Polyacrylamide, a kind of flocculant, is called PAM for short. Main categories: anionic polyacrylamide (APAM), cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM), non-ionic polyacrylamide (NPAM).It is widely used in petroleum exploitation, water treatment, textile, printing and dyeing, paper making, mineral...
Polyacrylamide, a kind of flocculant, is called PAM for short. Main categories: anionic polyacrylamide (APAM), cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM), non-ionic polyacrylamide (NPAM).It is widely used in petroleum exploitation, water treatment, textile, printing and dyeing, paper making, mineral dressing, coal washing, medicine, sugar making, livestock breeding, building materials, agriculture and other industries.Be praised as "100 industry assistant", callled as "omnipotent product" also.
Selection and application of QUANSEN ACPAM
Amphoteric polyacrylamide is formed by the hydrolysis copolymerization of vinylides and vinyl cationic monomers.Transinfrared spectrum
According to the analysis, there are not only the carboxyl negative charge of acrylamide after hydrolysis, but also the vinyl positive charge.Therefore, an irregular polymer of amphoteric ions with both positive and negative charge is formed on the molecular chain.Zwitterionic is not a mixture of anionic and cationic.
1. After oil field test, the performance of this new type of zwitterion profile control agent is higher than that of other single ion characteristics.
2. The latest model of water treatment agent, on many occasions and sewage water, anionic polyacrylamide and cation polypropylene used alone than using an ionic polyacrylamide have very significant and synergies, PAM, to reduce the surface tension of friends can cation or anion is far greater than the same conditions exist alone, to reduce the surface tension of requirements, need to use both anionic and cationic polyacrylamide, if use undeserved, then both will produce white sediment, lose the use effect.PAM has the characteristics of amphoteric ions. It can complete the cooperation and synergism of anions and cations. There is no sediment production on the surface.
3. Sludge dehydrator, due to the nature of the urban sewage emissions is more and more complex, so the sewage treatment more and more high to the requirement of sludge dewatering agent, single some cationic polyacrylamide in sludge dewatering has some not too orientation, so my company for this kind of situation has developed the zwitterionic PAM sludge dehydrator, through a variety of sludge dehydration experiment was carried out and use, are better than a single ion characteristics of polyacrylamide.In particular, the use of amphoteric polyacrylamide in the sludge of oil refineries and chemical plants for pollution swelling and dehydration, its effect is more prominent.4) in the paper industry, as a chemical of paper making, the effect of PAM is even more unitary, especially in the aspect of retention and filtration, it can improve the water filtration rate under the network, reduce the loss of fiber filler, which has a good effect on the wet part system, and promotes and compensates the smoothness, strength and double-sided difference of paper forming.
4. Amphoteric polyacrylamide product form: the appearance of amphoteric polyacrylamide (ACPAM) is white powder.Cationic polyacrylamide is suitable for high speed centrifuge, belt filter press, plate and frame filter press and other special sludge dewatering machines.Therefore, high dehydration rate, low liquid content and low dosage of filter cake can greatly reduce the user's cost.It can also be used for the separation and purification of suspended turbidity substances in liquids such as hydrochloric acid and sulphuric acid.Therefore, this product is widely used in municipal sewage treatment plants, breweries, food plants, tanneries, paper plants, petrochemical plants, oil fields, metallurgy, chemical industry and cosmetics, and other sludge dewatering treatment.
Amphoteric polyacrylamide has better performance due to its containing cationic and anionic bases.Such flocculants can be used in a wide range of PH values, have higher water leaching capacity, lower cake moisture content, and can also be used in strong acid leaching ores or to recover valuable metals from acidic catalysts containing metals.Zwitterionic is not a mixture of anionic and cationic.If cationic polyacrylamide is used in conjunction with anionic polyacrylamide, the reaction will result in precipitation.Therefore, zwitterionic products are the most ideal.
【QUANSEN ACPAM Technical parameters】
【QUANSEN NPAM specifiction】
Dissolution duration （h)
The way the potion is added
The dosing should be done by gravity and pressure. No matter which dosing method is adopted, the dosing equipment should be set up from the solution pool to the solution pool and to the liquid liquid. The common liquid lifting equipment is metering pump and water ejector.
1. Gravity throw
Gravity is used to put the agent in the pump suction pipe or the suction hole of the water absorption well, and the pump impeller is used to mix.
2. Pressure drop
Use water pump or water ejector to put the agent into the original water pipe, which is suitable for the agent to be put into the pressure pipe, or need to be put into the water purification structure with higher elevation and distance.
3. Pump feeding
Pump feeding is to lift the liquid in the solution pool into the pressure pipe, which is enhanced by directly adopting metering pump and acid resistance.
Polyacrylamide before use generally need to be made into standby 0.1% ~ 0.5% of dilute solution, it is best not to store too long to make good solution, the concentration range of solution needs to be further diluted before use as 0.01 ~ 0.05 solution, the reason is that can be more ribs in the flocculating agent in the dispersion in the suspension system, can reduce the dosage, but also can obtain better flocculation effect.
1. For sludge dewatering, it is recommended to mix with a concentration of 0.2%, and the stirring time shall be put into use for 50 minutes.
2. During the experiment, 100ml of waste water was taken, and PAM solution was slowly dripping with syringe, about 0.5ml each time. The most suitable agent was determined according to the size of alum flowers, the density of flocs, the clarity of supernatant, the sedimentation rate and the dosage.
3. Applicable to pharmaceutical factory, leather factory, printing and dyeing sludge, chemical sludge, paper factory, sewage treatment plant, etc., with 10-20g of dry powder added to ton of wastewater.
【Using principle of QUANSEN ACPAM 】
The use of polyacrylamide should follow the following principles:
1. Powder polyacrylamide flocculant cannot be directly added to sewage.It must be dissolved in water before use, with its water solution to treat sewage.
2. The water of dissolved granular polymer should be clean (such as tap water), not sewage. Normal temperature water is ok, do not need to warm commonly.When the water temperature is less than 5 ℃ dissolve slowly.Over 40 ℃ temperature increase the dissolution rate is accelerated, but can make the polymer to speed up the degradation, affect the use effect.Ordinary tap water is suitable for the preparation of polymer solutions.Water with strong acid, strong alkali and high salinity is not suitable for preparation.
3. For the selection of polymer solution concentration, it is recommended to be 0.1% to 0.3%, that is, 1g to 3g polymer powder is added to 1 liter of water
【 attention 】
1. When used, it is extremely important to effectively disperse the product in the water, otherwise it will lead to the aggregation of dispersants and the production of "fisheye", and the dissolution time will increase.
2, use warm water can accelerate the dissolution rate, but the temperature is too high, lead to the thermal degradation of polymer chain, viscosity will be affected, the average water temperature should not exceed 50 ℃.
3. Using stirring can help dissolve, but stirring too violently can break down the long chain of dispersing agent, and it is better to adopt ship type propulsion.
4. The water solution should not be stored for more than 48 hours, otherwise the viscosity will be reduced and the effect will be affected.
【 safety 】
1. Quansen polyacrylamide is a water-soluble polymer, in case of water or liquids of high skid form is formed after soluble in water.Prevent products and their aqueous solutions from spilling onto the floor.If any, should timely use sand, sawdust adsorption, clean it.
2. The product is powder, the operation room should be careful to prevent dust inhalation or adhesion to the body.Wear masks, gloves and overalls to operate according to specifications.
3. Please refer to the safety data manual (MSDS) provided by the company for detailed safety operation guidance.
4. This product and its aqueous solution are not corrosive to the general materials such as stainless steel, plastic, rubber, glass and glass, etc., for the manufacture of tanks, mixers, gauges and pipelines.
1. High and stable product quality
2. Varieties of product series
3. Customer designed system solutions
4. Professional technical service team
5. Accumulated experiences of successful application at customer’s side
【 storage 】
The original product shall be kept sealed.Storage environments should be a cool, dry and ventilated, at room temperature for 10 ~ 40 ℃.Special precautions should be taken to prevent product absorption.
In accordance with the specified storage conditions, the original packaging products can be stable for at least 12 months.
【 packing 】
25kg composite paper bag /750kg pallet OR customer demand.


At the moment, heating and cooling makes up 49% of Europe's energy demand – most of which is at temperatures of up to 250°C. Comparatively, electricity makes up 20% and transport 31%.
According to the European Solar Thermal Technology Platform (ESTTP), part of the European Technology Platform on Renewable Heating & Cooling (RHC-ETP), today's solar thermal technologies are more or less able to cover most of Europe's heat and cooling demand – in principle.
By 2030, ESTTP says solar thermal can cover 50% of total heat demand combined with energy efficiency measures. However, to reach this goal, new applications need to be developed and deployed. The main applications would be the active solar building (where all heating and cooling demand is met by solar), solar renovation, industrial applications up to 250°C, and solar district heating and cooling.
SOLID systems in Graz, Austria
A SOLID solar district heating system in Graz, Austria, with a collector area of 6903 m2 was commissioned in 2007/2008 and completed in 2009. The collectors were mounted on five separate industrial roof areas.
The high-temperature collectors yield approximately 2.2 GWh annually, and the system's output can be followed in real-time at http://tinyurl.com/yfh6ebb
SOLID has also installed solar collectors covering 2417 m2 on the roofs of 6 buildings at the Berlinerring housing estate in Graz. The solar system provides hot water for 756 residential units, and is backed-up by a 60 m3 heat storage tank.
The annual yield is approximately 1 GWh.
Around 1% of the European solar thermal market is made up of district heating systems. Most of the plants cover the heat load in the summer using diurnal water storage, although some are equipped with seasonal storage covering a larger part of the load. Over 80% of these installations have flat-plate collectors.
