative solutions to pervasive issues in health care to culturally diverse populations. Prerequisite: Graduate status. (3 crs.)
NUR603 - Information Systems for Nurses in Health Care Organizations
This course is designed to introduce students to information systems in health care organizations. Students will examine, evaluate and utilize a variety of information systems available to the nurse administrator and leader in health care organizations. Use of information systems, standardized databases and statistics needed for population analysis is presented. During the course, students will compare and interact with information management applications related to administration, education, practice and research. Multimedia technology and software will be used for projects related to the student's area of interest. Prerequisite: Graduate status. (3 crs.)
NUR604 - Population Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
This course explores the role of the master's-prepared nurse in integrating broad scientific, client-centered and culturally appropriate concepts in the planning, delivery and evaluation of evidence-based health promotion and prevention services and care to individuals, families, aggregates/identified populations and global communities. Models and principles from a wide variety of sources and disciplines are examined to assist students in the exploration and evaluation of existing programs and services and in proposing new interventions and strategies to meet identified needs. Prerequisites: Graduate status. (3 crs.)
NUR711 - Nursing Organization and Leadership Theory
This course is designed to provide nurse administrators and leaders with an understanding of organization, management and leadership theories as they apply to today's healthcare delivery systems. In addition, students will explore leadership skills and decision-making in the provision of culturally responsive, high-quality nursing care, healthcare team coordination, and oversight and accountability for care delivery and outcomes. Students will demonstrate the ability to develop a strategic plan and incorporate a collaborative team. Prerequisite: Graduate status. (3 crs.)
NUR712 - Nursing Administration and Leadership Role
This nursing administration and leadership specialty course focuses on health care knowledge and transformational leadership skills and competencies essential to the role development of nurse leaders and administrators for the 21st century. Students discover how to develop high-performance practice areas and how the leadership role is advanced through mentorship and career development. Contemporary studies and models for leadership competency are explored, and students critically self-assess their own competence, developing action plans in those areas they perceive as deficient. The role of managing one's personal resources in developing leadership competency is addressed. Students also gain competence in managing human resources. Concepts, models and principles of continuous quality improvement, tools and techniques for improving quality and performance are broadened. Students identify a quality topic and plan in preparation for completing the practicum project in NUR 813.
NUR714 - Legal Aspects of Health Care Administration
This course includes an introduction to the laws, regulations and court decisions covering the employment relationship, including labor-management relations, OSHA, EEOC, ERISA, ADA, etc. Health care law and an overview of practical ways to improve the quality and safe delivery of nursing care in health care organizations will also be reviewed. This course explores the most pressing legal and ethical issues and concerns related to the delivery of patient care and the administration of nursing services. This course is structured to present theories of ethical practice, as well as issues of the law related to health care delivery. Prerequisite: Graduate status. (3 crs.)
NUR715 - Financial Management in Non-profit Healthcare Organizations
This course is intended to prepare students to effectively interact with financial management staff and participate in various aspects of financial control and planning in non-profit health care organizations. Included will be perspectives of financial management in health care, including trends in the industry and the forces that influence the financing of health care organizations. Financial statements, interpretation and analysis of financial reports, and topics such as cost-benefits analysis, budgeting, and capital management will also be addressed. Additional emphasis will be given to cost effectiveness and financial future of health care organizations.
NUR813 - Nursing Administration Role Practicum
This course provides students with the opportunity to synthesize and apply their understanding of nursing administration and leadership within and across complex integrated organizational and institutional boundaries. In this culminating experience, students plan, execute, and evaluate nursing practice within the context of the practice setting(s) or among a specific population of interest within the organization or in communities. Within the practice situation, students enact leadership roles to expand, enhance, and optimize positive outcomes. The learning experience consists of an administrative practicum and online seminars. This culminating experience of the graduate program is designed to provide students with an opportunity to apply the knowledge and competencies acquired throughout the program of study to actual and simulated practicum situations.


