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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...
Ethiopia is one of the oldest Christian states in the world. The Entoto Maryam Church is probably the oldest building in use in the vicinity of Addis Ababa; it was full of active worshippers taking part in a wedding celebration when I visited.
For the story, please visit: www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/travel/addis-ababa-in-the-cr...
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.
Note graffiti on the walls
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Reich Chancellery
Reichskanzlei
General information
Address Wilhelmstraße 77
Town or city Berlin-Mitte
Country Germany
Coordinates 52°30′42″N 13°22′55″E
Completed 1939
Renovated 1939
Destroyed 1945
Design and construction
Architect Carl Friedrich Richter
The Reich Chancellery (German: Reichskanzlei) was the traditional name of the office of the Chancellor of Germany (then called Reichskanzler) in the period of the German Reich from 1871 to 1945. The Chancellery's seat from 1875 was the former city palace of Prince Antoni Radziwiłł (1775–1833) on Wilhelmstraße in Berlin. Both the palace and a new Reich Chancellery building (completed in early 1939) were seriously damaged during World War II and subsequently demolished.
Today the office of the German chancellor is usually called Kanzleramt (Chancellor's Office), or more formally Bundeskanzleramt (Federal Chancellor's Office). The latter is also the name of the new seat of the Chancellor's Office, completed in 2001.
Old Reich Chancellery
When the military alliance of the North German Confederation was reorganised as a federal state with effect from July 1, 1867, the office of a Federal Chancellor (Bundeskanzler) was implemented at Berlin and staffed with the Prussian Prime Minister Otto von Bismarck. After the unification of Germany on January 18, 1871 by accession of the South German states, Bismarck became Reich Chancellor of the new German Empire.
In 1869 the Prussian state government had acquired the Rococo city palace of late Prince Radziwiłł on Wilhelmstraße No. 77 (former "Palais Schulenburg"), which from 1875 was refurbished as the official building of the Chancellery. It was inaugurated with the meetings of the Berlin Congress in July 1878, followed by the Congo Conference in 1884.
1930 extension, view from Wilhelmplatz
In the days of the Weimar Republic the Chancellery was significantly enlarged by the construction of a Modern southern annex finished in 1930. In 1932/33, while his nearby office on Wilhelmstraße No. 73 was renovated, the building also served as the residence of Reich President Paul von Hindenburg, where he appointed Adolf Hitler chancellor on 30 January 1933. The Hitler Cabinet held few meetings here. In 1935 the architects Paul Troost and Leonhard Gall redesigned the interior as Hitler's domicile. They also added a large reception hall/ballroom and conservatory, officially known as the Festsaal mit Wintergarten in the garden area. The latter addition was unique because of the large cellar that led a further one-and-a-half meters down to an air-raid shelter known as the Vorbunker.[1] Once completed in 1936, it was officially called the "Reich Chancellery Air-Raid Shelter" until 1943, with the construction to expand the bunker complex with the addition of the Führerbunker, located one level below.[2] The two bunkers were connected by a stairway set at right angles which could be closed off from each other.[3]
Devastated by air raids and the Battle of Berlin, the ruins of the Old Reich Chancellery were not cleared until 1950.
New Reich Chancellery
In late January 1938, Adolf Hitler officially assigned his favourite architect Albert Speer to build the New Reich Chancellery around the corner on Voßstraße, a western branch-off of Wilhelmstraße, requesting that the building be completed within a year. Hitler commented that Bismarck's Old Chancellery was "fit for a soap company" but not suitable as headquarters of a Greater German Reich. It nevertheless remained his official residence with its recently refurbished representation rooms on the ground floor and private rooms on the upper floor where Hitler lived in the so-called Führerwohnung ("Leader apartment"). Old and New Chancellery shared the large garden area with the underground Führerbunker, where Hitler committed suicide at the end of April 1945.
Speer claimed in his autobiography that he completed the task of clearing the site, designing, constructing, and furnishing the building in less than a year. In fact, preliminary planning and versions of the designs were already being worked on as early as 1935. To clear the space for the New Reich Chancellery, the buildings on the northern side of Voßstraße No. 2–10 had already been demolished in 1937.
Hitler placed the entire northern side of the Voßstraße at Speer's disposal assigning him the work of creating grand halls and salons which "will make an impression on people". Speer was given a blank cheque — Hitler stated that the cost of the project was immaterial — and was instructed that the building be of solid construction and that it be finished by the following January in time for the next New Year diplomatic reception to be held in the new building.
