The Battle of Climate Change

Last updated on January 30th, 2024 at 02:34 pm

For most of us the question of climate change is pretty straight forward, the earth is getting warmer and we are causing it. But there are people who would rather the issue be a little bit more uncertain. Yesterday a UK Newspaper called the Independent ran a story revealing that there are those who secretly fund organisations and people who promote this uncertainty – Climate Science Attacks.

Apparently a secret organisation exists called the Donors Trust based in Alexandria, Virginia. This group is funelling millions of dollars into the counter claims of climate change doubters. Most of the wealthy backers of this group are anonymous, but an audit trail has led back to one of it’s biggest supporters- the American billionaire Charles Koch. Koch Industries you will probably not be surprised to hear is a large oil, gas and chemicals conglomerate from Kansas. In Australia, climate change and the economy is always on the political agenda and it’s worth keeping an eye on the media reports here, ABC Iview is the easiest way to get access.

Just for clarification that’s a big fossil fuel company donating money to sponsor skepticism about global warming. This is not small amounts of money either, it’s the sort of cash that gets you onto the big stage. A researcher in Philadelphia estimated that nearly half a billion dollars has been donated in the last ten years specifically to undermine climate change science.

So no vested interests there at all and I suspect we can all work out where the rest of the sponsors are from. It is perhaps worth checking out the UK Newspapers and media about this story as it develops. Normally the BBC is great at covering environmental issues and scandals like this – watch for Panorama and Newsnight for any stories. Those outside Britain can access them by using a UK based proxy server to change their IP address as explained on this site – http://thenewproxies.com/british-ip-address. It’s quite a simple process if you use the recommended software and only takes a minute or two to access media sites anywhere on the planet, essential if you want to get a proper world view of climate change news.

Gun crime in the USA…

Last updated on December 22nd, 2019 at 08:40 pm

Once again with recent events the problem of gun crime in the United States has been highlighted to people around the world. The shootings in Connecticut have once again highlighted the issue of what should be done to prevent such tragedies in the country.

While many point towards a blanket ban on firearms, it appears that the President pushing his vice-president Joe Biden to look in to the issue means that he will definitely be doing something to change the way the country looks at weapons in the coming weeks.

The way in which guns are enshrined in the constitution of the country makes it very unlikely that a ban will be enforced, however rules on mental health checks and the strength of the firearms seem likely.

Recently The Best Question asked if President Obama could make any dent in US gun crime. With many people around the world believing that this is unlikely, it would seem that the atrocities of the recent shootings in Connecticut are here to stay. While the President may be able to reduce the caliber of weapons available to citizens of the USA, whether this will cause a significant change in the amount of shootings seen on American soil remains to be seen. However, as a population, we should hope that it does.

Does peace stand a chance in the Middle-East?

Last updated on December 22nd, 2019 at 08:32 pm

The Middle-East has long been a problem area for the West as they look to spread their liberal ideals around the globe. Over recent years we’ve seen uprisings in Libya, Egypt and a number of other countries who have ousted their leaders in a bid to earn themselves more freedom. However, it is unlikely that these states will now turn to the peace and democratic ideals that the USA and the Western world would like to see.

A recent post from how to get an American IP address on the impact of the USA Presidential Election and the effects it could have on the Middle East, outlined how the election of Romney would have been bad for the region, however, with the current troubles rising up between Israel and Palestine, it looks unlikely that even President Obama will be able to stop the issues of the Middle-East from getting worse.

With nuclear proliferation around the world getting worse and worse, many will have their eyes on Iran and North Korea who are seen as threats to the West and the free-world as they continue with the uranium-enrichment programmes.

The USA’s history of interventionism looks as though it is unlikely to continue against nations who have an arsenal of weapons that are capable of wiping out half of the USA with the press of a single button. It would be foolish for any president to think that entering a country with ground troops is a good idea when a rocket attack on home soil could kill almost all of the US’ population.

While many may have thought that the uprisings in the Arab Spring may lead to peace in the region, it’s now looking unlikely that this will come about. Instead, new questions of the issues in the Middle-East look to plague Obama’s second term in the White House.

Where is Society Headed?

Last updated on October 27th, 2019 at 06:15 pm

With wars raging, the numbers throughout the world struggling to find enough food increasing and the gap between rich and poor at home widening, it is sometimes hard to remain hopeful about the world we live in.

Recently, I discovered The Venus Project (www.thevenusproject.com), an organization started by Jacque Fresco. From what I’ve read, they offer ideas about how to solve the problems of the world today. They view the current monetary system as problematic. Capitalism, Communism, Socialism, Fascism while different in many ways all support a monetary system. Instead of a monetary economy, The Venus Project proposes a resource based economy.