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The magnetic compassAround AD 1000 in China it was found that a needle, magnetized by stroking it with lodestone, would align itself north-south when freely suspended. The discovery of the magnetic compass soon spread to Europe. Christopher Columbus used it when he crossed the Atlantic Ocean, noting not only that the needle deviated slightly from exact north (as indicated by the stars) but also that the deviation changed during the voyage. Around 1600 William Gilbert (1544-1603), an English doctor and personal physician to Queen Elizabeth I, found the explanation.
Gilbert of Colchester, as he is often known, made a model of the Earth by shaping a round ball of lodestone. He called this model a terrela, or "little Earth", and placed on it a series of small iron needles. Then he made his great discovery. The needles behaved exactly like compasses. Not only did they point to the lodestone's north pole, but they also dipped at various angles in different places, just as compass needles do on the Earth's surface. Gilbert was able to show, therefore, that the Earth is itself a magnet, with its magnetic poles near the geographic north and south poles. He also demonstrated that the compass needles follow the lines of magnetic force which flow in an arc around the Earth between the magnetic poles.
Gilbert put down his ideas in De Magnete (About the Magnet) published in 1600. This was not his only contribution to the study of magnets. He realized, for example, that there are connections between electricity and magnetism.
The observation that like poles of a magnet repel each other had been made towards the end of the 16th century. In view of the widespread use of compasses prior to this time, it is surprising that the discovery had not been made earlier. Undoubtedly, a cause that contributed to the delay is the fact that a magnetized piece of iron, even if it is initially repelled when brought near a strong magnet, may be induced to reverse its polarity and so experience an attraction. See also Coulomb's law for magnets.
The nature of magnetism
The new phenomenon was studied in France by André Marie Ampère, who concluded that the nature of magnetism was quite different from what everyone had believed. It was basically a force between electric currents: two parallel currents in the same direction attract, in opposite directions repel. (Iron magnets are a very special case, which Ampère was also able to explain.)
Here is how this can lead to the notion of magnetic poles. Bend the wires into circles with constant separation. Two circular currents in the same direction attract each other. Two circular currents in opposite directions repel each other.
Replace each circle with a coil of 10, 100, or more turns, carrying the same current: the attraction or repulsion increase by an appropriate factor. In fact, each coil acts very much like a magnet with magnetic poles at each end (an electromagnet). Ampère guessed that each atom of iron contained a circulating current, turning it into a small magnet, and that in an iron magnet all these atomic magnets were lined up in the same direction, allowing their magnetic forces to add up.
Magnetic field linesMichael Faraday, credited with fundamental discoveries on electricity and magnetism, also proposed a widely used method for visualizing magnetic fields. Imagine a compass needle freely suspended in three dimensions, near a magnet or an electrical current. We can trace in space the lines obtained when one follows the direction of the compass needle. Faraday called them lines of force, but the term field lines is now in common use.
Field lines of a bar magnet are commonly illustrated by iron filings sprinkled on a sheet of paper held over a magnet. Similarly, field lines of the Earth start near the south pole of the Earth, curve around in space and converge again near the north pole.
Electromagnetic wavesFaraday not only viewed the space around a magnet as filled with field lines, but also developed an intuitive (and perhaps mystical) notion that such space was itself modified, even if it was a complete vacuum. His younger contemporary, the great Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell, placed this notion on a firm mathematical footing, including in it electrical forces as well as magnetic ones. Such a modified space is now known as an electromagnetic field.
Today electromagnetic fields (and other types of field as well) are a cornerstone of physics. Their basic equations, derived by Maxwell, suggested that they could undergo wave motion, spreading with the speed of light, and Maxwell correctly guessed that this actually was light and that light was in fact an electromagnetic wave.
Heinrich Hertz in Germany, soon afterwards, produced such waves by electrical means, in the first laboratory demonstration of radio waves. Nowadays a wide variety of such waves is known, from radio (very long waves, relatively low frequency) to microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays and gamma rays (very short waves, extremely high frequency).