Over 4,000 workers toiled in shifts, so the work could be accomplished round-the-clock. The immense construction was "finished" 48 hours ahead of schedule, and the project earned Speer a reputation as a good organiser, which, combined with Hitler's fondness for Speer played a part in the architect becoming Armaments Minister and a director of forced labour during the war. Speer recalls that the whole work force — masons, carpenters, plumbers, etc. were invited to inspect the finished building. Hitler then addressed the workers in the Sportpalast. However, interior fittings were not finished until the early 1940s.
In the end it cost over 90 million Reichsmarks, well over one billion dollars today, and hosted the various ministries of the Reich.[4]
In his memoirs, Speer described the impression of the Reichskanzlei on a visitor:
“ From Wilhelmsplatz an arriving diplomat drove through great gates into a court of honour. By way of an outside staircase he first entered a medium-sized reception room from which double doors almost seventeen feet high opened into a large hall clad in mosaic. He then ascended several steps, passed through a round room with domed ceiling, and saw before him a gallery 480 feet (150 m) long. Hitler was particularly impressed by my gallery because it was twice as long as the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.
Hitler was delighted: "On the long walk from the entrance to the reception hall they'll get a taste of the power and grandeur of the German Reich!" During the next several months he asked to see the plans again and again but interfered remarkably little in this building, even though it was designed for him personally. He let me work freely.
”
The series of rooms comprising the approach to Hitler's reception gallery were decorated with a rich variety of materials and colours and totalled 220 m (725 ft) in length. The gallery itself was 145 m (480 ft) long. Hitler's own office was 400 square meters in size. From the outside, the chancellery had a stern, authoritarian appearance. From the Wilhelmplatz, guests would enter the Chancellery through the Court of Honour (Ehrenhof). The building's main entrance was flanked by two bronze statues by sculptor Arno Breker: "Wehrmacht" and "Partei" ("Armed Forces" and "Party"). Hitler is said to have been greatly impressed by the building and was uncharacteristically free in his praise for Speer, lauding the architect as a "genius". The chancellor's great study was a particular favourite of the dictator. The big marble-topped table served as an important part of the Nazi leader's military headquarters, the study being used for military conferences from 1944 on. On the other hand, the Cabinet room was never used for its intended purpose.
The New Reich Chancellery suffered severe damage during the Battle of Berlin between April to May of 1945 (in comparison, the Old Reich Chancellery was not as badly destroyed). Andrei Gromyko, who would later become the Soviet foreign minister, visited the partially-destroyed grand structure a few weeks after the fighting in the city had completely ceased. He recalls, "We reached it not without difficulties. Ruined edifices, formless heaps of metal and ferro-concrete encumbered the way. To the very entrance of the Chancellery, the car could not approach. We had to reach it on foot…. He noted the New Reich Chancellery "...was almost destroyed". "Only the walls remained, riddled by countless shrapnel, yawning by big shot-holes from shells. Ceilings survived only partly. Windows loomed black by emptiness."
The last stage of defense by defending German troops took place inside the Reich Chancellery, as mentioned by Gromyko, who stated the following:
Doors, windows and chandeliers testified on them the big imprint of the battle, most of them being broken. The lowest floors of the Reich Chancellery represented chaos. Obviously, the garrison of the Citadel fiercely resisted here... All around lie heaps of crossbeams and overhead covers, both metal and wood and huge pieces of ferro-concrete. On both sides of a narrow corridor, there were certain disposed cells, all eroded by explosions… All this produced a grim and distressing impression. If photography of this underground citadel of Hitler existed, they would become a proper illustration to Dante’s Hell; just select which circle.[5]
After World War II in Europe ended, the remains in what was then East Berlin (the Soviet-occupied sector of a divided Berlin) were demolished by the order of the Soviet occupation forces. Parts of the building's marble walls were said to be used to build the Soviet war memorial in Treptower Park (also in East Berlin then) or to renovate and repair the nearby war-damaged Mohrenstraße U-Bahn train station.[6] Some of the red marble was used in the palatial Underground stations in Moscow.[citation needed] Also, it is alleged that a heater from one of Hitler's rooms was placed in a Protestant hospital located not too far away from the Reich Chancellery.[7]
While the western half of the premises were taken over by the East German government for the establishment of the so-called "Death-Strip" of the Berlin Wall in 1961 (when the barrier was being constructed), a Plattenbau apartment block, together with a kindergarten, was built on the eastern half (along Wilhelmstraße) during the 1980s.
