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Scientific research on the effects of suspension and tyre volume on rider efficiency during cross country mountain biking. The study by Massey University School of Sport & Exercise investigates the effects of vibrations experienced whilst riding and how they effect the work done. Field testing was performed with COSMED K4b2 in Arapuke Forest (New Zealand) on international level mountainbikers. Results to be published in the next months... Source: www.massey.ac.nz/massey/learning/departments/school-of-sp...
Dave Clanton's CPO crate engine resto-mod proposal: the performance and efficiency of modern crate motors and transmissions coupled with the significantly lighter weight of cars from the 1970s and 80s could yield >30-60 MPG with an exhilarating driving experience. Subcompacts to full size cars have increased by 900-1,500 lbs because of government mandated changes and consumer demand for larger vehicles when gas prices were low. An automaker could capitalize on this revolutionary opportunity three-fold. First, increase sales of new cars by offering substantial trade-in values comparable to those offered in the Cash for Clunkers US Govt program of about $4,000 per qualifying makes/models targeting cars with solid bodies and frames regardless of engine condition. Secondly, recondition the trade-ins with new crate motors and transmissions while also restoring the rest of the car to a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) condition and sell them with full power train warranties and long term financing. Thirdly, this restoration and crate engine installation would gainfully employ service departments at dealers across the nation. Modern four cylinder and V8 engine swap designs already exist for dozens of domestic and import makes/models. The appeal of retro styling amongst buyers of all ages is evident by new car sales of Mini, Beetle, Mustang, Camaro, Challenger, Charger, Fiat 500, etc. Lastly, in regards to the all important environmental impact it would reduce CO2 emissions by replacing gross polluter power trains with modern modern EPA compliant power trains.
- Example of optimum efficiency would be a 1978-80 Ford Fiesta which weighs 1,576 lbs with a crate motor 2.0L direct injection 4-cyl from a 2011 Ford Focus which weighs 2,500 lbs. The heavier 2011 has an EPA rating of 28 MPG city/40 MPG hwy. The nearly 1,000 lb lighter 78-80 Fiesta could likely achieve 50-60 MPG with a modern drive train while also appealing to buyers with much greater acceleration.
- Example of efficient performance would be a 1974-78 Ford Mustang II which weighs 2,600 lbs with a crate motor 412 HP aluminum 302 Coyote V8 or a 305 HP 3.7L Duratec V6 from a 2011 Ford Mustang which weighs 5,500 lbs. The heavier 2011 Mustang V6 has an EPA rating of 19 MPG city/31 MPG hwy. The nearly 900 lb lighter 74-78 Mustang II could likely achieve 30-40 MPG with a modern drive train while also appealing to buyers with much greater acceleration.
- Dozens of qualifying makes/models include: 61-00 Mini and Clubman, 78-80 Ford Fiesta, 73-79 Civic, 74-78 Mustang II, 79-93 Fox-body Mustang/Capri, 71-80 Pinto, 70-77 Maverick, hot rods e.g. 32 Ford, kit cars e.g. Cobra, GT40, and Sebring, vintage pickup truck e.g. 75 Ford F150, 59-68 Sunbeam Alpine and 64-67 Sunbeam Tiger, 78-88 Zimmer, 90-97 Mazda Miata, 62-80 MG MGB, 74-00 Volvos e.g. 200, 700, 850, and S70/V70 series, 84-96 Mercedes W124, 70-81 F-body Camaro/Firebird, 82-92 F-body Camaro/Firebird, 74-82 C3 Corvette Stingray, 82-88 G-platform Regal, Cutlass, Grand Prix, Monte Carlo, 09-10 Kappa-platform Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky, 94-04 Aston Martin DB7, Porsche 911 and 914, 68-94 Jaguar XJ and other vintage Jags e.g. Mark IX, 82-94 BMW E30, 59-69 Chevrolet Corvair, 71-77 Chevy Vega, 70-78 Datsun 240Z, 260Z, and 280Z, 79-91 Mazda RX7, 75-81 Triumph TR7 and TR8, 75-80 AMC Pacer, 70-78 AMG Gremlin, 75-79 Cadillac Seville, 77-80 Lincoln Versailles.
Sales Manager
Jack Wu
Mobile: 86-136 9983 9394
Skype: wellwaytech
Email: jack@wellwaytech.com
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Magic SMD5050/3528 Flexible LED Strip Light Color Changing LED Strip Lamp
LED strip light Product introduction:
1. Use low energy consumption SMD led for light source, high energy conservation efficiency can up to 75% than traditional light; high brightness, low brightness attenuation.
2. Environmental protection, lifespan up to 50000H.
3. Adopt super flexible PCB board as a base, can be folded and bended to 360 degree; low voltage, safe and reliable to use.
4. Many colors: red,yellow,blue,green,white,warm white are available.
5. Input voltage: 12V/24V DC. 3 LEDS make one group under 12V while 6 LEDs make a group under 24V.
6. With waterproof and no-waterproof ,the waterproof level has :IP65,IP67,IP68
Application
Widely using in decorative lighting, amusement park, theater and mood lighting, hallway and walk-way lighting, stair accent lighting,concealed lighting, cove lighting, emergency exit path lighting, cabinet and under counter lighting, exhibition display lighting etc.
Mark:
Please do not connect the positive electrodetake to the negative.
Please do cut the strip in the shear.
Please do not connect directly to AC220V.
This product is 6 lamps a cut for24V,and 3 lamps a cut for 12V
Specifications:
1.Color:RGB
2.View Angle:120°
3.Working Voltage: 12VDC
4.LED Quantity: 600 LEDs/5 meter
5.Working Current/meter: 1.2A
6.Output Power: 9.6W /5 meter
7.Working Temperature:-20 to 50°
8.Protection Rate IP65(Non-waterproof)
9.Luminous Flux: 540-660 Lumens/meter
10.Color Temperature: 2500 –3000K
11.Size: L500cm (5M) x W0.8cm x T0.25cm
Character & Advertages:
1. Milk color tube encased
2. 3M adhersive tape on its back
3. Solid-state, high shock or vibration resistant
4. Major reduction in power costs
5. No flickering
6. No RF interference
7. No UV radiation
8. Instant soft start
9. Easy installation, maintenance free
10. Long life: 100, 000+ hours (10+ years); white LED: 50, 000+ hours
11. Low power consumption, high intensity
12. CE & RoHS approved
Applications:
Architectural decorative lighting
Archway, canopy and bridge edge lighting
Amusement park, theater and aircraft cabin mood lighting
Emergency hallway lighting
Backlighting for signage letters
Emergency exit path lighting
Trade Terms:
1. Payment: T/T, Western Union available
2. Lead time: 8-10 working days for 100~500 rolls, 15 working days for 500~1000 rolls
3. Samples can be available within 6-8 working days
4. Shipping freight is quoted under your requests
5. Shipping port: Shenzhen, China mainland
6. Discouts are offered based on order quantities
7. MOQ: 5 rolls
Our services:
1. Your inquiry related to our products or prices will be replied in 24hours.
2. Well-trained and experienced staffs to answer all your enquires influent English.
3. OEM & ODM are welcomed, OEM brand is available.
4. Distributor ship is offered for your unique desigh and some our current models.
5. Protection of your sales area, ideas of design and all your private informaton.
Customer Satisfaction:
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns before or after your purchase. We are committed to your 100% satisfaction.
