Greeny News

concrete storm drains Angeles

hide his life waterway that has rarely been explored - until now

A. Scorching morning at the San Fernando Valley and I'm up and down Balboa Boulevard, parks and land on both sides of the road, lost GPS on my speakers dashboard paused, overcome by a destination without arcane postal code . I see an assistant to empty a container park and pull to ask directions. He eyes, puzzled. I wonder if he is deaf and repeat the question. He still looked confused. "At the River?" Yes, I replied. Where is the river? He shakes his head. "What river?"

I found an old woman in a straw hat walking her terrier and ask the same question. She looked puzzled. "This river, honey?" The river is supposed to go kayaking, I answer. She looks at me with pity, as if I had a stroke. "I do not think you're in the right place."

But I am. Low whistle, almost invisible in the park and the road above, is the Los Angeles River. A river of water, fish, tadpoles, birds, reeds, banks, a river that flows 52 miles bordering Burbank, North Hollywood, Silver Lake, downtown and Compton and empties into the ocean Pacific in Long Beach. A regular river, except that most of the Lakers is a secret. I ask three other people and receive the same blank look until a guard finally confirmed that indeed there is a river at the bottom of a ravine 150 feet away from everything.

There among the reeds, a dozen small bob green and red kayaks and people with helmets and life jackets are rising inside. This is the first season in Los Angeles River Expeditions, a pioneering effort to restore a river that disappeared from the consciousness of the city nearly a century. "Welcome," said George Wolfe, the group's founder. "I hope you're ready for adventure." We are pushing the current.

Until recently, this visit would have been considered not only crazy, but illegal. The municipal authorities of the river encased in concrete in 1930, becoming a channel fight against the floods that was synonymous with pollution and banned for boaters. For decades, languishing in the dark, with the exception of Hollywood with films such as storm drains in Grease and Terminator 2. Now, however, officially opened the boat trips, kayaks and canoes in particular. Campaigners hope it is the first step towards transformation. "This is an important step, and hopefully more to come," said Eddy Charles, a board member of Friends of the Los Angeles River, and part of this question in his kayak through brambles. "If you think of the river as a palette of white, people will create all sorts of wonderful things."

The kayak is the latest twist in the water wars of California, a saga immortalized in Roman Polanski's Chinatown in 1974 film, an exploration of neo-noir intrigue and betrayal with Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway established in 1930 in the state battles over land rights and water. The river, fed by the streams of the Simi Hills in Canoga Park, originally provided food, water and transportation for Indians and Spanish settlers Gabrielino. After the United States, Mexico took control of the city needs beyond the river. An aqueduct completed in 1913 directed water from the Owens River in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada to Los Angeles, ending dependence on the Los Angeles River. Floods prompted his conversion - desecration, some critics say - in a glorified drainage ditch. And it remained for decades the butt of jokes, a garbage dump, out of sight and mind, except when it is used as a backdrop for the Hollywood racing and persecution.

Its nascent renaissance this summer as a source of recreation and environmental awareness is in the middle of a water fight renewed. Diverted Owens River is not enough - Los Angeles County is home to about 10 million people, not to mention the large farms further south claiming for irrigation. Governor Jerry Brown defends a proposed $ 14 billion (£ 9 billion) tunnel to divert water from northern California cities thirsty Southern California and farms. Two tubes, each 33 feet wide, lead a portion of the Sacramento River - up to 9,000 cubic meters per second - for existing pumps and aqueducts, supposedly to end conflicts around water that Ronald Reagan , Arnold Schwarzenegger, and a number of other governors failed to resolve.

"We need to start thinking in new ways and use words differently. Whether you call it a drainage ditch which is treated as a drainage ditch. Call it a river and treat it as a river, "says Wolfe, head of the expedition, as our group rowing upstream in a groove. A writer with a passion for boating, Wolfe and a few others have traveled first to the entire river for three days in 2008. It was technically illegal - the city does not want anyone in your drainage channel - but the police dismissed challenges to a filming permit (legitimate), a magical place when it comes to police in Los Angeles and Long Beach rose

Find best price for : --Angeles----Wolfe----Brown----Dunaway----Faye----Nicholson----Jack----Balboa----Fernando--

NHS employees concerned and to opt for the process technology for monitoring the U.S. in an attempt to reduce infections SuperBug

The NHS is expected to begin using the cameras in hospitals to monitor staff behavior in an attempt to reduce nosocomial infections, improved quality of care and improve patient safety.

two hospitals have decided to adopt the technology, which has raised concerns among staff about being constantly monitored as they work, and raised questions about how to protect the confidentiality of the patient.

The Royal Liverpool University and Broadgreen Hospitals NHS Trust will become the first NHS organization to install cameras in a move that could change health workers' relationships with patients and their employers.