We rescued this animal from the fence it was trapped in and its chances of survival are good. Alexandra, a veterinarian who by good fortune was travelling with our group, calmed the antelope and held it closely to stop it struggling. Jesper Hornskov, our guide, obtained a pair of wire cutters from Mr. Pang, the lead driver. The implement cut through the fence like it was string. My job was to photograph this animal welfare and conservation crisis.
There is virtually no hunting pressure on large mammals on the Tibetan Plateau. The problem is that as the local human population switches from traditional pastoral modes to more profitable farming methods they are now constraining their formally free-ranging livestock herds with fencing. This has a disastrous impact on antelopes, gazelles and other large ungulates. The complex migration patterns that allowed them to cover distance and altitude in response to changing seasons and forage opportunities are now being closed down. For some individuals, such as this one, it means horrible direct encounters with fences. For populations as a whole it can mean extirpation as the amount of rangeland available to wild animals rapidly shrinks.
Visible in this picture is the neck and back of the animal. It looks bad but the main injury is to its fur - horribly painful, but not life-threatening in the early summer. The real damage was lower. At first we thought the wires had cut into the chest cavity because there was a lot of blood on the ground. After some anxious discussion about putting the animal down Alexandra confirmed that the wounds, though deep, were recoverable. I’m not posting a picture of that damage, it made me a bit sick to record it. I think this image is strong enough to convey the necessary message about the situation.
Once the wires were cut Alexadra released the antelope and it bounded strongly away, running quickly for at least 500 metres then stopping to stare at us and the fence. The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List classifies this species as endangered.
I've come so far since I was a young girl, bouncing through my life, barely seeing what was in front of me for the thrill of the next experience. . . as if my real life lived somewhere over the horizon. I don't know if it was motherhood that helped me to slow down (not always in the literal sense), or the shelter of a loving man, or the graces that come with unwanted illness. Perhaps it's just time and living itself that have been my teachers . . . but each moment comes to me now like a gift.
My life is about to shift, in small but dramatic ways. Yesterday, we had a second interview for the school initiative that I've been a part of for two years. It was intense and they ask us some really tough questions, but there is the real sense, this time, that the approval will go through, and we will move into the building and implementing phase of the project. It's been an amazing experience to create this vision with such a wildly talented and dedicated group of educators. . . to imagine young beings waiting to enter our school, and to consider what it is that they'll really need to learn and grow into capable, compassionate adults.
And in two weeks I'll begin an Applied Arts training that I have dreamt of for a very long time, to prepare me to teach handwork in our school. The idea of being the handwork teacher, as opposed to a main lesson teacher (which I also considered) thrills me. In this age of fast and "what's next", it seems such an important task to teach young people how to slow down and to create something useful and beautiful with their own two hands.
So, although I am looking ahead to all the new opportunities headed my way, it's different now. I'm taking in everything . . . savoring each and every new moment with the heart, mind and spirit of a woman that no longer squanders the gifts of this precious life.
An excellent view of Space Shuttle mockup "Inspiration" - along with Apollo 14 Command Module "Kitty Hawk" - on display in the Design Engineering Implementation (DEI) room of Rockwell International's Downey plant.
An excellent observation of this particular mockup design, per the "JACQMANS SPACEFLIGHT HISTORY" website:
"As you can see...the mockup still has the original design concept for the OMS engines, i.e. a fairing for the OMS pods extended onto the aft payload bay doors. This design was abandoned very early in the development phase and the pods were designed to be fully self contained and located aft of the payload bay doors. And also the forward RSC thrusters are protected by doors."
Additionally, note the mural behind, and to either side of the orbiter, by Rockwell International’s eminently talented artist, Ted Brown. The work is a larger variant of his masterpiece, “Space Products”, which at one time (but no longer?), was prominently displayed in the Launch Control Center (LCC), Kennedy Space Center (KSC).
Check out all of the other wonderful photos of this particular display configuration:
www.disneylicenseplates.com/RSDSC/RSDSC_DEI_Inspiration.html
Credit: Disney License Plate/Rockwell Space Division Stamp Club website
An excellent reference to the mockup and - to an extent - its history, specifically, page 6:
static1.squarespace.com/static/56c78acd0442626b2590f5ea/t...
Credit: Aerospace Legacy Foundation
See also:
members.tripod.com/airfields_freeman/CA/Downey_CA_undated...