Feedback:
Since your feedback is very important to our business`s development, we sincerely invite you to leave positive feedback for us if you are satisfied with our product and service. It`ll just take you 1 minute. Thank you!
Heads of UN and World Bank name team to mobilize action toward universal energy access, doubling of renewables and doubling of energy efficiency rates
New York and Washington, April 19, 2013 – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim today announced the members of the Advisory Board for the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative, kicking off a major new phase of activity for this global public-private partnership.
The Advisory Board of the Sustainable Energy for All initiative includes distinguished global leaders in business, finance, governments, and civil society. The launch of the Board, co-chaired by the Secretary-General and the President of the World Bank, marks the first time the two leaders have jointly led such an effort, underscoring the emphasis each institution places on providing sustainable energy for all.
“Sustainable energy is the golden thread that connects economic growth, social equity, and a stable climate and healthy environment. The Advisory Board has the top-flight expertise and experience needed to help us reach our goal of providing sustainable energy for all by 2030,” said the Secretary-General. “This initiative represents a new era of partnership with the World Bank. Working together, I am confident we can help to transform the world’s energy systems.”
“More than 1.2 billion people don’t have access to electricity, and another 2.8 billion use solid fuels to cook and heat their homes. This is deadly – it exposes them to toxic smoke that kills about four million people a year,” said Jim Yong Kim. “Delivering universal access to electricity and safe household fuels is a fundamental condition to end poverty. We have to meet this challenge in a sustainable way that also takes into consideration the battle against climate change.”
The Sustainable Energy for All initiative is a multi-stakeholder partnership between governments, the private sector, and civil society. Launched by the Secretary-General in 2011, it has three interlinked objectives to be achieved by 2030: provide universal access to modern energy; double the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix; and double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.
Advisory Board members will provide strategic guidance and serve as global ambassadors for the initiative, conducting high-level advocacy for action on energy and mobilizing stakeholders on behalf of Sustainable Energy for All. Additional Advisory Board members will be announced after further consultations with stakeholders.
The Secretary-General today also named the members of the initiative’s 10-person Executive Committee, which is headed by Chad Holliday, Chairman of Bank of America. In September 2012, the Secretary-General designated Mr. Kandeh Yumkella as his Special Representative for Sustainable Energy for All and chief executive of the effort.
The Sustainable Energy for All initiative brings together top-level leadership from all sectors of society, drawing on the global convening power of the United Nations and the World Bank and combining the efforts of hundreds of stakeholders from around the world.
The initiative has demonstrated the ability to mobilize multi-billion dollar commitments, leverage large-scale investments, and build upon and a rapidly expanding knowledge network. More than 70 countries have opted-in to the initiative since its launch, with support coming from every part of the world – including African energy ministers, members of the Clean Energy Ministerial, the European Commission, and the Small Island Developing States. The initiative is also mobilizing businesses, investors, and civil society to take action on "high impact initiatives" such as off-grid lighting, building energy efficiency, energy and women's health, and the procurement of renewable energy.
Advisory Board members and Affiliations:
Private Sector
José Manuel Entrecanales, Chairman and CEO, Acciona
Michael Liebreich, Chief Executive Officer, Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Jean-Marc Ollagnier, Group Chief Executive, Accenture Resources
Lutaf R. Kassam, Group Managing Director, Industrial Promotion Services Limited
Mustapha Bakkoury, Chief Executive Officer, Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy
Helge Lund, CEO, Statoil
Ceri Powell, VP of World Wide Exploration, Royal Dutch Shell
Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO and Managing Director, MASDAR
Civil Society, Foundations, and Eminent Personality
Julia Marton-Lefèvre, Director General, IUCN
Mary Robinson, President, Mary Robinson Foundation
Strive Masiyiwa, Founder, Carbon War Room; Executive Chairman, Econet Wireless
Reema Nanavaty, Secretary-General, Self-Employed Women’s Association
Klaus Schwab, Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum
Ratan Tata, Former Chair, Tata Group
Sheila Oparaocha, Executive-Secretary, Energia
Finance Institutions
Donald Kaberuka, President, African Development Bank
Luis Alberto Moreno, President, Inter-American Development Bank
Government Officials
Edison Lobão, Ministry of Mines and Energy, Brazil
Christian Friis Bach, Development Minister, Denmark
Andris Piebalgs, Development Commissioner, European Commission
Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia, Minister of Power, India
Gunilla Carlsson, Minister of Development Cooperation, Sweden
Justine Greening, Secretary of State for International Development, United Kingdom
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, President, Iceland
HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud, Deputy Minister, Petroleum & Mineral Resources, Saudi Arabia
UN Organizations
Margaret Chan, Director-General, World Health Organization
Achim Steiner, Executive Director, UN Environment Programme
Helen Clark, Administrator, UN Development Programme and Chair, UNDG
Gyan Chandra Acharya, UN High Representative, Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States
International Organizations
Suleiman Jasir Al-Herbish, Director General, OPEC Fund for International Development
Maria van der Hoeven, Executive Director, International Energy Agency
Adnan Amin, Director General, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
Executive Committee members:
Heikki Holmås, Development Minister, Norway
Luciano Coutinho, President, Brazilian Development Bank
Brian Dames, Chief Executive Officer, Eskom
Rachel Kyte, Vice President for Sustainable Development, World Bank
Robert Orr, Assistant Secretary-General for Strategic Planning, United Nations
Leena Srivastava, Executive Director, The Energy and Resources Institute (India)
Andrew Steer, President, World Resources Institute
Timothy Wirth, Vice Chair, UN Foundation
Carlos Pascual, Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs, U.S. State Dept.
Klaus Rudischhauser, Deputy Director General (EuropeAid), European Commission
Financial savings, reduced CO2 emissions, job creation and new technologies are just some of the many benefits of energy efficiency! Design by: UNDP Office in Skopje & Apollo Images
View a bigger version of this infographic on Visual.ly.
This session saw city leaders pitch project proposals to financial institutional leaders with finance mechanisms that could be leveraged by cities or building owners seeking investments in building efficiency.