Magnetic dipolesToday, physicists explain magnetism in terms of magnetic dipoles. Magnetic dipole moment is an intrinsic property of fundamental particles. Electrons, for example, have a moment of 0.928× 10-23 A.m2 parallel or antiparallel to the direction of observation. The forces between magnetic dipoles are identical to those between electric dipoles. This leads scientists often to regard the dipoles as consisting of two magnetic charges of opposite type, the poles of traditional theory. But unlike electric charges, magnetic poles are believed never to be found in isolation.
Magnetic domains
Related category• ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM
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LOVED ones of a terminal cancer patient whose spirits were lifted by a special family trip have responded by offering a huge thank you to the charities that made it happen.
Jeanette Round, 47, was surrounded by 22 relatives for a day of fun and laughter at the Gulliver's World theme park, courtesy of the HoneyRose Foundation and Macmillan Cancer Support.
Macmillan nurse Geoff Prince got in touch with the foundation which arranged for all of Jeanette's six children and 11 grandchildren to have the Warrington venue all to themselves.
Now, despite being told that doctors can do no more to treat the lung cancer she has fought since February 2013, the Sutton grandmother and her family are still thinking of others.
As a thank you to the charities , the family held a fundraiser at Sutton Leach's Sidac Social Club and managed to reach their £2,000 target .
"There was a bouncy castle, sumo, assault course, face painting, tombola, penalty shoot-out and special football matches including a boys against girls with the lads in wellies," said Jeanette's daughter, Cheryl.
"We wanted to express our thanks for what they did for Mum.
"She's been getting worse and will be having no more treatment so we're doing this to raise money for the Honey Rose and Macmillan. Mum had a special day and was there working on every stall! It was a brilliant day and everybody loved it."


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VA costs vs. private medical costs, Will technology take your job, New foreclosure milestone & more:
Cheat Sheet Q&A:
Topic: The VA vs. traditional medical care
Today's question:
Perhaps, you could research a question. What is the total cost of all VA care in the USA? How many veterans use this service? Determine - most importantly - the cost per veteran. How does this compare with the cost of simply giving - for free - our brave veterans a medical insurance policy? If they had a medical insurance policy I am confident that they could get superior medical care in the private sector. Possibly for the same amount of money or less. Poor quality medical care in the VA system, relative to the private sector, has been a problem for decades.
Bottom Line: These are great questions. So I've reached and calculated the results where needed. I'll take them one question at a time:
- What is the total cost of all VA care in the USA?: As of this year $163.9 billion
- How many veterans use this service? 9.3 million
- Determine - most importantly - the cost per veteran: $17623.66
- How does this compare with the cost of simply giving - for free - our brave veterans a medical insurance policy?: $12,500 (for the average comprehensive individual policy)
So your premise appears to be right. If we shut down the VA and simply paid for the comprehensive healthcare needs of veterans we would save about $48 billion this year alone (or about 29%) and provide superior medical care with many more options for our veterans. Now it is worth noting that the VA does do more than administer medical care. About 40% or $66 billion of this year's budget is discretionary. We can argue about the discretionary value of the VA's services. Even if you just took the amount of VA money used for medical purposes we would be able to transition out of the VA medical model and into a private sector medical.
If you have a topic or question you'd like me to address email me: firstname.lastname@example.com
Audio Report:
New foreclosure activity hits yet another milestone low:
Bottom Line: Repeat after me… We don't care about the foreclosure redemption stats. We care about new foreclosure filings. If you're a regular here you know why that's the important number. If you're new… Foreclosure redemptions are yesterday's (or 2011's) news. We want to know how people and the housing markets around the country are performing right now. So when Realty Trac released their foreclosure info for May yesterday, predictably most media outlets that covered the story focused on the foreclosure redemptions. They were down by 27% year over year but more significantly – let's look at the new foreclosure filings...