Credit: Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: California: Central Los Angeles Area/Paul Freeman
Along with:
www.angelfire.com/fl/Jacqmans/downey.html
Credit: JACQMANS SPACEFLIGHT HISTORY website
Finally, as is all too often the case, beseeching in order to try to preserve history:
www.airspacemag.com/daily-planet/theres-one-more-shuttle-...
Credit: Smithsonian Air & Space website
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Inspiration
Credit: Wikipedia
Kitchen implements on display at the Allis-Bushnell House. The heavy mugs in foreground are actually measures; largest one is 2 quart.
See more tools, utensils and farm equipment at flic.kr/s/aHskTSBiQB.
(Photo credit Bob Gundersen www.flickr.com/photos/bobphoto51/albums).
Historical background
The earliest known implementation of road space rationing took place in Rome, as carriages and carts pulled by horses created serious congestion problems in several Roman cities. In 45 B.C. Julius Caesar declared the center of Rome off-limits between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. to all vehicles except for carriages transporting priests, officials, visitors, and high ranking citizens.
Road space rationing (Spanish: Restricción vehicular; Portuguese: Rodízio veicular) is a travel demand management strategy aimed to reduce the negative externalities generated by peak urban travel demand in excess of available supply or road capacity, through artificially restricting demand (vehicle travel) by rationing the scarce common good road capacity, especially during the peak periods. This objective is achieved by restricting traffic access into an urban cordon area, city center (CBD), or district based upon the last digits of the license number on pre-established days and during certain periods, usually, the peak hours.
The practical implementation of this traffic restraint policy is common in Latin America, and in many cases, the road rationing has as a main goal the reduction of air pollution, such as the cases of México City, and Santiago, Chile. São Paulo, with a fleet of 6 million vehicles in 2007, is the largest metropolis in the world with such a travel restriction, implemented first in 1996 as measured to mitigate air pollution, and thereafter made permanent in 1997 to relieve traffic congestion. More recent implementations in Costa Rica and Honduras have had the objective of reducing oil consumption, due to the high impact this import has on the economy of small countries, and considering the steep increases in oil prices that began in 2003. Bogotá, Quito, and La Paz, Bolivia also have similar restriction schemes in place. After a temporary implementation of road space rationing to reduce air pollution in the city during the 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing has implemented several rationing schemes to improve the city's air quality.
~~Wikipedia
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
www.youtube.com/watch?v=g74Q07Uu-lo
Kenny Burrell Trio - Jeannine (1990)
Farm Implements and Rutabagas in a Landscape
The first of the undecoded messages read: "Popeye sits
in thunder,
Unthought of. From that shoebox of an apartment,
From livid curtain's hue, a tangram emerges: a country."
Meanwhile the Sea Hag was relaxing on a green couch: "How
pleasant
To spend one's vacation en la casa de Popeye," she
scratched
Her cleft chin's solitary hair. She remembered spinach
And was going to ask Wimpy if he had bought any spinach.
"M'love," he intercepted, "the plains are decked out
in thunder
Today, and it shall be as you wish." He scratched
The part of his head under his hat. The apartment
Seemed to grow smaller. "But what if no pleasant
Inspiration plunge us now to the stars? For this is my
country."
Suddenly they remembered how it was cheaper in the country.
Wimpy was thoughtfully cutting open a number 2 can of spinach
When the door opened and Swee'pea crept in. "How pleasant!"
But Swee'pea looked morose. A note was pinned to his bib.
"Thunder
And tears are unavailing," it read. "Henceforth shall
Popeye's apartment
Be but remembered space, toxic or salubrious, whole or
scratched."
Olive came hurtling through the window; its geraniums scratched
Her long thigh. "I have news!" she gasped. "Popeye, forced as
you know to flee the country
One musty gusty evening, by the schemes of his wizened,
duplicate father, jealous of the apartment
And all that it contains, myself and spinach
In particular, heaves bolts of loving thunder
At his own astonished becoming, rupturing the pleasant
Arpeggio of our years. No more shall pleasant
Rays of the sun refresh your sense of growing old, nor the
scratched
Tree-trunks and mossy foliage, only immaculate darkness and
thunder."
She grabbed Swee'pea. "I'm taking the brat to the country."
"But you can't do that--he hasn't even finished his spinach,"
Urged the Sea Hag, looking fearfully around at the apartment.
But Olive was already out of earshot. Now the apartment
Succumbed to a strange new hush. "Actually it's quite pleasant
Here," thought the Sea Hag. "If this is all we need fear from
spinach
Then I don't mind so much. Perhaps we could invite Alice the Goon
over"--she scratched
One dug pensively--"but Wimpy is such a country
Bumpkin, always burping like that." Minute at first, the thunder
Soon filled the apartment. It was domestic thunder,
The color of spinach. Popeye chuckled and scratched
His balls: it sure was pleasant to spend a day in the country.