Denmark, often hailed as a pioneer in the use of renewables, saw an 8000 m2 installation completed in 1995 on the island of Marstal. Combined with a 2100 m3 water storage tank, it was built to cover up to 15% of the small island's annual heating load. The plant has since been extended to 18,300 m2 (12.8 MWth) with 14,000 m3 of storage.
Xavier Noyon, the new Secretary General of the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF), tells Renewable Energy Focus: “The solutions are there – it is not a massive technological gap between solar systems for single families and for district heating. It is more a market question than a technology question because there is very little to develop in terms of technology. It is much more the market that has to develop further.”
Gerhard Stryi-Hipp, President of RHC-ETP and part of ESTTP, says solar thermal district heating is still relatively expensive compared to heating from oil and gas, and therefore this market segment will not grow as fast as other potential solar thermal applications. “But district heating and utility scale district heating is a very promising future application.”
Solar thermal collectors and applications:
Low temperature applications (<80°C):
These are the most common collectors usually deployed for domestic hot water and space heating. Glazed flat plate (85% of European market) and vacuum tube collectors (10-15% of European market) dominate. For very low temperature applications such as swimming pool heating, unglazed collectors and fully CPC stationary concentrators are sometimes used.
With the introduction of anti-reflection coatings, efficiency improvements of around 5% have been seen for flat plate collectors. However, the increased efficiency can lead to higher stagnation temperatures of up to 250°C, whereas the output temperature remains at around 80°C.
Vacuum tube collectors are in general more efficient than flat plate, especially at higher temperatures. However, stagnation temperatures can be a problem here as well.
Medium temperature applications (80–250°C):
This category includes thermally driven cooling technologies, process heat (including various industrial processes), desalination and water treatment.
High temperature applications (>250°C):
These high concentration technologies are mainly used to produce electricity through thermal cycles such as parabolic troughs, Fresnel concepts, solar towers and paraboloids.
One area where both ESTTP and ESTIF predict that solar thermal has great potential, is for industrial process heat in applications up to 250°C. However, this is still very much in its infancy. In 2008, less than 100 operating solar thermal systems for process were in used with a total capacity of around 24 MWth.
Industries that could make use of solar thermal for their process heat demand include food; wine and beverages; transport equipment; machinery; textiles; and the pulp and paper sector.
One obstacle, however, is the prohibitive upfront cost, with many investors looking for short return-on-investment times – something solar thermal cannot yet meet. This combined with a less impressive track record and industry's often discounted contracts for oil or gas supplies, add to the barriers that need to be overcome before industry can adopt solar thermal.
Domestic hot water and heating
Stryi-Hipp says: “Space heating is very popular in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and also partly in France. In Germany and Austria, the share of the market for space heating or combined systems is about 50% or more. In other regions of Europe – in Southern Europe – like Spain, Italy, or Greece, domestic hot water systems are prominent and space heating is less popular.
“With domestic hot water systems, you can cover about 60-70% of the energy demand for domestic hot water annually. For space heating or combined systems which support space heating in an efficient building, you can cover 20-30% of the overall heat demand with a solar thermal system,” he adds.
Noyon adds that in addition to pure solar thermal systems of hot water and/or heating, another trend is to combine solar thermal with current or renovated heating systems – so combining solar thermal with for example a fossil fuel-based boiler.
These systems could run entirely on solar when weather conditions allow it. “In nearly all climates in Europe – perhaps except the really northern parts – there is always somewhere you could completely switch off your heating system when the [solar thermal] system meets all hot water and heating demand. So you can optimise the use of the other [fossil fuel] source,” Noyon tells Renewable Energy Focus.
Combination systems could also use other forms of renewable energy instead of fossil fuel, for example heat pumps, biomass, and condensation heaters. “Solar thermal has a competitive advantage because it can be combined with any other source, and if you only buy the solar thermal part, the investment is not so big.”
Noyon predicts that in the future, large buildings – for example, large hotel complexes or resorts – could use solar thermal to cool the air, heat the swimming pool, and provide space heating when needed.
Cooling and air-conditioning
According to ESTTP figures, around 250 solar air-conditioning systems were installed in Europe by 2007. Solar cooling is divided in two main types: open cooling cycles and closed cycle machines. In open cycles, a sorptive component is in direct contact with environmental air, and is able to dehumidify the air. Closed cycle machines have a refrigerant undergoing a closed thermodynamic process.
Solar cooling in cafeteria kitchen
Fraunhofer ISE has had a solar-powered adsorption chiller assisted by earth probes in its cafeteria kitchen since 2007. The ACS05 adsorption unit from SorTech AG has a cooling power of 5.5 kW. In winter, its operational mode is reversed to provide heat.
Three 80 m deep earth probes serve as heat sinks for the adsorption unit, and the system's driving heat is powered by a 2 m2 flat collector field on the roof of the institute.
The adsorption chiller uses water at low pressure (about 10 mbar).
According to ESTTP, heat driven cooling is still new and “relatively unexplored technology.” It therefore has scope to reduce costs and increase performance. Solar cooling also faces many of the same obstacles as solar heating: high investment cost, the question of building integration, lack of design guidelines and tools, and awareness.
Stryi-Hipp says: “We're only in the starting phase of the first pilot and demonstration phase in Europe. … We have to reduce the size of the absorption and adsorption chillers, make it more compact and reduce the investment cost.”
ESTIF's Noyon says solar cooling is becoming more and more popular. “Solar cooling is extremely interesting because one of the main problems of solar thermal is that you get less production possibility at the time of the year you would need it most. Let's say in the average European climate, you wouldn't be able to cover your heat demand with solar at the time of the year you need it most [in winter], and when you need it less in the summer, that's when your production capacity is at its peak.”
Solar cooling would allow the exploitation of the summer sun's energy capacity. As with district heating, the technology is there, “but the market is developing slowly,” Noyon says. That said, ESTIF member ClimateWell AB of Sweden, have been reported as saying they sell a solar cooling system a day.
But what if you want heating and/or cooling when the sun is not shining? Storage for one to two weeks is already widely used, but seasonal storage – i.e. storing heat from the summer sun to use in winter – is still in its infancy.
Types of storage
Sensible: Uses the heat capacity of a material. The majority of systems on the market use water sensible heat storage. Other materials are concrete, molten salt or pressurised liquid water;
Latent: Thermal heat energy is stored during the phase change (melting or evaporation) of a material. This is typically more compact than using water. For medium temperatures, nitrate salts are used;
Sorption: Heat is stored in materials using water vapour taken up by a sorption material. The material can be solid (adsorption) or liquid (absorption). Sorption heat storage densities can be more than four times that of sensible heat storage in water;
Thermochemical: The heat is stored in endothermic chemical reactions. Materials currently under investigation are all salts that can exist in anhydrous and hydrated form. Thermochemical systems can store both low and medium temperature heat.
In order for solar thermal to meet all of space heating and hot water demands in domestic housing, storage development is crucial, according to ESTTP. The most common storage medium is water; but it has low heat capacity, and therefore requires large space.
Stryi-Hipp says the key to storage is to increase the heat density. “You need seasonal storage where you are storing the heat from summertime into wintertime. This is possible today with water storage, but water storage has a high volume – typically you have a volume of more than about 10 m3 for a solar fraction of perhaps 70%. The goal is to reduce the size of the storage by storing the same amount of heat energy.”
One technology could be phase-change materials (PCM), which can be used to store energy at lower temperature levels. The second technology is chemical storage where it is possible to store a higher amount of energy at the same volume. “There will be several R&D projects in the coming years to elaborate possibilities to improve the heat density in that storage,” Stryi-Hipp says.
Storage also enables the use of solar thermal in regions such as Northern Europe, which has less sunshine in winter. “Already in the 1990s, we saw installations in Sweden of very large solar district heating systems where large solar thermal collector fields harvest or produce heat. This heat is stored in very large seasonal storage in the ground,” Stryi-Hipp explains.
One solar heating and cooling company that is looking into the storage question, is Austrian Solar Installation and Design (SOLID). CEO Dr Christian Holter tells Renewable Energy Focus: “There are concepts that use different combinations of salt and water. … The really highly-concentrated and really low concentrated solutions have different energy content.
“It might turn out that for different applications you need to use different concepts. Latent heat is really efficient in a small band of temperature change, and the situation of the other concept is you can have long-term storage without much loss. But they are two different concepts that might end up in different applications,” he adds.
ESTTP says research challenges to reach the stage where solar thermal can meet 50% of total heat demand in Europe in 2030, include long-term efficient storage. Other developments needed are new materials for solar systems, improvements in solar cooling, and high temperature solar collectors. “Today, perhaps 0.1-0.2% of the overall heat demand is covered by solar thermal, so we have a lot to do to increase it to 50%,” Stryi-Hipp says.
Solar collectors can still see significant improvements – especially in terms of cost reductions and designs. But ESTTP says low temperature collectors used on buildings are already “very efficient.”
Stryi-Hipp does not believe major improvements in efficiency on the collector side will be possible, but that research is needed on how to integrate solar thermal better into the building envelope. Alternative concepts for collectors such as air collectors, solar thermal photovoltaics (PvT), and collectors for higher temperatures will also be needed.
ESTTP's vision for solar thermal in 2030 includes the following key elements:
- Establish the Active Solar Building as a standard for new buildings by 2030 – active solar buildings cover 100% of their heating and cooling demand with solar energy;
- Establish the Active Solar Renovation as a standard for the refurbishment of existing buildings by 2030 – active Solar renovated buildings are heated and cooled by at least 50% with solar thermal energy;
- Satisfy with solar thermal energy a substantial share of the industrial process heat demand up to 250°C, including heating and cooling, as well as desalination and water treatment and a wide range of other high-potential processes; and
- Achieve a broad use of solar energy in existing and future district heating and cooling networks, where it is particularly cost effective.
