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After the implementation of gas buses in Runcorn the promised batch of Darlington’s MAN Ecocity’s, which are for use on local Darlington services 2, 11 and 12, started to arrive in March 2013. Here one such of these, NK13CFE is seen here at the vehicles new home depot. With help from The Green Bus Fund Arriva are placing a number of low emission vehicles into use.
These buses for Darlington, totalling 11, are due to enter service later this month, allegedly around two days service can be gained from one of these green (in more ways than one) buses on a full tank of Compress Natural Gas (CNG).
John Greaves (Arriva North East's engineering director) says that these new buses are "all about building customer confidence again" after the problems that resulted from the closure of Bishop Auckland Depot, and Peterlee Depot, where he admits "service did deteriorate a little bit". Tony Griffiths from MAN UK says that the order for these and the 10 buses for Arriva in the North West, was "justification for all the hard work we, and the Gas Bus Alliance, have put in... it’s enormously gratifying to see customers realise the full potential of MAN EcoCity". After all this is the way forward.
A new filling station is to be built at Faverdale which can fuel the buses with high pressure CNG.
My verdict – for what it’s worth – a nice smooth ride, spacious cab, green idea, attractive livery. Nice to see more new buses in the area too.
Light & Life Christian Traveller Festival Oakham Half Visitors Had Departed By Lunch Time Leicestershire Police assisting traffic, Church Stewards and Volunteer Travellers implementing waste management litter picking, in and outside, the county showground, martinbrookes.blogspot.com/2021/06/life-and-light-mission...
The tools of the trade get bigger and shinier, more powerful, but still, the job is the same. Get the seeds in the ground, pray for good weather, enjoy the harvest, get it to market. These old implements are fascinating in shape, texture, colours, and man's ingenuity to invent and put them to use.
Many thanks for your visits, comments, & fav's, always welcome, and always appreciated.
Have a wonderful day!
No use whatsoever without written permission
Farm implement near McBaine, Missouri. Photography by Notley Hawkins. Taken with a Canon EOS R5 camera with a Canon RF15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM lens at ƒ/4.0 with a 239-second exposure at ISO 50, processed with Adobe Lightroom CC.
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©Notley Hawkins. All rights reserved.
Farm implement near McBaine, Missouri. Photography by Notley Hawkins. Taken with a Canon EOS R5 camera with a Canon RF15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM lens at ƒ/4.0 with a 243-second exposure at ISO 50, processed with Adobe Lightroom CC.
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©Notley Hawkins. All rights reserved.
Essay:
Earth's Transformation and the Random Implementation of Alien Technology
The Earth, once a vibrant planet teeming with diverse ecosystems, has undergone a drastic transformation. A severe environmental catastrophe has devastated the planet, leading to the evaporation of life-giving water into the vast expanse of space. The once-blue planet is now dominated by barren deserts, stretching across continents where oceans and forests once thrived. Humanity, on the brink of extinction, has been thrust into a desperate struggle for survival.
The catalyst for this environmental apocalypse was a combination of factors: uncontrolled industrial activity, rampant deforestation, and unchecked pollution. These human activities pushed Earth's climate system past a critical threshold, triggering a cascade of irreversible changes. The polar ice caps melted at unprecedented rates, causing sea levels to rise and then rapidly fall as water vapor escaped the atmosphere. Rainforests, which acted as the planet's lungs, were decimated, and the delicate balance of ecosystems collapsed. The result was a planet unrecognizable from its former self—a desolate wasteland where life struggled to find a foothold.
In this dire scenario, hope arrived in the form of alien technology—an unexpected boon that became humanity's lifeline. The origins of this technology remain shrouded in mystery. Some speculate it was discovered accidentally during deep-space explorations, while others believe it was gifted by a benevolent extraterrestrial civilization. Regardless of its origins, this advanced technology became the cornerstone of Earth's new survival strategy.
The alien technology enabled the creation of isolated oases in the vast desert expanses. These oases, shielded by energy fields and sustained by advanced atmospheric processors, mimic the lost ecosystems of old Earth. They generate and recycle water, maintain breathable air, and support agriculture, allowing small human communities to thrive. The technology also includes sophisticated climate control mechanisms that protect these fertile areas from the harsh desert environment.
The implementation of alien technology was a stroke of luck, a fortuitous discovery in humanity's darkest hour. Scientists and engineers, initially skeptical, soon realized the potential of these alien devices. Through trial and error, they managed to integrate this technology into the remnants of human civilization. This integration was not without its challenges—there were numerous failures and setbacks, but the resilience of the human spirit prevailed.
Life in these technologically sustained oases is a stark contrast to the desolation that surrounds them. Within the protective domes, greenery flourishes, and small bodies of water reflect the sky. Communities have adapted to this new way of living, embracing a lifestyle that is a blend of ancient survival techniques and futuristic technology. Education systems focus on maintaining and understanding the alien technology, ensuring that future generations can continue to benefit from it.
The concept of 'Planet B' has taken on a new meaning. Instead of seeking a new home among the stars, humanity has been forced to redefine its existence on Earth—'Planet B' is Earth reborn, a new chapter after 'Planet A' vanished beneath the waves of environmental disaster. The Earth of today is a testament to human ingenuity and the unforeseen assistance of alien technology. It is a world where the line between science fiction and reality has blurred, and where survival hinges on the harmonious integration of alien and human advancements.
In conclusion, the transformation of Earth and the serendipitous implementation of alien technology have given rise to a new way of life. This new existence is fragile and fraught with challenges, but it is also a beacon of hope. The 'Cradle of the Desert' represents the resilience of life and the enduring quest for survival in the face of insurmountable odds.
Poem:
In deserts wide where oceans slept,
Beneath a sky where sorrow wept,
Alien whispers, silent, deep,
Brought life anew from restless sleep.
Once blue and green, now dust and bone,
Our planet’s heart, a hollow tone,
Yet through the sands, technology,
Revived the hope for you and me.
In domes of light, we plant our dreams,
Where water flows in gentle streams,
Alien hands unseen, yet kind,
Breathe life back to a world confined.
From barren waste to fertile land,
A future forged by chance and hand,
Cradle of the Desert, bright,
Guides us through this endless night.
Haikus:
Alien whispers,
Oases bloom in deserts,
Hope in arid lands.
Earth’s rebirth at hand,
Technology’s gentle touch,
Life in barren sands.
Mid-State Implement and Truck Sales on Route 66 in Auburn, Illinois. This old industrial looking tanker was sitting outside the fenced in area of the establishment and was visible from Route 66. It apparently was acquired from the Carrollton Mo. Fire Department and appeared to be in pretty good shape. I have no idea how old it is.
Pierce Manufacturing is an Appleton, Wisconsin based manufacturer of custom fire and rescue apparatus and a wholly owned subsidiary of Oshkosh Corporation. Pierce began in 1913 and was acquired by Oshkosh in 1996.
HTT
Some farmer folk art or the last pieces in and implement junk yard.. Needing to get back to some Iowa art. Several years ago we did the western side of the state. Lots of barns, old windmills and hills from the Loess Hills area along the western border of the state. I haven't processed any of these (about 900/6000 keepers). Though I'd start mixing these in to breakup the Arkansas shots. Enjoy the Loess Hills.
Luminance HDR 2.6.0
Tonemapping parameters:
Operator: Mantiuk06
Parameters:
Contrast Mapping factor: 0.3
Saturation Factor: 1.6
Detail Factor: 5.2
------
PreGamma: 0.55
Farm implement near Glasgow in rural Saline County Missouri by Notley Hawkins Photography. Taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV camera with a Canon EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens at ƒ/4.0 with a 148 second exposure at ISO 100. Processed with Adobe Lightroom CC.
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©Notley Hawkins
The final product:
- A search which returns ALL items.
- Example of a page that shows best-bets (inside the blue box).
- A record display page. When viewing a specific record, thumbnail images of neighbouring records are shown.
There are a couple of issues with the final implementation but it's a good product.