John Ashbery
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.
A farm on the Missouri River bottoms near Huntsdale in Boone County Missouri Notley Hawkins Photography.
©Notley Hawkins
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.
Signature Ceremony of PLATO Spacecraft Implementation Contract.
L to R: Kurt Melching, Chief Financial Officer OHB System AG, Marco Fuchs, Chief Executive Officer OHB System AG, Jan Wörner, ESA Director General.
Credits: ESA - Philippe Sebirot
An abandoned farm implement near Overton in Cooper County Missouri by Notley Hawkins Photography. Taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera with a EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM lens at f.4.0 with a .5 second exposure at ISO 800 along with three Quantum Qflash Trios with red, green and blue gels. Processed with Adobe Lightroom 6.4.
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©Notley Hawkins
The office building of the Emerson-Brantingham Manufacturing
This powerhouse of industry employed 5,000 from 1905, when the city’s population was 50,000, including elderly, women and children. The company manufactured carriage, wagons, plows, farm implements, and eventually evolved into J.I. Case Co.
The sprawling manufacturing facility encompassed a 24 building, 175-acre complex was the largest modern agricultural implement machinery facility in the world at the time.
A close neighboring company was lurking in the wings. J.I. Case out of Racine, Wisconsin watched closely as Emerson Brantingham fell further and further behind. Their particularly keen interest was in the plant and facilities and the 28 vital patents that Emerson Brantingham held.
Finally, in November 1928, the Emerson Brantingham Company fell to the hands of J. I. Case. For what it's worth, Emerson Brantingham was one of the last of over 800 implement companies to fall prey to the times.
J. I. Case continued to manufacture agricultural implements at its Rockford works until 1970 when they closed the aging manufacturing facility. Finding no buyers for the sprawling complex, Case donated the site and 1.4 million square feet of buildings to the City of Rockford for use as the City Yards. It was demolished between 2023 and 2024.
This weekend, I made progress on Violet’s Journey, our animated fairy tale featuring Natalina’s art ducks.
These new mockups show what Violet could look like with a beaded skirt and a new pair of wings, against different backgrounds. For this prototype, I mounted an oval plate between her belly and the robot base, then loosely hung some of Natalina's beads, for discussion purposes. I then superimposed my green screen capture of this prototype against some of the nature photos we used for the first storyboard, as well as a simpler backdrop using silhouetted shapes and gradient lighting.
Our first goal for this test is to cover the wheels and robot parts below the duck’s belly, as they seem out of place for a fairy tale. To that end, we plan to create a beaded curtain, using necklaces from Natalina’s treasure trove of jewels.
The second goal is to make Violet more expressive, as the decoy ducks are static and can’t show their feelings very well. To that end, we’re considering giving her new wings that could flap in different ways to show a range of emotions. These wings could be laser cut out of white or translucent acrylic, backlit with neopixels and made to flap gently with a servo motor attached to the oval float.
Lastly, we are experimenting with different background styles, ranging from photo-realistic backdrops to simpler landscapes with painted shapes and lighting. These simple shapes could be cut out on cardboard -- or laser cut on thin wood: I now have tons of vector files to choose from, besides the chinese landscape I used in this test. Both the forest and the cave would seem easy to implement. This first mockup is very flat, but we can add more color and texture over the laser cut shapes, to make them more real.
What do you think? Is it OK that Violet is not floating on water like a normal duck, but hovering over the ground with a beaded skirt and twitchy wings? How do you like the new backdrop idea? I think this could work if we set it up in a magical world, with surreal landscapes not just photo-realistic nature shots.
View more photos of Violet’s Journey and the Wonderbots experiment: bit.ly/wonderbot-photos
Check out our story guide for this work progress:
docs.google.com/document/d/1ceHph_XI-3m1mBk4lpduQ-JgCzGrH...
Finished implementing EXIF View for Darkrume darkrume.com/
It was 2 weeks of dealing with Data I've never worked with before, and feels like I've barely scratched the surface.
Photo taken before a game in July 2018, between the Milroy Yankees and the Raymond Rockets. Both are Town Ball teams, or Minnesota Amateur baseball teams. Milroy won the game 1-0. The below is taken from the Milroy Yankees Website, located at www.milroyyankees.com:
Baseball was Milroy’s claim to fame after the tremendous 1954 season. The state champs had brought notoriety to the small community, and Milroy would forever be linked with baseball.