Learn more: buildingefficiencyaccelerator.org/
Chocolate bunnies on plates (another special exhibit for the day) demonstrate that the light from a CFL bulb and an LED bulb are not hot, but the light from an incandescent bulb ruins the bunny.
From the 15th to the 19th of April, The Assistant Administrator and Regional Director of the UNDP Bureau for Europe and the Commonweal of Independent States - Ms. Cihan Sultanoglu visited Uzbekistan. During her visit she spoke at the International Conference on ‘Modern rural housing as the most important engine of comprehensive development of associated industries and services transforming the look of rural areas and the mentality of the people’ and visited UNDP project sites throughout Uzbekistan.
In Karakalpakstan Ms. Sultanoglu visited a school which has been reconstructed with energy-efficient technical features (through the ‘Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings’ project).
Learn more about Energy and Environment in Europe and Central Asia
Fire brook out in the neighbor hood. Fire tender reached but couldn't extinguish the blaze. So people tried to extinguish it by using buckets to save their houses.
D300
AFD 80-200 f/2.8
ISO 1600
1/160
f/2.8
Khuzdar 24/9/2009
Dave Clanton's CPO crate engine resto-mod proposal: the performance and efficiency of modern crate motors and transmissions coupled with the significantly lighter weight of cars from the 1970s and 80s could yield >30-60 MPG with an exhilarating driving experience. Subcompacts to full size cars have increased by 900-1,500 lbs because of government mandated changes and consumer demand for larger vehicles when gas prices were low. An automaker could capitalize on this revolutionary opportunity three-fold. First, increase sales of new cars by offering substantial trade-in values comparable to those offered in the Cash for Clunkers US Govt program of about $4,000 per qualifying makes/models targeting cars with solid bodies and frames regardless of engine condition. Secondly, recondition the trade-ins with new crate motors and transmissions while also restoring the rest of the car to a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) condition and sell them with full power train warranties and long term financing. Thirdly, this restoration and crate engine installation would gainfully employ service departments at dealers across the nation. Modern four cylinder and V8 engine swap designs already exist for dozens of domestic and import makes/models. The appeal of retro styling amongst buyers of all ages is evident by new car sales of Mini, Beetle, Mustang, Camaro, Challenger, Charger, Fiat 500, etc. Lastly, in regards to the all important environmental impact it would reduce CO2 emissions by replacing gross polluter power trains with modern modern EPA compliant power trains.
- Example of optimum efficiency would be a 1978-80 Ford Fiesta which weighs 1,576 lbs with a crate motor 2.0L direct injection 4-cyl from a 2011 Ford Focus which weighs 2,500 lbs. The heavier 2011 has an EPA rating of 28 MPG city/40 MPG hwy. The nearly 1,000 lb lighter 78-80 Fiesta could likely achieve 50-60 MPG with a modern drive train while also appealing to buyers with much greater acceleration.
- Example of efficient performance would be a 1974-78 Ford Mustang II which weighs 2,600 lbs with a crate motor 412 HP aluminum 302 Coyote V8 or a 305 HP 3.7L Duratec V6 from a 2011 Ford Mustang which weighs 5,500 lbs. The heavier 2011 Mustang V6 has an EPA rating of 19 MPG city/31 MPG hwy. The nearly 900 lb lighter 74-78 Mustang II could likely achieve 30-40 MPG with a modern drive train while also appealing to buyers with much greater acceleration.
- Dozens of qualifying makes/models include: 61-00 Mini and Clubman, 78-80 Ford Fiesta, 73-79 Civic, 74-78 Mustang II, 79-93 Fox-body Mustang/Capri, 71-80 Pinto, 70-77 Maverick, hot rods e.g. 32 Ford, kit cars e.g. Cobra, GT40, and Sebring, vintage pickup truck e.g. 75 Ford F150, 59-68 Sunbeam Alpine and 64-67 Sunbeam Tiger, 78-88 Zimmer, 90-97 Mazda Miata, 62-80 MG MGB, 74-00 Volvos e.g. 200, 700, 850, and S70/V70 series, 84-96 Mercedes W124, 70-81 F-body Camaro/Firebird, 82-92 F-body Camaro/Firebird, 74-82 C3 Corvette Stingray, 82-88 G-platform Regal, Cutlass, Grand Prix, Monte Carlo, 09-10 Kappa-platform Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky, 94-04 Aston Martin DB7, Porsche 911 and 914, 68-94 Jaguar XJ and other vintage Jags e.g. Mark IX, 82-94 BMW E30, 59-69 Chevrolet Corvair, 71-77 Chevy Vega, 70-78 Datsun 240Z, 260Z, and 280Z, 79-91 Mazda RX7, 75-81 Triumph TR7 and TR8, 75-80 AMC Pacer, 70-78 AMG Gremlin.
Costa Rica (/ˌkɒstə ˈriːkə/ (About this sound listen); Spanish: [ˈkosta ˈrika]; "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica (Spanish: República de Costa Rica), is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Ecuador to the south of Cocos Island. It has a population of around 4.9 million, in a land area of 51,060 square kilometers; over 300,000 live in the capital and largest city, San José, which had a population of an estimated 333,980 in 2015.
Costa Rica has been known for its stable democracy, in a region that has had some instability, and for its highly educated workforce, most of whom speak English. The country spends roughly 6.9% of its budget (2016) on education, compared to a global average of 4.4%. Its economy, once heavily dependent on agriculture, has diversified to include sectors such as finance, corporate services for foreign companies, pharmaceuticals, and ecotourism. Many foreign companies (manufacturing and services) operate in Costa Rica's free trade zones (FTZ) where they benefit from investment and tax incentives.
In spite of impressive growth in the Gross domestic product (GDP), low inflation, moderate interest rates and an acceptable unemployment level, Costa Rica in 2017 was facing a liquidity crisis due to a growing debt and budget deficit. By August 2017, the Treasury was having difficulty paying its obligations. Other challenges facing the country in its attempts to improve the economy by increasing foreign investment include a poor infrastructure and a need to improve public sector efficiency.
Costa Rica was sparsely inhabited by indigenous peoples before coming under Spanish rule in the 16th century. It remained a peripheral colony of the empire until independence as part of the short-lived First Mexican Empire, followed by membership in the United Provinces of Central America, from which it formally declared independence in 1847. Since then, Costa Rica has remained among the most stable, prosperous, and progressive nations in Latin America. Following the brief Costa Rican Civil War, it permanently abolished its army in 1949, becoming one of only a few sovereign nations without a standing army.