The main environmental issues associated with the implementation of the 5G network come with the manufacturing of the many component parts of the 5G infrastructure. In addition, the proliferation of new devices that will use the 5G network that is tied to the acceleration of demand from consumers for new 5G-dependent devices will have serious environmental consequences. The 5G network will inevitably cause a large increase in energy usage among consumers, which is already one of the main contributors to climate change. Additionally, the manufacturing and maintenance of the new technologies associated with 5G creates waste and uses important resources that have detrimental consequences for the environment. 5G networks use technology that has harmful effects on birds, which in turn has cascading effects through entire ecosystems. And, while 5G developers are seeking to create a network that has fewer environmental impacts than past networks, there is still room for improvement and the consequences of 5G should be considered before it is widely rolled out. 5G stands for the fifth generation of wireless technology. It is the wave of wireless technology surpassing the 4G network that is used now. Previous generations brought the first cell phones (1G), text messaging (2G), online capabilities (3G), and faster speed (4G). The fifth generation aims to increase the speed of data movement, be more responsive, and allow for greater connectivity of devices simultaneously.[2] This means that 5G will allow for nearly instantaneous downloading of data that, with the current network, would take hours. For example, downloading a movie using 5G would take mere seconds. These new improvements will allow for self-driving cars, massive expansion of Internet of Things (IoT) device use, and acceleration of new technological advancements used in everyday activities by a much wider range of people. While 5G is not fully developed, it is expected to consist of at least five new technologies that allow it to perform much more complicated tasks at faster speeds. The new technologies 5G will use are hardware that works with much higher frequencies (millimeter wavelengths), small cells, massive MIMO (multiple input multiple output), beamforming, and full duplex.[3] Working together, these new technologies will expand the potential of many of the devices used today and devices being developed for the future. Millimeter waves are a higher frequency wavelength than the radio wavelength generally used in wireless transmission today.[4] The use of this portion of the spectrum corresponds to higher frequency and shorter wavelengths, in this case in the millimeter range (vs the lower radio frequencies where the wavelengths can be in the meters to hundreds of kilometers). Higher frequency waves allow for more devices to be connected to the same network at the same time, because there is more space available compared to the radio waves that are used today. The use of this portion of the spectrum has much longer wavelengths than of that anticipated for a portion of the 5G implementation. The waves in use now can measure up to tens of centimeters, while the new 5G waves would be no greater than ten millimeters.[5] The millimeter waves will create more transmission space for the ever-expanding number of people and devices crowding the current networks. The millimeter waves will create more space for devices to be used by consumers, which will increase energy usage, subsequently leading to increased global warming. Millimeter waves are very weak in their ability to connect two devices, which is why 5G needs something called “small cells” to give full, uninterrupted coverage. Small cells are essentially miniature cell towers that would be placed 250 meters apart throughout cities and other areas needing coverage.[6] The small cells are necessary as emissions [or signals] at this higher frequency/shorter wavelength have more difficulty passing through solid objects and are even easily intercepted by rain.[7] The small cells could be placed on anything from trees to street lights to the sides of businesses and homes to maximize connection and limit “dead zones” (areas where connections are lost). The next new piece of technology necessary for 5G is massive MIMO, which stands for multiple input multiple output. The MIMO describes the capacity of 5G’s base stations, because those base stations would be able to handle a much higher amount of data at any one moment of time. Currently, 4G base stations have around eight transmitters and four receivers which direct the flow of data between devices.[9] 5G will exceed this capacity with the use of massive MIMO that can handle 22 times more ports. Figure 1 shows how a massive MIMO tower would be able to direct a higher number of connections at once. However, massive MIMO causes signals to be crossed more easily. Crossed signals cause an interruption in the transmission of data from one device to the next due to a clashing of the wavelengths as they travel to their respective destinations. To overcome the cross signals problem, beamforming is needed. To maximize the efficiency of sending data another new technology called beamforming will be used in 5G. For data to be sent to the correct user, a way of directing the wavelengths without interference is necessary. This is done through a technique called beamforming. Beamforming directs where exactly data are being sent by using a variety of antennas to organize signals based on certain characteristics, such as the magnitude of the signal. By directly sending signals to where they need to go, beamforming decreases the chances that a signal is dropped due to the interference of a physical object.
One way that 5G will follow through on its promise of faster data transmission is through sending and receiving data simultaneously. The method that allows for simultaneous input and output of data is called full duplexing. While full duplex capabilities allow for faster transmission of data, there is an issue of signal interference, because of echoes. Full duplexing will cut transmission times in half, because it allows for a response to occur as soon as an input is delivered, eliminating the turnaround time that is seen in transmission today. Because these technologies are new and untested, it is hard to say how they will impact our environment. This raises another issue: there are impacts that can be anticipated and predicted, but there are also unanticipated impacts because much of the new technologies are untested. Nevertheless, it is possible to anticipate some of detrimental environmental consequences of the new technologies and the 5G network, because we know these technologies will increase exposure to harmful radiation, increase mining of rare minerals, increase waste, and increase energy usage. The main 5G environmental concerns have to do with two of the five new components: the millimeter waves and the small cells. The whole aim of the new 5G network is to allow for more devices to be used by the consumer at faster rates than ever before, because of this goal there will certainly be an increase in energy usage globally. Energy usage is one of the main contributors to climate change today and an increase in energy usage would cause climate change to increase drastically as well. 5G will operate on a higher frequency portion of the spectrum to open new space for more devices. The smaller size of the millimeter waves compared to radio frequency waves allows for more data to be shared more quickly and creates a wide bandwidth that can support much larger tasks.[15] While the idea of more space for devices to be used is great for consumers, this will lead to a spike in energy usage for two reasons – the technology itself is energy demanding and will increase demand for more electronic devices. The ability for more devices to be used on the same network creates more incentive for consumers to buy electronics and use them more often. This will have a harmful impact on the environment through increased energy use. Climate change has several underlying contributors; however, energy usage is gaining attention in its severity with regards to perpetuating climate change. Before 5G has even been released, about 2% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to the ICT industry.[16] While 2% may not seem like a very large portion, it translates to around 860 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions.[17] Greenhouse gas emissions are the main contributors to natural disasters, such as flooding and drought, which are increasing severity and occurrence every year. Currently, roughly 85% of the energy used in the United States can be attributed to fossil fuel consumption.[18] The dwindling availability of fossil fuels and the environmental burden of releasing these fossil fuels into our atmosphere signal an immediate need to shift to other energy sources. Without a shift to other forms of energy production and the addition of technology allowed by the implementation of 5G, the strain on our environment will rise and the damage may never be repaired. With an increase in energy usage through technology and the implementation of 5G, it can be expected that the climate change issues faced today will only increase. The overall contribution of carbon dioxide emissions from the ICT industry has a huge impact on climate change and will continue to have even larger impacts without proper actions. In a European Union report, researchers estimated that in order to keep the increase in global temperature below 2° Celsius a decrease in carbon emissions of around 15-30% is necessary by 2020. Engineers claim that the small cells used to provide the 5G connection will be energy efficient and powered in a sustainable way; however the maintenance and production of these cells is more of an issue. Supporters of the 5G network advocate that the small cells will use solar or wind energy to stay sustainable and green.[20] These devices, labeled “fuel-cell energy servers” will work as clean energy-based generators for the small cells.[21] While implementing base stations that use sustainable energy to function would be a step in the right direction in environmental conservation, it is not the solution to the main issue caused by 5G, which is the impact that the massive amount of new devices in the hands of consumers will have on the amount of energy required to power these devices. The wasteful nature of manufacturing and maintenance of both individual devices and the devices used to deliver 5G connection could become a major contributor of climate change. The promise of 5G technology is to expand the number of devices functioning might be the most troubling aspect of the new technology. Cell phones, computers, and other everyday devices are manufactured in a way that puts stress on the environment. A report by the EPA estimated that in 2010, 25% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions comes from electricity and heat production making it the largest single source of emissions.[22] The main gas emitted by this sector is carbon dioxide, due to the burning of natural gas, such as coal, to fuel electricity sources.[23] Carbon dioxide is one of the most common greenhouse gases seen in our atmosphere, it traps heat in earth’s atmosphere trying to escape into space, which causes the atmosphere to warm generating climate change. Increased consumption of devices is taking a toll on the environment. As consumers gain access to more technologies the cycle of consumption only expands. As new devices are developed, the older devices are thrown out even if they are still functional. Often, big companies will purposefully change their products in ways that make certain partner devices (such as chargers or earphones) unusable–creating demand for new products. Economic incentives mean that companies will continue these practices in spite of the environmental impacts. One of the main issues with the 5G network and the resulting increase in consumption of technological devices is that the production required for these devices is not sustainable. In the case of making new devices, whether they be new smart-phones or the small cells needed for 5G, the use of nonrenewable metals is required. It is extremely difficult to use metals for manufacturing sustainably, because metals are not a renewable resource. Metals used in the manufacturing of the smart devices frequently used today often cannot be recycled in the same way many household items can be recycled. Because these technologies cannot be recycled, they create tons of waste when they are created and tons of waste when they are thrown away. There are around six billion mobile devices in use today, with this number expected to increase drastically as the global population increases and new devices enter the market. One estimate of the life-time carbon emissions of a single device–not including related accessories and network connection–is that a device produces a total of 45kg of carbon dioxide at a medium level of usage over three years. This amount of emission is comparable to that of driving the average European car for 300km. But, the most environmentally taxing stage of a mobile device life cycle is during the production stage, where around 68% of total carbon emissions is produced, equating to 30kg of carbon dioxide. To put this into perspective, an iPhone X weighs approximately 0.174kg, so in order to produce the actual device, 172 iPhone X’s worth of carbon dioxide is also created. These emissions vary from person to person and between different devices, but it’s possible to estimate the impact one device has on the environment. 5G grants the capacity for more devices to be used, significantly increase the existing carbon footprint of smart devices today. Energy usage for the ever-growing number of devices on the market and in homes is another environmental threat that would be greatly increased by the new capabilities brought by the 5G network. Often, energy forecasts overlook the amount of energy that will be consumed by new technologies, which leads to a skewed understanding of the actual amount of energy expected to be used.[30] One example of this is with IoT devices.[31] IoT is one of the main aspects of 5G people in the technology field are most excited about. 5G will allow for a larger expansion of IoT into the everyday household.[32] While some IoT devices promise lower energy usage abilities, the 50 billion new IoT devices expected to be produced and used by consumers will surpass the energy used by today’s electronics.