With pride overflowing, the community of Milroy decided to back the team in a new way that fall by building a new baseball field. Milroy’s original diamond was on Highway 68, or what is considered main street in Milroy. Home plate on the old field rested where Kirsh Korner is today, with right field straight south alongside the road. This location had presented problems for the ticket takers because the park was not enclosed, and people would wander in from any direction. According to the 1951 manager of the Milroy Yankees, John Kagel, “with the old field right along the highway you would have a problem collecting tickets. You needed six to eight guys, I mean you would not believe the crowds.”
The old field not only presented problems for the ticket takes, but parking was a problem as well. Many stories were told of people going to church at ten o’clock, and parking their car alongside the field, then walking home, just to have a parking spot for the game later that afternoon. Another story, probably a tall tale, had people parking their cars on the highway the night before to insure a spot.
In the fall of 1954, the town of Milroy took donations from thirty-five people and some businesses and purchased a plot of land from Carl Rolland. The plot is located on the southern edge of Milroy at the intersection of Highway 68 and Redwood County Road 32. The donations the team received ranged anywhere from ten to one hundred dollars.
The money raised was enough to buy the land, but much work was still needed to be done. Once again the community pitched in and formed work groups to supply the labor. Louis Dolan remembers:
"The baseball players were up there [at the site of the new field], the townspeople were there and then after six farmers would come in. They would get together in groups and decide on a time and a whole bunch of them would come on up. The farmers would work in their fields until six, and then a group of twenty or so would meet at the field. There was people that hadn’t played baseball a day in their life up there helping."
“It was a community thing as far as the work on the land,” recalls John Kagel. “I know that my part of it was sodding the infield. And I got a group of businessmen together and we rented a machine and went out about six miles south of town. Then from a farmer by the name of Hicks, we got sod out of his pasture, and the local implement dealer had trucks and trailers and we hauled it in. This was in the spring of the year and us amateurs laid the sod and watered the infield like crazy, that was the year we had a really dry spring, but it stayed.”
The entire field, the grandstand, and the wooden outfield fence, with painted on ads were all built within six months. “The old diamond was a fair diamond, but nothing like this. It sits out here by the road where everybody can see it, and everybody was proud of it coming through on the highway. The whole community was proud of it,” remembers Louis Dolan. Even today, the field stands pretty much as it did that spring of 1955. The adds on the fence have been repainted and the scoreboard is different, but the field still brings smiles to the face of the originators of Milroy baseball.
During a working trip to Mykolaiv region, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy took part in the presentation of the projects implemented under the patronage of the Kingdom of Denmark over the region.
The Head of State took part in the presentation of the office of the Embassy of Denmark in Mykolaiv and the representative office of the Danish company Bright Bird, which deals with risk management and organization of contacts for Danish companies in Ukraine.
The Head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration familiarized the Head of State with the work of the Regional Office for International Cooperation at the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration established pursuant to the instruction of the President of Ukraine. The office coordinates and oversees projects implemented at the expense of Denmark, the main partner in the restoration of Mykolaiv region, as well as its partners, including municipalities, government organizations and companies from Germany, Japan, the Republic of Korea and other countries.
The Regional Office for International Cooperation is working on proposals for priority areas of economic reconstruction and development, as well as for eliminating the consequences of Russian aggression in Mykolaiv region.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Parliament and society for supporting important projects in Ukraine.
"We need such stories of success with very specific results," the President said.
The Head of State emphasized the importance of implementing programs of patronage over Mykolaiv region.
"This is indeed a success story. The patronage program for this region, and especially for those regions that are under attack on a daily basis, is very important. This is an example that shows other countries what we can do. And they can help rebuild Ukraine now, without waiting for global post-war recovery plans. So help Ukraine, because our country is living in a struggle right now," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The President emphasized that Ukraine will do everything possible to preserve infrastructure, institutions and security for business even in the face of full-scale Russian aggression.