Trust has an agreement with U.S. technology company Arrowsight, and ADT Security Services, to put 30 cameras in the intensive care unit, renal dialysis unit and operating room of the Royal University of Liverpool.

trust management, supports the measure, which should be implemented in the fall, led to "the apprehension and mistrust" between the staff concerned. But it is waiting for cameras lead to better care for some patients more vulnerable, less cases of MRSA and

Clostridium difficile

aa difficult

) and a reduced risk of surgical personnel to make a mistake when performing a procedure. Managers believe that patients and their families welcome the presence of a watchful eye and the staff will be motivated to always follow best clinical procedures.

driver free

Trust undertake a period of three months without charging before deciding to make these work practices of continuous monitoring. It costs the first year would be about £ 200 000 for the cameras and monitoring services if you rented the 30 cameras. If it does not put them in the operating room, the first year cost would be reduced to about £ 37 000.

regime could become a pioneer for the NHS. Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust also plans to test the technology in a large room at the Manchester Royal Infirmary. Other trusts have had conversations with Arrowsight and ADT, and a third driver in London, should be confirmed soon.

Chambers in the canopy bed in the operation of the care unit intensive care unit of the Royal Liverpool Hospital will ensure staff wash their hands before dressing wounds, giving drugs, and insert or delete rows IV patients. Diane Wake, director of operations of the Trust and Executive Nurse, said: "The cameras will also track how often patients to move staff in his bed, which are usually fixed and sometimes can be connected to a respirator , and if appropriate techniques are used to reduce this. the patient's risk of either getting pressure ulcers or infection, especially ventilator-acquired pneumonia. "

Patients

warning signs and their families to the cameras and the attention of anyone will be monitored without their written consent. "This will give patients and visitors additional assurance that really care and security very seriously," said Wake.

"We will also use this technology in our renal dialysis unit to see if staff have washed their hands and using the correct procedures for connecting the dialysis machine to the patient, to avoid giving the 'patient with a blood infection. The nurse must clean the patient's skin before inserting the needle, "he added.

While the trust has reduced its MRSA rates by 90% and

C. difficult

89% over the last three years, hopes that the cameras to make additional improvements.

Arrowsight product technology, known as "remote video auditing." Has been used for years in the United States by the meat industry to control the hygiene practices of workers, fast food to move people where they are needed during peak hours and for security reasons.

call centers

Find best price for : --Cameras----College----nursing----Shore----North----Arrowsight----MRSA----Liverpool----Royal--

Government policy is committed to

sustainability planning, but an uncertain future economic, social and climate threatens the

Although the National Policy Planning Framework was well received by its emphasis on the development of urban and local decision, that the definitions in the context really means a problem. For example, when the NPPF refers to "sustainable development", which is what really speaks?

Our experience suggests that, in the worst case, this is a vague concept that has something to do with resource consumption. However, if we are to ensure adequate housing and efficient energy in the right places and access to services, we must be very clear about what we mean by sustainable development - and make sure it is fundamental to the development process

Part of this is should be a requirement for developers and their contractors to demonstrate that the performance of the building's design reflects its promises. Too often, we end up with the evolution that does not really offer the required level of energy efficiency and do not have access to shops, schools and other facilities and services that help communities to work in the long term .

The UK continues to face enormous challenges in terms of availability of necessary materials, products, technologies, knowledge and skills we need to ensure that our developments are green. However, if the construction industry, architects and planners must have the confidence to invest in these areas who need a clear long-term commitment of the Government which is based on a comprehensive strategy. While the big deal announced Green focuses on the challenges of our existing stock, its implementation will be considered a litmus test of a real government commitment to help the industry built environment providing a low carbon built. It is essential that politicians show they understand the often complex challenges related to financing vehicles of this type, and are ready to cope.

must also be clear that sustainable development for us is not only low-carbon materials and energy efficiency. New development should be long-term viability, in general, and that means residential housing, with a real community with the support of the necessary infrastructure and commercial property is not only created to capitalize on growth opportunities, but can meet the changing needs over time. Ultimately, building something that we consider to be sustainable is only the beginning. Make sure its long-term performance in the shadow of the uncertainty of future conditions, their resilience - is what really matters. If you are not flexible, we risk obsolescence built, leaving a legacy of a built environment that does not fulfill his promise and does not take into account demographic changes, climate and socio-technological.

Coventry University

aa

Find best price for : --NPPF--

London

voting system means that the second preferences make a difference in the "real" career. What are the dilemmas vote?

I would like Jenny Jones, Green Party to be the next mayor of London. His show combines idealism and practicality in an overview of the capital that promotes small businesses on localism and champion equality, contains measures to address the desperate housing crisis in London, calls for the reform police and go to the economic and environmental logic to move the motor vehicle to the bottom of the hierarchy of transport in the capital. Their sounds of London as a good place to live.

have tried my political party preferences in the voting machine and both the guard and get a great mayor green than anything else. Jones himself is an efficient, experienced and hardworking member of the London Assembly, which would be perfectly capable of running the city. Moreover, there seems to be more overlap between comments crowdsourcing is shown in a mayor and the program model proposed by Jones than any other candidate.