The small cells required for the 5G network to properly function causes another issue of waste with the new network. Because of the weak nature of the millimeter waves used in the 5G technology, small cells will need to be placed around 250 meters apart to insure continuous connection. The main issue with these small cells is that the manufacturing and maintenance of these cells will create a lot of waste. The manufacturing of technology takes a large toll on the environment, due to the consumption of non-renewable resources to produce devices, and technology ending up in landfills. Implementing these small cells into large cities where they must be placed at such a high density will have a drastic impact on technology waste. Technology is constantly changing and improving, which is one of the huge reasons it has such high economic value. But, when a technological advancement in small cells happens, the current small cells would have to be replaced. The short lifespan of devices created today makes waste predictable and inevitable. In New York City, where there would have to be at least 3,135,200 small cells, the waste created in just one city when a new advancement in small cells is implemented would have overwhelming consequences on the environment. 5G is just one of many examples of how important it is to look at the consequences of new advancements before their implementation. While it is exciting to see new technology that promises to improve everyday life, the consequences of additional waste and energy usage must be considered to preserve a sustainable environment in the future. There is some evidence that the new devices and technologies associated with 5G will be harmful to delicate ecosystems. The main component of the 5G network that will affect the earth’s ecosystems is the millimeter waves. The millimeter waves that are being used in developing the 5G network have never been used at such scale before. This makes it especially difficult to know how they will impact the environment and certain ecosystems. However, studies have found that there are some harms caused by these new technologies. The millimeter waves, specifically, have been linked to many disturbances in the ecosystems of birds. In a study by the Centre for Environment and Vocational Studies of Punjab University, researchers observed that after exposure to radiation from a cell tower for just 5-30 minutes, the eggs of sparrows were disfigured.[34] The disfiguration of birds exposed for such a short amount of time to these frequencies is significant considering that the new 5G network will have a much higher density of base stations (small cells) throughout areas needing connection. The potential dangers of having so many small cells all over areas where birds live could cause whole populations of birds to have mutations that threaten their population’s survival. Additionally, a study done in Spain showed breeding, nesting, and roosting was negatively affected by microwave radiation emitted by a cell tower. Again, the issue of the increase in the amount of connection conductors in the form of small cells to provide connection with the 5G network is seen to be harmful to species that live around humans. Additionally, Warnke found that cellular devices had a detrimental impact on bees.[36] In this study, beehives exposed for just ten minutes to 900MHz waves fell victim to colony collapse disorder.Colony collapse disorder is when many of the bees living in the hive abandon the hive leaving the queen, the eggs, and a few worker bees. The worker bees exposed to this radiation also had worsened navigational skills, causing them to stop returning to their original hive after about ten days. Bees are an incredibly important part of the earth’s ecosystem. Around one-third of the food produced today is dependent on bees for pollination, making bees are a vital part of the agricultural system. Bees not only provide pollination for the plant-based food we eat, but they are also important to maintaining the food livestock eats. Without bees, a vast majority of the food eaten today would be lost or at the very least highly limited. Climate change has already caused a large decline in the world’s bee population. The impact that the cell towers have on birds and bees is important to understand, because all ecosystems of the earth are interconnected. If one component of an ecosystem is disrupted the whole system will be affected. The disturbances of birds with the cell towers of today would only increase, because with 5G a larger number of small cell radio-tower-like devices would be necessary to ensure high quality connection for users. Having a larger number of high concentrations of these millimeter waves in the form of small cells would cause a wider exposure to bees and birds, and possibly other species that are equally important to our environment.As innovation continues, it is important that big mobile companies around the world consider the impact 5G will have on the environment before pushing to have it widely implemented. The companies pushing for the expansion of 5G may stand to make short term economic gains. While the new network will undoubtedly benefit consumers greatly, looking at 5G’s long-term environmental impacts is also very important so that the risks are clearly understood and articulated. The technology needed to power the new 5G network will inevitably change how mobile devices are used as well as their capabilities. This technological advancement will also change the way technology and the environment interact. The change from using radio waves to using millimeter waves and the new use of small cells in 5G will allow more devices to be used and manufactured, more energy to be used, and have detrimental consequences for important ecosystems. While it is unrealistic to call for 5G to not become the new network norm, companies, governments, and consumers should be proactive and understand the impact that this new technology will have on the environment. 5G developers should carry out Environmental Impact Assessments that fully estimate the impact that the new technology will have on the environment before rushing to widely implement it. Environmental Impact Assessments are intended to assess the impact new technologies have on the environment, while also maximizing potential benefits to the environment. This process mitigates, prevents, and identifies environmental harm, which is imperative to ensuring that the environment is sustainable and sound in the future. Additionally, the method of Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) of devices would also be extremely beneficial for understanding the impact that 5G will inevitably have on the environment. An LCA can be used to assess the impact that devices have on carbon emissions throughout their life span, from the manufacturing of the device to the energy required to power the device and ultimately the waste created when the device is discarded into a landfill or other disposal system. By having full awareness of the impact new technology will have on the environment ways to combat the negative impacts can be developed and implemented effectively.
jsis.washington.edu/news/what-will-5g-mean-for-the-enviro...
Essentials all three! I was slow to recognize the significance of this group out at McIntosh Heritage Center. Now, these would surely have been heavily used by a dairying operation. These may rise to the highest importance implements on a farm. Barnyard cleanup. These are designed for simple hand use to assisted horse or tractor use for 'mucking." No wonder why manure spreaders were prevalent around the farm. Animal husbandry aside, Far too little attention is paid to soil husbandry. That is really the basis.
I was at McIntosh Ag Museum again for my windmill agriculture shot and saw this but the title for this image only came after I opened the file and figured what it was. This machinery is for the ages, the Iron or Dark ages! I should be able to spot some rust on it. I really need to get really close in on this and do a texture detail of the rust. I have a lot of close up gear I seldom use. It had to be iron heavy in order to be able to "bite" into the soil. It looked like a single row plow. Single row implements took some serious time to work a field, one row at a time. Manual labor for sure.
Highway #66 was already overloaded with spring travelers to the hills, hoping for heat relief in the Rockies. Some of us are slower to take the hint. Only the cow trail of snow remains up on Mount Meeker.