The presentation was also attended by: Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark to Ukraine Ole Egberg Mikkelsen, Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania Valdemaras Sarapinas, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan Seymur Mardaliyev, Bright Bird CEO Thomas Trust Have, and Head of Bright Bird's representative office in Ukraine Rasmus Ulfeldt
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
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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©Notley Hawkins
Eliminate the Title: Police and Cops. And shed all things negative within the active body. Remove all negative ideologies as well. Implement New Title: World Peace Officers. Implement New Uniforms with the main color being Dark Leaf Green with Dark Wood Brown logos, with Symbols, or Designs that show Tree Life, such as a Eagle or Owl Perched in a Tree. Why the colors? Uniform colors should be darker versions of colors because it will maintain a cleaner appearance much better, especially when outdoors. Also, Green stands for Growth, and Green and Brown are the main Colors of Trees. Why the Symbolism? Trees Serve and Protect Life; they help provide Oxygen to Breathe…
and are home to many forms of Life around the world. And sure… applicable persons can teach and repurpose an officers role. But i say… Let the Trees be a Teacher as well, and let them be a constant reminder that people need to Breathe… and that Life needs to Flourish. Buildings for World Peace Officers would not be titled: police stations or precincts. Buildings would be Titled: World Peace Initiative, Sector 1, 2 and so on, and it would read that on the buildings and cars. Buildings and cars would be friendly earth tone colors or similar colors to the uniforms. First building to initiate changes is subtitled Sector 1, the next to initiate changes is Sector 2, third building is Sector 3, and so on. Full title for
example would be World Peace Initiative, Sector 1. And At least two beautiful trees should be planted nearby or in the vicinity of every building and if possible, other plants should be around, including small plants on the desks in the offices inside the building and medium plants next to seating and open spaces to give off an aura of life, and discourage the aura of morbidity. World Peace Initiative’s Slogan for all Sectors would be “Peace is a Virtue.” All cars for Sector One would read “World Peace Initiative: Sector 1” and read “Peace is a Virtue.” under those words. The Buildings would exist all over the world, and be interconnected in communication, purpose, peace efforts, and values...
Read More Here:
chinaaliciarivera.wordpress.com/2020/06/08/police-reform-...
or here:
chinaaliciarivera.wordpress.com/
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Peace and Love. ❤️💕
Our youth mentors and entrepreneurs are themselves responsible for the development and implementation of the Hummingbird Programme. They find their drive and willpower from knowing that they can help change the tragic social reality in Brazil through their own concrete actions. Their fuel is the smiles on the faces of the children receiving their attention, like the young girl above.
How could they possibly resist such a charming invitation?
Today was the beginning of a new development in the Hummingbird Project called Beija-Flor na Comunidade (Hummingbird in the Community), which literally means we are taking Hummingbird to the community instead of the community coming to us. In other words, Hummingbird is spreading its wings!
These images are from today's activities, which finished only a few hours ago. Tomorrow we will be in a different locality, in a different community.
The programme is part of a new strategy being developed by our youth mentors to get a preliminary feel in connection with their objectives to implant small Hummingbird nuclei in the more distant parts of our community, thus bringing our activities to the poorest kids who have no means of reaching our main centre.
The first community to receive some of Hummingbird’s vibrant activities was the Sitio Joaninha, which is a rough hilly area about 6 kilometres away from us, where many of the families who used to work on the rubbish tip live. The tip was closed down a few years ago and the area covered with topsoil so as to recuperate some of the natural vegetation.
Most of the shanty homes were constructed during the active years of the tip, when entire families found their livelihoods under the most unhealthy and hazardous working conditions. Since its closure there has been very few alternatives in the way of work and habitation, so very few have been able to move to better conditions. To the contrary; the area has rapidly grown to accommodate even more poverty-stricken families who have no other alternative than to grab a small plot of land and try to survive on what little is available in terms of public amenities in such places.
The majority of homes have no running water and depend on the council delivering drinking water by truck each day. Electricity is acquired through a series of illegal connections, which people have hooked-up to the main electricity network through a maze of literally thousands of metres of wiring crossing the landscape in all directions in order to bring power to one’s home.
This is quite common during the rapid growth of favela (shanty) areas and pressures from the inhabitants will eventually cause most councils to come up with a more satisfactory and less risky solution.
Many of the children who live here have a long way to walk to reach school, as there is no public transport. The tendency is therefore not to go, especially during the rainy or colder seasons. Very few have the willpower or even the means of getting to Hummingbird to participate in all the good things we have to offer in our Street Migration Prevention Programme, although there are some who do.
This is the main reason for us to bring Hummingbird to the kids. If we can manage to finance a more permanent solution we will be able to continue with a variety of activities throughout the entire year and not just during the school holiday season as is this week's proposal.
This White Stork was no more than 20' away.