The question then becomes not whether we have the money to buy something, but whether we have the resources to build it. This may sound strange the first time you hear of the idea. But if you take the time to read their proposals and wonder how the future could unfold, you may find it an attractive idea. This type of society would bring an end to war, hunger and poverty. As things stand today, these problems all stem from living in a monetary system. Where there is profit to be made, some people who draw the short straw are going to end up suffering.

One of the ideas that I found interesting is that ownership will become something of the past. Things are only useful to us when we are actually using them. For instance, a camera is of little use unless we are taking pictures. So we could have libraries for more than just books. In a future society, there could be a library for cameras, places for people to park shared cars, a library for technology tools – iPlayer Ipad US) and so on. If all people of the world have access to things, we can improve the life of many.

You may feel that some people would end up “worse off” than they are today. But just getting access to goods is only one of the benefits of a resource based economy. Another huge positive is that machines and robots can take over many of the mundane and repetitive jobs carried out by humans today. We may be able to get to the stage where machines can do practically all our jobs. This would leave humans free to pursue our passions rather than the paycheck which is often our current goal.

A better society is possible.

Introducing the Malthusian Theory of Population

Last updated on January 30th, 2024 at 02:34 pm

Arguably the first economist to concern himself with the problems of growing population was T.R Malthus at the very end of the 18th century. It was actually in 1709 that he published his world famous ’Essay on the Principle of Population’ which came to be knows as the Malthusian Theory. It was the huge increases in population of his home country England that gave birth to this rather disturbing treatise.

His rather concerning statement behind this theory was that there is a constant tendency of all organic life to tend towards the point where it’s noruishment was unsustainable. That is that the human population would keep increasing until it started running out of resources and starving. The mathematics was quite straight forward – population could increase geometrically doubling or trebling it’s numbers. Whereas food production was limited to an arithmetical progression such as 1,2,3,4,5, and 6 for instance.

The stark reality of this was that it was impossible for increases in food production to ever keep pace with any consistent population growths. His rather cheery argument did highlight two ways in which population could be checked

1) Positive checks – Events like war, misery, famine and disease could increase death rate and hence limit population growth.

2) Preventative checks – contraception, political policies restraining number of children and even moral restraints.

Obviously the latter sounds the most appealing and it Malthus who proposed these. The idea is that it’s much more beneficial to reduce birth rates than end up having to increase death rate to cope with population growth which was unsustainable.

It’s interesting that Malthus hasn’t appeared yet in the BBC programme on famous economists – Masters of Money. Although it’s early in the series so I’m still hopeful. You can catch up with this wonderful show on the BBC Iplayer. For anyone outside the UK who would like to watch I’d suggest checking out this helpful Facebook page I found. It shows you how anyone can access Iplayer abroad – http://www.iplayerabroad.com/ – simply by using a UK based server to provide you with a UK IP address.

Go Green – Green Energy Tips You Should Know About!

Last updated on December 22nd, 2019 at 08:23 pm

A lot of people are concerned about the environment, but don’t have a good idea of what they can do to help. Interestingly, a thing like this is actually friendly energy industry has been emerging to serve customers who are interested in making a difference. This article provides many tips so you can live a green lifestyle. Green energy is great to have in any home and can save you a lot on electrical bills that can seem to add up over months. Another great thing about investing into green technology is that you can use it as a tax write off which can help you get more back come tax season. One key energy-saving tip that all homeowners would be wise to implement is to insulate your water heater tanks. A great deal of heat can be lost if a tank is not well insulated, resulting in higher-energy consumption Makes sure you wrap your tank to help keep your water warm. Purchasing green energy is something that many people do not even think about. However, purchasing green energy not only helps promote the security of energy in the future, but it also helps reduce pollution. Purchase green energy in an effort to modernize your home and your way of thinking when it comes to energy efficiency.

The Værktøj energy solution you choose should depend on the kind of area you live in. If you live in a rural area or near the ocean, wind power will probably work best. On the other hand, solar power is your best choice if you live in a hot climate. Get more information about the weather and the strength of the wind in your area before you decide. Take an active part in your local community if you find that green energies are a common concern. You will learn more about alternative energy solutions and get a chance to convince local authorities to adopt green energies or offer tax incentives and other advantages. Know when your appliances need to be replaced. If you have a major appliance, such as a furnace or air conditioner that is over 10 years old, you should replace them with newer, more energy-efficient models. Buying the newer, Energy Star appliances can save you a lot in the years to come. Keep a lot of food in your refrigerator. That may seem odd, but the truth is that refrigerators that have a lot of food and items inside do not warm as quickly as less-stocked refrigerators. That means that refrigerators full of food use less energy, which is definitely a greener way to live.