The downside is that Jones will not win. The mayoral race has a couple of pointers and some clear losers quintet. Jones is among the latter, none of them vote, even in double digits when respondents are asked to name their favorite candidate of September, while the two main candidates, Conservative Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone Labour were marked around 40% and above.

What is the point of going to Green on Thursday? Do not be a wasted vote? The answer is that voting Jones is a luxury I can afford. In fact, the whole experience of the polling station election in London is decadent with voting options, which we Londoners to make informed decisions by the head and heart.

In total, we can cross the four times in three different ballots: twice for mayor and two ways to mount, which scans the body (which will remain a "he".) The only problem is that the options must be exercised with care. Can create dilemmas, too.

I am in agony with my two choices for mayor. Jones Making my first choice - my "X" will go in the first column of the pink slip - is a true expression of my conviction and move the green agenda, but without reducing my ability to influence the outcome of competition between the only two candidates who can win: supra-party entities known as "Boris" and "Ken"

The part municipal elections are held under the supplementary vote system (SV), an abridged version of the AV. A first count document adds all first preferences. If no candidate obtains more than half of them, he or she earns. Opinion polls tell us that this is unlikely to occur when counting takes place on Friday (the day after the election itself). Johnson first preference rating was as high as 46% in a recent poll, but never threatened to hit 50%.

My first preference

Jones will not have the effect of helping Johnson in this direction, since only the first choice of Johnson, or abstentions important of all voters-Johnson can do. In other words, the percentage of first preference non-Johnson will not be altered by the way are distributed among six rivals. It will be a surprise if it drops below 50%.

And yes, ballots in yellow and orange Day-Glo Democratic Jamboree. These are for both sides of the 25 voting members of the London Assembly. Yellow is for the 14 constituency members and orange for the 11 London-wide members who are elected on party lists and seats are allocated by the brain ironing modified d'Hondt formula of PR .

as an excellent guide The Guardian says the electoral section is "exactly the same as voting for a member of the general election, that voting for a candidate with a cross, and the candidate with the most votes in this group win that seat. "I will definitely vote on my work in the Northwest constituency Labour stronghold, sending a message against the government in the process. In some other groups, including Barnet and Camden, the conservatives in power can be removed by challengers of work. I urge Londoners who can make that happen.
Instead I'm in trouble on the section of London. I want to reward political liberal Democrats Paddick police, who are the best of any candidate for mayor. Section of the vote in the London Assembly elections is part of London as a whole has given smaller parties at a glance. D'Hondt published three Lib Dem and two Green members of the Assembly in 2008, with a British National Party. The Greens and the Liberal Democrats have made valuable contributions to the work of the Assembly, and I want that to continue.

Find best price for : --Benita----Siobhan----Paddick----Brian----Liberal----Livingstone----Johnson----Green----Jones----Jenny--

president said that China would be stronger if it is to liberalize the system, "senior diplomats to discuss the options of Chen Guangcheng

Barack Obama expressed support for the blind Chinese dissident amid a confrontation between Beijing and Washington, saying that China would be stronger if it improved its record on human rights.

Obama, during a press conference Monday in Washington, said he would consider the details of the case of Chen Guangcheng, but then to call Beijing to address its human rights record .

"We believe that China will be stronger, because it opens and liberalizes its own system," said the president, in his first comments since Chen fled house arrest for the Protection of U.S. diplomatic. United States. Beijing last week to the end.

He added: "We want China is strong and we want to be prosperous, and we are very pleased with all areas of cooperation we have been able to participate in. But I also believe that this relationship is much stronger and China will be much more prosperous and stronger than you see improvements in human rights. "

A senior U.S. diplomat, Kurt Campbell traveled to China on Sunday before a planned visit to open negotiations with Chinese officials.

Such is the sensitivity of the issue in the United States has refused to comment publicly on the subject. The U.S. has not confirmed, so far, Chen is under their protection or that negotiations with the Chinese will.

The impasse comes at a delicate moment in relations between the U.S. and China, a few days before the deadline, the annual discussions of the economic and strategic Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and their Chinese counterparts in Beijing Thursday and Friday. Washington and Beijing confirmed the talks will go ahead as planned.

The U.S. examines options for Chen, ranging from the asylum in the United States to extract a guarantee from the Chinese government that he and his family will be harmed.

Chen friends say he does not want to leave China and settle for a guarantee of protection and an investigation into his abuse by local authorities in the past six years. China analysts that the chances of Beijing approving the latter is a remote possibility.