Legend has it that in the old days in Portugal, it was considered very bad luck to kill a stork. The punishment, so the story goes, is that an offender had his hand chopped off. Now that really is bad luck. Ancient Thessaly, a region found in modern Greece, originally implemented the death penalty for anybody killing a stork; even worse luck. Legend has it that in the old days in Portugal, it was considered very bad luck to kill a stork. For many years the stork has been a protected species worldwide. In Portugal they are almost revered. Unfortunately, these beautiful creatures migrate from southern Europe to the Near East and Africa where, despite still being protected under law, many countries do not enforce the law, or they implement very light penalties, that do little to deter hunters. Much illegal killing of storks and other protected species still takes place when these birds migrate.
Portuguese farmers appreciate and protect storks because the birds thrive on small mammals, lizards, snakes and large insects, which save the farmers having to use expensive pesticides on their crops. This in turn protects the bees that pollinate the crops for better harvests, as well as providing valuable honey and by-products produced from bees wax. Storks often build their nests close to marshlands or wetlands, where they can feast on frogs and fish too. For more interesting information about these charmers of the Algarve, please see: meravista.com/en/algarve/information/fun-stuff/storks-in-...
And as I promised, the last plate I created on that day was appropriately one of my hands at the end of the process. When you coat the plates you hold them like a waiter holds a drink tray and you pour the collodion onto the plate and tilt the plate toward all four corners to spread the mixture. Invariably (regularly if you are a beginner) some of it dribbles off and onto your hand. Then when you pull the plate from the silver nitrate bath, some of that silver nitrate gets onto your hands and mixes with the collodion that is on there, creating a light sensitive emulsion on your skin which immediately gets exposed to light. Finally when you take your exposed plate into the darkroom and pour developer over it, that developer spills off onto your hands and develops the emulsion on them, which at this point are incredibly over-exposed and turn black. It wears off in a day or two, but til then you have some nicely stained hands.
I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make a wet plate image of my wet plate stained hands. The results of the process documented by the process. There is a nice logic to that.
Portrait of YEAC member Akeli Stampp and his father Renford Stampp 71 looking out for their goats. Akeli’s father has been a farmer and fisherman and that’s how they make out their livelihood in Riverton Meadows a very poor inner city community. “I believe that the YEAC and programs like it are very very good program… programs for youth development. Take a community like Riverton for example… don’t think there is anything else for the youths to be involved in. There is no sports club. There is no rights or any kind of youths organization. So from that I was able to appreciate the fact of being a part of something greater than myself. Something were I can invest my time in. And I know that an investment is also made in me whereas I´m gaining experiences, meeting new people, going to new places. All those kind of things. So yeah I believe more youths should be involved in the YEAC´S, specially those with a lot of free time”, he says.
CRS has been implementing the Youth Emergency Action Committees program for 6 years in Jamaica, Granada and St. Lucia. This is a USAID / OFDA Funded program that has the goal to strengthen youth for an effective emergency response and disaster risk reduction integrating in all its activities the climate change lens. CRS works with three partners St. Patricks Rangers, Caritas Grenada, And Caritas Antilles in St. Lucia that have created 17 YEACS with around 200 members. The project works with at risk youths between the ages of 16 and 26 in vulnerable communities. They are not just learning about emergency response or disaster risk reductions but are as well becoming leaders and change makers in their communities.
Warchief, everything is set as you ordered! The enemy ships just docked and they are unloading the troops. They will be here in an hour.- reported commander of the scouts.
Burlogh O'Rohal let out a sigh. For some reason I hoped they change their mind. - So it is decreeded. Stay calm and follow my orders.
Scouts of Lenfald army road into the valley. Suddenly a band of cheering beastman jumped out from the woods and ran towards them. Commander of the cavalry ordered a charge. The beastman group seemed confused and started to flee. Everything went as the warchief planned. The knights followed the Ironclad Company but after the turn of the road they faced a troll phalanx. Their charge broke in a minute. The beastmen turned back and flanked the cavalry.
Meanwhile main force of the invaders faced some problem too. Magical song rang over the valley as combined power of shamans created huge flamesnakes. As the fire stroke down to the knights, a sniper rose up from his hiding spot. His first shot hit the Lenfald commander who fall down to the ground. His army became disorganised in a moment. The ground shaked as Dragon Maiden lead their charge. The Lenfald army was surrounded in a few minutes. Their only chance was the road, but it was blocked by the warchief himself.
Let the massacre begin! For freedom, for the Bleeding Claws! - roared Burlogh and started to run and the horde followed him...
My entry to Lands of Classic Castle Global Challenge 3 - Purging the Magic Islands