On display at a recreation of an 1860's farm at King's Landing in New Brunswick. King's Landing recreates village and rural life of that time in the province and is similar to Old Sturbridge Village in Central Massachusetts.
Antique Farm Implement.
Penn Farm Agricultural Heritage Center.
Cedar Hill State Park. Cedar Hill, Texas.
Dallas County. September 10, 2020.
Nikon D800. AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8g.
(24mm) f/16 @ 1/40 sec. ISO 180.
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the model, the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a single-seat subsonic carrier-capable light attack aircraft developed for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps in the early 1950s. The delta-winged, single turbojet-engine Skyhawk was designed and produced by Douglas Aircraft Company, and later by McDonnell Douglas. The Skyhawk was a relatively light aircraft, with a maximum takeoff weight of 24,500 pounds (11,100 kg) and had a top speed of 670 miles per hour (1,080 km/h). The aircraft's five hardpoints supported a variety of missiles, bombs, and other munitions, including nuclear bombs, with a bomb load equivalent to that of a World War II–era Boeing B-17 bomber.
Since its introduction, the Skyhawk had been adopted by countries beyond the United States and saw a very long career, with many baseline variants and local adaptations. Israel was, starting in 1966, the largest export customer for Skyhawks, and a total of 217 A-4s were eventually procured, plus another 46 that were transferred from U.S. units in Operation Nickel Grass to compensate for large losses during the Yom Kippur War.
The Skyhawk was the first U.S. warplane to be offered to the Israeli Air Force, marking the point where the U.S. took over from France as Israel's chief military supplier. A special version of the A-4 was developed for the IAF, the A-4H. This was an A-4E with improved avionics and an uprated J52-P-8A engine with more thrust from the A-4F that had replaced the Wright J65 in earlier Skyhawk variants. Armament consisted of twin DEFA 30 mm cannon in place of the rather unreliable Colt Mk.12 20 mm cannons. Later modifications included the avionics hump and an extended tailpipe, implemented in Israel by IAI to provide greater protection against heat-seeking surface-to-air missiles.
Deliveries began after the Six-Day War, and A-4s soon formed the backbone of the IAF's ground-attack force. In Heyl Ha'avir (Israels Air Force/IAF) service, the A-4 Skyhawk was named as the Ayit (Hebrew: עיט, for Eagle). A total of 90 A-4Hs were delivered and became the IAF’s primary attack plane in the War of Attrition between 1968 and 1970. They cost only a quarter of a Phantom II and carried half of its payload, making them highly efficient attack aircraft, even though losses were high and a number of A-4Es were imported to fill the gaps.
In early 1973, the improved A-4N Skyhawk for Israel entered service, based on the A-4M models used by the U.S. Marine Corps, and it gradually replaced the simpler and less capable A-4Hs, which were still operated in 2nd line duties. Many of the A-4Hs and A-4Es were subsequently stored in reserve in flying condition, for modernization or for sale, and two countries made purchases from this overstock: Indonesia and Uruguay.
Due to the declining relationship between Indonesia and the Soviet Union, there was a lack of spare parts for military hardware supplied by the Communist Bloc. Soon, most of them were scrapped. The Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) acquired ex-Israeli A-4Es to replace its Il-28 Beagles and Tu-16 Badgers in a covert operation with Israel, since both countries did not maintain diplomatic relationships. A total of thirty-two A-4s served the Indonesian Air Force from 1982 until 2003.
Uruguay was the other IDF customer, even though a smaller one. The Uruguayan Air Force was originally created as part of the National Army of Uruguay but was established as a separate branch on December 4, 1953, becoming the youngest, and also the smallest branch of the Armed Forces of Uruguay.
Since the end of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1970s, the Air Force was involved in the fight against the guerrilla activity that was present in the country, focusing against the MLN-T (Movimiento de Liberación Nacional – Tupamaros or Tupamaros – National Liberation Movement), that later triggered a participation in the country's politics.
On February 8, 1973, President Juan María Bordaberry tried to assert his authority over the Armed Forces by returning them to their normal duties and appointing a retired Army general, Antonio Francese, as the new Minister of National Defense. Initially, the Navy of Uruguay supported the appointment, but the National Army and Uruguayan Air Force commanders rejected it outright. On February 9 and 10, the Army and Air Force issued public proclamations and demanded his dismissal and changes in the country's political and economic system. Bordaberry then gave up to the pressure, and on February 12, at the Cap. Juan Manuel Boiso Lanza Air Base, Headquarters of the General Command of the Air Force, the National Security Council (Consejo de Seguridad Nacional) was created. The Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force was one of its permanent members, and the Armed Forces of Uruguay from now on were effectively in control of the country, with Bordaberry just participating in a self-coup.
During this period of time, the Air Force took control of the country's airdromes, some aircraft that were seized from the subversion, appointed some of its general officers to led the flag carrier PLUNA, reinforced the combat fleet with Cessna A-37B Dragonfly and FMA IA-58A Pucará attack aircraft in 1976 and 1981, modernized the transport aircraft with the purchase of five Embraer C-95 Bandeirante in 1975 and five CASA C-212 Aviocar and one Gates Learjet 35A in 1981, introduced to service two brand new Bell 212 helicopters, and achieved another milestone, with the first landing of a Uruguayan aircraft in Antarctica, on January 28, 1984, with a Fairchild-Hiller FH-227D.
Since the end of the military government, the Air Force returned to its normal tasks, and always acting under the command of the President and in agreement with the Minister of National Defense, without having entered the country's politics again, whose participation, in addition, has been forbidden in almost all activities for the Armed Forces. Towards the late Eighties, the Uruguayan Air Force underwent a fundamental modernization program: Between 1989 and 1999 a total number of 48 aircraft were acquired, including twelve Skyhawks (ten single seaters and two trainers), followed by three Lockheed C-130B Hercules in 1992, to carry out long-range strategic missions, six Pilatus PC-7U Turbo Trainers, also acquired in 1992 for advanced training (replacing the aging fleet of Beechcraft T-34 Mentors in Santa Bernardina, Durazno, that had been in service with the Air Force since 1977), two Beechcraft Baron 58 and ten Cessna U-206H Stationair in 1998 (with Uruguay becoming the first operator of this variant, used for transport, training and surveillance). Two Eurocopter AS365N2 Dauphin for search and rescue and transport followed, also in 1998, and 13 Aermacchi SF-260 in 1999, to fully replace the aging fleet of T-34 training aircraft and become the new basic trainer of the Uruguayan Air Force within the Military School of Aeronautics (Escuela Militar de Aeronáutica) in Pando, Canelones. Furthermore, on April 27, 1994, through Decree No. 177/994 of the Executive Power, a new Air Force Organization was approved, and the Tactical Regiments and Aviation Groups disappeared to become Air Squadrons, leading to the current structure of the Uruguayan Air Force.
The Skyhawks were procured as more capable complement and partial replacement for the FAU’s Cessna A-37B Dragonfly and FMA IA-58A Pucará attack aircraft fleet. Being fast jets, however, they would also be tasked with limited airspace defense duties and supposed to escort and provide aerial cover for the other attack types in the FAU’s inventory. The Skyhawks were all former IDF A-4H/TA-4Hs. They retained their characteristic tail pipe extensions against IR-guided missiles (primarily MANPADS) as well as the retrofitted avionics hump, but there were many less visible changes, too.
After several years in storage, a full refurbishment had taken place at Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI). The single seaters’ original Stewart-Warner AN/APG-53A navigation and fire control radar was retained, but some critical avionics were removed before export, e. g. the ability to carry and deploy AGM-45 Shrike anti-radar-missiles or the rather unreliable AGM-12 Bullpup, as well as the Skyhawk’s LABS (toss-bombing capability) that made it a potential nuclear bomber. On the other side avionics and wirings to carry AIM-9B Sidewinder AAMs on the outer pair of underwing pylons were added, so that the FAU Skyhawks could engage into aerial combat with more than just their onboard guns.