Zeng, activist and friend, said any move abroad by Chen

would be bitter. "I would be very happy for him and his family, but show that the environment is worse for defenders," Zeng said. "I would be desperate if even the most important activist - someone who has the wisdom and the ability to make changes in China - were forced into exile to protect their safety. "

Chen, a prominent opponent of forced abortion as part of the China policy of the child, escaped from his hometown in Shandong Province, at the end of the week last 19 months of house arrest.

Aware of the criticism of Republicans that he is too soft on China on issues of human rights, Obama defended his record Adminstration. "What I want to emphasize is that whenever we meet with China, the issue of human rights appears. It is our belief that it is the right thing to do." He added that the U.S. was the belief that improving the human rights situation in China is the country stonger and more prosperous.

Chen presents Obama with a difficult challenge: firstly, it must be regarded as a defender of human rights, but then again, who does not jeopardize the U.S. companies. United States. and other relations with China. Republicans routinely characterized as benign in China, and his Republican rival Mitt Romney for president, Obama on Sunday called Chen to ensure it is protected.

The European Union on Monday urged China to exercise "utmost restraint" in the case of Chen and avoid "harassment of family members or anyone associated with him." Two activists, Hu Jia and Guo Yushan, were released after being taken into custody, but there are concerns that Peirong, who helped him out of his cousin Chen and Chen Kegui

Find best price for : --Geithner----Timothy----Hillary----Washington----rights----human----Beijing----Obama----Chen----China--

Darryl Cunningham uses graphic novel format to solve the most serious problems of science and fight misinformation

"The argument for climate change induced by humans is as follows ..." says the penguin to talk to the man with the red jacket in the middle of the ice of the Arctic. If this sounds like the beginning of a joke, to celebrate in the auction.

The amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere has increased dramatically since the industrial revolution, the penguin will.

"But is it not true that a growing number of leading scientists now believe that climate change is the problem?" the man asks. "It's a small band of marginal opinion," says the penguin, which explains how oil and gas companies are funding climate change denial, while the media provide the skeptics with the oxygen of publicity. "The future looks bleak," says the penguin.

and dialogues? Drought, famine, disease and extinction of a quarter of the species on the planet, if we do not act quickly.

is a familiar story. What is unusual is how it is told.

science stories

AA>

contained in this conversation, discusses some of the most urgent debates in science with images, balloons of text and drawings of comic books, and penguins.

The man with the red jacket is the cartoon version of the author, Darryl Cunningham, who has a vision on issues as thorny as homeopathy and MMR, is the sort of fiction and presentation of complex information accessible on a large scale.

A graduate of art school in Keighley, West Yorkshire, Cunningham dabbling with comics in the '80s before moving on to a career in mental health. It was founded on the experience of writing What
There is a loss, most often in the hands of people who have not read a graphic format that is not appropriate to treat weight problems, but the path is full of examples the opposite view Joe Sacco reports pictorial conflicts in Bosnia and Palestine is unbearable David B or movement has a family illness in the

epilepticus . Far from being frivolous half of the map book is an excellent way to familiarize themselves with serious problems, says Cunningham. "It sums up things very quickly and can plow through a lot of information. I like the simplicity of it."

Liberal Democrat cares leaked document reveals plans to subsidize nuclear via electricity bills

Ministers

considering subsidizing nuclear energy via electricity bills -. Despite his promises to do so, a secret document seen by The Guardian revealed

The leaked document clearly spells out the plans use "contracts for difference" of nuclear energy, which allows operators to obtain nuclear energy prices higher than fossil fuel plants .

provides further inflame the ranks on energy policy and cause a political storm for the Liberal Democrats, who fought general election strongly opposes an expansion of nuclear energy.

Fiona Hall, Liberal Democrat leader group in the European Parliament with a special interest in energy, said he had no doubt now that the contract for the difference was a grant. "The industry on all sides that it is a subsidy." She wants the court of the United Kingdom of Auditors and the European Commission to give a legal opinion on the issue and believes that any subsidy is against the coalition agreement. In a blog posted on the website of Voice Liberal Democrat calling party members to "speak" against nuclear subsidies.

The question is the key Lib Dem many supporters and has gained even more resonance to the catastrophe of Fukushima and the withdrawal of nuclear countries such as Germany and Italy.

green campaigners believe that the Liberal Democrats were persuaded to allow the higher energy bills to circulate in greater profits to nuclear operators by a snap that allows ministers to hide Grant support for the nuclear "low-carbon energy."

The Guardian also saw the presentation by Scottish & Southern Energy to members last month, saying the plans are "hidden subsidies" will be challenged for legal reasons, and could "damage" Financing renewable energy. Hall said: "I have not seen the ESS presentation, but even the nuclear industry accepts this is a hidden subsidy."

green campaigners threaten to sue when plans are made public later this year.