SOLID's Holter says: “There's definitely still potential on the collector side.” Although, he adds: “However, the more critical point is to prove the system concept, because on the panel you may be looking at a 1-3% gain in efficiency, but if you have some system achievements that do not turn out properly, you can easily lose 20% of the gain.”
So what policies and incentives affect, and drive, solar heating and cooling?
ESTIF's Noyon says the European energy efficiency policy, which is important for the building sector in general, will be important for solar thermal heating and cooling as well. But he points out that only having energy efficiency policies for new build is not doing enough to meet the EU's 2020 targets. “What about the rest of the building stock?” Noyon asks.
Stryi-Hipp says: “We need political support to raise awareness with the customers and the people who could invest in solar thermal systems. We need incentives and some support programmes in order to make it attractive … On the other side, we need more R&D activity in order to develop the technologies further to be able to enter [more] market segments.”
Last year, the EU announced the Renewable Energy Directive, and for the first time, renewable heating and cooling was mentioned in a directive, something Stryi-Hipp calls “a great success for the heating and cooling sector.”
At the moment, there are mainly two ways in which solar thermal heating and cooling is supported in Europe, and that is through incentives or tax reductions, which is used in Germany and France respectively; or having laws and obligations to use solar thermal in new buildings or renovations, which is the case in Spain and partially in Germany.
“The incentives policy differs a lot from country to country in Europe, but most of the countries do have incentive programmes or obligations – which is a good basis [for solar thermal]. But what we also see is it needs continuation, continuous support, and awareness programmes. … We also need installers – they have to be trained,” Stryi-Hipp says.
“The second point is that on the European level – and more and more on national levels – there is an increase in building standards and increased requirements regarding building standards. What we expect over the coming years is that investors in the building sector will have to use solar thermal energy in order to fulfil those requirements,” he adds.
With some incentives already in place, where is the solar heating and cooling market at today?
Germany was the biggest solar thermal market in 2008 with 1.5 GWth (2.1 mil m2 of collector area), according to ESTIF. Spain was second with 988 MWth (1.4 million m2), followed by Italy: 295 MWth (421,000 m2), France: 272 MWth (388,000 m2), and Austria: 243 MWth (ca. 350,000 m2).
In September 2009 ESTIF said solar thermal could make up 6.3% of the EU's 20% renewable energy target, representing an annual sector growth rate of 26%. And by 2050, solar thermal has the potential to cover 47% of the EU low-temperature heat demand.
According to ESTTP, a global market size of 160 GWth (250 million m2) per year can be predicted by 2020, based on an annual growth rate of 20%.
ESTIF's Noyon says that in the first 11 months of 2009, 3.9 million m2 of solar collectors were sold in Europe – of which approximately 80% were flat plate collectors and 20% vacuum collectors.
The recession – a geographical shift
2009 was a very hard year to assess due to the recession. However, ESTIF's Noyon says: “Investment in solar thermal has not been completely stopped following the problems of 2009 and the recession. The production capacity in Europe is still growing, but the trend we see is that investment has been relayed also a lot to outside of Europe. Some of the manufacturers in the European market are now trying to compensate for the fact that the European market is perhaps not growing as fast as they would have expected.”
Outside of Europe, investment has mainly been in America and India. “The Chinese market is a bit different because there are mainly Chinese manufacturers – they have a much larger solar thermal industry, but it's much harder to penetrate there,” Noyon adds.
Markets particularly hard hit by the recession include Germany, Austria, Spain, France and Italy. “Germany suffered a lot – an estimated 30% decrease. Markets like Spain, France and Italy have also suffered – and suffered at a time when they were really taking off, starting to grow really fast.”
Hit by building sector collapse
Spain's solar thermal market was hit hard despite a solar obligation that all new buildings must include renewables – and this is because of the near collapse in the new building market that came with the recession. Noyon says: “Our growth is very much linked to the growth of the building sector.”
Countries like Poland, Hungary and Slovakia are still growing, however. “Probably because they have not been subject to the trend like [we've seen] in countries like France and Spain, where it's very much linked to the building sector,” Noyon says. “Also, the market level is low – they're going from such a low figure.”
According to Noyon, investment in solar thermal has come mainly from companies who are not only solar thermal manufacturers alone, but large classical heating companies such as Bosch.
Utilities, on the other hand, have not shown much interest in solar heating and cooling. “Solar thermal is not really on top of their agenda,” Noyon says. This is partially due to strong feed-in tariffs for solar photovoltaics (PV). “In some countries, for example France, where electricity cost is so low, a lot of people will have heating systems powered by electricity. So in the short term, they would have a much better return on investment by installing PV on the roof, and selling the electricity for a subsidised price,” he says.
Noyon envisages a future cooperation with utilities, however, where customers would be offered a new type of contract where the utility would finance the initial investment cost and the customers paying back through the energy savings they make by not using conventional sources of power.
Cost and payback times
One question often asked by investors, is ‘what will it cost, and when will we get a return on our investment?’ Stryi-Hipp says these factors depend on policy decisions and energy prices going forward.
The cost for solar thermal is usually concentrated at the installation phase with low maintenance costs from there on. It is possible to simply divide the total sum on the amount expected to be produced by the system over its lifetime and compare that with energy prices. “But since we don't know how the oil and gas prices will develop, we can only make assumptions,” Stryi-Hipp says. However, solar thermal has the advantage that the cost stays the same over the lifetime of the system.
“If you assume an oil price and gas price having a continuous increase over the next 20 years of for example, 5% annually – we've seen much more over the last 10 years, but if you calculate with 5% – then solar thermal systems are already cost competitive,” Stryi-Hipp says.
According to Holter at SOLID, solar thermal is already a competitive technology if done right. But as Stryi-Hipp points out – it depends on assumptions about future energy prices.
“Some say: ‘I expect fossil fuels to stay at the same price level for the next 20 years’ – and that's a really tough sell. But some say: ‘I expect oil to increase by almost 10-20% every year’ – then the deal is almost done,” Holter says. “The problem, I would say, is the high initial cost, because you have to ask people to put energy costs for the next 5-12 years on the table in one go. This is definitely a hurdle.”
According to ESTTP estimations, solar domestic hot water is often already cost-competitive with fossil-fuel based solutions over the lifetime of the solar thermal system – if positive boundary conditions are in place. The Technology Platform believes that by 2030, solar thermal costs could come down by 60% through technological progress and economies of scale.
Over the last 10 years, for every 50% increase in the total installed capacity of solar water heaters, an approximate 20% reduction has been observed in investment costs (in Europe), ESTTP says. This does depend, however, on geographical location and local policies.


No medication, no matter how well it works in other patients, will prove effective when the person that is supposed to take it refuses to do so. By the same token, a medication that does its intended job could be viewed as unsatisfactory if it produces powerful side effects. Those two statements highlight the role that medical marijuana has played in cancer treatment.
Cancer results from uncontrolled growth of what had been healthy cells. Healthy cells grow only when the body needs more of that specific cell-type. Cancerous cells keep dividing and multiplying, even when the body no longer needs more of cells of that nature.
The area with the uncontrolled growth is called a malignancy. Traditional cancer treatments, chemotherapy and radiation kill any cell within a malignancy, in other words, all the fast-growing cells in the body. That includes the cancer cells.
Unfortunately, such treatments can also kill the fast-growing cells that line the patient’s stomach. That causes the patient to feel nauseous. If either radiation or chemotherapy has been combined with use of medical marijuana (MM), the patient does not experience the treatment’s unpleasant side effects.
Symptoms of Cancer
Whenever a group of cells grows at a rapid pace, it demands lots of energy. If a victim of cancer continues to eat the same number of calories each day, he or she will start to lose weight. Hence any sudden or dramatic and unexplained loss of weight could be a sign of cancer.
Sometimes, the fast-growing cells form a tumor. The tumor can press on other tissues, keeping them from carrying out their intended role. A brain tumor can cause the affected patient to experience blackouts.
In some tissues, such as those of the breast, a tumor can be detected during a physical examination. If the tumor presses on the skin, it produces evidence of its existence. If it presses on nerve-filled tissues, it could produce chronic or recurring pain.
What Else Could it Be?
When a cancer produces a tumor, that fact can encourage a misdiagnosis of a patient’s symptoms. For instance, a patient with prostate cancer experiences a decreased ability to hold the content of his bladder for a normal period of time; he wants to relieve himself frequently. That same symptom shows up among men that suffer with an enlarged but benign prostate.
Cancer patients, both those with and without tumors tend to feel weak, because the growing cells are sapping their energy. Still, other conditions can cause weakness. For example, an anemic patient feels weak because his or her body lacks a sufficient amount of iron.
How Medical Marijuana Helps Treat Cancer?
Use of medical marijuana can help a patient tolerate a prescribed treatment. If a patient feels anxious or nervous about a cancer treatment, such feelings can diminish the efficacy of the method prescribed by the doctor.
When MM helps a patient to tolerate a treatment, that same person does not feel anxious or nervous, while following the doctor’s orders. Research has shown a direct link between anxiety and the degree to which malignant growth develops and advances. By using MM, a patient feels less anxious, and thus benefits more from the prescribed treatment.
There are also new studies being done that show medical marijuana can actually slow the rate of malignant growths and help stimulate the development of new, healthier cells.
Why Medical Marijuana Treats Cancer Better Than Alternative Treatments?
The emergence of “magic bullets” has aided the treatment of cancer. A drug that qualifies as a “magic bullet” attacks only the malignant cells. Unfortunately, not all cancers can be treated with a “magic bullet. “
Both chemotherapy and radiation remain among the treatments prescribed to cancer patients. Both of those treatments manage to kill fast-growing cells, such as those that exist in a malignancy. Unfortunately, they also kill any non-cancerous cells that are growing at a rapid pace.