The A-4Hs’ 30 mm DEFA cannons were removed before delivery, too, even though their characteristic gondola fairings were retained. In Uruguay they were replaced with 20 mm Hispano-Suiza HS.804 autocannons, to create communality with the FAU’s Pucará COIN/attack aircraft and simplify logistics. MER and TER units (Multiple/Triple Ejector Racks), leased from Argentina, boosted the Skyhawks’ ordnance delivery capabilities. A Marconi ARL18223 360° radar warning receiver and a Litton LTN-211 GPS navigation system were introduced, too. Despite these many modifications the FAU’s A-4Hs retained their designation and, unofficially, the former Israeli “Eagles” were aptly nicknamed “Águila” by their new crews and later by the public, too.
Upon introduction into service the machines received a disruptive NATO-style grey/green camouflage with off-white undersides, which they should retain for the rest of their lives – except for a single machine (648), which was painted in an experimental all-grey scheme. However, like the FAU Pucarás, which received grim looking but distinctive nose art during their career, the Skyhawks soon received similar decorations, representing the local ‘Jabalí’ (wild boars).
During the Nineties, the Uruguayan Skyhawks were frequently deployed together with Pucarás along the Brazilian border: Brazilian nationals were detected removing cattle from Uruguayan territory! Dissuasive missions were flown by the Pucarás departing from Rivera to Chuy in eastern Uruguay, covering a span of more than 200 nm (368 km) along the Uruguay/Brazil border, relaying the location of the offending persons to Uruguay’s Army armored units on the ground to take dissuading action. The Skyhawks flew high altitude escorts and prevented intrusion of the Uruguayan airspace from Brazil, and they were frequently called in to identify and repel intruders with low-level flypasts.
The Skyhawks furthermore frequently showed up around the Uruguayan city Masoller as a visible show of force in a longstanding border and territory dispute with Brazil, although this had not harmed close diplomatic and economic relations between the two countries. The disputed area is called Rincón de Artigas (Portuguese: Rincão de Artigas), and the dispute arose from the fact that the treaty that delimited the Brazil-Uruguay border in 1861 determined that the border in that area would be a creek called Arroyo de la Invernada (Portuguese: Arroio da Invernada), but the two countries disagree on which actual stream is the so-named one. Another disputed territory is a Brazilian island at the confluence of the Quaraí River and the Uruguay River. None of these involvements led to armed conflict, though.
The Uruguayan Skyhawk fired in anger only over their homeland during drugbusting raids and for interception of low performance, drug trafficking aircraft which were increasingly operating in the region. However, the slower IA 58 Pucará turned out to be the better-suited platform for this task, even though the Skyhawks more than once scared suspicious aircraft away or forced them to land, sometimes with the use of gunfire. At least one such drug transport aircraft was reputedly shot down over Uruguayan territory as its pilot did not reply or react and tried to escape over the border into safe airspace.
These duties lasted well into the Nineties, but Uruguay’s small Skyhawk fleet was relatively expensive to operate so that maintenance and their operations, too, were dramatically cut back after 2000. The airframes’ age also showed with dramatic effect: two A-4Hs were lost independently in 2001 and 2002 due to structural fatigue. Active duties were more and more cut back and relegated back to the A-37s and IA 58s. In October 2008, it was decided that the Uruguayan A-4 Skyhawk fleet would be withdrawn and replaced by more modern aircraft, able to perform equally well in the training role and, if required, close support and interdiction missions on the battlefield. The last flight of an FAU A-4 took place in September 2009.
This replacement program did not yield any fruits, though. In May 2013 eighteen refurbished Sukhoi Su-30 MKI multirole air superiority fighters were offered by the Russian Federation and Sukhoi in remarkably favorable condition that included credit facilities and an agreement branch for maintenance. These conditions were also offered for the Yak-130 Mitten. By December 2013 Uruguayan personnel had test flown this plane in Russia. In the meantime, a number of A-37B Dragonfly were purchased from the Ecuadorian Air Force in January 2014 to fill the FAU’s operational gaps. Also, the Uruguayan and Swiss governments discussed a possible agreement for the purchase of ten Swiss Air Force Northrop F-5Es plus engines, spare parts and training, but no actual progress was made. The Uruguayan Air Force also used to show interest on the IA-58D Pucará Delta modernization program offered by Fábrica Argentina de Aviones, but more recently, among some of the possible aircraft that the Air Force was considering, there were the Hongdu JL-10 or the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master. But despite of how necessary a new attack aircraft is for the FAU, no procurements have been achieved yet.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 40 ft 1.5 in (12.230 m)
Wingspan: 27 ft 6 in (8.38 m)
Height: 15 ft 2 in (4.62 m)
Wing area: 260 sq ft (24 m²)
Airfoil: root: NACA 0008-1.1-25; tip: NACA 0005-.825-50
Empty weight: 9,853 lb (4,469 kg)
Gross weight: 16,216 lb (7,355 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 24,500 lb (11,113 kg)
Powerplant:
1× Pratt & Whitney J52-P-8A turbojet engine, 9,300 lbf (41 kN) thrust
Performance:
Maximum speed: 585 kn (673 mph, 1,083 km/h) at sea level
Range: 1,008 nmi (1,160 mi, 1,867 km)
Ferry range: 2,194 nmi (2,525 mi, 4,063 km)
g limits: +8/-3
Rate of climb: 5,750 ft/min (29.2 m/s)
Wing loading: 62.4 lb/sq ft (305 kg/m²)
Thrust/weight: 0.526
Armament:
2× 20 mm (0.79 in) Hispano-Suiza HS.804 autocannon with 100 RPG
5× hardpoints with a total capacity of 8,500 lb (3,900 kg)
The kit and its assembly:
The third build in my recent “Uruguayan What-if Trip”, and a rather spontaneous idea. When I searched for decals for my Uruguayan Sherman tank, I came across a decal sheet from an Airfix IA 58 Pucará (2008 re-boxing), which included, beyond Argentinian markings, a Uruguayan machine, too. This made me wonder about a jet-powered successor, and the omnipresent Skyhawk appeared like a natural choice for a light attack aircraft – even though I also considered an IAI Kfir but found its Mach 2 capability a bit overdone.
Checking history I found a suitable time frame during the Nineties for a potential introduction of the A-4 into Uruguayan service, and this was also the time when Indonesia indirectly bought 2nd hand A-4E/Hs from Israel. This was a good match and defined both the background story as well as the model and its details.
The model kit is an Italeri A-4E/F (Revell re-boxing), built mostly OOB with a short/early fin tip (the kit comes with an optional part for it, but it is too short and I used the alternative A-4M fin tip from the kit and re-shaped its leading edge) and the bent refueling probe because of the radar in the nose (the original straight boom interfered with it). I just implanted an extended resin tailpipe (from Aires, see below), used the OOB optional brake parachute fairing and scratched fairings for the A-4H’s former DEFA guns (which were placed, due to their size, in a lower position than the original 20 mm guns and had an odd shape) from styrene rods.
I also modified the ordnance: the OOB ventral drop tank was taken over but the kit’s original LAU-19 pods molded onto the inner wing pylons were cut off and moved to the outer stations. The inner pylons then received MERs with five Mk. 82 500 lb iron bombs each (left over from a Hasegawa Skyhawk kit) – typically for the Skyhawk, the inner front stations on the MERs (and on TERs, too) were left empty, because anything bigger than a 250 lb Mk. 81 bomb interfered with the landing gear covers.
Building posed no real problems; some PSR was necessary on many seams, though, but that’s standard for the Italeri Skyhawk kit. Just the extended tailpipe caused unexpected trouble: the very nice and detailed Aires resin insert turned out to be a whole 2mm(!) wider than the Skyhawk’s tail section, even though its height and shape was fine. I solved this pragmatically and, after several trials, glued the extended pipe between the fuselage halves, closed them with some force and filled the resulting wedge-shaped ventral gap that extended forward almost up to the wings’ trailing edge with putty. Under the paint this stunt is not obvious, and I suspect that the Italeri Skyhawk’s tail is simply too narrow?
Different/additional blade antennae were added under the front fuselage and behind the canopy as well as a tiny pitot in front of the windscreen (piece of thin wire) and fairings for the radar warning receivers were integrated into the fin’s leading edge and above the extended tail pipe, scratched from styrene sheet material. And, finally, a thin rod (made from heated styrene) was added for the Skyhawk’s steerable front wheel mechanism.