The leaked document, a presentation to the European Commission, the government confirmed as authentic, said: "Our reforms put in place a regulatory framework based on feed-in tariffs for all low carbon technologies This will enable more young people to mature technologies for short and medium term future will be able to compete on the open market ... in time, we hope this framework will enable the various low-carbon technologies to compete against each other on an equal footing to its rightful role in the energy mix. "

This is the clearest evidence to date of government plans to subsidize nuclear power through the back door, by the ranking of renewable energy as "low carbon", despite the repeated assurances that there would be no public subsidy. The coalition agreement of subsidies of nuclear energy has explicitly excluded. He said: "The Liberal Democrats have long opposed any construction of new nuclear Conservatives, by contrast, have agreed to permit replacement of existing nuclear power plants, provided they are subject to normal planning process for large projects (under a new statement of national planning.), and provided they receive no public subsidy. "

Claude Turmes, a leader of the Greens in the European Parliament, told the Guardian: "We believe these rates provides nuclear energy is a state aid to nuclear energy, which would not allowed .. We are looking for that very closely and we will fight this "Decc He said:" I think it should be considered as state aid and are in discussion with the Commission on this ". In the plans of the energy industry are also controversial. The presentation of Scottish & Southern Energy Plans label firmly nuclear government as a "subsidy". In the presentation members were informed that the government was making changes in the position he needed to "hide the subsidy" to avoid scandal.

SSE noted plans must "clearly support [the rules], however, the grant for a mature technology like nuclear power is a likely stumbling block to the committee" and accused the government of trying to hide it. SSE said: "We fear that if he gets a grant of up to support renewable nuclear [be] enormous uncertainty in our core market."

A spokesman for SSE said. "We do not know what the grant is required to make investment in new nuclear work What you need the UK is an honest debate about the level of subsidy is necessary, the mechanism for their benefit, and why consumers should pay for it. If we decide that nuclear energy is necessary to grant must be clear what is paid and not be such as investment damage to essential services for renewable generation. "

Find best price for : --Southern----Scottish----energy----Guardian--

television and stage actor talks about his family

My parents had four children quickly

, quickly divorced - when he was two years - and my mother remarried quickly. We suddenly in a different environment, with a different father. He had two son. We were all struggling to survive in a house in the country, where our lives were dominated by horses. My step-father of the poor, Richard, was very orderly. Our horses galloped on the turf, and he saw him with his hands behind his back stamping the earth with Facebook Not going crazy, I know.

My grandmother, Lady Perdita Hylton

, severe depression. I remember once go and see his face in anguish, and she ran to the door of others. Due to the depression of the grandmother, my mother, Alice, had developed an armor. It was difficult to speak of anything vulnerable decision.

We want to visit my father, John

, home of Kew Green, where he was born. I was worried about her. The banks of the Thames had burst and there was a tide line around the kitchen that has never been repainted. I had no idea about the children. Sometimes I take my brother and my vacation, I visited friends Eddy and leave us in the car. When he returned, we burned holes in the seats with the lighter. For many years he traveled and did not seem to join him in restaurants. But since he is old - who is 84 years - was much in our lives and that's fine

When I had my daughter Poppy , who is 24, I was probably aware that there had been no an intimate relationship with my mother. So I tied around me and take it to parties until 3am. I think there's a huge amount of luck in this kind of child you have.

Some people in my family managed well, some people inherit a lot. But I turned my back on all this. When my father saw Four Weddings, turned to someone and say. "This girl is like my daughter," He got angry against me because people say I've seen on TV and he did not know.

dig through the seafloor sediments and looking back in time that the planet was thousands of years

Readers can ask questions of the expedition's scientists about their work and experiences at sea in a boat directly to the land Q & A session Tuesday, April 24

53 ° 46.74

S, 38 ° 06.67 W

It was the week of the mud. It's amazing what geologists can draw from the depths of the sea, taking account of a tower and a drainage tube glorified. Throughout this journey, the ship's public address systems were painting a picture of the ocean floor miles below us, showing us the mountains and valleys of depth. However, hidden in holes and trenches in the landscape are underground geological treasure bags, and this week the ship was looking for treasures.

One of the strangest concepts of oceanography is something called marine snow. There are small organisms that live near the ocean surface to be constructed from carbonate and silica in water. When they die, leaving behind fragments of thin shells, but solid, and they have nowhere to go but down. Throughout the vast oceans of the world, unimaginable amounts of these fragments of life flows slowly until you can not sink any lower. They settled on the ocean floor, above last year billions and billions of last year. The ocean is a cemetery.

But this cemetery has a story to tell. When the organisms are alive and construction of themselves, use their surroundings, and in so doing, we build the chemistry of the ocean in their own shells. If carbon-14 than carbon-12 in the ocean, nothing in the tank too. These chemical signals we talk about the weather, ice ages, ecology and more. Down below me in this boat, there is a history book. If only I could dig through the layers in the ocean, you can look back in time and see what the planet was like tens or hundreds of thousands of years.