The country has consistently performed favourably in the Human Development Index (HDI), placing 69th in the world as of 2015, among the highest of any Latin American nation. It has also been cited by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as having attained much higher human development than other countries at the same income levels, with a better record on human development and inequality than the median of the region.
Costa Rica also has progressive environmental policies. It is the only country to meet all five UNDP criteria established to measure environmental sustainability. It was ranked 42nd in the world, and third in the Americas, in the 2016 Environmental Performance Index, and was twice ranked the best performing country in the New Economics Foundation's (NEF) Happy Planet Index, which measures environmental sustainability, and was identified by the NEF as the greenest country in the world in 2009. Costa Rica plans to become a carbon-neutral country by 2021. By 2016, 98.1% of its electricity was generated from green sources particularly hydro, solar, geothermal and biomass.
HISTORY
PRE-COLUMBIAN PERIOD
Historians have classified the indigenous people of Costa Rica as belonging to the Intermediate Area, where the peripheries of the Mesoamerican and Andean native cultures overlapped. More recently, pre-Columbian Costa Rica has also been described as part of the Isthmo-Colombian Area.
Stone tools, the oldest evidence of human occupation in Costa Rica, are associated with the arrival of various groups of hunter-gatherers about 10,000 to 7,000 years BCE in the Turrialba Valley. The presence of Clovis culture type spearheads and arrows from South America opens the possibility that, in this area, two different cultures coexisted.
Agriculture became evident in the populations that lived in Costa Rica about 5,000 years ago. They mainly grew tubers and roots. For the first and second millennia BCE there were already settled farming communities. These were small and scattered, although the timing of the transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture as the main livelihood in the territory is still unknown.
The earliest use of pottery appears around 2,000 to 3,000 BCE. Shards of pots, cylindrical vases, platters, gourds and other forms of vases decorated with grooves, prints, and some modelled after animals have been found.
The impact of indigenous peoples on modern Costa Rican culture has been relatively small compared to other nations, since the country lacked a strong native civilization to begin with. Most of the native population was absorbed into the Spanish-speaking colonial society through inter-marriage, except for some small remnants, the most significant of which are the Bribri and Boruca tribes who still inhabit the mountains of the Cordillera de Talamanca, in the southeastern part of Costa Rica, near the frontier with Panama.
SPANISH COLONIZATION
The name la costa rica, meaning "rich coast" in the Spanish language, was in some accounts first applied by Christopher Columbus, who sailed to the eastern shores of Costa Rica during his final voyage in 1502, and reported vast quantities of gold jewelry worn by natives. The name may also have come from conquistador Gil González Dávila, who landed on the west coast in 1522, encountered natives, and appropriated some of their gold.
During most of the colonial period, Costa Rica was the southernmost province of the Captaincy General of Guatemala, nominally part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. In practice, the captaincy general was a largely autonomous entity within the Spanish Empire. Costa Rica's distance from the capital of the captaincy in Guatemala, its legal prohibition under Spanish law from trade with its southern neighbor Panama, then part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada (i.e. Colombia), and lack of resources such as gold and silver, made Costa Rica into a poor, isolated, and sparsely-inhabited region within the Spanish Empire. Costa Rica was described as "the poorest and most miserable Spanish colony in all America" by a Spanish governor in 1719.
Another important factor behind Costa Rica's poverty was the lack of a significant indigenous population available for encomienda (forced labor), which meant most of the Costa Rican settlers had to work on their own land, preventing the establishment of large haciendas (plantations). For all these reasons, Costa Rica was, by and large, unappreciated and overlooked by the Spanish Crown and left to develop on its own. The circumstances during this period are believed to have led to many of the idiosyncrasies for which Costa Rica has become known, while concomitantly setting the stage for Costa Rica's development as a more egalitarian society than the rest of its neighbors. Costa Rica became a "rural democracy" with no oppressed mestizo or indigenous class. It was not long before Spanish settlers turned to the hills, where they found rich volcanic soil and a milder climate than that of the lowlands.
INDEPENDENCE
Like the rest of Central America, Costa Rica never fought for independence from Spain. On September 15, 1821, after the final Spanish defeat in the Mexican War of Independence (1810–21), the authorities in Guatemala declared the independence of all of Central America. That date is still celebrated as Independence Day in Costa Rica even though, technically, under the Spanish Constitution of 1812 that had been readopted in 1820, Nicaragua and Costa Rica had become an autonomous province with its capital in León.
Upon independence, Costa Rican authorities faced the issue of officially deciding the future of the country. Two bands formed, the Imperialists, defended by Cartago and Heredia cities which were in favor of joining the Mexican Empire, and the Republicans, represented by the cities of San José and Alajuela who defended full independence. Because of the lack of agreement on these two possible outcomes, the first civil war of Costa Rica occurred. The battle of Ochomogo (es) took place on the Hill of Ochomogo, located in the Central Valley in 1823. The conflict was won by the Republicans and, as a consequence, the city of Cartago lost its status as the capital, which moved to San José.
In 1838, long after the Federal Republic of Central America ceased to function in practice, Costa Rica formally withdrew and proclaimed itself sovereign. The considerable distance and poor communication routes between Guatemala City and the Central Plateau, where most of the Costa Rican population lived then and still lives now, meant the local population had little allegiance to the federal government in Guatemala. From colonial times to now, Costa Rica's reluctance to become economically tied with the rest of Central America has been a major obstacle to efforts for greater regional integration.
ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE 19TH CENTURY
Coffee was first planted in Costa Rica in 1808, and by the 1820s, it surpassed tobacco, sugar, and cacao as a primary export. Coffee production remained Costa Rica's principal source of wealth well into the 20th century, creating a wealthy class of growers, the so-called Coffee Barons. The revenue helped to modernize the country.
Most of the coffee exported was grown around the main centers of population in the Central Plateau and then transported by oxcart to the Pacific port of Puntarenas after the main road was built in 1846. By the mid-1850s the main market for coffee was Britain. It soon became a high priority to develop an effective transportation route from the Central Plateau to the Atlantic Ocean. For this purpose, in the 1870s, the Costa Rican government contracted with U.S. businessman Minor C. Keith to build a railroad from San José to the Caribbean port of Limón. Despite enormous difficulties with construction, disease, and financing, the railroad was completed in 1890.
Most Afro-Costa Ricans descend from Jamaican immigrants who worked in the construction of that railway and now make up about 3% of Costa Rica's population. U.S. convicts, Italians and Chinese immigrants also participated in the construction project. In exchange for completing the railroad, the Costa Rican government granted Keith large tracts of land and a lease on the train route, which he used to produce bananas and export them to the United States. As a result, bananas came to rival coffee as the principal Costa Rican export, while foreign-owned corporations (including the United Fruit Company later) began to hold a major role in the national economy and eventually became a symbol of the exploitative export economy. The major labor dispute between the peasants and the United Fruit Company (The Great Banana Strike) was a major event in the country's history and was an important step that would eventually lead to the formation of effective trade unions in Costa Rica, as the company was required to sign a collective agreement with its workers in 1938.