A good thing about the Italeri Skyhawk is that its clear part encompasses the whole canopy, including its frame. It comes as a single piece, though, but can be easily cut in two parts to allow an open cockpit display. The alternative Hasegawa A-4E/F has the flaw that the clear part is molded without the canopy frame, which has a rather complex shape, so that modding it into open position is a very complicated task.
Painting and markings:
Basically very simple: I relied upon FAU Pucarás as benchmark, which carry a rather unremarkable NATO-style livery in dark grey and dark green over very light grey, almost white undersides. This does not sound interesting, but it’s not a color combo typically seen on a Skyhawk, so that this already offers a subtle whiffy touch – and it suits the Skyhawk IMHO well.
To make the simple scheme more interesting, though, I decided to apply the camouflage in a more disruptive, higher resolution pattern, using the Kuwaiti A-4KU pattern as benchmark, just with replaced colors. On real-life pictures, the Uruguayan Pucarás as well as some early A-37s show a good contrast between the green and the grey, so that I chose Tamiya XF-62 (U.S. WWII Olive Drab) and Humbrol 156 (RAF Dark Camouflage Grey) as basic tones; the undersides were painted in Humbrol 147 (FS 36495), leaving a brightness margin for post-shading with an even lighter tone.
The landing gear as well as the air intakes’ interior were painted in white, the landing gear covers’ edges received a thin red edge. The cockpit interior became standard Dark Gull Grey.
For good contrast with the light undersides, the rocket launchers became light grey (Humbrol 127) drab. The MERs became classic white and the ten 250 lb bombs were painted in olive drab.
As usual, the kit received an overall light black ink washing and some post-panel shading, which also acts as a weathering measure. Esp. the Pucarás’ grey appears very bleached on many photos.
Roundels, fin flash and FAU taglines came from the aforementioned Airfix Pucará sheet, even though they turned out to be rather thick and not printed sharply. Most stencils were taken from an Airfix A-4Q Skyhawk, one of the new mold kits, which also came with Argentinian markings and stencils in Spanish. The respective sheet also provided a decal for the black anti-glare panel, even though it had to be cut in two halves to fit in front of the wider A-4E windshield, and the resulting gap was painted out with black. The tactical codes once belonged to a Kawasaki T-4 (Hasegawa). The soot-hiding squares above the gun muzzles are generic black decals. The only decal that was taken over from the Skyhawk’s OOB decal sheet were the rings around the arrester hook.
Overall, the FAU Skyhawk still looked rather dry. To add some excitement, I gave the aircraft a wild boar “face”, similar to the FAU Pucarás. The decoration originally belongs to an USAF A-10 and came from a HiDecal sheet. Unfortunately, this boar face was carried by a rather special A-10 with an experimental desert paint scheme consisting of Brown (FS 20140), Tan Special (FS 20400) and Sand (FS 20266) that was applied before deployment to Saudi Arabia in November 1990. This scheme did not catch on, though, and most A-10s retained their murky Europe One/Lizard scheme. Therefore, the artwork consists primarily of black and sand – white would have been better, stylistically. But I took what I could get and, as a kind of compensation, the sand color does not make the boar snout stand out too much. To my surprise, the four decals that create the wraparound hog face fitted quite well in size and around the Skyhawk’s rather pointed nose. I just left the nostrils away because they’d look odd together with the small black radome and a small ventral gap between the mouth halves had to be bridged with black paint and another piece of decal sheet that simulates a di-electric cover.
Finally, the model was sealed with matt acrylic varnish and ordnance as well as landing gear were mounted.
The third and for now the last build in my recent ‘Uruguayan whif’ model series. I like the grey-green Skyhawk a lot – it’s not spectacular and looks very down-to-earth (except for the nose art, maybe), but it’s very believable. The NATO style livery is rather unusual for the A-4, it was AFAIK not carried by any real in-service Skyhawk, but it suits the aircraft well.
Don't harness the nags to this wagon if you owe money all around town; they will see you coming! It looks like it was last used in a circus. Not much light and a terrific range of light with not much fill but it looks like this place harbors pigeons. I worked to get this monopod shot at this speed. The second wagon looks like it might have hauled seed or grain. They also stashed some hay for the animals in the shed.
Not knowing that there was to be an "Event" out at the McIntosh/Lohr Agricultural Museum, I headed out Sunday to grab a couple of fill-in photos for a set. Among the events was a sheep herding demonstration using an Australian sheep dog, another was hayseed rides for the folks. A couple of dandy Belgians hauled the hitch up. Over at the corrals were several animals for studying. The museum is probably under-utilized though. It would be great if the kids could see some of the horse drawn farming implements in use. This is also a great place for a weekend stroll and a sandwich with the kids. We took advantage of this day near McIntosh Lake Park at the ag museum from where we later accessed the lake loop. The entire path loops around the lake and is 3.5 miles. It looks like the day might be cut short. Lake Shore Drive is in town while the far west side is just out of town. The north lake pavilion area on Mariner Drive was packed with picnic goers and partiers on the week end. There was still plenty of space for the town folk to settle in for a spell. Boy, Longmonters sure use their parks!
I'm all about skies but this is an undefined sky. Lately, we have been sending more powerful storms to Nebraska and Kansas in the hopes that they might someday be able to wrap their minds around global warming. We just experienced the warmest May on record. Even orange man Boner is claiming that he is not a scientist. I beleive what he says; he doesn't even understand the effects of loads of alcohol on the human body! Recently we have been graced with typical June skies, so I am trying to take advantage of them as I can. Today, the lighting is already getting soft. Today, served up more clouding and a promise of more 80s. We might be creeping up on 90s but they should be in August. More runoff could be a disaster and everyone has an eye on the streams. See if you can detect the climate changes around your locale. I am choosing to edit and I am spending extra time on the best of the captures considering today's skies. I was just in time to shoot on that day. The windmill might have some work to do later on. I scored some tripod shots out here some time ago but I am here for a walk with my camera with the monopod.
The farm/museum is part way between Largemont and Hygiene, Colorado on state highway #66. I created a Photo Set for the McIntosh/Lohr Agricultural Museum.
In the late 1960s, around the time the Transport Act of 1968 was being implemented along with various PTAs and PTEs, there was a flurry of activity in Liverpool, backed by the City Council, to develop a transport strategy for the city and the soon to be formed Metropolitan County of Merseyside. One key component of this was the development of sections of underground railways in Liverpool city centre that was designed to utilise existing, mostly third rail electrified, railways that would allow for two main outcomes.
Firstly, better penetration of the central area than the existing lines could offer - most notably in the case of Exchange station that was arguably on the northern fringe of the centre by building the 'Link' line from Moorfields through Central and on to the Garston lines. This cleverly made use of some tunnel sections that the 'Loop' line would free up as we shall see.
Secondly to improve capacity on the existing 'Wirral lines' that, using the original Mersey railway tunnel, terminated in a reversing tunnel at Central station. This was to be achieved by a single line 'loop' via Moorfields, Lime St and back to Central, that allowed 'through running' as well as better connections and that was complemented by a new birrowing junction to segregate the running lines under Birkenhead at Hamilton Square.
Backed by the DoE and the PTE the British Railways Board undertook the works for both schemes and work started in c1972 and mostly completed by 1977. Sadly, two other components of the wider scheme, the Edge Hill spur and the Outer Loop railway, were cancelled leaving just the third rail operated Wirral and Northern lines of today - with the City line out on something of a limb in many senses.
The network created by these works has been expanded, with some extensions and new stations, although some of the wider ambitions seen in these three publications are still discussed to this day.
This is the 'glossy' "Merseyside's new railways" that is undated but that I suspect I picked up c1975. Nor only does it show the main components of the scheme but it also, interestingly, gives some indication of the look and feel of the new tunnelled underground stations and platforms, along with an appearance of potential new rolling stock that looks a bit like the BR "PEP prototype units. The propsoed architectural finishes are very 'of their time' but show possible use of BR's 'corporate identity' in new sub-surface stations.
This leaflet was issued by BR and Merseyside Transport.
Lighted Farm Implement Parade, Sunnyside, Washington. I am pleasantly surprised how sharp these night photos are considering these shots are hand held and mostly shot at 1/30 and slower shutter speed. IMG_1053
Shot with my D600 and 14-24 Nikor Wide Angle Lens at my friends farm. Post processed in Lightroom and HDR'd in Photomatix Pro. I have a few more that I will upload later, but this is by far my favorite shot.