This is where we get the drain pipe When geologists have discovered a bag of sediment, the team reached a weight on the shape of the back of a dart with a metal pipe up to 18 meters long. This is lowered onto the ship's side, nose down, and off you go. It sinks until it reaches the soft sediment on the speed and the club down on it. It functions as an apple corer, and when you remove a core of mud stabbed comes with it. And that's it. A replay of the geological mud. Today cores were collected from six to 18 meters long and geologists think that's enough for dozens of mud and possibly hundreds of thousands of years. Interestingly, this does not necessarily mean the mud while being pretty bad. We spent the week sailing around South Georgia in search of good places to pick up these books the history of clay library ocean floor. There was very little to do with the ocean surface, but flat and gray clouds and haze. I can easily see how seafarers in the early mists changing superstitious could turn into monsters.

The routine of the ship begins to take its toll on us. There may be little to distinguish one day from the next. Our latitude and longitude of change, and when our job changes slightly, but only a limited number of different things that occur. When the vessel is always the same as we travel east and west, so the sunset and sunrise times change, but otherwise it really would not know we were heading. A few days ago while I was at the gym, do the same thing I do most of the time, my iPod shuffled to the Eagles song "Hotel California" and felt a chill feeling of empathy. You can check in anytime you want, but you can never leave ...

load was carried out along the pier, sea lions and penguins last resting intact. Penguins anything less entertaining. Everyone can see them and their antics for hours. But we had hours. Soon it was time to return to the ship and the land disappeared into the mist again.

There is only one week marine science to go south.

EU target is the time in the world's most ambitious, but to what extent it is based on false accounting?

The EU has gained much credit in the international climate. He was driven through a road map for a second Kyoto agreement on climate change summit in Durban, and closes by pulling the world's airlines in a carbon pricing scheme.

More than anything, it showed good faith with a series of avant-garde of decarbonisation targets at home: the objectives of "20-20-20". In 2020, the EU pledged to reduce emissions of greenhouse gas emissions by 20% over its 1990 level, and increase the share of renewables to 20% of the energy mix. It also has a voluntary target to improve energy efficiency by 20% from 2005 levels, and the obligation to provide 10% of transportation fuels from renewable energy sources for the same year.

"We do not expect the talks to end binding targets," said Commissioner climate, Connie Hedegaard, in Brussels, shortly before the summit in Durban. "We're trying to move forward with our roadmap for energy efficiency in low carbon, discuss how we can strengthen efforts to return home."

was right to good faith. Addresses of the EU climate and environment are among the most talented friends and dedicated the land they could find. But what if a culture of creative accounting, for reasons of political expediency, was flying the goals that work for the credibility of any

Of the three objectives of the EU by 20% by 2020:

The EU is a pioneer in global climate policy, and the target in the world on climate most ambitious: a reduction from 80 to 95% of CO2 emissions by 2050 compared to 1990 levels. Later this year, Brussels will unveil new climate targets for 2030 and interim 2040, perhaps as milestones on the way. The rest of the world, no doubt, looking thrilled - or terrified, waiting to unravel plans

But that's because of fears of a parallel execution in the euro area to the crisis must be addressed now. Secondly, the EU has approved billions of euros of bad loans accounting for countries like Greece, who had arranged their finances to make it look as if they met the criteria when they were not. Greek number crunchers have used a known weaknesses in the accounting system of the EU to "juke the stats".
If a similar culture of false accounting in the Member States and the Commission of the European Union is at stake today, could eventually help produce a political mistake of catastrophic proportions, although you are not immediately.

Find best price for : --Neslen----Arthur----Connie--

Germans are far ahead of the British when it comes to saving water in the country. But politicians to avoid the big problem: the agricultural use

While Britain frets of drought, Germany can not get enough to save water. The Germans are good at conserving water, so good, in fact, they created a problem for your piping system: many tubes are clogged with grease, feces and food waste, because they are rinsed with water. Especially in summer, the channels in the German cities can smell horrible. In some parts of the country, water providers, even to clean their pipes artificially with hundreds of thousands of liters of water.

We Germans have always had at heart to be the best in class when it comes to saving water. Our services have a special button wash water savings after having a wee, turn off the tap when brushing your teeth, we try not to splash too much when we wash our cars. Last year, Germany, are used only 124 liters per head per day - against 144 liters in 1991. In Britain the current figure is 150 liters.

This can be very impressive by Germany, Britain and embarrass. But the real question is whether the little things like that really make a difference. Finally, the few that allows you to keep when he drinks, baking dishes, laundry and washing are of little importance.

course you can discuss the details here - there are always little greener alternatives. But you can not argue much with the water footprint shows how to call this neglect we treat the most valuable resources of the Earth. On average, each person on this planet is responsible for about 1.4 million liters of incredible water use per year: it's 8600 with a bath of 160 liters of water each. Ninety percent of this is used in agriculture where there is adequate water conservation is to occur. But apparently, politicians do not care to do something about it, whether in London, Berlin or Brussels.