20TH CENTURY
Historically, Costa Rica has generally enjoyed greater peace and more consistent political stability than many of its fellow Latin American nations. Since the late 19th century, however, Costa Rica has experienced two significant periods of violence. In 1917–19, General Federico Tinoco Granados ruled as a military dictator until he was overthrown and forced into exile. The unpopularity of Tinoco's regime led, after he was overthrown, to a considerable decline in the size, wealth, and political influence of the Costa Rican military. In 1948, José Figueres Ferrer led an armed uprising in the wake of a disputed presidential election between Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia (who had been president between 1940 and 1944) and Otilio Ulate Blanco. With more than 2,000 dead, the resulting 44-day Costa Rican Civil War was the bloodiest event in Costa Rica during the 20th century.
The victorious rebels formed a government junta that abolished the military altogether, and oversaw the drafting of a new constitution by a democratically elected assembly. Having enacted these reforms, the junta transferred power to Ulate on November 8, 1949. After the coup d'état, Figueres became a national hero, winning the country's first democratic election under the new constitution in 1953. Since then, Costa Rica has held 14 presidential elections, the latest in 2014. With uninterrupted democracy dating back to at least 1948, the country is the region's most stable.
GEOGRAPHY
Costa Rica is located on the Central American isthmus, lying between latitudes 8° and 12°N, and longitudes 82° and 86°W. It borders the Caribbean Sea (to the east) and the Pacific Ocean (to the west), with a total of 1,290 kilometres of coastline, 212 km on the Caribbean coast and 1,016 km on the Pacific. Costa Rica also borders Nicaragua to the north (309 km of border) and Panama to the south-southeast (330 km of border). In total, Costa Rica comprises 51,100 square kilometres plus 589 square kilometres of territorial waters.
The highest point in the country is Cerro Chirripó, at 3,819 metres; it is the fifth highest peak in Central America. The highest volcano in the country is the Irazú Volcano (3,431 m) and the largest lake is Lake Arenal. There are 14 known volcanoes in Costa Rica, and six of them have been active in the last 75 years. The country has also experienced at least ten earthquakes of magnitude 5.7 or higher (3 of magnitude 7.0 or higher) in the last century.
Costa Rica also comprises several islands. Cocos Island (24 square kilometres) stands out because of its distance from the continental landmass, 480 kilometres from Puntarenas, but Isla Calero is the largest island of the country (151.6 square kilometres). Over 25% of Costa Rica's national territory is protected by SINAC (the National System of Conservation Areas), which oversees all of the country's protected areas. Costa Rica also possesses the greatest density of species in the world.
CLIMATE
Because Costa Rica is located between 8 and 12 degrees north of the Equator, the climate is tropical year round. However, the country has many microclimates depending on elevation, rainfall, topography, and by the geography of each particular region.
Costa Rica's seasons are defined by how much rain falls during a particular period. The year can be split into two periods, the dry season known to the residents as summer (verano), and the rainy season, known locally as winter (invierno). The "summer" or dry season goes from December to April, and "winter" or rainy season goes from May to November, which almost coincides with the Atlantic hurricane season, and during this time, it rains constantly in some regions.
The location receiving the most rain is the Caribbean slopes of the Cordillera Central mountains, with an annual rainfall of over 5,000 mm. Humidity is also higher on the Caribbean side than on the Pacific side. The mean annual temperature on the coastal lowlands is around 27 °C, 20 °C in the main populated areas of the Cordillera Central, and below 10 °C on the summits of the highest mountains.
FLORA AND FAUNA
Costa Rica is home to a rich variety of plants and animals. While the country has only about 0.03% of the world's landmass, it contains 5% of the world's biodiversity. Around 25% of the country's land area is in protected national parks and protected areas, the largest percentage of protected areas in the world (developing world average 13%, developed world average 8%). Costa Rica has successfully managed to diminish deforestation from some of the worst rates in the world from 1973 to 1989, to almost zero by 2005.
One national park, the Corcovado National Park, is internationally renowned among ecologists for its biodiversity (including big cats and tapirs) and is where visitors can expect to see an abundance of wildlife. Corcovado is the one park in Costa Rica where all four Costa Rican monkey species can be found. These include the white-headed capuchin, the mantled howler, the endangered Geoffroy's spider monkey, and the Central American squirrel monkey, found only on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and a small part of Panama, and considered endangered until 2008, when its status was upgraded to vulnerable. Deforestation, illegal pet-trading, and hunting are the main reasons for its threatened status.
Tortuguero National Park – the name Tortuguero can be translated as "Full of Turtles" – is home to spider, howler, and white-throated capuchin monkeys; the three-toed sloth and two-toed sloth; 320 species of birds; and a variety of reptiles. The park is recognized for the annual nesting of the endangered green turtle, and is the most important nesting site for the species. Giant leatherback, hawksbill, and loggerhead turtles also nest there. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is home to about 2,000 plant species, including numerous orchids. Over 400 types of birds and more than 100 species of mammals can be found there.
Over 840 species of birds have been identified in Costa Rica. As is the case in much of Central America, the avian species in Costa Rica are a mix of North and South American species. The country's abundant fruit trees, many of which bear fruit year round, are hugely important to the birds, some of whom survive on diets that consist only of one or two types of fruit. Some of the country's most notable avian species include the resplendent quetzal, scarlet macaw, three-wattled bellbird, bare-necked umbrellabird, and the keel-billed toucan. The Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad is allowed to collect royalties on any biological discoveries of medical importance. Costa Rica is a center of biological diversity for reptiles and amphibians, including the world's fastest running lizard, the spiny-tailed iguana (Ctenosaura similis).
WIKIPEDIA
Officials from Consumers Energy presented Saginaw Valley State University with a rebate check worth $71,400 for making energy efficiency-related improvements. From left are Randy Henige, corporate account manager, Consumers Energy; Linda Sims, executive director of public affairs, Consumers Energy; and Jim Muladore, vice president of Administrative and Business Affairs, Saginaw Valley State University.
Consumers Energy representatives, including Senior Vice President Dan Malone, second from left, present a ceremonial check on Feb. 24, 2015, to Grand Rapids city officials including Mayor George Heartwell, far right, for energy efficiency upgrades to the city’s water pumping system.