The Conference of the Parties is the governing body of the Convention, and advances implementation of the Convention through the decisions it takes at its periodic meetings.To date the Conference of the Parties has held 12 ordinary meetings, and one extraordinary meeting (the latter, to adopt the Biosafety Protocol, was held in two parts). From 1994 to 1996, the Conference of the Parties held its ordinary meetings annually. Since then these meetings have been held somewhat less frequently and, following a change in the rules of procedure in 2000, will now be held every two years.The Twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity was held in Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea from 6 - 17 October 2014. The Thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 13) will be held in Cancun, Mexico, in December 2016.The agenda of the meetings of the Conference of the Parties is very wide-ranging, reflecting the programme of work the Conference of the Parties has established for itself. At its first meeting, the Conference of the Parties decided on a medium-term programme of work for the period 1995-1997. Implementation of this programme has laid the groundwork for the long-term implementation of the Convention itself. In particular it has seen the development of a number of thematic work programmes, and identified a series of key cross-cutting issues relevant to all work programmes.The fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties established a programme of work to cover the period from then until the seventh meeting and, more importantly, established a process to review the operations of the Convention and set out a longer term programme of work. As part of this process, an intersessional meeting on the operations of the Convention was held in 1999, the results of which were reported to the fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties and formed the basis for a decision on future operations of the Convention.
A major step forward with the new version of the draft agreement.
A farm on the Missouri River bottoms near Huntsdale in Boone County Missouri Notley Hawkins Photography.
©Notley Hawkins
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) continues to implement precautions in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). New York City Transit, MTA Bus, Access-A-Ride, Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North are significantly increasing the frequency and intensity of sanitizing procedures at each of its stations and on its full fleet of rolling stock. Trains, cars and buses will experience daily cleanings with the MTA’s full fleet undergoing sanitation every 72 hours. Frequently used surfaces in stations, such as turnstiles, MetroCard and ticket vending machines, and handrails, will be disinfected daily.
Photo: Patrick Cashin / MTA New York City Transit
A rural farm under a cloudy moonlit sky near McBaine in Boone County Missouri by Notley Hawkins Photography. Taken on a cool August summer's evening with a Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera with a EF16-35mm f/2.8L USM lens. Colored gels were used with an exposure of 120 seconds.
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©Notley Hawkins
Inside the old store at Bannack, there are an amazing assortment of implements used back in the day.
Each one had a purpose and tells a story.
Very poignant in my opinion.
www.eaue.de/winuwd/47.htm Abstract:
Vienna waste management policy has taken important steps towards the installation of separated collection systems since the beginning of the 1990s. Although the effects of separate collection had been underestimated for a long time, new strategies in the field of waste minimization and recycling have been implemented with considerable success. For example in 1994 (and for the first time) the quantity of household mixed waste did not increase in the City of Vienna. The following years, however, again showed an increase in municipal solid waste. In 1998 the increase in mixed household waste was once again nearly stopped but the quantity of recyclable waste continued to rise. The combination of recycling, incineration, and dumping practices is still aiming at the best possible ecological standards. The new policy is a remarkable achievement for the following reasons:
waste minimization principles have become an essential part of waste management;
waste management is focusing on the best ecological standards;
special attention is given to the limitation of waste dumping;
rapid progress has been made with organic waste and waste-to-energy systems;
the exploitation of material flow is regarded as an activity of increasing importance.
Concept and aims
For far too long the management of the economy has been marked by a narrow focus on the production of goods, their supply and consumption, while waste management has been dealt with secondarily and in isolation. Waste management has previously not been regarded as an operational tool that is able to influence the flow of materials and substances. Now, in order to achieve a sustainable waste policy, the principles of waste management have to be re-examined and upgraded. The aim should be to establish ecological products and services for each waste fraction. In 1998 Vienna’s waste volume in terms of mixed household waste did not keep growing as it had during previous years. This was the result of a waste management policy that started to tackle the different types of waste with new approaches. A basic principle of ecological waste management is the requirement that any waste that can neither be avoided nor recycled must be pre-treated in such a way that it is not a future environmental burden nor does it cause major costs in terms of monitoring and supervision of permanent disposal sites.
In 1999 the Vienna waste concept included the following strategies for waste minimization:
analysis of further potentials for waste-avoidance;
further exploitation of re-use of waste, including the splitting of mixed waste
and the improvement of separated collection practices,
setting up of new information and consultancy activities;
new purchasing policy for waste-reduction;
intensification of cooperation with industries in order to promote a sustainable economy.
The minimization strategies work with the following principles:
continuous analysis of the potential for a closed-cycle policy for each waste fraction;
further extension of the separated collection systems;
measures for increasing the acceptance of recycled products;
new pricing policy for landfill sites;
incineration should be less costly than dumping;
incinerated waste should be less costly than ordinary waste;
extension of the district heating distribution network;
the reutilization of construction and demolition waste should be optimized by new control instruments like an excavation database, a balancing policy of excavation and refilling, and inclusion of environmental standards in the public building sector.
Implementation
Vienna waste management initiatives have generally concentrated on waste-prevention (KLIP-Program) and on other special fields such as maintenance, reuse and education, as well as on recovering organic and building waste. Vienna has been able to show substantial improvements in these areas.
Waste Prevention
Waste prevention programs emphasize PR campaigns supported by various publications that for example explain how and where appliances can be repaired or where products and services can be rented. Further information illustrates how things can be reused and how wastes can better be handled. A next step is to develop information concerning specific waste prevention techniques for application in private households.
In 1995 the City launched the Viennese Climate Protection Program (KLIP) to develop guidelines for a climate protection action plan. This process involved more than 300 people from over 150 departments in Vienna’s administration as well as municipal services and external organizations.
Prioritizing feasibility, KLIP has developed 35 different measures regarding energy, traffic, and procurement and waste management efforts. Altogether these are expected to result in a reduction of 25% in carbon dioxide emissions per capita per year. While the ambitious Climate Alliance goal of a 50% reduction is desirable, it can not practically be achieved by the year 2010: Vienna has already reduced its annual emissions to about 5.4 tons of carbon dioxide per capita (compared to Frankfurt with its 13.8 !), and therefor does not have the same large opportunities for further reductions as other large European cities.
To move away from “end of the pipe” technologies and toward precautionary and preventive strategies, Vienna launched the project for environmentally sound public procurement (ÖKOKAUF WIEN). Introduced in 1998 with the help of about 200 experts, this project has developed criteria for procurement in areas such as construction, house-keeping and cleaning, electrical appliances, paper and printing services, food services, and water and lighting systems.
Also important is the Vienna EcoBusiness Plan that deals with the implementation of environmental initiatives through working with professional consultants to assist environmental initiatives in private companies and institutions. This Plan involves four special prevention and waste management programs: EMAS, Ecoprofit, Companies in the Climate Alliance, and Eco-Label Tourism.
Organic waste management
Organic waste management had already been established in Vienna by 1956, when the first organic waste composting plant went into operation. However, in 1981 this policy had to be abandoned as the compost -- which was produced from residual waste -- had become too polluted. Nevertheless, the idea was again pursued when separate collection systems were introduced.
After organic waste bin prototypes proved to be promising, the City of Vienna started research into a suitable method of composting. Between 1988 and 1990 developments concentrated on de-composting processes, and on the quality of finished products. In addition, possibilities for using artificially aerated de-composting systems were tested.
The new Lobau composting plant is located in an open area of 5.2 hectares. The process of de-composting takes between six and ten months, through which the waste is converted into humus. This resulting compost is mainly used at municipally-owned agricultural sites or distributed to Vienna residents for use in their gardens. In 1998 nearly 26,000 tons of first class compost were produced and sent on to farms and gardens. A second plant was developed at Schafflerhof in 1993 to manage the increasing volume of separately collected organic waste.
The basic policy of Viennese organic waste management is to produce first class compost with the lowest possible content of heavy metals and other impurities. It must be guaranteed that the compost is suitable for applications in organic farming.
Waste-to-energy policy and the Vienna incineration systems
At present there are three plants in Austria licensed to burn household wastes. There are two plants in Vienna, which in 1998 incinerated a total volume of 430,400 tons compared to a total waste quantity of 872,000 tons.