It may well be drought warnings more frequent in the future. National governments must find ways to solve the problem. The first step should be a fight with farmers, industry and pressure groups, not just those from your door.

And there are many proposals on the table that politicians should keep in mind: either a tax on water, so that those who use the river to cool its plants will have to cough, use farm subsidies as a reward for water limits the use of water or attention throughout the industry. Instead, the environment secretary Caroline Spelman seems to be focused on ordinary people say they have fewer bathrooms.

A pair of glacier retreat more slowly than expected does not change the irrefutable fact that most are melting fast

Glaciers are one of the most widely used natural environments to illustrate the effects of climate change. It is quite undeniable that in a warming world, glaciers are melting faster. However, two recent studies published in scientific journals (more here and here) suggest that, in the Himalayas, the rate of mass loss was small and too expensive, and further west, in the Karakoram, glaciers are actually a little weight gain.

Is there a conflict between these studies and the entire body of research indicating that in the world, glaciers are retreating for decades?

To answer this question, we must look a little closer than the studies show, and its place in the context of global changes in land and sea ice Both studies refer to a relatively short period of time: between eight and nine years, more or less the last decade. The Himalayas, vary widely in snowfall from year to year depending on the strength of the monsoon. However, atmospheric science, climate trends is usually determined from records covering at least 30.

For comments on these longer time scales is a difficult task for glaciologists. There are over 160,000 glaciers on the planet, less than 120 that are continuous and long term measures. These ground measurements were supplemented by data from satellite and airborne sensors. The combined records indicate that most but not all, systems of glaciers lost mass at least for the past four decades, and that the rate of loss has accelerated since mid-1990 for key regions such as Patagonia, the Canadian Arctic, Alaska and, most important of all for rising sea levels, large ice sheets covering Antarctica and Greenland.

The impacts of these changes have on water resources, rising sea levels and climate feedback are already observable and significant. Some recent predictions of rising sea level in 2100 over a meter. The loss of Arctic sea ice in the Arctic Ocean has increased warming due to a strong positive feedback.

Most glaciologists believe we are witnessing unprecedented changes in land and sea ice The big question is not whether, but how fast the ice on earth and the sea will disappear, and what we can do to mitigate and adapt to these changes.

Find best price for : --Jonathan--

Lucas Martin

tranquil countryside contrasts referendum in South Yorkshire with London-based antics ego. But could come north of the city if the votes of steel Yes to a directly elected mayor?

With five other cities in the north, and six in other places, the people of Sheffield are being given the opportunity to decide if we want an elected mayor. If a majority votes yes, May 3, after a contest for the new position will take place in November.

The campaign has not been widely publicized. Sheffield, I doubt many people even know that the issue is to make a decision. This is tragic. However, once again. policy has been left out in the cold. Is it the fault of an actor or apathetic public policy narcissistic?

The arguments of the campaign have been expressed, among others, in unison with the Union. A mass of semi-professional posters and placards in hand rose and fell in front of City Hall to launch a campaign called The argument of the protesters are mainly focused on the cost of the town hall "Nightmayor." - £ 400,000 according to them. questions as to whether the current system of a firm to change.

The position of the local Labour Party is a number, I spoke with the unanimous opposition leader, Ed Miliband about the issue and said it was for employment experts to decide whether they wanted a copy of the government security municipality.

I was told that his main objection concerns the future management of the city, especially the concern for power is held by a person. They were also concerned that an elected mayor would be in office for four years, with no mechanism in the legislative process to remove them. Take a look at Doncaster, he said on a number of possible consequences.

Meanwhile the campaign was launched with banners Yes universally home. Kevin Meagher, president of the Irish Association of Sheffield and a member of GMB and Unison unions, is one of the team that supported the campaign focuses on Yes to the modernization of urban policy, said it, and hauled out of a system based on the 19 th century.

Sheffield

Conservative Party also supports a Yes vote. The main conservative rhetoric is that an elected mayor to put the power in the hands of the people of Sheffield and a directly elected mayor will be responsible to them. Local members seem to be following the party line on this issue and have had much time to talk. It was the bill introduced by the localism of the coalition government in 2010, which included measures for the 12 cities across the country, the powers that have elected mayors, if voters approved. so discreet campaign to date has produced some strange political bedfellows. Not that we often find that even the conservative side, as some prominent members of unions.

Space is a luxury too many bodies, in addition to the ego of Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone made from a gourd. Although pressed against the wall, I noticed his coat to give Boris Ken to celebrate. The air movement of two seconds solidified the class struggle subversive. Ken looked puzzled and the shield was removed.