Dave Clanton's CPO crate engine resto-mod proposal: the performance and efficiency of modern crate motors and transmissions coupled with the significantly lighter weight of cars from the 1970s and 80s could yield >30-60 MPG with an exhilarating driving experience. Subcompacts to full size cars have increased by 900-1,500 lbs because of government mandated changes and consumer demand for larger vehicles when gas prices were low. An automaker could capitalize on this revolutionary opportunity three-fold. First, increase sales of new cars by offering substantial trade-in values comparable to those offered in the Cash for Clunkers US Govt program of about $4,000 per qualifying makes/models targeting cars with solid bodies and frames regardless of engine condition. Secondly, recondition the trade-ins with new crate motors and transmissions while also restoring the rest of the car to a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) condition and sell them with full power train warranties and long term financing. Thirdly, this restoration and crate engine installation would gainfully employ service departments at dealers across the nation. Modern four cylinder and V8 engine swap designs already exist for dozens of domestic and import makes/models. The appeal of retro styling amongst buyers of all ages is evident by new car sales of Mini, Beetle, Mustang, Camaro, Challenger, Charger, Fiat 500, etc. Lastly, in regards to the all important environmental impact it would reduce CO2 emissions by replacing gross polluter power trains with modern modern EPA compliant power trains.
- Example of optimum efficiency would be a 1978-80 Ford Fiesta which weighs 1,576 lbs with a crate motor 2.0L direct injection 4-cyl from a 2011 Ford Focus which weighs 2,500 lbs. The heavier 2011 has an EPA rating of 28 MPG city/40 MPG hwy. The nearly 1,000 lb lighter 78-80 Fiesta could likely achieve 50-60 MPG with a modern drive train while also appealing to buyers with much greater acceleration.
- Example of efficient performance would be a 1974-78 Ford Mustang II which weighs 2,600 lbs with a crate motor 412 HP aluminum 302 Coyote V8 or a 305 HP 3.7L Duratec V6 from a 2011 Ford Mustang which weighs 5,500 lbs. The heavier 2011 Mustang V6 has an EPA rating of 19 MPG city/31 MPG hwy. The nearly 900 lb lighter 74-78 Mustang II could likely achieve 30-40 MPG with a modern drive train while also appealing to buyers with much greater acceleration.
- Dozens of qualifying makes/models include: 61-00 Mini and Clubman, 78-80 Ford Fiesta, 73-79 Civic, 74-78 Mustang II, 79-93 Fox-body Mustang/Capri, 71-80 Pinto, 70-77 Maverick, hot rods e.g. 32 Ford, kit cars e.g. Cobra, GT40, and Sebring, vintage pickup truck e.g. 75 Ford F150, 59-68 Sunbeam Alpine and 64-67 Sunbeam Tiger, 78-88 Zimmer, 90-97 Mazda Miata, 62-80 MG MGB, 74-00 Volvos e.g. 200, 700, 850, and S70/V70 series, 84-96 Mercedes W124, 70-81 F-body Camaro/Firebird, 82-92 F-body Camaro/Firebird, 74-82 C3 Corvette Stingray, 82-88 G-platform Regal, Cutlass, Grand Prix, Monte Carlo, 09-10 Kappa-platform Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky, 94-04 Aston Martin DB7, Porsche 911 and 914, 68-94 Jaguar XJ and other vintage Jags e.g. Mark IX, 82-94 BMW E30, 59-69 Chevrolet Corvair, 71-77 Chevy Vega, 70-78 Datsun 240Z, 260Z, and 280Z, 79-91 Mazda RX7, 75-81 Triumph TR7 and TR8, 75-80 AMC Pacer, 70-78 AMG Gremlin.
Hospital with installed solar panels on their rooftop in Rarotonga, Cook Islands. The Energy Efficiency Project aims to reduce energy consumption in the residential, commercial and public sectors through the implementation of energy efficiency measures.
Read more on:
Deputy Chief Ron Vitiello testifies at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Federal Programs and the Federal Workforce hearing on, “Examining the Use and Abuse of Administratively Uncontrollable Overtime (AUO) at the Department of Homeland Security. Photo By James Tourtellotte.
LIPA partners with UPS to install energy efficient lighting fixtures at its Farmingdale, Uniondale and Melville facilities.
In our tree nursery, which we have established in 2015, ten workers grow more than 4 million seedlings with the highest quality standards.
Until 2029 there will be 100 Million trees grown, planted and cared for. If 10.000 projects copy us, the trillion trees will bind a quarter of the human made CO2.
Weslake & Company Ltd was established in 1947 by Harry Weslake (1897-1978) and were mainly a research and development company working to improve engine efficiency. They were instrumental in improving performance (carburettors and cylinder heads) in many brands of engines from racing cars to civilian cars to motorcycles, especially Weslake speedway racing motorcycles.
Since the age of 15, Harry had shown a natural flair for engineering, especially the internal combustion engine and throughout his lifetime his companies were renowned for making improvements to engine performance. Harry also had many patents to his name, his first in 1918 at the age of only 21. His father, Henry John, was a director of the Exeter gas engineering company Willey & Company, and Harry was apprenticed there where he learned the ways of the tool room, drawing office, foundry and engineering shop.
In 1921, Harry set up Wex Carburettor Ltd at Exeter, but this company closed in 1926 due to cash-flow problems after a major customer defaulted on payments. In 1947 he set up Weslake & Company Ltd at Rye in East Sussex, mainly as a research and development company.
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References:
www.speedwaymuseumonline.co.uk/harry%20weslake.html (About Harry Weslake and his work).
www.exetermemories.co.uk/em/_people/weslake.php (About Harry Weslake and his work).
www.exetermemories.co.uk/em/willeys.php (Willey & Company of Exeter).
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DESCRIPTION:
Size: 1 1/2" x 11/32" (38mm x 9mm).
Material(s): brass metal with 1 vitreous enamel.
Finish: chrome plated.
Fitting: pin.
Imprint: none
Park entrance .
Soon the three large cities within the Auckland area will be amalgamated rather like these old borough councils, here the old Mt Albert borough COA.
The main rationale of economic efficiencies and better intrastructural planning during the post US sub prime banking recession of the last two years? There has not been a huge debate under the Act-National government.
The democratic concerns or the fears are that diversity would be less represented , 'one mayor' only can be a problem if they are a despot ; a counter to the political power of Wellington the capital, as the majority of 1.4 million live in the greater Auckland area.Voting is postal which lessens the outcome and occurs in about a month.
'Super city debate overlooks wealth'
By ROD ORAM - Sunday Star Times 22/08/2010.
OPINION: INFRASTRUCTURE AND efficiency -- perhaps even some democracy and vision -- are the main benefits politicians are promising from making Auckland a super city.
But wealth isn't one. Apart from a few vague references about growing the regional economy, candidates and government have remarkably little to say about how Auckland must and can earn a better living for itself and the country.