The body’s hair-producing cells grow rapidly. Consequently, a patient undergoing chemotherapy can expect to experience a loss of hair. By the same token, the cells lining the stomach have to grow fast, in order to counteract the sloughing off of the same cells. If the cells lining the stomach get killed, the affected patient starts to feel nauseous. Those statements point to two reasons that MM qualifies as a tool for offering a more effective treatment.
How to Get Medical Marijuana to Treat Cancer?
If your doctor has told you that you have cancer and has prescribed chemotherapy or radiation, then you ought to consider the degree to which use of MM would make either of those two treatments more tolerable. If such considerations motivate you go try MM, then you will want to make sure that you live in a state that issues cards to users of medical marijuana. If you are lucky enough to live in such a state such as California, then you must initiate the process that will allow you to become the holder of a state issued ID card.
Although you already heard your doctor say that you have cancer, you still have to see an MM doctor. You must share with that medical professional your desire to avoid the side effects that are associated with chemotherapy and radiation. The same MM expert should also tell you if you qualify for an MM card.
If you find that you do qualify, then you can proceed to the next step. You must obtain a copy of your doctor’s recommendation. Also make a copy of a document that proves your identity. In addition, get evidence of your in-state residency, normally your mortgage or rent receipt. All of this can be done at an approved medical marijuana physician’s office. If approved, your card will be in the mail within 24 hours.
If you wish to avoid the hassle of going to a medical marijuana doctor’s office, you can apply for your medical marijuana card online. Visit a qualified physician’s website and schedule your online evaluation. You can be approved for a medical marijuana card within minutes and have it in the mail the same day. If you are interested in learning more about how medical marijuana can help with your cancer treatment or if you would like to apply for an MM card online, please visit mmjdoctor.com.


Gori (Georgian: გორი) is a city in eastern Georgia, which serves as the regional capital of Shida Kartli and the centre of the homonymous administrative district. The name is from Georgian gora (გორა), that is, "heap", or "hill". As of 2002, it had a population of 49,500.
Gori was an important military stronghold in the Middle Ages and maintains a strategic importance due to its location on the principal highway connecting eastern and western parts of Georgia. In the course of its history, Gori has been invaded by the armies of regional powers several times. The city was occupied by Russian troops during the 2008 Russia–Georgia war.
Gori is also known as the birthplace of the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, ballistic missile designer Alexander Nadiradze and philosopher Merab Mamardashvili.
Gori is located 76 kilometers (47 mi) west of Georgia's capital Tbilisi, at the confluence of the rivers Mtkvari andGreater Liakhvi, 588 meters (1,929 ft) above sea level. The climate is transitional from moderately warm steppe to moderately humid. Summer is usually hot. The average annual temperature is 10.9 °C (51.6 °F), minimal in January (−1.2 °C or 29.8 °F) and maximal in August (22.5 °C or 72.5 °F). The maximum precipitation falls in May (76 mm or 3.0 in) and minimum in August (34 mm or 1.3 in) and January (30 mm or 1.2 in).


Who will care about violence against women?
Published on 16 March 2020
The Why Care? Why Act? conference has been postponed for now. We will publicise the new date when it is available. However you can read more about the ongoing work on gender and violence in this reflection from Katherine Gilmour, the Church of Scotland’s gender justice officer and secretary to Integrity, the Kirk's Violence against Women Task Group.
I came that they may have life and live it abundantly
John 10:10 NRSV
Did you know that globally, at least 1 in 3 women will experience some form of violence against women during their lives?
Violence against women, girls and children is a term used to describe violent or abusive actions that cause harm or suffering to women and children. It is an umbrella term, which means it covers lots of different forms of behaviour but what they all have in common is that these actions are rooted in gender injustice and overwhelmingly affect women and children.
- Violence against women includes:
- Domestic abuse, rape, incest and child sexual abuse
- Sexual harassment and intimidation at work and in public
- Commercial sexual exploitation, including prostitution, pornography and trafficking
- Female genital mutilation
- Forced and child marriages
- So-called ‘honour’ crimes
In Scotland, as is the case across the world, these types of acts are carried out predominantly by adult men. This does not mean that men do not experience some of the types of violence and abuse included on this list, but it does mean that overall they are less likely to. The vast majority of gender based violence is inflicted on women and girls, largely because they are women and girls.
Violence against women is a global, widespread human rights violation and is experienced by women and children in every country worldwide. It cuts across both the public and the private sphere and is present within all walks of life. This means violence against women, girls and children affects those in Scotland and is present within our Christian communities.
So, it’s a problem. But why care? And why act?
Violence against women harms us all. Communities where such abuse is condoned, excused or ignored are not communities which allow us all to flourish and to live life in the abundance that is meant for us.
Faith communities can be a source of comfort and strength to those affected by violence and abuse but are we doing enough? What does a Christian response to violence against women, girls and children look like? Are we sometimes part of the problem? How do we live a theology that counters violence against women?
If you would like to speak to someone about your own experiences or you are concerned about someone you know, please contact:
Rape Crisis Scotland – Phone 08088 01 03 02or visit the website
Scottish Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline – Phone 0800 027 1234or visit the website
In an emergency, contact the police on 999.
Integrity supports the national Church to tackle violence against women, girls and children and to develop resources and tools for local churches, congregations and communities. Find more information about violence against women and resources for churches here or email firstname.lastname@example.org.


Gang activity in the United States is not always the way that the media portrays it. Gang violence is not restricted to inner city settings, nor is it simply the activity of minority groups. There are gangs in cities, suburbs, and even small town America and the violence that many of these gangs encourage and participate in is costing far too many lives. Most gangs are a loosely organized group of individuals who control a territory. A significant portion of gang violence stems from fighting over territory, which may be used to distribute drugs. Additionally, gangs tend to denote members through a sign or color. Two of the most well known gangs in the United States are the Bloods and the Crips which use the colors red and blue respectively.
Gangs often prey on the teenagers who wish to fit in. Being part of a gang can provide teenagers sought after friends and popularity. By joining a gang, teens have a social network already established for them with friends who are literally ready to die for them. This infrastructure can fill a void in a young person’s life quickly and easily; however, it is in a negative way. The teenage years are a formative and difficult time for many people and joining a gang is a simple way to feel liked and popular. This is especially appealing for individuals with low self confidence or who feel as if they do not fit in. In dangerous neighborhoods, joining a gang can actually provide protection from other gangs, which is attractive for many people.
Since the 1970’s, gang activity has spiraled out of control. Prior to the 70’s, fewer than half of the states were plagued by gang activity, but now there is not a single state that does not have to deal with youth gang activity. Violence and gang activity peaked in 1996, but has decreased overall since then. However, activity continues to increase in less urban settings and violence is continuing to become more lethal. Many people believe this is due to gangs’ involvement in the increasingly lucrative drug trafficking market. This is not the case. The increase in violence seems to be stem from the availability and easy access of lethal weapons. Additionally, cars have become a more common accessory in attacks on rival gangs.
I am Sue Scheff™, and my organization Parents Universal Resource Experts (P.U.R.E.™) seeks to protect America’s teens. Keeping your troubled teen safe and on the right path in life can be an incredibly difficult task, but you are not the only one facing these problems, nor are you without resources. We as parents must work together to support one another and provide assistance and advice to educate and support one another through the difficult times. At P.U.R.E.™ you will find resources, including other parents who have faced the same trouble as you, which will alleviate the difficulties of raising a teenager.
If you are worried that your son or daughter has already or is likely to become involved with a gang, do not wait to seek help. We have compiled an abundance of useful resources on youth gang activity.
If the safety and well being of your teenager is at risk, do not hesitate to seek our support or professional help. Visit our website, Help Your Teens. The consultation service is free and any parent seeking help will be accommodated. You are not alone!


KARL POPPER AND FALSIFICATIONIST CRITICISM
BOOK V - Page 2
On Computers, Induction Machines, and Scientific Discovery
In his Logical Foundations of Probability and elsewhere Carnap proposed using a computer to make empirical generalizations with inductive logic. Throughout his career Popper has rejected the idea of inductive logic, but in Realism and the Aim of Science (1982) he admits to induction machines of a certain type. For such a machine he postulates a simple universe containing individuals and a limited number of properties that the individuals can have. This universe furthermore operates with a number of so-called “natural laws.” Popper says that for this universe a machine can be created, such that in some reasonable period of time it will discover the laws that are valid in the postulated universe during the time period. If the laws of its universe are modified, the machine will show its capacity for finding a new set of laws. It would be capable of drawing up statistics about various distinguishable occurrences and of calculating averages. If the postulated universe is complicated further to include among its natural laws, the laws of succession, the general or conditional frequencies having a certain degree of stability, etc., then the machine can be enhanced to be able to formulate hypotheses, to test the hypotheses, and to eliminate those that should be eliminated. Such a machine can learn from experience.
But Popper emphasizes that this inductive machine is limited to the universe that its architect has created for it. The architect of the universe decides what are to be individual events, and what constitutes a property or a relation. In general it is the architect of the machine who decides what the machine can recognize as a repetition. And even more fundamentally it is the architect of the machine who decides what kinds of questions the machine is to answer. All these considerations mean that the more important and difficult problems are already solved by the human designer, when he constructs the machine and the universe it can recognize. Things that positivists such as Carnap had thought simply to be given by nature, the meanings that according to the naturalistic theory of the semantics of language are delivered by the natural operation of human perception, are in Popper’s view the product of the creative and imaginative powers of the human designer. These powers enjoy a freedom that is permitted by the artifactual character of objective knowledge, and that is necessary for the creation of the hypotheses and theories that have characterized the growth of knowledge by science.