The debate was overshadowed by questions of personal tax Boris and Ken. It was fascinating to see how, despite the two men sat side by side, Boris has never once looked at Ken. Jenny Jones, Green Party candidate, told me later that the room was "full of testosterone." The candidates then went to the rooftop terrace of the "studies with the now infamous altercation on the road in the elevator.

Politics is about personality, but we voters need to make sure it is not greater than the issues raised. There was media coverage of issues in London, but again and again Boris and Ken. Original arguments, at times, but always related to these egos.

Find best price for : --Livingstone----Johnson----Boris----Labour----Sheffield--

new measures to fight against energy poverty and the gradual introduction of the Green Deal aims to address concerns that are demand for insulation

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg today announced a series of measures to alleviate fuel shortages and drive demand for insulation and other energy efficiency improvements .

In recent months the government has faced a series of warnings of the green building industry as demand for energy efficiency may fall in the autumn, when the coalition replaces subsidy schemes, with its energy efficiency Green New Deal loan scheme. However, in a speech major Clegg has announced measures to address these issues, including confirmation that the green compact and the Company obligation accompanying power (ECO) of at least 540 million pounds of funding to be available to provide free or subsidized improvements to fuel poor households.

"We will require energy companies to provide an estimate of £ 1.3 billion per year to support energy efficiency in our homes, with at least 540 million U.S. dollars to fund improvements energy savings in poor households "Clegg said. "It's a shame that the UK has still many families who can not heat their homes. By providing sustainable improvements each year, this money will help 180,000 of the poorest households make their homes cheaper to heat for good. "

Specifically, the Department of Energy and Climate Change announced that 190 million pounds per year would fall to about 270,000 poor households in areas of fuel with low incomes by providing free loft and insulation of walls of the cavity. Meanwhile, the eligibility criteria for households eligible for free and subsidized improvements offered by the ECO Heat affordable element have become more flexible to ensure that the poorest families with low incomes can qualify to work credits tax.

The latest round of criticism this weekend saw the attack Daily Mail rules that require families to make significant improvements, such as installation of new greenhouses, to meet the minimum standards energy output or perform work through the Green Deal to improve efficiency. The reports prompted a response on Twitter from climate minister Greg Barker, who said: ".. Daily Mail that she could conservatories crazy green tax is only important extensions covered by the rules of construction can trigger energy efficiency "
The UK Green Building Council (GBC) has also issued a statement accusing the majority of reports on the rules of the agreement of the green "alarmist". "There was a tremendous amount of heat generated by these proposals, most of alarmism," said Paul King, Director General of GBC in a statement.

Find best price for : --Council----Mail----Daily----building----Deal----Green--

pirates took 5% of the vote in 2013, would be a game-changer for the party system. But what do they mean?

The German protest vote found a check for some time been known as

Politikverdrossenheit : the feeling of being tired of politics that politicians are mostly corrupt, policies and programs are made for minorities to serve the interests of minorities.

The success of the Pirates can be explained by the fact that surfed this vague notion of illness, with a gradual self-assessment of being anti-establishment and pledged to promote " real change "in politics. It complies with "99%" movement in the U.S., or Spain

outraged

, with a central message: the policy because it is not good for we. We want to participate in another way, we know better, do not want to be excluded from debates more important. With this, hackers have managed to establish, within the space of less than a year, as the greatest popular movement against traditional politics. In several regional elections in Germany were between 7% and 10% (and you can get an estimate of 8% in the next elections in North Rhine-Westphalia) vote. All this in a moment, when one partner of the ruling coalition, the liberal FDP, had to settle for dull by 1.2%.

So far, so that the promise of the Pirates is a break with traditional structures of politics - not necessarily (yet) offer compelling ideas for policy change. However, with this promise, hackers have managed to surpass all other protest votes self-defined, the parties, such as

Die Linke

or the Greens, who, between meantime, managed to get quite old and bourgeois.

Pirates today
most important currency is the "liquid democracy ': the idea that the Internet could become the largest platform for direct, real-time political debate, with no barriers to accessible. A central claim of Pirates is broadcast live parliamentary sessions, for example in the Berlin Senate, where pirates to the surprise of all, about 10% of the seats last year. The question, however, is that it is willing and able to swim in the new bathroom of transparency and adequate time to engage in politics continues to steam.

live broadcast

is important, but remember that most of the debates of the Bundestag are available in real time on television for decades, passed by a special unit of government broadcasting (although still I have not met anyone who has seen it a debate). Empirical evidence suggests that on-call time for politics is 15 minutes a day.
Pirates seems conservative in the sense that there is almost no women in the party hierarchy. As television images of the first meeting of the Pirate Party Congress, he feels a bit like watching a chess tournament, with a distinctive dress code of negligence.

Find best price for : --Bundestag--