Waste-to-energy production covered 21.9% of Vienna’s district heating requirements (Spittelau, Flötzersteig, and EbS). The district heating network is 800 km in total length and it provides heating for more than 180,000 households and an additional 4,000 industrial customers.
The waste-treatment company Entsorgungsbetriebe Simmering (EbS) was founded in the 1970s in the 11th District of Vienna. Simmering processes 75,000 tons of hazardous waste per year and operates two rotary kilns for incinerating such wastes, with a combined capacity of 70,000 tons per year. Daily between 3,000 and 4,000 cubic meters of sewage sludge from Vienna’s main treatment plant are thickened to a dry matter with a water content of 35% and then incinerated at a temperature of 850° C in three fluidized bed kilns. Instead of using fuel oil to burn the sewage sludge, a special waste (organic liquids that are processed from non-recyclable packaging wastes) is burned as this has a higher thermal value. As the plants are equipped with flue gas purification and other automatically controlled systems, the level of dioxin does not exceed the values permissible under law. Activated carbon filters have also been installed and have been in operation since 1992 for the further removal of dioxins.
This treatment process is currently regarded as an exemplary model.
Results and Impacts
The Vienna waste collection system has installed approximately 200, 000 containers for household waste. For special collections there are 153,600 containers in use of which 77,900 are for paper, 43,400 are for organics, 17,600 are for glass, 8,500 are for plastics, and 6,200 are for metals.
With regard to organic waste, the City of Vienna has made rapid progress in implementing its ordinances. The 43,400 containers for organic waste have been installed at more than 16,000 locations across the city. In 1988 the organic waste project started with only 726 containers. On average there are 162 containers per square kilometer of developed urban area.
In Vienna the average distance to the nearest container is less than 60 meters and in highly built up districts the system is even better with an average distance of less than 20 meters to the nearest organic bin. There is no extra levy on organic wastes. In 1998 the volume of collected organic waste amounted to 90,000 tons.
In the waste-to-energy sector the City of Vienna can also rely on a progressive infrastructure for district heating. In 1998 70.2% of district heating was produced by combined power and heat systems, 21.9% came from waste incineration and only 7.9% from the regional power grid (Verbundnetz). This policy led to a savings of 70% of primary energy sources -- which is equivalent to about 271 million kilograms of heating oil. The savings in CO2 emissions is 873,000 tons per annum.
In 1998 49% of the waste was incinerated, 40% of the waste recycled, and 11% of the waste land-filled.
Actors and Structures
Department No. 48 of the Vienna municipal authority is responsible for waste management policy as well as urban clean-ups and the waste collection fleet. In 1998 the authority had a staff of 3,377.
The incineration plants at Spittelau and Flötzersteig are operated by Fernwärme Wien GmbH, a private company which originated from the municipal utilities and whose core business is district-heating. The plants are owned by the City of Vienna. The incineration plant for special waste is operated by the private company Simmering GmbH.
Source of Information
Personal communication with Dipl.-Ing. Helmut Löffler, Senatsrat Wien, 1999.
Spet, Gerhardt 1995: Das Wiener Abfallwirtschaftskonzept.
Spet, Gerhardt 1998: Das Wiener Abfallwirtschaftskonzept: Abfallentwicklung - Überblick - Ausblick, in: Perspektiven, Nr.1, S. 5-8.
Lukesch, Heinz 1995: Die Wiener Abfallverbrennungssysteme, in: Perspektiven, Nr.1, S. 14-19.
Stanke, Herbert 1995: Der Wiener Weg der Rauchgasreinigung nach Abfallverbrennungsanlagen, in: Perspektiven, Nr.1, S. 20-23.
Gilnreiner, Gerhard 1995: Deponien der Zukunft - Modelle und Visionen, in: Perspektiven, Nr.1, S. 26-28.
Rogalski, Wojciech 1995: Theorie und Praxis einer modernen Bioabfallwirtschaft oder die Möglichkeit, Kreisläufe zu schliessen, in: Perspektiven, Nr.1, S. 33-37.
Zika, Adalbert 1995: Strom aus Deponiegas, in: Perspektiven, Nr.1, S. 38-42.
Redl, Walter 1995: im Bereich der Wiederverwertung Ein Beispiel aus Wien, in: Perspektiven, Nr.1, S. 43-47.
Löffler, Helmut 1995: Improvement of Air Quality by Waste Incineration in Vienna, in: EA.UE, (ed.), Urban Environmental Improvements in Vienna’s 7th District. Conference of Central European Metropoles, Berlin, pp. 32-38.
Krobath, Phillip 1999: Fernwärme Wien GmbH - Chemistry & Environment,: private communications.
Engler, Carola 1999: Entsorgungsbetriebe Simmering - Public Relations.: private communications.
Municipal Department 22, 1999: News on Vienna’s environmental and urban technologies - Environmental protection: The City of Vienna’s climate protection program, pp. 13-16.
Contact:
Name:Löffler
Firstname:Helmut
Telefon:++43 / 1 / 4000 88 211
Telefax:++43 / 1 / 4000 88 215
Address:Helmut Löffler
Head of the Department for
Environmental Protection
Leiter der Magistratsabteilung
MA 22 Umweltschutz
A - 1082 Wien
Anne Ackerley, Head, Retirement Group, BlackRock, USA speaking during the Session "Implementing Stakeholder Capitalism 2" at the World Economic Forum, Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils 2019. Copyright by World Economic Forum / Benedikt von Loebell
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A rural farm under a cloudy moonlit sky near McBaine in Boone County Missouri by Notley Hawkins Photography. Taken on a cool August summer's evening with a Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera with a EF16-35mm f/2.8L USM lens. Colored gels were used with an exposure of 128 seconds.
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Wekewauban House Wayville now Parkin Wesley Retirement home.
This fine colonial home was built around 1900 for Richard Henry White a manager of Harris Scarfe department store. His wife named it Wekewauban meaning “house of light” from a North American Indian word. She and her husband were Methodists. Richard White was born in Cornwall in 1854 and migrated to South Australia around 1874. In 1878 he joined the staff of Harris Scarfe department store and within a short time (1885) he was the manager of one of their subsidiary companies the Australasian Implement Company which produced machinery for farmers. White was a generous man and at the urging of his wife Emily White they donated Wekewauban House to the Chapman Alexander Bible Institute in 1922. But they had founded the institute in SA and let it use Wekewauban from 1912 when the inaugural meeting of the Chapman Alexander Bible Institute was held in Wekewauban. The house was built of freestone in federation style. It is built into the banks of Brownhill Creek with a downstairs semi basement area with fine red brick arches with sandstone keystones. The façade has two bay windows with enclosing verandas and the roof has a round widow’s lookout with a spire in Queen Anne style. Richard Henry White died in 1929 and his estate was valued at £19,400 for probate. He also left property to the value of £14,500 outside of South Australia. A major legatee was his wife as they had no children. He also left a small donation to the Port Adelaide Central Methodist Mission. The bulk of his estate was left to the Wesley College and to a White Scholarship fund for that college. Emily White died in 1939.
In 1926 the Chapman Alexander Bible Institute incorporated with the Methodist Church and transferred the property to them for use as a theological college. The Wesley College theological college of Brighton transferred its students to Wekewauban House in May 1927. An alliance was then made with the Parkin Theological College run by the Congregational Church in 1930. From 1950 the Wesley College began sharing staff and resources with the Baptist theological college of Northgate Street Unley. In 1968 the college became the Parkin Wesley College for the training of Congregational and Methodist ministers. In the 1990s Parkin Wesley College closed as it amalgamated with all the churches of South Australia to form an ecumenical theological college affiliated with Flinders University. The former Wekewauban House then became a Uniting Church retirement village.
Charles Alexander of Tennessee formed a partnership with John Chapman of Indiana in 1907 to take evangelism into the streets of the world. The pair toured Australia in 1909 and after their Australian tour of 1918 Mrs White decided eventually donate her house to them. The Alexander Chapman Bible Institute only operated from 1912 to 1926 at Wekewauban House. The house was made over to the Chapman Alexander Bible Institute in 1922. John Chapman died in 1918 after the world tour and Charles Alexander died in 1920.