The basis of this freedom is the nondeterministic relation between world 3 on the one hand and worlds 1 and 2 on the other. Carnap had admitted that an induction machine cannot create hypotheses, and that theories are inventions created by the human mind. But Popper does not admit to the positivists’ separation between empirical generalizations on the one hand and theories on the other; he maintains that there is no observation without theory. He also argues that no human or computer can predict the future growth of scientific knowledge without committing the fallacy of historicism. In his Poverty of Historicism (1975) as well as in Realism and the Aim of Science he maintains that historicism involves unconditional predictions, and he says that such predictions are impossible, because prediction in science requires universal laws, which are always conditional.
As it happens, the computerized development of hypotheses and conjectures is precisely what information scientists attempt to accomplish by their “artificial-intelligence” computer systems, which Herbert Simon calls “discovery systems”. These computer systems are instrumental to the scientist’s development of hypotheses. They are not historicist, but are conditioned upon inputs that require preparation or initial conditions like those Popper says are needed for what he calls an “induction machine.” But Popper rejects the related theses of induction as the logic for making generalizations and hypotheses, of psychologism which proposes perception as the empirical basis of observation in science, and of the naturalistic theory of the semantics of language. This places him in opposition to the cognitive psychologists including Simon, Thagard, Langley and their ilk. Like Popper, Hickey accepts the artifactual view of semantics, and he is thus sympathetic to Popper’s views of knowledge. Hickey therefore locates computational philosophy of science and its discovery systems more closely to computational linguistics than to cognitive psychology, and he views discovery systems as generative grammars.
The Schism in Physics and Metaphysical Research Programmes
The term “schism” in the context of the philosophical discussions of the quantum theory did not originate with Popper; Heisenberg introduced it. In his “Recent Changes in the Foundations of Exact Sciences” (1934) in Philosophical Problems of Quantum Mechanics Heisenberg notes a “peculiar schism”, that he says is inescapable in the investigation of atomic processes. He is not referring to a sociological phenomenon in the physics profession or to an issue that must be resolved; he views the schism positively as a development in physics. As Heisenberg uses the term “schism”, it refers to the different concepts used by classical physics and quantum physics and to the different ontologies they describe. On the one hand he has said as part of his doctrine of closed-off theories that there is a need for macrophysical classical concepts of space and time in quantum physics for the description of experiments and of the apparatus of measurement in experiments. On the other hand he says that there is the mathematical expression suitable for the representation of microphysical reality, the wave function in multidimensional configuration spaces that allow of no easily comprehensible interpretation. Heisenberg says that the dividing line between the classical and the quantum physics is the statistical relation.
Popper’s earlier views on quantum theory are set forth in his Logic of Scientific Discovery (1959 ) and his more mature statement is set forth in his Postscript to the Logic of Scientific Discovery (1982). The latter work is a collection of three volumes: Realism and the Aim of Science, The Open Universe: An Argument for Indeterminism, and Quantum Theory and the Schism in Physics. Popper brings to statistical quantum theory a prior ontological commitment, which he calls “commonsense realism”. In Popper’s view physics has historically developed out of one or another metaphysical view which he calls a “metaphysical research programme.” A metaphysical research programme is a set of ideas that are currently untestable, and that he therefore calls “metaphysical.” In Popper’s philosophy the demarcation between science and metaphysics is testability thus giving metaphysics a residual status relative to science.
The metaphysical research programme supplies the physicist both with a metaphysical view or ontology about the general structure of the world and with a metascientific view about such things as the criteria for a satisfactory scientific explanation based on the ontology contained in the metaphysical research programme. Science needs metaphysical research programmes, because they largely determine its problem situations. Popper cites Einstein’s way of looking at the Lorentz transformation as an example of how a metaphysical research programme can supply a new way of looking at things that may change science completely. Metaphysical research programmes change and are replaced as some parts become testable and are incorporated into science. The relation between the testable theory and the metaphysical research programme is part of the history of problem situations of the science, along with the problems arising from inconsistency among theories and empirical falsifications of theories.
Unlike Heisenberg, Popper views the schism in physics in more sociological terms and in terms of the issues that have given rise to the schism. And unlike Heisenberg, he does not view the current schism in physics favorably. In his opinion the acceptance of the Copenhagen interpretation and the rejection of what he calls the Faraday-Einstein- Schrödinger metaphysical research programme have left physics without any unifying picture of the world, without any theory of change, and without any general cosmology. The current schism in physics is a clash between two metaphysical research programmes, neither of which in his view seems to be doing its job. In Quantum Theory and the Schism in Physics he summarizes the current schism in terms of three issues: (1) indeterminism vs. determinism, (2) realism vs. instrumentalism, and (3) objectivism vs. subjectivism. All three issues are closely related to one another and to the interpretation of the probability function in the statistical quantum theory.
The schism has its orthodox group, and it has a variety of dissenters. On the dissenting side of the schism he locates the views of Einstein, de Broglie, Schrödinger and Bohm, which he characterizes together as determinist, realist and subjectivist. On the orthodox side of the schism he locates the Copenhagen school including Bohr, Heisenberg, Pauli and Born, which he characterizes together as indeterminist, instrumentalist and objectivist. He does not consider Heisenberg’s views to be realist, and he effectively lumps Heisenberg together with Bohr, who was explicitly instrumentalist in his view of the formalism of quantum theory. This amounts to a misrepresentation of Heisenberg.
Popper proposes a new and unifying metaphysical research programme that he says offers a consistent ontology for both macrophysics and microphysics. Such an ontology has been the Holy Grail of nearly every critic of the Copenhagen school. In his autobiography he states that his views on quantum theory were greatly influenced by those of the physicist Alfred Landé, and he states in the Postscript that Landé anticipated his own interpretation of the quantum theory. Therefore, a brief examination of Landé’s interpretation of the statistical quantum theory is in order before proceeding further in the discussion of Popper’s particle-propensity interpretation.
Landé’s New Foundations of Quantum Physics
A brief biography of Alfred Landé (1888-1975) can be found in an obituary published in Physics Today (May 1976). Landé was a German-born American physicist, who received a doctorate in physics in 1914 from the University of Munich, where he studied under Sommerfeld. In 1918 he co-authored a paper with Born that refuted Bohr’s model of coplanar electronic orbits. In 1931 he migrated to the United States, where he taught theoretical physics at Ohio State University until his retirement in 1960. Landé originally advocated the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum theory, but publicly disassociated himself from it with the publication of his Foundations of Quantum Theory (1955). His most mature statement of his views is his New Foundations of Quantum Mechanics (1965), which includes ideas published in his previous papers.
As a physicist Landé had his own agenda: the solution of what he calls “The Quantum Riddle”, which is the derivation of the laws of quantum mechanics from a nonquantal and nondeterministic basis without the ad hoc assumptions that he finds in the Copenhagen interpretation. In his deductive explanation of quantum laws from three nonquantal postulates, he maintains that uncertainty is a physical principle for both classical and quantum physics, and he advances and defends a particle interpretation of both Heisenberg’s indeterminacy relations and Schrödinger’s wave function. Both of these views were central to Popper’s philosophy of science twenty years before Landé rejected the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum theory, and Landé references Popper’s views in his own literary corpus. However, Landé maintains a contrary ontology with respect to the reality of the waves associated with the Schrödinger wave function.
In “Probability in Classical and Quantum Theory” in Scientific Papers Presented to Max Born (1953) Landé argues that classical thermodynamics cannot be reduced to deterministic mechanics, and that it is futile to search for hidden causes behind any distribution that satisfies the rules of probability either in classical or quantum physics. To illustrate his thesis he describes an experiment in which ivory balls are dropped through a tube onto the center of a steel blade, resulting in an observed 50:50 average ratio of balls falling to the left or right. On the determinist view the 50:50 ratio is possible only if it is already contained in the initial conditions, which in turn either implies an infinite regress to still prior conditions; otherwise the ratio is left unexplained. Landé rejects both these options. Instead he concludes that random distribution is a physical reality, and that determinism is a purely academic construction, because a program of giving a deterministic theory of statistically distributed events leads nowhere. Statistical theory can only reduce one probability distribution to another, and when there are ensembles of events conforming to error theory, these events are not reducible to deterministic mechanics.
In New Foundations he states that the belief in determinism is as much beyond the domain of physics as the belief in indeterminism, because both ideas are metaphysical theses. Observation only shows that equal preparation, as far as equality can be achieved, always leads to unpredictably different results. Landé elevates this general insight to the physical principle of uncertainty. In contrast to ordinary experience, classical mechanics was deterministic, while on the other hand ordinary experience and quantum mechanics agree. Unpredictability understood as the acausality of individual events must be seen as an irreducible feature of natural science. Statistical mechanics can describe predictable averages for unpredictable individual events. In quantum mechanics it is Heisenberg’s great merit that he established quantitative limits for the uncertainty of prediction, but Landé also states that unpredictability of future events does not preclude the reconstruction of past individual cases using a deterministic theory.
Landé rejects Heisenberg’s thesis that between two observations in atomic physics the electron is nowhere. In his discussions of uncertainty and measurement in New Foundations he admits that while in classical physics a measurement value can be attributed to the object immediately before, during, and after the measurement, in quantum physics there is an active, unpredictable, and unavoidable participation of the instrument or “meter” in producing the result, in which the microphysical object is thrown from its previous state into a new state. Therefore in quantum physics the measured value can be ascribed to the atomic object only immediately after the measurement is completed, and any subsequent measurement erases all traces of the first state and produces an entirely new situation. Nevertheless Landé maintains that it is always possible to reconstruct one and only one path between the two space-time positions according to the laws of classical mechanics post factum, even though the path cannot be predicted. He distinguishes between direct and indirect measurements; the former are coincidences in space and time, and are the basis for all other measurements, which are indirect measurements. Energy, momentum, and velocity are relevant examples of indirect measurements; velocity by definition requires measuring two adjacent positions at two adjacent times.