Yet wealth matters. Auckland can invest in its current and future needs only if it has a strong and expanding economy.
The obvious demands are roads, public transport, stormwater **, excellent environmental management and other physical needs. But the demands go far deeper. To keep people in Auckland and attract others from abroad, the city must earn much more of its living in the international economy so it can generate many more high-paying, knowledge-intensive jobs.
Although that's mainly a task for the private sector (?) the Auckland and national governments have critical roles to play.
This is a challenge for us all. Like it or not, Auckland and the rest of the country need each other. They trade business, people, ideas and culture. But it's too tiny a domestic market to be viable. It has to be international. For example, to trade globally, farmers need banking, scientific, creative and other services found in cities; to woo immigrants and tourists, Auckland needs the attractions of the entire country.
As a country, we struggle a lot with our symbiotic relationship. Fear, envy, disdain is widespread between cities and between them and rural New Zealand.
Yet the task only gets bigger. To help it connect with the world, New Zealand must have a truly international city.
Auckland is the only candidate. But Auckland will always be too small to achieve that on its own. Even when, 20 years from now, its population is 2 million (why?) , overseas competitors will continue to dwarf it. Sydney's population is already as big as New Zealand's.
So we need a radical rethink, one that engages all of urban New Zealand in the quest to build a truly international, but distinctly Kiwi, urban offering to the world. We are, after all, one of the most urbanised nations on the planet.
Imagine a time when each of our cities and many of our towns has developed its own expertise to contribute to the whole.
Excellent communications, travel and relationships bring them together, making their sum greater than the value of the individual pieces. Then, perhaps, we will have the urban scale to take on the world. Auckland might be the best-known part of it, but each city and town would have its own strengths, success and identity.
But we need to make some very hard choices. How many universities, research establishments, medical schools, theatre and film schools or myriad other parts of a knowledge economy can one tiny country sustain?
Fewer than we have now. No town or city can have the range of institutions and businesses it wants. Each must focus on fewer and better.
It's no surprise, then, that many local authorities around the country are nervous about Auckland becoming a 'super city'.
They see it as a threat to their share of tax funds and other resources, even if Auckland and the rest of the country duck the big urban ambition and Auckland continues with its sub-optimal performance.
The fears are justified. But only if Auckland fails and becomes a burden on the taxpayer. And those parts of the country that think they can survive without a strong international connection will quickly find out how wrong they are.
If the regional economy continues to track on its low-growth, low-wage trajectory, it will fail the people of Auckland and New Zealand. More will leave for wealthier cities in Australia and beyond. Local politicians will be left haggling over a never-ending downward spiral of under-investment, service cuts and dwindling ambition.
If, though, Auckland succeeds in becoming a prosperous, resilient, international city, it will generate plenty of rewards and opportunities for the whole country to share. All locations, all businesses will benefit.
So much for the grand strategy, what about the starting point?
To be blunt, the Auckland economy is weak and astonishingly domestic. The bulk of its businesses are focused only on customers from Rodney south to the Bombay Hills.
In 1995, inwardly focused companies contributed $15.6 billion to the regional economy while those with some business outside the region contributed $10.4b. By 1998, the local companies had grown by 9.4% a year while the outward ones by only 2.9%.
The export picture is even worse. They accounted for 9% of regional GDP in 2001 but only 8% in 2008.
Worse, the factors that helped Auckland achieve even this mediocre performance are fast running out.
Crucially, economic reforms pushed a lot of service jobs out of the regions and into our major cities, with Auckland the biggest winner by far. That sustained Auckland to some extent but there aren't any more to come.
But Auckland was also suffering. Many of its best knowledge-intensive jobs were siphoned off to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and cities further afield. It now ranks well below those Australian cities on such jobs but they, in turn, rank low against even some peripheral European cities, according to a recent study by Arthur Grimes, Philip McCann and Jason Le
Vaillant for Motu, the Wellington policy research entity.
The hit to living standards and career prospects are obvious. The city is relatively efficient but generates low value. Turning that around is immensely challenging.
The issue of value creation applies, of course, to the whole country. Why haven't we reaped bigger rewards from economic reforms? Professor McCann, an economics geographer originally from Waikato University and
now at Groningen University in Holland, has concluded in his other work in recent years that our very small scale and great distance to markets make it hard for us to achieve critical mass.
Overcoming those barriers requires very different policies, strategies and business models. That's a task for the whole country but it is particularly one for Auckland working in collaboration with at least its neighbours in the upper North Island, but much better in the country as a whole.
But that economic strategy in Auckland, let alone the rest of the country, has never looked like that. The region's councils have long struggled separately, then more recently collectively through the Metro project, to articulate a growth strategy.
The Auckland Transition Agency had the opportunity to think radically when it began to plan how to bring together the economic development agencies of the existing councils. But expedience quickly intervened.
Under enormous pressure to sort out the new governance structure, the council-controlled organisation (CCO) for tourism, events and economic development (TEED, as it's called in the agency) dropped way down the agency's priorities.
So, the quick fix was to "map" almost all staff and resources in those functions across the region into the new CCO and hope they can deliver some greater efficiency and co-ordination.
There's a great risk the CCO will simply pick up and execute the Metro work and focus on quick tangible things like a new convention centre rather than persuade politicians to invest in more ambitious strategies which are long-term, less tangible but ultimately more rewarding.
The only hope is for some new blood among local politicians, TEED's board, CEO and four general managers, plus the manager of economic strategy in the Auckland Council. Who's appointed in coming weeks and elected on October 9 will be critical to the CCO and the regional and national economies.
But the chance of such enlightenment is very slim. While a few business people and officials understand the issues raised by the likes of Motu, McCann and the New Zealand Institute, there are no signs politicians do.
Energy efficiency was enhanced at the Experimental Breeder Reactor-I Atomic Museum by installing a new "cool roof." In fact, the roof reflects so much light that it is difficult to photograph.
Learn more at inlportal.inl.gov/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=155....
So the improvement means you're not telling us when the last collection is any more, only that it might be at 9 in the morning?
A CARICOM Institution
CCREEE - Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
CCREEE, is based in Barbados.
CCREEE was established in 2015.