- New foreclosure filings were down 32% year over year in May
- New foreclosure filings are at the lowest level since December of 2005
As you'll recall the housing market was still red hot on fire in late 2005. To have new foreclosure activity at levels not seen since that period of time is impressive. In other words we're in healthy territory for longer term stability in housing. Our housing market isn't on fire and we have low levels of foreclosure activity. Sounds refreshingly normal doesn't it?
Audio Report:
Cord cutting with college grads may be needed:
Bottom Line: This isn't a story about TV services and Millennial aged adults. I've referring to the other cord.
I realize that due to the extreme nature of the Great Recession some conventional ways of life changed and had to for many due to the disruption in the economy. For example I understood why many parents willingly took back their college grads into their homes and cared for them (while they looked for work given the extremely high unemployment rates for young people just starting out in the workforce). What I'm struggling with is still caring for your kids financially even after your college grads have obtained full-time employment.
Call me old fashioned (and that's scary considering that I'm only 34) but I believe that young people should have to step up to the plate as soon as possible to provide for themselves. For one in two young adults that isn't happening.
According to a recent study from the National Endowment for Financial Education , in-conjunction with the Citi Foundation, 48.9% of recent college grads with full-time employment are still receiving regular financial support from their parents. Really? Really? And before you take about the student loan issue 59% of these young people don't have any student loan debt either. It's your right to do with your money what you want to do. I'm speaking from experience as the youngest of five who had a father that insisted that we earned and paid for our cars, college and the roof over our head. I don't think you're doing your kids or potentially your long term retirement planning any favors by making it easy for your kids. It's funny how hard you'll work if you're accustomed to a high quality of life and don't want to give it up.
I truly believe that work ethic is mostly determined by parental behavior, expectation and one's financial need. You may think you're taking care of your children but I really think there's a good chance that you're doing them and potentially you a disservice. Or perhaps I'm just old fashioned…
Audio Report:
Will technology take your job? Or perhaps the better question is when...
Bottom Line: A couple of months ago a study from Oxford University made news when it suggested that 47% of US jobs would potentially be lost to technology advancements over the next two decades. I took a look at the research but didn't feel that it adequately addressed the jobs, industry and economic benefits to new technology advances. For example it's easy to look at e-commence and it's negative impact on traditional retail jobs. But what about all of the new industry and innovation using ecommerce that's created and its impact on the economy? That's often left out of the comparison.
The Federal Reserve recently released data that does actually demonstrate the possibility that the effect of technology on employment may really be a significant long term structural problem.
You're familiar with the characterization of a "jobless" recovery right? It was a political talking point in the early part of the 2000's. The premise is that that economy is recovering but employment isn't. There are four times in recorded American history in which corporate profits and revenue reached record levels prior to employment reaching record levels. They are all in the last 35 years.
The first occurrence was in the early 80's. The second was in the early 90's, the third the early 2000's and the current cycle we're in. What this demonstrates is that over the course of modern history we have seen productivity, led by technological advancement has enabled greater productivity without having to hire as many people to earn more money. So back to the headline question...
Audio Report:
Life insurance... What we want & what we have are far apart:
Bottom Line: Even in my world of financial geekiness, life insurance doesn't get me excited (unless I'm investing in a life insurance company). That being said if you have life insurance new information produced by a recent study from New York Life should warrant you taking a few minutes to review your own situation.
According to their findings…
- The average person with life insurance wants their beneficiaries to receive the equivalent of 14 years worth of income
- The average actual coverage insured is only 3 years
Clearly there is a significant disconnect. And here's the thing. If you do want to obtain life insurance coverage or more life insurance it's always going to be cheaper to get started today because you'll always be older (and thus less statistically profitable for the insurance company) tomorrow. So perhaps taking a few minutes to review your coverage this week would be a good idea.
Audio Report:
On-Air Weekday Mornings 5am-9am
WJNO Financial Analyst & Host for The Palm Beaches' Morning Rush
I work every day to keep you ahead of the curve on the crazy state of the economy, business, investments and technology.
My motto: Passion plus talent is unstoppable.