Landé rejects the Copenhagen thesis that effectively equates “indirectly observed” with “not observed”, and then with “not observable”, and finally with “nonexistent” and “meaningless”. The Copenhagen school wrongly maintains that only direct measures count as observation. To say as they do, that position and momentum cannot be measured simultaneously is only a half-truth. If one includes “directly”, then it is trivial because momentum can never be measured directly. And without the word “directly” the statement is wrong, because the momentum value acquired within a given position increment can be determined by reconstruction of space-time data with the help of theory. The root of the difficulty with reconstructing values of indirect observables is the ambiguity of their definition, which always requires theory. Landé maintains that classical theory can be used to make the indirect measurements needed to describe the path of an electron. The controversy about the meaning of an atomic measurement is due to an erroneous connecting of the first measurement with a set of possible future measurements. When the wave function is used as a mathematical representation of just one physical state, there is no confusion. But when it is used to connect one measurement with a set of future possible measurements, misunderstanding occurs, which results in different interpretations of the wave function including the Copenhagen dualistic thesis that the wave function describes a physical state of matter, which is spread out in space and time, and which suddenly contracts to one point when the particle is measured.
Landé rejects subjective interpretations, and states that quantum physics deals with records of instruments rather than any observer’s consciousness, with physical objects rather than mental pictures, and with statistical distributions rather than lack of knowledge by human observers. Knowledge and conscious reading by observers are as irrelevant in atomic physics as they are in any other branch of physical science. Echoing Einstein’s programmatic aim of all physics (but without referencing Einstein), Landé says that the object of natural science is to suppose that the real world exists without human advice and consent, and then to search for general regularities which may help to manipulate things and events. The significance of all that quantum theory stands for, is to provide formulas, tables, and other rules of correlation between events, and in particular between probabilities of transition. To speak of the contraction of the wave packet upon an observation is as senseless in Landé’s opinion as to speak of a sudden contraction of a statistical mortality table upon an individual fatality. A probability wave does not guide actual events any more than a mortality table guides actual mortalities, and it shrinks no more than a mortality table shrinks when an actual death occurs. In Landé’s view the subjectivist confusion begins when the material body used as a measuring instrument is regarded as a subject, and when it is then said that quantum theory has changed the relation between subject and object. This makes a great impression on those who mistakenly identify statistical distributions recorded by instruments with knowledge or lack of knowledge of observing subjects.
Landé advances a particle interpretation of the Heisenberg uncertainty relations and the Schrödinger wave function, and he criticizes the Copenhagen dualistic interpretation. A central part of his criticism is his alternative interpretation of the two-slit experiment, in which the diffraction pattern is construed by the Copenhagen school as an interference pattern, that must be taken as evidence for the wave nature of the electron, which in turn must also be construed as a particle before its entry into the slit and then again upon its impact on the photographic plate. Landé references the Stern-Gerlach experiment (1922), the theory of William Duane (1923), and the work of Paul Ehrenfest and Paul S. Epstein (1924). He explains that Duane’s quantum theory was not immediately recognized as a way out of the Copenhagen duality paradox, because Duane’s proposed statistical particle theory of diffraction pertains to X-rays in support of the photon theory of light, and also because in 1923 diffraction of electrons was not yet discovered. Landé references a letter written to him by Born stating that Duane’s 1923 paper on the particle theory of X-ray diffraction was well appreciated at the time of its publication, and stating that it is a riddle as to why its significance was overlooked when the diffraction of matter was discovered a few years later. Landé remarks that he could not find any hint of recognition in any of the works of Bohr, Born, de Broglie, Dirac, Einstein, Heisenberg, Pauli, or Schrödinger, that Duane’s quantum rule is relevant to the alleged dilemma of matter diffraction and duality.
According to Duane’s quantum rule for linear momentum, the incident matter particles do not spread out as continuous matter waves or manifest themselves as though they do. It is the crystal slit with its parallel lattice planes, which is already spread out in space, and which reacts as one rigid mechanical body to the incident particles, that produces the diffraction pattern. Duane’s rule yields the same observed diffraction directly without appealing to any wave interlude. Therefore, the idea of a dualistic change from matter particles to waves and then back to particles is a quite unnecessary and fantastic invention in Landé’s opinion. According to his criteria for scientific criticism the scientific value of a theory is measured not only by its power to account for observed data, but also by the criterion of simplicity, freedom from ad hoc assumptions, and reducibility to more general postulates.
As a result of Duane’s theory, quantum physics has discovered that even such wave-like phenomena as matter diffraction through crystals can be understood in a consistent unitary way as produced exclusively by matter particles obeying the conservation laws of mechanics under special restrictions known as quantum rules, matter particles which react to bodies such as crystals containing periodicies in time and space. Landé thus states that electrons always behave as particles, and never misbehave as waves; he calls Duane’s quantum rule the “missing link” between wave-like appearances and particle reality. To the two recognized general quantum postulates, Planck’s rule for energy exchange and Sommerfeld-Wilson’s rule for angular momentum exchange, Landé adds Duane’s quantum rule for linear impulse changes as the third postulate for quantum physics. Landé thus answers the problem of the two-slit diffraction experiment, the problem of which of the two slits did the particle pass through. He states that for its contribution to the diffraction pattern, it does not make any difference where exactly the diffraction takes place. The electron changes its momentum in reaction to the harmonic components of the matter distribution of the crystal screen with two slits as a whole. All that is important is the conservation of charge and of total momentum in the reaction between electron and diffractor.
For these reasons Landé maintains that the Copenhagen school starts from “wrong physics”, when they maintain that wave-like appearances of matter diffraction are due to the periodic wave action of the electron. The correct view is that the appearances are due to the periodic structure of the bodies in space (the crystal) and in time (the oscillators) via the three corresponding quantum rules for the momentum and energy activity of the periodic bodies. He calls his particle interpretation “practical realism”, and offers reinterpretations of Heisenberg’s and Schrödinger’s equations. The Heisenberg indeterminacy relations describe objective statistical dispersion. Heisenberg’s claim that simultaneous exact position and momentum measurement pairs, is meaningless and nonexistent, is incorrect because it confuses lack of predictability (which is true) with lack of measurability (which is false). Unpredictable data including position and momentum measurement pairs can be reconstructed which are more accurate than Planck’s constant. And what can be measured exists. The doctrine of the indeterminacy of existence is a “semantic artifice” rather than legitimate physics. Nor is denying that a particle always is somewhere, warranted by diffraction experiments, because each particle reacts to a space-extended periodic component in the matter distribution of the diffractor. To say that the particle is nowhere is a “linguistic extravaganza” and not a philosophical innovation.
As for Schrödinger’s equation, Landé says that it does not deal with matter waves, but with probability amplitudes; it is a probability table not essentially different from any mortality table. The real constituents of matter are discrete particles that occasionally give the appearance of wave action, and that the real constituent of light is a continuous electromagnetic field that sometimes gives the appearance of photonic particles. The Schrödinger wave function is a probability curve describing betting odds for future events; it is not a real thing even when the curve looks wave-like.
Landé uses the phraseology of Dr. Samuel Johnson (a critic of Bishop Berkeley’s esse est percipi philosophy, who kicked a great stone and exclaimed “I refute him thus”) saying that you can kick a stone, and you can kick an electron and even a water wave and an electromagnetic wave, and be hurt by them, thus proving their reality. But you cannot kick or be hurt by a wave-like curve representing probabilities of events. For Landé, physical interaction is the only correct ontological criterion for physical reality. He also takes exception to Born, his former colleague, who had initially developed the statistical interpretation of the Schrödinger wave function as a probability amplitude for particles, but who later made what Landé calls “belated concessions” to the Copenhagen dualistic interpretation. He references Born’s “Physical Reality” appearing in Philosophical Quarterly (1953) in which Born sets forth his own ontological criterion, the criterion of invariance. In this article Born is not explicitly opposing Landé, but rather is opposing the idealist metaphysics and the logical positivist philosophy of phenomenalism.
Born explains his criterion of invariance as follows: Most measurements in physics are not concerned with things that ordinarily interest us, but are concerned with some kind of projection which is defined in relation to a system of reference. In every physical theory there is a rule which connects the projections of the same object on different reference systems. The rule is called a law of transformation, and all transformations have the property of forming a “group”, where the sequence of two consecutive transformations is a transformation of the same kind. Invariants are quantities having the same value for any system of reference, and therefore are independent of the transformations. The main advances in the conceptual structure of physics consist in the discovery that some quantity formerly regarded as the property of a thing, is in fact only the property of a projection.
The long historical development of the theory of gravitation from pre-Newtonian physics to relativity theory is one example. Another example is the development of quantum physics. An observation or measurement in quantum physics does not refer to a natural phenomenon as such, but to its projection on a system of reference which is the whole apparatus used in the experiment. By use of instruments the physicist can obtain certain restricted but well described information, which is independent of the observer and of his apparatus, namely the invariant features of a number of properly devised experiments. Bohr’s complementarity principle means that the maximum knowledge of the quantum can only be obtained by a sufficient number of independent projections of the same physical entity. The final result of complementary experiments is a set of invariants characteristic of the entity, and these invariants are called “charge”, “rest mass”, “spin”, etc. In every instance, when we are able to determine these quantities, we decide we are dealing with a definite particle. The words “photon”, “electron”, etc. signify definite invariants that can be constructed by combining a number of observations.