Area of Focus: Energy
Services (Activities):
CCREEE implements, coordinates and supports regional activities in the scope of the following four outcome areas:
- Outcome A: Accelerated development, adoption and execution of regional and national gender sensitive RE&EE polices, targets and incentives through targeted regional interventions
- Outcome B: Strengthened capacities of local key institutions and stakeholder groups through the up-scaling and replication of certified training and applied research programs and mechanisms
- Outcome C: Enhanced awareness of key stakeholder groups on RE&EE opportunities through the up-scaling of regional mechanisms for data and knowledge management and advocacy
- Outcome D: Increased RE&EE business opportunities for local companies and industry through the execution of regional investment promotion programs and tailored financial schemes
The centre complements and strengthens ongoing national/regional activities in the areas of policy and capacity development, knowledge management and awareness raising, as well as investment and business promotion. CCREEE will position itself as a regional RE&EE promotion agency rather than an implementer on micro- and grass-root levels. To maximize the local added value the execution of specific assignments or services is in many cases delegated to national institutions and/or the private sector.
The centre focues on activities which demonstrate high relevance for leveraging investments in RE&EE infrastructure, services, local businesses and industry. Investment and business promotion will be an important activity component of the centre but also a cross-cutting issue across the other outcome areas. To create a regional RE&EE market, it is crucial for CCREEE to stimulate as much as possible spill-over effects across outcome areas and national borders.
The Centre applies an interrelated short-term and long-term planning, implementation and monitoring framework. The centre will work on the basis of the CCREEE Business Plan which will provide a long-term planning and implementation framework for the first operational phase. The annual work plans, which are subject to approval by the Executive Board, provide a short-term planning framework which incorporates projects and activities to be executed by the Secretariat in a given year. The annual status reports monitor the implementation of the work plans and report on the achievements in the different project components.
Objective:
CCREEE aims at improving access to modern, affordable and reliable energy services, energy security and mitigation of negative externalities of the energy system (e.g. local pollution and GHG emissions) by promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency investments, markets and industries in the Caribbean.
The CCREEE activities will contribute to and are fully aligned with the following sustainable energy and climate policy objectives:
- The SIDS DOCK objectives to improve energy efficiency by 25 percent (2005 baseline), to increase the renewable energy share in power generation to a minimum of 50 percent and to reduce fuel use in conventional transportation by 20-30 percent by 2033.
- The goal of CARICOM’s Energy Policy which aims at assuring access to affordable, adequate, safe and clean energy products necessary for the development of Member States.
- The CARICOM RE&EE targets which were approved in the 41st Special Meeting of COTED based on the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Road-map and Strategy (C-SERMS): 20 percent renewable power capacity by 2017, 28 percent by 2022, and 47 percent by 2027; a 33 percent reduction in energy intensity by 2027; and power sector CO2 emission reductions of 18 percent by 2017, 32 percent by 2022, and 36 percent by 2027.
- The objectives of the 2015-2019 Strategic Plan of CARICOM adopted by the Heads of Government in their Thirty-Fifth Regular Meeting held in Antigua and Barbuda, from 1-4 July 2014.
- The centre contributes particularly to the cross-cutting area of SDG Goal 7 on Sustainable Energy and SDG Goal 9 on sustainable industrial development. It closely partners with the UN Sustainable Energy for All Initiative (SE4ALL) which aims at the three interlinked targets by 2030: universal access to modern, affordable and reliable energy services; doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency; doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
- The centre works towards limiting the average global surface temperature increase below 2°C or 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels in line with the reached global climate agreement at COP21 in Paris.
Mandate:
The mandate of CCREEE was defined in the approved project document. CCREEE is a specialized agency with an official CARICOM and SIDS DOCK mandate to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency investments, markets and industries in the Caribbean. Currently, the CARICOM legal agreement on the centre is under preparation. The centre operates within the decision and policy framework of CARICOM. However, the centre enjoys full autonomy and operates according to its own administrative and financial rules and procedures. The day-to-day management and decision making authority is delegated to the Executive Director (e.g. procurement, signing of contracts, recruitment) and the Executive Board.
CCREEE has a technical mandate and provides action- and service-oriented services to a broad range of public and private partners and clients. The centre assists the Energy Programme of the CARICOM Energy Unit and the CARICOM Member States in the technical implementation of sustainable energy commitments. Under the SIDS DOCK framework, the centre works closely with the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) and the Pacific Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (PCREEE) on common SIDS sustainable energy issues and solutions.
The geographic scope of intervention of CCREEE is defined as follows. The centre:
- Supports and executes RE&EE activities and projects which cover one or more CARICOM Member States (Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago).
- Focuses primarily on activities and projects with regional impact or national projects which demonstrate high potential for scaling-up or regional replication.
- Works in urban and rural areas. Due to the high relevance of decentralized RE&EE technologies and services for rural areas linked with the agricultural sector.
The Centre promotes the following energy technologies/solutions:
- All appropriate and sustainable renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, including also partly renewable energy based hybrid systems and mini-grids. The centre will consider important cross-cutting issues such as mainstreaming of environmental assessments and standards in project planning and approval procedures, the energy-water-food nexus, gender mainstreaming, the decommissioning and recycling of RE&EE technologies (e.g. light bulbs, wind turbines).
- Geothermal due to the region’s high potential to generate significant quantities of energy and the diverse obstacles Member States are facing to promote this resource
Waste-to-energy solutions to mitigate the environmental issues caused by urban and agricultural wastes, especially in the island states
- Small and medium-scale hydro power projects usually with a maximum capacity of 30 MW.
- Biofuel projects which prove to be sustainable. In this context, CCREEE considers 2nd generation biofuels not competing with food crops for available land, complying with the following minimum criteria: life-cycle GHG reductions, including land use change, local added value, ecological and social standards.
Legal Instruments:
CCREEE is established under Article 21 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas;
On 28 October 2015, the centre was officially inaugurated in during a high-level ceremony in Bridgetown, Barbados. Under the SIDS DOCK framework, the centre will closely work with the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) and the Pacific Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (PCREEE) on common SIDS sustainable energy issues and solutions. The centres are part of a wider Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres which is created in cooperation with regional organizations and communities.
This was in a small Mom and Pop dumpling house in Shanghai. The man was wrapping the wontons and manning the orders and cash register while the woman was boiling and frying the goodies. Because the crowds are down during the new year spring festival, there were not as many customers, nor dumplings, as usual.
MAH03398
Deputy Chief Ron Vitiello testifies at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Federal Programs and the Federal Workforce hearing on, “Examining the Use and Abuse of Administratively Uncontrollable Overtime (AUO) at the Department of Homeland Security. Photo By James Tourtellotte.
Exploring the efficiency & effectiveness of mindmapping
Full Blog Post explains more:
www.mindmapinspiration.com/content-mind-map/
You can subscribe to the Mind Map Inspiration Blog to receive new Mind Maps at www.mindmapinspiration.com/ and follow me on Twitter @mindmapdrawer twitter.com/mindmapdrawer
Also available: E-Books designed to help you create stylish and artistic mind maps of your own - visit the Mind Map Inspiration Website for more details: www.mindmapinspiration.co.uk/