Recycling is one of the easiest tasks that can make a Værktøj home. Some towns automatically include costs for recycling in their garbage collection, so look into this! If not, certain states including Michigan will pay consumers to return bottles after use. Recycling is one of the best ways to cut energy costs! As this article mentioned before, there are many people who are looking to make a difference in the environment and are seeking to reduce their carbon or environmental footprint. If you have the right information, it’s easy to implement green energy solutions in your life. Use the advice in this article and green living is just around the corner.

Mars – The NASA Rover’s Trek Across the Planet

Last updated on January 30th, 2024 at 02:34 pm

Well it’s now started to move, Nasa’s curiousity rover has moved from it’s original landing site almost 400 metres across the planet. It is moving to a spot identified by the scientists who want to use the robots drill to collect rock samples. The feature is called Gleneig and it’s a spot on the surface where three different terrains cross each other.

Curiosity has actually been designed to move much further than this, in fact it is built to operate 20 kms from it’s landing spot. This gives it the potential to analyse and explore a much wider range of conditions that previous probes which were static. The travelling though is painfully slow and Gleineg will actually take several weeks to reach.

All the time Curiousity is travelling it is sending back high quality images using it’s Mastcam. These images are also used to help calculate the best route for the rover to follow. At the moment it is on the base of Mount Sharo and scientists are hoping to find evidence of the abundance of water one thought to have existed on the planet.

There are some great images coming over now and included in a documentary currently screening on the BBC and the Horizon programme. If you’re interested in Science at all it’s definitely worth checking out. If you are based outside the United Kingdom and want to check out this – you can find some information here – on Youtube. It demonstrates how you can configure your computer to use a proxy server to access some of the great British documentaries available online – all with no advert breaks !!

Ok forget advert breaks someone sent me an email about watching more British TV online and I found this – http://www.theninjaproxy.org/just-interesting/itvplayer/

Don’t Understand The Stock Market? These Tips Can Help!

Last updated on December 22nd, 2019 at 08:14 pm

Many people try and fail when it comes to investing their money wisely. Whether it be in the volatile stock market or safer options from your local bank, knowing where it’s best to put your money for great returns is the key to making a profit. Included here, are some simple tips to get you started with BI Software. Do not let the stock market scare you. Even if the swings of the markets and the turbulence reported on the news gives you pause, consider dividend stocks as a conservative safe haven. Their consistent yields are often better than bonds, and companies with a long history of paying out dividends are just as safe an investment as bonds. Be very careful before diving into penny socks. These are often companies with bad balance sheets or spotty histories. Sometimes it is very difficult to find earnings statements for these companies. Trading on the over-the-counter markets is a gamble and should be approached that way. Do not invest any more than you can safely lose. Better yet, skip those markets altogether.

Watch out for BI Software. The stock market can certainly become emotional at times, and there isn’t an investor in the world who hasn’t let their emotions play a part in a trade from time to time. If you let those emotions get the best of you, and you trade based solely on them, you will open yourself up to impulse buying and selling, which often leads to big losses. Try to keep your emotions out of your trades as often as possible and never be afraid to step back and thing about something for a moment before taking action. Understand when to sell your stocks. People normally have one of two reasons for selling their stocks: they need the cash or it’s a market reason. Typically, someone will sell their stocks when the market is extremely favorable, and they stand to make a large profit. On the other hand, it may be a case that their risk tolerance level has been reached. At some point, it’s a good idea to go with your gut. Don’t hang on to stocks because you think you have to, only to regret that decision later. Read all you can about investing on the stock market. There are numerous quality books you can read, as well as magazines, newspapers, blog posts and more.

Keep in mind that economics typically takes precedence over management. Management can change very rapidly; however, a business’s economics is normally more stable. If you have a choice between a business that is very profitable with average management and a business that is not money making with great management, then you should select the first choice. Having a wide education in personal and corporate finance, economics, and taxation can help you in your investments. However, if you do not have this large education, just discovering methods of the way business works can assist you in discovering the best investments. With the BI Software, there is very little information that the public can not obtain. With the simple strategies included here, you should be armed with the knowledge on how to have a portfolio of investments, which help you to meet all your profit goals. Take note of each tip and begin to implement it into all of your strategies and you should have no trouble improving your returns in short order.