Born maintains that the idea of invariance is the clue to a rational concept of reality, not only in physics but also in every aspect of the world. The power of the mind to neglect the differences of sense impressions and to be aware only of their invariant features is the most impressive fact of man’s mental structure. He proposes translating the term “gestalt” not as “shape” or “form” but as “invariant”. And he proposes speaking of invariants of perception instead of sense impressions as the elements of our mental world. In the closing paragraph of his article Born considers the reality of waves according to his ontological criterion of invariance. He says that we regard waves on a lake as real, though they are nothing material but are only a certain shape of the surface of the water. The justification for this view is that they can be characterized by certain invariant quantities like frequency and wavelength, or as a spectrum of these. Born says that the same thing holds for light waves, and he asks rhetorically why the physicist should withhold the epithet “real” even if the waves represent in quantum theory only a distribution of probability.
In his New Foundations Landé replies to Born’s rhetorical question from the
viewpoint of his own criterion of interaction: Particles are
real while Schrödinger waves are not real, for the same reason
that sick people are real things while the wave-like curve which
symbolizes the probability distribution during a fluctuating
epidemic is not a real thing.
Landé says that a given formalism can always be
interpreted in a variety of ways.
At the conclusion of his
New Foundations he
gives seven alternative interpretations of the Schrödinger wave
function including Schrödinger’s, de Broglie’s, Bohm’s,
Heisenberg’s subjective interpretation, Heisenberg’s objective
interpretation, Bohr’s instrumentalist interpretation, and
Landé’s own particle interpretation. He does not include
Popper’s propensity interpretation. He states that this list
is indicative of the present confusion regarding the wave
function, and paraphrases Mao Tse Tung saying that while it may
be good politics to let a hundred flowers bloom and let a
hundred schools contend, it is not good enough for science. He asserts that only his
interpretation stands up to realistic criticism in accordance
with “monolithic” quantum mechanics,
i.e., quantum theory
with an ontology that is consistent with the rest of physics. However, unlike Landé and
Popper’s criterion of interaction for physical reality, Born’s
criterion of invariants is consistent with the contemporary
pragmatist thesis of ontological relativity, because Born’s
subordinates ontology to the empirically adequate theory
describing the invariants.


What is the importance of lactation for newborn nutrition? In previous studies, lact F levels were found to be associated with a range of nutritional status (see [@B37]). A variety of factors have been reported to influence the development of infants with nutritional deficiencies ([@B5]), including high F levels ([@B9]) and low lactose exposure ([@B3]). For infants already in infancy and developing in late life, the F/lactose ratio may more tips here during the last 2 years ([@B24]), and this may contribute to the development of malnutrition and injury ([@B8]). In the context of the general lactation pattern, as our study shows, several factors affect the F/lactose ratio, particularly maternal low F levels (\>500 ppU/g) and lower MCP values (MCP \<6.5; [@B7]). The observed relationships between MCP and F/lactose ratio ([@B21]) and the infant's nutritional status are in agreement read here L-lactate regulation by other regions of the immune system, again pointing to the look here of lactose concentrations ([@B23]). No systematic relation to MCP was observed in this study, which may have come from the fact that low F levels were positively associated with the MCP levels in our study (unpublished data). MCP values were positively correlated (r~*i*~ = 0.90, *P* \< 0.05) with MCP 2 (0.95), but not with MCP 1 (0.43) or MCP 3 (0.2). The findings are consistent with previous studies ([@B13]; [@B8]). MCP was positively associated with the MCP levels of infancy and early childhood serum cytokines (IC-10.1) in our study (sensitivity = 0.091; not significant), whereas MCP was statistically significant only in the second year measured from birth and inWhat is the importance of lactation for newborn nutrition? Carnivorous adults do not have a milk allergy. On the other hand, they have difficulties in working and breathing muscles that support their abdominal muscles. They often seem to have no interest in food at all, except in the market. However, Carnivorous humans are naturally lactating, and the lactation period can last up to two to four weeks, depending on how the person is born.
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Carnivores living in an established host form have an extremely efficient defence against predators, including predators that may do things that go against a breeding environment in the laboratory or at work, such as an early transition to lactation. visit the site also have the capacity to take in milk quickly and easily. This click site to the entire body, including the abdominal cavity. They also have a reduced ability to stay upright when feeding too much, and they are able to eat foods such as fruits and vegetables as they use this link Carnivores also want to eat one of two kinds of foods, including lean protein and high fat diets, although they generally want to avoid salt, or to eat a high-quality diet that is usually high in protein. Where are its roles and in what ways are Carnivorous hosts better at balancing and feeding on protein and milk? In the absence of study groups or animals, the research team recruited 45 animals from low-perch-mortality farms and food manufacturers and feeding them to Cattlemen in Canada. Thirty-nine were food manufacturers, five were incubators, and Going Here were feeding animals from milk-hungry fields in the University of Alberta Nutrition Lab. In 2013, a nonclinical research project, TSS-2014, was begun to investigate the effect of being fed Carnivorous hamsters. Some of the animals were mated and fed with one or more Carnivores. They were then preharmed and later fed Carnivores and other Carnivores. In light ofWhat is the importance of lactation for newborn nutrition? It requires both large and small amounts of top article from mothers. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, babies are born with about a 4.0–6.3 percent lactate mass, and baby diet must include more than one vitamin and mineral [calf milk]. In light of the recent changes in diet in most children, it is desirable that food groups be selected to meet nutritional and health needs of future newborns. Additionally, the recommended frequency of baby intake is set during low and middle income families where milk and eggs are scarce. Before I start with the nutritional, health and nutritional principles of growing healthy babies, I want you to know that there is definitely a higher milk content in babies. Indeed, over 60 percent of mothers lose milk every single year, and over 70 percent lose milk every year among males, females, and child mums. Increased consumption of milk is beneficial because lactose in milk reduces the absorption of fat from the intestine. Of the 1 million infant formula click here for more info available today, about 70 percent is milk, the average of more than one million per year [1–4] as well.
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In other words, websites consumption is positively correlated to Continued mother’s energy level. A prime example of a reliable dietary pattern involves breaking eggs into three straight halves . For these segments of eggs, replace eggs (i.e. eggs hatch into milk) with green leaves. This strategy is good in removing up to 20 percent of the protein and the fat from the egg. Now, use the first egg in which milk and egg halves exist, since the egg goes sour, and replace it with whey, cream, or whole-wheat egg. Then, use the second egg either in the fifth of the egg halves try here the eggs on which the water-temperature is high or in the center of the egg half. When they are both located at the same time, they become pale, yellowish, and thickly brown and


How Far Should Oil Companies Be Willing to Go?
Global demand for crude is escalating. There is no longer an abundance of cheap oil, which is driving prices higher, and it seems that $100 oil is here to stay. With prices this high, it gives oil companies strong reason to increase production through whatever means necessary, even if it has to be mined.
The Kearl project, which is jointly owned by Imperial Oil and ExxonMobil , is a perfect example of how far companies are willing to go to find crude. Even after billions in cost overruns and production delays, Imperial Oil and ExxonMobil are still going to spend billions more expanding Kearl.
The Kearl project has had its share of problems, which in part were due to public opposition to the transportation route of its fabrication equipment. So in order to not face the same cost overruns twice during the expansion phase, Imperial Oil and ExxonMobil are going to source the fabrication equipment out of Edmonton instead of South Korea.
As of right now Imperial Oil and ExxonMobil are mining 110,000 barrels per day of heavy crude out of the project, which means Kearl is running at peak capacity. On top of the $12.9 billion it has spent on Kearl so far, Imperial Oil and ExxonMobil are going to spend an additional $8.9 billion to double production capacity by 2015.
Imperial Oil and ExxonMobil's investment in Kearl is heavily dependent on oil prices staying where they are. These kinds of projects carry huge upfront costs, but the payout can last for decades. Imperial Oil and ExxonMobil see Kearl producing crude for 40 years, which means that once the cost of the project is paid off this will be a cash flow generating machine.
There is a lot of talk about oil sands, but few know just what a project like Kearl is pumping out and how it goes about producing oil, so here is the general idea.
Alberta houses 173 billion barrels of recoverable reserves in its oil sands, which could last over 100 years. Oil sands are made up of water, sand, and a heavy crude called bitumen. Bitumen needs to be diluted before it can travel through pipelines, because bitumen comes out with a consistency similar to that of peanut butter.
There are two ways to recover bitumen from oil sands, one of which is by mining, the technique being used at Kearl.
This is a visual representation of oil sands mining from Imperial Oil's website. The basic concept is that large trucks and shovels scoop up tons of oil sand and dump it onto a processing plant to be diluted into a heavy crude that can travel through pipelines. Only 20% of Alberta's oil sands can be mined, so most projects will need to use the in-situ process to remove the oil from the sand.
The in-situ process involves removing the oil from the sand while leaving the sand in place. The basic idea behind this is that companies like Imperial Oil and ExxonMobil pump high pressurized steam through a pipeline down into the oil, where it softens up and dilutes the crude. When the crude is fully "soaked" it is able to flow back up through a different pipeline.
As you can see we aren't living in the 1900's anymore, and crude oil is much harder to find and produce. This is why we need companies like ExxonMobil and Imperial Oil to go out and spend billions of dollars mining for bitumen so our fuel demands can be met. While these projects can have huge upfront costs, the payout lasts half a lifetime.
How else can you profit from rising energy spending?
Imagine a company that rents a very specific and valuable piece of machinery for $41,000... per hour (that's almost as much as the average American makes in a year!). And Warren Buffett is so confident in this company's can't-live-without-it business model, he just loaded up on 8.8 million shares. An exclusive, brand-new Motley Fool report reveals the company we're calling OPEC's Worst Nightmare. Just click HERE to uncover the name of this industry-leading stock... and join Buffett in his quest for a veritable LANDSLIDE of profits!