My faith: I don't use the mic to preach but… I firmly believe that without God in our lives happiness will never be found. I believe that many of our societal failures have resulted from a general willingness to distance ourselves from our founding values while embracing political correctness.
I'm in my 19th year with iHeartMedia and 11th in South Florida. With my father as inspiration, I started investing in the stock market when I was 11 and co-founded a smoothie company at 18. I've served as a fill-in for Sean Hannity, a contributor to Fox News and Newsmax
I've made my share of mistakes along the way as well. I shape my perspective from success and failure to provide you with a truly objective picture of business and money in your world. Business and investing are passions of mine. Some read Dean Koontz... I read financial reports.


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Ben 10: Alien Force (TV Series)
The Secret of Chromastone (2010)
Gwen Tennyson: Kevin!
Kevin Levin: What?
Gwen Tennyson: Anger management! Appropriate response?
Kevin Levin: Yeah. Okay. No missiles. We're goin' off road!
Gwen Tennyson: Ben? Are you okay?
ChromaStone: Not Ben.
Diamondhead: He's right. He's ChromaStone. I'm Ben.
Gwen Tennyson: How?
Diamondhead: Like I EVER understood how this works.
Diamondhead: I didn't know ChromaStone could fly.
Tetrax: He can do far more than that.
[Gwen binds Tetrax]
Gwen Tennyson: Why don't you tell us all about it?
Diamondhead: AFTER we put me back together.
Tetrax: That's no shooting star! That's...
[a figure emerges from the smoke]
Ben Tennyson: Vilgax!
Vilgax: Where is my crystal?
Ben Tennyson: Maybe I should have stayed in bed after all.
Ben Tennyson: I'll handle him!
[activates the Omnitrix]
Humungousaur: Way Big!
Humungousaur: [realizes he's Humungousaur] Aw, man! Stupid Omnitrix!
Jet Ray: Flying's no fun if *everybody* can do it.
Gwen Tennyson: Do you ever have a plan that doesn't involve crawling around in the sewers?
Kevin Levin: You're welcome. And stop whispering. We're half a mile away from where Vilgax is looking.
Ben Tennyson: Good point. Even with his superhearing, he can't pick us out over all the people talking in the desert.
[Ben sneezes loudly, with the sound of it echoing down the sewer. Everyone glares at him]
Ben Tennyson: Come on. What are the odds that he...
Ben Tennyson: I wonder if I should really be flying with this cold. What if my head explodes?
Kevin Levin: Don't worry. In space, no one can hear you sneeze.
Vilgax: Any last words?
ChromaStone: I must... save... my people. Have mercy.
Vilgax: Mercy? Never heard of it.
Vilgax: That fool! Using all of the crystal's power just to reassemble a dead world. All this for nothing!
[Vilgax flies off]
Ben Tennyson: I'll show you "nothing!" Come back and fight!
ChromaStone: But I'm too weak to continue. Ben... please.
[ChromaStone gives Ben the crystal]
Kevin Levin: What are you supposed to do?
Ben Tennyson: I don't know.
[activates the Omnitrix]
Diamondhead: But Diamondhead *does*!
Ben Tennyson: ChromaStone! You're alive!
Sugilite: Not ChromaStone. He is still in your Omnitrix. I am Sugilite, Guardian of Petropia.
Ben Tennyson: I think this belongs to you.
[Gives the crystal to Sugilite]
Sugilite: I am in you debt, as are all Crystalsapiens.
[Everyone cheers for Ben]
Kevin Levin: We're never gonna hear the end of this, are we?
Gwen Tennyson: Not ever.
Gwen Tennyson: We don't want to hold you up. You must be anxious to get back to your friends.
Tetrax: I am, but first, I have a score to settle with Vilgax.
Ben Tennyson: Are you sure that's such a great idea? I mean he's pretty much invulnerable.
Tetrax: Maybe. Maybe not.
[Ben mumbles, Gwen translates]
Kevin Levin: You can understand that? You should be a dentist.