Solar Energy – Environmental Friendly And Safe Energy

Last updated on December 22nd, 2019 at 08:07 pm

The average home in the United States spends more than two thousand dollars on energy every year. Over time, that can really add up to substantial amounts of money and excessive abuse to the environment. To discover how to turn your home into a more environmentally friendly place and save you a lot in the process, know about Solceller. Since heating accounts for the largest portion of any home’s energy usage, this should be the first system you target when trying to improve the energy efficiency of your home. Look for leaks or insulation issues, place restrictions on thermostat usage and bring in a heating professional to assess the efficiency of your furnace. If you invest in an alternative energy system, make sure you have access to quality customer service. If something goes wrong with your system, a qualified technician should come and fix it quickly. Consider getting a formation yourself to save money on maintenance and be independent, especially if you live in a rural area.

When you can, take showers rather than baths. Running a bath uses up to 40% more water than a shower does, which means more energy is being used and your water bill will sky rocket. If you insist in using a bath, let it fill up and then turn the water off. If the time comes that you need a new toilet, purchase one that is energy efficient. A lot of water is wasted by constantly flushing, which has a negative impact on both your water bill and the environment. Many newer toilets have a flush feature that allows you to use less water. Look up different websites and see what Solceller technology is available that you can purchase. You can find things like batteries that run off of solar energy or items for your household that run off of solar energy. You’d be surprised at just how advanced folks have become with green technology these days.

If you have a swimming pool, you can save a lot of money by using solar energy to heat the water. Solceller heating systems are not more expensive than other solutions and are easier to maintain. These systems also work for your outdoor hot tub. This is probably the best use of solar power. Keep passive solar energy in mind when building or remodeling a home. Passive solar homes collect sunlight through specially-designed roofs, walls, windows, and flooring. Passive solar energy ranges from having windows angled to collect southern sun exposure to homes that are heated entirely with the use of the sun. Support your local Solceller energy providers by purchasing energy from them. You can check online to see if any of your local energy providers sell wind, hydro, or solar energy. By switching from the standard energy, you will send a message to your provider; you prefer cleaner energy. You will also be support the development of green energy in your area. Considering the money that you can save and the benefits to the environment that green energy provides, starting your home on a greener path should be a priority. Hopefully, you have learned a lot of helpful tips from this article on how you can make green energy a part of your home’s operation and begin saving money and the environment today.

Source: https://cipec.org/environment/what-is-cryogenic-deflashing

Remote Working Makes Sense

Last updated on October 27th, 2023 at 04:02 pm

Updated: October 2019.

We’ve all probably heard the expression ’paperless office’ – referring to the expectation that noone would need to print anything off and all records would be held electronically. However it never seemed to happen, if you visit any office your likely to find the printer working hard, filing cabinets everywhere and a substantial amount of paper floating about. Although there is little doubt that the amount of paper used has fallen quite dramatically.

Another expectation of the microchip revolution was that we’d all soon be working from home communicating via digital links, email, chat and webcams. Certainly many people now do work remotely – normally from home, however I suggest we could all benefit much more by doing this more often. Think of the environmental and economic advantages – reduction in travel benefits both the employee and the environment. How many hours are lost in traffic jams or simply on motorways? How much does it cost to keep a desk open in business premises plus dealing with security, catering and parking. Larger business are employing more people to look after their existing employees needs.

That’s not even considering the amount of time we spend commuting. Anyone who has ever commuted to work any distance, will probably at some point worked out how much time they spend travelling. It’s often a frightening number and the older we get, the more precious that time is. Even a fairly standard hour long commute into work soon adds up into months and years just travelling, what else could you be doing with that time!!

Using a VPN to Move Your Office

Now of course not everyone can work from home, but there are few obstacles that cannot be overcome using technology. Video conferencing used to be extremely expensive but now can be done using standard broadband and a desktop cam. Almost everyone has a laptop, tablet or at a push a mobile phone they can use. Apple have of course got some great technology for video conferencing – although you may need to set up VPNs

Seen in a remote working context a VPN can effectively extend your working area. Using an encrypted tunnel it’s possible to securely use the internet to access a corporate network for example. This could include document stores, email and any applications required to perform a role. You can effectively move an employees working desk into their home!

There are many security programs which can store, process or transmit documents and files securely. Larger corporations that operate globally can set up remote access to central servers and email using VPNs. If staff travel a lot internationally they can be given access to proxy software to switch their locations. For example they can dial in to Australian proxies for accessing Australian only sites and services or a US for American access. For more information – check this out – http://www.theninjaproxy.org/tv/finding-an-australian-proxy/

The investment required for most remote access solutions is normally quite low and should easily be recouped from the lower property and capital costs. The benefits accruing to the employee are also significant, a flexible working environment normally helps retain and attract quality employees.