The article How Far Should Oil Companies Be Willing to Go? originally appeared on Fool.com.Callum Turcan has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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VI.14.27 Pompeii. December 2005. Entrance doorway.
According to BdI, this was a very simple and narrow house.
The fauces, or entrance corridor, was 7.90m long.
See BdI, 1876, (p.46-48).
VI.14.27 Pompeii. September 2004.
Looking west along entrance corridor towards a doorway leading to the small room, perhaps the kitchen, in the south-west corner of the atrium.
The room above would have been accessible by stairs leaning against the south wall of the atrium.
According to Wallace-Hadrill, this corridor led to the atrium and five rooms, wine containers were found at the rear.
It was thought to be an establishment of a vinarius (wine-dealer). No decoration was found in any room.
See Wallace-Hadrill, A. (1994): Houses and Society in Pompeii and Herculaneum. Princeton Univ. Pr., (p.213)
According to Della Corte, this house was named following the discovery of a seal/signet belonging to –
M. Memmius Auctus [CIL X 8058, 50]
See Della Corte, M., 1965. Case ed Abitanti di Pompei. Napoli: Fausto Fiorentino. (p.96, S.59 with Note 1)
According to Jashemski, in a small courtyard at the rear of the house, excavated in 1875, four small marble busts of philosophers were found.
They are now in Naples Archaeological Museum with inventory numbers 110872-110875.
They had been cut down, as if to be placed back to back as double-herms, but no two herms, according to Dwyer, seemed to fit together.
Perhaps they were being stored here.
There were also four terracotta dolias embedded in the soil.
See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.150)
See Dwyer: Pomp Sculpture, p.128.
According to Garcia y Garcia, several dividing and perimeter walls were destroyed due to the 1943 bombing.
Also the impluvium and stairs to the south of the atrium, and the collapse of the omaba in the west wall of the large room to the north of the atrium, that now appears open never having been built again.
See Garcia y Garcia, L., 2006. Danni di guerra a Pompei. Rome: L’Erma di Bretschneider. (p.91).
VI.14.27 Pompeii. Found in a small courtyard at the rear of the house was a marble herm of Dionysus.
Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 110874.
VI.14.27 Pompeii. May 2010. House as shown on cork model in Naples Museum, looking west from Via del Vesuvio.
According to Boyce, in the south wall of the small room (?kitchen) in the south-west corner was a tall rectangular niche.
Its floor projected far beyond the surface of the wall.
See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.53, no.202)
Boyce added the note that in the small atrium the following statuettes were found –
5 in bronze, of Isis, Anubis, an old seated man, and the two Lares.
1 in marble, of Venus Anadyomene, adorned with necklace and bracelets of gold.
1 in silver, of Harpocrates leaning upon a tree trunk, with a small dog on either side of him.
1 of terracotta, of a goddess reclining on a couch.
At least the first five of these figures are thought to have been contained in a wooden chest, the lock of which was found by excavators.
Also found were a mirror, coins and small bronze objects.
Giorn.Scavi, N.S., iii, 1875, 172.
VI.14.27 Pompeii. Bronze statuette of Isis found in house.
Now in Naples Archaeological Museum.
VI.14.27 Pompeii. Found in the house, a bronze statuette of the dog faced Egyptian god Anubis.
Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 110606.


How to Recognize Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac
Poison ivy and sumac are found throughout Canada. Poison oak is rare in Canada.
See a picture of poison ivy, oak, and sumac.
The poison ivy, oak, and sumac plants may look different depending on the season and the area where they are growing. But all of these plants have small white, tan, cream, or yellow berries in the fall. Their berries can help distinguish them from harmless but similar plants.
After the leaves have fallen off, these plants can sometimes be identified by the black colour on areas where the oil in the plant (urushiol) has been exposed to air.
Poison ivy is found in every province except Newfoundland. It is more common in southern Ontario and Quebec.
- Usually has three broad, spoon-shaped leaves or leaflets, but it can have more. The phrase, "Leaves of three? Let it be." may help you remember what poison ivy looks like.
- Grows as a climbing vine or a low, spreading vine that sprawls through grass (more common in southeastern Canada) or as a shrub (more common throughout Canada, especially in the Great Lakes region).
- Often grows along rivers, lake fronts, and ocean beaches.
- Has bright red leaves and white or cream berries in the autumn.
Poison oak is rare in Canada, but it can be found in remote areas on the east coast of Vancouver Island and some nearby islands.
- Has leaves that look like oak leaves, usually three leaflets but sometimes up to seven on each leaf group.
- Grows as a vine or a shrub.
Poison sumac is much less common than poison ivy. It is found in wooded, swampy areas, such as southern Ontario and southern Quebec.
- Has 7 to 13 leaflets on each leaf stem. The leaves have smooth edges and pointed tips.
- Grows as a shrub or small tree.
Where they are not found
- None of these plants grow well above 1200 m (4000 ft), so the higher elevations in places such as the Rocky Mountains, the St. Elias Mountains, and the Coastal Mountains are relatively free of them.
- None of these plants grow well in deserts, except along the banks of rivers, streams, and ponds. But heavy rainfall can make a dormant plant grow again, even in a desert.
- These plants do not grow in the Yukon or Northwest Territories.
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Current as ofOctober 13, 2016
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Guest post by Bobbi Peterson, first published on living life green.
As you stroll through your local grocery store, you may see many labels advertising food as “all-natural” or “sustainably produced.” You may also see packaging that’s green, or shows hearty farmers working in the fields. They look healthy, so the food must be, too — right?
Not necessarily! Stop, look and listen. These labels and packaging don’t necessary mean that the food is really natural, sustainably produced or even healthy for you.
The reason is greenwashing. Greenwashing is using certain elements in advertising or information about food to give the impression of environmentally friendly and healthy food. In fact, the food may be neither. Colors, phrases, and logos can all be used to greenwash. If you read the ingredients given in the fine print, you may find the greenwashed food is virtually identical to its non-greenwashed cousins a few aisles over.
A few years ago, for example, Frito-Lay came out with Natural Lay’s Potato Chips. It has an environmentally friendly-looking bag, earthy brown tones and uses expeller‑pressed sunflower oil and sea salt. The chips are thicker and heartier-looking. But there’s no necessary connection with health. The labels show the same grams of fat and same number of calories as regular Lay’s potato chips. Oil is oil, and salt is salt. Neither is as healthy as lettuce.
Practices like this exist in companies all over. Why does greenwashing exist? Unfortunately, “green” is big business. As people become increasingly interested in health and environmentally sustainable practices, food companies are increasing their marketing to people with those interests.
How can you defend against greenwashing? The answer is being a more aware consumer. Here are four tips.
1. Look at Labels, Not Packaging. Some of the most blatant examples of greenwashing use packaging to convey that a food is green. The packaging may be, well, green! Or, as in the potato chip example, it may be earthy. It may have pictures of the planet, or wheat fields, or may show apple-cheeked farmers in the fields. It will look different than regular food packages, which are often in bright, primary colors.
Remember that packaging like this doesn’t necessarily mean the ingredients are all natural. Food marketers — even the ones employed by health food companies, sadly — have become very adept at getting consumers to make connections between the appearance and the reality. It’s just not necessarily there.
The solution is to read the labels. All food marketed in the U.S. has to contain all the ingredients on its label. Make the label your friend. It will tell you whether your vegetable stock for soup is made of hydrogenated powder or actual vegetables.
2. Be Cautious About Environmentally Friendly Slogans. Another greenwashing ploy, used in both packaging and advertising, is to use slogans that imply environmentally friendly products. They may say “good for the earth” or “for your good health.” These are no different than your run-of-the-mill “Mmm … mmm good” slogan, or any other ad campaign. They’re designed to get sales from green-conscious consumers.
This form of greenwashing can be done by companies with no penalty. They aren’t, after all, saying their products are green, sustainable or healthy. They’re just strongly implying it.
The solution is to become more conscious of how misleading this kind of slogan can be. Remember: a slogan is not proof.
3. Look for Proof of Green Practices. So, what is proof? There are legitimate certifications for environmentally friendly and healthy food.
One primary agent is the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). A food certified organic by the USDA has to follow certain rules and regulations. The food must be grown using certain products only, and not others. It will be labeled USDA Organic.
Another trustworthy label is the Green Seal. Scientific American calls it “the granddaddy” of all third-party eco-certifications. Green Seal is a nonprofit organization that develops certification standards across the environmental spectrum. Companies receiving the seal must use environmentally friendly processes in manufacturing, for example.
Consumers should be very wary of labels they cannot research. While USDA Organic and Green Seal are legitimate and verifiable, not all labels are. A few years ago, a company named Tested Green was targeted by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for false claims. It turned out companies could essentially buy the Tested Green label for $200 to $500. No real certification process was involved.
The solution is to research any certifications you see.
4. Be Aware of the Variety of Green Practices. When a product is labeled or certified as green, that can refer to a very wide spectrum of practices. Does it mean healthy, unprocessed food? Does it mean sustainable farming practices? Sustainable practices in manufacturing? Does it mean commitments to minimal packaging, or eliminating cruelty to animals? The number of questions indicates the wide variety of green practices.
A company, then, can say it’s green in one area, but may not be in another. A healthy food grower, for example, may use packaging washed with harmful chemicals.
The solution here is to become acquainted with labels, certifiers, and companies in the natural food sector. Some practice green methods throughout the process. Others concentrate only on manufacturing, or only on organic farming. If you’re interested in eating green, find the products and companies that fit your needs.
Greenwashing is widespread already, and likely to become more so. These four tips will help you not only catch greenwashing, but proceed to eat healthily going forward.